September 2020 Ministry Update

We have a few quick items for you. 

1) Matt on Moody Radio

2) Banquet Cancelled

3) "Finding Refuge and Providing Protection" Jessica Ray

Matt on Moody Radio

<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/886298239&color=%2363290c&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-558728774" title="ThePSP" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">ThePSP</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-558728774/wgnr-fm-2020-matt-interview" title="WGNR-FM 2020 Matt Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">WGNR-FM 2020 Matt Interview</a></div>

Banquet Postponed -  We had to make the difficult decision to cancel the banquet that we had been planning for months. We will have upcoming announcements regarding a reschedule or an online event in the near future. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.

A Mighty Fortress

Have you ever stopped to consider the purpose of a city wall? Though not commonly seen in our present-day western culture, city walls have been used around the world for centuries to protect from enemy invasion or influence. Words describing these walls include: “refuge,” “fortification,” “protection,” and “defense." Such a wall is a topic in the book of Nehemiah. Adversary attacks had left Jerusalem in ruin, and many of the Jews had been taken captive. In the opening chapter, Nehemiah is found inquiring about the state of his beloved city. The words of the messenger fell hard on Nehemiah’s ear: “…The remnant that is 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.” (Neh. 1:3)

Take a moment to put yourself in Nehemiah’s position. How would you respond to this news if it was your city, your people, your family? Do you remember the devastation of Pearl Harbor or the crisis of 9-11? Do you feel the sting of current national crises?

As would be our response to such tragedy, Nehemiah was broken. “When I heard these words,” he writes, “I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.” He humbled himself, repented of his sins, the sins of his fathers, and of his nation, begging the Lord to remember His mercy and His promise to restore Israel upon repentance and obedience. Though his personal resources were few, his strength- only that of one man, and his location (as cupbearer in the palace) distanced from the “disaster relief” efforts of the day, the Lord heard the prayer of His servant and granted him favor with the king. (See Nehemiah’s prayer in Neh. 1:3-11.)

Nehemiah knew that protection from the enemy and restoration of the nation was dependent on the rebuilding of the wall. Upon hearing Nehemiah’s heart, the king approved his request for a “leave of absence” to return to Jerusalem, and gave him the materials with which to rebuild the city. With a weapon in one hand and tool in the other, each man on the reconstruction project kept a keen focus on his personal assignment until restoration was complete.

What about you? In Proverbs 25:28 we read, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down and without walls.” Are there fortifying walls of spiritual virtues in your life, in your home, in your church, city, or nation that has come to ruin through unbelief, enemy attack, disobedience, or trauma, that need to be restored? Take a moment to consider each category, asking the Lord Jesus to reveal breaches in the wall that He wants to restore; then, name each wall and the enemies that have invaded. Tell the enemy Who owns the “city” and believe God for His restoration. (See Neh. 2:20.)

When Nehemiah recognized the condition of the fortress, he stopped what he was doing and prayed. After praying, he put some things on hold while he focused his attention on rebuilding the fortress. Will you stop? Will you pray? Will you fast, believing God for His promises and repenting of the sins in your life and in this nation? Is there something in your life that needs to be put on hold or given less attention while you focus on rebuilding the wall? Will you then follow His assignment for reconstruction?

The wall must be rebuilt for those we work beside and for those yet bound in captivity awaiting a fortress to run to. It begins with each individual doing their part. As we each focus on our specific calling, the enemy will be driven out of our minds, homes, and land, and the fortress will be restored. With Christ as our firm foundation, let’s be that city set on a hill, surrounded by the walls of truth.

~ Jessica Ray 

Assistant to the Women's Ministry Director