PREPARE FOR WAR!                                                

“When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them.” Deut.20:1-3(NIV)

God had asked the Israelites to enter their Land of Promise and dispossess the current inhabitants. But these were going to be nations stronger than them, more equipped and larger in number than the Israelites. Knowing that this would appear a rather tall order and constitute a problem as they marched out to engage these fierce Canaanite armies, God gave them regulations concerning their warfare.

No matter the odds and no matter how insurmountable things looked, the first thing God told them was “DO NOT BE AFRAID.” Once you allow fear to grip your heart you’ve already lost the battle. God told them why they didn’t need to be afraid. It was simply that He was going to be with them. The promise of God’s presence was the key. It is the same with us today. We must carry the presence of God with us into the battles of life. His presence gives us the assurance that we can take on any giant.

Life in a real world means that people will constantly rise up against us. There will be all sorts of attacks. There will be constant opposition and the enemy will always attempt to distract and derail us from the purposes of God. But no matter what people may plot against you, their assaults cannot stop God’s plan. Their poison will not stop God’s purpose. God told Israel not to be terrified, not to panic, that He would be there to give them victory. God is bigger than any attack, God is stronger than any weapon formed against us and God is infinitely wiser than any adversary we may face. If God’s Presence is with you, then your victory is certain!

NEXT STEPS

The key to each battle was that the priest was there to hear from God and come forward to address the people. It was the priest who received revelation from God concerning every situation.

Today, as a child of God, you are a priest. It means God has given you access directly into His presence and you can receive revelation for every situation. It means you can find assurance and comfort in knowing that God is with you.

God has promised never to leave you or forsake you and the promise of His Presence carries with it the promise of His protection and preservation. This is the season to cultivate the Presence of God.

SONG

♬Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here by Kim Walker Smith

https://youtu.be/ySTtmLR1Exg

FURTHER STUDY 

Numbers 14:41-45 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+14%3A41-45&version=NIV

1 Peter 2: 9 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Pet.+2%3A9&version=NIV

BE A BELIEVER, NOT A DOUBTER                                       

“We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13: 33 (NLT)

When you pray for a job and God gives you an assurance about a particular position you’ve believed for, what would your next steps be? Do you sit at home without actually applying for the job or updating your résumé? Do you assume that since you have peace about the job, the employers will supernaturally locate your home and phone number and drive there to offer you the position on a platter of gold? God has a part to play and you have a part to play as well.

The Israelites had a part to play in taking possession of the Promised Land. After God’s declaration that the land was theirs, they needed to go into the land and take it. God’s plan was to provide supernatural help as they took action. God desires many things for us as well but the possession of His desire for our lives will require action from us. When the 12 spies went to spy out the land, God’s intention was to give them an insight into how good the land was. This was their land and His best for them. But 10 spies came back and said ‘No’ when God already said ‘Yes’. They were afraid. Fear caused them to miss the very best God had for them. It happened to them and it can happen to us.  If we ever come to a place where we know what God wants for us but we’re called to take action, then we must protect ourselves from doubt. Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb believed God and their faith in God sustained them for 40 years in the wilderness, while they waited for the right timing to step out again.

What God did for Joshua and Caleb, He can do for you. This is the time to flood your mind with thoughts of victory and success, expansion and greatness. Remember David and Goliath and Gideon’s 300[1], remember the 3 Hebrew boys and King Nebuchadnezzar[2] and let your faith in God cancel out the doubts that lead to fear. If God could feed 5,000 with a small boy’s lunch, He can as well provide for you. If he healed the woman who was bleeding for 12 years, He can deal with your medical issues. If He could use 12 ordinary men to turn the world upside down and change the course of history, He can use you to do great things!

CONFESSION OF FAITH:

Fear has no power over me. I set my face towards my Promised Land and declare that the giants are bread for me. The Lord is with me and I step out in faith today.

FURTHER STUDY:

Ps. 18:29 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A29&version=NIV

Heb. 11:8-12   https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews+11%3A8-12&version=NIV

Isaiah 8:13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+8%3A13&version=NIV

SONG:

♬My Trust is in You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcVJbwDWDPg

Strength and Courage

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

 
Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness had just died. Joshua, Moses’ former aide and now the leader of the Israelites, has just been charged by God to lead His people into the Promised Land. To say that Joshua faced a daunting task would be an understatement. Before him were fortified cities, “giants in the land,” a flooded Jordan River, and a generation of Israelites who grew up wandering in the wilderness. It was at this moment that God spoke to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous.” Joshua needed to heed God’s instruction if he was to have any chance of entering into the inheritance that God prepared. Like Joshua, we too need the strength to lay hold of all of the promises that God has given us for 2019 and the courage to step into new things. Even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we do not have to be afraid because God has assured us that He will be with us every step of the way to help us overcome any difficulty we may face. Always remember it is not because situations are perfect we step out, nor because conditions are right we make a move. We walk by faith and with great courage.

PRAYER

• Pray for God to strengthen your heart in the days ahead.
• Pray for continuous boldness and a courageous attitude as you step out every day knowing that God is with you.
• Pray for grace and the commitment to complete the fast.

DECLARATION

“♬No Longer Slaves” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8TkUMJtK5k

FURTHER STUDY

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+1&version=NIV

THE SOCIAL CHURCH

There is nothing that perhaps captures the zeitgeist of the age or the spirit of our times like the phenomenal rise to prominence of social media. Suddenly, everywhere we turn, we are struck by the pervasiveness of social media platforms. It is no longer a sign of being hip or being cool to be on Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn.

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