God's calling when your city's in ruins

In what was a truly miraculous event, Nehemiah 6:15-16 testifies, [15] So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
[16] And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

“The wall was finished in 52 days! That's a miracle! When it says ‘all our enemies heard thereof,’ that means they were paying attention to what was going on,” explains California preacher John Verstegen.

“It might seem that what Nehemiah and his little group of people were doing was insignificant, not having any impact, but it was. And so we, too, in the dispensation of grace, when we preach Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, there are those who want to see what we’re up to and whether we’re going to stick with it. You know, ‘Is it going to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others?’

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“Nehemiah 8:1-3 says, [1] And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
[2] And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
[3] And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

“That’s what Bible study is about. That’s what teaching the Word of God is about. So many in our day, when they’re teaching from the pulpits they’re telling stories. They’re telling fables and they’re using the Bible just to proof-text something they’re trying to convey.

“That’s not the purpose for which God wrote His Word. God wrote His Word so He could convey to humanity His eternal plan for the heavenly places and for the earth. You and I today are involved in His plans for the heavenly places.

“If we will open the Word of God and teach the Word of God--as that verse says, they read in the book of the law. By the way, that means they had it! I thought everything was in rubbish and burned? How did the Word get preserved perfectly so that they could still call it the Word of God? The doctrine of preservation, that’s how.

“By the way, when the people hear this they begin to mourn and weep and it’s really a mourning and weeping for joy. Look at verses 8-9: [8] So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
[9] And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

“Don’t you love verse 10: [10] Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

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“Time and time and time again, whenever the opposition comes, what Nehemiah does is he refocuses his own thinking on the Word of God and he gets the people to refocus their thinking.

“Nehemiah understood where he was dispensationally and historically, just as the man of God today needs to understand. Nehemiah is a man who understood the condition of the nation of Israel. The city was in ruins, the people were in decline. There was much rubbish in the way and there were many adversaries.

“The man of God today needs to understand the condition of the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ many, many years ago abandoned the ministry of the Apostle Paul and it’s no wonder therefore that even since then, almost 2,000 years, the church has lived in apostasy and isn’t even aware of it! They don’t even know it!

“Before Paul died, he said in II Timothy, ‘[15] This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

“They didn’t turn away from the Bible in general. They didn’t turn away from a belief that God created the heaven and the earth. They didn’t turn away from the belief that a man named Jesus lived, died and rose again from the dead.

“They turned away from the distinctive ministry that the Lord Jesus Christ committed to the Apostle Paul for this time in which we live. And in turning away from that message, they turned unto fables. And you know what those fables bring about? Endless questions. Much rubbish. So you can’t access the fountain!

“They don’t even believe they have a perfect Bible anymore! So the pool, the water is dirty. It’s foul, it’s poison. When you teach from the pulpits that God’s Word is not perfect, therefore you’re saying you can’t trust God’s Word. You’re saying you can’t trust God!

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“Nehemiah determined to let God’s purpose become his purpose and he dedicated his life to that end and so, too, the man of God today needs to understand that God’s purpose is to become his purpose and therefore to labor together with God in what God is doing.

“If we want to be a man of God today and have an impact with God, we’ve got to decide, ‘Okay, we’ll get on board with this and let this be the direction of our life.’

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“Paul says in I Thessalonians 2:4: [4] But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

“Listen, when you put someone in trust of something that you believe is valuable, it’s valuable to the person who put you in trust of it. God says, ‘This gospel matters to me. I consider it valuable and I’m putting it in your trust because I want you to labor together with me.’

“When opposition came for Nehemiah, what did he do? Again and again and again and again he kept reminding himself and the people WHAT they were doing and WHY they were doing it.

“Titus 3:4-6 says, [4] But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
[5] Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
[6] Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

“Look at what God says in the next two verses: [7] That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
[8] This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

“How often do we affirm these things? God thinks we need to do it constantly.”

(another article tomorrow)