Gilbert House Fellowship #225: Nehemiah 6-9

PERSEVERANCE IN the face of opposition is one of the lessons from our reading today. The Samaritans, Ammonites, and Arabs in Nehemiah's day tried to discourage the Jews through threats, political pressure, and even a conspiracy to assassinate Nehemiah.With the work completed, Ezra led the people in a reading of the Law and a restoration of the Feast of Tabernacles, which, we were surprised to learn, hadn't been observed since the Exodus!We also discuss the meaning of God's promise to make Abraham's descendants "as the stars of heaven," which is a reference to our future restoration as members of the divine council, not the number of Jews and Christians on the earth.————Josh and Christina Peck need your help. Pray for their son, Nathan, who was recently diagnosed with T-cell leukemia. The whole family is with Nathan while he’s being treated. If you are led to help financially, you can do so at www.JoshPeckDisclosure.com/donate.————Our free mobile app for iOS and Android brings these studies right to your smartphone or tablet! Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.————Update: The 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel has added a special visit to Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, where Jim Barfield of the Copper Scroll Project (www.CopperScrollProject.com) will show us some of the sites where he believes some of the most important religious artifacts in history may be buried.The tour flies from New York City to Tel Aviv Sunday, May 12, 2019, and returns Thursday, May 23. If you want to extend your trip a few days to join us in Jordan, you'd return Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information, log on to LipkinTours.com -- but don't wait!————Sharon's new novel 'Realms of Fire' is available for Amazon's Kindle e-book reader! The print edition should be available this week. For more information, see Sharon's website, www.sharonkgilbert.com, or www.TheRedwingSaga.com.————For the complete Gilbert House Fellowship archive, go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship.