Turn, Take, Go and Possess

New Years Message 2007

As we enter another year the message of the Gospel must be the church's top priority. Sadly, it is the last priority among most seeker-friendly, purpose driven life laden apostate sanctuaries where the Spirit of God has long since departed. We need to return to the preaching of the Cross and the power of the Holy Ghost as our source and means to reach a lost world for Christ; no other substitute will suffice! As Israel stood on "this" side of Jordan, I believe the Words of the Lord at Horeb so long ago are the words of the Holy Spirit to us all today - "Turn, Take, Go, Possess." When it comes to the preaching of the gospel we can do no less and give our ALL to the grandest call on earth. The true church will hear what the Spirit is saying; the apostate church will just get more and more apostate!

 

By Chris McDonald

TEXT: Deut. 1:5-8
On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying, [6] The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: [7] Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. [8] Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

The story of National Israel and her wanderings in the wilderness holds many warnings and lessons for us in the 21rst Century. As we enter another year of 2007, the message of the Gospel, which has been pushed aside by most churches for fads, entertainment and down right silliness and foolishness, must be returned to the TOP of the church's priorities!! Nothing is more important that this great message of salvation, once delivered to the saints so long ago, and entrusted to us in this generation this writer believes may very well see the coming of the Lord. This writer is very slow at times to say he is 100% sure of anything these days; I think as one gets older we also get wiser to the fact we don't have all the answers, but the Word of God DOES! One thing this writer can 100% assure the reader of is this - we are living in the last of the last days of the church age and the next great event on the face of the earth is the Rapture of the church when the trump of God shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be "caught up" together to meet them in the clouds and be with the Lord forever and forever.

During this tremendous and most dramatic time of human history harvest fields beckon us more and more each day; more and more souls are calling out to us as the Holy Ghost showed Paul the Macedonians - "Come on over and help us!"

Acts 16:6-10
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, [7] After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. [8] And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. [9] And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. [10] And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.


The only HELP the church can give a lost and hurting world however IS THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST which is the message of Christ Crucified, the message of the Death, Burial and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In preaching the Cross, we preach the power of the Holy Ghost. This great message is the only one that can save, heal and deliver from the powers of darkness and the clutches of Satan.

While the gospel should be the church's TOP priority, sadly, yet today in this seeker-friendly, purpose driven life laden atmosphere of the days we live in the gospel has become the LAST. I heard the term "candy cane" religion the other day and I think that sums up best the atmosphere in these last days. The Holy Spirit warned us through Paul these days prior to the rapture of the Church would be just that: "perilous," full of seducing spirits," and "doctrines of devils," "scoffers," men bringing in "damnable heresies," and those who reject and resist the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Most churches have become nothing more than lifeless cathedrals and sanctuaries where the Spirit of God has long since departed. This nation has not heard true Holy Ghost preaching in so long that we'd not recognize true Holy Ghost preaching if it was heard coast to coast. That's a very sad statement to make but one this writer feels is true. If the man of God gets behind the pulpit and preaches the true convicting gospel message today he is lampooned, laughed at, mocked, and ridiculed to no end by many in this modern seeker friendly church club. Yet, if that man will be bold and preach the gospel under the anointing of Christ - yes he will torn to shreds but SOULS WILL BE SAVED!; people will be healed, bondages will be broken, marriages will be reconciled, darkness will be turned to light and the Kingdom of God will be uplifted and edified by the true number of people who will make heaven their eternal home. Let the reader remember this - What is repugnant and offensive many times in the eyes of the church usually tends to be very beautiful and accepted in the eyes of Heaven; in contrast, what is received as popular and acceptable and beautiful in the eyes of the modern church is actually repugnant, repulsive and offensive to the heart and eyes of Almighty God! Cain's altar was beautiful but his sacrifice of good works was rejected! Abel's altar was bloody, smelled repugnant because of the blood, and was probably very offensive to the natural eye yet in the eyes of heaven, Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Abel being dead "YET SPEAKS" to the modern church world today!

Abel's offering screams at us today to PREACH the Cross, the message of the Risen Lamb of Glory, the son of the Living God! There is no other message whereby men can be saved!

Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Proverbs 14:1-4
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. [2] He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despises him. [3] In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. [4] Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

The perverse, which include many who stand behind pulpits and preach a perverted gospel, will always despise those who preach the true gospel and truth of God's word under the anointing of the Holy Ghost! We need to return to the preaching of the Cross and the power of the Holy Ghost as our source and means to reach a lost world for Christ; no other substitute will suffice! The Holy Ghost is the only true source of power for man's dilemma and He only works through the finished work of Christ at the Cross!!!!!!!!! I'm not sure what part of that we in the modern church don't get!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A man can have all the "purpose" he wants but still be bound by the powers of darkness, lost and on his way to a devil's hell!

 What tragedy in the modern church we don't know the Christ of the gospel thus we don't know or preach the Gospel of Christ! What a sad thought to think that MOST of what is being pushed outwardly as the "gospel" today is actually a false gospel driven by demon spirits and pointing people to "another Christ!"

2 Cor. 11:1-4
Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. [2] For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. [3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. [4] For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Galatians 1:4-8
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: [5] To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  [6] I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: [7] Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

I want to take you back to an interesting threshold in Israel's history when one generation gave way to another; one had died in unbelief, the other was about to fulfill God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by Israel possessing the Promised Land. Even within the generation of unbelief there was a remnant of people - mainly Joshua and Caleb - who believed God in spite of the failure of the rest. It was this remnant who survived the 40 years of wilderness wandering who stood at the door of entering the Promised Land.  I believe this remnant mirrors today's church where there is STILL a remnant of people who believe God among a majority who are dying in unbelief and falling rapidly headlong into apostasy, sin and darkness!

As this new generation of Israel stood at Horeb, "this" side of Jordan," waiting instructions on when to proceed and go forward, I believe the Word of the Lord to this remnant are the words of the Holy Spirit to the New Testament remnant today - "Turn, Take, Go, Possess." When it comes to the preaching of the gospel we can do no less and give our ALL to the grandest call on earth. The true church will hear what the Spirit is saying; the apostate church will just get more and more apostate!

Moses was about to repeat the Law of God to the new generation prior to their entering Canaan as we see in this fifth book of the Pentateuch - the books of Moses. The word "Deuteronomy," means the "second law," which was not a second or new law, but a "repeating," of the original law which would be the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel.

I want to take a minute and deal with that because it is very important! The TRUE GOSPEL has always been the message of the church. When the Lord ascended to heaven and told the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem and be endued with power from on high, He entrusted them with the most powerful entity in the entire universe - the GOSPEL, which was to go forth from Jerusalem into all the world.

Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Isaiah 2:2-4
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. [3] And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. [4] And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

On Mount Sinai, God wrote the Ten Commandments in stone by His own hand; He then gave them to Moses to give to the people, which in effect was His first "installment," if you would, of His written Word. The Word was first given as the Law, which was written in stone to symbolize its hard, rigid nature and also reveal the hardness of man's heart to receive it and utter helplessness to obey it. Nothing was to be added to the Law and nothing taken away from it! God's ultimate purpose in the Law was in type for the Word of the Gospel to become FLESH which it did in the person of Jesus Christ! The Lord made it possible for the Word to be made flesh in all of us. The Word is made flesh in us when it is changed from being just "concepts," and "principles," to becoming our very nature! The Word of God is not just what we believe, even though that is very important - it's who we are in CHRIST! He is the Word of God. The message of the Living Word - Christ Crucified - was never to be tampered with no more than the Law of God written on stone could be changed in the Old Covenant!

The apostolic task was more than just getting the people to believe the right doctrine; it was to labor until Christ, the Word of God, was formed in the people. The apostolic mandate was not one of "conformation," but FORMATION! Secular humanism and new age dogma seeks to "change" the nature of man by changing his environment, his institutions, governments and rules of behaviors. The New Age tint of the modern gospel tells the church it needs to save society when in reality the TRUE GOSPEL says we save men FROM society. Society as we know it will ALWAYS be wicked and sinful until the Lord comes to earth. The ultimate purpose of the Word of God and the gospel message goes beyond men just doing the right things but to get us to BELIEVE and DO the right things for the right reasons - FAITH and because we love God and are united with HIS purposes and plans for fallen humanity. HIS purpose is summed up in one word and event - the CROSS OF CHRIST!

1 Cor. 1:16-18
And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. [17] For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  [18] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Cor. 2:1-8
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. [2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. [4] And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: [5] That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. [6] Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: [7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: [8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The Word of God need NOT be tampered with! The Gospel message once delivered to the saints stands alone as the ONLY REMEDY for the ills of mankind. The Gospel is not a social ticket to solve all of society's ills because in reality it cannot do that. Those who embrace the true gospel most of the time do so in the face of trials and tribulations that cause most to reject it and turn away. The offence of the Cross is not something most want to deal with but it's this offence that separates true worshippers from those just professing concepts and scripture and never knowing Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour! One must be "born again," changed by the power of the HOLY GHOST into the image of Christ to claim they are truly saved. If one's salvation comes about and that same individual remains in sin without conviction or conscience then neighbor that person's salvation is FALSE and they are LOST!

1 John 1:4-9
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
[5] This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. [6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God's Word is the most valuable treasure we can embrace this year and/or ANY year! It is the bridge between heaven and earth that mankind may one day ascend into heaven instead of being cast into hell! Jesus is the Word of God personified; the written Word is but a revelation to mankind of JESUS, His will, His plan for mankind, His commands and His way of eternal salvation which is in reality man coming to HIM! Man cannot be saved by coming to Mohammed; man cannot be saved by confessing to a priest; man cannot be saved by doing good works, feeding the hungry or putting clothes on the back on those who don't have clothes even though things are very worthy and honorable in themselves. ALL of man's good works can never save man from the evil heart that resides in him because of Adam's fall!! Adam's fallen race cannot be changed by parroting a few theological terms and being a member of a church; Adam's fallen race needed much more than church membership to save our lost souls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We needed a Redeemer, a Saviour, a LIVING sacrifice that would take upon Himself the sins of the world so that our sin would no longer be held to our account but placed on Him and in effect removing the enmity between man and God. That is the BIBLICAL definition of what we hear a lot of today of "peace."

Rick Warren and his cronies claim his global "P.E.A.C.E." plan will bring the world into some type of utopia where we all just "get along," and all religions live in peace. Neighbor there is NOTHING, NOTTA, NOTTA, NOTTA, NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING in the Word of God where we are called to "get along," with other religions and live in peace with false religions no more than Israel was commanded to let her enemies rest and possess what rightly belonged to God's chosen people!!!! Mankind's only hope for true peace is repenting of his sins, believing the gospel and becoming a New Creature in CHRIST through the born again experience brought by the Holy Ghost! If man will believe the gospel man will truly prosper according to the Word of God!

Turn and Take Your Journey

Deut. 1:4-5
After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei: [5] On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

As one commentator put it, "Nothing but prosperity was promised upon fidelity to that Law, and nothing but misery if unfaithful thereto; a lesson of the Book is the impossibility of the natural man taking hold upon and keeping Divine privileges. By the destruction of these kings, who sought to bar the access of the Israelites to the Promised Land, God had given PROOF that HE would indeed fulfill His promise to His people!" That mirrors the fact that God wants to destroy that which hinders the Church world today from entering into our Promised Land as well

The enemy however that threatened Israel the most was not so much the kings of the Amorites but it was the customary and what this writer would define as "spiritual boredom." Israel became accustomed to walking around in circles and was blissfully content to stay by the safety of the mountain for a while but God wanted more than that for them and He wants MORE than that for us!! The Church world today loves camping in the safety of seeker friendly confines and in the confines of our "spiritual" mountains. It's safe for us to hand people a book to read and tell them that if they read that that will make them more like Christ - it won't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! True intimacy with Christ requires a step of FAITH and faith is something the church world knows very little of. There are so many definitions out there about what faith is but neighbor most of what is presented today is NOT faith but new age humanism!!! As one commentator put it, "the psychology of the usual," got the best of Israel while walking and wandering 40 years in the wilderness but GOD finally broke through into the rut they were in and said, "You have been here long enough. It is time for you to move on."

Deut. 1:6-7
The Lord our God spoke unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: [7] Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

Most Christian's walk with God is centered around experiences instead of being centered around CHRIST! We chase fad after fad, rehab center after rehab center, church after church, book after book, seminar after seminar and devotion after devotion looking for that spiritual "high," to get us out of the rut we're in. Neighbor, NONE of that will get us out of this rut!!! It takes a move of the HOLY GHOST to touch our hearts and for us to hear the Spirit say to us "TURN AND TAKE YOUR JOURNEY!" That "turning," is a command to "go forward," and possess your promised Land. The word "turn," s. Israel's problem was that they had given up hope of ever getting the land God had promised them. They had become satisfied with going in circles and camping in nice, comfortable places. They had come under the spell of the psychology of the routine. It kept them where they were and prevented them from getting to the place of blessing and true Biblical prosperity God had promised them.

If their enemy, the Edomites, would have come after them, the Israelites would have fought down to the last man and probably would have beaten the Edomites - Israel would have made progress. Instead they were twiddling their thumbs, waiting for the customary to keep on being the customary.

What is the worst enemy the church faces today? This is where a lot of unreality and unconscious hypocrisy enters. Many are ready to say, "The liberals are our worst enemy." But the simple fact is that the average evangelical church does not have too much trouble with liberalism. Nobody gets up in our churches and claims that the first five books of Moses are just myths. Nobody says that the story of creation is simply religious mythology. Most will never deny that Christ walked on the water or that He rose from the grave. Few (even though in the apostate church this is happening more and more) will claim that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God or that He isn't coming back again. No one in the true church would deny the validity of the Scriptures.

Neither do we have a problem with the government. People in our country can do just about whatever they please and the government pays no attention. We can hold prayer meetings all night if we want, and the government would never bother us or question us. There is no secret police breathing down our backs watching our every move. We live in a free land, and we ought to thank God every day for that privilege (at least not at the present time). Our enemy is not the Democratic party or those in leadership who promote godless values as bad as that is. The church's most dangerous enemy is the LORD of the routine and complacent! This has become a treacherous enemy of the modern day church of the Lord Jesus Christ! Programs are organized and the prevailing conditions are accepted as normal. Anyone can predict next Sunday's service and what will happen. This seems to be the most deadly threat in the church today. When we come to the place where everything can be predicted and nobody expects anything unusual from God, we are in a rut and more dangerously the presence of the Holy Spirit has left our buildings!!

When the HOLY GHOST is in charge the ROUTINE has to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The routine dictates, and we can tell not only what will happen next Sunday, but what will occur next month and, if things do not improve, what will take place next year. If that is what your church is like, your church needs an infusion of Holy Ghost power neighbor!!! Many have reached the place where men dictate what has been determined what is, and what is determines what will be.

That would be perfectly all right and proper for a cemetery or morgue. Nobody expects a cemetery to do anything but conform. The greatest conformists in the world today are those who sleep out in the community cemetery. They do not bother anyone. They just lie there, and it is perfectly all right for them to do so. You can predict what everyone will do in the cemetery from the deceased right down to the people who attend a funeral there. Everyone and everything in a cemetery has accepted the routine. Nobody expects anything out of those buried in the cemetery. But the church is not a cemetery and we should expect much from it, because what has been should not be lord to tell us what is, and what is should not be ruler to tell us what will be. Most churches have about as much anointing and conviction in them that not even an "ant" would be saved if that "ant" came in lost! That's sad. I said this past Sunday while preaching on the River of the Holy Spirit that if a church is not seeing God move in it on a weekly basis it'd be better off to place gasoline tanks outside and pump gas to its patrons instead of placing the name "CHURCH" on the outside. Pumping gas would at least give the community around it something of value. When we claim we're a church and yet are nothing more than a morgue - SOULS that hang in the balance are the ones who pay the ultimate cost!

When men can go out and get drunk on Saturday night, come to church Sunday morning drunk and with a hangover and not feel convicted, then neighbor we have reached this same place! Men need to be held over hell on a broken stick and shown their sin is wrong and offensive in the sight and nostrils of a Holy God and it's His LOVE that draws them to repentance! It's His LOVE and GRACE and MERCY that provides them a chance to turn from their wickedness and see their need and utter hopelessness without God and His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

If we can sin and not feel conviction then neighbor we need to check our salvation! If we can do things we know in our heart are wrong and not feel conviction then the Holy Ghost has left neighbor! As long as there is growth, there is an air of unpredictability. Certainly we cannot predict exactly, but in many churches you just about can. Everybody knows just what will happen, and this has become our deadliest enemy. We blame the devil, the "last days" and anything else we can think of, but the greatest enemy is not outside of us - it is WITHIN! . It is an attitude of accepting things as they are and not confronting this evil wicked society with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that what was must always determine what will be, and as a result we are not growing in expectation.

In our services God cannot get in because we have it all fixed up for Him. We say, "Lord, we are going to have it this way. Now kindly bless our plans." We repeat without feeling, we repeat without meaning, we sing without wonder, and we listen without surprise. That is my description of the rote.

As a man who may be sick and not even know it, so too is the church sick today and most do not acknowledge it. The doctors of this same man who may be sick may have confided in the man's wife instead, "We don't want to frighten your husband, but he could drop any minute. He is critically ill, so just expect it any moment." The man himself does not know he is seriously ill so He goes about his business as if nothing is wrong. He may play golf or tennis, maybe even go on a hunting trip yet He is sick, and yet does not know how sick he really is. This may in fact hasten his end because not knowing is risky business and full of danger. Spiritually speaking, the greatest danger as we enter 2007 lies in the apparent inability or willful refusal in the modern church world to sense or feel this bondage.

As a result of not acknowledging our condition we wind up as A.W. Tozer said over 30 years ago in something termed as drive "rot." This is best explained when the psychology of non-expectation takes over and spiritual rigidity sets in, which is an inability to visualize anything better, a lack of desire for improvement. There are many who respond by arguing, "I know lots of evangelical churches that would like to grow, and they do their best to get the crowds in. They want to grow and have contest to make their Sunday school larger." That is true, but they are trying to get people to come  and celebrate their rot. As the old proverb says, "misery loves company," and religious misery loves it even more. We need a Holy Ghost outpouring that shakes us out of this rot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because the Holy Spirit is not given the chance to work in our services, nobody is repenting, nobody is seeking God, nobody is spending a day in quiet waiting on God with open Bible seeking to mend his or her ways. Nobody is doing it - we just want more people. But more people for what? More people to come and repeat and embrace our dead services without feeling, without meaning, without wonder, without surprise and without the HOLY GHOST? More people to join us in the bondage to the normal and routine that is sending thousands into a desert of boredom that only breeds backsliding and ultimately apostasy?

The true church of Jesus Christ is not found in a building. The true church of the Lord Jesus is found in an assembly of individuals, washed in the blood of the Lamb, filled with the Holy Ghost, born again, set free from the powers of darkness, changed by the power of God. There is a lot of meaningless dialogue these days about the "church." It is meaningless because those engaged in the dialogue forget that a church has no separate existence. The church is not an entity in itself, but rather is composed of individual persons. It is the same error made about the state. Politicians sometimes talk about the state as though it were an entity in itself. Social workers talk about society, but society is people. So is the church. The church is made up of real people, and when they come together we have the church. Whatever the people are who make up the church, that is the kind of church it is - no worse and no better, no wiser, no holier, no more ardent and no more worshipful. To improve or change the church you must begin with individuals.

When people in the church only point to others for improvement and not to themselves, it is sure evidence that the church has come to dry rot. It is proof of three sins: the sin of self-righteousness, the sin of judgment and the sin of complacency.

When our Lord said, "One of you will betray Me," thank God those disciples had enough spirituality that nobody said, "Lord, is it he?" Every one of those disciples said, "Lord, is it I?" If they would not have so responded there could not have been a Pentecost. But because they were humble enough to point the finger in their own direction the Holy Spirit fell upon them.

Self-righteousness is terrible among God's people. If we feel that we are what we ought to be, then we will remain what we are. We will not look for any change or improvement in our lives and this will quite naturally lead us to judge everyone by what we are. This is the judgment of which we must be careful - to judge others by ourselves is to create havoc in the local assembly. Self-righteousness also leads to complacency, which is a great sin and covers just about everything that leads us to the rut and ultimately the ROT of a dead, cold church.

Some have the attitude, "Lord, I'm satisfied with my spiritual condition. I hope one of these days You'll come, I will be taken up to meet You in the air and I will rule over five cities." These people cannot rule over their own houses and families, but they expect to rule over five cities. They pray spottily and sparsely, rarely attending prayer meeting, but they read their Bibles and expect to go zooming off into the blue yonder and join the Lord in the triumph of the victorious saints. I wonder if we are not fooling ourselves. I wonder if a lot of it is simply self-deception. I hear the voice of Jesus saying to us, "You have stayed long enough where you are. Break camp and advance into the hill country." This would be a new spiritual experience that God has for us. Everything Jesus Christ did for us we can have in this age. Victorious living, joyous living, holy living, fruitful living, wondrous, ravishing knowledge of the Triune God - all of this is ours. Power we never knew before, undreamed of answers to prayer - this is ours. "See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of [it]." The Lord gave it to you in a covenant. Go take it - it's yours. It was given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all their seed after. Jesus prayed, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message" (Jn. 17: 20). That embraces all those who belong to the church of Jesus Christ.

If we call Him Lord, how dare we sit any longer in the rut! The Lord has called us to move on - turn and take your JOURNEY. But when people are in a rut, not even the angel Gabriel can help them if they will not come out of it. This is not an accusation but a suggestion. If you are not in a rut, don't get mad - somebody else is. But if you are in a rut you ought to get out of it.

As Tozer said so long ago, "The difference between a wooden leg and a good leg is that if you prick a wooden leg the person would never notice. The difference between a church that has dry rot and a church that is alive is that if you prick the live church it will respond. If you prick the other kind, it is already dead. The tree that stands alive has lush, green leaves. Take a knife, scar the bark deeply and the tree will bleed. It is alive. The old dead tree just stands there, a watchtower for old sentinel crows. Take your knife and dig in as far as you want to, and nothing will happen because the tree is dead."

So it is with any true gospel preaching preached under the anointing of the Holy Ghost:  men will get neither mad nor glad nor sad under my preaching, I know nothing can be done. But there are some who are alive, and I believe it is the majority.

Go The Mount of The Amorites

Deut. 1:7-8 - Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. [8] Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.
 

The next command of God to Israel through Moses was to "go," to the mount of the Amorites. The march to the Promised Land could be resumed only after the sinful rebels had died, and been removed from the camp of God's people. There had been sin in the camp - the great sin of unbelief which sadly resides in the heart of the modern church world today in a powerful sad way.

Unbelief and rebellion had gripped the hearts of the first generation of believers which was portrayed and played out in graphic detail when the twelve spies returned from their reconnaissance mission, and ten of the spies gave a negative report. In their eyes the enemy was too strong and too well fortified to defeat. They sowed unbelief, a spirit of defeatism among the people and despite the encouragement of Moses and the assurance of victory from God, the people allowed fear and unbelief to grip their hearts. They rebelled against God and refused to march into the promised land. They refused to believe God, refused to trust the promise that God would empower them to conquer all opposition and lead them forth victoriously.


The result was inevitable: the chastisement and judgment of God fell. Time and again the first generation of believers had shown that they would never believe and follow God—not completely, not fully. They refused to enter the promised land; therefore, they would reap what they had sown. They would never be allowed to enter the promised land, which in reality would be their chastisement, their judgment. They would all die in the desert wilderness, in a restless and unsettled state, and die while wandering about in the wilderness. They would never live victoriously over the enemies of life and never know the spiritual rest of the promised land.
 

This is the stress of the present point: until all the people of fighting age (20 years old and older) had died, the march to the promised land could not be resumed and the command to "go," would never be heard. But once the judgment of God had been carried out—once the first generation had all died—a new beginning could take place and a new generation of believers could get a fresh start: As Moses spoke at Horeb, the words had to make his heart glad to hear the Holy Spirit say "GO!" It was time for Israel to resume the march to the promised land of God.

The failure of Israel's first generation is a clear warning to the modern church world today: sin disrupts our march to the promised land of heaven, especially the sin of unbelief. ALL sin is not unbelief but it is UNBELIEF is the ROOT of all sin!  Sin separates us from God, cuts us off from fellowship with God and causes Him to turn His face away from us keeping Him from hearing and answering our prayers. This is true of both believers and the corporate church. There is only one answer: sin has to be removed before we can be reconciled with God, and sin can only be dealt with through the work of the Cross of Christ! Sin must be removed before our march to the promised land can be resumed and we can "go!"  Once sin has been removed, a new beginning can take place and We can get a fresh start in seeking the promised land of God.


1) Sin separates us from God.

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18)


"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2)


"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities" (Isaiah 64:7).

2) Sin must be removed from us.

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7)


"But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die" (Ezekiel 18:21)

3) Once sin has been removed, we can have a new beginning, a fresh start in seeking the promised land.

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD" (Acts 3:19)


"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17)


"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephes. 2:4-7)


"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1)


"But the day of the LORD will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:10-13)


"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chron. 7:14)


"Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 18:31)

The command to "GO" underscores the supreme power of God. He has the power to fulfill His promises to His people which is a theme clearly seen in the event that Moses now covers in his sermon.

 

 

 

Go In And Possess

 

Deut. 1:7-8
Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. [8] Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

 

God not only told Israel to "go the mount of the Amorites," but "go in and POSSESS" the land which the Lord swore unto your Fathers - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - 'to give unto them and to their seed after them.' It's an interesting face that as the second generation of believers were marching to the promised land, God warned them not to harass the Ammonites (Deut. 2:19).

 

Deut. 2:19
And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.

The reason is clearly stated: they were the descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew, and God had given the land to Lot and his descendants. Note that God clearly says that it was He, His power, that enabled Lot and his descendants to take possession of the land. Moses declares that it was God who had used the Ammonites to defeat and occupy the land of a strong and numerous people, the Rephaites or Zamzummites (Deut. 2:21)

 

Deut. 2:21
A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:

These were the giants of the land, a tall, physically large race of people. The point is clear: if God used His mighty power to destroy the giants of the land for Lot and his descendants, how much more would God use His power to destroy the giants who opposed His people?


But this was not the only demonstration of God's power to remember: God used the descendants of Esau to defeat and occupy the lands of other strong nations (Genesis 27:38-40; Genesis 36:1-43). God used the descendants in Seir to destroy the Horites (Deut. 2:22) and used the Caphtorites to destroy the Avvites (Deut. 2:23).
 

Deut. 2:22
As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:

Deut. 2:23
And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead)

 

Moses has driven the point home to the hearts of the people: God has the power to fulfill His promises to His people even if He exercises His power on behalf of two of the most carnal individuals of the Old Covenant - Lot and Esau. The point for Israel THEN is our message today - how much more would He and will He use His power to fulfill His promises to His dear people - the nation of Israel  and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

God the Father lead Israel to the promised land and give them the inheritance He has promised to them. Neighbor, just as Israel of old, He will use His power to defeat the giants and strong enemies who stand against His dear people today - God has not changed!! Jesus Christ, the SAME, yesterday, today and tommorow!!!!

 

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Ephes. 3:20
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Romans 16:25-27
Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, [26] But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: [27] To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

2 Tim. 1:12
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.

Jude 1:24-25
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, [25] To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Job 42:2
I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholding from thee.

Psalm 115:3
But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Isaiah 43:13
Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

Philip. 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: [21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

This is a clear picture of the believer's spiritual victory today as we march to the promised land. The second generation of believers had already experienced two glorious victories over two great nations. In his sermon, Moses reminded the people of this fact that God had given them victory over the Amorite King Sihon and over King Og who ruled the land of Bashan. In these two great victories, God had already proven that He would help His dear people conquer all enemies who opposed them. Israel's ONE responsibility was this - FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!! They were required to be found faithful and obey God and from what we read from history they continued their march to the promised land where they laid claim to the promised inheritance. As Moses preached to the people, he drove the point home: they must remember the victorious march, and the great victory God had given over these two mighty kings. The kings of the Amorites stood between the Israelites and the promised land. This is a picture of the world and the enemies of life standing between the believer and the promised land of heaven. As we march to the promised land of heaven, enemy after enemy will attack us, enemies such as...


• accidents
• disease
• death
• immorality
• greed
• emptiness
• trials
• anger
• hostility
• failure • depression
• loneliness
• covetousness
• purposelessness
• discouragement
• financial difficulty
• unemployment
• temptations
• pornography


NO matter the enemy—no matter its strength or threat—God is stronger. Greater is HE that is IN YOU than HE that is in the World! SIN shall NOT have dominion over you child of God in 2007! They who live after the Spirit of God shall live but those who live in the flesh shall die!! We MUST have the power of the HOLY GHOST to defeat all enemies in our land! How does the Spirit work you ask? He works because of one thing and one thing alone - FAITH EXCLUSIVELY AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If we anchor our faith in CHRIST and what He accomplished for us there, God will give victory to us through the work and ministry of the Holy Ghost!

 

The Holy Spirit empowers His people to conquer and triumph over all the enemies of life. If we will but TRUST and OBEY God through faith in the Cross, we will march victoriously throughout life. We will experience victory after victory over our enemies and know what it is to live a victorious life as we march to the promised land of God. We will be victorious even as the Israelite believers were victorious over these two mighty kings. This is the clear declaration of Scripture.

 

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Rev. 3:21
To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

1 Cor. 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

Ephes. 6:12-13
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [13] Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Romans 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Romans 8:37-39
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. [38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 

As we enter 2007 neighbor the message of this ministry has not changed - WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED and the POWER and anointing of the HOLY GHOST!!!!!!!!!!!!! We're not here to offer you some fad, formula or fanatical promise that if you give us $10 God will give you $1000. We're here to point men's souls to CHRIST and the power of His Cross this coming year of 2007. But we're also here to encourage and exhort the church that the time is now for us to get out of our ruts before we turn to ROT and GO forward into this journey to our Promised Land. The Promised Land for the believer is not some mystical experience where we're zapped into sainthood or perfection. To be frank with you the Promised Land is full of even more giants and enemies than the wilderness some may find themselves in as you read this journal.

 

The Holy Spirit wants to encourage you today - TRUST GOD in 2007! If  you're struggling with your faith - KEEP BELIEVING and KEEP embracing the Cross. JESUS CHRIST is the Source, the Cross is the means and the HOLY GHOST is the POWER that brings the Cross' power in reality and formation in our hearts and lives. Christ is the Source, the Cross is the means, the HOLY GHOST the power. Don't give up child of God in this journey called life! I don't care how much you may be struggling right now - the POWER of the GOSPEL of the Cross of Christ is greater than any power of darkness that may try to afflict you. Keep your faith anchored in Christ this coming year. Don't be led astray by the apostate false doctrine of the end times. There is STILL only ONE WAY to God and that is through Christ and there is STILL only ONLY WAY to Christ and that is by taking up one's Cross, denying one's self and following HIM! That is how the Spirit works and how He will bring victory. NOTHING ELSE will work! There are no formulas for victory or fads that can set one free. It's faith in Christ and Him Crucified.

 

As we close this message, HEAR the word of the Lord today - Take, Turn, Go and POSSESS your Promised Land in 2007! You say "I don't see anything happening;" KEEP BELIEVING! KEEP THE FAITH; KEEP YOUR FAITH ANCHORED in the finished work of Christ! He is WORTHY of all praise, Glory and Honor! He is worthy of our efforts to point men to HIM not to ourselves or to our churches. IF HE be lifted up in 2007, He will draw all men unto HIMSELF!

 

John 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
 

 

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask today for You to touch the hearts of those reading this journal right now; some may be discouraged, others hurting, others walking in fear; some may be bound by sin and darkness; some may even be lost and not know Your Son Jesus Christ. We proclaim Your glorious name today to those reading and ask the Holy Ghost to touch hearts and convict of sin in bringing those lost in darkness to Christ, the LIGHT of the WORLD. Help us this coming year to preach Christ Crucified and lift up the banner of the Cross even higher and even louder as we enter another year.

 

In Jesus Name We Ask And Pray Amen

 

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