8/24/13- Facing Criticism

20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” (Nehemiah 2:20)

Thoughts: Nehemiah did not argue with them.  He could have easily pointed out that he had the king's permission in writing and even the king's soldiers.  Instead, he calls on God publicly to grant them success.  It becomes a matter of defending God's glory now.  In the end, if we do anything worthy of being called a success, God needs to be in it, and we need to depend on Him to make the project work.
    The governors of neighboring territories, and the Samaritans who lived in a neighboring land had no right- no historical or legal right to claim the land for themselves.  That would like someone in Canada telling South Carolina how to protect herself.
    Opposition to God's work is not necessarily because the opposers have a right to criticise or a better idea.  Many are great at tearing down with criticism, but not building up or saying how to do something constructive.  Be on the side of those who are actively trying to bear fruit for Christ- no matter what the criticism. 

Prayer:  May I focus on you, Lord, more than on the critics of life. 

(Nehemiah writing Sanballat)

8/21/13- Getting to the First Step

17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. (Nehemiah 2:17,18)

Thoughts: Nehemiah said, "the trouble WE are in."  Nehemiah could have easily stayed in the palace of the richest and mightiest king of his time, but his faith and his love for his people would not let him.  Nehemiah did not want to be in disgrace, and did not want his people to be in disgrace.  He associated himself with those who needed to do the work- getting on their level.
     When the people came back from exile some years before they started building the Temple but then stopped and only proceeded when encouraged strongly by Haggai and Zechariah.  But they never really spent a great effort to build the wall.  They apparently had become happy with the status quo and comfortable in their ruins.
     Nehemiah inspired them urging them to build to escape their disgrace to which they had become numb.  He also told them about how God was with them in this project, already working and opening the doors, by opening the heart of the king to provide timber for the gates.  The pump was primed and the people began to respond.  Sometimes the church needs impetus to move forward off the plateau.  
    The people agreed to begin to build, and then they took the first steps of building.  It would be finished in record time despite opposition.  When we associate with people, encourage, and inspire them with what God is doing, the great work begins.  The longest journey begins with the first step.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to see what needs to be done, and encourage and inspire me by putting others in my life to get me going.  Help your church to begin to bear fruit for you again.  

(Ruins of Temple wall in Jerusalem today)

8/20/13- Evaluating the Situation

11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

Thoughts: To do things properly we need to evaluate the situation.  We need to ask what really is the problem, the weakness; where is the strength and energy that drives what is going on.  One globally popular TV show is "Undercover Boss"- which involves the CEO of a company disguising and working as an everyday employee of their own company.  It allows them to see weaknesses, and how people really feel, and to be sympathetic to their own employees.  Nehemiah did not gallop into town with guns blazing and assignments rifting off of his tongue.  Rather he went and listened.  He went at night when no one could see what he was doing, and looked long and hard at the demise of his city and his people.  

     To do anything positive, we have to first evaluate what is going on realistically and not romantically.  We need to look at the cold hard facts, and see what can be done to fix things.
      Today, the churches that are full of skepticism and quasi-pride, are often the churches that are plateauing.  It is perhaps as simple as this- churches who believe are growing, and churches who doubt for the most part are shrinking.  The crisis of the church is a crisis of faith.  We should not wish for "the good old days" when the church ruled (Constantine-like), but we should wish for God to use us as mission-lights shining in the secular and skeptical darkness.  The virus and poison of doubt and quasi-pride are destroying the church.  We need to humble ourselves as little children.  This does not mean we need to become naiive or unintelligent, but it does mean to trust God in simple, humble faith.  

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to see clearly what is going on around me so that I may discern what your next step is for me.