The Sword & The Trowel: Build & Battle (Nehemiah 4)

And he conquered death in the grave and the curse that sin brings and by doing so, he ransomed us from the kingdom of darkness, purchased you by his blood and paved the way through the resurrection to eternal life with God the father and it's an eternal life that doesn't just start one day when you die, it starts the moment you place your faith and your hope and what Christ for you at the cross. And then he fills you with his spirit and he empowers you for a greater mission as he identifies you as his beloved children. [00:23:32] (34 seconds)  #RansomedByHisBlood

Again, guys, our battle is a different kind of battle. You hear hear this. Like, we operate from victory, not just for victory. This is a part of the already and yet not yet of the kingdom. We see this tension throughout the scriptures. Jesus told us in this world, you will face trouble and tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world. The war's already been won. [00:25:39] (24 seconds)  #OperateFromVictory

That's important. The world that we live in is constantly striving out of a place of insecure, anxiety to am I gonna get there? There's a fear of failure. There's a pride of achievement. It's an attempt to try and prove yourself that I have what it takes and I can do it. But in Christ, we don't build for victory. We build from victory. Victory already achieved in him. That's why we are not rising church, we are risen church. You are risen in Christ and seated with him in heavenly places now. [00:02:43] (32 seconds)  #RisenInChrist

But when you operate out of a place of victory and security in Christ and you tap into God's heart for the people that you're trying to win to Christ, you're not just trying to crush them. You're trying to bring them salvation, redemption. So our sword here is the sword of the spirit and the word of God. It's prayer that arms the soul, and one of the most effective weapons that you can use against the enemy is capturing God's promises in his word through prayer. [00:36:48] (32 seconds)  #SwordOfTheSpirit

One thing he doesn't do is make his address in the hole. He doesn't move in and call it his identity. He doesn't look at others in similar holes for comfort and acceptance. Guys, the enemy builds communities that celebrate those pits, that are proud of the pit. They say, you were born for this pit. It's who you are. Those people on the path, they'll never accept you for who you really are. They say, we accept you just as you are in the pit. [00:43:28] (37 seconds)  #PitIsNotIdentity

Because a lot of people think becoming a Christian is like being whisked away into some, like, spiritual happy place, anxiety free, enlightenment, bliss forevermore. And, yeah, that's probably heaven. Praise god. But on this side of heaven, like, if you remove the physical veil, you're probably gonna realize that the context in which we now live is less like suddenly waking up in paradise and a lot more like waking up suddenly in Normandy in 1944, the day after d day. [00:30:34] (29 seconds)  #KingdomIsBattlefield

We're gonna get into this, but I'm telling you guys, it's not like, oh, well, if I pick up the trial to build, it's gonna be harder, so it's better for me to just chill on the sidelines. Guys, often when you do that, it's a sign and symptom that you've chosen the world rather than Christ the king. That's not safer. That's believing a lie. [00:05:24] (21 seconds)  #NoSidelinesInFaith

In Judah, it was said. That means it came like a saying. Even a song reverberating in their hearts and minds. So this is the kind of self talk and murmuring that has taken hold in the workers throughout this project. It's starting to take root even in them. Fear, anxiety, confusion, pessimism, criticism, demoralization, discouragement. This becomes their song. They're exhausted physically and spiritually. And their language is clear. By ourselves, too much rubble. We can't do it. [00:11:13] (39 seconds)  #DefeatistMindset