Renewed to Rebuild

The more we blog about the spiritual battle over our families, the more we realize that God has placed us behind enemy lines like a covert special force unit in the military. He has placed us in one of the fiercest battles in our nation today. It’s a battle for the hearts and homes of America.

This week, we want to talk to you about our internal battles as we fight for our families. As you know, we’ve been following the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. After the reconstruction began, several enemies conspired together to attack them.

Immediately after receiving the threats from Sanballat, Tobia, the Ammonites, the Arabs and the Ashdodites, the Israelites took a quick inventory to assess their ability to keep working under this threat of attack.

Here is the report that was brought to Nehemiah:

Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.” And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.” So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.” Nehemiah 4: 10-12

First problem: The strength of the laborers is failing. Our strength is failing. Many husbands, wives, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and grandparents have just grown tired of trying to build the family any longer.

Have you ever said, ‘I’m tired of trying in this marriage’ or ‘I’m tired of trying in this relationship’? Many times, it’s not that you’re not willing to work at it. It’s just that it never seems to get anywhere when you try. That’s what Judah was hinting at when he said, “There is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

It’s one thing to rebuild a marriage, a relationship, or anything you’re trying to reconstruct in your life, but there’s another level of discouragement when all you have to work with is rubbish. The rubbish, in Jerusalem, was the burned out stones and almost worthless material that was left behind from the devastation the city had suffered years earlier.

It’s the same for many of us today. God wants us to rebuild the wall of our city (our families and households), but all we have to build with is the leftover shattered, battered, burned up stones, bricks and wood from years of family heartache and heart break.

You know what we’re talking about: The unreasonable demands, the bullying, the lies, the deception, the dishonesty, the disrespect, the nagging, the insensitivity, the carelessness, the discontent, the unmet expectations, the silent nights (that were not holy nights), the arguments, the fights – and we mean the physical fist-flying stuff, too; the four letter expletive, the feelings that had no words, and the words that had no feelings.

The burned out stones represent our broken dreams, our failures, our shame, and our secrets. They are the ashes of our grief, the only thing left after our sorrow. They are the heaviness we carry around inside of us in our perpetual state of mourning. How can you repair the walls for your family when the only material that you have is rubbish and burned out, brittle, crumbling stones?

God says in His Word: Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31 (NKJV)

The Hebrew word for WAIT means: to look for, hope, expect, look eagerly for, or to linger. One word picture is to be like a waiter or waitress. To stand and wait for the order, request, words, and direction. The person who stands like a servant and eagerly lingers, with hope and expectation, for the order, word, and directions from the Lord will renew their strength.

Renew means to go through, grow up, change, to go on from where you are now. This means your strength is going to go through this time. It’s going to grow up. It’s going to go on from where it is right now.

I did a quick study about the bald eagle and learned something special about part of its life span. In their five year development to adulthood, bald eagles go through one of the most varied plumage changes of any North American bird. During its first four weeks of life, an eaglet’s fluffy white down changes to a gray wooly down. At about five weeks, brown and black feathers begin to grow. It becomes fully feathered at 10 weeks of age. In its first year, the mostly dark-colored bald eagle can often be mistaken as a golden eagle. However, the bald eagle progressively changes until it reaches adult plumage at five years. Its dark eye lightens throughout its first four years of life until it becomes yellow. They are constantly renewing as they get older.

If you and I wait upon the Lord, live expecting God’s word, live receiving God’s word, live obeying God’s word, we are renewed as we grow in His Word like the bald eagle is renewed as it grows to maturity.

We cannot rebuild our families and households until we get renewed in our own hearts. So let’s remain consistent and persistent in our pursuit of God. Wait on Him daily. He will give you the strength to rebuild, in spite of the rubbish and in spite of the threats of the enemy.

The Real Enemies

Way back in 1994, I wrote a song called ‘What If’ and our youth ministry’s rap/evangelistic group took the tune and added a rap within the chorus. In that rap, a brilliant young lady asked the question, “Who’s the real enemy?” She challenged many of the negative issues in the urban community, but she kept taking her listeners back to the question: Who’s the real enemy?

Now, 18 years later, we find ourselves still asking the same question. We’re in a city that’s 800 miles from where we started, but God is moving in a powerful way as HE leads us in the fight for our families. This week we want to answer that question and identify a few of the enemies of our families.

Nehemiah 4:7-8 reads: Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

Let’s take a closer look at these guys.

Sanballat was a Moabite. The Moabites were descendants of Lot. He had sex with one of his daughters and the child that was born was named Moab, Thus began the Moabite people. The Moabites worshipped Chemosh (ke-mosh).
This god was honored with cruel and perverse practices like child sacrifices (burning babies alive) and heterosexual, homosexual and bi-sexual orgies.  Sanballat represents the acceptance of heterosexual perversion and homosexuality. He represents the willingness to sacrifice our children for wealth and personal success. He represents those family secrets like molestation, incest, rape and abortion. These are major evil spiritual forces that are opposing your efforts to rebuild your family.

Tobia was an Ammonite. They were descendants of Lot also. Ben-Ammi was the child born to Lot after he had sex with his younger daughter. The resulting people group, the Ammonites, opposed the Israelites when they attempted to pass through their land in the Exodus. They had a history of making unreasonable demands in order to allow passage or when attacking others around them. They were bullies.

Tobia and the Ammonites represent those people and influences that seek to hinder your family from achieving goals and fulfilling purpose. They are constantly harassing and bullying anyone who is trying to do the right thing or live a Godly life. This is especially true when we observe this type of spiritual opposition to your efforts to rebuild your family.

The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmael, who was the son of Abraham from his wife's handmaiden, Hagar. Jews are descendants of Abraham's son Isaac from his wife Sarah. Therefore, Arabs and Jews both came from Abraham. Most Arabs, believe that it was Ishmael who has the birthright as Abraham’s first born. Jews and Christians hold to the understanding that Isaac has the birthright because he was the promised seed that came through Abraham’s wife.

In the context of this blog, the Arabs represent the spiritual forces that contest your birthrights. They contest and fight against your rights to raise your children, your rights to protect your family, your rights to freedom of expression, and your rights to freedom of religious practice.

The last group we’ll talk about are the Ashdodites. They were Philistines and their name referred to the city in which they resided. The city’s name means, “I will spoil" The spoiler is that person who knows they can't defeat you, but they will do everything they can to cause as much hurt, harm and damage as they can anyway.

In sports, there are teams who have lost so many games that they no longer qualify for the playoffs or any championship bid. They take on the role as spoiler: to knock out other teams and put them in the same position.

Ashdodites represent the people who allow this evil spirit to work through them. They live in defeat. They aren’t going anywhere and aren’t going to do anything with their lives, yet they become envious and do all they can to prevent others from accomplishing their goals and dreams. That's the attitude and motivation of satan and demonic powers. They blew their chance with God, and now they work to spoil your life and your family. They know how things will end when all is said and done. However, they want to drag down as many people as they can.

As you can see, these are some formidable forces that are opposing us as we seek to fight for our families. Just remember that the individuals or groups who are conspiring against you are not your real enemies. They are merely tools being used by satan and demonic powers. They have been so influenced by these evil spirits that they are convinced that they are right and you are wrong.

Now can you see how you and your family are being attacked? These are the spiritual forces that are at work against us. Please understand that the moment you decided to rebuild, restore and renew your family, these attacks were launched against you to create confusion and discouragement. But here is our response. Nehemiah 4:9 says - Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

We're not going to launch political protest and campaigns. We are not advocating bashing anyone who is gay. We’re not approving the bombing of abortion clinics or the shooting of abortionist. We are not going to organize protest at city hall, the state capitol or at school district buildings. We're just going to set a prayer-watch against the enemy, day and night. Will you join with us this year and pray?

Several leaders in our city are seeking to rally the whole city behind various causes and agendas. We have received invitations from various groups, some of whom are very outspoken against one another. That leaves us trying to pick and choose which meetings, rallies and revivals we should connect with in order to restore the city.

We learned a valuable lesson back in our years in St. Louis. Our pastor and church were in a very similar position in our early years of growth. In larger cities, there are hundreds of agendas and efforts being made to revive it, so our pastor was getting invitations from all over the city and even several from around the country with all the rallies to revive America.

Our pastor came to a place where he just stopped trying to respond to the invitations and he even stopped trying to rally the whole city to come to his gatherings. Instead, he just began to focus on US, the church family. When he invited out of town guest, he didn’t announce it to the city. The guests (some were high profile) were brought to our city to minister to US.... and ONLY US. For a long season, our pastor stopped attending the major national church conferences and poured everything into his own church family.

The result was a ministry that exploded and became a powerful prayer force in our city. That’s how the Lord is leading us today. God didn’t tell us to come to Harrisburg and try to win, rally or revive the city. God sent us to Harrisburg and told us to bring FAMILIES together. That doesn’t mean all families will come to our Urban Life family prayer gatherings. It just means God has given us a mandate to call families together. God sent us to Harrisburg to share our lives and the Word with YOU. Our calling is not to reach ALL of Harrisburg. Our calling is to minister to YOU.

That’s why we encourage you to keep pressing through all the opposition and continue to take advantage of our Sunday Gatherings. They are small gatherings, but they have proven to make a big impact on our hearts and homes.

We’re just trying to do all that we can to help you and your household. We’re all in this battle together. Let’s keep pressing forward.

Setting a Watch; Day and Night

Seventeen years ago we wrote a song to speak to teenagers about the world they would have to face by the time they were adults. The closing chorus went like this:

WILL WE CONFORM TO THE SYSTEM?
AND BE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE
BE A ZOMBIE INDIVIDUAL
LIKE THE ONES WHO NEVER REALLY CARED

WILL YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TO END A LIFE?
EXCHANGE YOUR SEXUALITY
LET SOMEONE ELSE DECIDE YOUR PATH
LET SATAN JUST RUN OVER ME?

….I DON'T THINK SO!

We realize that many people will focus on only certain parts of this song. Activist groups will call us homophobic, fear mongering pastors. The liberal media will go forth with the popular political tactic of editing our videos and presenting quick 12-second sound-bytes taken totally out of the context of a 45 minute message.

We know the game and we are very familiar with this tactic. We don't care about their sound-byte, reputation-smearing tactics. There are just too many families in crisis in our city. There are too many hurting people for us to care about that anymore.

Through the years we have been challenged to minister to people who were gay, straight, had gotten an abortion, who paid for an abortion, discovered they were HIV positive, or had some other STD (sexually transmitted disease). Some had children outside of marriage and many were broken, abused, addicted or unstable. We have never had a stone to throw at anyone.

By this we refer to the story of the woman who was caught in an adulterous affair. The religious leaders demanded her death by stoning. Jesus Christ, however, challenged them by saying, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone."

Let's be clear about what is happening today. When we speak about the many issues addressed in that song, we’re not casting stones. You see, casting a stone was not merely throwing out a protest or a disagreement with a choice or a lifestyle. Casting a stone was done to execute people; to kill people. That's what it really means to cast a stone. It means to attempt to execute somebody.

Today, we officially declare to the popular media and to those who believe everything that they produce, that disagreeing with someone, challenging someone and protesting against someone is not the same thing as casting stones at someone.

When we challenge the viewpoints to which we disagree, and more importantly, that disagree with the Bible, we are not attempting to execute anyone. We’re not trying to kill anyone. We have the right to disagree. We have the right to voice our disagreement. We have the right to base our disagreement on the Bible.

Please understand that the same Bible that addresses these issues also dictates our responses to people. We are supposed to be like the Father in heaven who loves everyone and provides sunshine and rain to everyone. We love the people even though we disagree with them.

So why bring up these issues at all? We bring them up so that our families can recognize the fact that these controversial issues have wreaked havoc within our family relationships. Even though many of our opponents in society tell us to mind our own business and quit trying to force religion on them, here is our push-back statement.

We’re not fighting to force our beliefs on them. We’re fighting because THEY have forced THEIR beliefs upon US and our children. And THEIR beliefs have affected the very foundation of OUR households.

Nehemiah wrote: Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. (Nehemiah 4: 7-9)

We’re going to take the next few weeks and show you who your enemies have been.  Sanballat, Tobia, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites represent very strong spiritual forces who are our true enemies.

Your true enemies are not the people that we see fighting against family values. They are not the people that we see fighting for gay marriage. They are not the people we see fighting for the right to kill babies by building more abortion clinics in poor and African American communities. They are not even the people that we see stripping us of our rights as citizens. No, our enemies are old, ancient demonic forces that have risen again to oppose the will and purpose of God.

We’re calling upon heads of households to take up your positions. We’re setting a watch against the enemy day and night.

Last Sunday, we recited the following prayer at the end of our gathering. Please take this prayer. Make copies and keep it with you. Look at it. Read it. Pray these words over your family every time you think about them. Join us in setting up this prayer watch for families:

Recognizing that my fight is not against flesh and blood, political parties, activist groups or social movements, I stand here in the gap for my family.

With the spiritual weapons of prayer, praise, worship and the Word of God,    
I declare that I am not afraid of my spiritual enemies.

I remember the Lord, Great and Awesome, as I fight for my brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters, my spouse and my household.

According to the promise in Isaiah 54:17,” No weapon that is formed against us will prosper; And every tongue that accuses us in judgment, we will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And our vindication is from the Lord.”

So Father God, I receive Your grace, favor, protection and wisdom.  And I thank You for giving Your angels charge over me and my family, to keep us in all of our ways.

Amen

Postured to Fight, Positioned to Build

Last year ended with heartbreaking tragedy and loss. Families were hit with such severity that it is still difficult to grasp what thousands, if not millions of people are going through as we entered 2013.

We tend to forget about them because our lives may not have been so devastated or we are going through our own problems and losses. Thousands and thousands are still trying to recover from the various natural disasters that struck our country last year. They did not celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or the New Year in their own homes. They were in shelters, still living in a hotel, or bunking in with family members. Others, like the people in Newtown, CT, could not celebrate at all. It was just too painful.

We have spent the last seven years laying a foundation upon which we could begin to rebuild, restore and renew our hearts and homes. As we celebrated the start of a new year, our hearts have been stirred with a fresh determination to preach and teach the Word of God like never before.

With so many families struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of literal and spiritual hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires and droughts, we have sensed a new release from God to take the ministry to the next level.

In 2013 our posture and demeanor will change from teacher/ instructor, to strategist and warriors. That's because, we are now moving out into hostile territory that the enemy of our souls has held for many years.

Last year we laid the groundwork for us to take up our positions in the gaps of the protective walls that are supposed to guard our households. We're going to become a lot more intentional about what we do in 2013.

A lot of people are already talking about dreams coming true and many things breaking through for their families, but many of them are not going to see anything change in their lives. In fact things will get worse. Why? Because they aren't willing to fight for it. In 2013, I strongly believe that we're going to have to fight.

The Word that God gave us for Urban Life is that in 2013, we're going to have to fight for it. Things are not going to just fall in place. Doors are not just going to open. Money is not just going to fall out of the sky. If there's going to be any breakthrough in our households, we're going to have to fight for that breakthrough.

In Nehemiah 4, God's people were being threatened because they were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah rallied the people to protect the gaps in the walls while those who continued with the construction, worked with a weapon in one hand and construction tools in the other. They were postured to fight and positioned to build.

I believe that 2012 was just the beginning of sorrows for America and the Church was not exempt from those sorrows. Many people have a very passive approach to the spiritual battle that is now upon us. That's because they don't understand that what we observe in the natural world, is the result of what has happened in the spiritual realm.

 Therefore, 2013 will be about getting geared up for and engaging in the spiritual battle as well as continuing in the work to restore our families.

It's time to FIGHT for our families. There is no way we're going to sit down and just watch demonic strongholds overwhelm us. It's been happening for so many years that many of us are convinced that there's nothing that we can do about it.

If you've ever watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you have some idea what I’m talking about today. However, for us, this is not a mythological story. This is our real-life conflict. Will we put on the spiritual amour and prepare to fight? Will we pick up the tools and begin to rebuild?

If we want to see the promised victory, then let's get prepared because THE BATTLE'S ON!