Don't Tear Me Down

In life people build things, and people destroy things for various reasons. Similarly, this is the same in our personal lives. People will befriend you for the sole purpose of destroying/disrupting the promises in your life. In the book of Nehemiah chapter 4, the children of Israel are attempting rebuild the temple. While they are re- building the temple, other people were standing around thinking about how they can stop the Israelites from completing the temple. I do believe that the book of Nehemiah gives good advice on how to handle people that are trying to tear you down. In Nehemiah 4:1 the bible says, “1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall…” The first thing you have to know, is that when you are building/rebuilding your life on the promises of God the enemy will hear about the work that is taking place. The next thing the enemy will do is get upset and begin to insult you, which is found in the rest of Nehemiah 4:1, “he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria…” The hope of the enemy is that you begin to listen to the ridicule and doubt that the work God is building/rebuilding in you can’t be finish. In Nehemiah 4:4-56 we find a viable solution for you to survive this first wave of attack from the enemy. That solution is pray; Nehemiah didn’t argue with his enemy or even try to get rid of them. Nehemiah prayed and told God what he was in the midst of, and after he finish praying the Israelites continued rebuilding the wall. WE should be the same, after the insults and ridicule, prayer is next. As a body of believers we believe that prayer changes things and at the very least prayer will keep us on the path of building/rebuilding our lives. Remember, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Once the enemy realizes that ridicule won’t work, the enemy will organize and plan to attack you by stirring up trouble. We find this is what the enemy does in Nehemiah 4:8, “8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it”. The children of Israel knew to continue to pray and decided to keep a guard up day and night (Nehemiah 4:9). This is the same thing that 1 Peter 5 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” encourages us to do. When the enemy is organizing to stop your progress in your life, you must begin to be alert and watchful over everything/everyone that comes around you. Some people will only get next to you, just to find your old business and stir trouble up against you to prevent your new business from coming into fruition. While keeping guard day and night is tiring, remember, “let us not be weary in well doing”. This is what begins to happen with Israelites, is that they became tired in building and keeping guard. This leads the door open to the third attack by the enemy. When the enemy begins to see that you are tired, the enemy will try to take you out just to stop what God is doing (Nehemiah 4:11-12). But like Nehemiah 4:13, “13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed…” We have to find good people that believe in the work that God is doing in people’s lives, and have them positioned in places that when we feel low, exposed, and vulnerable they will be there to protect us from the enemy, so that God’s work in us will not be stopped. Lastly in Nehemiah 4:14 “Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” We have to keep this thought with us, this battle is not ours but the Lords, but we still have to show up for the fight. Since I am here for the fight, and all I can do is pray. Don’t be selfish and only pray for yourself, but pray for everyone that the enemy is seeking to destroy. Even though God may be doing a different work in you, we are all many members in 1 body. So I want to see the work that God is building/rebuilding in you, because your building and my building work together for HIS KINGDOM!!!!!!!

Fighting

Before I accepted my calling in ministry, I was aware of some of the things that were in the bible. I would go to various bible studies, and discuss the word of God. I would often find myself the victim of open correction on scriptures. At first, I was always upset and frustrated. The Lord spoke to me and said, “My word is not an opinion, but things happen when I speak (read Genesis 1)”. So I begin reading the word, and discovered so many things about God. I also begin to study the word, and journeyed unto in even deeper relationship with God. After reading and studying the word, I came to the conclusion that reading/studying the Word of God is a lifelong education. A person can never understand and know everything in the bible. As I continued in ministry, I begin teaching others and I still found myself as the victim of open correction. I notice people were trying to apply their revelation of the word to me; I instantly was confrontational about the word. After I settled down, I remember that word is not for confrontation. The word is true, and truth is relative. With that being said, I was reminded again in 2 Timothy the reasons we should not argue over scripture. In 2 Timothy 2:14, “Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen”. Remember that arguing over scripture can prove who is right or who is wrong, but ultimately can/will damage a believer that is listening. Furthermore, 2 Timothy 2:15 tells you how a person should go about studying the Word of God, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” The only person that should be approving your studying is God, not man. God reveals different things to different saints. We are all members of 1 body, but we all have different parts and responsibilities. In 2 Timothy 2:25, “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth”, notes that if you want to correct someone over scriptural inaccuracies then do it gently. Essentially, however we correct anyone do it with love. We as a church have to stop fighting over scripture, especially in public. Too many non-believers and new converts are being hurt, because veteran saints have childish like ways in wanting to be right all the time. Paul says, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” I am in adult, and as an adult I have attain a certain maturity level that I maintain. Likewise, a mature Christian is to maintain a level of maturity that welcomes non-believers and grows new converts. Let’s stop fighting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Untitled

About a couple of months I was placed in a little dilemma. I was vigorously studying the word of God, I was writing and publishing new blogs on my blog site, but my work at my job was becoming dangerously behind. I literally heard the voice of God tell me, “take care of your job, if you get fired for negligence you are hindering the word and promise that I have spoke over your life. “ I really begin to realize that my work at my job needed to come first, and that I must study the Word of God at an appropriate time. When I begin focusing on my work, my relationship and study begin to slip, and I felt like God was not speaking to me clearly anymore, because I was not doing what I was supposed to be doing according to HIS WORD. A little after that I really could not conceive of a balance between my 2 vocations. I work 12-13 hours a day and try to help my wife out as much as I can, because we have 3 small kids. So timing was becoming a major issue. Depression was starting to creep in, because I was not working hard in my spiritual vocation. I say all this because God begin to break things down to me. God informed me that I placed you on that job, I called you to that vocation, and I gave you your wife and 3 kids. I would never give you something that you could not handle. God did want me to manage my time better, and not neglect anything he gave me. If I neglect what God has done for me, then I mess up the plans HE has for my life. After, understanding this concept I was able to finish and get caught back-up with my work. Now I feel that God wanted me to express to other people that remember the job you have God has placed you there for HIS glory. If you are not doing your job in excellence, then how can Christ get the glory through employment? This may not make much sense to some, but I feel that God has given me every job I have ever had, and God has had a purpose for those jobs. So if you feel that God is the reason you are working (and if you not working, and praying that God is the one that will open the door for employment), just remember that God has you there for a reason, and even a season. God planted you on that job, to see something grow in you that will be better for the Kingdom. If we are slack in our jobs, then we stunt the growth that God desires for us. DON’T GET WEARY, NOR SLACK ON YOUR JOB, YOUR JOB IS YOUR MEANS TO RECEIVING WAGES, AND YOUR JOB IS A TOOL THAT GOD IS USING TO MAKE YOU BETTER FOR HIS GLORY AND KINGDOM.