2. A Radical Call for the New Year
A Special Message for the New Year 2019
Nehemiah 1:1-2:8 & Daniel 10:1-21
© January 6, 2018
Pastor Paul K. Kim 2

3. CROSSWAY CHURCH’S PREDICAMENT IN THE NEW YEAR 2019
 We have no place to meet after July 2019.
6/21/2017 – OCFA issues Notice of Correction
6/23/2017 – Santa Ana City Counter Rejection
8/14-9/16 – CW’s Fasting & Prayer Chain
8/24/2017 – First Unexpected Contact from Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division)
11/27/2017 – A Formal DOJ Investigation Letter sent to the City (for RLUIPA violation)
1/21/2018 – God’s MIRACLE!!! [The City of Santa Ana conceded that their zoning laws improperly exclude churches from the Professional Zone and began the process on the next day, 1/22/2018 at 5:30 p.m. to amend their Zoning Code to allow churches to meet with a Conditional Use Permit (CUP)].
5/20/2018 – CW LT’s Decision to Forego the CUP process [due to the excessive cost]
7/31/2019 – The End of Our Lease Term with Olive Crest

4. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Nehemiah: Four months of praying and waiting on God’s leading
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. 

5. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Nehemiah: Four months of praying and waiting on God’s leading
7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O LORD, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.

6. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Nehemiah: Four months of praying and waiting on God’s leading
2 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” 6 And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 

7. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Nehemiah: Four months of praying and waiting on God’s leading
7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me. (Neh. 1:1-2:8)
Upon hearing the disturbing news about Jerusalem, Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed persistently.
Nehemiah’s prayer was marked by [1] honoring God’s name, [2] confessing sins on behalf of Israel [3] relying on God’s promises, [4] appealing to God’s covenant, [5] asking God to use him for His purpose.
After four months of prayers, he went to request Persian King’s for permission to go to Jerusalem (2:1-8).

8. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Daniel: Three weeks of persistent prayer for strength and guidance
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.

9. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Daniel: Three weeks of persistent prayer for strength and guidance
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.  8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.

10. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Daniel: Three weeks of persistent prayer for strength and guidance
10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” 15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 

11. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Daniel: Three weeks of persistent prayer for strength and guidance
16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” 18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 

12. SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM SCRIPTURE [NEHEMIAH 1-2 & DANIEL 10]
Daniel: Three weeks of persistent prayer for strength and guidance
20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. (Dan. 10:1-21) 
Daniel received a vision [word] which causes him to mourn, fast and pray for three weeks because it will affect Israel.
In the second vision, a heavenly man (an angel) told him that his prayer was heard on the first day but was delayed for 3 weeks (spiritual warfare).
Daniel’s persistent humble prayers were essential and powerful in making breakthroughs in unseen spiritual warfare.
Through prayer we too can experience God’s affirmation, strength, guidance, and victory in spiritual battle.

13. A RADICAL CALL FOR CROSSWAY CHURCH IN THE NEW YEAR 2019
1) The Spirit’s radical call for CrossWay is to humble ourselves before God corporately as well as individually.
4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. …I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned.  Nehemiah 1:4, 6b

14. A RADICAL CALL FOR CROSSWAY CHURCH IN THE NEW YEAR 2019
1) The Spirit’s radical call for CrossWay is to humble ourselves before God corporately as well as individually.
3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks…
12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you  set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.  Daniel 10:3, 12
How do we humble ourselves before God? By fasting and repentance.
Like Nehemiah and Daniel, we too need to be utterly sincere and earnest in relying God in returning to God for His provision and guidance.
In so doing, the heart we need is a “broken contrite heart” (Psalm 51:17), confessing our own sins and our community’s sins to God.

15. Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God."
Andrew Murray

16. A RADICAL CALL FOR CROSSWAY CHURCH IN THE NEW YEAR 2019
2) The Spirit’s radical call for CrossWay is to declare our utter dependence on God’s guidance and provision through persistent patient prayers.
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah…. 1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Nehemiah 1:1, 2:1

17. A RADICAL CALL FOR CROSSWAY CHURCH IN THE NEW YEAR 2019
2) The Spirit’s radical call for CrossWay is to declare our utter dependence on God’s guidance and provision through persistent patient prayers.
13 “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” Daniel 10:13-14
Fasting is helpful but it is not the end goal—it is a means for persistent/ patient humble prayer—to declare our utter dependence on God.
Like Nehemiah and Daniel, we too need to wait on the Lord patiently, seeking God’s guidance and provision not as an option but as our hope.
In so doing, we need to pray in UNITY and be one in our desperate dependence on God, interceding for one another.

18. Bear up the hands that hang down, by faith and prayer; support the tottering knees. Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down.
John Wesley

19. A RADICAL CALL FOR CROSSWAY CHURCH IN THE NEW YEAR 2019
3) The Spirit’s radical call for CrossWay is to not use God for our purpose but to seek to be used by God for His purpose and glory through spiritual renewal and breakthrough.
4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it”… And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me. Nehemiah 2:4, 8b

20. A RADICAL CALL FOR CROSSWAY CHURCH IN THE NEW YEAR 2019
3) The Spirit’s radical call for CrossWay is to not use God for our purpose but to seek to be used by God for His purpose and glory through spiritual renewal and breakthrough.
17 How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” 18 Again  one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.”
Daniel 10:17-19
Notice that the guidance from Scripture in both Nehemiah and Daniel points us to God’s purpose and glory.
The faith we need is that God desires to fufill His purpose through us.
Therefore, our best solution is to be ready to be used by God for His glory.

21. Revival is the visitation of God which brings to life Christians who have been sleeping and restores a deep sense of God’s near presence and holiness. Thence springs a vivid sense of sin and a profound exercise of heart in repentance, praise, and love, with an evangelistic outflow. J. I. Packer

22. In light of this, OUR RADICAL NEXT STEP in 2019 is:
All-Church 14-Week Fasting & Prayer Chain (January 14 – April 20)

23. THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE
In what ways are you convinced about this radical call for the new year 2019 as the Holy Spirit’s prompting and guidance for us?
What stood out to you from the examples of Nehemiah and Daniel in how they sought after God’s guidance and provision amid their own predicaments?
What is your first step toward seeking to be used by God for His purpose and glory through spiritual renewal and breakthrough?