God is restoring the ruins

Nehemiah 4:2 | “Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

God is bringing forth glory from the ashes in this hour. He is taking the rubble, He is taking the destruction, He is taking the things that were burnt and He is rebuilding the ruins with them.

• To those who have walked through a season of stripping away, to those who have been purged and purified; God is taking what survived the fire and He is going to begin to build on it.

• God is replacing your mourning with fresh oil. He is going to clothe in garments of praise those who have been carrying heaviness. Though the enemy thought he had defeated you, God is restoring you in this hour. He is taking the pieces that were shattered and He is mending them.

• He is making vessels of honor out of those who were dishonored. The tears that He gathered in His hands during your season of brokenness will now be used to water the ground for the harvest of this season.

• The stones that were burnt and broken are going to be used to rebuild the wall. What you lost will be given back in a double portion. It will be in the pressing that the new wine will begin to flow.

• He is bringing streams to the wasteland and life to the dead places. He is promoting the rejected and lifting their heads. Sing, oh, barren places for you shall be filled!

He is restoring your ruins.

• Have you ever felt broken? Ever found yourself in a place where you feel like a pile of shattered pieces, unable to pick yourself up and put yourself back together? Felt like a lost cause, ashamed to let others know what you are going through?

• As Christ followers, we may feel like we must give the impression that everything in life is great - even when we find ourselves in a season of feeling broken. We go about our lives putting a smile on and covering up the issues or trials that are actually breaking us apart inside. Maybe we are afraid of what others will think if they actually knew what was going on in our lives. Maybe we feel like God wants nothing to do with our broken pieces.

• The truth is, God isn’t afraid of our brokenness. God doesn’t see us the way we see ourselves in these moments. We may see a pile of worthless ruins, but God sees what those ruins become when we find faith in Him.
  

---

Read the entirety of Isaiah 61:1-11 | “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”

• This is the year of the Lord’s favor and God is our great architect, our Creator, the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb. He knows the scars, the wounds, and every circumstance you have been through or ever will go through. What we see as broken, God sees as beautiful. He knows where each piece belongs; and when we put our trust and hope in Jesus, piece by piece, He puts us back together into something more beautiful than we were before.

He is the God who rebuilds!

Psalm 147:2-3 (NLT) | “The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.”

• This will be a year of release and building for our church. Release from brokenness; a rebuilding of the ruins and a building of the new. As we are being restored, we are then called to go and build…build others up, build businesses, build families, and build this city! We are then to be the repairer of the breach as the Lord is repairing the ruins in us. We are to win souls to Christ.

• When we choose to open up our hearts and allow God to come in and restore us, He is faithful to do so. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” When we choose to not hide away, but rather run to the arms of Jesus, He will take all the wreckage, all the rubble, and by His grace and His goodness, He will rebuild us.

• The book Isaiah was written over many years about an Israel that was subject to a sequence of empires, Assyria and Babylon and Persia. Isaiah is divided into two main parts: the first half, is an indictment of Israel—an unflinching statement about how very far Israel had gone from faithfully following the God who had liberated them from slavery in Egypt. Isaiah the prophet speaks the Word of God to them without compromise. He will not lie and say everything is OK when it was not OK, and when in order to heal the people had to face the truth of what they had done.

• The second half of Isaiah, which is where today’s reading comes from, is about the healing that God offers to the people of Israel. It’s about freeing the captives and giving sight to the blind and healing the brokenhearted and declaring God’s favor, God’s amnesty, God’s love that is the one thing greater than all else. And in the midst of that healing, God says that they would build up the ancient ruins, repair the ruined cities, the devastation of many generations. It took a long time to do that much devastation and harm, and yet, God says, they would become people of restoration and repair, rebuilding and renewal.

What does restoring, rebuilding, repairing really look like?

• When Israel rebuilds, what will it do? Will it just try to “Make Israel Great Again?” Will they go back to the way things were, back to “normal”? What is the relationship between the old and the new? When we go back to our church building, will we just pick up where we left off, to the same sequence of three services, to business as usual? Or do we allow ourselves to be converted radically by the gospel to do differently than we did before?

• The systems and the values of the world are so different than the values of the gospel that when the gospel shows up there is a division that comes. This is not a bad thing, but a necessary thing, for repentance to happen, and true healing and unity to occur with God. Peace cannot simply be a desire for the absence of tension.

The Gospel Challenges our Natural Way of Thinking

• If you are not being challenged - then it’s not the good news, it’s not the truth. The gospel is always radically good news in the end, but it may not seem like good news to begin with. Healing begins with a humble willingness to recognize and tell the truth. We become willing to tell the whole truth about the vast gulf between our aspirations and our reality as a church and as a nation when we recognize that what we have been doing isn’t working, but that our God has a way for us. This way involves honesty, repentance, and following Jesus to restore the ancient ruins and repair the harm that has been done.

• The word reparation has different connotations. But it is the same word that was used by the prophet Isaiah, repairing the ancient ruins, restoring the devastation of many generations. We are talking about what Jews call tikkun o’lam, the restoration of all things that is the vision of Scripture and the God of passionate, prophetic justice who wills healing for all. We are talking about Jesus’ own mission taken from this very passage in Isaiah, the mission that describes good news to the poor, liberation for the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free and declaring the year of the Lord’s favor.

• We follow a simple itinerant prophet Jesus, who gave his life rather than compromise on insisting that love of God and the love of neighbors is the dividing line between the status quo and the dream of God. It’s the difference between selfish apathy and tolerance of the status quo which harms so many people, on the one hand, and for us on the other, a willingness to follow Jesus’ Way of Love no matter the cost to us. The cost, even if it is steep, is worth it because we are called to rebuild the ancient ruins, to become repairers of the breach. The cost is also worth it because it is about real human beings and other living things, whose worth is beyond calculation, beyond price.

• Whatever 2023 has been, let 2024 be the year of God’s favor, God’s amnesty. Let it begin this day, this minute. Let us not declare peace when there is no peace, let us not seek to go back to sleep or try to go back to normal or seek to make things great again when there was always a gulf between the aspiration and the reality. Let us instead become people who follow Jesus’ Way of Love no matter where it leads, not matter what it costs, with no turning back.

God Rebuilding The Ancient Ruins Has Personal, Societal & Global Benefits:

1. Restoration of faith and reverence in God (Isaiah 61:4): Rebuilding ancient ruins strengthens people’s belief in God and His divine power, leading to a more spiritually connected society.

2. Promotion of justice, righteousness, and compassion (Psalm 33:5): As ancient ruins are rebuilt, society will be guided by these core biblical principles, resulting in fair and equitable treatment for all.

3. Healing for individuals and communities (Isaiah 61:3): Rebuilding ancient ruins helps heal emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds, fostering personal and communal growth.

4. Renewed sense of purpose and unity (Ephesians 4:3): Working together to rebuild ancient ruins fosters unity and collaboration, inspiring individuals to pursue a common purpose.

5. Preservation of cultural and historical heritage (Nehemiah 2:5): Rebuilding ancient ruins preserves invaluable cultural and historical legacies, providing a link to the past and enriching future generations.

6. Economic revitalization (Haggai 1:8): Rebuilding ancient ruins can spur economic growth, creating jobs and opportunities for local communities.

7. Environmental benefits (Genesis 2:15): The responsible rebuilding of ancient ruins can promote sustainable development and stewardship of natural resources.

8. Strengthening of the family unit (Deuteronomy 6:7): As communities work together to rebuild ancient ruins, family bonds can be reinforced and the importance of family values emphasized.

9. Encouragement of repentance and spiritual growth (2 Peter 3:9): Witnessing the transformative power of God in rebuilding ancient ruins can inspire individuals to seek redemption, repentance, and spiritual growth.

10. Global impact (Matthew 28:19): The rebuilding of ancient ruins can serve as a powerful testimony to the love and mercy of God, inspiring people across the world to embrace biblical principles and work towards a more just, compassionate, and righteous society.

Believe & Enter Rest So God Can Work & Rebuild the Ancient Ruins

• In Hebrews 4, the author emphasizes the importance of faith and obedience, drawing on the example of the Israelites who were unable to enter God’s rest due to their disobedience and unbelief. By learning from ancient Israel’s example, believers through all ages can remain faithful and obedient to God, thus experiencing the rest and peace that He promises.

Addressing the Heart of Corruption Before Rebuilding the Ancient Ruins

• Before God can rebuild the ancient ruins though humanity, it is crucial to address the pervasive corruption and bad leadership that permeates all aspects of society today just like it did in ancient Israel. Corruption must be dealt with before revival can burst forth. We have to dive deeper into the thoughts and intentions of the human heart, focusing on individuals who may appear righteous outwardly, but harbor darkness within. Jesus Himself warned against such hypocrisy when He said that even looking at a woman with lust is akin to committing adultery, and hating one’s brother without cause is equal to murder (see Matthew 5:28, 1 John 3:15).

• Change starts within each individual, as we genuinely repent and seek forgiveness for our hidden sins of the heart and mind (see Acts 3:19). As more people acknowledge their shortcomings and strive to follow God’s teachings, a ripple effect will occur, transforming the hearts and minds of society as a whole. The process may be challenging and uncomfortable, but it is a necessary step toward healing and rebuilding.

• God is about to release unto us the key to our manifestation and fulfillment of His promises for our lives. You need to get ready to receive the key and properly position yourself to receive and experience all that God has in store for us. God has to bring us to where He is so we can relate a little better. No matter how He tries to bring us up, we will still not be quite there, but at least He is taking us higher.

Are you ready to go higher?

Psalm 75:6-7, KJV | “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

• Something is about to happen to you. The sky is not even your limit, so get ready! God is about to lift you up.

1 Samuel 2:8, NLT | “He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD’s, and he has set the world in order.”

• Where are you today? Maybe you see yourself as poor; but God is about to lift you up. Maybe you see yourself as needy; but He is about to raise you up. He is about to set you up among the princes. You are about to experience royalty in your situation this month.

Ephesians 3:20, KJV | “Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

God is able to lift you up

God is about to put you in a place of honor. Your lot is going to be falling in pleasant places, and you are going to experience the visible hand of God in your life. When men lift you up, there is a limit as to how far they can reach, but when God lifts you up, there is no limitation. You will experience the highest height and elevation in your life. It is going to be a supernatural marching forward. You are going to experience supernatural lifting. There will be supernatural elevation. This is not going to be based on your strength or your personal wisdom; it is going to be by divine arrangement. God is going to be involved, His hand is going to take you up to the place of greatness.

There are seven areas that God is going to touch. There is going to be lifting and elevation in your:

1. Family

2. Relationships

3. Health

4. Spiritual life

5. Finances

6. Businesses/work and

7. Education

Anything crippled in your life shall be broken in the name of Jesus. This is our time SUPERNATURAL ELEVATION. And part of this supernatural elevation is the repairing or the rebuilding of the ruins…the ruins need to be rebuilt first and we are then called to go and rebuild and build-to be the repairers of the breach.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for being more than able to rebuild my life. I declare, by the power of the Holy Ghost that this month, I am lifted up in my family, in all my relationships, in my health, in my spiritual life, finances, business/work, and in the area of education and training. As You repair the ruins of my broken life, give me a vision of where to go forth and rebuild in my family, community, city, nation and beyond. In the name of Jesus, Amen.