Rebuilding the Walls

A cupbearer in the kings court was never to be sad. In fact, it could get him killed. But Nehemiah had never been sad before in the King's presence. In fact, God really gave Him favor because the King not only asked him what was wrong, but gave him everything he needed to do that which God had put on His heart.

Last night during our Launch Team Meeting for Journey Church we talked a little about Nehemiah. I want to share further on this for your encouragement and the encouragement of our community here in Cambridge.

Nehemiah 1:4 NIV When I heard these things (about the state of Jerusalem), I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah heard about the state of Jerusalem and he wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed for days. As we (Journey Church) are in this time of fasting (the bible sometimes calls it mourning), like Nehemiah, we recognize the state of things in Cambridge, Boston, New England, and America. Recently, I read some statistics from the Washington Times heralding New England as the New Northwest (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/22/mississippi-earns-most-religious-nod/). In the past, the numbers of unchurched people were largest in the Northwest United States. That has shifted, and New England now has the greatest amount of "unchurched multitudes," and Massachusetts is in the bottom three. This is saddening, but God doesn’t want to leave us there! He wants to move. He wants to dive into the chaos. He is ready. We are weeping, mourning, fasting, and praying for the state of things here. People who don’t know Jesus are at an all time high. Moral depravity is at an all time low. There are broken hurting people all around us. We need God to come. We long for Him to come in power.

Nehemiah 2:17-18 NIV Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." (18) I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

God’s hand has been gracious upon us (the Murawski Family). God has provided every step of the way for us to be here, giving supernatural miracles when necessary. Now it’s time to rise up and re-build! You see, New England used to be a hotbed for revival; the Haystack Prayer Meeting, the Mt. Hermon 100, the Great Awakenings (you can study those for yourself). We don’t just long to go back to that, we long for God to surpass it! We say come Lord Jesus, come! Let it rain! We are preparing the field of our hearts for you to rain (Zech. 10:1)!

God's answer to a burden He puts on your heart is always YES! He brought us here to help launch a movement, a kingdom work that bombards the gates of hell that have set themselves up in this place. They are only gates. A defense. It is are job to go on the offensive and bombard them. They will come down and His kingdom will be set up!

Wherever you are, He brought you to that place for victory. What is the burden on your heart? What are the things that trouble you most? You have a God who loves you, hears your prayers, and longs to answer them. Cry out with faith and confidence in the LIVING God and watch Him move!

Settled in the Storm

My family and our small fledgling church plant here in Cambridge is in the midst of a 21-day Daniel fast to seek God in this New Year. This morning as I was spending time with Jesus, I got the overwhelming sense that God wants to settle our spirits in the midst of the storm. He wants us to be settled secure people who don't budge when the storm rages around us.

In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus and the disciples got into a boat. "Suddently a great tempest or storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But Jesus was asleep. (vs. 24 NKJ)."

The disciples thought they were perishing and Jesus was sleeping...big difference! How could Jesus sleep in the midst of a storm where the waves were crashing onto the boat? Jesus was settled as a person. "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God...(John 13:3)." Jesus knew the Father was sovereign, in control, living for His good, and He was surrendered to the will of His Father.

Steven Furtick, lead pastor of Elevation Church, sent out a tweet this morning that said this, "Jesus isn't concerned about physical provision, He is trying to do something deeper inside of you."

As you can imagine, planting a church in one of the most unchurched cities and regions in the country (Cambridge/Boston) near the #1 University in America (Harvard) isn't a cake walk. It's been a joy but very difficult. We have changed every part of our lives from our housing, type of environment, ministry role, friends, etc, etc, etc...The storms rage all around us at times. What is Jesus trying to get at in me?

He wants me to be settled in the storm. He wants me to be settled regardless of all the outer circumstances raging around me. Instead of worrying and getting caught up in the moment, He wants me to be at peace in who He is, who I am in Christ, and what He has called me to do.

Wikipedia defines the eye of a storm as: The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. Wow! Isn't that amazing? As the storm rages all around, the very center of it is calm? The physical world always reflects the spiritual. Lets take a hint from God and let Him center us in the storm. Instead of responding to all the things that rage around us, we can focus on Him and His goodness, be utterly satisfied in Him, and remain in peace.

Maybe it's just for me, but I thought I would share my thoughts...