Notes From Beth Moore Series . . .

Beth Moore
Building New Walls #4
Passing Our Exams (Nehemiah 5:14 - 6:16)

Experiencing tests. Many times we think God has sent us to do a work, and if He's sent us to do a work, He's going to set up all the variables in our favor, but how often have you found that to be true?"

I wonder if you're experiencing a test right not, probably you are" We don't always recognize that what were going through is actually a test. Theres a war in the heavenlies and you've got the cheering section over here and you've got the jeering section over here, and all this is going on about how your going to respond to the test your going through. You may need to hear a the words from heaven, you might well not be confused, this is a test. There's something about finding out theres a competion going on that makes you want to pass the test. We have the angels and all of Heaven cheering for us, ultimatly for the favor of God.

Nehemiah has been sent to do a very important work. We too are called to a work and a walk of faith; we will begin to question ourselves. We may have to return to The Word and look back at our journals to remember, "No, this IS what God called me to do.

Read Chapter 5:14-19

• Test of position-The people were desperate for a leader. Nehemiah came into a place of position in the eyes of the people. Nehemiah could have come in passing the boundaries of his authority, but he did not. He didn't even use the things that could have come by him in his position as governor.promotion in the secular world means more privaledges, but this is not the case with a spiritual promotion. When God allows us to be promoted to a spiritual leader, it is a place of privaledge but it is only given by the sovereign hand of God. Promotion to us, who are in Christ, never means more privaledges it means tighter boundaries. We have to look things even more carefully because we have been given an even greater trust. Thomas Carlisle an essayist and historian who said, "adversity is hard on a man but for every one man who can stand prosperity there are a hundred that can stand adversity" This means it's a whole lot easier to pass the test of adversity than it is to pass the test of prosperity. The more God exalts you the tighter the boundaries must become. "high profile ministries demand low risk lives" The more high profile you become in any area; church, home, work, community . . . Your choices and actions matter! At the grocery store your living low risk, you've got to be above reproach. The more you have profile the more you have responsibility. Boundaries don't get bigger with privaledge they get tighter.

• Test of Compassion-Nehemiah also passed the test of compassion. (vs18) I'm not about to live like a king while the people are working like slaves. When position comes we have to be careful of the pitfalls of separating out the people of position from the "regular people" Often leaders can be so focused on an objective that they forget about the people. Nehemiah had an objective, he only had a certain amount of time to get the wall built, and they were running out of time. He told king artexerses exactly when he was going to be back and he's got to keep his word. The more oppresed the people were becoming he recognized the time elements but he remembered the needs of the people. (He ministered to them) When the leaders aren't sensitive to the needs of the people the leadership will exhaust the people doing the work under them. Leaders often have ingenuity and creativity but with that often lack sensitivity, which becomes the end result of all things. Chuck Swindoll quoted someone (not sure who to credit but it's a profound quote), "the man who is impatient with weakness will be defective in his leadership the evidence of our strength lies not in streaking ahead but in a willingness to adapt our stride to the solar pace of our weaker brethren while not forefitting our lead if we run to far ahead we loose our power to infuluence" Always look over your shoulder to see where everyone is and be sensitive to their needs.

• Test of Distraction- You've had it before when God has given you a task to do something and everything under the sun comes up. (ch6 vs3) Notice the enemy didn't give up; they were persistent. We must remain persistent in their persistance. Always expect the enemy to be persistent. He will stay after us. The more important the task is to the eternal program of God, the more persistent he will be. We often have no idea that what we're doing has any significance whatsoever. You may think what your doing isn't that big of a deal, it may be teaching preschoolers. No matter how small you think it is, if it has anything to do with Jesus, there is no greater work than that. You have no idea of the impact that what you've been called to do will have to do in eternal reguards. Satan has been around for so long that he can smell it, he will be after you. I'm telling you when Satan see's potential in a heart and passion in a heart, it takes nothing for him to already be on top of the situation. We will fall into his trap unless we realize that we are called to ministry only by God's soveriengn grace and mercy. (vs2 scheming hebrew word means to count/divise-denotes a weaver) Our enemy is a weaver. He has a plan of many actions that he's weaving together to keep you from doing what God wants you to do. Ephesians 6:11 the word scheme again in the greek this word is methodia which means method-an orderly an technical procedure in the handling of a subject) Can you see where the enemy began with a couple of strands to weave his evil plan against you. It always begins with something that seems innocent at first but it makes us weaker to the next. For everything God does, Satan has a counterit. God has a plan for our lives that is as individual as our thumbprint. He has a very technical and oderly procedure to get us from here to here. But, so does our enemy. Satan has a clear and precise plan. Our enemy is extremly intelligent, and he will be persistent in trying to stop us from God's plan. It's important to know this so we can win our battles against this invisible enemy. (more on discernment in Rebuilding the Walls #5)