[SW220] 02/12/2016 message notes by
Reverend/Evangelist Susan J. Wynn ©2016
“Restorers of Ruins”
Nehemiah’s name means, “Yahweh comforts.” Jesus Christ wants you to see that, when you are filled with the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, you will have a front row seat to watch Him work through you to restore ruins!
Texts: Nehemiah excerpts
Chapter 1 specific phrases:
v. 2 — I asked them concerning the Jews . . .
Has the Lord put it on your heart to be concerned about the state of your fellow human beings? Then He is calling you. It is a call to every Christian on the planet.
What is He calling you to?
v. 3 — The report: Great distress, broken down, burned . . .
You will hear a report that your fellow human beings are in great distress. They are in ruins — their walls and gates of protection are broken down by the enemy of our souls. Why? There are so many reasons, there were so many reasons for me, but the bottom line is sin. All have sinned and have fallen short of (lack) the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But He means to restore ruins, and put His glory in them!
v. 4 & 6 — I sat down and wept and mourned, fasting and praying, day and night;
All Israel and I and my father’s house have sinned . . .
The first step for restoration of ruins is for the restorers to weep, mourn, fast and pray day and night, and to confess the sin of those who are in ruins.
Even though Nehemiah was either born in captivity in Babylon, or just a child when captured, he confessed the sin of him and his fathers, though he had not sinned as they had. But he took upon himself their suffering, and carried his burden to the Lord, in prayer. Sound like Anyone we know? It will be the description of you, when you become a restorer of ruins.
v. 8 — Remember the word, “If you return to Me . . .”
After weeping and mourning, fasting and praying, you may humbly remind the Lord of His promise that, if even you would repent and confess the sins of those who are in ruins, they would turn and He would gather them and bring them back to Himself.
v. 11 — Grant compassion with the king . . .
We serve a compassionate Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. If you go to Him on behalf of those who are in ruins, you will experience His great compassion for them; you will be inwardly moved, as He is.
Chapter 2 specific phrases:
v. 3 — City lies desolate, consumed by fire . , ,
Report to the Lord that you see the desolation, the burned-out ruins.
v. 4 — What would you request? I prayed to the God of heaven . . .
Pray to the God of heaven. He asked the blind man, “What do you want Me to do?” The man said, “Restore my sight!” And Jesus did. And He will show you favor, when you ask Him. Ask Him what?
v. 5-6 — Send me, that I may rebuild it, so it pleased the king to send me . . .
Ask Him to send you. If your cry is, “Here am I. Send me,” the Lord will do it. That cry is always the cry of those who are Spirit-filled, who readily see the ruins of other lives. They are outward-focused, compelled to bless others, to let Christ use them to restore!
v. 7-8 — Letters that they may allow me to pass through, letter to Asaph for timber for beams for gates, the wall of the city, and the house to which I will go.
Tell the Lord exactly what is needed to restore the ruins. You need help to get through Satan’s territory. You need strong foundation-building material — the very Word of God and the power of God — to rebuild gates, walls, and houses.
v. 9 — The king sent me with officers of the army and horsemen . . .
The King of kings will give you more than you ask for. He is the God of more than enough. He will send protecting angels with you, the very hosts over whom He is Lord.
v. 10 — Very displeasing to enemies . . .
Satan will be upset when he hears the news that restoration is on the way.
v. 11 — Night, told no one what my God was putting into my heart . . .
Without making it known, go about the ruins of each life, take note of the damage. Let the ruined ones speak. Be still. Let them pour out their hearts to you. God has put something in your heart, but it’s not time to tell them until you compassionately listen to them tell you about their ruins.
v. 17 — You see the bad situation . . . come, let us rebuild so we are no longer a reproach . . .
Society unfailingly disapproves of and shuns people whose lives are in ruins. But you will hear a word from the Holy Spirit, “You see the ruins. Come, let us rebuild!” And when the ruins are restored, there will be no more shunning. Instead, the world will want to know how the ruined one became restored. That’s the whole plan!
v. 18 —The hand of my God had been favorable. Let us arise and rebuild!
The hand of your God is favorable, Spirit-filled Christian. You will say, with the Holy Spirit, “Let us arise and rebuild!”
Chapter 3:
All build in unity . . .
It is not a superficial, outward unity, but an inward unity of heart that only God can work IN us (John 17:21, 26).
Chapter 4 —
v. 1 & 3 Enemy furious, very angry, mocking, casting doubt . . .
When he sees the work begin, the enemy of our souls will be furious and very angry. He will mock and cast doubt. But you will listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and continue your work. You will run from the voice of the enemy. His voice is nothing like your Good Shepherd’s voice. Spirit-filled Christian, you know Satan is a liar and the father of lies. There is no truth in him. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1John 4:4). Rebuke Satan, in the name of Jesus.
v. 6-8 — So we built the wall to half its height. The repair (healing) of the walls, further enemy threats . . .
You will reach the halfway point in completion of the restoration of the one who is in ruins. The report of the repair (I love that the Hebrew word means “healing”) reaches the enemy’s ears, and he threatens to attack and kill.
v. 9 & 14— But we prayed to our God, remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight . . .
But you pray and fight! You are equipped with God’s own armor that He has tailored to fit you perfectly! You fight with the sword of Spirit which is the Word of God, and with prayer.
Chapter 6
v. 8 — The enemy spreads lies. But now, O God, strengthen my hands . . .
Satan will try to spread lies about you. But you will pray, and the Lord will strengthen you.
v. 10 — Enemy temptation to sin, I perceived God had not sent him
The enemy will tempt you to sin in order to escape enemy capture, but you will perceive that the one tempting you is really a mouthpiece for Satan (knowingly or unknowingly). So you will not sin.
v. 15 — The wall was completed in fifty-two days . . .
You, the restorer of ruins, will complete the rebuilding in a miraculously short period of time!
How wonderful! How exciting! Hear the promise from the Lord in Isaiah, for Christians who cease their inward focus and look outward, because they have asked the Lord to fill them with His Spirit and God’s actual love —
Isaiah 58:12 “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.
Christian, put away your outward piety. The Lord is not impressed by it. Ask Him to clean you up on the inside, to fill you with His Spirit, and then your eyes will be opened to see the ruins around you. And you will have a front-row seat to watch Him use you to restore them!
I know about ruins, beloved. First I was in ruins from drugs, and God graciously restored me after I cried out in the middle of the night. Then, many years later, I was in ruins from MS — feet paralyzed, legs partially paralyzed, bladder paralyzing, knotted muscles no muscle relaxant could ease, severe tremors in my head, eyesight ever decreasing, and cognitive dysfunction — I could not think.
Are you in ruins? Pastor Doc was the restorer God used for my ruins. He asked about me, so the Lord gave him the report of my ruins. Then Jesus gave him a vision of me healed. Pastor Doc wept and prayed and fasted, He asked the King for all he needed to pass through enemy territory and rebuild me, and it was done in a miraculously short period of time!
Those in ruins, I have seen you. I have heard the bad report. I am always weeping, praying and fasting for you. And I will pray with you now.
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