America in the Balance

A Biblical Perspective on the Redemptive Role of Believers in a Nation on the Brink of Disintegration

By Pastor Steven Ferrante

Forward

     It is with great respect and humility that I present this treatise. I do not profess to be perfect, all knowing or an authority in redemption of a nation. Having been stirred by the Holy Spirit as I contemplated the book of Nehemiah, I had to obey the Spirit’s prompting. Like Amos who was a sheep breeder and not a professional prophet, I acknowledge I am just following God’s urging to present this critical message. There are far too many “feel good” prophetic words in the ether and far too few corrective ones that lead to repentance. Please take the time to read, pray about and reflect upon this critical message. Ignore it to your peril and the peril of this nation.

If not now, when?

If not you, who?

The people who sincerely love us tell us what we need to hear not what we want to hear.

America in the Balance

     Please prayerfully consider this message. It may start by sounding like a doom and gloom tirade, but it is not. We, God’s people, must soberly assess ourselves and our nation. After sober evaluation we look to Scripture for a solution to what ills us. There are problems in the body of Christ and our nation. There are also Biblical solutions. God’s plan will see the church, the lost and our nation experience a great awakening and harvest of souls. (Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah point the way for us. Note it took prophets, a priest, and a “king” – governmental leader)

     At the time of Nehemiah, the Jews lacked their own unique language, king, army, and identity. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, they had none of these critical national identifiers. The church in America has no common manner of expression and no true unity in leadership. There is not a nationally united army of believers who will come together for the glory of their true King to see His plan, will and purpose come to fruition. Our identity, especially as “leaders” in the church is rooted in “our ministry”, our denominational affiliation, our theological bent, our criticism of certain strains of Christianity, etc.  Many leaders condemn others who love Jesus since their understanding of church leadership and the fivefold ministry gifts is different than that their own. A cohesive union of believers eludes the church because of insecurities, territorialism, suspicion, gossip, slander and above all else our failure to agree with Jesus that we be one as He and the Father are one. The claims of many leaders that they love Jesus and are submitted to Him may be nothing more than self-deception. Jesus said our love for Him would be proven by our obedience to Him. His prayer was that we be one in Him; yet the church body is as divided at it ever has been. We may not be burning one another at the stake but many do so on social media, from the pulpits they preach from and in their hearts. We actively oppose those reaching out to the lost because we disagree with them in some way even as the ones we do not “agree with” are proclaiming salvation in Jesus’ name! There is a systemic infection of strife, division, pride, and fear in the body of Christ. It is time for the us to take some medicine and apply it to the raging septicity of that which is causing the church to become a putrid scent in the nostrils of our Lord. Instead of the sweet-smelling aroma of a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto Him, the church in America is a decaying relic of dead religion; a divided house which cannot stand.

In Nehemiah 1 2b-4 it says: ^2bI asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. ³ And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” ⁴ So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (NKJV)

The condition of the people and Jerusalem was described as:

• In great distress
• Reproach
• Broken down wall
• Burned gates

     (In great distress) In Colorado, Michigan, and the nation, much of the church is in great distress. Churches are closing at a perilous rate. Pastors are discouraged and leaving the ministry in droves. Our schools are filled with perversion. School boards, administrators and teachers are corrupting our children with dark sexual ideas, racism, and abortive practices. The “system” openly opposes parental rights as it seduces our children to follow ideas and practices birthed from the mind of Satan. I could go on but hopefully you, the reader, get the picture.

     (Reproach) Those who hold to a biblical worldview are deemed to be haters, white Christian nationalists, people of color who support white supremacy, etc. Biblical marriage is disparaged and deemed to be intolerant. Biblical sexual identity is “transphobic” and “homophobic”. Those created in God’s image, (male and female) are encouraged to disregard the obvious and plunge into the sea of delusion. Deception causes literal sexual mutilation, depression, confusion, and hopelessness often in the most vulnerable among us.

     (Broken down wall) The Judeo-Christian ethos that once defined the American conscious and judicial system is scarcely a tattered remnant of itself. Radical district attorneys refuse to prosecute or incarcerate violent repeat offenders. Violence is enveloping many cities as property and person crimes are spiking upward at a sinister rate. The morality of our society has eroded to the point that good is now evil and evil is now considered to be good. We have redefined words to the point that what sounds to be good is evil personified. Diversity is not diverse, it is strict adherence to group think. Equity is not equitable for people who do not buy into the group think. Equity punishes success and promotes equality of misery and dependance on a maleficent governmental ideology. Inclusion excludes, marginalizes, and dehumanizes those who do not buy into the group think.

     (Burned Gates) The intrusive nature of modern day socialistic/communistic zealots has paved the way for hideous laws to be passed (Colorado’s new abortion law and Michigan’s proposed constitutional amendment). In Colorado and coming soon to a state near you, it is illegal for a licensed mental health professional or counselor to do anything other than affirm a young child’s “desire” to sexually transition. (Where did that idea come from?) If a teacher suspects that a parent opposes gender transition, they can report a family to CPS (Child Protective Services – what a misnomer.) If CPS deems that the parents do not affirm their 6-year old’s (or really any age) “decision” to transition sexually, the child will be taken from the home and made a ward of the state who will help them transition.

     Nehemiah’s response to the report of the condition of God’s people was first to go before the Lord in prayer and confess the sins of his nation. Nehemiah did not exclude himself from the list of transgressors. He was not a fault finder but an intercessor. He confessed his sins and those of His nation even as he cried out to God to remember His promise of restoration to the ones who “desire to fear Your name”.

     Nehemiah did not stop at the place of prayer, he went to the king, the political leader he worked for, and asked for favor. Nehemiah asked God to give him favor with the king.

     There are many in the body of Christ who do not want to be involved in the political realm. It is true that our hope is in God alone, but God uses people to do His bidding. Our hope is not in a political party, it is not in an individual or group of people who hold political sway. Our hope is in Jesus. We must remember that God controls the heart of political leaders. Doors are opening across this nation for people of faith to get involved in many levels of politics. Like Nehemiah we need to go before the Lord and repent and cry out for favor as we go to town/city/county council meetings, school board meetings, state and federal legislators and make our voice known, (respectfully and articulately). We do not go in the strength of our intellect, the zeal of our emotions or the anger we feel. We go as Holy Spirit empowered and anointed people of God who, like Nehemiah, are moved with the heart of God to see the wall (church) restored and the reproach removed from the King we serve. (Government is just one of the areas we need to prayerfully assert ourselves.)

     The church needs a coordinated and unified effort to see societal change. We need to work together to see this come to pass as the Lord directs, empowers, and opens doors. Church leaders need to divide the areas of influence where doors are open and then be the salt and light in those arenas. We cannot attend every meeting, but we can form a logistical plan to see that the church is at every meeting being salt, light and intercessors. We need to be willing to set aside our agendas and schedules so God’s agenda and schedule can be implemented. We may have to abandon Bible studies, home group meetings and mid-week services so we can take what we have learned for so many years and actually do something with it that will produce change in our communities.

     Church leaders need to set aside their differences, recognize that the world is far more united than the church is, and see that trend reversed. Church leaders need to lead the way in loving one another and in forgiving past hurts and offenses. We need to repent for undermining one another and ask for forgiveness. Church leaders must be willing to work together with those they once opposed, sometimes openly lobbied against, to see the Kingdom of God manifest on earth as it is in heaven. Church leaders need to realize that territorialism is not of God’s kingdom. There is no division in His kingdom, there is perfect unity. In God’s Kingdom there is the realization that the earth is the Lords and everything in it. With that mindset there is no room for our feudal way of thinking. It is His church. The sheep are His. The responsibility to build the church is His. The power, wisdom, and authority we need come from Him. The growth plan is not by might, not by power but by My Spirit says the Lord.

     Nehemiah, while in service of the king let the pain in his heart be known. He received favor (God opens doors no man can shut) and was given permission to and provision for the rebuilding of the wall. This was not the end of the story it was the beginning for Nehemiah. Upon returning to Jerusalem Nehemiah had powerful leaders opposing him.

     Nehemiah made a sober assessment of the situation. He did not do so with much fanfare. He did not want people influencing him. Nehemiah did not want to hear the excuses of why the wall was in ruins. He did not want to hear why the task was too hard. He did not want to do anything but to objectively survey the situation. Nehemiah went out under the cover of night to evaluate the city. He did not desire fame or fortune, recognition or confrontation. Nehemiah made an unbiassed evaluation of the situation. Once Nehemiah’s assessment was finished, he put forth the challenge to rebuild the wall.

     To the reader I put forth the sober assessment that America’s wall is broken, the gates are burned, the people are in distress and the church is responsible for seeing the wall restored. It is time for the people of God to come together as one, for the glory of Jesus alone. It must be done out of love and respect for Him; the One who shed His blood to redeem us.  We must stand as one body.

     It is time that we recognize the need, stop complaining about the condition of the church, state, or nation. It is time to do something to see the wall restored. We need to stop pointing our swords at one another and start wielding them as God intended, to pull down satanic strongholds, to set captives free, to win the lost and see them discipled. It is time to get out of the four walls of the church and get engaged in society so that the salt and light of Jesus can bring change to our society. If we do not do this America will fall ever deeper into debauchery, disunity, and increasing bondage.

     Nehemiah did not give up because of the condition of the wall or the criticism of his enemies; he set forth the challenge to the people, rebuild the wall.

Nehemiah 2: ¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” ²⁰ So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (NKJV)

     With the challenge given, the people of God in Jerusalem began to build the wall. People took responsibility for the area in front of their homes and started building, men and women alike. Not only did they build the wall they restored fortified gates in the process. As the rebuilding proceeded Nehemiah’s enemies did not give up. These enemies mocked and sought to discourage God’s people. Motivated by hatred and anger these enemies sought to physically stop God’s people from building and sow confusion among them. Rather than crumble under the enemy’s onslaught, the people of God prayed and set a watch to ensure the enemies would not prevail. In the rebuilding process the people grew weary, and the enemies persisted. God’s people persisted with prophetic encouragement.

     For us, the process is the same. We must take responsibility to see that the wall is rebuilt. We must start at home. Marriages must be restored to Biblical standards. Husbands do you agape your wife like Jesus does His bride? Wives do you reverence and respect your husbands like the church does Jesus? Children are you honoring your parents? Fathers are you provoking and or discouraging your children? Do you read the Word of God and pray as a family? Do you attend a Bible believing church and serve in that community. Is your mindset that God is your provider or is your job, the tithing base, or some other source your security?

     We need to build the walls in all areas, but we must start locally – like at home!

Nehemiah 4: ⁹ Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. ¹⁰ 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.” ¹¹ 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.” ¹² 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.” ¹³ Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. ¹⁴ And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (NKJV)

     As we seek to rebuild the wall in America the situation is the same for us as it was for Nehemiah. People will, at times, grow weary and be tempted to quit. The enemies of fear, division, offense, and many others will seek to stop us. Threats of violence, legal action, church closures and a host of other means will arise, but we must strengthen ourselves in the power of the Holy Spirit. Like Nehemiah did, I remind you all: “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” This is not hyperbole but the reality of our day! We must not let the rubble of past offenses, personal failures or other forms of strife and discouragement influence us. We can guard against repeating them as we work towards increased unity, greater societal impact, and a harvest of souls. We must set down man’s idea of what success is and realize that unless the Lord builds the house, we are laboring in vain. If God is building it, it will not be a house divided, for God’s house will stand! The enemy is ruthless, and we must live accordingly.

Nehemiah 4: ¹⁵ And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. ¹⁶ So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore  armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. ¹⁷ Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. ¹⁸ Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. ¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. ²⁰ Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” ²¹ So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. ²² At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.” ²³ So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing. (NKJV)

     As we make progress towards restoration we must not go back to our old way of living. We must realize that the enemy never sleeps and neither does the Lord. If we are to be like our Lord, we must remain vigilant to keep the wall strong. We must never slip back into the serfdom mentality. We must stay humble, hidden, kingdom minded and united. We, as the people of God MUST come together, even if we are separated by distance, and fight on every front! The time of comfort is long past. For those who have yet to come to grips with reality, war is upon the church and from this day forward we must fight as one! We must build the wall in our area. We must be confident that others are building in their area. We must be able to call on one another in times of need knowing we will receive help rather than empty words and platitudes. Though we may be far apart we must be willing to go when called. Be it a few days of prayer at the Capitol, a critical school board meeting or some other event, when the watchmen of that area call, we must show up in force. We must not be an angry mob but people with the word of the Lord, the mind of Christ, and the fruit of self-control.

Nehemiah 5: ⁴ There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards. ⁵ Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.” ⁶ And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. ⁷ After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them. ⁸ And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. ⁹ Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? (NKJV)

     We are living in a time where it is imperative that all debts (offenses) are forgiven. We must stop holding others down and acting as if the Kingdom of God has second class citizens. We must not feel threatened by others as if their promotion would be to our detriment. We must not force others to serve “our vision” but allow them to fulfill their created purposes in Christ. Church leaders must be like Jesus; we must train up, empower, and release others into their destiny. Like Jesus we must be confident in who we are so that we can then rejoice as others mature into their God given role in His kingdom. Those who were once slaves of sin are meant to flourish in God’s Kingdom not languish in obscurity under another taskmaster who does not have God’s heart for them.

     We must have the heart of Nehemiah to be a blessing to others not a burden. We must be so saturated in the presence of God, so filled with His Word, so saturated with His anointing that we can provide for others who are in need. Leaders in the Church must be willing to be poured out for the sake of others. The world must be able to look at us and understand how it was that Jesus lived out the divine example of servanthood for His disciples. We also need those with the Apostolic calling who can “train the trainers” in the ways of God’s kingdom. Such was the example we can see from the life of Nehemiah as he saw the wall rebuilt.

Nehemiah 6: Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), ² that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. ³ So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”⁴ But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner. (NKJV)

     Nehemiah was an astute politician. He understood the methods of his enemies and how to address them. Nehemiah was a man with a mission who had real world problems with potential political implications. At times Nehemiah had to be a politician as he lived out his God given assignment. Nehemiah stayed on task even as he masterfully navigated the treacherous political landscape.

     It is no different for the people of God today. As we embark upon the journey of reconstruction, we too will face similar adversaries. There will be political opposition from within our ranks and from without. We will have to confront compromised Christians in the pulpit and pew alike. We will also have to navigate the world’s gauntlet of opposition in order to see the body of Christ come to the position of prominence we are meant to occupy. As we address the natural realms of business, politics, education, etc. we must remember our hope is not in these systems even as we seek to assert ourselves as salt and light in them. Above all else, our role is one of Christ’s ambassadors, the builders of the wall, the repairers of the breach. We are the ones who will stand in the gap for the sake of others. The enemy will not give up territory easily. So, we must be mindful that we are in covenant with the one who defeated Satan, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, and who has “deputized” us to live out His victory until we are called home, or He returns. Will we be found doing the Father’s business or will we be complacent, apathetic, ineffective, and compromised in battle? Will we be cowering wretches who never learned to wield the weapons of our warfare as the enemy raged against the church, our families and the lost? We must steel ourselves as Nehemiah did and stand for righteousness, oppose evil, defend the weak and see that our task is completed for God’s glory.

Nehemiah 6:¹⁵ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. ¹⁷ Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. ¹⁸ For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. ¹⁹ Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. (NKJV)

     From this excerpt we can learn much. It is the Lord who will complete the work through people! The lord will cause our enemies to be disheartened as He receives the glory for what His body had done. Even in triumph there will be those among us who are not for us. There will be tares among the wheat, wolves dressed like sheep. They will conceal themselves among us and work to undermine what God has accomplished through His people. We must not allow these malicious hearts to undermine our resolve. We must operate in the gift of discerning of spirits. We must have the wisdom of God to know how to handle these false Christians. We must be careful to see that we are not married to the ways of the world lest they infect us like they did the people in Ezra and Nehemiah’s day. We must be willing to cut away that which was birthed in compromise no matter how precious it may be to us.

Nehemiah 7: Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, ² that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. ³ And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.” (NKJV)

     As we see the wall restored, we must ensure it is guarded and maintained. Our enemy never sleeps, and he will test our resolve. Everyone must realize we have a personal stake in this. The enemy is after us, our mates, our children, our friends and family and our nation. The power of God’s Spirit, the love that comes from Him, the peace He gives us, the truth of His word, and our devotion to Christ alone, will strengthen and preserve us as we maintain what God has enabled us to build. Not only will we maintain the wall we will expand the Kingdom of God as we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. We will see many come into the kingdom prior to the return of our King.

Nehemiah 8: Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. ² So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. ³ Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law . . . Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground . . . ⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law . . . ¹⁶ Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. (NKJV)

     The word of God in its totality must govern our lives. We must rejoice in seeing the church restored and not mourn what could have been. We must live in the now and for the future having learned from the mistakes of the past. A day of rejoicing and celebration is ahead if we take up the charge the Lord is giving us. There will be difficulties ahead, but they are momentary and light considering what is at stake. If we prepare a place for Him, God will inhabit His people and our land once again.

Nehemiah 9: Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. ² Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and  confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. ³ And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. (NKJV)

     We must confess our sins and those of the generations before us. Like Josiah before him, Nehemiah led God’s people in repentance. Without repentance there is no forgiveness of sin. There must be a separation from anything that is not of God’s kingdom.

In part we must repent of:

• Division in the body of Christ
• Saying we love Jesus while not truly loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Judgment of others
• Sexual sin
• Quenching, grieving, and despising the works of God the Holy Spirit
• Being suspicious of God the Holy Spirit
• Holding an offense
• Living in unforgiveness
• Speaking out against leaders
• etc.

Nehemiah 10: ²⁸ Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding— ²⁹ these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes (NKJV)

     We must renew our commitment/covenant to live as a people set apart unto God for works of His Kingdom. We must identify and eliminate all mindsets that opened the door to sin and darkness. Just because something had been done a particular way in the past does not mean it was right, had to be maintained or that it is right for the here and now. Programs, practices, and traditions are not eternal, but His word is. We must be sure to let the Word and Spirit of God be our guide. We need to look no further than our present state to realize that what led us to our currently sad state of being will not free us from it! We need to let God be God. We are to be His followers who live in willing, submitted obedience! Such willing submitted obedience includes being one as He and His father are one.

Nehemiah 12: ²⁷ Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. ²⁸ And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, ²⁹ from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem. ³⁰ Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall. (NKJV)

     When the wall is restored in America the people of God will rejoice and celebrate! It will be a corporate (whole body) work to see the wall restored and it will be a corporate celebration. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren and sistren to dwell together in unity. It is in the place of unity that the anointing of God’s Spirit rests upon the people of God. It is there that the blessing of God’s life eternal begins to invade the life of the now. We have been given everything the pertains to life and godliness and we are partakers of the divine nature of Jesus. It is time that we, the people of God, begin to live like that scriptural truth is a present reality and not the musings of an ancient fisherman!

Nehemiah 13: ⁵ In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. ¹⁶ Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem . . . ¹⁹ So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. ²¹ Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. ²² And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day . . . ²⁵ So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. ²⁶ Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. ²⁷ Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?” . . . ³⁰ Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, ³¹ and to bringing the wood offering and the first-fruits at appointed times.

     Like Nehemiah we must be brutal towards sin. No excuses, no treaties, no compromises with darkness. God’s people have always been called to holy living. We are called to lives of loving devotion for the one who loved us all the way to Calvary. Our holiness is to be birthed from our love for Jesus not religious legalism. We are not to replicate the practices of the scribes and pharisees. However, we are to live like John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.

So where do we go from here?

• Let us begin on our knees in humble repentance seeking out those we have wronged.
• Let us esteem others better than ourselves rather than looking down upon someone who may have a theological stance that is different than our own.
• Let us seek restoration of relationship with those in the body of Christ we are estranged from (Agape keeps no record of wrongs).
• Let us begin to worship, pray and evangelize together.
• Let us get involved in our society as much as possible (salt and light).
• Find a leader (secular and in the church) to pray for, pray with and be a light to.
• Let us go to secular governmental meetings and engage leaders respectfully and articulately with the love of Jesus.
• Let us work together to share the workload (as we go into the different realms) and respond as others call for help at important times.
• Let us be the voice for children who are at the mercy of Godless educators even as we pray for and witness to those in the field of education.
• Let us form partnerships with Christians in leadership roles throughout our society to see them prosper for God and in the natural realm.
• Let us be willing to disrupt our routines for the sake of the Kingdom, the lost, our families and this nation.
• Let us not just study the Word of God but begin to live it out in the world around us.
• Let us equip/educate our children with what they need to stand up against the tide of evil in our schools.
  • They need permission to speak up when teachers promote CRT/LGBTQ/communism/etc.
  • They need permission from their parents to get up and walk out when they are ridiculed for their faith.
  • They need to know the student’s bill of rights.
  • They need to know how to respectfully disagree with those in authority.
  • They need to have their youth pastor or other trusted people who can pick them up from school if they speak up/walk out/get in trouble etc.
  • They need to know about and have permission to call on religious liberty lawyers (ACLJ/First Liberty Institute/Alliance Defending Freedom)

There are already corporate activities that will help us build the wall together.

• In Colorado and Michigan there are houses of prayer being birthed where we can join together and intercede for our state and nation. (https://www.onehopecolorado.com)
• We will be praying in the Capitol every day of the legislative session in 2023. (steve@parkfellowship.org)(saltlightglobal.org)
• There are gatherings of Pastors centering on bringing unity and building the wall Colorado Capitol /  Michigan Capitol
• There is a gathering “Communion Colorado” where we will gather as one united body to see a mighty move of God begin. (https://communioncolorado.org)

     I challenge every God-fearing believer to take up the call to build the wall and come into Biblical unity with other Born-Again followers of Jesus.

     I admonish Pastors and leaders to remember they are under a stricter judgment. Their love for Jesus is reflected in their obedience to Him. Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and His Father are one. Pastor/leader come into agreement with Jesus or get out of the ministry and repent lest you bring judgment upon yourself and lead others astray.

Prayerfully consider these words.

In all humility (Romans 12:3) and obedience to the prompting of God’s Spirit

 

Pastor Steven Ferrante – steve@parkfellowship.org