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Nehemiah

Learn more about Rick Warren here on GOD TV.

Message of Perseverance by Rick Warren

by GOD TV July 14, 2019

written by GOD TV

Rick Warren, a pastor from Lake Forest, California shares a recent message from his series “How God Turns Setbacks into Comebacks!” We have all faced a situation or a season in life where we really wanted to just give up and felt like there was no hope left. But giving up is not an option and I believe God is wanting to refresh and revive weary hearts today. Let’s take a closer look at what Pastor Rick Warren has to say about perseverance and fighting for all that God has for us. If you feel like you’re on your last string of hope, we pray for you to take hold of God’s hand and let this message impart faith and vision into you for your current season and for your future. God is with you today and He loves you so much.

Learning from Nehemiah

Nehemiah is one of the great giants in the faith and Rick Warren mentions the great passage of overcoming discouragement. Nehemiah 4:13 shares, “Therefore, I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.” If you’re not familiar with this story, Nehemiah and the Israelites are rebuilding the Jerusalem walls that were devastated by their enemies. This act alone is courageous and they relied on God to help them with what looked like an impossible situation.

Rick shares about this passage, “Nehemiah and the army didn’t give up on the goal, they just advised a new strategy.” Even though Nehemiah and his army were working tirelessly and with resistance from their enemies, they did not give up and continued the work of the Lord! Rick Warren continues in his message with, “Whatever you are discouraged at right now, doesn’t necessarily mean you need to stop what you are doing it; it doesn’t mean you are doing the wrong thing. It may mean you are doing it the wrong way. Maybe you need to change the way your doing your schedule, change the way you are doing your diet, change the way you are relating to people.”

Stay Together as Family

Nehemiah posted every person in his army by families! Like Rick Warren highlights, “he made sure the men had support.” Rick asks his listeners, “What’s your support group? One of the reasons you could be discouraged is being [that] you are trying to handle everything by yourself and you need a support group.” We need godly leaders, mentors, and friends who are going to talk things out with us, cry with us, give us courage, and challenge us! Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The only way Nehemiah and his army could build the wall was through constant communion with one another. Without family, they would all be on their own, lost and attempting to defeat their enemies on their own. Rick Warren mentions, “Who is encouraging you and who are you encouraging?” He highlights how we as believers NEED spiritual families around us for continual support. The story of Nehemiah and the wall continues to show when one man was tired, they would switch roles. We need one another to lean on in different seasons. When one of us is weak in an area, we need God and his people to be our help. When you are strong in an area and see someone weak in that same area, they need your support. We are a STRONG FORCE of God when we are inside family!

Remember and Refocus

Rick Warren continues to encourage us believers with the goal to NEVER give up on our dreams! He says, “See the natural temptation is to give up on the dream. No, no, no, no, no.” He continues to say, “If you have a problem right now, just don’t give up. Just change the way you are doing it. Reorganize whatever’s not working. Clean out the clutter.” We have a responsibility as believers to take both practical and spiritual steps to overcome discouragement. The practical step of changing the way you think and do something is just as important as praying!

Nehemiah 4:14 says, “After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. And fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.'” Rick Warren shares about David and how he encouraged himself in the Lord and how we are to do the same. We simply have to remember who our God is and what He has done. And remember what we know He will do!

Rick Warren: Seek the Lord in Discouragement

Rick tells us to remember “God’s goodness to me in the past, God’s closeness to me in the present, God’s power for me in the future.” We hope this message encourages you to get up and fight for what is yours as a child of God! Your dreams are worth pursuing with God and His plans for you are good. Don’t be afraid to try something new and strengthen yourself in the Lord by placing yourself back into family. You can find Rick Warren’s full message of “When You Feel Like Giving Up” right here.

July 14, 2019 0 comment

Articles

God Will Fight For Us

by Jennifer Workman March 28, 2019

written by Jennifer Workman

“Then I prayed, hear us, our God, for we are being mocked.” (Nehemiah 4:9)

Praise God for His indescribable love that He has bestowed upon us. It is always refreshing to know, undoubtedly, that we have a heavenly father that loves us and is concerned about our well-being. It doesn’t matter what we have to suffer or endure “on this side of life,” “God is our refuge and our strength.” (Psalms 46:1)

Although that is the case, we as people need to be aware that in life we are going to endure some struggles and hardships that we may not fully understand. Life may be overwhelming and perplexing at times. We may be battling unseen forces that we are not aware of, but irrespective God is there for He promised to “never leave us nor forsake us.” (Hebrew 13:5)

Nehemiah

For example, as we look at Nehemiah, chapter four specifically, we understand from our reading that Nehemiah and the people of Judah faced opposition regarding the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. They were mocked and threatened but despite all that they encountered, it didn’t deter their efforts. And more importantly, they prayed and sought the help of the Lord.

As I read the Bible further and looked at the actions of Sanballat and how he tried to block and hinder God’s people, I am reminded of how Satan tries to block us in every way and our desire to fulfill God’s purpose and plan for our lives. Satan will use people, circumstances, or whatever he can to “throw us into confusion” (Nehemiah 4:8), get our eyes off of God and keep us from multiplying and being effective for the Kingdom of God.

But regardless, we have to continue to move forward just as Nehemiah and the people of Judah did. It may appear that it gets harder and more difficult, and that we seem so far from our goal. Like “the workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved.” (Nehemiah 4:10)

But that isn’t the time to give up and throw in the towel. With the supernatural strength that is given by way of the Holy Spirit, gird yourselves and prepare for battle and go out to win. “So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears and bows…Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious…Our God will fight for us.” (Nehemiah 4:13, 20)

God has won the battle

God will fight for you for “the battle isn’t yours but the Lord’s.” (I Samuel 17:47) Oftentimes we as people wonder why we are not being victorious in our lives and things seem so out of alignment. The reason is because the battle isn’t against tangible things or people, but it is unseen forces in the spirit world (see Ephesians 6:12).

The devil has lost his position in Heaven because of pride and wanting what didn’t belong to him. As a result, he is roaming the Earth “seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8) The devil’s overall agenda and scheme is to hinder people from reaching their destination in life and ultimately their eternal destiny in Christ. He is furious and we as children of God are his primary target for destruction.

That is why we must always be “armored up” through prayer, time in God’s presence and through his word which is the “sword of the Spirit.” (Ephesian 6:17) Because then and only then are we in position to fight competently in the spirit realm.

Finally, don’t be surprised at the “fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead be very glad for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering.” (1Peter 4:13, 14) In other words, the attack is coming but when it does, don’t be baffled by it but know that that is the assurance that you are connected to the “true vine” (John 15:1) and are a part of the family of Christ and just as He is victorious so are you for “Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” (I John 4:4)

March 28, 2019 0 comment

Articles

The Need For A Nehemiah Generation

by Brian Taylor February 26, 2019

written by Brian Taylor

You may recall that Nehemiah was a cup bearer to King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah was burdened by his brother’s report that the remnant of the people who survived the exile were now in a state of trouble and disgrace because the walls were in ruin and the gates were burned. For Jerusalem, the walls represent protection for the city; not just physical protection, but also symbolized God’s protection. How can they “enter into the gates with thanksgiving” if the gates have been burned? How can they feel safe and secure without the strength of walls to protect them? This is not just about pride. There is a sense of shame associated to this brokenness.

In America, there is a wall that needs to be restored.

It’s not the same wall that is hotly debated in the political sector of society. The wall that needs restoration is the wall of America’s moral fiber. The essence of America’s moral fiber is rooted in the Christian faith which many came to this continent to exercise freely. The purpose of a wall is for preservation and protection. There is a prevailing thought that walls are either unnecessary or offensive. Yet, walls allow for freedom because they are the boundaries that help to let you know how far you can freely go.

A climate and culture of enlightenment and progressivism (including individualism, nationalism, scientific naturalism, consumerism, post-modern tribalism, and New Age philosophies) has contributed to the breaking and the wearing away of the wall. Faith in this nation has been weakened and left many who call themselves faithful followers grieved because they cannot be proud to live boldly as Christians in America. It is as Jesus told his followers, “a kingdom suffering violence”.

There is a need for a generation of Nehemiah’s to be moved.

They must be moved by the gravity of this situation who will pray. There’s a need for a people who actually care about the state of this nation; not just Christians within the nation, but the nation as a whole. A Nehemiah generation also has the ear of kings or leaders and their favor. This generation is a generation that possesses quality characteristics such as integrity, trustworthiness, and dedication. This generation has the ability to have influence and a wisdom that makes them a voice of reason like a trusted confidant.

A Nehemiah is not concerned about whether or not the leader is of the same faith or character make up as they are. They have an understanding that they have been or are being positioned strategically for the time and season so that God’s greater plan might be accomplished. If the walls of America’s moral fiber are broken and the gates have been burned, the Nehemiah generation needs to draw the attention of the leaders in each of the sectors of society to point out that brokenness so that they might also be repositioned to help restore it.

We know that there is a breaking on the mountain of education because they have removed any acknowledgment of God and this has allowed a great reduction of an awareness of morality in this generation. Scripture reveals through the lives of the people of Israel who ended up in Egypt, what became of them when a generation arose who did not remember Joseph and worse, that did not remember the God of Israel after the Exodus. Restoring the acknowledgment of God will help in the restoration of the awareness of good and evil, right and wrong, and how God fits into the narrative of history, the sciences and more.

The restoration of the knowledge of God and morality isn’t just necessary upon the mountain of education, but upon every mountain of society. The Nehemiah generation needs to be in each of the mountains to be able to have the heart and ear of leaders there so that the walls might effectively be restored and refortified, so that a generation of people might once again begin to recognize the people that they are and for what purpose they serve in the land.

There’s no doubt that there will be challenges along the way.

We already have evidence that there is resistance by those who wish to push legislation to abort newborn babies, while laughing and mocking those who dare to proclaim that life begins at conception. Yet, a Nehemiah generation is a generation that will not be dissuaded from the task of restoring the walls because they know that they have the favor and resources of the king. They also have godly wisdom to strategize a plan to accomplish the task by setting people in position to do the work of restoring and defending the work.

Now is the time to pray for the Nehemiah generation.

Pray for them to rise up and take their place in the places where they are needed the most. If you believe that you are such a person, pray for strength and wisdom to follow through on the burden that God places in your heart, to accomplish the task of restoring the wall of the moral fiber of this nation.

February 26, 2019 0 comment

Articles Faith

Not Might Nor Power But Holy Spirit

by Dudley Anderson June 6, 2018

written by Dudley Anderson

“It’s not by our prowess but it’s by Holy Spirit power and anointing upon our work that we will succeed in reaching this lost world for Christ.”

I could imagine Governor Zerubbabel sitting among the rubble of the ruins of Solomon’s temple on Mount Zion. He was one of those born under Babylonian captivity who had returned to the ruins of Jerusalem after Babylon fell to the Persians. Zerubbabel led the first wave of Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem in 536 B.C. Perhaps he prayed, “Adonai, I am a simple man with none of the skills required to rebuild this grand temple to your glory. How am I to do this great task you’re asking of me? How will I restore your mighty temple?”

BACKGROUND

The Jews had turned from God’s Law and were worshipping useless idols. Through his prophets, God warned his people that, as a result, Jerusalem would fall. The Babylonians conquered Judah around 587 B.C. and took God’s people captive. For 70 years they would remain in exile. After this time, God would restore his people and call them to rebuild Jerusalem.

David was the first great anointed king of Israel; a man after God’s own heart. With great might, he successfully conquered his enemies and built Jerusalem, the City of David. David was a mighty warrior king. The Lord God promised David that his son, Solomon would build the first temple to his glory in Jerusalem. Shortly after Solomon came to the throne, he sought God for wisdom. The Lord was pleased with his request and granted the king great wisdom and wealth. As a result, Solomon became the wealthiest ruler of the known world. Rich, wise and powerful, he built the first temple to the Lord Almighty.

Shortly after Solomon died, the kingdom was divided – Israel to the north and Judah to the south. The temple was in Jerusalem, in Judah. Both nations eventually rebelled against God. Through Isaiah, God warned Israel that it would fall to the Assyrians. This occurred in 722 B.C. Through Jeremiah, God warned Judah that it would be taken by Babylon. In 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar overthrew Jerusalem and took the Jews captive for 70 years. The North (Israel) was never restored but Judah was restored from 538 to 432 B.C. when Persia overthrew Babylon.

When Babylon fell, Cyrus the king of Persia issued a decree that the Jews could return to their homeland. Zerubbabel was appointed first governor under the king of Persia. He was a child of captivity whose name means, the one sown of Babylon. Zerubbabel led the first return of exiles to Jerusalem. He was a humble man who faced the greatest mission of his life. I believe Zerubbabel lacked the confidence and skills required to undertake such a great task. He had neither the military might of David or the monitory power of Solomon, yet God called him to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple.

Prophets, Haggai and Zachariah were God’s spokespersons at that time of the restoration of the Jerusalem. Zechariah was born in Babylon and returned with the Jews in 538 B.C. under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest. Zechariah began his ministry by calling the Jews to return to the Lord their God, before they could return to their homeland. He says, “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. Therefore, say to them, ‘Thus, declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts,’” (Zechariah 1:2-3).

What a dilemma Governor Zerubbabel faced as he sat among the ruins of the temple in Jerusalem that day. He’d set his heart on leading his people to seek the face of the Lord their God once again but lacked the confidence to rebuild God’s temple. Perhaps, with his head in his hands, Zerubbabel sighs, “I’m not a mighty warrior like King David, or powerfully wealthy like King Solomon, who originally built this temple.” In the still of midday Jerusalem sun, he hears the voice of the prophet behind him, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

THE ANOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE

Zerubbabel did not have the natural skills set or talents to undertake such a great mission as to rebuild Solomon’s temple. A decedent of king David, Zerubbabel possessed neither the might of his great ancestor nor the power of David’s son, Solomon to complete this task. Zerubbabel was an average guy, called by God to a great work.

In Isaiah 10:27 we read that the anointing breaks the yoke of oppression and ineptitude. As Christians, we are all called to all the world; called to make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to follow Christ. This auspicious mission plays out in all walks of life. What a task, what a great assignment for an average person like you or me.

Indeed, there have been many great men and women who have undertaken this mission with much might and plentiful power. However, God’s word to you and me today is this: it’s not by the reputation of others, neither is it by our natural skills or talents, that we will undertake and succeed in such a great task. It’s not by our prowess but it’s by his Holy Spirit power and anointing upon our work that we will succeed in reaching this lost world for Christ, under the current world moral climate. Only the Holy Spirit is our source and resource. Only the Holy Spirit is our comforter, companion, counsellor and helper. Only he is our might and power.

This article was written by Dudley Anderson of Sure Reality Media and pastor of Cornerstone Family Church. Dudley has a background in radio and is the author of God-Tracking Through the Year and Overflowing Hope. He also writes a weekly GodTracker devotional.

June 6, 2018 0 comment