Rebuilding requires hard work by everyone. Spiritual leaders must, like Nehemiah, be hard at work alongside those they lead, motivating everyone to accomplish manageable tasks and then celebrating the efforts everyone makes.

In Nehemiah 2, we see Nehemiah speak of God's good hand being with him and with Israel as they seek Him. God honored their desire to return to Him and rebuild their city. In the same way, as we return to the Lord, we will find God's good hand upon us as we pursue the minisitry He has given us.

When disaster strikes, it is time to prayerfully seek the Lord with reverence, repentance, remembrance of God's promises, and fervent requests for deliverance. This is what is needed during these difficult days, so we must seek the Lord together!

Jesus is coming back soon. While we don't know how soon "soon" is, we do know what to do in the meantime. We are called in the meantime to obey His Word, to worship God alone, and to believe the Gospel before His soon return, so that we might rejoice in HIs return for us!

Eternal life with God is much better than life in this present Jerusalem and even much better than life in the Garden of Eden. Jesus will be our reward and we will live with Him in a place where the best things of this world are mere decorations and building materials that enhance the glory of God's presence with us.

God will be home with us in a new world, where His loving presence is our eternal reward. We will live with Him in the new heavens and new earth and in that place death, mourning, pain, tears and the dangers of the sea are gone. God himself will wipe every tear from our eyes and all the old sin-tainted realities of this life will vanish to be replaced by unending joy in God's presence.

Don't be deceived, victory belongs to God. So rejoice, his justice will be served. The Lake of Fire is real. The Devil, his angels, all sinners who are not forgiven through faith in Christ and even death and the grave will be eternally destroyed there. God's justice will triumph over all these things even as his love rescues all His children from them.

Jesus is coming to conquer all His enemies and reign with all the saints. He will reign with us for 1,000 years on this earth, in fulfillment of God's promises to Israel of the reign of the Davidic King.

Jesus will celebrate His relationship with us, His Bride at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. All who believe in Christ, from all nations, with join with Him in that wedding celebration.

Jesus came for you, regardless of your past, just as God promised. He has come to save all kinds of people--the good and godly and as well as the sinful, the wicked. He came for all the kinds of people represented in his own genealogy: slaves, children of slaves, kings and commoners, pagans and prostitutes, immigrants, foreigners, polygamists, adulterers, fornicators, murderers, and people attempting to walk with God. He offers salvation freely to all, regardless of your past, your heritage, your ethnicity, background, nationality, color, or sex, just as God promised.