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Nehemiah 1:1-6NLT Leaving Reproach
On the summit of Mt. Everest there’s a marker placed in memory of one of the oldest climbers ever to attempt to scale the mountain. It reads simply: “He died climbing!”
What will be our legacy; How will we be remembered? What will future generations say about us? What will be the recommendation from God Almighty?
NLT 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!
The rest of the story: Against all odds, Gods people rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, but more importantly the majority worked together for this common cause, and this rebuilt new hope, faith from within.
Nehemiah 1:2-3 Says Nehemiah heard about the dismay of his brother’s and sister’s in Jerusalem, plus the walls and gates of Jerusalem.
Verse 4, Says, Nehemiah wept.
Harold Kushner says, “Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth or power. Those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning, so that our lives matter, and the world will at least be a little bit better for our having passed through it.”
Genuine humility isn’t glamorous, but mostly it’s unheard and unseen by mankind. (Heart issue)
“God responds to the cry of the broken.”
2 Chronicles 7:14NKJ 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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Nehemiah’s cry came from within: “We (I) have sinned!”
“Before you can rally people to any cause, you have to rally God.” (Is God on your side?)
Nehemiah 2:17NKJ Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”
Many of us won’t leave our comfort zone, therefore; we become our worst reproach. Being a reproach means to, express disapproval of and criticize someone, especially for not being successful at doing what was expected.
Many suffer with reproach from within: sin- emotions- past situations.
“Self reproach, condemnation, feelings of unworthiness begins and ends from within.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Keys to break through:
1. Humility
Faith based prayer
Changing direction
Obtaining new faith mixed with works.
Hear this, “the preparation of any great event will cost more than the event itself.”
Preparation is a thing of the heart, self-sacrifice, planning, giving the most, laying down your agenda, believing in God and yourself, as well as others.
Romans 8:12-17NLT Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
If you want to become a powerful force unto All-Mighty-God there’s a price to pay of humility and surrender.
Benediction.
