The opposition Nehemiah received to rebuilding the ruined wall of the city of Jerusalem was intense.

“And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” Nehemiah 4:14

Nehemiah’s story reminds us that vision always invites opposition. It’s not a question of if resistance will come — it’s when. And like Nehemiah, we must be ready.

When Nehemiah first declared his intent to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, the opposition came swiftly. Sanballat and Tobiah mocked him, hoping to discourage the work before it began (Nehemiah 2:19). But Nehemiah didn’t waste energy arguing or defending himself. Instead, he declared boldly, “The God of heaven will give us success” (Nehemiah 2:20), and then he acted. His declaration was followed by the tangible obedience of God’s people, with priests and families taking up tools and rebuilding the gates and walls.

This is a key lesson for us: vision must be voiced, and faith must move our hands. When opposition comes early, our best weapon is conviction turned into action.

But opposition doesn’t only come at the beginning — it often intensifies midway. As the wall reached halfway, Nehemiah faced perhaps the most dangerous challenge yet: discouragement from within. The people grew weary, overwhelmed by the rubble. The enemies plotted to strike when no one was looking. It could have unravelled everything.

Nehemiah responded by pairing prayer with protection. He called on God, yes — but he also posted guards. He didn’t ignore the threat, nor did he allow fear to paralyse them. Then he stood before the people with this rallying cry: “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families” (Nehemiah 4:14).

That one verse contains the heart of godly leadership: a reminder of God’s greatness and a call to protect what matters most. It wasn’t just about the wall. It was about legacy, security, and God’s people stepping into their destiny.

Even after the wall was completed, Nehemiah wasn’t done with opposition. His enemies shifted tactics — no longer able to stop the work, they tried to steal his peace. They sent letters, spread gossip, and even used insiders to speak well of the enemy in Nehemiah’s presence (Nehemiah 6:17-19). Intimidation doesn’t always come as direct threat — it can be subtle, exhausting, persistent.

And yet, Nehemiah stood firm. The wall was completed in 52 days — a miracle by any measure — but the greater miracle was that Nehemiah remained unmoved in his purpose, even when the pressure shifted from external attack to internal erosion.

We must learn this pattern. At the start, we respond with declaration and action. In the middle, we must engage in prayer and protection. And after the victory, we stand in discernment and resolve, guarding the peace we’ve fought for.

This is not a one-time battle. Moses, Joseph, and even Jesus encountered wave after wave of resistance. It’s the nature of kingdom work. We are rebuilding in a time of spiritual vulnerability, but we are not without weapons. We’ve been given divine authority, heavenly wisdom, and the call to persevere.

As Nehemiah fought for the dignity of a people, we are called to fight for our families, our communities, and the moral fabric of our nation. Let us not grow weary. Let us not be caught off guard by resistance. The presence of opposition may be the clearest confirmation that we are doing what matters most.

God has begun a work through you — He will see it to completion.

Christianity: Bedrock of the West

Let’s get one thing straight: Christianity isn’t just a personal faith, it’s the philosophical bedrock of the West.

The belief in one true God who created humanity in His image and gave us objective moral laws, not scribbled up by politicians or massaged through a PR agency.

That singular idea – that human beings possess inherent dignity because they are created by God – is the cornerstone of liberty.

It’s why you have rights before the government decides to “grant” them. It’s why Western law said kings couldn’t just burn down your cottage on a whim. Because without a divine moral law above man-made authority, all you’re left with is mob rule and whatever slogan trends on social media.

The Old Testament declared, “Thou shalt not kill,” long before modern ideologues dreamt up “restorative justice” for home invaders. It proclaimed, “Thou shall not steal,” centuries before looting was rebranded as “redistributive protest.” It taught, “Honour your father and mother,” back when that wasn’t treated as a micro-aggression. These weren’t just pious suggestions. They were the scaffolding of a civilisation that respected life, property, and family.

Even capitalism – yes, the dreaded engine of Western prosperity – relies on Christian ethics. Why trust a merchant if honesty isn’t a virtue? Why lend money if there’s no cultural expectation to repay it? Try running a free market economy in a society where lying, theft, and envy are morally neutral, or worse, subsidised.

Destroying Our Own Foundations

The irony? The people enjoying the fruits of the West, its freedom of speech, trial by jury, property rights, and the privilege to protest the system while sipping a $7 soy latte, are the same ones most desperate to sever the moral roots of the very tree they’re perched on. And they’re doing it with sanctimonious flair.

Critics dismiss Christianity as outdated. Yet everything they say they cherish – equality, justice, human rights – is completely dependent on the belief that those rights were granted by God. Strip that away, and you don’t get utopia. You get power games, surveillance states, and drag queen story hour for children.

Without Christianity, Western civilisation isn’t “liberated” – it’s unmoored. Our freedom didn’t emerge from the Enlightenment as if by magic. It was born at the cross, where Christ taught that liberty starts in the heart, not in legislation.

Christianity provided the moral foundation for the greatest civilisation the world has ever seen.

And it’s about time we stopped apologising for that.

This is the power of our Heavenly Father’s love.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me no with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” — Psalm 16:11

When we are in Christ, we can experience this love, not as an abstract concept, but as a living reality. God’s love meets us exactly where we are. If you’re lonely, He promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). If anxiety is crushing you, He whispers, “Cast all your anxiety on me because I care for you” (1 Peter 5:7). If you’ve been hurt or abandoned, He reminds you, “I’ve been there — I was pierced by the world I came to save. And I will wipe every tear from your eyes” (Revelation 21:4). If you feel worthless, He gently declares, “You are made in My image, and in Christ, you are My beloved child” (Genesis 1:27; 1 John 3:1).

Whatever ache you carry, the love of the Father has already gone deeper.

We often try to meet these deep needs with the things of this world. In fact, our desire for worldly solutions and pleasures can sometimes dominate. There is something my old pastor used to say about this that has stuck with me: “The problem isn’t that our desire is too big. It’s that it’s too small.” We settle for so little — momentary thrills, comforts galore, endless streams of entertainment, accumulating wealth, or the approval of crowds. We chase these things hoping they’ll give us meaning and heal our pain. But they never do.

Yet there’s something far greater offered to us: the joy of the Father’s presence.

King David expresses it so beautifully in Psalm 16:11: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” In His presence is fullness of joy. Not momentary fun. Not a hit of dopamine. But joy that endures — eternal pleasure grounded in relationship with God Himsel

This article by Kurt Mahlberg appeared at the right time for me. I had to call 000 as I thought both my cardiac and respiratory systems were in failure. I am in hospital and responding to treatment. It was nice to be reminded who to turn to and where my ultimate joy will be derived from.

‘FOX & Friends’ host Ainsley Earhardt gets a first-hand look at the incredible Ark Encounter , featuring a life-size replica of Noah’s Ark in Williamstown, Kentucky. Ainsley Earhardt and her daughter, along with some friends, met Answers in Genesis (AIG) speaker Bryan Osborne at the Ark and were videoed for this segment.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1114379204042275

A majority of Presbyterian Church of the USA (PCUSA) presbyteries approved Amendment 24-A, which added sexual orientation and gender identity to the denomination’s anti-discrimination statement in the Book of Order F-1.0403.

The theologically progressive Covenant Network of Presbyterians celebrated the passage of the amendment, believing that the measure will make the Mainline Protestant denomination more inclusive.

“This new language provides the church with a rich opportunity for deeper reflection, honest conversation, and authentic discernment,” said the Rev. Brian Ellison, executive director of CNP, in a statement. “I’m genuinely excited to see how these more comprehensive examinations will benefit LGBTQIA+ people, as well as those from other marginalised groups, as they hear more where they stand with those who would serve among them.”

While it’s still the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, PCUSA has experienced a substantial decline in membership over the past few decades. You would think the leadership would recognise that they are destroying the denomination. God has taken His hand of blessing off them, and the world despises them.

According to their statistics, PCUSA went from having over 2.5 million members in 2000 to around 1.045 million members last year. The denomination expects to dip below the 1 million mark by the end of this year.

I see this decision as a symptom of the disease within the PCUSA. As a denomination, they have turned away from the authority of Scripture, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the orthodox heritage of the Church.

Fortunately, this has caused more PCUSA churches to leave the denomination e.g, The Rev. Bruce Sexton of Faith Presbyterian Church in Hermiston, Oregon, provided Christian Post with a copy of the letter he sent to his congregation in January outlining his decision to leave the denomination that he had served as a minister since 1991.

Sexton, who has long been troubled by the denomination’s liberal direction, cited the approval of the amendment at last year’s General Assembly as the breaking point.

“Now, as one who follows biblical standards, the PCUSA is identifying me as outside the Christian faith because of my biblical understanding of the covenant of marriage.” In the end, ‘I must obey God rather than man.’ (Acts 5:29).”