Nehemiah 4-6

(September 27, 2014)

                Apart from having one of the great quotes for putting our priorities in the right place in all of the scriptures (“I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down”), it also has a great deal to teach us about our modern Church.  Today there are those within the faith (nobles of Judah) whose true allegiance is to something other than the faith.  Whether by family, or politics, or philosophy, they put something else before they put their membership in the kingdom.

                You cannot go online without seeing them – they are those who will condemn the Church the moment the Church deviates from their approved political, social, or philosophical positions.  They spend their time exchanging letters (Facebook posts, texts, and tweets) with the Tobiahs of their movement – often a leadership that is openly hostile to the Church.  And these Tobiahs work to set the leadership of the Church to fear, and to drive a wedge between the members of the Church and their leaders.

                If your politics set you against the Kingdom of God on Earth, it is time to change your politics, not the Kingdom.  If your social views set you against the Kingdom of God on Earth, it is time to change your social views, not the Kingdom.  A good first step is this – if you are communicating regularly with someone who shares your political, social, or philosophical views yet is an enemy to the Church, stop sending and receiving letters with your Tobiah and return to the faith of Judah and repent.

                Of course, it is once again easy to see this in others but only valuable when we see it in ourselves.  I need to spend my time evaluating who I speak with and what my priorities are, so that I never put anything before the Kingdom of God on Earth, either.  That is something I have been guilty of before – one time in my life particularly comes to mind (which has led to some catastrophic damage).