2:5 Man of Action

When he heard about the walls and gates of Jerusalem, Nehemiah went into action.  He didn’t recklessly set off to fix the problem.  He started on his knees, seeking the Lord’s leading.   
As men, our first response to a problem typically isn’t prayer.  Doesn’t seem decisive enough.  We want to do something active with measurable results.   
Prayer [...]

2:4 Walls Sanctify

God wants walls around our hearts for the same reason He wanted walls around the temple.  In addition to protection, the walls were a means of sanctification.  The walls set the Israelites apart from everyone else.  This doesn’t mean that the Israelites isolated themselves.  It doesn’t mean that they weren’t allowed to associate with gentiles.  [...]

2:3 How Do Your Walls Look?

If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you (like the Jews who had lived their lives in a foreign land) have been freed from the captivity of the Enemy.  Specifically, I’m talking about being free from the slavery of Satan’s temptations here on earth and from hell and eternal darkness in eternity.  [...]

2:2 Enter Nehemiah

In Nehemiah, Chapter 1, we are introduced to the title character, who held the position of cupbearer to Artaxerxes, king of Babylon under the rule of the Persian Empire.  Cupbearers were highly trusted officers of the court, and they had the power of life and death for the king.  A cupbearer’s responsibilities included tasting the [...]

2:1 Nehemiah’s Prayer: A Short History of Israel’s Temple Problems

Nehemiah: Chapter 1
The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:  In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 
They said [...]

1:4 Preface: On Solid Rock

I have a friend who once had his house jacked so that it was supported by bedrock rather than clay.  He shared with me that his house is now all “womperjawed” (yes, he’s from Texas).  Not a thing in the house is square – but it’s solid.  His house had been founded on clay so [...]

1.3 Preface: Building Your Temple

If you are reading this, and you realize that you have never asked Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior, you don’t have a temple where God meets with you. The temple is created when Jesus comes into your life and renews your heart. There is no hope for you to overcome [...]