What it Looks Like ..... It does not appear to be !

[Prophetess C. Joy Reed]

In life we will encounter situations and circumstances that will cause us to take a pause for the cause if you will. It amazes me how there have been times in my life as I am sure it has been in yours where a double take was needed and necessary.

That man you thought youR were going to marry The college you thought you would attend
That one thing that you wanted to go back too
The one thing you never got over

And so it is it calls for this very statement that hind sight is 20/20. Looking back over our life and into our past and situations there was always a moment of reflection and revelation where we knew that there was at least (1) thing we could have, should have and now want to do differently. Many times the mantra is if I could just go back and do it again; this time it would be different, if I knew then what I know now then this or that or the other would definitely be different. However let me submit this none of us can change our past but we do have a say so concerning our future.

As I prepared for this message both the topic and text eluded me and in my time with the Lord I didn’t so much as request what it was you wanted to hear; but what word what it that He desired I deliver. I took more time and placed more emphasis on this because sincerely there is a need in the house. A need for us to be encouraged, a need for us to be empowered and a need for us to be reminded of just what the Lord has said, will say and is yet in the process of delivering unto us. I was then influenced to explore the lives of two (2) of Gods servants Job and Nehemiah.

As I explored the life of Job we know of the double but often tip toe through the process of him obtaining such. Job though a righteous man became consumed by his own righteousness when the word of God tells us that it is a filthy rag, and his aught showed itself in an attempt to not merely question the Lord concerning his trials but actually demand an answer. In this exploration we found that Job like many of us would find his restoration by coming to himself and realizing the fact that without the Lord he would not merely be righteous; he just simply would not be.

Job 40:3-5 Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

The psalmist says it this way:
Ps. 51:4-6 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest.Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Where the psalmist was wise enough to confess his sins immediately and judge himself an opportunity was then afforded to the Lord to bless him and assign a “Kingdom” into his has as Job found later and the word of God says that he was not simply blessed but he received double. As swiftly as we assume this transition it did not happen over night, somewhere between his night and morning he endured what we desire to skip and hurry through and that is our “due process”.
@ Recognize that there is something in your nature that defies your situation, circumstance and environment.

As diverse as we all are, as much as we all outside of the body of Christ have our own goals, dreams and agenda’s. However, there is a mindset that we all must have when we hold fast to the will of the Lord as it concerns us, like Job the Lord desires to move us all from consideration to restoration, which brings me to the nature by which I stand before you today; it is with the grace of God to express to us the heart of God as it pertains to us as we embrace this next alignment in the body of Christ. Life for us will always be a state of transition as we progress from grace to greater in the Kingdom of God. Just when we believed we have reached our fullest potential we hear the voice of God and are compelled by the spirit of God to more. Here we have that very instance, the children of Israel have once again found themselves in a place of transition (scheduled time) as they again seek to renew the will of God concerning them. Like us as we endure things not looking like what they appear to be everything in their life both immediate and even afar off was in shambles.


Jobs
Ministry
Relationships

Confronted, rebuked, chastised and we find the children of God in a city of God standing again at the point of restoration seeking to renew their covenant. By the time the news reaches Nehemiah the walls now lay in ruins, the gates had been burned and the city was open and exposed to the enemies attacks. They had no structure and each man was doing what was right in his own eyes. Much like the story book of our lives standing weak and defenseless in the middle of a situation you can not control open to the enemies attacks; but because it looks like what we want it to, we don’t fight, we don’t move we become complacent and allow lack to elaborate the story instead of our life and complicate the will of God.

1 Peter 5:8-11 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

The children of Israel who had once again escaped into sin found themselves missing the power, presence and provision of the Lord and set not just their minds but committed their families to the rebuilding of the city and a return to the relationship and not ritual. (12) Years before Nehemiah The priest Ezra returned and rebuilt the temple but the walls remained broken and the gates burned. Although a place of worship had been restored the people’s desire had long since departed.
Desire isR the starting point of all achievement

Ezra 4: 9-10 ; 12 Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites, And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time. Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.

Ezra 4:13-16 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.

Ezra 4: 20-22 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me. Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

The word of God says that the law and the old testament was for our learning, this passage as well as what our focus is today allows us to be keenly aware that though people will support the work of God, they wont necessarily support you, unless there is a return on their investment. Here we have a betrayal of the worst kind, the letter was sent from people they knew, lived with, spoke too were in fellowship with.
@ Some people have a vested interest in your inability to keep your focus on God.

Many desire to sit on the throne of your life and become your God and it is disguised by not telling you when you wrong, by allowing you to continuously walk in error and not correct your. Plain and simple they will play the role of the nursemaid who dropped Maphibosheth while fleeing destruction, leaving you crippled. The word of God said that Maphibosheth was (5) that meant he could walk and certainly run there was no need for her to pick him up. But here we are with our supposed supporters who will more often times then not drop you when its convenient and you cease to be of use to them, and all they will remember in the end is that “they” got away. Detractors will come and I call those people “must needs” or for lack of a better word Judas and that’s not a bad thing, because without them you would not have been pushed to greater, you would not have challenged yourself to get up and dust yourself off. They are “must needs” because it’s a have too; to get too. The Priest (Ezra) returned and the temple was rebuilt but was opposed by those who had become complacent in their condition; comfortable living their lives in disarray and dissention. They allowed their mouths to become open graves and persuade the King to stop the work, but how many of us know that the Lord saw this before it happened and placed a little Jewish girl in the “Kingdom for such a time as this”.

We would believe that Ezra fit the profile and was the one chosen to complete the work, but not so. Many of us minimize our sphere of influence because we believe that what we do and who we are has no bearing and carries no weight. Enter in Nehemiah a cupbearer to the same King who was married to the woman who had been set in the Kingdom for such a time as this “Queen Esther”. Like Esther Nehemiah more likely than not was not the one we would have gone with to accomplish this task.

@ Leaders feel the burden of a need before they receive the vision or even the means to meet it.

Neh 1: 1-4 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

Nehemiah was busy fulfilling what he believed his purpose in the earth when the word came that the city of his birth, the land of his promise and inheritance lay in ruins. He didn’t confront the King with his issue, nor did he abuse his sphere of influence he waited and while he waited he sought the Lord in prayer and fasting, reminding Him of His word and His promise.
Neh 1: 7- 9 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

The quickest way to get a response from the Lord is not immediately what we think it to be. Nehemiah it says reminded the Lord of the promise that He made, not just the blessings but also the results of their consistent sin that they would be scattered but even in that, the promise of God was that no matter where they were He would restore them to their land; the land of promise.
Neh 2:1 – 6 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

In the book of Esther the same one who would become Queen, before her this King took no fore thought for the people who served him, or the people he served; he gave an order based on corrupt information to stop the work. Now here was this same King after having been influenced by his wife the Queen became keenly aware of first who he was and because of that there was a change in his leadership ability all because of an encounter with one who had been in contact with the Lord.
@ One interaction with a person of influence impacts your life forever.

And the people didn’t mind being subject. “A King” who was attentive to the condition of the one who served him and set out to do all that was in his power to right the wrong. How many of us can say that we have affected the Lord that way and not only that our leader ? How many of us can say we have impacted the Kingdom of God enough to cause God to ponder your state and condition “crisis” and set His hand with all power
to resolve your issue what ever it maybe.

Neh 2: 10 – 13 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

Let us think for just one moment, I believed I touched on this earlier, that there are those in your life who have an investment in your inabilities. Instead of encouraging the closing of gaps and the pulling down of strong holds there man purpose and ideal goal is to leave you in the state that you are in and resent any sign of growth, promotion or increase in your life. There only thought is how will your promotion affect them, how will this next move affect there agenda or need for you to remain where you are.
The word says that Sand ballot Tobiah were grieved that someone took the imitative to come and see about the people of God. It says that they scorned them and attempted to discourage them from even beginning the work. Here is the thing the wall was in shambles it lay in ruins for 120 years it was rubble and even then it was burned and considered useless; something to be thrown away, trash not worthy.

Then like now Sanballot and Tobiah focused on the lack of the people of God to have an effective leader, one who would remain humble, who could not be easily persuaded, who wouldn’t loose their mind and become consumed with hearing their own name in their ears. The problem was not in their willingness to work from the time of Genesis until the 4th chapter and 6th verse of this very book “The people had a mind to work” it was in retaining leaders that would remain faithful even after their sphere of influence increased. For all those in leadership and desiring to be, for all those whom God has called out from among them to be ye separate, let me stop here and broadcast that “This is a test this is only a test of the emergency broadcast system, had this been an actual emergency this would have been followed by your local news or information regarding the emergency.”

Neh 2: 19 – 20 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

When they could not use coercion, anger or belittlement to discourage the work of the Lord then this is what your enemy will do:
Neh 4:1-3 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

There will be times as we pursue the will of God that those who have an investment in your shortcomings (your own limitations) become angry when the Lord desires to move in your life. The work that the Lord has afforded us to do; the lives He has allowed us to impact and the changes He has made, will make, will upset, irritate and anger your detractors. Not so much because they no longer have access nor hold the place in your life they once did, it is merely because they have not just told some but all that we could not make it without them. Sanballot and them wanted to be included but were afraid their inclusion would limit their influence.
@ Many people wont assist on your way from being bound to freedom because they realize that once your free your need for them diminishes.

Neh 4:6-8 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

Think it not strange that your enemies are in cahoots in your downfall. The word of God says that sandballot, tobiah and Gresham all of which were Jews began to conspire with non-Jews to plot the destruction and hinder the work. The word of God says it this way:
Gal 6:7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Listen
For as much as we desire to believe that we are as the word would desire we be a body fitly joined together, there are those among you that find comfort and solace among your enemies. Make no mistake we all have (1) adversary being the devil but please understand he has many volunteers, both willingly and unwillingly.

Neh 6:1 - 3 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

There plan was to destroy the children of Israel and stop the work, there plan was to keep Nehemiah so distracted or involve him in their own mess that he would neglect his assignment. The plan of sandballot, tobiah and those who opposed the people of God was thwarted because I take comfort in knowing that “no weapon that is formed against me shall prosper” and I’m ending with this Nehemiah possessed qualities that made the monumental things mundane and attainable to a people that had endure for (120) years of exposure and open season by the enemy. He rebuilt the walls and set order and what lay in ruins and seemed impossible with man became possible with God because the work was completed in (52) days, because the people had a mind to work.
Joe 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

Long before the work was outlined and the instructions given, Nehemiah said as Isaiah did “Here am I Lord send me”. He denied himself took up his cross and followed hard after God and held fast to his assignment until it was complete. The promise of the Lord is that what has lain in ruins in your life for years he is going to turn it around and it won’t be as long as you believe it to be.
God Bless You