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I was discussing politics with my karate instructor after class one evening. I had sent him my columns about President Trump and Doug Collins, so we've had some talks about related matters lately. He asked me if I've read Nehemiah, and I confessed that it has been a while. He had been reading it, and he began to explain that many parts of it jumped out at him as parallels to what we are seeing played out in our nation today. I must give credit to Master Haymore for the inspiration for this piece. A little background is helpful to...

Excavators uncovered a seal and a bullae -- a seal impression use to sign documents or containers during ancient times -- in the Givati Parking Lot Excavation of the City of David in Jerusalem. These two artifacts were found next to the rubble of a structure that was destroyed during the 6th century BC by the Babylonians... The researchers said the finding was very rare and reveals just how badly Jerusalem was damaged during the Babylonian destruction. "The finding of the stamp and seal impression in the City of David indicates that despite the city's dire situation after the destruction,...

Join Freepers throughout the world to pray for PRESIDENT TRUMP and VICE-PRESIDENT PENCE and for AMERICA: All Levels of Government, Family, Military, Business, Education, Churches, Health Care Systems and the Media. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. —1 John 5:14 Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind. Please join us in prayer for the borders of our nation.

This is not about President Trump. It is about us. About our behavior as followers of Jesus. About our words. About our attitudes. About our priorities. It seems that many of us have lost sight of what it means to be Christian, as if anything now goes in the name of Jesus. It seems that many of us now justify almost any kind of ugly rhetoric, as long as it is in the name of country and of God, seemingly in that order. What has become of godly speech? Of civility? Of graciousness? Of respect? When did God send out...

When the Prophet Nehemiah surveyed Jerusalem, he saw the ruins of a city destroyed by the Babylonians. And just as Jerusalem was in physical ruins, our country continues on a path of spiritual ruin. What can we learn from Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem? What steps should we be taking to rebuild America? Here are six steps Nehemiah took to rebuild the walls that had crumbled after the previous invasion: He began with prayer. He prayed for himself, he prayed for his nation and he even confessed the sins of the forefathers who had brought destruction...

Rev. Bill and Dr. Deborah Owens, Founders of CAAP write: “Christians have a responsibility to help those in need, including the undocumented immigrants at our southern border. At the same time, we must also respect the need to secure our borders and ensure the safety of all U.S. citizens. The African-American community has been gravely injured by unfettered illegal immigration, which has resulted in loss of jobs, loss of housing, and other economic hardship.” Collectively, we stand with President Trump in the battle for the soul of America. I'm praying that POTUS builds the wall in the manner that Ezra...

The outspoken and often-controversial pastor of First Baptist Dallas, Robert Jeffress, will preach at a private service before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration Friday. As first reported by CNN, Jeffress will speak at the service for Trump and his family, held at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House. About 300 people, including Vice President-elect Mike Pence, are expected to attend.Jeffress later confirmed the report and noted the title of his sermon in a tweet: "When God Chooses a Leader." The pastor later appeared on The O'Reilly Factor and promised to share the Old Testament story of Nehemiah, a builder chosen by...

Nehemiah served in a pagan government as a believer in God. He was humble and respectful to the king, but proper fear of his king did not stop him from acting to save his people. He prayed to God and made a request of the king, asking for permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild it. He also asked for letters that he might present to various governors for safe conduct, and even a grant for building materials. Not all the pagan governors were sanguine toward Nehemiah and his plans. Indeed, some were fiercely resistant to them. When Sanballat the...

2 Chronicles 14:7 And he said to Juda: Let us build these cities, and compass them with walls, and fortify them with towers, and gates, and bars, while all is quiet from wars, because we have sought the Lord the God of our fathers, and he hath given us peace round about. So they built, and there was no hinderance in building. Nehemiah 4:18 For every one of the builders was girded with a sword about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me.

In daily Mass for the past number of days we’ve been reading from the books of Nehemiah and Ezra. These books deal with the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonian captivity.Most modern-day Christians have only a passing knowledge of these aspects of ancient Jewish history and these events may seem to have little to say to us. But in fact, they speak quite powerfully of very important human struggles today. Thus, a review of these historical events seems in order, as well as an application of them to our life and struggles today.To begin, the Jewish people, as...

David Wilkerson's soul-stirring sermon on the necessity of anguish - to bear God's heart, passion, and burden within our lives.

JERUSALEM (AP) — A wall mentioned in the Bible's Book of Nehemiah and long sought by archaeologists apparently has been found, an Israeli archaeologist says.A team of archaeologists discovered the wall in Jerusalem's ancient City of David during a rescue attempt on a tower that was in danger of collapse, said Eilat Mazar, head of the Institute of Archaeology at the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem-based research and educational institute, and leader of the dig.Artifacts including pottery shards and arrowheads found under the tower suggested that both the tower and the nearby wall are from the 5th century B.C., the time...