Watch Live on our youtube channel “The First Channel”

We successfully left the first room but are now in the hallway.

• Ezra 3:10-11 (NLT) – When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple … all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid.

Trust issues are why we are in the hallway.

• The enemy is relentless – Erza 4:1-5 (NLT) – The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple … and said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.” … ⁴ Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. ⁵ They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans.
• And finally the enemy succeeds – Ezra 4:23 (NLT) – When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building.
• This is where trust must come in – Lamentations 3:23-26 (NLT) – Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. ²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” ²⁵ The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. ²⁶ So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

So what’s keeping you in the hallway?

• Hebrews 12:1-Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Repentance in the hallway looks like something.

• Repentance looks like something – Matthew 3:1-2, 8 (NKJV) – In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” … ⁸ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.
• What’s your pagan wife – Ezra 10:3 (NLT) – Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children. We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God.

Believing is the key ingredient in repentance.

• Joshua 14:13 (NKJV) – And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron (land of the giants) to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
• We are to have a different spirit than the world – Numbers 14:6, 24 (NKJV) – But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes … ²⁴ But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
• Believing leads to doing – Ezra 5:1-2 (NLT) – At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. ² Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadakresponded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them.
• Grace is the target!

* The message corresponding to this post is under “media” on this site – dhfirstag.org – and is available on Monday