Word ministered by brother Pedro Dong, transmitted by the Life for All Institute, directly from São Paulo, SP, on 02/23/2025. Text not reviewed by the author.

We encourage you to watch the full message on the IVPT YouTube channel.

 

 

 

Neh. 7:1-4; 6:15

1. While the wall of Jerusalem was destroyed, its territory remained without government, living in a situation of abandonment and misery. Nehemiah then took on the task of rebuilding the wall and asked King Artaxerxes for permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild it, finishing it in 52 days.
2. Although the period of restoration of the wall was brief, it was marked by an intense climate of fight. Thanks to the Lord, the people completed the work successfully, and the wall was rebuilt, restoring the government established by God to Jerusalem. We realize that this is the situation we are living in today. Some time ago, we noticed that the wall was still missing which means recognizing that God governs His church through His word. This word can operate in the church when it is received by faith. The wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt among us through immersion and instilling the word.
3. In recent generations, God’s servants have emphasized that the Holy Spirit must have authority in the church. However, this was still somewhat abstract. How does this authority manifest itself? Today, thanks to the Lord, we have the revelation that the authority of the Holy Spirit comes through the word of God, received as a word of command.
4. Once the wall was reestablished and, consequently, divine authority over the church, it was time to put things in order. Where God’s government comes, things are put in order! The time has come to put things in order within the wall of Jerusalem.
5. Speaking in a language intended for those who understand computing, we have already secured all our hardware, but now we need software, our operating system. It is not enough to have reestablished the city wall, but we need things to work within it.
6. After rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah appointed gatekeepers to ensure that the people within the wall continued to recognize God’s government. We cannot allow anything that could destroy the Father’s government to enter within the wall! We know that the Lord’s government occurs through the prophetic word, and this was precisely the first shot fired by Satan, negatively affecting the church in the subsequent 19 centuries of its history. Therefore, today we need to be vigilant in maintaining this authority! We are all gatekeepers.
7. Singers and Levites were also appointed. Singers are those involved in composing hymns, but not only this, they represent all the brothers and sisters who use tools to bring joy and enthusiasm to God’s people. For example, teenagers contribute to this through war cries, without which we would not be so happy. The Levites, in turn, are all those who serve the Lord. We have many services in the church. For our meetings to take place, there must be: cleaning, caretaker, reception, sound, etc. Without these services, things do not work. It is time to restore our Levitical service! For some reason, if you are not yet serving, contact the brothers responsible in your area to change this situation. We all need to be involved in serving the Lord!
8. In verse 2 of Nehemiah chapter 7, we read: “That I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many” (Neh. 7:2). The castles were part of the city’s fortress, along with the wall, and were part of the barrier that prevented invasion of Jerusalem. Hananiah was defined as the administrator, the governor of one of these castles. Today, those who exercise leadership in the churches need to have these qualities: faithfulness and fear God. We all should be faithful and fear God, but for those who are in leadership, these characteristics must be even more pronounced, “more than many others”.
9. There is no point in having a wall if there is no one to guard it. The gates of Jerusalem were guarded by gatekeepers, a role that we all need to play today. Furthermore, the need for vigilance also extends to homes: “And I said to them, ‘Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house’” (Neh. 7:3). Therefore, we see that each person also needs to have a watchful attitude in his own home.
10. In Nehemiah 7:4, we read that after the wall was rebuilt, there were still few buildings in Jerusalem. In a way, this is also our situation. Compared to the inhabitants of the whole earth, we are still few, a tiny flock. We cannot settle for this situation but accept the responsibility to strive and preach the gospel. The Lord has placed in my heart a feeling regarding churches that began with a small number of people. In the past, we would not have been able to help these brothers and sisters, but today the big cities, which have active and willing troops, captains, and senior stewards, can help these smaller cities raise up teenagers through “Come and See!”. Let’s shake up these cities with life! Even the brothers and sisters who are not available to physically visit these churches can collaborate through “Family Mission,” making phone calls from their own homes. We cannot settle for this situation!
11. We still have a lot of work to do! Speaking of the state of São Paulo, we have been working hard in the hub cities, such as Sorocaba, São José do Rio Preto, Bauru, Araçatuba, and Birigui. Furthermore, we cannot forget Baixada Santista, in Campinas! We need to strengthen the hub cities to consequently strengthen the smaller cities around them. On an international level, we also need to strengthen the work in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and Oceania. We have little strength, but with the Lord’s blessing, we will be able to carry out this work! We need to reach out to people more in our daily lives, strengthen our service in the GPCs and also at BookExpo.
    

    Neh. 7:5, 6, 70-73; 11:1-36; 8:1-13; 1 Chr. 9:2-34; Ezra 2:1-70

     

12. For me, we are living in this time described in chapter 7 of Nehemiah. Chapter 8 tells us something very important: “Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel” (Neh. 8:1). After so long away from the Word of God, as soon as the wall of Jerusalem was restored, the people of Israel wanted to know and follow the commandments of the Lord, reestablishing God’s government there.
13. Continuing in verse 2, we read: “So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month” (Neh. 8:2). So we see that not only men, but also women, young people, and all those who were able to understand what they heard were important in being there. The word of God is for all who can understand it! Today, our children can receive and understand this word from an early age.
14. Once the wall was reestablished, all the people of Jerusalem were attentive to the words of the Lord. Since we began to define the Positive Agenda, publishing the activities and cities where the prophetic word would be ministered, we have seen a large number of brothers and sisters interested in following the conferences closely. This is a good sign, it means that the wall has been closed and everyone, today, recognizes the government of God through His word. Giving attention to the word of God has increased greatly, and because of this, we are greatly blessed. Our teenagers have been following this word so closely that they quickly realize when someone else is speaking in a way that diverges from the Lord’s current direction. This can only happen when the wall is up!
15. The Levites mentioned in chapter 8 of Nehemiah fulfilled the function of helping the priest to bring the word to the people of God: “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading” (Neh. 8:7-8). Through this service, God’s people were able to receive revelation from the word! When we understand the word, it makes all the difference and it can act in our lives. Thank the Lord we have many Levites among us who help people understand His word. Once this word is understood and instilled in us, there is a festive atmosphere! Thus, enthusiasm was restored within the wall of Jerusalem: “And all the people went their way to eat and to drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they had understood the words that were declared to them” (Neh. 8:12).
16. Thank the Lord, after many years of receiving the word as mere doctrine, we finally have the wall closed and the doors set. Today, we rejoice in understanding the word of God. The revelation of the word brings understanding and, consequently, joy to the people. This joy, today, is spread throughout the earth, in all the churches that have understood the word.
    

    Neh. 8:13-18; Isa. 55:10-11

     

17. The word of God demands something from us: to carry out His work. It does not merely serve to fill our archives of theoretical knowledge, but demands the practice of execution. God does not send rain and snow for nothing; everything He sends to the earth is intended to produce food to supply the nations (Isa. 55:10-11). The word itself carries out God’s work and makes His people prosper!
18. As the word reaches us and we understand God’s will, He uses us as its executors. In Nehemiah 8, we read that God wanted the people to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. The Jews are people who get rich easily and, consequently, can be more vulnerable to arrogance. The Feast of Tabernacles, therefore, served as a reminder of the origins of the people who lived in tents after their liberation from Egypt. Dear brothers and sisters, we need to live as pilgrims in this earth! Everything we have belongs to the Lord, because everything we have here is temporary and our goal is to do His will.
    

    Neh. 9:1-6, 16-17, 20, 26,30-38; Isa. 66:1-2

     

19. After so much joy, the children of Israel went through a time of repentance for their sins and the blasphemies and transgressions of their fathers. At that time, we see that the reason behind the Babylonian captivity was precisely because the people of Israel stopped listening to the word of the Lord. Today, at the end of the history of the church, we have no time to waste! We need to love and fear the word and allow it to accomplish the work of God! We are in the final stretch that will bring the Lord back.
20. After reading about the repentance of the people of Israel (Nehemiah 9), we see what God wanted of them. In Isaiah 66, we read: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?’ For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,’ says the Lord. ‘But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word’” (Isa. 66:1-2). God’s desire is to find a home in the poor and contrite spirit who know that the word is powerful! These are the ones who give the Lord rest. Today, this place of rest is the church.
    

    Neh. 10:1, 28-29, 32-39

21. After realizing all the failure that had spread for generations due to not having heeded the word, the people of Israel signed an agreement, a covenant of faithfulness to the word of the Lord. This was not an empty agreement, just lip service, but it involved precepts of offerings for the proper functioning of the house of God. We need to be practical; the money that the Lord gives us is for us to serve in His church. When He returns, our earthly assets will be worth nothing.

     

22. The Lord is the one who gives us the productive land. Therefore, the first fruits of this production must be dedicated to the Lord. How many times do we spend the week busy with our earthly responsibilities and only give our leftovers to the Lord? We need to give Him our best, our first fruits! In this year of 2025, we need to give everything to the Lord. He now wants our excellence in everything! In our offerings, He wants the first fruits. In our service, He wants excellence. I believe that many brothers and sisters can still join the group of Kingdom Investors, who contribute to the normal functioning of the house of God. Even in the plane tickets paid for to send brothers and sisters to missions, there is a large movement of money. Thank the Lord we have lacked nothing! Today, our colporteurs are self-sufficient, but there is still a need for offerings for the expansion of these new fronts. The work of the Lord must continue to advance; the wood for the altar cannot be lacking.
23. The vow of Kingdom Investors is renewable until the Lord returns! From now on, we need to adopt a new attitude regarding our vows to the Lord: instead of leaving our leftovers for Him, let us set aside the first fruits of our earnings for the work. He will certainly take care of us!
    

    Neh. 12:27, 28, 31, 38, 43-44; Ps. 147; 148; 149; 150

     

24. The Levites were brought to celebrate the dedication with joy, praise, songs, cymbals, lutes, and harps. God loves to see His people joyful! They made a procession on top of the walls, singing and praising the Lord. When our young people sing and praise the Lord, it is in this same spirit of joy! The joy of man is feigned, but the joy of the Lord is true, it is our strength. Nehemiah also makes a point of recording that women and boys participated in this joy. Thank the Lord, today women, teenagers, and children actively participate in this joy!
    

    Neh. 13:4-9; Ruth 1:16

     

25. In Nehemiah 13, we sadly see the temple of the Lord being desecrated: “Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests” (Neh. 13:4-5). In other words, the temple was emptied of everything that was necessary for the proper functioning of the house of God and the space was given over to the enemy.
    
26. We need to be absolute before the Lord. If at any time in your past you had anything to do with the Ammonites or had attitudes like Lot’s, today you have the opportunity to position yourself in the same way as Ruth: “For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Lot suffered a terrible fate for not saying the same to Abraham. However, there is the possibility of redemption by closely following the word.
    

    Neh. 12:44-47; 13:1-3, 23-31; Ex. 19:1-6,9; Num. 12:2; 16:1-3, 13

     

27. In Nehemiah chapters 12 and 13 we see the restoration of the temple with the normalization of the maintenance of the priests and Levites (Neh. 12:44-47) and every mixed element was separated from Israel (Neh. 13:1-3), including marriage with pagan women, which was also condemned (Neh. 13:23-29). Today, this has a spiritual meaning for us: none of us should say goodbye to our wives, but everything in the world that hinders our service to the Lord and prevents us from having an absolute heart for Him needs to be removed from our lives.
28. Nehemiah cleansed the priesthood and normalized the service of the priests and Levites, each in his or her function. He also normalized the supply of firewood and first fruits, essential to maintain the sacrifices to the Lord (Neh. 13:30-31).
29. With the rebuilding of the wall and the reestablishment of the government, it was possible to restore the love for the Word of God and to normalize all the services and supplies for the functioning of the house of the Lord. God governs His people through His word transmitted through His prophet. When God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt on Mount Sinai, He commanded Moses to speak to the children of Israel: “‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:1-6).
30. God does not require us to be able to do things for Him, but He asks us as the sole condition that we diligently listen to His voice. This is a requirement that we can all fulfill! We can immerse, ruminate on this word, send it to people through immersion, and the rest of the work He will do! In this way, He will make us His own special possession among all people and make us holy.
31. To be God’s special treasure, the kingdom of priests and the holy nation of God, it is necessary to accept being governed by Him through His Word. God recognizes the difficulty people have in believing that a man could speak for Him, so He came to Moses in a dark cloud so that the people would hear this interaction and believe that Moses was the spokesman of the Lord (Ex. 19:9). Still, there is immense difficulty in accepting the fact that God speaks through men; not even Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ siblings, escaped this unbelief. The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram shows that there are always those who accuse the Lord’s messenger of wanting to exalt himself, when his true objective is only to be faithful to the Lord (Num. 16:1-3, 13). This difficulty unfortunately continues to this day.
    

    Acts 7:38-39, 51-52; 2 Chr. 36:12-16; 20:20; 1 Sam. 15:22; Is. 66:1-2; Neh. 13:1-3; Acts 2:42-43; 1 Thess. 2:13

     

32. Stephen’s defense before the Sanhedrin makes it very clear that the reason for the Babylonian captivity of the people of Israel was because they did not accept God’s government, rejecting the word of the prophets sent by Him (Acts 7:38-39). The children of Israel always resisted the Holy Spirit, persecuted the prophets who were sent to them, and killed those who announced the coming of Christ, of whom they were betrayers and murderers (vv. 51-52).
    
33. King Zedekiah did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke for the Lord, so all the chief priests and the people increased their transgressions and defiled the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. The Lord spoke to them early in the morning through His messengers, but they mocked the messengers, despised the words of God, and ridiculed His prophets, until the anger of the Lord arose against His people (2 Chr. 36:12-16).The restoration of the wall of Jerusalem represents the restoration of reverent love for God’s Word and the recognition that He does indeed govern His people when they obey the Word. Man wants to please God by offering Him burnt offerings and sacrifices, but His delight is in those who obey the word (1 Sam. 15:22). 
34. Recognizing Jerusalem as the basis of the unity of God’s people and the place chosen by Him to establish His dwelling, the people of Israel returned to the city. With much fight, the temple was rebuilt. However, upon arriving there, they discovered that God’s government had not yet been established, for its wall had been broken down and its gates had been burned. Sanballat the Moabite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian were exerting their influence over Jerusalem to prevent the rebuilding of the wall. These men belong to people who have no interest in the restoration of government in Judah and have no part, right, or memorial in Jerusalem (Neh. 2:19-20).
35. The people, who are poor and contrite in spirit and tremble before the word of the Lord (Isa. 66:2) transmitted by His prophets, restore the wall of Jerusalem, which reestablishes the government of God within the wall. The word of God works effectively in the church that receives it and believes in it (1 Thess. 2:13). This was the model left by the early church: the church persevered in the words of the apostles and in the fellowship of these words; there was fear in every soul, because there was government of God, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles (Acts 2:42-43).
    

    Rev. 12:5; 14:1

     

36. Those who believe in the word of God brought by the prophets and in the power of the Word itself to perform His work with signs and wonders are within the wall, for they recognize the authority of God in His Word. The Spirit has freedom to perform the work according to God’s will. However, the reception of the saints continues to be based on essential faith, regardless of what doctrinal line they follow or their practice.
37. In the church, among God’s people, many are only in the appearance of the kingdom of heaven, but few live the reality of that kingdom, which are those who submit themselves to the government of God through His Word. The latter fight for the kingdom of God and the reestablishment of His government on earth, beginning in the church. They are part of the man-child, who will rule all nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 12:5), and those alive among them at the coming of the Lord will be the 144,000, who will be with the Lamb on Mount Zion (Rev. 14:1).
38. May the Lord bless His church by putting all things in order, and may we work intensely for the Lord in 2025, gathering all our diligence and dedicating ourselves 110% in our service to Him!