Grace Baptist Church is located in Puyallup, WA within sight of Mount Rainier. Our mission is to make and mature disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, leading them to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus as they hear and respond to the Word of God.
Every time there is a great working of God among fallen humanity, very often the movement is only temporary. The people of Israel followed through on their covenant with God as long as Nehemiah was governor - 12 years. But when Nehemiah made a trip back to Persia to report to his King, Israel’s leadership allowed a pagan to be part of their temple. We need to make up our minds to be faithful to God and to His Word, regardless of the cost or the outcome, and teach others to do the same.
God is holy, gracious and merciful; humankind is inconstant, unfaithful, and deceitful. Our everlasting life is not dependent on our performance; it is rooted and grounded in God’s faithfulness, and in the character of a holy, promise-fulfilling God. “For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”
Whenever the greatness of God is mentioned in the Bible, it usually refers to His power in Creation, or His deliverance of Israel through the Exodus from Egypt. Yet this God Who is of a magnitude of power incomprehensibly great, has made promises to us. The promises of God are always fulfilled. He keeps His word, even when humanity does not.
Nehemiah, having taken care of the physical security that the walls of Jerusalem provide, now reintroduces the Jewish people to the Scriptures through Ezra the scribe. The emotional response of the people to the precious rarity of hearing God’s Word read aloud is a reminder to us today to not take the Bible for granted, but to immerse ourselves in it.
Good beginnings are important, but they are no guarantee of success if you don't stay focused. Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem 93 years after the first Jews returned to their homeland. Why was it still in such disrepair after all that time? A reminder from the Bible about staying focused and taking care of God's work first.
When we as believers live in accordance with God’s Word, the World often reacts with hostility. Nehemiah faces opposition from the local rulers as he prepares to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.
