Gate 5 Brought to you By Rhea Mae

Gate Five the Valley Gate

Symbolizes Confession

How is this gate important to my faith? From darkness we are brought into light- through forgiveness we are united with Christ! This gate symbolizes God's big heart and His desire to forgive those who are willing to confess and surrender themselves to God.

How can this gate be applied to one's personal faith? In true confession we must acknowledge that we have sinned by our own fault. We cannot blame someone else or simply call it an error of judgement. Secondly, after we confess we must accept forgiveness based on the Word of God. When we take time to confess our sins and to realize the seriousness of our sin it reminds us that we are not saved by our own works, and that the only thing we can boast of is our God!

What is the most important lesson you have learned from studying this gate? For me, it is really hard to confess my sins to someone else -even to my family. However James 5:16 is very clear that the prayers of righteous men are powerful and effective - it is through those prayers that healing takes place. John Wesley said, "The Discipline of confession helps the believer to grow into 'mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Challenge for the Readers: People, even children of God, are quick to judge others and are slow to forgive. We need to realize that we can encourage other believers by being forgiving. John 20:23 says, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven: if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Are you holding bitterness? And not allowing yourself to forgive someone? I challenge to let go, confess, and forgive!

Team Building, why is it so important?

  The Bible refers to the church (the people who are the believers) as the Body of Christ. Although the body is one, it is composed of many members. 

   So why is team building so important? If Body of Christ is like a physical body when a member acts in discord  (stops functioning or attempts to change course against the rest of the body) the person becomes sick. Likewise when Christians do not work together they become spiritually sick- and worse become a stumbling block to others.

  We, as Christians are called to live in unity - to work together in a common mind, in a common spirit for a COMMON PURPOSE. The team's unity can either be a testimony to God's saving grace or their lack of unity a testimony to the sinfulness of man. 

  Team Building exercises seek to put the teams in a position where they learn how they can work together - in unity to fulfill a common purpose. 

Please pray for the NT that will going out this summer...-That they can learn to trust each other and work together for God's glory.
-That the unity displayed by the team is a testimony of God's redemption.
-That when difficulties arise that humility and love will prevail. 

AOT learned about team building last week...check it out below...I think they had to learn how to trust each other in a whole new way.

Gate 4 Brought to you by Kuya Rey

Gate Four, the Valley Gate

Symbolizes Trials, Growth, and Humilty

Description: Job said, "Though He slay me, yet will I praise Him." Life is not about me, it is about God. Life is about bringing glorying to God even during the trials of our lives.

Life Application: Life is not easy. There will be storms that will come even to those that are being obedient to God's will. Trials bring about growth in our Christian life, and the humility to life like Christ. When we face trials in our life we must remember to use them as opportunities to praise God. We may not have chosen to walk through the valley, but we have chosen to profess Christ as our savior. Even when life is hard and situations are bad we must live for God's glory.

Challenge: We need to change our theology about God if our theology is wrong. Why? Because if our theology is wrong our actions and behavior will not correctly represent who our God IS. 

AOT begins there final week on Monday. Please be praying for them as they complete their studies and are sent out. Please pray that what they learned at AOT is put into practice, and that they will be leaders who humble themselves like that of their savior, Jesus Christ. Praise God for the discipleship that has taken place over these two months, may this not be the end but just the beginning!

Gate 3 Brought to you by Ernest

His Testimony: I came from a Roman Catholic background and a big family (7 sisters and 1 brother). I came to know Christ when I was in my 2nd year of college through an American volunteer. I am presently a full-time "World Christian" and a part-time teacher.

Gate Description: This is the gate where the old people would gather, talk, and study, and where many people learned from them.

The Importance of this Gate in Today's World: We should look at the past and learn from the people who have lived before us; like the 12 apostles, Moses, David, and etc. If the people of Isreal wanted to learn more, they need to do and sit at the old gate. Today we might not have a gate to sit at, but we should make it a priority in our lives to learn from the leaders of the faith that God has put in our lives.

Life Application: We need to learn from those who have lived and been used by God in the past. Our faith will be encouraged and strengthened when we learn from them about their victories and mistakes.

The Most Important Lesson I Learned: I should look back and study more about the apostles, prophets, and men of God- so that I will not make the same mistakes as them.

A Challenge for the Reader: Whatever the trials, we can take courage because others have always encountered similar problems We can learn from their past. We can imitate their faith.

Gate TWO brought to you by Prem Narayan Bhattarai

Name: Prem Narayan Bhattarai

Ministry Involvement & Title: Nepal Baptist Youth Fellowship (Executive Secretary)

Short Bio: I am from a beautiful country with Himalayas; Nepal known as the height pick of the world Mt. Everest. I am serving as youth secretary for Nepal Baptist Youth Fellowship (NBYF), which is youth department of Nepal Baptist Church Council (NBCC).

Gate # 2: The Fish Gate (Soul winning)

Short Description

The city of Jerusalem was surrounded by the wall. Basically, in those days; walls used to be made to protect the cities. The city Jerusalem had 12 gates surrounded walls. This second gate, The Fish Gate was a gate in the north wall, just a little to the east of the modern Damascus gate. It was the closest gate to the fish market, and it is believed that fishermen from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, Jewish and Syrian alike, used this gate to bring fish to market.

#1 Why/ How is this gate important to the Christian Faith?

As this gate used to be use mainly to bring fish to the market, what could be the importance to the Christian faith for us? As Jesus called the early disciples to be a part of His ministry He specifically gave the answer this question. He said; "'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you FISHERS OF MEN.'" (Matt 4:19-20). So, this is our basic mandate to be a Christian we are to be fishers of men and we are to feed people spiritually.

#2 How can this Gate be applied to one’s personal walk/ faith?

We are to witness Christ because all nations should praise and worship Him. This gate is right after the 1^st gate, Sheep Gate (Salvation), which means as we are saved we are to witness people and save them. The Bible says, “the harvest in plentiful but the workers are few… “(Luke 10:2-4). Charls Spurgeon says, “If you have no desire to see other people saved; then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that.”

#3 What is the most important lesson you learned from this gate?

If I have to answer why this soul winning is important then I simply say, IF YOU SAY NO, HE IS NOT YOUR LORD, IF HE IS YOUR LORD YOU CAN NOT SAY NO! The Fish Gate speaks to us of evangelism! We have all been called to be "fishers of men"! This is our call so we must to this.

#4 What have you learned from this gate that you would like to encourage/ challenge the blog reader with?

My dear friends we have received Lord, now it is not enough just to enjoy and keep silent. We are commanded to tell others. The Great commission (Matt. 28:18-19) is for all of us and it has to be done (Matt 24:30). So shall we move forward to Preach the Good News?

Amen!

Gate ONE brought to you by Ajilizavet Pelayo

About Aji: I am turning 25 years old this year. Among the four children, I am the youngest. I finished BS tourism & also studied computer hardware servicing while attending my first year at Baptist Bible College of Asia. I started to really know the Lord when I was 18 and I first joined Nehemiah Teams when I was 20.

Gate I, also known as the Sheep Gate represents/symbolizes salvation.

About the Gate.

The sheep Gate is the only gate among the ten gates of Jerusalem that was always open. And the gate that is near the temple where they sacrifice a lamb to the Lord. It shows that everyone is welcome to enter into God's salvation.

How is this gate relevant to my faith today?

This is important in our Christian faith because this is the theme of God's

purpose for us, to bring everyone to salvation through Jesus Christ. Without

this salvation, our faith is worthless. It has been said that, "where there is

uncertainty about how salvation is received, there is confusion over whether salvation

can be maintained".

We can not share our faith to the lost if we ourselves do not understand His grace & unconditional love & the guarantee that He gives through His life. In our daily walk with God we must live in His life. When we receive Jesus as a payment for our sins, we also receive His life. Only in understanding this can

we truly be free as we live.

How can better understanding this gate change my faith today?

 As we continue to walk in faith, we must look at the cross where Jesus said "It is finished". We are saved by grace & this is not only a gift but a guarantee of eternal life. We must walk as having been justified, sanctified & glorified. Our assurance is God's unconditional love. When we talk about "unconditional love" we realized that often we misjudge God's love for us because of the guilt we have from our sins. God's salvation is not like a "credit card" -we must remind ourselves that His salvation is freely given & fully given to us.

Share a practical example of living this gate out in your own life.

The very thing that I liked about this gate is learning grace. When we talk about grace there should be no room for disgrace. We define graceas something that costs everything for the giver and nothing for the recipient. It is free of charge & has no string attached.

After the week that we discussed this, I was tested when I went to the only computer shop that you can find in Kaputian market place. when I went there, the computer does not properly receiving the signal. I already paid for the internet but when I went back to the lady to refund my money, she said I can't refund it any more. Worst still she kept speaking Cebuano to me even though I was speaking in Tagalog. I planned & prepared for that very day. I was so excited but I went home disappointed. I became so

 even more frustrated as I struggled with my culture stress. I just thought, "It's okay, that is what we call grace". But I still felt that it is not totally okay. It is also hard for us to show grace to others especially when we think we deserve something since it already cost us something, we always think about our rights as a person. This is one of the hardest things we as Christians must learn to practice everyday, grace for others.

AOT at the SPBTS Chapel Hour

Pictures: 

Top Left: Kuya Prem preaching about the TEN GATES. 

Top Right: Ice breaker, pass the piso using only elbows! 

Bottom Left: Kuya Ernest explaining the Ice Breaker. 

Bottom Right: Just as Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, we are rebuilding 

the walls of our own lives. Through this rebuilding and restoration, our lives bring glory to God!

Stay tuned for lessons on the rebuilding the walls of your life in order that 

YOU might glorify God with your own life!

Prayer Commitment Cards

Prayer Support is so important! You will want friends, family, and church mates praying for you as you go on mission with Nehemiah Teams. Prayer Commitment Cards work as a reminder for those who have promised to be praying for you. Ask them to keep it in a place that they see frequently so that they will be reminded often. (Prints six to a page.)

B&W: PDF  JPEG

COLOR : PDF  JPEG

The Maguindanaon

WHO are they? The Maguindanaon people are farmers! They farm almost all of their
own food — everything from rice to vegetables such as corn. The men work hard on
their farms, while the women and children work to take care of the home. A major
problem that the Magindanao face is called a “blood feud.” These blood feuds happen
when families or clans get into big arguments that often result in killing!

WHERE do they live? The Magindanao live on the island of Mindanao, which is
located in the Southern Philippines.

HOW many? There are about one million Maguindanaon people, but so far, only a
handful of them are believers.

WHAT do they worship? According to Maguindanaon legend, this group was
converted to Islam by a Muslim prince who came and told him he was a descendent of
Mohammad. Legend has it that he also married a local woman who is said to have been
born from a stalk of bamboo!

Today, the Magindanao are the largest group of Muslim Filipinos, but their belief system
is considered to be more “folk Islam” than orthodox Islam. That means that their Islamic
practices are mixed in with their animistic beliefs. Animistic refers to their belief that
inanimate objects have spirits.

PRAYER needs: Though the Magindanao don’t practice the strictest form of Islam, any
kind of Islam is hard to penetrate. So far, only a few portions of the Bible have been
translated into their language. And though there are some Christian radio and television
broadcasts available for them, there has been little response.

• Ask the Lord to call out people who are willing to go to the Philippines and share
Christ with the Magindanawo

• Ask the Lord to raise up a group of qualified linguists to translate the Bible into
their language.

• Ask God to soften and prepare the hearts of the Magindanao for the Gospel.

• Pray that the small number of Magindanao believers would be encouraged,
strengthened, protected—and increased!

• Ask the Holy Spirit to give the missions agencies creative ideas that will help
them reach the Muslim Magindanao with the good news of Jesus.

LEARN more:

• http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?rop3=106017&rog3=RP

Introducing...

The 2012 AOT trainees! 
Starting on the left...The guys: Luigi, Kuya, Ernest, and Kuya Rey, and Bro. Premu. The girls: Rhea and Aji. Check back often for updates on AOT!

AOT is now in session!

WHAT IS AOT?

Nehemiah Teams Advance Operations Training(AOT) is designed to disciple, develop, and deploy this generation to finish the Great Commission in this generation, specifically preparing young people to accept different leadership roles and assignments needed for NT AOT.

WHO IS AOT FOR?

AOT is an advanced training for former NT participants.

WHEN IS AOT taking place?

AOT is in session now. If you are interested in taking part in this training next year please email Nehemiah Teams. Time, place, and price to be announced later.

At NT AOT you will learn...

·       How to hear from God and know His will

·       How to live a life that glorifies God.  You will study in-depth ten topics based on the ten gates of Nehemiah 3: Salvation, Witnessing,  Learning from the past,  Trials, growth, and humility, Confession, Holy Spirit, God’s Word, Spiritual Warfare, The Second Coming, and the Final Judgments

How to fulfill different leadership roles within NT

·      Tips on being a good team leader

·      How to set up and run a local NT franchise

·      How to plan for and conduct an orientation/debrief

·      How to build and carry out an effective mobilization strategy

·      Why do we have to fill out all these forms (NT administration)?

·      How to supervise teams to fulfill all the goals of NT

·      How to have an effective church planting strategy

·      So you want to cross cultures in-depth look at the major religions

·      How to select and train leaders for your teams

·      Team Building

Stay tuned for more information on AOT and how you can be praying for the AOT 2012 participants. 

Zanorte Franchise Prayer Requests!

Please pray for financial support of the team leaders and participants.

Pray for the bondage of sin to be broken. That when the wind of the Spirit blows we are prepared to obey.

Pray for strength for wisdom to prioritize what is important.

Pray that prayer will become the lifestyle of our teams.

Pray for power from above as we witness.

Pray for partners in prayer and support.

Pray for power from above as we witness.

South Cotabato, Prayer Requests

Pray for youth to sign up for our teams.

Please pray for the financial needs of the franchise and individuals.

Please pray for the people in Camotes Island, Burbon, Tabuelan Cebu and Indonesian community in Taragos.

Please pray that the South Cotabato Association will support the teams.

Please pray for financial support of the team leaders.

Please pray for our promotions this summer.

Please pray that we can raise friends for out franchise that will help us in ministry.

 

Please pray for Luzon 2012 teams!

For the young people thinking about going to trust God and obey Him. And that their applications be on time.

For willing and available teams leaders ready to serve like Jesus!

Receptivity of the people in the areas of ministry and favor from the local government. Bicol, Batangas, Quezon

For the teams to trust God not only for the possible but for the IMPOSSIBLE.

For the teams to go with a vision to work together to plant churches that multiply.

That all team member slots be filled with participants that are really desiring to know God and to serve Him.

Please ask God for protection against the attacks of the enemy.

Please pray for the Mt Carmel Franchise

Please pray that our 3 teams will filled up with participants.

Pray for the team leaders: wisdom, strength, spiritual, and spiritual leadership.

Please pray for our mobilization efforts in churches, associations, and individually. Pray also that we will be faithful to initiate such events.

Pray that the Lord will bring forth the harvest and that He will prepare the hearts of these people.

Please pray for the provision of needs for participants and staff.

Please pray for the protection and safety of the teams.

Please pray that the parents and churches will allow the young people to obey the Lord this summer.

Please pray for NT 2012!

CARAGA

• God will send more participants and the team requests will all fill up.
•  
• Please pray for the leader/member orientation.
•  
• Please pray for the staff who will be doing the leader/member orientation.
•  
• Please pray that people volunteer to help during training.
•  
• Please pray for the safety and protection of the teams while on the field.
•  
• That God will prepare the hearts of the lost.
•  
• Please pray for the unity of the teams.
•  
• Please pray that God will provide for the needs of the participants.

NT 2011

Watch this!