Hello Everyone,

The first paragraph of a story is the most important, in it you should answer the who, the what, the when, and the where. Nehemiah does this in the first couple of verses of chapter one.

What is the book of Nehemiah?

1:1 "The words of Nehemiah"

This is an autobiography. His memoirs and His testimony of what God did in him and thru him.

-God works for us = salvation

-God works in us = sanctification

-God works thru us = service

If I asked you to write down how God is using you to build up the work of God, what would you have to write down? Would what you write challenge and inspire others?

'The words of Nehemiah' were something worth writing because God was working in his life.

Who is Nehemiah? "the son of Hachaliah"

There are 3 men who played an important role in rebuilding Jerusalem after it was destroyed by the Babylonians. Zerubbabel, the prince, represented the political side. Ezra, the priest, represented the religious side.

Then there's Nehemiah, who was a layman...an ordinary church member.

He was not a prophet, priest, or preacher. He worked a secular job.

God has a way of taking ordinary people and doing extra ordinary things thru them.

There's no limit to what God can do thru YOU if you'll decide to let Him do it!

I used to try to get everyone on board with things in the church in order for them to succeed. But I've stopped because I've come to realize that God chooses to use the faithful few.

It would be great to have a BIG crowd out for our outreach’s, but God uses the faithful. It would be nice if everyone would pray around the altars when we come together, but God doesn't want you to pray because you have to...only if you want to!

It was the minority that believed God and got onto the ark with Noah.

It was the minority of the spies who saw the Promised Land as God's gift to Israel and the enemy as defeat able.

It was the minority who believed Jesus was the Son of God and the minority who followed Him even after He proved it by rising from the dead!

It has always been the minority who gets serious about serving God.

And today, it's the minority, who is truly faithful to church, and the minority who believes in creation instead of evolution, and the minority who believes in saving themselves for marriage [everybody's doing it!].

But I'm proud to report that just as it has always been in God's economy it still is today--the minority is right!

Nehemiah did what he did as a minority, and in the face of criticism, opposition, and many naysayers. But one person, if he is with God, makes a MAJORITY!

What is Nehemiah? A testimony. Who is Nehemiah? A loyal ordinary person...

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil