fromonedegree

Restore Rebuild Revive - Week Four : 16 Feb 2011

America has a fascination with peaking into other’s lives-we are entertained by other people’s challenges and tragedies. The danger is calling it real. 

What’s real is Neh 4 & 5. It is so real, alive, it not entertaining to their enemies, it is threatening. The people of Israel are coming alive by God’s hand- a people, once distant, dry, and damaged due to their rebellion and sin, being restored, rebuilt and revived in response to their repentance. In Neh 4 & 5, the rebuilding of their lives, their community, they are building something that is intended to come alive, something truly authentic.

Their enemies are not fascinated, they are angered because they are uncertain of what to expect or what to do about it (not predicable who will get the roses/voted off the Island). They cannot complain to the king of Persia, Neh has the king’s permission and authority for this living project. They are helpless spectators of events they hate -can’t vote for idol

Neh 4:2.."What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?"

In hateful frustration they name-call. They state what is currently real, but ironically prophecy to what is coming alive. Feeble- “miserable” fading or withering plant- Calling them “good for nothing.” Used in Scripture of people who have no hope. Will they sacrifice, finish in a day? Offer praise to their “gods” in a day? They were attacking their faith. Someone saying sarcastically- –“Go home a pray about it.”

And the people do. And as they do, they remember that they are engaged in something so real, it is alive. They themselves become the revived stones-they, as a nation come alive.

Phillips Brooks,  “And whenever, in any place, a soul by free-willed obedience, catches the fire of God's likeness, it is set into the growing walls, a living stone.” I call that real.

Restore Rebuild Revive - Week Three : 09 Feb 2011

When you think of wizard of oz (besides childhood nightmares about flying monkies) we think of Dorothy’s line when her house lands in Oz “I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore.” But her more profound line is when she is back home. –What she learned about home.

Well, I... I think that it... that it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em... and it's that if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard; because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with. (our heart’s desire is to be “home”)

Craig Barnes, Searching For Home, “It doesn’t matter where you move, how fast you run, or how many new identities you try on along the way, you can’t escape the longing for home. 

The Israelites went looking for their heart’s desire and looked beyond their own backyard. Moving away from the presence of God they abandoned the principles of God. The Israelites were swept away by a hurricane called “captivity”. Another “desert wandering.” A wandering that has left them longing for the home –a longing that was a grace gift from God to bring them home.

Craig Barnes, “Whether we want to admit it or not, the longing for home is welling up from the soul. This may even be the most enduring trace of God upon our lives.”

God set into motion the historical events that freed them from captivity and gave them the opportunity and resources to go home, go to Jerusalem. The Israelites built the temple, reinstated sacrifices for the covering of sin, but the city of Jerusalem, the city of God, their home, is a mess…

Neh 1:3 And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."

Jerusalem is not yet the city of God that Jeremiah and Ezekiel the prophets had foretold- the evidence of God’s dwelling among His people. God burdens, equips, and sends Nehemiah to go rally His people to finish “home”.

 And so we enter Nehemiah 3, where the word “repair” dominates the chapter (30x)- to make strong or firm. Looking particularly at the gates, we see the plan God has given to Nehemiah (2:18) to make strong and firm His dwelling place - Jerusalem.   And while the accounts of Nehemiah are historical, the realities they “mirror” and the truths they point to are very real and significant.   These truths go beyond the rock walls of an ancient city.

Restore Rebuild Revive - Week Two : 02 Feb 2011

I was recently drawn to some ducks in Disneyland. What would it be like to be a duck in The Magic Kingdom? The water is always clear, at a wonderful temperature and there is never a dry season. Plant life is perfectly manicured to create perfect spaces of rest in the shade. There is continual music in the air, constantly lifting your little duck spirit. Human beings are in a perpetually happy mood…. except those under 3 feet of height during the hours of 1-4. Food is always drifting your way-popcorn, churros, pretzels and even an occasional chimichanga. You are never bored for you can waddle your way from Frontierland, to Adventure land, from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland, and back again. And each day ends with predictable hours of quiet rest before the next perfectly sunny day begins. No concept of what it really means to be a duck in THIS world.

My giggling turned serious when I realized that this is how I am often tempted to view Christianity. Many of us, like me, came into the church because “God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.” Although this is based in truth, our western mindset defines “wonderful plan” to mean that entering the family of God is like entering the magic Kingdom, where “a happy day was had by all”. We expect the water to be clear, the food to be tasty and entertainment varied, like ducks in Disneyland. In the areas of our life where we admittedly see distance, damage and dryness, we want restoration to just float our way like a piece of popcorn. We want rebuilding to happen in an atmosphere of music and with all onlookers to be happy. We want revival to happen while we rest in shade on a sunny day.

But we are not ducks in Disneyland. We are children of the God of Heaven, once lost and brought back to God through His Son’s blood shed on the Cross. As His covenant children, we have entered into a process of restoration, rebuilding and revival intended to invade this earthly Kingdom –to greatly impact this kingdom.

In Nehemiah 2 we see this reality played out. Where the rebuilding of a wall represents the restoration, rebuilding and eventual revival of God’s community for His glory on earth. The Israelites cannot afford to act like ducks in Disneyland. God is calling them to an intensely spiritual work where supplies are not going to just float their way, where onlookers are not going to be happy, where they are going to sweat. It is an intensely spiritual thing-evidencing the glory of God--it is going to met with all kinds of opposition.

G. McConville, “Underlying the action in this chapter… is a conflict between good and evil. Everything that serves the interests of the returned exiles—the king’s decision, the rebuilding of the walls—is good; all that tends towards, or is the product of, their loss—the broken walls, Nehemiah’s grief, the aspirations of Sanballat, Tobia, and Geshem—is evil. The clear implication of verse 10 is that the opposition to Judah from these powerful leaders is a spiritual thing.”

In our lives, this is being played out also. Our restoration, rebuilding and revival is a spiritual thing. To reveal His glory in this earthly kingdom we will have to let go our desire to be ducks in Disneyland. We have to walk out of the perfectly painted, rust-free gates without “getting our hand stamped”. We will have to face opposition –pain, problems and persecution.

Restore Rebuild Revive - Week One : 26 Jan 2011

Neh 1:1-3 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the capital,

that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."

As a result of their rebellion, God’s people were in serious trouble and shame.

Trouble also translated affliction, calamity, distress, evil, wretchedness. With its ruined walls and burned gates, Jerusalem was still a city lying waste, exposed to attacks of all kinds. A less than desirable zip-code.

Shame is also translated reproach, disgrace, rebuke. The walls were not only the safety, but also the dignity of a city. Jerusalem was loaded with contempt by their neighbors. Although the Temple was in use, sacrifices for sin was being made, Jerusalem was not yet a community. This is huge! For the very purpose of Jerusalem was a community of God’s people where God Himself dwelt. The promise that God would make Himself real to His repentant people as “their God” was not yet fulfilled. Light on a hill.

Key: Hearing about the condition of Jerusalem, Nehemiah appeals to God’s covenant love, His promise to be “my God” to His people. Uses term “my God” 10x, 6x in prayer. Continually uses personal pronouns-“our God, Your people, etc. 

Neh 1:5 And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, (Nehemiah is grabbing God’s leg-you are ‘my God’ to my bros-we have turned back, complete our restoration, rebuildiing, reviving! Deu. 29-30, lev 26)

If we have entered into a covenant relationship with Him, if we have jumped out of the arms of rebellion/idols then we can confidently, figuratively grab His leg-count on Him to restore, rebuild and revive us.

In this chapter we gain a greater understanding of how real this covenant is and how committed our God is to it. Of what it means that the great and awesome God keeps His covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep His commands, those who call Him “My God.”

Restore Rebuild Revive - Introduction : 19 Jan 2011

One step away…

The love of God is greater far, than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled, and pardoned from his sin.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

We need not faint-The love of God is greater far, than tongue or pen can ever tell; Thankfully, we get glimpses in the pages of Scripture. Not just “stories”, but historical accounts that reveal how rich and pure and measureless and strong is the love of God. Nehemiah is an account of “His erring child, he reconciled.”

It appeared that the nation promised to Abraham had collapsed and were no longer God’s holy possession, His treasure. They were now stranded on the beach of idolatry.

But grace was just one step away. While in exile, God raised up prophets that foretold of Babylon’s destruction and the restoring, rebuilding and revival of Israel –(Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah). Cyrus, king of Persian would defeat Babylon and be used by God to restore His nation- as he had promised thru his prophets. 

Jer 29:10-14 "For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed

for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

 God is and was faithful.

Ezr 1:2-3 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel--he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

 Because God’s love goes beyond the nearest star and reaches to the lowest hell, a remnant returned to Jerusalem and the temple was rebuilt (Ezra). Nehemiah, a cub-bearer to the King of Persia is living in the capital of the Persian Empire, Susa. He hears that the Temple is rebuilt but also knows that the walls of the city of Jerusalem are in ruin leaving the people vulnerable (unsafe-dignity). God uses Nehemiah to fully restore, rebuild and revive His people.

 Nehemiah considered a man of God and example of godly leadership. Nehemiah is often used to teach on good leadership-rightly so. The focus of our study of Nehemiah, like all Scripture, will be God. I identify not primarily with Nehemiah, but with the people of Israel. I am in desperate need of God’s grace. I need to be restored, rebuilt and revived. For I am distant, damaged and dry-and so you. I need to see and experience His grace that is just one step away-His love that is greater than any tongue or pen can ever tell.

From Queendom To Kingdom - Introduction: 23 Sept 2010

“So… How’s that working for you?” 

“Every last one of us has a “kingdom”—or a “queendom,” …a realm that is uniquely our own, where our choice determines what happens.”-Dallas Willard

I don’t know about you, but this quote from Dallas Willard’s book, The Divine Conspiracy, has me pegged! My life is my “queendom", where I make attentive decisions that serve the needs of my highness, my queen, me. As promising and satisfying as “queendom” may sound, it really hasn’t delivered. I must admit that I am a dismal queen, ruling a desperately dysfunctional land. “Queendom” is not working for me, and based on my observations, it also does not appear to be working for those around me! And if I were to ask you the same question about your “queendom”, I imagine it is not exactly thriving either. Thankfully, there is good news, the Good News: the Kingdom of God is at hand. It is here, it is now, and it will gloriously overthrow the kingdoms of “you” and “me”.

Extreme Takeover: Heart Edition - Introduction 22 Jan 2009

1John 2:27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things….

A.W. Tozer, “The widest thing in the universe is not space; it is the potential capacity of the human heart. Being made in the image of God, it is capable of almost unlimited extension in all directions. And one of the world's greatest tragedies is that we allow our hearts to shrink until there is room in them for little beside ourselves.”

 No worries if this not us today-not me. Although all of us are at different stages none of us are done. For some the horn has blown and the shout have been heard, but we are just now coming out of the shock of being chosen. Many of us are in the demolishing stage. Things are being uncovered and we are a bit anxious about how long this process will take. The rest of us are in the design stage. The new walls are in place and the paint has been chosen. Although it is unsettling and scary, we are already seeing the incredible beauty of living in light and learning to love. We are beginning to experience the life He had in mind when He created us-but there is still much more to come. The furniture has not arrived yet!

We are all at different places none of us are ready to say “Move That Bus!” So let’s journey together for the takeover of our lives!