Hello Everyone,

How do we as believers respond to ridicule? In Nehemiah 4:1-3 we the people of God doing what God has called them to do and at the same time are being ridicule.

¹ When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, ² and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

³ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”

Sanballat has always lived in every time, and taken form in every age. He and others like him believe if God's Kingdom is built up it will hurt their cause.

They don't want to see it happen. They want to hurt that cause. One of the chief weapons they use is ridicule.

Any time the people of God say, Let us rise up and build; there will be a Sanballat and his crowd that will tear down. Let's not be surprised by this.

But it's not easy to stand up to ridicule. Many Christians will stand bravely when being shot at, but collapse when being laughed at.

Peer pressure in young people is powerful, and we all are young at heart in this matter. We want to fit in. But the largest cult today is the cult of conformity.

The world doesn't understand Jesus, His church, or His people. We want to fit in on both sides, but we must choose sides and accept that many will laugh at our standards and beliefs.

Ultimately we must choose who we are trying to please-God or man. What's more important, my Christian testimony, public opinion or my reputation?

Elijah said, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him."

Joshua said, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve."

Jesus said, "I wish you were cold or hot"...not trying to ride the fence.

If you are not facing ridicule as a believer, you must not be taking your stand for the right. "All who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." It's a privilege to be persecuted.

It is with pride that we take our stand where God tells us to.

Greater Things Are Still To Come!

Pastor Phil