So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days . --Nehemiah 6:15
Before the wall was rebuilt, the people of God were in great shame because of their torn down walls. “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The walls of Jerusalem have been burned with fire.”(Neh. 1:3) Many times, we are in great disgrace and unable to share Christ to those around us because of our broken lives. God used Nehemiah to rebuild not only the walls but also the lives of the people and their enemies and all the surrounding nations knew that the work had been done with the help of God. (Neh.3.16)
Nehemiah Teams takes every young people going through the program through a study and memory verses that relates to the area of or Christian life that corresponds to each. At AOT a deeper look on each area is done to be able to help these leaders live a life that glorifies God and help other believers in these areas.
Gate 1:
Sheep Gate – Salvation
Ephesians 2: 8-9, Titus 3:5, 1john 5: 11-13
Ephesians 2: 8-9, Titus 3:5, 1john 5: 11-13
This Gate
is the first gates mentioned in the book of Nehemiah. This is where the lamb
for offerings are brought. This symbolizes salvation – the sacrifice of the
Lamb of God and putting our faith in Him, for without this, we can never live a
life that Glorifies God.
At AOT, we
had a deep and weeklong study on this gate. We looked into Grace, Faith,
Repentance, Assurance of Salvation by reading from the Bible, reading stories
and watching movies and video clips that would help us understand more of the
unfathomable love of God for man. Among all that we studied on this gate, Grace
really stood out for me. God spoke to me so much about His wonderful grace.
So, what is
grace? It is a simple word but so hard to define, easier described. Grace is
what Christ did on the cross to take the unforgivable and make it forgivable.
Grace is not cheap, rather costly. It costs nothing for us but it cost
everything for The Father – He sent is one and only Son to die on the cross!
Jesus, who in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to
be grasped, but made himself in human likeness.
Grace is
measureless. It is hard to comprehend why God loved us so much.
The Lord
Jesus suffered because of you and me. He accepted all the accusations, insults,
pain and suffering so that our relationship to God will be reunited. Because of
his grace our sins were forgiven. Jesus said in John 19:30 “it is finished”. It
was an announcement to all creation that it has been completed and nothing
could be added to it. Wow! I am free! I am free from the wrath of God. I am
free from the penalty of sin and I am alive because of what Christ has done. I
am secure, my salvation is secure and I have the assurance from His word. He
gave me eternal life not a temporary life. God is not a liar. What He has
promised I can trust Him to keep. I also have the assurance based on Christ
finished work. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
He is the last and perfect atonement. He has given me His Holy Spirit who
testifies with my Spirit that I am God’s child. There is nothing that I can do
to make God love me more nor can i do anything to make him love me less. His
love us unconditional.
I have been
Justified. I am still in the process – I am being Sanctified, and I am assured
that one day I will join Him in His glory – Glorified.
Thank you
for all your prayers for me and for all of us here at AOT. May the lord
continue to bless you richly and may you grow more and experience more of His
beautiful grace.
Prayer
Requests:
1.
That
the Lord will give me a humble and teachable heart and broken spirit
2. Guidance and wisdom from the Lord
about where to go after AOT, and more passion for the lost.
3. Financial provision for reaching
more unreached peoples
4. That I will listen to God’s voice,
follow where He leads and abandon myself.
-Jael, 27 (Osamiz)
