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♪ theme music ♪
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(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
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an in-depth, interactive study
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of the Word of God.
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We are just getting started
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with a series on Ezra and Nehemiah.
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If you missed part one, you can go
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to our website, hopetv.org/hopess,
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and you can watch the first part
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because there are lessons from a priest
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400 years before the time of Jesus
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and a government official, Nehemiah,
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we'll study about today,
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that have powerful implications
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for our lives today.
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And, by the way, if you haven't yet
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downloaded our Hope Channel app,
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let me just pull it up here.
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There is Hope Sabbath School;
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you can watch all of the past programs
in the series.
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You can go and find
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other great programs from Hope Channel.
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I'll turn some on, probably,
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if I push the button too carelessly,
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but go to the App Store,
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go to Google Play,
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download the Hope Channel app,
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and you'll be blessed.
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If you've got a parent or grandparent,
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they don't know how to do it,
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you help them so that they
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can be fully engaged
with the Word of God.
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But this series on Ezra and Nehemiah,
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just getting started,
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what's the most important lesson
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you've learned so far?
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Anybody, most important lesson? Stephanie.
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(Stephanie) Stay connected with God.
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(Derek) Stay connected with God,
and, someone else?
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(Team) Learn, do it, and teach.
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(Derek) Learn, do it, and share it.
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That's right, that's what we learned
in part one.
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And I hope you've learned
some lessons, too.
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Write to us at sshope@hopetv.org,
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and we are always happy to hear from you
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because we're growing together
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in a study of the Word of God.
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Here's a note from Greg.
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Greg lives in Tennessee,
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and he's got a powerful testimony
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of how God has led in his life.
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He said, "I was raised in the church,
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but from my 20s until about 40,
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I drifted away from the Lord
and from church,
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but praise God He never gave up on me."
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) Well, what he didn't know
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was there was a beautiful lady in Poland
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watching Hope Sabbath School,
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which they have in Polish;
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they put a voice-over in Polish,
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who was watching - they connected.
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And on August 18 (I think
we've got a picture),
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they were married.
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Now, this isn't a wedding picture.
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This is when they were visiting
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Krakow in Poland; she's Polish.
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And they have been watching
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Hope Sabbath School every week
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since they got married.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) They're active in church,
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and he says, "Maybe some day
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I'll share our story;
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it's a wonderful story
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of God's love and guidance.
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Thank you for continuing
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to spread the Word of God to the world.
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Blessings from Greg
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and his wife Wiola." Amen?
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) The Bible says
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when you seek first the Kingdom,
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the other things you need
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will be added to you, right?
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Thanks for sharing.
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Here's a note from Abigail in Jamaica;
we've got a lot
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of Hope Sabbath School members
in Jamaica.
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"Thank God for some helpful people
like you.
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I didn't understand my Bible studies,
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and three weeks ago,
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my Sabbath School teacher
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introduced me to..."?
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(Derek, Team) "Hope Sabbath School."
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(Derek) "I started watching your program,
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and I'm learning to understand
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the Bible little by little,
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and my teacher is very proud of me."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "I never stop watching
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Hope Sabbath School
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because if it wasn't for your program,
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I wouldn't understand my Bible studies.
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I hope and trust that our Lord
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and Savior Jesus will bless you all,
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and I hope to see you all
in Heaven. Amen."
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) Well, Abigail,
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I don't know how old you are,
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but your teacher gave you wise counsel,
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and that is that we can learn together
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because this is not just in-depth,
but it's what?
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(Derek, Team) Interactive.
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(Derek) And so, thanks for being part
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of our Hope Sabbath School family.
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Here's a touching testimony
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from a donor in Anguilla
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in the British West Indies.
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No name, I won't give you the name,
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but here's what it says,
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"I wrote to you, Hope Sabbath School,
a while back.
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I was sad and dejected at the time
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because of my dire financial straits,
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and I could very well lose my home.
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Thank you for personally answering
my email
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and for your kind and encouraging words;
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it really helped a lot."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "You read a letter
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from a lovely older donor, like me,
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who gave a gift to help support
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Hope Sabbath School
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and the ministry of Hope Channel.
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I felt guilty that I didn't spend
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my money more wisely than I should have,
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and now I didn't have the money to give.
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I cried and prayed about it for a while.
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And then God gave me the answer:
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Give a recurring donation
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of 10 dollars a month."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) You say, "That's not a fortune."
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Well, maybe it is a fortune
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for an elderly person.
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"So, I did; I went to the website,
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set up to give 10 dollars a month,
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and I feel better.
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I've even come closer
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to really trusting God to provide."
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) "I've had to,
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as certainly I cannot provide
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very well for myself anymore.
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But I'm not terrified anymore.
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I have hope in Christ
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and His soon return.
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I always watch Hope Sabbath School
each Friday
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to bring in the Sabbath; I love the team,
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the interactive teaching style.
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Thank you for being so diligent
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in studying the Word of God."
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I'd like to meet this lady, wouldn't you?
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(Team) Yes.
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(Derek) If any of you are interested,
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I'll confidentially give you an email;
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you can write to her.
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But she says, "God bless you all."
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She's giving 10 dollars a month
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to be a partner in the mission. Amen?
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) You know, that's beautiful!
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We're all partnering together
in the mission.
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This is a donor-supported ministry.
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All of our programs,
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Bible programs on Hope Channel,
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are blessed by your support.
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Heather writes from Australia,
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and she says,
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"Dear Hope Sabbath School team,
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your lesson study and share time
this week
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was the very best I have ever watched.
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I am a Sabbath School team leader
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and teacher Down Under,"
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that's a way of talking about Australia,
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"and every week you inspire me
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to encourage my church family." Amen?
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "Please be encouraged
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that you're touching souls,"
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I'd put it in different language,
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that God is touching souls through you,
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"in Australia, New Zealand,
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and the Pacific Islands." Amen?
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) One last note
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from the country of Namibia -
where's Namibia?
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(Joshua) Right below Angola.
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(Derek) You're exactly right,
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right below Angola.
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It used to be German West Africa,
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kind of embedded into South Africa.
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And Inonge writes and says,
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"Saints of the living God, you are
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really amazing and inspiring," and we say?
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) And praise God.
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"I have been watching
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Hope Sabbath School for a long time,
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and I'm seeing myself learning more
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about a God who loves me unconditionally
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and is interceding for me.
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I even discovered your Hope Sabbath School
study guide."
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Well, I've got mine right here,
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and that's what we're
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going to be using today.
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You can download that
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from our website: hopetv.org/hopess.
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Don't forget the app that you can find.
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You can even download it from the app,
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if you print from your phone,
amazing technology.
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And Inonge says, "I've discovered
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the Hope Sabbath School guide,
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and it's so helpful that I'm sharing it
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with a lot of people,
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and it's making our Bible study
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more lively and fruitful."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) That's so encouraging, isn't it?
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You see, we're not just looking
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for admirers who go,
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"Oh, what a wonderful program," no.
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We're looking for tens of thousands
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of disciples who will teach
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an in-depth, interactive study
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of the Word of God,
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just like Inonge in Namibia.
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Thanks for writing to us.
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Thanks for partnering with us.
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Right now we're going to sing
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a 3,000-year-old Scripture song
from Psalm 25.
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And if you listen carefully to the words,
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it's got a lot to do
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with this series of honoring God,
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even when there is adversity, opposition,
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choosing to be the woman of God/
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the man of God He's called us to be.
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I'm excited that my wife, Bodil,
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who composes our Scripture songs
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is going to sing with us today,
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and we invite you to sing, too.
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"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul,"
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let's sing together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) Amen. Thank you, Bodil.
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And thank You to the Word of God
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because we just sang Scripture.
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A 3,000-year-old-Scripture song
with a new tune,
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but I kind of like that tune, don't you?
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It's kind of, da-do-do-do,
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it's kind of a happy tune.
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But do you notice there,
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you think of Ezra and Nehemiah,
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they would have known
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that Scripture, right,
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because they were in around 400 B.C.,
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and the psalm was written 1,000 B.C.,
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so maybe a different tune,
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but, "Let me not be ashamed;
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let not my enemies triumph over me."
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There were lessons
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in that Scripture for them.
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We're going to study
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about a great man of God named Nehemiah.
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He wasn't a priest; he wasn't a preacher.
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Oh, maybe he kind of was a preacher,
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but actually his main profession was...?
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A government official.
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Lessons for our lives today.
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Let's pray; Father in Heaven,
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we're excited because
the Word of God is alive,
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because Your Holy Spirit
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guided the prophets to write,
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and Your Holy Spirit
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guides us as we study.
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So, please, may the lessons
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that You want us to learn from the life
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of this government official, Nehemiah,
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be so clear that we may not only hear
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but do what we learn,
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and, yes, share with others, too,
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to bless their lives.
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We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) I'm excited; Nehemiah
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is actually someone I have
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great admiration for and respect for.
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Another one for me is John the Baptist,
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just have great respect.
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Daniel...well, we could list a whole lot
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of men and women of God, couldn't we?
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But let's go to Nehemiah, chapter 1,
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and we'll begin with some news.
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Ninety years have passed
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since Zerubbabel led the first wave
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of captives back home,
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and more than a decade
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since Ezra took that second wave,
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and only about 1500 men
plus families went.
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And now Nehemiah gets some news.
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And, Joshua, would you begin our study
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with Nehemiah, chapter 1, verses 1 to 3.
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(Joshua) Sure, and I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version;
the Bible says:
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(Derek) Now, Shushan,
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I'm looking in my Bible,
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and it's got another...or "Susa."
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Now, there was a prophet
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in a previous generation
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who lived in Susa; what was his name?
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With the wheels and the wheels
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within the wheels, and...
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(Team Members) Ezekiel.
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(Derek) Ezekiel - Daniel was
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in the city of Babylon;
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Ezekiel was down the river
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at Susa or Shushan.
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Now, we've got Nehemiah living there
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because that was the...?
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That was the capital, right?
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That's the headquarters,
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and he's a government official.
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But news comes to him
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that, well, it's bad news.
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What is the bad news, Stephanie?
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(Stephanie) That there is persecution
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for those who have left
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and gone back to Jerusalem,
and discouragement.
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(Derek) Persecution and...?
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How's the work going?
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(Team Member) It stopped.
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(Derek) It stopped.
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So, you've probably given us
a clue already,
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but what are some reasons
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why the work is going so slowly
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or not going at all? Brittany?
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(Brittany) They had opposition
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from the neighboring peoples around them
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that were discouraging them
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from completing the work
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God gave them to do.
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(Derek) All right. Any other thing
besides opposition
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from surrounding people, Jason?
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(Jason) Well, they didn't have a lot
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to go back to begin with,
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and so they only had a small group there.
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(Derek) Right, I mean, if we do the math,
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a few went back with Zerubbabel,
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a few more go back with Ezra,
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and most of the people
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are still living in Babylon or in Shushan.
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And we talked about that
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in part one of our series.
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What were some of the reasons
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they might have stayed
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when God moved in a supernatural way
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through decrees of several kings
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to say, "You can go home,"
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Cyrus and then Artaxerxes
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100-and-some years later, right?
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Well, not quite that,
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about 80 years later,
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get that right so I don't
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get 1,000 emails, right?
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But, you know, it's from 538, now 457.
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And what were some of the reasons
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people might have stayed
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when they could have gone home?
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(Pedro) They were discouraged,
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or they were not willing to leave
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the blessings of the land.
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(Derek) So they were comfortable;
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we talked about that, or...?
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(Stephanie) Maybe God had them there
for a reason.
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(Derek) Maybe God had them there
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for a reason, for a few,
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but we talked about one other reason,
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and that is that they were
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disconnected from God, you know,
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which was part of being comfortable
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with this life, right?
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And so, there are challenges.
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Well, let's see, Brittany,
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if you could read verse 4
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of Nehemiah, chapter 1,
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how Nehemiah responds
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to the news that he receives.
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(Brittany) I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version,
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[Nehemiah], chapter 1, verse 4:
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(Derek) That's kind of an unusual
reaction.
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I mean, you hear sad news from back home,
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and you go, "Oh," you know,
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"back home in Kenya
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some things...that's challenging,"
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or, "Back home in Myanmar," or Mizoram,
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or, "Back home in..."
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(Joshua) Ghana, Antigua, Baltimore.
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(Derek) You know, sometimes we go,
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"That's really sad," right?
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But what does that tell us,
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that he wept for many days, fasted
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and prayed before the God of Heaven?
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What does that tell us
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about Nehemiah? Yes, Harold?
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(Harold) He's a man
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that takes God's word seriously
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because, actually, God worked a miracle
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with the previous kings,
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so, it's like, "People," like, "Why?"
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Like, "Why are we not
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even taking to heart God's word?"
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So he's a man of God,
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we can see, very godly.
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(Derek) Okay. Travis?
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(Travis) He's unselfish,
totally unselfish,
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just thinking about others...
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(Derek) I mean, he's got
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the cupbearer's condo, right?
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It's probably toward
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the top of the building.
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I mean, he was a high-ranking
government official,
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and he hears bad news from the homeland.
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And he is...? Devastated, yes.
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(Liza) Even though he was in Susa,
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his heart was in a different place,
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and I think that kind of dichotomy
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with these two things
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was troubling to him.
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He probably felt lonely.
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I mean, even though he was high-ranking,
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and he had all these perks,
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he wanted to be with his people.
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And I think that drew him
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into this emotional situation
that he was in.
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(Derek) Now, some people get bad news...
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There's a lesson we can learn,
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because in life we'll all
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get some bad news, right?
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Maybe you're watching today,
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and you just got some really bad news.
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What are some negative things
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a person could do when they
get bad news? Anybody?
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(Stephanie) Revert to substance abuse.
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(Derek) Right, they can say,
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"I'm going to go and get drunk,"
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or high or whatever, do some bad thing
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to try to self-medicate.
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(Liza) Keep it to yourself.
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I mean, he just cried.
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I think we have to just allow ourselves
to mourn,
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and he gave himself permission
to do that.
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(Derek) So some people try
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(we have an expression in English)
to stuff it.
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I don't know how you translate that
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into Polish or Swahili,
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but we kind of keep it inside,
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don't deal with it;
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what's the problem with that?
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(Liza) It's unhealthy.
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(Derek) It's unhealthy.
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(Joshua) It has an effect on you.
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(Derek) It has an effect on you,
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and, whether we like it or not,
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it will have an effect
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on the people around us.
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It will seep out some way, right?
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So he says, "This is sad.
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I'm going to deal with this
by weeping and..."?
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(Derek, Team) Praying.
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(Derek) Crying out to God. Stephanie?
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(Stephanie) I think it's interesting
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that that's Who he went to.
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He went to God, knowing that
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this is the God who can fix the problem.
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He knew where to go.
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(Derek) So let's listen to his prayer.
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Travis, if you could read for us
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verses 5 through 11
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of Nehemiah, chapter 1.
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And what impresses you
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the most as you listen?
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Now, it's amazing to us.
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I mean, this is really...
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Scripture is so precious.
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We are overhearing his prayer.
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Now, he wrote it down as a witness,
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guided by the Holy Spirit.
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But just...we're overhearing a prayer
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that was prayed 400 years
-
before the time of Jesus.
-
That's amazing, isn't it?
-
Listen, and what impresses you
-
the most about his prayer?
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(Travis) And I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Derek) What do you notice
-
about the prayer? Alex.
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(Alex) He identifies himself
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amongst the sinners.
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(Derek) So, it's humble.
-
Now, he may have said,
-
"Well, I am a sinner,"
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and we say, "Well, that's good,"
-
he's obviously humble.
-
He's not saying,
-
"They're a bunch of sinners,"
-
but, "We have all sinned."
-
What do you notice, Puia?
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(Puia) At the center of his prayer
-
he is claiming God's promise.
-
I think that's really very powerful.
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(Derek) How does he know God's promise?
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(Gladys) He spent time studying it,
so he knew them.
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(Derek) He is quoting Scripture.
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(Gladys) Yes.
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(Derek) He is quoting recent Scripture,
-
100 years old, who's that?
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(Team Member) Moses.
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(Derek) No, Daniel.
-
He's quoting recent Scripture,
-
but he's also quoting
-
what we would call ancient Scripture;
-
he's quoting from the Torah, right,
-
from the books of Moses,
-
particularly from Deuteronomy.
-
So, what does that tell you
about this man?
-
(Team) He knows the Word.
-
He's a student of Scripture.
-
(Derek) He's filled with the Word,
-
and he doesn't know how to pray.
-
Isn't there somewhere that says
-
that the Holy Spirit will help us
-
when we don't know how to pray?
-
And the Holy Spirit
-
is helping him to do what?
-
(Harold) Claim the promises.
-
(Derek) claim the promises of God. Pedro?
-
(Pedro) Yes, that's one of the things
I looked at here,
-
that his prayer resonated
-
very well with the prayer of Daniel
-
when he was asking for the 70 weeks,
-
for the promise of the 70 weeks.
-
And as we looked into the Bible,
-
I connected with it
-
because, when I pray, before I pray,
-
I like to read the Psalms,
-
I like to read some promises of the Bible
-
so I can know how to talk to God
-
because He talks to us first,
-
then I can talk to Him back.
-
And I think definitely he spent
-
some time mourning, on the Word of God.
-
(Derek) Yes. Liza, I'm going
-
to ask you a question,
-
and then I'm going to give
-
a chance for some others.
-
We all go through hard times.
-
Think of a hard time that you went through
-
and a Scripture that God brought to you
-
to give you courage
-
in that difficult time.
-
Is there something that comes to mind?
-
(Liza) I think previously in another show
-
I talked about going through my ordeal
with cancer.
-
And I remember, when I was
-
going through treatment, and I was
-
going through all the side effects,
-
the pain and everything.
-
And I remembered the Scripture verse
-
that said, "I will never leave you
nor forsake you,"
-
and, "Yea, though I walk
through the valley
-
of the shadow of death...
[You are with me],"
-
and just saying, "Lord, You said that;
I didn't say that.
-
You said that You would be with me."
-
And I just echoed back His words to me
-
and said, "Lord, You have to fulfill this
-
because it's Your Word in my life."
-
And just there in that presence, I felt
-
that He was with me in that journey.
-
(Derek) Powerful. Hebrews 13,
-
I think verse 5, quotes
the Old Testament,
-
"I will never leave you or forsake you."
-
And then you quoted from Psalm 23,
-
"Even though I walk through the valley
-
of the shadow of death,"
-
and it was kind of the valley
-
of the shadow of death, "I will fear..."
-
(Liza) No evil.
-
(Derek) No evil, why?
-
(Derek, Team) "For You are with me."
-
(Derek) Someone else,
-
you went through a difficult time,
-
a hard time, and give me a Scripture,
-
a promise, that God brought to you
-
because Puia's exactly right.
-
It is the promises of God's Word
-
that gives Nehemiah...
-
He doesn't just go
-
and slit his throat and die
-
or jump off a bridge at Susa, right?
-
In his pain, in his anguish,
-
he quotes the promises of God. Gladys?
-
(Gladys) Yes, my favorite is Psalm 46.
-
Just like, Liza, I went
-
through brain surgery;
-
I had a brain tumor,
-
and it's just, this Scripture
-
really brought a lot of comfort.
-
"God is our refuge and strength,
-
an ever-present help
-
in" time of "trouble."
-
It's ever present.
-
There's not a moment
-
when you're going through trouble
-
that He is not there with you.
-
(Derek) "Therefore we will not fear,
-
though the earth be removed
-
and the mountains be cast
-
into the depths of the sea," Psalm 46:1,2.
-
Now, I'm so thankful
-
that we learn Scripture songs,
-
and some of us maybe make
-
little Scripture memory cards
-
because there are times
-
we will need that Word,
-
and the Holy Spirit
-
will bring it to us. Joshua?
-
(Joshua) I didn't know
-
if you needed another example.
-
(Derek) I will let you take part in it
-
before we move on, yes.
-
(Joshua) So, years ago, I was involved
-
with someone that I shouldn't
-
have been involved with,
-
and we fell in temptation.
-
And I remember that afterwards
-
I was, like, sick to my stomach
-
remorseful about it.
-
And I just got on my knees
-
and prayed to God.
-
And after I prayed, I studied Psalm 51,
-
where David was repenting
-
for, you know, going in to Bathsheba.
-
And when I studied it out,
-
it said that the Lord, the Lord
-
appreciates a broken spirit,
-
"A broken and a contrite heart--
-
these, O God, you will not despise."
-
And after that I said, "Wow,
-
Lord, You know me, like, I'm sorry."
-
(Derek) It became the Word of God to you.
-
(Joshua) Yes.
-
(Derek) Right? It became God's Word...
-
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
-
and renew a right spirit."
-
So, you say, "Well, if there's time,"
-
but there was someone.
-
Maybe you're watching, and you needed
-
to hear that testimony today
-
because the Word of God
-
gives us hope, right? Why?
-
Because God loves us
-
with an immeasurable and unfailing love.
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(Derek) So, Nehemiah's like,
-
"Lord, what do I do?"
-
He cries out to God.
-
And, moving to chapter 2...
-
Stephanie, you have a comment
before we move on?
-
(Stephanie) I do. I think there's
-
a little, at the end of verse 11,
-
he asks, "And grant him mercy
-
in the sight of this man."
-
Somehow he had an inkling or an idea
-
that God was going to use the king
-
to answer the prayer.
-
(Derek) All right, so read on
for us now, if you would,
-
chapter 2, verses 1 to 3,
-
because four months pass
-
before he sees any kind of answer
-
to this request to grant him mercy
-
in the sight of this man.
-
We could take some time with that
-
because our prayers
-
are not always answered
-
at the time we would like,
-
but we can trust His promise, right?
-
(Team) Yes.
-
(Derek) Let's see what happens.
-
We're now in chapter 2, verse 1,
-
as his prayer is about to be answered.
-
(Stephanie) I'll be reading
-
from the King James Version:
-
(Derek) Four months have passed,
he's before the king,
-
the king notices he looks sad;
-
that is very dangerous. Why? Harold?
-
(Harold) Back in those days,
-
it would be an insult
-
to be sad in front of a king
-
because, actually, it was
-
thought that, since the king was
-
such a wonderful person,
-
all their problems should have been
gone away.
-
That was a belief back then.
-
(Derek) All right, that's part of it,
-
but that's not the main reason
-
why he's terrified, okay?
-
He should have been happy
-
to be before the king,
-
but there's something else
going on. Travis?
-
(Travis) The king, you know, back then,
-
the king is always looking out
for his well-being,
-
and so he's watching
-
the people around him.
-
And when he sees something different
about them,
-
he's wondering, "What is their agenda?
-
What are they up to?"
-
because he's worried for his life.
-
(Derek) What's his job as cupbearer?
-
What does that mean, "cupbearer"?
-
It's not like a cup holder, right?
-
What's the cupbearer, Pedro?
-
(Pedro) He was the man
-
who would drink out of the cup
-
before it was served to the king
-
to make sure there was no poison in it.
-
(Derek) So, give me a little more
-
than just a person who sips the drink.
-
He's the security man.
-
He's the bodyguard.
-
I mean, there are soldiers out there,
-
but he's protecting him,
-
and all of sudden
-
his body language is like...right?
-
So he was afraid,
-
and the king notices.
-
And your Old English version
-
said "sore," right, sore.
-
What does our New King James say?
-
"Dreadfully," that's a strong word,
isn't it?
-
"Dreadfully afraid."
-
But what does he do?
-
We're learning something about Nehemiah.
-
What does he do? He...?
-
What does he do? He tells..? The Truth.
-
He tells the truth.
-
"Ah, well, my stomach
-
is hurting today, king," no, no.
-
He tells the truth
-
because God is going to answer his prayer.
-
Are you with me? This make sense?
-
He tells the truth, and what does
-
the king say to him, verse 4, Liza?
-
Again, supernatural intervention
-
is about to happen.
-
(Liza) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Derek) What's startling
-
about the king's comment?
-
What's startling about it?
Come on, now.
-
(Stephanie) He's getting ready
-
to give him whatever he asks.
-
(Derek) It's like, "Would you like
-
a small cup of juice, an apple," no, no.
-
It's wide open, right?
-
Just make your request.
-
So here's another key question for us:
-
Why does Nehemiah pause and pray
-
before he answers the king? Stephanie.
-
(Stephanie) He was needing God's guidance.
-
(Derek) What would we do
-
if we didn't pray?
-
(Travis) We might be selfish.
-
(Derek) We could be selfish.
-
(Gladys) We speak foolishness.
-
(Derek) We could speak foolishness.
-
(Jason) We may not share
-
all of God's blessings
-
that He would want to give us.
-
(Derek) So we might think too small
-
when God's saying, "Big!
-
He just asked you, 'What would you like.'"
-
That's like almost saying,
-
"Anything up to half my kingdom,"
-
except he's not drunk
-
like the guy that said that, right?
-
This fellow's not drunk,
-
moved by the Spirit of God,
-
he asks his cupbearer,
-
"What is your request,"
-
and you're saying...?
-
What's the take-away, Alex?
-
You reminded us in a previous study
-
there are lessons for us today.
-
This great window of opportunity is open;
-
what's the lesson for us
-
when a great window
-
of opportunity opens for us?
-
(Team) Pray. Seek God.
-
(Derek) Pray. Pray, "Lord,..."
-
Well, let's keep reading
-
and see what happens next.
-
Laurel, could you read on.
-
We've looked at verse 4,
-
and let's look at verses 5 through 11
-
and see what one might consider
-
to be an audacious response.
-
What's another word for audacious?
-
(Derek, Team) Bold!
-
(Derek) Over the top, courageous,
-
God-directed response.
-
Let's see what happens,
-
verses 5 through 11.
-
(Laurel) I'll be reading
-
from the New American Standard Bible:
-
(Derek) Let's hold it right there
for a moment.
-
(We're going to look at verses
9 and following.)
-
What do you get from the response
of Nehemiah?
-
(Alex) Details.
-
(Derek) Details, for sure. Yes?
-
If someone said, "What would
-
you like today, Harold?"
-
"Oh, well, I think I would like
-
a massive amount of things, please."
-
Detailed, right?
-
(Liza) In fact, it's like he came
-
to the king with a solution
-
to other people's problems.
-
It wasn't, "This is the problem we have;
-
we don't know what to do."
-
It's, no, "Here's the situation,
-
and here's how you can help.
-
If you allow me to go,
-
and provide materials,
-
then this will be resolved."
-
(Derek) So, think of some
other Bible characters;
-
I mean, this is nothing short
-
of bold, courageous...
-
of other Bible characters.
-
We've said, when God opens
-
a door of opportunity,
-
maybe it's to go back
-
to Mizoram and hold meetings.
-
You know, I know you were
back in Mizoram.
-
Or God may say, "I want you to go
-
and do something in Malawi, Travis."
-
He may ask you to go there;
-
He may ask you to go to California
-
as a missionary or whatever, right?
-
We've learned, first, what should we do?
-
(Derek, Team) Pray.
-
(Derek) Yeah, earnestly pray, right?
-
"God, because I don't want to act..."?
-
(Liza) Foolishly.
-
(Derek) Foolishly, selfishly,
or think too...?
-
(Team) Too small.
-
(Derek) Too small, right?
-
And then he comes with this
-
really bold response.
-
Can you think of other women
-
or men of the Bible
-
who just had a holy boldness
-
when God opened a window
-
of opportunity? Puia?
-
(Puia) I remember Esther.
-
I think we can see the parallel story here
-
of being in the position of influence
and opportunity,
-
and the words "for such a time as this."
-
So I think God intentionally places us
-
in positions and places
-
where He can use us
-
if we're willing to be used.
-
(Derek) And, of course,
-
she's a contemporary.
-
This is happening about the same time.
-
Another Bible character
-
that, when God opened the window
of opportunity,
-
it was just really bold.
-
(Joshua) Daniel, literally
-
the window was open, and he prayed.
-
(Derek) You're thinking literally
-
the window in Daniel 6.
-
That was an opportunity to honor God,
-
even if it meant being executed, though.
-
But there's still, yeah, it was
-
a window of opportunity to say,
-
"You honor Me, and I will show you
-
what a great and awesome God I am," right?
-
And, of course, the story is
-
being delivered from those lions, right?
-
That's a great story, too.
-
Someone else, Jason?
-
Someone just - can we use the expression
-
"Holy Spirit boldness," right?
-
You're not talking about selfish
or human boldness,
-
but like, "Really?!" Holy Spirit boldness.
-
(Jason) I think of a story in the Gospels
-
of blind Bartimaeus,
-
when he's there by the side of the road,
-
and he's asking Jesus
-
to have mercy on him.
-
He wants to be able to see.
-
And even when people are shutting him down
-
and telling him to be quiet,
-
he calls out even louder.
-
So there's clearly boldness
-
and courageousness there,
-
even against others who were telling him
to be silent.
-
(Derek) And, actually,
when he's calling out,
-
and I think that's in Luke 18,
-
he's crying, "Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me."
-
But then Jesus stops
-
and asks him a question,
-
"What do you want Me to do for you?"
-
It's almost like the king
400 years earlier,
-
"What is your request?"
-
And what are some things
-
Bartimaeus could have said?
-
"Could I have some figs?"
-
"Could I have a drachma?" or a shekel.
-
What does he say?
-
"Lord, I want to see!"
-
(Joshua) Also Stephen.
-
(Derek) Holy Spirit boldness.
-
When the window of opportunity
-
or door of opportunity opens,
-
pray, "God, give me holy boldness.
-
What do You want me to do here?"
-
Yeah, one last here. Stephanie.
-
(Stephanie) I was thinking of Elijah.
-
(Derek) Okay.
-
(Stephanie) He was very bold
-
when he went and said,
-
"There will not be rain..."
-
(Derek) "...Except by my word."
-
(Stephanie) That's right.
-
God had to be clearly...,
-
and we see in that narrative
-
that God was leading him.
-
But again, it's, "Lord,
-
what do You want me to do?
-
What's my next step? Show me."
-
(Derek) Is it possible
-
that there could be women
of God or men of God like that
-
in this generation?
-
(Team) Yes. Amen.
-
(Derek) You say it has to be, right?
-
Well, we're going to go on to verse 9.
-
Harold, if you could read Nehemiah 2:9-10
-
as Nehemiah embarks on his mission.
-
You've got to say he's got
-
Holy Spirit boldness, for sure.
-
The window of opportunity
-
or door of opportunity is opened,
-
and prayerfully he walked through.
-
Verses 9 and 10 of Nehemiah, chapter 2.
-
(Harold) And I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Derek) And we're going to hear more
-
about opposition in our further studies.
-
And these are two key characters
-
who are, to use a colloquial expression,
-
a thorn in his side.
-
He's clearly followed God,
-
and opposition comes.
-
Why should that not surprise us?
-
Anybody. Yes, Brittany.
-
(Brittany) Jesus Himself said,
-
"They persecuted the prophets
who were before you,
-
and they persecuted Me; they're
going to persecute you."
-
(Derek) And doesn't He say in John 15,
-
"They hated Me, and they will hate you."
-
And in chapter 16, He said,
-
"They'll even think, killing you,
-
they're doing service for God."
-
So he's going out to do a work
-
clearly guided by God,
-
and he faces opposition.
-
Think of some other Bible characters;
-
they weren't just being foolish.
-
We could do something foolish, right,
-
and get opposition or harm.
-
Jonah, case in point, right?
-
But think of women or men of God who were
-
clearly following God courageously
-
who also experienced opposition. Liza?
-
(Liza) I think of the New Testament,
-
the woman with the issue of blood.
-
It's a miraculous story where she was
-
trying to get closer to Jesus,
-
but He was surrounded by a lot of men
-
and was in a crowd.
-
And to think of all the barriers
-
she had to overcome to get close to Him,
-
being a woman, being sickly, being impure
-
because she had the issue of blood,
-
but she was still willing
-
to go beyond all the societal opposition,
-
these barriers that were in her way
(they're not visible)
-
to get close to Jesus and to touch
the hem of His garment.
-
(Derek) Was that clearly the will of God
for her life?
-
(Liza) It was.
-
(Team) Yes.
-
(Derek) Jason, you mentioned earlier,
-
Bartimaeus had opposition, too, right?
-
They told him, "Be quiet, be quiet,"
-
and he shouted louder.
-
Somebody else. Yes, Gladys.
-
(Gladys) I think of Peter, you know.
-
He will be flogged, he will be in prison,
-
and the Bible says that the next day
-
he will be preaching.
-
So I think it was just like this courage
-
that could not be quenched.
-
(Derek) So the opposition
-
doesn't mean God is not with me, right?
-
All right, Harold?
-
(Harold) Also Joshua and Caleb.
-
Opposition can come from within
-
because ten of the leaders
-
of the tribes of Israel opposed.
-
Yet, Joshua and Caleb,
-
who represented the other two
-
from the twelve tribes...
-
(Derek) You're talking about the story,
-
remember, where 12 spies
-
were sent in by Moses.
-
Ten came back and said,
-
"Forget it; it won't work."
-
But Caleb and Joshua said,
-
"God is with us," right?
-
(Harold) They were faithful to the end,
-
and yet God promised, like, "Both of you
-
will enter the land of Canaan,
-
but the rest of your generation will not."
-
(Derek) Puia?
-
(Puia) I am reminded
-
of all these great men and women of God
-
throughout the ages of history
of Christianity itself
-
after the Bible times.
-
Like, I remember the Reformers,
-
John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, John Huss,
-
these men of God,
-
whenever they were convinced
to move for God,
-
they always faced opposition.
-
So it's almost like a given
-
that, if you are doing the Lord's work,
-
you are to be facing opposition
-
because behind the scene,
-
we know that Satan is working
-
to attack God's movement.
-
(Derek) Let's look at some words of Jesus,
-
which I think illustrate that
-
in John, chapter 16.
-
We'll just pause because Nehemiah's
-
experiencing opposition,
-
and Puia is saying it's happened
-
even after the end of the writing
of Scripture,
-
that faithful women of God, men of God,
-
have experienced opposition,
-
not for doing foolish things
-
but for doing precisely
-
what God wanted them to do.
-
John, chapter 16, verses 1 through 3,
-
Pedro, could you read that for us?
-
(Pedro) Yes, John, chapter 16,
-
verses 1 through 3, I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
and Jesus is speaking:
-
(Derek) This is a spiritual battle,
right?
-
It's what we describe
-
as the Great Controversy
-
between good and evil.
-
So, behind Sanballat and Tobiah,
-
or whoever the other people will show up,
-
are forces beyond them, right,
forces of darkness.
-
That's why Ephesians 6 says,
-
"Put on the whole armor of God," right,
-
because conflict's going to come.
-
Well, let's go to Nehemiah again.
-
He's experiencing it;
-
he doesn't turn back.
-
Let's see how he proceeds.
-
Brittany, could you read
-
verse 11 of chapter 2
-
when Nehemiah arrives at Jerusalem.
-
(Brittany) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
-
Nehemiah, chapter 2, verse 11:
-
(Derek) And you might say, "So what?"
-
Is there some kind of cryptic clue there?
-
Can you think of anyone else
-
who said, "Three days"?
-
(Stephanie) Esther.
-
(Derek) Esther, tell me the story,
-
Stephanie, about Esther.
-
She said, "Three days."
Three days what?
-
(Stephanie) "And let me fast
with my servants,
-
and you go back and fast";
they were praying.
-
(Derek) Fast and pray, three days.
-
And now, it doesn't say what Nehemiah did,
-
but he said he went there,
-
and he was there for...?
-
(Team) Three days.
-
(Derek) Is that reading too much
into the text?
-
When Saul lost his sight,
-
he went, in Damascus,
-
and for three days he said
-
he fasted and prayed. Yes?
-
(Stephanie) Based on his relationship
with God
-
and his immediate response
-
when the king asked him,
-
you know, "What do you want?"
-
his immediate response was to pray.
-
So I don't think we're
-
reading too much into it
-
to say that that would be
-
a response that he would have
in this conflict.
-
(Derek) By the way,
-
it's a life and death issue with Esther,
-
and I think it's a life and death issue
-
with Saul of Tarsus.
-
So there's something really significant;
-
otherwise, why mention
-
the three days? Pedro?
-
(Pedro) We see in this story, you know,
-
I see Nehemiah, he's constantly praying
for God's guidance.
-
And I see, and I look at myself,
-
my walk with God, I try to understand
-
that every step of the way
-
I have to seek God constantly,
-
but sometimes if I don't do it,
-
God will not be able to act.
-
I see the work of the Holy Spirit
-
as a work for guiding us through His work,
-
and we need to be submissive,
-
and the best way to be submissive
is by praying.
-
And the story of Paul gives that clarity.
-
Paul was blind, and he fasted
for three days.
-
And the very next day, God goes
-
to Ananias and tells, "Go and heal..."
-
(Derek) "Lay hands on him,
-
and he'll receive his sight."
-
And, back to a previous study,
-
and be filled with the Holy Spirit
-
and go out as an unstoppable force
-
for the Kingdom of Heaven, right?
-
So I don't think it's reading
-
too much into the story to say,
-
"Okay, before we rush in, I can do this,
-
I'm a cupbearer, I'm well trained...,"
-
"Okay, God, we fast, we pray,
-
because something important
-
needs to happen for Your Kingdom. Gladys?
-
(Gladys) That's exactly what I was
going to say.
-
Our human nature is just like,
-
"This is what I know;
-
I'm going to go and do it fast."
-
But he took the time to be still
-
and wait for God to lead him
-
on what to do next.
-
(Derek) Let's see what he does, Puia,
-
in verses 12 through 16 of chapter 2.
-
Interesting that he doesn't
-
go out with a big fanfare and parade,
-
but he leaves under the cover of darkness.
-
Let's try to figure out,
-
it must be somewhat related
-
to the three days of fasting
and praying, right?
-
So let's hear, as Puia reads
-
chapter 2 of Nehemiah, verses 12 to 16.
-
(Puia) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Derek) What's going on?
-
Stephanie, he goes at night,
-
takes a few people with him,
-
I'm assuming for safety.
-
He doesn't take a whole entourage
-
of horses and whatever;
-
it's just what he's riding on.
-
What's happening here?
-
(Stephanie) To me, I'm very impressed
-
by the fact that every time he prays,
-
God gives him very clear instruction.
-
To me, he was given clear instruction,
-
"Go by yourself," well,
-
"with a few other folks,
-
and do it at night," because it says,
-
"What God had put on my heart."
-
(Derek) So, the next question -
-
I think you're absolutely right -
-
is: Why do you think God
-
told him to do it that way?
-
I mean, because, "If anyone lacks wisdom,
-
let her ask God," "let him
ask God," right,
-
"who gives to all generously,"
or liberally
-
"and without reproach,"
or complaining, right?
-
God is like, "I'm happy
to give you wisdom.
-
You want to know what to do?"
-
Why do you think God gave him
-
what Stephanie described
-
as very specific instructions, Travis?
-
(Travis) I think it could be
for two reasons:
-
One, we know that Sanballat and Tobiah
-
were upset that he was even there,
-
so it could be for their protection,
-
if they were out there alone.
-
And also he was going to meet
-
with the children of Israel afterwards,
-
and then he could speak intelligently
-
about what was going to be happening
-
or what the problems
-
that they were facing,
-
that he could speak intelligently,
-
and they would wonder,
-
"How does he know this?"
-
(Derek) Well, let's read on
-
in verses 17 and 18.
-
And, Gladys, if you
-
could read that for us.
-
He does go back, having done
-
an assessment, can we say,
-
a divinely guided assessment.
-
Let's see what it says in verses 17 and 18
-
when he does come back
-
and speak to the officials.
-
(Gladys) I'll be reading
-
from the New International Version,
-
[Nehemiah], chapter 2, verses 17 and 18:
-
(Derek) So, what do you notice
-
in the words that he spoke?
-
What were some important components
-
or ingredients, Brittany?
-
(Brittany) He shared how God
-
had worked miracles with the king
-
and how he had granted them
what they needed.
-
So he's giving them encouragement,
-
"Look, God is with us."
-
(Derek) "God is with us," okay.
-
What else is important, Jason?
-
(Jason) He identified the reality
of the situation.
-
He didn't sugar-coat (a colloquial phrase)
the problem.
-
He was real about what the issue was.
-
(Derek) "We've got a big problem here,
-
but God's opened the door
of opportunity."
-
And what else did you hear
-
in there that was important?
-
Did you hear something else, Travis?
-
(Travis) He said, "Let us." Let us.
-
(Derek) What does that tell you?
-
(Travis) That tells me that he was
-
willing to lead by example,
-
"I am here to be with you.
-
I am here to help you.
-
The Lord's hand is upon me."
-
(Derek) We call that servant leadership.
-
Jesus, when He went
-
and washed the disciples' feet, you know.
-
Nehemiah is saying,
-
"We're serving the Lord together," right?
-
You know the opposition is going to come.
-
In fact, let's read
-
the last two verses, Liza,
-
verses 19 and 20 of chapter 2,
-
and notice how Nehemiah
-
responds to this opposition.
-
(Liza) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Derek) Did you notice that his opposition
-
increased by 50 percent?
-
Another fellow showed up now,
-
an Arab named "GHEH-shem"
or "JEH-shem."
-
Someone who watches
-
from an Arabic-speaking country
-
will tell us how to say his name.
-
So it's increased 50 percent, right?
-
And what doesn't Nehemiah do, reacting?
-
He doesn't say, "Oh, 50 percent more,
that's too much."
-
What does he say?
-
(Gladys) He claims the power of God;
he claims God.
-
(Joshua) "God will take care of it."
-
(Derek) It reminds us
-
of a wonderful promise
-
written 400 years later,
-
"What shall we say to these things,"
Romans,
-
(Gladys) "If God is for us..."
-
(Derek) Yeah, "If God is for us..."?
-
(Team) "Who can be against us."
-
(Derek) Romans 8, verse 31, I think.
-
"He who did not spare His own Son."
-
He didn't know all of that yet, did he,
-
but he had seen God's leading in his past,
-
and he said, "The hand
-
of the Lord is upon us."
-
And, "You folks who are
-
trying to hinder God's work,
-
you will have no share
-
in what God is going to do,"
that's fairly bold.
-
So, wrap up, a couple of minutes left,
-
lessons from Nehemiah,
-
a government official from around 450 B.C.
-
Puia, what do you take
-
from the study today?
-
(Puia) My biggest takeaway
-
from the story of Nehemiah
-
is that God intentionally places
-
each and every one of us
-
in positions or places
-
where He wants to use us in that area.
-
In my personal story, my family
-
came here to this country in 2012.
-
And after I went through school,
-
I learned that, I believed that God
-
brought my family here for a reason,
-
and me here for a reason.
-
And the more I thought about it,
-
I realized that I needed
to do something
-
for my fellow Mizoram young people
here in the United States.
-
(Derek) And Mizoram
-
is in the northeast part of India.
-
(Puia) And western Myanmar.
-
(Derek) and western Myanmar, okay.
-
You needed to do something
for your own people
-
right here in the U.S.?
-
(Puia) Right here, so, with God's help,
we organized now
-
a Mizo-Adventist Youth Federation
-
for the whole North American Division.
-
(Derek) For the whole country?
-
(Puia) The whole country,
and we're moving forward.
-
(Derek) These are young Christian
men and women
-
with some kind of family connection
to Mizoram.
-
(Puia) Yes.
-
(Derek) So you're saying that God puts us
-
in a specific place at a specific time,
-
and if we'll have the courage to pray
-
and say, "God, You've opened a door;
-
help me to be bold for You,"
-
He will do something amazing.
-
But we will receive opposition.
-
And you say it's not come yet,
but it will.
-
(Puia) It has.
-
(Derek) It has already!
-
But, "If God is for us,
-
who can be against us?"
-
We are just saying, "God, if You've asked
-
me to do something important for You,
-
I just want to humble myself before You
-
and say, 'Lord, show me
-
what You want me to do,
and I'll do that.'"
-
We've heard a testimony from Puia today
-
for the Mizo people,
-
but maybe there's a circle
-
of influence you have.
-
You say, "God, open
-
the door of opportunity,
-
and by Your grace, I'll
be faithful to You."
-
Let's pray together; Father in Heaven,
-
we've learned from a government official,
Nehemiah,
-
who didn't just stay
-
in a comfortable position
-
and not care about anyone else.
-
You put something on his heart
-
to be Your servant in his generation.
-
God, do that for us, too,
-
and help us not to be afraid
-
but to trust in Your strength
and Your wisdom.
-
And we thank You.
-
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(Derek) I'm going to be excited
-
to get an email from you,
-
sshope@hopetv.org,
-
what God's put on your heart
-
because the world is waiting
-
to hear about a God who loves us
-
with an immeasurable and unfailing love.
-
Go out, share the good news
-
with those around you.
-
♪ theme music ♪