The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-11-29

'hall do unto me.-Hebrsws 1876
The lesson Of November 1S spoke Of
Nehemiah Journeylng to Jerusalem,
After his. arrival he spent three days
n looking over the work; then he
old the priests and other leaders his
,lans. Enthusiasm was awakened, all
:lasses were aroused, the work OF the
building OF the wall OF the city was
lpportloned among the people. and
loon half Of the wall was completed
for the people had mind to work."
!. The Wrath Of the Enemy, Wv. 10,
rhe progress Of the work kept up
he anger Of Sanballat the Horonits
md his friends who formed an alli
ince to hinder the wall being built
wv. 7, 81. When God begins to worh
through his people, Satan is aroused
md tries to interfere. II Is no sign
hat Christian is out OF the win
! If God when opposition Is felt. The
enemy will always be on hand to try
| 20 hinder whenever n real work foI
,iod is going forward. Dead formal
Christianity runs smoothly and with
leadly monotony and Satan let's II
alone, but as soon as some results OF
zeal work are seen. opposition is ai
,nce felt. Thus II was when God
tent his Son into the world, and 80
I has been In every movement for
Sod In the church, and so II will be
n the individual Christian life. From
:he next verse (9) we would almost
think that Nehemiah had heard our
Lords Injunction to ''watch and pray"
Many do much watching and fail
many do much praying and fail but
lone ever turns to watching and pray
ng without finding victory. Prayer
alone means sloth; watching alone
means pride; but watching and pray.
ng victory.
u. Internal Opposition, w. 10-14
Sanballat and his friends were not
he only ones Nehemiah had TO con.
lend with. Among those that worked
IN the wall were some shlrkers and
yrumblers. They had become discour.
aged In the work and began to say
they could never complete It ". 10).
II Satan falls to hinder the work
from the outside, he win attempt to
create dissatisfaction on the inside
Internal confusion of the church Is
more to be dreaded than open opposi.
lion from known enemy. Dissenslon
and confusion In the church can usu.
ally be traced to workers becoming dis.
couraged. The plot OF the enemy to
make surprise attack was dis
covered by the Jews who lived out.
side the city. They reported II not
once, but ten times, with the sugges.
ton that the work on the wall be
stopped, and safety sought by leav.
Ing the city altogether wv. IL. 12).
When the enemy's open opposition
falls and encouragement has been
tried. an attempt is made to bring fear
upon the workers. But the Bible Is
full Of exhortations for Christians TO
'fear not" Could these workers on
the walls OF Jerusalem have seen the
unseen, II would have made little DIFF.
ferences to them whether the enemies
were numbered by tens or thousands,
and could Christians today realize that
God is for them, all opposition would
be rs nothing. Il Cor. 10:13; Rom
S:31; Phil. 4:13). Nehemiah at once
proceeded to allay the fears u3,
14). Armed forces were arranged
about the walls to guard against the
surprise attack. The warrl.
ors were placed so that In the event
of battle they would be protecting
their own particular families. Then
Nehemiah made short speech OF en-.
to the people, the heart
Of which was Remember the Lord
which Is great and terrible" Remem.
berlng him would drive the fear away.
They who arc on the Lords side are
already victors even before the bat.
lie has begun. Someone said to
great general before certain bat.
lie began: 81 hope the Lord is on our
side" The reply was: "I trust we
ire on the Lords side" When this Is
true, there need be no fear whether
he enemies be few or many. Nehe-
niah then exhorted them to fight for
heir families and their homes. This
.wo-fold secret Of the victory is pre-
,ented to us over and over In this book
If Nehemiah, and nowhere Is so prom
nent as In this lesson. Victory for
he Christian depends on two things:
We must trust In the Lord as though
Ill depended on him, and we must
work and fight as though all depended
IN us. This Is the secret OF the sue
,ess of Nehemiah.
~. The Progress Of the Work, (vv
I5.2D. The speech of Nehemiah hav-
ng quieted the fears Of the people and
he enemy having heard that their
,lans were known and that God had
brought their counsel to nought all
he people returned to the work with
'enewed enthusiasm and purpose (15).
There was a Encouragement Of forces
1920. Half of the people worked;
lalf, full armed, stood guard. A trum-
,eter was beside Nehemiah. so that at
he first alarm from outside all the
workers and warriors could be called
o the threatened spot. Then, after
II was done that could be done In
he way of protection, they went ahead
rlth the building Of the wall, encour-
ged with the word of their leader
Our God shall fight for u.s." SO the
,hrlstian is going ahead In spite or
IL opposition being Gods instrument
ding Gods work with Gods power.