Restoring the Wall

 

There Is great debate in this country right now about building a wall in order to secure our border. As important an issue as many think that is, the building and repairing of spiritual walls has great importance also. When God created man, He placed him in an enclosed, or walled garden to provide the man a protected place. Within that enclosed garden, the LORD had daily fellowship with the man He created. Scripture teaches about the importance, and the challenges, of the building of these walls.

Nehemiah ("Jehovah comforts, consoles, pities, pants, groans, repents, laments")  served Artaxerxes,  the king of Persia, as a cupbearer. The job of a cupbearer to the king is to stand between the king and danger. In that sense, Nehemiah served as a living wall around the king. A cupbearer oversees the preparation of the king's food and drink to prevent tampering, as well as tasting it for possible poison before it is served to the king.

Nehemiah was greatly saddened and troubled by the news he had received of the conditions back in Jerusalem. He heard a report that the remnant remaining there were in great affliction. The wall around Jerusalem was broken down, and the gates in the wall had been burned. When Nehemiah heard this disturbing news, he mourned and fasted for days. He prayed to the LORD, and began to repent for the sins of himself, and his people, for their failure to keep the commands of the LORD (Neh. 1:1-7). He remembered the prophetic warning of Moses: that if the people transgressed the commandments of God, they would be scattered (Neh. 1:8, Lev. 26:31-33), but if they faithfully kept the LORD's commandments, they would be gathered back together to the place of the LORD's name, and restored (Neh. 1:9, Deut. 30:1-3). The breaking of the commandments of God cause a nation to become desolate, and overrun by its enemies. Repentance and the keeping of God's commandments bring miraculous restoration to a people, and a nation (2 Chron. 7:14).

Nehemiah was so troubled by the report he had heard, that he could not hide his sorrow from the king, as he would normally do, and was expected to do. The king questioned him about his sadness (Neh. 2:1-2). As Nehemiah told the king about the desolation of Jerusalem and its wall, the king asked him what request Nehemiah would make regarding it. Nehemiah prayed before answering, and then requested to be sent to Judah to restore it. The king granted his request and sent a letter with him decreeing that Nehemiah should be given all materials necessary for the rebuilding. Back in Jerusalem, the enemies of that city and people were not happy to hear that restoration would begin, and would continually plague Nehemiah and the work. We shouldn't be surprised if wickedness does all it can to oppose us as we answer the Lord's call to restore the spiritual walls and gates. After Nehemiah secretly inspected the ruins of the wall and the city, he revealed his mission to the remnant of the desolate Jerusalem:
"...Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach."  Neh. 2:17
Nehemiah went on to report, "Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work."  Neh. 2:18
The prophet Isaiah tells us that restoration and rebuilding is not accomplished as the result of empty, religious works that do not have the power to bring spiritual change. We cannot fast, and pray, and seek God, and at the same time, continue to live and speak in a manner that opposes the commands of God: being full of strife and debate, smiting in wickedness, oppressing and exploiting the poor and weak, pointing the finger of accusation at others, dishonoring His holy Sabbath by seeking our own pleasure and speaking our own words (Isa. 58).
On the contrary, as we saw above, Nehemiah was greatly afflicted in his soul by what he heard, and sought the LORD in heartfelt fasting, prayer and repentance, and God heard him and answered him with favor. Isaiah says the same:
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye brake every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh...and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as noonday... And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." 
                                                                                                          Isa. 58:6-7, 10, 12
Because we have disregarded the commands of the LORD, our nation's spiritual walls have been broken down, and our gates have been burned. The LORD is seeking those living walls, like Nehemiah, who see the spiritual desolation around them, and are grieved in their hearts: those who draw out their souls to others and to Him in repentance, seeking the consolation and restoration only God can deliver. 

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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.

Choices Make Destiny

"My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth."

 

"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right."

 

The quotes above are from Abraham Lincoln. Another quote that has been attributed to Lincoln is:

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

 

During this week when we celebrate the independence of this nation, we should keep in mind that this nation was founded on the Bible. The founding fathers made choices concerning the guiding principles of this country, and they always chose to fall back upon scriptural truth. There are choices to be made by us as individuals and as a nation in this present time as well. Whole destinies, even into future generations, will be determined by the choices that we make today. Each choice yields a specific result, and this is a Biblical truth as well.

The LORD instructed the children of Israel, as they were about to come into the land of covenant promise, that both the blessing and the curse were set before them. If they made the choice to obey the voice of God, and all that He commanded them with all of their heart, and soul, the blessing that follows that obedience would be carried into future generations. The LORD promised that the blessing from the choice of obedience would even carry to over a thousand years in the future, when the LORD would turn and gather a future generation from captivity from all the nations, and return them to their land. Not only would they be returned, but they would be prospered beyond anything their forefathers had known (Deut. 30:1-5). The LORD went on to promise:

"...the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand...and in the fruit of thy land, for good, as He rejoiced over thy fathers: IF thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, and IF thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul...for this commandment is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off...But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil."  Deut. 30:9-15
The commandments of God, and the resulting blessing found in the choice of obedience to them, was not something that was a hidden knowledge, but the LORD made very clear that the people could easily know the way to blessing. Not only is it written, not only has He made sure that it comes out of our mouths, but He has even placed it in or hearts not just to speak, but to DO. We cannot say, "But LORD we didn't know we were choosing the curse instead of the blessing."
So here is the curse that also comes from a choice that we make:
"...if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them, I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish...you shall not prolong your days upon the land. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."   Deut. 30:17-20
The choice to turn away from God, to separate from Him, to serve other gods, not only brings the curse of death to the chooser, but to the future generations. Life and blessing are only found in this God, not in any others.
Joshua placed the same choice before the children of Israel after they came into the covenant land, and after the idolatrous kings and people had been displaced. Joshua had to tell the people to fear and serve the LORD in sincerity and truth, and to put away the gods which their fathers had served, and the gods of those (the Amorites-the greatest and most powerful of the peoples, who were powerful no longer) who had inhabited the land before them. The fact that Joshua had to tell the Israelites to put the idols/gods away must have meant that they were worshipping them, even after all the wonderful things that God had done for them. Joshua went on to make the choice clear:
"...if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD....If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that He hath done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD." 
                                                                                                    Josh. 24:14-21
Joshua recorded in the book of the law the choice made by the people that day. However, all creation witnesses the choices we make. Joshua set a great stone as a monument of all that the LORD had spoken to them that day, "...for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which He spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God."
Jesus also spoke about the witness of the rocks and stones, when the Pharisees tried to stop the praise to the King, Jesus, who comes in the name of the LORD:
"And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."  Lk. 19:40
Man may try to pretend that he does not know the truth when he makes a choice, but even the rocks know, and declare it.
We may say that we are not like the children of Israel. We do not worship nor serve other gods. However, we do worship and serve other gods, and we do make a choice to turn away from our God, when we deny His commandments and embrace the doctrines and practices of these other strange gods. As a nation, we have removed the names of God, and Jesus from our schools and the education we give our children, many times while teaching the names of other gods in their place. We have removed the name and the words of God from our public and government sectors. A threatening atmosphere has been established against any and all who choose God, and His commandments.
When the religious council tried to threaten the disciples of Jesus against continuing to speak and heal in the name of Jesus, even when the miraculous healing was right in front of their eyes and couldn't be denied, the disciples had to make a choice. So Peter responded, ",,,we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."  (Acts 4:8-22).
Those in our nation who continue to speak the name of Jesus, and speak and live by the Word of God, are threatened and falsely accused of hate and intolerance. The Word of God clearly enumerates the curses that come when the choice is made to refuse to retain God in our knowledge. Even though our nation may call these choices holy and acceptable before God, the people of God are commanded not to partake of them, and their resulting consequences (Rom. 1:21-32). Destinies are changed by our good or evil choices, and God has not hidden His Word from us, for us to be unsure which is good, and which is evil.
When we as a nation, choose to legalize and affirm the killing of unborn children, we are following after the worship and practices of the false gods Molech and Chilion. The worship of these gods demanded the death of children through fire. We cannot say that we didn't know that we were choosing to turn away from God and His commandments, choosing instead the curse. God's Word clearly says that He hates the shedding of innocent blood (Prov. 6:16-19, Isa. 59:6-8, Jer. 7:6-7. Joel 3:19).
These are only two examples where our nation and people have chosen to turn away from the LORD and His commandments, and have chosen the curse, rather than the blessing, death rather than life, and evil rather than good..
The choices are set before us individually, and as a nation. Choose good, choose life, choose to cleave to God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul. This is the choice that carries with it the blessing of God for the destiny of each person, of the land, and even of future generations. When we, the people of God, turn away from the choice of the curse, and turn back to our God, He will hear from heaven, and He will also heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14).
 

Recommended Viewing: "Monumental" (Documentary): http://www.monumentalmovie.com/

To Contact/Submit Prayer Request/To support the Ministry/To Order "NAZAH":
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior:Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart. I want to know You as my Lord, and as my Savior, who covers my sins, and cleanses my heart. Come into my heart, forgive me, and fill me with the Holy Spirit, who will lead me into all truth, and will teach me how to follow You. I believe that You are the Son of God, the Messiah, that You were crucified for me, and rose from the dead to give me everlasting life. I believe that You are coming again. Lord Jesus, in Your name I believe, pray, and receive all of these things. Amen.