Rebuilding

Currently I am reading about something in the bible that I have always loved- Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Nehemiah and the Israelite's had been in captivity, and through God they were able to go back home and start rebuilding their wall around Jerusalem. But it wasn't without opposition. The nations around them didn’t want this. They knew it was a step towards Israel independence, which posed threat to them. Yet through that,  “The wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in just fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard and all the nations who were around us saw this, they were greatly disheartened. They knew that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” -Nehemiah 6:15-16 NET. Notice, that they rebuilt the wall, with God’s help. See I believe there are times of great rebuilding in our lives, the wall around Jerusalem was rebuilt in just 52 days. Unheard of without power tools. Now maybe in your life it doesn’t go that fast, (or that obvious) but it happens. God is always wanting to rebuild something in our lives.

Now before we can rebuild something, we have to start with a foundation and refining that foundation to get ready for the work above it. Nehemiah had to be in a spot to hear from God to ask the King to leave. To get there, Nehemiah had to trust God on a deep level because the King could have easily executed him. His faith had to be refined. Before you can rebuild, you must be refined. A building whose foundation has not been tested, strengthened, or refined, will not stand up under the rebuilding. It’s the same way with our hearts. Jesus brings us through the fire, to prepare us for this very reason.

Once this refining has taken place, the rebuilding can be done. This can take many different forms and can happen slowly or quickly. Rebuilding is happening in my life as I write this very post. It won’t be easy. I’ve been hurt by my friends, by church, and by pastors I looked up to, and it shook my faith to its core. Yet through this, Jesus has done something new. He is rebuilding my faith, how I worship him, and how I approach friendships in my life. This process isn’t easy, and it isn’t promised like that. Opposition will always be there. While the Israelite's were rebuilding they had someone standing guard over every single builder. They were constantly on guard since their walls were down, knowing they had to work together in community to get it done. I believe this is key to rebuilding. I have a great friend, who has been that person standing guard many, many times. I call him my shield brother. Someone who watches you, and you watch them. Because while you’re rebuilding you need protection. If this friend needs prayer he gets it, even if I have no idea for what. Together, we have grown in our faith and started stepping into what God has for us. We have come alive. Remember, we were not meant to do life alone. So don’t. Find a friend, or two, or 5. Live in a community. If you don’t have that, search for it. Ask for it. Pray for it. Jesus wants to rebuild us, and he knows we can’t do it alone.

But even more than a friend, you need Jesus. The Israelite's only completed the wall with God’s help, and everyone around them knew it. Only he can rebuild the things in your life that need to be rebuilt. So let him. Partner with him. Let him transform you into who he made you to be. I know that’s my plan. Rebuilding can be a hard process, but in the end it reaps eternal rewards. So, when the offer comes, take a deep breathe, focus on Jesus, and dive into what Jesus has for you to rebuild. He WILL make all things new. He did it back then, and he will do it again.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.” -Hebrews 31:8

The Hills We Die On

     This blog post has been long in coming. For awhile now I've been struggling with something in my heart I've been unable to put into words. Trusting Jesus, I let it sit, and watched him unfold something in my life that has been sorely needed.

     In this rapidly changing world, we as Christians are constantly faced with issues that define the church as a whole. Culture, our governments, and leaders around the world pull us one direction or another   daily. Christians are finding it increasingly difficult to stand for what they believe in. But I believe standing is something that is vital for the church to survive and advance, as the gospel is intended to. We need places where we refuse to negotiate on what God calls us to do. I call these places the Hills we Die On. These hills are things we refuse to compromise on, and we will go to great lengths to defend them. But getting here doesn't just happen by accident,  it starts with passion.

     Everyone has a passion. Whether for the environment, gaming, or children in Africa, every single person on this planet has a passion. Something that excites them, gets them motivated to do something. With that passion comes the desire to stand for what you believe in. In the same way a gamer who loves a console will never admit a PC is better, or someone who cares for the Environment will never litter, we as Christians need personal passions in our faith.  Places where, at the end of the day, we refuse to compromise on. Because without that we are subject to every whim, trick, or plan of this world and what the enemy has to offer.

     To illustrate the importance of these hills, I would like to take a look back at the Old Testament. Israel is consistently told to not become like the nations around them. If you look at Joshua, he wipes out the nations, instead of letting them live, and he even asks for forgiveness when the Gibeonites trick him into a treaty he didn't pray about. God knew an important truth when he told them to not become the nations around them- If they were to be God’s chosen people, they needed to be set apart. Every other nation in the world had multiple Gods, but Israel introduced something new: a single overarching God. And they rejected all others. God knew that this wouldn't go well if they didn't separate themselves from the very nations they conquered, and he was right. From worshipping other Gods to marrying people in the nations they conquered, the Israelites continually disobeyed God’s direct order. Countless times in History, the Israelites got beaten, taken over, enslaved, and had to call on heavenly deliverance to be freed because they let themselves become like the nations around them.

     Now this may seem like me dredging up the past out of nowhere, but the principle remained in the New Testament when Paul urged his followers to set themselves apart, and to not follow the world. That theme is all over scripture, and I believe we need to come back to it with the modern church. In a world that is changing faster than we can blink, having a steady faith in a steady God will be vital to continuing the work of the Gospel.

     So find your Hills to Die on. Know where you stand. Find places in your life, in your faith, where you refuse to compromise.  Our God is a personal God, everyone's hill could be different, but find yours. Having a place where you refuse to compromise is important. If something needs to be brought before the church that isn't clearly laid out biblically, then please let it for the sake of unity, but make sure not to compromise your faith while discussing it. Being steady is biblical, because as the writer of Hebrews pointed out- Jesus is “The same yesterday, today, and forevermore” -Hebrews 31:8. Because if we do that we are letting Culture, Government, people, and things define a faith that is rooted in an unchanging God.

     “Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NET‬‬