RESTORING THE RUINS, CLEARING THE RUBBLE

 

    There was a time when the people of God (Israel) became so rebellious against God that He allowed the city of Jerusalem to be conquered, the walls torn down and burned, and the people taken into captivity into Babylon. The walls had been built around the city for protection from enemies that would destroy them or lure them away from God who was their ultimate protection. They rejected God, and their walls fell. They were there for seventy years before God released them to return to Jerusalem.

When I look at the people of God today (the Body of Christ) it seems the walls have been breached, not by a military force, but by being lured away from the truth of Jesus Christ.  Slowly but surely, the pull of the world, false teaching, and the absence of the Spirit of God among us have caused us to rewrite the teachings of Jesus to suit our culture. His Word (Truth) and the power of the Holy Spirit are our walls of protection. Little by little over the years, the walls have been torn down and burned in many areas. But we don’t have to continue to live in the midst of debris and burned walls.

Jesus said that the gates (power, authority) of hell would not prevail against His Church. In other words, He said the devil’s kingdom would not triumph over God’s people. God always has a remnant that has not bowed their knee to the gods of this world. Maybe you are one of them. I hope so. There is a lot of work to be done, but God is with us.

With so much compromise and erroneous teaching that has been imbedded in our minds over the years in the name of Christianity, what can we do to rebuild the walls and restore the whole Body of Christ back to order? The walls that need to be rebuilt are not to alienate us from the people in the world. They are to keep us safe from the power of Satan and his demon spirits as we take the true gospel to the world. They are to keep the gospel pure so that people can be set free in Christ.

Many of the people of Israel who went back to Jerusalem seventy years later found that the walls of the city still lay in ruins. Nehemiah was still in Babylon and was the king’s cupbearer, but when he got word about the condition of his people in Jerusalem, God stirred up his heart. Nehemiah began to pray and repent of his wickedness and that of his people. Then, with the king’s permission and blessing, he left his post and became governor of the people in Jerusalem. He led the people to rebuild and restore the walls.

            When Nehemiah told the people what God had sent him to do, they said, “Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.” Every individual was called to do their part so the work could be accomplished. If the work of God’s Kingdom is going to be done, each of us must do our part. That means we have to work in unity with the Holy Spirit and God’s people.

What keeps us from rising up and rebuilding our spiritual life, or building in the lives of other people? Is the job too overwhelming? Are we discouraged to the point of apathy and unconcern? Are we unwilling to put forth the effort? Are we content with the rubble all around us and the absence of the Spirit of God? Maybe we are just used to things as they are, and we have come to a point that it doesn’t matter to us anymore. We say, “well it’s been like this as long as I can remember; no use trying to stir up things now.”

Where are the Nehemiahs of today? Where are those who will begin the work to rebuild what the enemy has destroyed? Who will rise up and repent of apathy and disobedience so the work of restoration can begin? Is God stirring up your heart? Don’t let it settle back down into apathy again. Rise up and build!

As the people built, each one began restoring what was close to where they lived on the wall of Jerusalem. Each one took responsibility for their part. Some did more work than others, but it was according to their ability that they worked.

Piece by piece (person by person), we can rebuild. The work begins first with us as an individual. There needs to be repentance from slackness, negligence or disobedience to the will and Word of God in our own hearts. Repentance brings change. Then we can help others.

Do we feel that it’s too late to change things? Look at the spiritual devastation in our churches, our homes, our cities, our nation. I cannot believe that there is nothing we can do to bring light to the darkness, order to chaos, and restoration to the ruins around us. We cannot blame all our problems on politics. It is the responsibility of the people of God to work on the wall where it is burned and in ruins. When the true Church, the body of Christ, says, “Let us rise up and build,” we will begin to see a change in our surroundings. We will not have a perfect world, but we can make a difference. If we will just purpose in our hearts to strengthen our hands to do the work of the kingdom of God, then we will see results. When the teachings of Jesus are held up by the Church once again, we will begin to see change around us. When the power of the Holy Spirit returns to our own hearts and our churches, we will see a difference. When love for the lost and for fellow believers is evident, then people will see that we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ.

When there is rubble all around us and the very wall that was supposed to protect us has been burned, it is hard to take a stand, but it is necessary for us all to do our part and rebuild to the glory of God. It’s time for us to rise up as one to do the work of God and rebuild what the devil has stolen from us. It is not about us, but about the purposes of God being done through us.

When we try to rise up to accomplish the work we are called to do, Satan will come against us, just as enemies came against Nehemiah. But Nehemiah simply said, “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah’s trust was in God; not the king, himself, or the people. It was not pride that caused him to answer as he did. He stood on truth and his faith in God. He had seen how God had given him favor and brought him this far. He believed God would finish what He started. He explained to these governors of other provinces that they were not the governor of Jerusalem, he was! They had no legal right over the city, no share in the city and no memorial (historic claim) there.

When we rise and start to build in the kingdom of God, Satan will accuse us, make us feel foolish for believing we can make a difference and all kinds of other things, but he has no right over us. God is our governor, not him. Satan has no legal right over us - no authority. He has no say-so in the call of God over our lives. He has no claim in the Kingdom of God. So we can arise and move forward.

We need to start with what is close to us. We need to do what is within our reach. If we wait until we can attain “great” things in far-away lands, we will never accomplish anything. Matthew Henry said, “If everyone will sweep before his own door, the street will be clean.” We need to get serious about sweeping in front of our door! That’s where we are right now. First, we need to sweep our own lives, then we can help others.

Take a look around you. What needs to be restored? What needs to be rebuilt? Be honest with God and with yourself. Are you doing your part according to your ability? Are you aware of the sin and ruins around you?

You can’t come against evil with evil and win. You can’t fight in the natural and win. Truth, the power of the Holy Spirit, the true Word of God, Love, Joy, Peace, Light, and Life are what we need to bring to our world. It is what Jesus brought to our world. These will combat lies, powerlessness, false doctrine, hatred, sadness, fear, darkness and death without us “firing a single shot”.

             If we don’t do the good work God has called us to do as His people; keeping His Word, His teachings, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and walking in the Spirit, the walls will not be rebuilt. And the fate of the church will remain like that of Jerusalem with the people going through their daily routines and religious duties among the rubble and ruins, resigned to a life of compromise and defeat.

 

LET US RISE UP AND BUILD AND LET THE GLORY OF GOD BE SEEN.