There are many lessons in the Word of God which, I believe, God wants us to be very keenly aware of in these Last Days. While we have not, by any means, covered them all, we have touched on a good number of those whom God raised up, and placed in the roll of leadership. Just as the saying, "Ministers are not born, they are called of God", the same could be said for all Godly leaders and example. They’re not born that way, they’re fulfilling a call upon their life. And, most of them would tell you that, When a man or woman receives a call of God upon their life, it is for a very specific work. And, when they recognize that call, AND (more importantly) they heed that call, God can use them in a mighty way. The same cannot be said about those who self appoint themselves as something they desire to do. Sometimes, people like that find out that it wasn’t what they wanted to do, after all. However, those who fulfill a call, realize that call is upon their life regardless of what comes or goes, and there’s nothing than can change that. Furthermore, those who self appoint themselves as something are usually not happy internally, and as a result, they the "chosen" field becomes a chore, a drudgery ... a "job". But, when you love what you’re doing, it is NOT like work at all. That said, does that mean you won’t have bad days? No indeed!

Whether a person rises to the occasion of God’s call, OR they ride off into the sunset, instead, God’s Will is going to be accomplished ... with or without me, or you. God will raise up someone to do His bidding. He used some lepers one time to save a whole city. So, don’t tell me what God can and cannot ... or will and will not ... do. Notwithstanding, His Love, Mercy and Grace, God does NOT reward "spiritual" (or physical) whoredom, disobedience, sin, rebellion, unbelief, doubt, worry and fear in a favorable ... or positive way.

At any rate, we’ll pick back up in this study with the "rebuilding" of the walls of Jerusalem, after the spectacular temple which Solomon build, the city and the walls had been utterly destroyed because of that very thing ... "spiritual" whoredom, disobedience, sin, rebellion, unbelief, doubt, worry and fear.

Regardless of what you and I do ... or don’t do ... God always has a plan ... and He always has a man. Someone, somewhere, will stand in the gap to make up the hedge. With that said, while we can "stand in the gap" for others, and hold them up in prayer, when it comes right down to the bottom line, no one will enter Heaven, based solely on someone else standing in the gap for them. Instead, they have a very personal responsibility to God. And, NOBODY, can fill that responsibility for them. The following is the record of the "rebuilding" of the Walls of Jerusalem by those of the Southern Kingdom, who were allowed to return out of Babylonian captivity, ... to "rebuild" the walls, the city and the "second" temple AFTER everything was destroyed by Babylon, and after Babylon, subsequently, had been conquered.

Nehemiah 4:1-23 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you. Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.

Nehemiah 9:1-38 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God. Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God. Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous: And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day. And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would. And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies; And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God. Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

There is a work to be done in these Last Days. And, in some cases, this requires trying to cultivate a burnt over field. In the natural, that can work well because the weeds and stubble are cleared out of the way. However, in the spiritual, it can be a real challenge because there can be a whole lot of animosity, hurt and disillusion which has to be over come, first. And, that can take a long time. However, it can all be done when God is in it, people are prayed up, on point AND have a mind to work.

Brothers and Sisters, God is challenging you and He is challenging me to go beyond the comfortable, and be everything He wants us to be, AND to fufill the calling He has placed upon our lives. I can’t do your particular job as good as you can do it because God called you to do it, not me. Neither can you do my particular job as good as me ... nor should you have to even try ... because God has called me to do it. Now, with that said, too often what happens is, people don’t do what God has called them to do ... causing someone else to have to try and do it ... OR people try to do everybody else’s job but their own ... and/or they interfere with, criticize or discourage (instead of helping, encouraging and edifying) those who are out there trying to do what God has called them to do. Where do you stand in all of this???

That gets painfully honest, doesn’t it? Well, maybe it’s time for those of us who intend to make Heaven our home to get ... and remain ... painfully honest and open before God, and our fellow man. In these days of high tech, it is not hard to develop an on line "persona". It’s sort of like being in Hollywood when they say, "lights, camera, action". It can merely be "show time" sitting behind a computer monitor. But, it is quite another thing to actually "live" that persona. And, everybody else can do whatever floats their boat, but I fully intend to continue to go, do, say and be exactly what ... and where ... God has called me to go, do, say and be ... whether it is behind a computer monitor or not. There are multitudes in the valley of decision. And, God always has a plan ... and He always has a man. But, please do NOT misunderstand me, I am NOT encouraging anyone to get out of their comfort zone and do anything that God is NOT really calling them to do. As a matter of fact, unless a person knows for a certainly God is in what they’re doing, they’d better off staying on the porch because they would more than likely get tripped up and lose out with God, or end up being something God truly detests ... a hypocrite. Hypocrites are like thieves, there’s no honor among them, and they don’t really trust and respect one another. How on earth ... or better yet, why one earth ... would they expect anyone else to? That’s a question I’ve never been able to figure out. The only thing that comes close to making any sense is they believe they can dupe uninformed, misinformed and ignorant people. The sad fact is, too often they can ... and do.

We are nearing the home stretch ... whether due to our age or not. Now is NOT the time to be getting sloppy in our relationship with God. Furthermore, just because we’re getting close to home, it is NOT wise to not have a jack and spare tire in your trunk, and prepared for the unexpected, which is exactly where a whole lot of people are going to be. My webmaster and dear friend, Bro. Ron, mentioned the old water pumps, that had to be primed. **IF** you can remember them, you know there had to be a bucket close by, with enough water in it to prime the pump, the next time. And, not only that, before you got finished pumping water each time, you made sure that there was enough water in that bucket for the next time. The five foolish virgins didn’t have enough oil. And, the five wise couldn’t afford to give them theirs

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