For Jerusalem — Thirteen Principles — For America
Rebuilding Our Own Broken-Down Walls
When Nehemiah heard about the broken down walls of Jerusalem, he wept, he mourned, he fasted, and he prayed before the God of Heaven. (Nehemiah 1:3,4)
Then he developed a plan, and all the people joined him. Despite strong opposition, they persisted and, in only 52 days, they prevailed in rebuilding the wall! Laus Deo! (Nehemiah: 1-13)
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Broken Down Walls: Then and Now
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be taken hostage and taken into exile to Babylon, as Nehemiah was 2500 years ago? What did he do to deserve this?
And then to find out that your friends and family who were left behind in Jerusalem are being mistreated, the city walls have been torn down, and the country is in shambles?
It’s terrible! But Nehemiah is the cupbearer to the Babylonian king. It’s a comfortable position. Why should he get involved with troubles back home? That’s their problem. And even if he did, what could he do?
Do you sometimes feel like that today? That the solid “walls” of Judeo-Christian values and constitutional principles which have protected America for 400 years are being broken down and destroyed?
But so what? Why should we get involved? And what can we do about it anyway?
What Makes Us Weep?
But is it really so bad that, like Nehemiah, we are brought to tears when we examine our walls today? Life is good, so why worry? But what about the following examples?
— Should we not be weeping at the way that enemies of God are trying to expel Him from our culture and from the public square?
— Or at the continued legalized murder of 58 million unborn babies since 1973 – over 3,000 per day in America?
— Or at the coarsening of our culture, at the spread of violence, and at rampant pornography that leaves a trail of ruined men, exploited women, damaged children, disease, crime, and even death?
— Or at the many marriages and families that have been broken by divorce and which are now even redefined to include same-sex partners?
— Or at the attacks on our religious freedoms by groups like the ACLU, LGBT activists, radical Islamic jihadists, and even by members of our own government?
— Or at the immoral national debt of over $19 trillion that we are passing on to our children — nearly $60,000 for every American citizen?
— Finally, should we not be weeping at the abuse of executive federal power that violates the Constitutional design of limited government and infringes on the rights and the freedoms of “We the People” and of the states?
Thirteen Leadership Principles: For Action
But weeping is just for starters. It must lead to action.
Therefore, as Rita Dunaway and I reviewed the life of Nehemiah on Crossroads radio last weekend, we identified 13 leadership principles that he used to rebuild the broken-down walls of Jerusalem 2500 years ago, and which we can use today to rebuild the broken-down walls of America.
They all begin with the letter “P” to make them easier to remember, and proceed to a beautiful victory celebration after only 52 days, as follows: Prepare, Pray, Purpose, Plan, Proceed, Participate, Passion, Protect, Persist, Pattern, Purify, Prevail, and Praise!
Crossroads: Where Faith and Culture Collide
Because of a storm-induced technical blackout, we were unable to let you know ahead of time about this program that was carried on Valley radio last weekend. However, you can listen online HERE anytime.
From the Crossroads Team, for God and Country!
Dean Welty
