Posted by: pastorapbell | September 4, 2010

Words to live by as we remember that God always keep his promises

“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you (Joshua 23:14 &15 NIV).

He will lead you to green pastures

The Lord always keeps his promises. Is this is still applicable today? During the time of Joshua and Moses God made promises to his people as recounted in Joshua 24.  Almost 400 years before the birth of Moses and even before the birth of Isaac, Abraham’s son of promise, God told Abraham that his descendants would be slaves in a foreign land where they would be oppressed (Gen 15:13). 430 years later God raises up Moses and along with Aaron, Joshua, Caleb and about 600,000 – 1m people they are delivered from the hand of their oppressors and journey towards to land of promise to worship Yahweh their deliverer.

God did deliver the descendants of Abraham and he did bring them to the Promised Land. In fact, he gave them land for which they did not labour, towns which they did not build and fruit, vineyards and olive groves which they did not plant (Josh 24:13).

According to this narrative, God has kept his promises. However there is a caveat, were they to turn from following God and follow other gods, then all the blessings would turn to curses and once again they would be under oppression. So Joshua warns the people and makes this declaration, which is a declaration that I want to make and I recommend that all those who are serious about God make.

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14+15 NLT).

Serve the Lord wherever he has placed you, but do so with understanding.

Read Joshua 23&24.

 

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 27, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we set aside a place of refuge for those who make mistakes

Then the LORD said to Joshua: “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood (Joshua 20:1-3 NIV).

He restores me soul

Within our fellowships there must be places where those who have done wrong can go to be restored.  The fact that our God is compassionate allows for him to cater for those who do the wrong things accidentally and are condemned for it. This is an exhibition of mercy. In most of our economy we have no such concept of mercy. Once the wrong has been committed the penalty for that wrong must be paid, and for a charge of manslaughter or murder, it is often death.

For us in our day we need a place where those who wittingly or unwittingly wound people with their actions or their tongues to be restored. This does not mean that there should be no discipline, on the contrary part of the discipline is the process of restoration, where the offended and the offender is given a grace period to repent and to be restored. Because our God abounds in steadfast love (Psalm 145) his remit is to see people delivered, revived restored and set free to fulfil their purposes.

Today even if you have made a mistake and have been ostracised by your community, God still yearns to forgive and restore you. So stay a while in the place of refuge, be healed and then step by step find your way back home to the arms of father God!

Read Joshua 20

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 22, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we pinch ourselves to realise that we are also included!

There remained among the Israelites seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you be slack about going in and taking possession of the land that the Lord has given you?” (Joshua 18:2&3 NRSV).

Gos has made provision

As descendants from a people who were enslaved, it is very difficult for some of us to realise that God has made provision for us. He made promises to us and he constantly reminds us of those promises and that he is faithful to fulfil them. Like the Israelites, the slavery mindset is still troubling so of us. They were battling with the fact that God had already gone ahead and put fear into the hearts of the current occupiers. It is God’s intention that his children enjoy that best and benefit from the land Now!

If you are one of those who wonder if God can, let me encourage you to think again. We are reminder by our brother and apostle Paul, that God can and will do immeasurably, abundantly more than we can think or imagine if we put our trust in him (Eph 3:20).

Today whatever God has put in your heart to do, he will confirm it and then all you have to do is…..Just do it.

Write down the plans God gave you and start to pray them into being. It will come to pass.

Read Joshua 18 & 19.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 18, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we understand the significance of Gilgal.

Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day (Joshua 5:9 NIV).

enlist in the army at Gilgal

I have gone back to this since we need to understand the significance of Gilgal and the prophetic relevance for us today. Earlier in the month we spoke about the circumcision that occurred at Gilgal and how for us who follow Jesus it is our mind that needs to be circumcised. The act of circumcision is cutting a covenant. At Gilgal we are called to renew our covenant of commitment to the Lord. Joshua called the New Generation to make a fresh commitment to the Lord by cutting away from them the reproach of Egypt. After the ‘shame’, ‘low self-esteem’ and rejection of the things of God was removed then the healing process could begin.

Later on in the history of Israel Gilgal became part of the circuit that Samuel visited. Starting from Bethel, the house of God, then unto Gilgal, the camp of God and unto Mizpah, the watch tower and finally Ramah his home, from where he Judged all Israel.

So Gilgal is a place of new beginnings where the sin of slavery has been removed from us. It is also a place where the shame of being in slavery and in relationships that were not Godly can be rectified. It was also a place where Joshua set up his camp and from where he went out to fight the enemies of Israel.

Gilgal is also a wheel or a round object in Hebrew. It is the root word from which Golgotha the place where Jesus was crucified is derived. It was at Golgotha that the reproach for all humanity was removed as Jesus, who knew no sin became sin for us.

Today let us understand the significance of Gilgal as the camp where soldiers are trained and let us remember that the reproach has been rolled away so that we can walk in newness of life because we have made a commitment to serve the Lord for the rest of our lives. Enlist in the army and obey the commands that God is issuing to his generals.

Read Joshua 5

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 18, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we fulfil the promises of the Lord in our time

The allotment for the tribe of Judah, clan by clan, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south (Joshua 15:1 NIV).

Moses walked so that we can fly

Moses dreamt about the land and possessing it. Joshua walked all over it so that we as the New Generation who have been bought by the precious blood of Jesus can possess the whole earth. The land was very significant in the days of old. And today people are still killing each other over land/real estate/properties. For us as Christians Jesus has expanded the ‘land’ beyond the confines of Canaan to the whole earth. Yes we need somewhere to live and rest our head but our greatest desire now is to see the earth covered with the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 6:3).

During the middle ages Christians used this zeal to disposes many natives from their land and used the scripture to enslave those who they thought were inferior. In fact once the monetary rewards from subjugating others was realised a Pope made slavery acceptable for Christians to do until this was changed after the reformation and after many uprisings among slaves.

Judah possessed one of the largest parts of the physical land in his day. They were the nations of Praise. For us today however, although we may not be from the largest tribe or have the prestige of others, once we are faithful to the cause and can fulfil the mandate that God has given us, we will possess the land where we are, and in doing so will allow His kingdom to come and His will to be done.

Read Joshua 16

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 17, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we wholeheartedly follow the Lord

I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly‘ (Joshua 14:7-9 NIV).

do everything wholeheartedly

After 40 years wandering around the wilderness waiting for the rebellious people to die out, Caleb eventually got his inheritance and the land promised to his tribe. He put this down to following the Lord wholeheartedly. There is a lesson for us all here. This was no quick fix thing. Caleb and Joshua were part of the team that went to ‘spy’ out the land. Whilst 8 of them reported that the land was good but was occupied by giants, Caleb and Joshua also reported that the Land was good and that the Israelites were more than capable of taking the land from the giants who occupied it.

They gave and honest report and were up for the fight since they knew the God always kept his promises. Forty years had rolled by now that the doubters had all perished in the wilderness. The only survivors were Caleb one of the oldest men at 85 and Joshua the prophetic progressive leader.

Caleb reminded Joshua of the promise that Moses made to him and at 85 wanted the most difficult terrain for his people to possess. He said this: “I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said”(vv11&12).

Today we need people with this Caleb anointing to fight the giants in our land! The giants of sexual immorality; greed and the pervasive media industry, let us destroy them and drive them from among us!

Read Joshua 15

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 16, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we conquer significantly more than our predecessors did!

These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of the Arabah: Sihon king of the Amorites: And the territory of Og king of Bashan (Joshua 12:1,2&4 NIV).

Before Moses  departed to be with the Lord he was instrumental in the defeat of two kings on the east-side of Jordon. Joshua, however with the commander of the Lords Army and the new generation, that is those who were circumcised at Gilgal, captured the land owned by 31 kings west of the Jordon.  God had used Moses as a mighty tool in fulfilling his promises. However, the generation who came out of Egypt with him, they were in excess of 600,000 men, had complained, moaned and generally disrespected Moses and hence God. They did not get the privilege of going into the promise land because of their bad attitude. So God allowed all of them to die in the wilderness.

Those who crossed over with Joshua had a new mindset and believed all that Joshua told them. 

the reproach has been taken away

Once the reproach of Egypt had been rolled away (Joshua 5:9) they were able to focus on the future rather than harping back o the past.

Today let us become the New Generation that God wants to take forward. Don’t get caught up in living on the memories of the past. Past victories are gone, the anointing of the past has worn off, it is time to go forward and possess what God has in store for you NOW. Let us all operate in NOW FAITH!

Read Joshua 14

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 15, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we possess the entire land

So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war (Joshua 11:23 NIV).

Joshua not only possessed all the lands that God had promised to them, he destroyed all the kings that opposed him. This is why the land is called the Promised Land, God promised it to his people. Cast your mind back to Numbers 13 when as one of the spies Joshua went to survey the land. At that time they reported that the people who lived there were giants who had six fingers and six toes on each limb. It was from one of these tribes that Goliath would emerge years later to defy Israel. Significantly they were not entirely routed. But now Joshua defeated all the giants form the hill country and took the land.

All the tribes were ready for their allocation as promised by Moses and prophesied to Abraham. 

His glory will fill the earth

Today what is the significance of the land for us? Since Jesus the king of the whole world we have a mandate to possess the whole earth so that it will eventually be filled with the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 6:3). Although God will give us physical land as our own dwelling, more importantly he will give us the faith to allow his kingdom to come and for his will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Read Joshua 13

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 14, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we walk by FAITH!

But the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them (Joshua 11:6-7 KJV).

Never walk by sight alone!

God always keep his promises. His word will be fulfilled at the right and appropriate time. A prophetic word is the message that has been communicated to a prophet which the prophet then communicates to others. In general, this message can involve divine inspiration, revelation, or interpretation. Prophecy speaks about the future and what immanently happen.

We are in a New Season when God’s prophetic word will be spoken by those speaking on his behalf and they WILL come to pass. God can either speak directly to you or he may use someone else to convey the message that will take you to the next stage in your destined step.

The difficulty we face is obedience to his word and knowing that it is he who is speaking. How then do we know that it is God? Here are few simple tests:

  1. If it is God then it will be confirmed by two or three people. Have you ever had someone come up to you and whilst speaking, mention the very thing that you were meditating about? Well that’s God.
  2. There will always be a biblical antecedent. That is, scripture will witness that God has spoken like this before. For Joshua, God said tomorrow about this time things are going to change. So when Elijah heard this in 2Kings 7:18 he knew it was God because he had done it before.

Today remember that God gives the prophetic gift for those who want to walk in destiny!

Read Joshua 12

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 13, 2010

Prophetic words to live by as we allow our reputation to precede us

Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them. He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon (Joshua 10:1-3 NIV).

with God all things are possible

The fame of Joshua spread to all the surrounding kings and they joined together to fight against him.  However, the Lord told him that he had already ‘given them into his hands’. When God is on your side, no enemy can triumph against you. The confidence that Joshua developed in God dictated that he would overcome anyone who came up against him.

From the previous chapter we noticed that the Gibeonites had duped Joshua into forming an alliance with them and benefitted from God’s protection when the surrounding kings attacked Israel because of them. Since the Lord was with Joshua he even commanded the sun and the moon to stop in their orbit and stay in their place until he told them to move.

Today, as you put your confidence in the Lord he will allow your reputation to go ahead of you and make a way out of no way.  He will make your enemies your footstool and he will give you great success in whatever you decide to do.

Read Joshua 11

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