Thursday, February 25, 2016

February 26, 2016

"And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor." Joshua 6:2

God has a Promised Land for you! He wants you to enjoy the Glory Days He called you out of Egypt to experience Canaan. When God led you out of Egypt He gave you everything you need to make into Canaan!

Just as the fierce, fearless and formidable fortress of Jericho stood in between the Israelites and their Glory Days you have your own stronghold that must be defeated if you are to enter into the joys of Canaan.

You are well aware of what your "Jericho" is but you may not be aware of how to overcome it. 

The story of Joshua and his defeat of Joshua provide valuable insights into how you can take down the stronghold standing in your way. Let's pull them from this Biblical account.

First, make sure you believe in God's power as Joshua did!

Notice that God didn't say, "You take this city," He said, "I have taken this city!"

God didn't say, "Fight FOR victory", God said, "Fight FROM victory!"

God didn't say go forth hoping to win, He told Joshua to go fight IN the hope that He had already assured the victory!

God did not say, "Go fight against your stronghold," He says, "Believe in my power to defeat it and tear it down!"

God said to Joshua and to you, "Trust in me and believe in what I have done for you and given to you when you were converted!"
  • Did God forgive you?
  • Did He put His Spirit in you?
  • Did He make you a new creation?
  • Did He renew your mind?
  • Did He make you alive in Christ?
  • Did He deliver you out of darkness?
  • Did He make you His child/heir?
  • Did He make you great and precious promises?
So, face it, the question is not, "Will you overcome your Jericho?" The question is, "When will you overcome it?"

When will you stop thinking in past terms and begin thinking and talking and walking like a child of God?

When will cease your negative self-labeling  and expect things to begin to change?

When will you stop living like a victim and begin living like a victor?

You are not destined for defeat Jesus defeated the enemy. You are not destined for depression or discouragement! 

Today's habits will not necessarily be tomorrow's habits!

Don't give place to the devil! Don't agree with his lies!

"The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." Psalm 16:6














February 25, 2016

"And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; and on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him." Joshua 6:2-5

God had brought His people OUT of Egypt and THROUGH the wilderness. Now He was ready to lead them IN to Canaan the Land of Promise. As soon as He brought them across the Jordan River the first thing they confronted was the impregnable fortress of Jericho. Jericho stood between the Israelites and the fulfillment of their God-given inheritance. Jericho had to fall. God promised Joshua He would deliver Jericho into his hand and gave him a plan to do it.

You have a Jericho standing between you and your Glory Days in Canaan. Your Jericho is that stronghold that stubbornly prevents you from enjoying God's presence and His power and from possessing what He promised as your inheritance. It won't be a city it will be something left over from your years in Egypt aggravated by the futility of the wilderness wanderings. It may be:
  • Your anger
  • Your guilt
  • Your anxiety
  • Your addiction
  • Your negativity
  • Your bitterness
  • Your resentment
  • Your critical spirit
  • Your trust issues
  • Your cynicism
  • Your feelings of anxiety
  • Your fear of rejection
Your Jericho is as real and foreboding to you as the real Jericho was to Joshua and his people. But the good news is the same God Who delivered Jericho into his hand is the same God Who can bring down your stronghold!

Do you believe that?

You may be thinking, "I want to believe that but I have tried to break down those walls for years but I haven't made a dent in them."

Let me point you to the promise God gave Joshua "See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor."

Just as God promised Joshua He would give him the Promised Land He will do the same for you.

Just as God had a plan for His people to attack Jericho and defeat it He has a plan for you to charge Jericho and bring it down!

Do you want to know what that plan is?

I will be preaching on it this Sunday and writing on it in this blog.

Are you curious to know the plan?

Read and reread Joshua 6 and it will become obvious to you!

In case it doesn't I plan to devote the next several days revealing three steps for destroying your Enemies in Canaan!

Stay tuned!