" A Challenged Testimony "

" Then answered I, and said unto them, The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build:"
Nehemiah 2:20

Thoughts from Pastor's Message:
What a glorious service we had last week as Mercy's Bridge came to minister in concert at our church. We celebrated with Dr. Goerndt and honored her 26 years with us at Commerce. We were thankful to God that she has continued strong in the "Teaching of the Word of God" in our Sunday School College Hour each week.
We have been talking about our testimonies and looking at the men and women of the Old Testament whose testimonies have encouraged us. It is a wonderful Testimony to exhort the Word of God faithfully for many years! We love the Word of God at Commerce! We also love Anointed Music and the Blessed fellowship of the saints! Psalms 133 comes to mind as I mention our fellowship-- " Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment... as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."

We continue the Testimonies of the Old Testament today as we see Nehemiah Challenged by His Testimony. In this moment and time, we also are challenged to be a 'Living Testimony'. There was a lot of devastation in Jerusalem, Ezra had returned to rebuild the temple, but the walls of the city were in ruin. Nehemiah declared in 2:17, "... Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth in waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach."
As I prepared this message and realized the conditions of our country, I felt like Nehemiah... in 1:4, "He sat down and wept, and mourned, and fasted and Prayed before the God of Heaven:" Fasting and Prayer and weeping before the altar is what it will take to alleviate the distress of our nation. We are challenged by our Testimony!
                         Loving you, Pastor