NEHEMIAH, ESTHER, JOB

We had a wonderful day at Church yesterday!  Wow, did God ever bless.  So many visitors it was amazing.  God is bringing us people right and left and they are enjoying our church.  We had a great time also Sunday Night at TNT.  Teach and Train.  It was a blessing to meet with the men and challenge us all to be there for each other.  I'll help you, and you help me.  In reading this morning, here are some thoughts:   1) DON'T LET IT SEEM LITTLE LORD- In Nehemiah 9, the whole chapter is great to read.  It gives the history of God's people being so special to Him and how he blesses them, they then fall away from Him, they are judged, they repent and cry out to Him, God in mercy delivers them, and then the cycle goes forward again.  It starts with Israel in Egypt and Nehemiah describes the events leading up to this present moment.  Then in verse 32, Nehemiah says:  "... let not the trouble seem little before thee,..."  God is so great, that none of our problems seem big to Him at all, but Nehemiah is pleading with God to see their problems as Big, because they were big to them!  Perhaps we too should remind the LORD sometimes that our little problems seem so big to us, and LORD, don't let them seem little to you either please.   2) HERE IS OUR COMMITMENT- In Nehemiah 10:39, the people and Nehemiah make a commitment to God, and here is how it ends:  "and we will not forsake the house of our God."  Oh what a wonderful commitment to make!!  Don't forsake God's house.  Don't neglect the house of the LORD, His church house.  Where you attend.  Where you are strengthened and grow in the LORD.  Don't do it.    3) THE LAST WORDS- Here are the last words in the book of Nehemiah.  They are found in Nehemiah 13:31, "Remember me, O my God, for good."  What a wonderful way to end ones story, or even our time here on earth.  Lord, remember me for good.  Nehemiah had done his best.  He had done the most good he knew how to do, and so now He pleads with the LORD to remember His good.  I got good news for you.... God already told us He would!!   4) FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS- In Esther 4:14, Mordecai says to Esther:  "... who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  We are born for a purpose.  We are not here by accident.  We have a task to perform for the glory of God and the betterment of others.  Our time is now!  Our actions produce effect, and that effect should honor our LORD and influence others for Him.  Truly we are come into God's kingdom, for such a time as this!!   5) HANG HIM THEREON- This is what the king said when he found out Haman had a gallows in his front yard.  The Bible tells us:  "Whoso diggeth a pit, shall surly fall in it."  It should also be said:  "Whoso buildeth a gallows, shall surly be hung on it."  Don't lay traps for others.... you will find yourself in that very same trap.  Build bridges, not traps.  Buildings, not pits.  Grace, not gallows.    6) THE SILENT COMFORT OF COMPANIONS- The wisest thing Jobs friends ever did was found in vese 13, of chapter 2.  "So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him:  for they saw that his grief was very great."  We don't need to talk a lot, just be there for someone going through such grief.  I find that I cannot always be everywhere at times, and I'm so thankful of a great staff of pastors who try to be there when I am in another location.  But our greatest task is just to be there and show we care!  Show up with some silent comfort.   Well, time has gone.  Tonight, we have Dr. Jack Trieber preaching for us.  My oh my, how I'm looking forward to that.  What a man of God, what a dear friend.  May God bless you today. Pastor Mike Mutchler