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MY NOTES
Proverbs 4:20-23 NIV
[20] My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. [21] Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; [22] for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. [23] Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.Ephesians 6:12 NIV
[12] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
God’s Sovereignty Over the Nations
Acts 17:26 NIV
[26] From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.Acts of the Apostles 17:26 NLT
[26] From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
MY NOTES
- Nehemiah 1:1-11 NLT
[1] These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. [2] Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. [3] They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” [4] When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. [5] Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, [6] listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! [7] We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. [8] “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. [9] But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’ [10] “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. [11] O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.
1) PRAYER
The Most Patriotic Thing You Can Do is Pray For Your Nation: Because America doesn’t just need a better politician, or party, or program, we need a move of God’s presence and power and a returning to His promises (His Word) that can only be ushered in by prayer.
MY NOTES
- Nehemiah 1:4 NIV
[4] When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
We need another great awakening. A great returning to God!
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
[14] if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2) REPENTANCE
- Nehemiah 1:6-7 NLT
[6] listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! [7] We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
MY NOTES
3) FORGIVENESS
- Nehemiah 1:8-9 NLT
[8] “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. [9] But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’
4) SELFLESS SERVICE
Nehemiah 2:1-5 NLT
[1] Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. [2] So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” Then I was terrified, [3] but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” [4] The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, [5] I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”Nehemiah 2:8 NLT
[8] And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.
WE MUST PRAY, BUT WE MUST ALSO LOOK FOR THE RIGHT TIME TO PRAYERFULLY SPEAK UP, STAND UP, AND STEP OUT IN FAITH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Nehemiah sat down and wept. Knelt down and prayed. Then stood up and served.
- Nehemiah 2:7-8 NRSV
[7] Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; [8] and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.
MY NOTES
5) PERSEVERERING FAITH
Enemies Oppose the Rebuilding
Nehemiah 4:1-9 NLT
[1] Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, [2] saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” [3] Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” [4] Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! [5] Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” [6] At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. [7] But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. [8] They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. [9] But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.Nehemiah 6:9 NLT
[9] They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.
FOUR SCHEMES LEVIED AGAINST NEHEMIAH:
1. CONFUSION
2. INTIMIDATION
3. DISCOURAGEMENT
4. SENSE OF BEING OVERWHELMEDIF YOU’VE EVER FELT CONFUSED, INTIMIDATED, DISCOURAGED, OR OVERWHELMED, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Nehemiah 4:10 NLT
[10] Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”Galatians 6:9 NIV
[9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
MY NOTES
6) UNITY
The enemy is working overtime to divide us.
NEHEMIAH CALLED THE PEOPLE “TOGETHER”
Nehemiah 4:14 NLT
[14] Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”
[19] Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. [20] When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”Psalms 133:1 NIV
[1] How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!2 Corinthians 13:11 NIV
[11] Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.Colossians 3:14 NIV
[14] And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.Galatians 3:28 NIV
[28] There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
MY NOTES
7) FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY
- Nehemiah 4:12-14 NIV
[12] Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” [13] Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. [14] After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
WORKING and WARRING.
Building and Battling.
Nehemiah 4:15-17 HCSB
[15] When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. [16] From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people of Judah, [17] who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.Nehemiah 4:18 NIV
[18] and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.II Corinthians 10:4 NKJV
[4] For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,Nehemiah 6:15-16 NLT
[15] So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. [16] When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.
MY NOTES
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