Everybody In

Just a short thought to go with a longer passage. 

First, Read it here. Nehemiah 3.

So, did you catch that?

Priests, Men, Sons, Governors, Goldsmiths, Perfumers, Rulers, Homeowners, Servants, Merchants.

They all repaired the wall. I'm guessing that they didn't stop to take a spiritual gifts test, or pray(crastinate) about it for a while. They certainly didn't wonder if it was their area of ministry. They didn't stop to consider who else was working, or if they might have to work beside a lower class person. They took responsibility for it. They said, " if not us, who?"

What do you need to take responsibility for? What broken wall have you been walking by; waiting for someone else to fix?

LifeShare: A 7 Day Online Challenge

Some of my friends from lifechurch.tv and the community from ragamuffinsoul.com are teaming up for a 7 Day Online Event to challenge you to be the church. I know I'm going to be there and I know that you would benefit from it too.

So check it out!

LifeShare

The Plan

So I'm going to be reading more of Nehemiah, and trying to share everything here.

That's "The Plan".

You Get No Say In This.

I don't know if your anything like me in this. Insecurity can creep in fast when I start doing things that I know God wants me to do. Sometime its from outsiders who aren't a part of that work. Other times its a result of an internal feeling of not being well equipped enough or not being holy enough to be used by God. Either way, I think we can find strength in what Nehemiah says to those who oppose him.

Here's a little backstory. The Jewish people have been exhiled from their homeland. Nehemiah, one of the exhiled Jews, has a nice job as a servant to the King of a foreign nation. One day his brother comes home and when Nehemiah asks him about their homeland, He gives the sad report of a weak, shamed city whose walls have been burned down. Nehemiah knows that he cant sit idly by while the city of God lies in ruin. So he finds favor with the King and receives permission and supplies to go to Jerusalem so that God's people will have a respectable home, and will once again lay claim to the promised land. 

Ok, so that's a lot of backstory. I ramble.

Nehemiah rallies the people and begins the work of rebuilding the walls, and the critics are quick to show up.

Nehemiah 2:18b So they strengthened their hands for the good work.  19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king? 20 Then I replied to them, The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.

Sometimes I think we give up on God's work in our lives to critics or insecurities that have no claim to that work. We trade a dream for a "have you thought of" or "that's not the way we used to" or "that probably wont work".

I've done that. 

Its easy that way.

But, lately I've been running that last line through my head.

No portion, or right, or claim.

Sometimes the other opinion doesnt count. (can he say that?)

It doesnt count when it opposes God's work. It doesnt count when Jesus has placed a dream or vision for how things should be in your heart and the enemy has reasons why you can't/shouldn't/won't do it.

No portion, or right, or claim.

Happy September!

I havent posted in a while, but i have been twittering.

So, if you missed me its not because I wasn't online.

Anyways, Following this post is a few words about a verse I read last night.