Strengthening:
Call to Rise:
After months of prayer, fasting and planning, Nehemiah was finally ready to reveal his intentions for rebuilding the wall to the people of Jerusalem. They hadn’t invited him. They weren’t expecting him. He held no particular position of influence or authority over them. And now he had the audacity to propose himself the leader of a movement that would require first a radical shift in perspective, and then a massive commitment of effort from a community who, again, had never asked him to get into their business in the first place.
From the outside looking in, it sure seems like Nehemiah has swerved out of his lane.
Some commentators believe that the Israelites in Jerusalem had come to accept the state of the city’s ruined wall, along with the social, security and economic problems it caused. They subconsciously perceived it as an unfixable reality.
Enter Nehemiah.
God used Nehemiah to open their eyes. Nehemiah helped them see the reality of their situation rather than just their perception of it. He helped them to see the favor and hope that God had given them. He helped them see that they must be part of the solution, and that God’s miracle would come through their own hands. Until now, Nehemiah’s quest to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls had mainly involved private preparation. Now the collaborative phase of the campaign was beginning, and Nehemiah discerned it was time to speak up.
If you can’t see the similarities already, I hope that as you read on you’ll see that America’s current situation is not much different than the situation Nehemiah faced. Many of us have simply come to accept the broken state of our culture and government, and as such we have allowed the fruit of bad seeds to grow unchecked. But just like Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day, the truth is that America is not too far gone for God to redeem her and rebuild our land as the God-honoring nation it was meant to be from the beginning. When the Miracle Worker does this extraordinary thing, it will be through your hands.
What does it mean to speak up?
Throughout this campaign you’ll read the term “speaking up” and I’ll also reference “the problem we’re facing” or “our crisis”. It can get to sounding quite vague, so here is some clarification: Speaking up means speaking truth, confronting lies, educating others and promoting Biblical values out loud.
Speaking up does not mean arguing, convincing or blaming. It does not mean violence or intimidation, and it doesn’t mean hindering the rights of free speech for those with whom we disagree. It doesn’t mean constantly complaining about what is wrong.
Our current crisis in America is a crisis of liberty. Here is a very small sampling of situations that show how the liberty of Americans – especially conservative, Christian Americans – is in danger.
- In May 2021, a Texas prayer group (Christians Engaged) was denied tax exempt status by the IRS. When the IRS explained their reason for the denial, they stated: “Specifically, you educate Christians on what the Bible says in areas where they can be instrumental, including the areas of sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, biblical justice, freedom of speech, defense, and borders and immigration, U.S. and Israel relations. The Bible’s teachings are typically affiliated with the D party and their candidates. This disqualifies you from exemption under IRS Section 501(C)(3).” The “D party” is their code name for the Republican party.
- In June of 2021, it was discovered that Whitehall District Schools in Michigan sent an email to students with no parental approval or notification that provided children with a questionnaire (Erotic Response and Orientation Scale or EROS) to determine their sexual orientation. The questionnaire asks questions such as “I identify as a man, woman, or other”; “In the past two weeks, I have found myself wanting to have real-life sexual intercourse with a man” and “I have found myself sexually aroused by a woman”. The email also included a link to grant money that would assist students in obtaining gender transition surgery without help from their parents. This email was sent to all high school students and, even more disturbingly, children as young as 6th grade.
- To date, the Supreme Court has on five separate occasions ruled that the restrictions on religious gatherings and practices created by California’s state government (in response to COVID-19) are unconstitutional. The most recent restriction to be shot down (April, 2021) was a ban on in-home religious gatherings where more than 3 households are represented. California Christians were concerned that the limit “does not permit an individual to gather with others in her own backyard to study the Bible, pray, or worship with members of more than two other households, all of which are common (and deeply important) practices of millions of contemporary Christians in the United States.” Californians “can sit for a haircut with 10 other people in a barbershop, eat in a half-full restaurant (with members of 20 different families), or ride with 15 other people on a city bus, but they cannot host three people from different households for a Bible study indoors or in their backyards.” In light of these continual court losses, Governor Newsom’s office decided to voluntarily change its prohibition on singing or chanting in a church service to a recommendation – 10 months after it was enacted. For 10 months, it was illegal to sing in an American church! The household gathering ban was overruled by a 5-4 vote at the highest court in the land, hardly a sweeping rebuke on restriction of religious liberty. And until that ruling, the lower courts had deemed the restriction lawful.
- And finally, as I attempted to provide a representative example of media censorship of Christian and conservative messages, the list of examples was so long I struggled to choose just one.
Our government has expanded its influence and tried to usurp God’s place as the authority on matters of family life and morality. In this paradigm, Americans who want to live their life based on the teachings of the Bible are quickly losing their liberty to do so.
The Decade of Pey
I believe this moment in history is the most critical time to speak up that we will experience in our lifetime. Why? There are several reasons, but one of the chief reasons is found in the Hebrew alphabet. (Stay with me – I promise to bring this full-circle!)
The Hebrew alphabet consists of symbols which are represented by specific pictures. Each picture-letter also has a numerical value. Because of this, the Hebrew language is rich with meaning and symbolism. The year 2020 on the Greco-Roman calendar used by Americans began shortly after the Hebrew year 5780. The letter for the number 80 is Pey, which is a picture of a mouth. Scholars and theologians believe the spiritual significance of Pey is “to speak.” While 5780 was indeed a year to speak, it also began an entire decade in the number 80 – the decade to speak.
For anyone concerned about matters of truth, liberty and justice, it’s painfully obvious that America has a dire need for communication that gives truth, exposes lies and stands against injustice. In this spiritual season of Pey, God is placing strategic emphasis on the Spirit-led, spoken words of His people.
“To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!” Proverbs 15:23
The Almighty God who created everything through His spoken word has made us in His image, and reminds us that the words of His children have the power to destroy and the power to build up (Proverbs 12:6). Scripture tells us that “the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).
The Silent Church
We have been disengaged in matters of culture and government for too long. For some reason, today’s American Christians are inclined to avoid conflict at all costs. It’s a far cry from flipping over tables in the temple and calling predatory leaders a “brood of vipers,” but here we are nonetheless. Some of us would rather be silent and thought well of by the world, than to speak up and be ridiculed. But as 1 Corinthians 1:27 says in the Message translation, “Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these ‘nobodies’ to expose the hollow pretensions of the ‘somebodies’?”
We’ve been conditioned to believe that civic involvement is equivalent to politics. Civic involvement is not only good, it is God’s idea (Romans 13:1-2; Matthew 28:18; Genesis 1:28; Colossians 1:16). Politics, however, is a game of manipulation played for control, rooted in values that are antithetical to the gospel. Our culture has shamed genuine believers out of involvement in civic service by conflating the two concepts. Subsequently, we’ve also been conditioned to believe that Christians who are “into politics” (truly, civic involvement) are immature, self-seeking or idolizing their earthly citizenship over their Kingdom allegiance. These accusations are absurd and false, carefully crafted over time to cause everyday, American Christians to believe they are disqualified from public service.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that separation of church and state is meant to keep the church out of government, when in reality it was meant to keep the government out of church. Our faith ought to inform everything we do, including influencing our schools, community organizations and governments at all levels.
America is a republic, ingeniously designed for government of, by and for the people. When the people of God exclude themselves from participation, should there be any wonder as to why the voice of biblical truth is largely absent? We have been silent for too long, and now we begin to see the horrible fruit of abdicating our responsibility.
The Enemy Knows the Season
Make no mistake – the enemy is aware of the spiritual significance of the decade of Pey. Knowing this, are you surprised that media control, censorship and isolation are such vital parts of the strategy of those who are anti-christ? (To be clear – people are not our enemy; they are victims of our enemy. As Ephesians 6:12 says, “…we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”)
Those who push ungodly agendas have a lot of practice speaking – loudly, abrasively and constantly. They use shame, slander and fear in an effort to keep you quiet. But your authority in Christ is endlessly stronger than their propaganda finesse. “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
If you are concerned about what others will think of you, say to you and do to you if you start speaking up, read this.
When to Speak Up
If you’re inspired to start speaking up, but feeling nervous about knowing when you should, try starting with this simple commitment.
I promise to speak up:
1. When someone asks me
2. When Holy Spirit prompts me
Just as Peter encouraged us in his first epistle, in our hearts, we must “set apart Christ as Lord” and “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). You should prepare and practice now for what you might say then.
How to Speak Up
It’s one thing to commit to speaking up; it’s another thing to actually do it! What do we say? There’s no formula, but we can certainly look to scripture for guidance. Let’s take a look at Nehemiah’s approach.
Give Information
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in…” Israel didn’t see the true nature of their problems because they had settled for the idea that the walls would never be rebuilt. They didn’t even regard it as an option. That sounds familiar… We tend to view Washington D.C. and Hollywood in a similar way. Admit it – you probably think there’s a greater chance that California will fall into the ocean than that Hollywood could end up truly being in the City of Angels. How often have you heard reports of corruption in Washington met with comments like “He’s a politician; if his lips are moving, he’s lying”? We fully accept a certain level of depravity and corruption from celebrities and elected officials and have long since written it off as par for the course.
When depravity and corruption get closer to home – to our state, our community, our school, our neighborhood – some of us respond by burying our heads in the sand. We choose ignorance and rationalize that it will all (somehow) work out. (In spiritual circles this sounds like, “Well, God is still on the throne.”) These brothers and sisters have counted the cost of speaking up, but failed to consider the cost of remaining ignorant and uninvolved.
Why would we do this? Americans love comfort. We are often afraid to learn about the nefarious actions of our government, or examine the immoral influence of culture on our family, because those realities will certainly lead to discomfort, if not anxiety, fear and anger. Consider also the way that truth-tellers are shamed in media and you have all the ingredients necessary to keep people from being willing to acknowledge the trouble we are in.
Those with their heads in the sand need to receive what Nehemiah gave to the people of Jerusalem – a fresh assessment of reality.
I am not encouraging you to debate or argue. I am encouraging you to be led by Holy Spirit to – with gentleness and wisdom – provide information your co-workers, neighbors, friends and loved ones need in order to really see the situation for what it is. It’s not your job to convince them, but to inform them. You can’t make them drive the car, but you should give them the keys.
Don’t Point Fingers
“…the trouble we are in…” Nehemiah took ownership of the problems Jerusalem faced, even though he was least to blame of all those present. He didn’t waste time by pointing fingers. We can invest our time arguing about exactly who is at fault, or we can come together and focus on finding a solution. When it comes to speaking up, dwell less on who is to blame and more on who you can encourage to do something about it. While I recognize that there are many divisive, counter-intuitive movements coming from the left, there are many Republicans whose message is conservative but whose conduct is little different than the Democrats they demonize. This is not a political party issue – this is a We the People issue. Let go of parties and latch on to principles.
Encourage Next Steps
“Come, let us build…” I believe that one of the primary reasons why some American Christians are disengaged from social issues and government affairs is because they just don’t know what to do next. It’s overwhelming to know there is a crisis and then feel as if there’s nothing you can do but sit by and watch it happen. We are uneducated about our rights and options. We feel alone or fear backlash for pushing back against doctrines of demons and unconstitutional activities. It’s natural to want to avoid a situation where your heart is vexed and you feel there’s nothing you can do about it.
Help fellow Christians get over the hurdle of feeling helpless by showing them what they can do. Tell them about petition drives, town hall meetings, activism training, support groups (off and online), protests and rallies. Remind them of the simple but powerful things that anyone can do: Invite our loving, all-powerful God to intervene on our behalf (otherwise called prayer), attend government meetings (school board, city council, etc.), volunteer as an election official, seek education on law and history, study scripture, practice thanksgiving and treat your neighbors lovingly. This is exactly what the Rise & Build Campaign is all about! These simple next steps, called Build Assignments, will make a big difference over time, and anyone can do them.
Your next steps as you speak up will likely be connected to the assignment God has for you in this critical season of transition in America.
Focus on the Ultimate Goal
“…that we may no longer suffer derision.” It was never about just a wall. The Hebrew word derision here means “resting upon condition of shame, disgrace” or “reproach.” Nehemiah wanted to provide the safety and prosperity to his people that would come with rebuilding the wall, but his ultimate goal was to remove the reproach associated with God via the condition of His people. It was never just about a wall for Nehemiah, and it’s not about politics for us. It is about ensuring liberty for all Americans, and consequently retaining liberty for Christians to live by Biblical principles.
Glorify God
“And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me.” I’m always encouraged by memes and articles that rehash biblical accounts of the ways God has shown Himself mighty and loving to mankind. I’m equally encouraged when I intentionally list all the ways that God has rescued me, shown me favor, answered my prayers and shown his loving-kindness to me. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), which I believe is at least part of why scripture encourages us to recount the stories of God’s impact in the earth, to ourselves and our children (Deuteronomy 11:19).
What has God done for you? What prayers has He answered? What has He said to you in prayer regarding the state of our nation? What has He promised – today and yesterday and yesteryear? Can He do it? Will He do it? Has He already done some of it? Can He do it again, or is He all done making a way where there seems to be no way?
It’s time to speak up about the power and goodness and faithfulness of God – in history, in your history, and as it unfolds today. Believers and nonbelievers alike will be encouraged by this testimony, especially as they see the convictions you’ve shared coming to pass.
It’s Time to Speak Up
If you are still feeling afraid, uncertain or ill-equipped to speak up, I strongly urge you to revisit Campaigns 1 through 6 of the Rise & Build Campaign; they exist to address these very concerns!
The truth is, you need not be afraid. Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). He will give you the words to speak (Matthew 10:19). You can be certain that God’s word always accomplishes what it was sent to do (Isaiah 55:11). Don’t be bashful about seeking education in areas where you feel uninformed. You are not alone – the silent majority are finding their voices and they will stand with you.
Our God specializes in taking those without reputation, without formal education, without wealth, without the approval of the world, yet without fear – and transforming the world through our simple obedience (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). And when He does miracles, He often does them through hands like yours and mine.
It’s time to use your voice to ensure that no American is defrauded of their God-given rights to life and liberty, and consequently that the household of faith retains liberty to live by Biblical principles.
It’s time to strengthen ourselves for the work ahead.
“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build.”
Prayer:
God, thank You for freedom and free will. It’s a scary time to speak up, and sometimes I’m afraid. I come before you now and exchange my fear for faith. Holy Spirit, when you prompt me to share truth, refute lies and testify to Your goodness, I will obey. You are my Shepherd and I know Your voice – train my heart to hear it more clearly. Please give me opportunities to speak up for truth, and grace to do it with supernatural effectiveness. If others respond with offense and hate, help me to still unashamedly speak truth with gentleness and respect. Lead me to resources that will help me be educated and informed. Help me connect with others who will link arms with me in this process. Wherever You are, Holy Spirit, there is liberty! God, may I experience Your presence in my heart, in my home, in my neighborhood and everywhere I go. In Jesus’ name; Amen.
Build Assignments:
- Join a support group that informs and organizes those who want to defend liberty. If you need help finding a group, join the Rise & Build Campaign Facebook group to ask others for suggestions.
- Set aside some quiet time and grab a few pieces of paper. On that paper, write out your answers to the following:
- Make a list of prayers God has answered throughout your life (as many as you can remember).
- List at least 10 times in scripture where God made a way where there seemed to be no way.
- What promises has God given you?
- What has God spoken to you in prayer regarding the state of our nation?
- What do you believe are God’s plans for America?
Now, read the list out loud. Seriously. If you feel self-conscious, park in the garage and sit in your car. No one will even know what you’re doing, but I promise you will be encouraged when you pey – speak – the testimony of what God has done and is going to do.