“ Are You Facing Opposition?”


BIBLE READING: Ezra 4-6 & Psalms 137
DISCUSSION                                    
                As the reconstruction of the House of God commenced, the people had rebuilt the altar and began to lay the foundation of the Temple.  Then, the returned exiles began to face a great deal of opposition from some Samaritans.   “Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose…” (Ezra 4:4-5).  The opposition pushed so hard that the Israelites were forced by King Artaxerxes to halt the work until Darius reinstated it years later.  I’m sure it must have been hard to those Israelites; to have been so excited to begin the process of starting over fresh with a new life and new House for God, only to face criticism, opposition and even hostility as the seek to do what was right.  Sound familiar doesn’t it?  As Christians, we are doing our best to live the best life we can for the Lord as we try to do what is right.  However, it seems the more motivated we are to continue doing what is best and right, the more we are faced to criticism and opposition.  For us today, that is good news and bad news.   The bad news is that the opposition will never stop.  There will never be a time, this side of eternity, that we won’t be faced with opposition and criticism from the word.   However, the good news is that if we can endure and continue with our “building up” of God’s House within our lives, we will be stronger because of it.  Notice the encouraging words of Peter,  “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7).  Don’t give up church, because the Light of the World is at the end of our tunnel.
Prayer Requests:___________________________________________________________________________________

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