334 Nehemiah 1 – 3; 2 John 1
Nehemiah wept before God because he saw the real needs of the people. Ezra did the same thing when he realized the people had not separated themselves from sin. Do we see the real need of people? Do we take the time to assess the real need? Once we see the real need what do we do with it? Ezra and Nehemiah took it before God. They prayed about the situation. Real men and women pray. Real men and women know that without God the real need will not be met. Nehemiah heard through his messenger that the people were suffering in Jerusalem and the walls and the gates were in rubbles. "When I heard this, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God-of-Heaven." Every good thing that happens in the kingdom of God begins with prayer. Ezra and Nehemiah both took action! It is prayer with feet, not just knees.
John is telling us we must love one another and that has not changed. Then he goes and calls people deceivers. Where is the love John? John knew that if the truth of Jesus was compromised (especially the truth about Jesus himself) the love would go out the door as well. There is no higher calling than to defend the Gospel. The sad part is that many today who say they are protecting the Gospel are destroying the Gospel. They want everyone to conform to their lifestyle--what you wear, where you go, the length of your hair--on and on it goes. Notice John was saying these people were teaching that Jesus was just a human, that Jesus was not divine. That is the time to pick up arms and go on the march. May we first protect the Gospel by living it out loud in our lives.
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