Offensive Christianity PT 1

Introduction

1. Define Terms

Offensive Operation - Is a military operation that sees through an aggressive projection of armed forces to occupy territory or gain an objective.

Example - Occasionally if a hockey team is trailing in score in the last several minutes they will “pull their goalie” which allows them to put another “attacker” on the ice. Statistically this has proven to give them an added 18% chance of winning regardless of them having an open net.

VS Defensive

in the case of war a Defensive Operation; buys time, economizes forces.

SYNONYMS of Defensive

Defend the faith

does our faith need defending or does our faith motivate action

Christian Apologetics

I am not saying there is a time for apologetics (reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine) but our relationship with Christ does not need justification.

2. Introduction

My goal for this message is to show to us from examples in scripture that as Radical Followers of Christ we are to be on the Offense. We have nothing to defend.... our King is all powerful, let us hold our banner high and march forward.

When I think of O.C. I think of ;

Abortion clincs shut down because of prayers and input from Kingdom Christians

July 25 2002 Catholic Sentinel

EUGENE - The only abortion clinic in the southern half of Oregon has closed and pro-life leaders are crediting simple prayer. The second-busiest abortion provider in the state - All Women's Health Services - abruptly ceased Eugene operations July 16 eight years after a group of Catholics began holding weekly rosary vigils outside the building. Directors said the decision was a business move intended to strengthen the organization's Portland clinic. But many say the somewhat mysterious closure may have come because of the Catholics who have come out every Saturday and many Wednesdays to pray for the pregnant women and the unborn children. 'I attribute the whole closure to their faithfulness in prayer and God answering it,' says Gayle Atteberry, executive director of Oregon Right to Life. 'Obviously there was some business decision made, but when you get down to it, I am serious, I can't think of any reason other than prayer. And in the end, fewer unborn children will be killed.' Oregon Health Division statistics show no dip in demand for abortions in Lane County. The small building is near the University of Oregon and students often were recruited to guide women from their cars to the clinic to avoid conversations with worshipers. Father Richard Janowicz, pastor of Nativity Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Springfield, on occasion has joined the vigil at the clinic. 'This was unexpected and very encouraging,' the priest says of the shutdown. 'The prayer out there, so consistently so regularly, made the difference. It was not a protest; it was prayer out front. It was really a prayerful caring.' Those at the vigil would pray the rosary peacefully. Some would hand patients information about abortion alternatives and free ultrasound examinations. No one, Father Janowicz says, got belligerent. Clinic operators often called police, who grew tired of making the trip to the clinic. Those at the vigils say they remained on the sidewalk, where they are allowed by law. 'It's the rosary that made this happen,' says Norm Skarda, a member of St. Mary Parish who has helped organize the clinic vigils. 'We are delighted.' Skarda points out that the closure came on the day of the Marian feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Before the All Women's Health Services vigils, the group met for prayer at another local abortion clinic. That one closed, too. A couple that volunteered at the All Women's Health Services was so moved by the abiding vigil in the past year that they stopped the work, joined the prayer, and are in the process of becoming Catholic. Skarda and others troubled by abortion may not have long to rest. The group is discussing going north each week for a vigil at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Salem. Also, Planned Parenthood officials are discussing the possibility of beginning abortions at its clinic in Eugene. They see the closure as leaving a gap in access. The Eugene clinic performed 1,400 abortions in 2001. Those favoring legal abortions have long complained bitterly that the procedure is not available enough in Eugene. The charge is most often made against Sacred Heart Medical Center and its Catholic parent organization, PeaceHealth. Eugene and Lane County have the most abortions of any county in the state, other than Portland and Multnomah County. 'This is going to limit options for women and further complicate their lives,' says Kitty Piercy, public affairs chief for Planned Parenthood Health Services of Southwestern Oregon. Now, the only abortion clinics in Oregon are in Portland, Salem and Bend. But doctors in 10 Oregon counties reported to the state in 2000 that they opened their offices to perform abortions. Jeanine Mudd, a nurse at 1st Way crisis pregnancy center in Eugene, says her organization was 'very happy' to hear about the closure. Occasionally, sidewalk counseling or pamphlets handed out at All Women's Health Services helped a woman change her mind and seek aid from 1st Way. The organization then gave support, supplies, medical referral, adoption information and the free ultrasound exams. 'We have many ladies who are abortion-minded and once they see the ultrasound they decide against it,' Mudd says.

https://catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/Prayer-credited-for-closing-of-abortion-clinic/2/35/4366

Bars and strip clubs shut down because of prayer warriors

A man in Tuscon Arizona began to pray for a local club and after a few months after a tragic event the club shut down.

Homless Encampments needs met...

Jihadist Converted to K.C.

As I studied regarding O.C. I soon realized that O.C. is somewhat like “spontaneous combustion” (the ignition of organic matter ( hay or coal) without apparent cause, typically through heat generated internally by rapid oxidation). O.C. begins in the heart of the believer and at a point the flames burst out and O.C. becomes a power that shakes the powers of the enemy.

I want to start by looking at an example of the “forerunner” of O.C. or may we say the “Warming up stage” then we will look at the “Inferno stage”.

Offensive Christianity; “Warm up stage”

Ezra - Nehemiah

God’s people have sinned and have been in captivity.

King Cyrus of Persia by the prompting of God to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple Ezra 1

Ezra 1 (NLT)

1. In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

2. “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!

4. Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”

5. Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.

6. And all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings.

7. King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods.

8. Cyrus directed Mithredath, the treasurer of Persia, to count these items and present them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah.

9. This is a list of the items that were returned:

gold basins 30

silver basins 1,000

silver incense burners 29

10. gold bowls 30

silver bowls 410

other items 1,000

11. In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of these along when the exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem.

O.C is fueled by a voluntary spirit Ezra 2:68-69 68.“Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses, when they came to the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God, to erect it in its place: 70. According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for the work sixty-one thousand gold drachmas, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly garments.”

1 Drachmas (Daric) = 8.5g or $360 USD =$21,960,000 total

1 Mina =570g or $300 USD = $1,500,000 Total

O.C. is driven by worship Ezra 3:1-6

Ezra 3:1–6 (NLT)

1. In early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose.

2. Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel. They wanted to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the Law of Moses, the man of God.

3.Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the Lord each morning and evening.

4.They celebrated the Festival of Shelters as prescribed in the Law, sacrificing the number of burnt offerings specified for each day of the festival.

5.They also offered the regular burnt offerings and the offerings required for the new moon celebrations and the annual festivals as prescribed by the Lord. The people also gave voluntary offerings to the Lord.

6.Fifteen days before the Festival of Shelters began, the priests had begun to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord. This was even before they had started to lay the foundation of the Lord’s Temple.

Ezra 3:10–13 (NLT)

10. When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed.

11. With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: “He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid.

12. But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy.

13. The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance.

Corporate O.C. ONLY takes place when the “altar of God” is erected and proper worship is taking place.

Corporate worship takes place even if if there is danger of opposition

Proper worship is the catalyst that provides the energy for O.C. to take place.

Proper worship is easily noticed by the onlooker

O.C. is a vocation

Ezra 3:8 (NLT)

The construction of the Temple of God began in midspring, during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem. The work force was made up of everyone who had returned from exile, including Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his fellow priests, and all the Levites. The Levites who were twenty years old or older were put in charge of rebuilding the Lord’s Temple.

O.C. becomes a way of life. The people who returned from exile were not just seeking freedom they were compelled to take back the land from the enemy and reestablish God’s presence in their land

Satan will try to extinguish O.C.

Ezra 4:1–2 (NLT)

1. The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the Lord, the God of Israel.

2. So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.”

Satan is a “dirty player” he doesn’t care how he stops the work as long as he stops it...

O.C. will NOT make aliance with the enemy Ezra4 3 “But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.””

Ezra 4:4–6 (NLT)

4. Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work.

5. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.

6. Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Ezra 4:11–16 (NLT)

11. This is a copy of their letter: “To King Artaxerxes, from your loyal subjects in the province west of the Euphrates River.

12. “The king should know that the Jews who came here to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They have already laid the foundation and will soon finish its walls.

13. And the king should know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute, customs, and tolls to you.

14. “Since we are your loyal subjects and do not want to see the king dishonored in this way, we have sent the king this information.

15. We suggest that a search be made in your ancestors’ records, where you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past. In fact, it was destroyed because of its long and troublesome history of revolt against the kings and countries who controlled it.

16. We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you.”

Ezra 4:24 NLT

So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.

the work was paused for 20-40 years

Satan tries to stop the work by discouragement and then by trying to get the king to turn against God’s people

Even if the progress of God’s work is slowed O.C. will not let the fire die.

O.C. pushes back against Satan’s attack Ezra 5:1-2

Ezra 5:1–2 (NLT)

1. At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.

2. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them.

Even though they were not supposed to be doing construction they began to rebuild...

O.C. steps out in the face of opposition to further the cause of Christ

Ezra 5:3–5 (NLT)

3. But Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues soon arrived in Jerusalem and asked, “Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?”

4.They also asked for the names of all the men working on the Temple.

5. But because their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were not prevented from building until a report was sent to Darius and he returned his decision.

O.C. is not afraid to STAND and BE COUNTED even in the face of opposition

Sometimes God holds back the oppressor so His people can build His Kingdom

God blesses the efforts of O.C.

Ezra 6:6–12 (NLT)

6. So King Darius sent this message: “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues and other officials west of the Euphrates River—stay away from there!

7. Do not disturb the construction of the Temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its original site, and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews in their work.

8. “Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay the full construction costs, without delay, from my taxes collected in the province west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not be interrupted.

9. “Give the priests in Jerusalem whatever is needed in the way of young bulls, rams, and male lambs for the burnt offerings presented to the God of heaven. And without fail, provide them with as much wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil as they need each day.

10. Then they will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the welfare of the king and his sons.

11. “Those who violate this decree in any way will have a beam pulled from their house. Then they will be lifted up and impaled on it, and their house will be reduced to a pile of rubble.

12. May the God who has chosen the city of Jerusalem as the place to honor his name destroy any king or nation that violates this command and destroys this Temple. “I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed with all diligence.”

God sometimes uses the “enemy’ (rulers of the earthly kingdom) to provide protection and material blessings to further His work.

Worship remains Central in O.C. Ezra 6:19-22

Ezra 6:19–22 (NLT)

19. On April 21 the returned exiles celebrated Passover.

20. The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.

21. The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their corrupt practices to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.

22. Then they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the Lord had caused the king of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.

O.C. continues to keep proper worship in the forefront. Without a continual communication with Heavan the fire / passion loses its vigor

O.C. spends his life dedicated to laws of God Ezra 7:10

Ezra 7:10 NLT

This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.

Sometimes ‘the enemy’ spoils the land in support of O.C. Ezra 7:12-26

Ezra 7:12–26 (NLT)

12. “From Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the teacher of the law of the God of heaven. Greetings.

13. “I decree that any of the people of Israel in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may volunteer to return to Jerusalem with you.

14. I and my council of seven hereby instruct you to conduct an inquiry into the situation in Judah and Jerusalem, based on your God’s law, which is in your hand.

15. We also commission you to take with you silver and gold, which we are freely presenting as an offering to the God of Israel who lives in Jerusalem.

16.“Furthermore, you are to take any silver and gold that you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the voluntary offerings of the people and the priests that are presented for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.

17. These donations are to be used specifically for the purchase of bulls, rams, male lambs, and the appropriate grain offerings and liquid offerings, all of which will be offered on the altar of the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.

18. Any silver and gold that is left over may be used in whatever way you and your colleagues feel is the will of your God.

19.“But as for the cups we are entrusting to you for the service of the Temple of your God, deliver them all to the God of Jerusalem.

20.If you need anything else for your God’s Temple or for any similar needs, you may take it from the royal treasury.

21. “I, Artaxerxes the king, hereby send this decree to all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River: ‘You are to give Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven, whatever he requests of you.

22. You are to give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited supply of salt.

23. Be careful to provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his Temple, for why should we risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and his sons?

24. I also decree that no priest, Levite, singer, gatekeeper, Temple servant, or other worker in this Temple of God will be required to pay tribute, customs, or tolls of any kind.’

25. “And you, Ezra, are to use the wisdom your God has given you to appoint magistrates and judges who know your God’s laws to govern all the people in the province west of the Euphrates River. Teach the law to anyone who does not know it.

26. Anyone who refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king will be punished immediately, either by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.”

7500 lbs of silver = $1,500,000 USD

Even tho the king’s reasoning was similar to one buying an insurance policy (spend money to hopefully save himself from reverses later) he was extremely lavish with his Gifts to the building project (v23)

Even the King saw the importance of teaching the law

O.C. follows God with Radical faith to the Glory of God Ezra 8:21-27

Ezra 8:21–27 (NLT)

21. And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.

22.For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.”

23.So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.

24. I appointed twelve leaders of the priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten other priests—

25. to be in charge of transporting the silver, the gold, the gold bowls, and the other items that the king, his council, his officials, and all the people of Israel had presented for the Temple of God.

26.I weighed the treasure as I gave it to them and found the totals to be as follows: 24 tons of silver, 7,500 pounds of silver articles, 7,500 pounds of gold,

27. 20 gold bowls, equal in value to 1,000 gold coins, 2 fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

24 ton of silver =650 talents =$9,750,000 USD

7500 lbs of silver articles=100 talents =$1,500,000 USD

7500 lbs of Gold =100 Talents = $125,000,000 USD

20 Golden Bowls = 1000 Drachmas = 8500 gram = $360,000 USD

the monetary value that Ezra was taking with him was the equivelant to that of a super yacht. Or perhaps enough money to buy a high end Penthouse in NYC

Ezra stepped out on this 1400 km trek with faith that God would protect them. They would have been exposed to bandits and theives. This would have taken huge faith.

O.C. is extinguished by sin. Radical, heart breaking repentance is needed to restore the relationship with God. Ezra 9:1-10:4

Ezra 9:1–10:4 (NLT)

1. When these things had been done, the Jewish leaders came to me and said, “Many of the people of Israel, and even some of the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the other peoples living in the land. They have taken up the detestable practices of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.

2. For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons. So the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage.”

3.When I heard this, I tore my cloak and my shirt, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down utterly shocked.

4. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel came and sat with me because of this outrage committed by the returned exiles. And I sat there utterly appalled until the time of the evening sacrifice.

At the time of the sacrifice, I stood up from where I had sat in mourning with my clothes torn. I fell to my knees and lifted my hands to the Lord my God.

6. I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens.

7. From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today.

8. “But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the Lord our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery.

9. For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10. “And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands!

11. Your servants the prophets warned us when they said, ‘The land you are entering to possess is totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. From one end to the other, the land is filled with corruption.

12. Don’t let your daughters marry their sons! Don’t take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don’t ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations. If you follow these instructions, you will be strong and will enjoy the good things the land produces, and you will leave this prosperity to your children forever.’

13.“Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant.

14.But even so, we are again breaking your commands and intermarrying with people who do these detestable things. Won’t your anger be enough to destroy us, so that even this little remnant no longer survives?

15. O Lord, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence.”

10:1 While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him.

10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, a descendant of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God, for we have married these pagan women of the land. But in spite of this there is hope for Israel.

3. Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children. We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God.

4. Get up, for it is your duty to tell us how to proceed in setting things straight. We are behind you, so be strong and take action.”

Just as the project is gaining momentum they realize that there was sin among them.

Sinful living from the leaders to the peasants

Ezra called out to God in repentance on behalf of the people

O.C. relies on God for leadership and direction Neh 1:3-11

Nehemiah 1:3–11 (NLT)

3 They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”

4 When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

5 Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,

6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!

7 We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.

8 “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations.

9 But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’

10 “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants.

11 O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.

O.C. is very quick to cry out to God when it seems His hand of blessing is withdrawn. Is it sin? Are we not following your will? God we need your blessing

O.C. presses on with determination regardless of opposition Neh 4:1-23

Nehemiah 4:1–23 (NLT)

1 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews,

2 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”

3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

4 Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!

5 Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.”

6 At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.

7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.

8 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.

9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

10 Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”

11 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”

12 The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”

13 So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.

14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

15 When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.

16 But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah

17 who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.

18 All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.

19 Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.

20 When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”

21 We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard.

22 I also told everyone living outside the walls to stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty at night and work during the day.

23 During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.

Conclusion

Where are we on our Journey of O.C.

maybe we have identified things that we have allowed into our lives that is choking out the flames before they can spread

is there a smoldering ember in our bosom that is waiting for some oxygen to make it burst into flames

Or maybe we are like Nehemiah who is leading a revolution. Pushing back against the Enemy and building the Kingdom of Heaven.