Stewarding Failure

In the historical account of the conquest of the Promised Land there was also failure. After Jericho’s great victory they faced the small stronghold called Ai. We usually think that after taking the biggest one, it will be easier to take the smaller one. The biggest or the smallest is only easy if God gives us the counsel. They lost the first battle with Ai and they were greatly distressed. They asked counsel of the Lord and found out there was sin in the camp. An Israelite named Achan had taken items that had been forbidden from the previous battle of Jericho. This brought reproach upon the entire nation. They were also presumptuous and this played a part in their failure. They corrected the problem and asked for the strategy of the Lord, and won the battle with ease.

Later in chapter 9 the Gibeonites came to Joshua with a sad story. They pretended to come from a far place. Their food was molded and their clothes appeared to be worn. Joshua made a covenant with them to spare their lives. In a few days they learned that they were their neighbors. Again, failure to ask counsel of the Lord brought them into a covenant that they regretted. However, they made the Gibeonites their servants and benefited from their labor.

Failure is not the end of the road. Shame and guilt are two major tools in the hands of the enemy. These stories are lessons for us today. These two failures did not stop the Israelites from their conquest of the Promised Land. In the same manner our failures must not hinder us from all that God has promised us. It must not hinder us from doing all the purposes of God in our generation. David served all the purposes of God in his generation although he made some terrible mistakes (see Acts 13:36). It isn’t what happens in our lives that makes the difference, but how we handle what happens.

The biggest trick of the enemy is to immerse us in shame and guilt. When we fail, the enemy wants us to feel helpless. Guilt and shame are his best weapons to keep us down. A powerful scripture is found in Romans 8:1 when Paul declares, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” I have used this scripture countless times when I have failed. It is a relief scripture. You can stand on it and let out a sigh of relief. Christianity 101 teaches us that for the believer, condemnation comes from the enemy and conviction comes from Holy Spirit. You can discern the difference. Condemnation never offers a solution while conviction offers a way to repent and fix the problem or failure. Holy Spirit speaks in the right tone and offers hope. The enemy speaks harshly and never offers help.

Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To be poor in spirit is to recognize our need for more grace. We must always be aware that we are in need of God and more of His grace daily. The person that has matured and experienced God in mighty ways must always understand that they have only experienced a part. We are like a seashell that has been filled by a part of a single wave, yet there is an endless ocean of God’s Spirit out there. Blessings can make us arrogant and prideful. Sometimes we feel we have moved to a new level and we begin to divide ourselves from those who are less mature. Sometimes we feel we need to fix everyone else.

Once I was in a setting where people were in great need of deliverance. Addiction was all around us. A friend that was with me expressed our need to have a greater measure of the power of God upon our lives so that we could set the people free. I agreed with him, and I felt sad that I have been slow to reach the place of power that I have needed to reach in my spiritual growth. I could feel guilt and shame moving into my heart. It is times like this that I must guard my heart and I must not allow myself to fall into condemnation. I need the power of God upon my life greater than I ever have, but I refuse to feel guilt for the lack of transformation around me. I recently heard the Lord say to me that I did not need to feel guilt for the slow process of transformation in my city and region. He said that I did not need to feel guilt or shame over the condition of my city. I will not carry guilt for the spiritual condition of the Appalachian Mountains. I will cry out as one who is poor in spirit and thereby access the riches of Heaven. We must let it go. A generation that can recognize their need without guilt and shame will change the world.

When we fail we will either fall into guilt and shame over our failure or we will try to make excuse for it. These excuses can be heretic in nature. For example, when we pray or speak healing over someone and they are not healed we try to explain it. Sometimes we come up with reasons such as, it wasn’t God’s will to heal the person. So, because we failed to accomplish what we thought we would accomplish, we try to change the word of God and the personality of God. Instead of doing this, we should continue to stand on the goodness of God that comes without respect of persons. We don’t even have to explain the failure to people or ourselves. We can look at it as if we are sowing seeds – that one day real soon our efforts will bring forth a hundredfold. When I think of sowing, I am reminded of the missionary who prayed for blind people. She prayed for dozens before she was able to see a person healed. Then, she began to see many healed. When I speak healing to a person, I am proclaiming healing into the atmosphere. The word will not return void. It will accomplish what it is sent forth to accomplish. I must keep speaking like one keeps sowing seeds and know that I can expect a harvest. The result in doing this is that failure does not hinder us. The conquest comes. The Promised Land is ours and we are taking it.

Walking the Appalachian Trail (August 2010)

It was pouring rain as I left Bristol today. Since it was raining so hard, I thought it might be best to cancel the trip to Laurel Fork of the Appalachian Trail. I had made plans to go today with a friend that I hadn’t seen in a long time and he agreed to show me where I could connect with the trail. Arriving at the trailhead, I was surprised to find it was only sprinkling rain. Soon, it quit raining and turned into a beautiful day. The trail goes along the shores of Watauga Lake. This part of the trail has some of the most beautiful scenery you can find in this region. The fog was lifting off the mountains and lake as we began the hike.

I sensed in my spirit as I began this journey today that it was a prophetic act. A prophetic act is doing something in the natural that prepares the way for a spiritual manifestation. I have been speaking of the outpouring of the grace of God upon the Appalachian Mountains for several months now. I have been falling in love with these mountains more and more as the months have passed. I remember the days that I wanted to escape these mountains and to go somewhere that ministry might be easier and more evident. Now, I have bonded more than ever with the region. It has deepened tremendously in the last few months. As I walk this trail today it seems to connect me even more with the land.

Scripture tells us to draw near to God and He will draw near to us. (see James 4:8) Another way to say this is, “start the journey and God will join you on the journey.” I felt this connection today. As I put my foot on the trail and began walking on the path that winds its way through the region, I invited the Lord to come and walk this journey through the Appalachian Mountains in a fresh new way. One small step for man is a giant step for the region.

This trail begins in Georgia and ends in Maine. This is not a small region. We invite the Presence of Father to manifest through the region and through these states that make up the eastern seaboard of our nation. As the nations talked of the God of Israel being a God of the Mountains, we invite the same publicity. He is God of the Mountains!

A song I loved as a young person was, “God Walks the Dark Hills.” I recalled this song today and I thought about how dark these mountains must be for someone hiking during the night. It inspired me to proclaim that no matter how dark the mountains may become God is now walking these mountains. He is the light and where He is the darkness has no power.

There were so many campfire sights along the trail. Small rock circles were made by the hikers as they stopped for the night and built their fires. The fire benefits them with the cooking of their meals and heat. It also warms the heart for fellowship and reflection. Our God is like a fire. He prepares a table for us and strangely warms our hearts, bringing hope and inspiration to our busy lives.

Those who take the time to travel this trail have to set aside time from their busy lives to make the journey. For those who do this they are rewarded with peace and fulfillment that many busy people never experience. In this season, it would benefit us to take the time to set ourselves apart for the journey. This is called sanctification. We can do this by simply taking the time to both enjoy and to be enjoyed by God. Everything the world wants us to do doesn’t have to be done. To be imprisoned by our society is fruitless. You can hear the people on the trail talk about how they like this better than sitting in front of their television or computer. They are experiencing freedom. The mountains are proclaiming freedom and liberty. Scripture tells us that the earth groans for the release of the sons of God. The mountains are groaning for our release. In my spirit I could hear them groaning today. I could also feel the excitement of creation as the momentum grows in these mountains. The trees are beginning to clap their hands for joy. Isaiah said that the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before us and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (See Isaiah 55:12)

We left the lake behind as we went up into the hills. After hiking a couple of hours we topped the hill and came back upon the lake. I could vision the hikers who had traveled for many miles, and smelling of sweat, getting their first glimpse of the lake and feeling the joy of the change of terrain. I could vision them jumping in the water and feeling the coolness it offered. Most of us have traveled the hard parts of the journey. We have even sweated useless sweat. Now it’s time to jump in the water. Water is a scriptural type of Holy Spirit and refreshment that comes from the Presence of the Lord. What are these days? I hear the words of Peter as he proclaims the good news. These are the times of refreshment that come from the Lord. It is the time of the restoration of all things spoken of since ancient times. (see Acts 3:19-21)

One of my greatest joys of today was just finally getting to walk on the trail. I had tried several times in past years to find an entrance to the trail. I had been unsuccessful. Now, I had found someone who could show me where the trailhead was. I had imagined a large and wide path, but it wasn’t. It was a small path in most places but it was sufficient. It was well worn. I am thankful for this season in my life. The path may look small sometimes but it is sufficient. I enjoy watching God now more than any previous season of my life. He is always sufficient. I also think about all those who have gone before us who have made the path more solid. Someone blazed the trail and others have walked it. I am blessed to walk these mountains today. I am blessed to bring glad tidings. How lovely on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news. We proclaim peace, happiness and salvation! We proclaim to the church of the Appalachian Mountains, "Our God reigns!" (see Romans 10:15, Isaiah 52:7)

Releasing the Word

In the book of Jonah is the story of how Nineveh, an evil city, turned when God’s word was released to them. Nineveh was a large city of about sixty miles in circumference. It took Jonah three days to travel around the city. Nineveh was a major city in Assyria. This empire was very evil and inflicted much evil on those around it. Jonah had been a successful prophet and had predicted and seen the restoration of Israel’s lands from her enemies. (see II Kings 14:25) He was reluctant to go to the enemy and proclaim the word God had given him. Sometimes success in ministry hinders us from stepping outside our comfort box. Our pride causes us to desire success and to desire success more in the later years of our life. Doesn’t everyone want to finish the race successfully? We often blame our failures on our immaturity in the past but we are slow to admit our failures now. Jonah struggled to go to the most evil people of his times with a word of deliverance. He was reluctant to step outside the box.


Jonah may have asked himself the question, “Can a land be born in a day?” Isaiah 66:5 asks four questions. “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such a thing? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? “Although it may be only in our hearts we sometimes ask hard questions too. Can I ever overcome this? Can my city or region experience revival or awakening like Toronto or Redding? Can God stir us again like He did in the other great awakenings? Is my city or region too stiff-necked? Is it too worldly? Is it too religious? Can God really do a quick work here?


A region needs to recognize its hard places. However, we must not speak of them in a negative way as if we can never see change. The story of Nineveh is a bright ray of hope for any region that looks almost impossible to change. If Nineveh can change…. then my region can change. The Sovereignty of God will accomplish His purposes. There comes a time when we must stop using impossibilities or strongholds as an excuse to not go forward. Esther refused to give up her people to massacre when she recognized she was born for such a time as this. The apostle Paul refused to allow traditional Judaism to hinder him from proclaiming the message of the cross in a time when it was not popular. As we begin to go forward we recognize what is before us. However, as we go forward there comes a time when we need to stop focusing on the enemy or complaining about the stronghold.


Here in Appalachia, we have recognized the strongholds of religion, addiction and even poverty. Now, we must stop referring to them in such a way as to convey their strength against us. In the OT battle stories we are aware of the enemy and strongholds, but never do we hear the victorious men and women of God referring to them as they make their way into the battle. I feel released to stop referring to our region as the worst area of addiction, religion or poverty. It doesn’t change the statistics, for right now, but it does take our eyes off of the waves at our feet as we walk towards Jesus. I am tired of sinking or holding back because all I see are the waves. I refuse to keep glorifying the enemy. I choose to speak vision and to proclaim the revealed will of God. I choose to speak what I hear Father speaking and He is not glorifying our strongholds. I choose to only make mention of the strongholds to those who have not recognized them and to our children in the future as we tell of the great transformation.


Proclamation is a mighty tool in our hands. To proclaim the declared will of God is powerful. It changes the atmosphere. It inspires hope. Every believer can do it. Start proclaiming things to God in the secret place, to others, or to yourself. Proclaim health and life to your city or region. Proclaim strength in marriages in the midst of so much divorce. Proclaim new jobs for your region. Proclaim freedom of religion to effectively serve God through genuine relationship with Him. Proclaim our schools are going to experience God in such a way that our region will stand in amazement. Proclaim people are going to be set free instantly from addictions as Holy Spirit does a miraculous work in the lives of the addicted. Proclaim handicaps will give way to amazing testimonies of God’s strength in us and through us. Proclaim the favorable times of the Lord. Jesus began His ministry proclaiming freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom from oppression and the favorable times of the Lord. He did this in his hometown and it wasn’t accepted very well…. But keep reading the chapter and the book. (see Luke 4) It happened. He is our model. Let’s follow his example. Proclaim and keep proclaiming!


Hope reformers are coming. You are one of them. Radiant hope is getting ready to fill our cities and regions. Transformation comes through the force of hope restored. It sets a momentum. I stand amazed as I watch new hope transform lives. I am seeing the face of troubled people beginning to look up and their countenance change and I know God is still the lifter of our heads. It happens in individual lives and then we begin seeing regional face lifts. What would a region look like if 75% of the believers in that region believed the second line of the Lord’s Prayer? It reads, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”. This tells us that it is possible to bring Heaven’s atmosphere and ways of life to earth. There is hope and it is radiant.
A friend of mine recently had a vision of hordes of evil riding with resolute faces out of our region. As I was proclaiming this to God, as I often do, I saw such brilliant light flooding in behind the hordes as they moved out. The light was blinding. God is moving into Appalachia. He has His bags with Him and He is here to take up habitation. Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? A land can be born in one day! A nation can be brought forth all at once!


Jonah proclaimed a simple word when he said, “Salvation or deliverance comes from the Lord”. (Jonah 2:9) He proclaimed this out of the fish’s belly. It was proclaimed revelatory truth that changed the most evil city of its time…. in a few days. The key to transformation is the released word. It is the released word that will change our regions. I am not talking about pounding people over the head with the bible and taking select scriptures that we like and beating people with them. This is wrong. Just because someone quotes scripture does not mean they are speaking for God. Satan quoted it to Jesus.


The released word comes from Father as we listen to what He is saying to us and to our regions. He breathes upon His written word and speaks to us His living word which does not contradict each other. As Father reveals His word to us alive and fresh we proclaim it over a region to bring life to that region. Ezekiel 47 brings us a vision of the River of God flowing into unhealthy lands and declares that everywhere the River flowed there was life. The River is flowing and everything it touches shall live! Even if you feel you are in a fish’s belly, start proclaiming the revealed word that you hear Father speaking to you. You may hear Him in corprate meetings or in the secret place when it’s just you and Him. There is no shortage of truth to proclaim. Release it!


I had a dream last night of a older lady that I did not recognize. She was a merchant lady much like Lydia was in the book of Acts. She was mapping out her plans to visit throughout the Appalachian Mountains. Some of the towns were so small and unknown. I recognized one as Honaker, a small town in the corner of Southwest Virginia. I talked with her and showed her a stack of papers that might help her in her travels. The stack of papers looked thick but only consisted of about 3 pages. I knew in the dream that these papers were the keys that would transform the region. Written in big letters on the top one was the word, “truth”. Underneath were the words worship and intimacy.


Lydia was the first European convert. She had an open (circumcised) heart to hear the things Paul released. She was a worshiper. She invited the travelers into her home. She persuaded them to stay and they judged her faithful. Paul proclaimed freedom to a slave-girl in her town and her masters started a riot. Paul and Silas were thrown into prison but God shook the foundations of the prison resulting in the conversion of the jailer and his household. Upon being released Paul went back to the home of Lydia and encouraged them and continued on his journey.


We are sitting at a table laden with first fruits. Circumcised hearts are hearing. Worshipers have and continue to come forth. Freedom is being proclaimed. Prisons are opening. Households are changing. Encouragements are being spoken. Hope is rising.
Released Revelatory Truth proclaimed will bring forth transformation. It is simple. We hold the key as we combine worship and our intimate relationship with Jesus Christ with revealed truth. Will you choose to open the door to see what you have never seen before?
　

Taking the Big One First

As the Israelites were healing from their circumcision at Gilgal, a strong-walled city lay right before them. The heaven-inspired strategy to take Jericho was on its way. Joshua had forty years to come up with a strategy to take the strongest city in the Promised Land. He had viewed the city forty years earlier when he was a young man. Now, it lay before them. Should they take the big one first? It was impossible to ignore because it lay directly in their way of entering the rest of the land.

There are strongholds in our lives that should be addressed first so we can more effectively enter the rest of our Promised Land. Sometimes our lack of faith causes us to focus on the smaller things and make excuses for the bigger ones. For some of us there is that besetting sin we are always making excuse for. Scripture tells us we have died to sin and are in Christ. We cannot blame our sin on our old man anymore. He died. Sure, we are capable of sin but we are not to continue to use the crutch of being human as a license to sin. Sometimes we arrogantly confess that we have a besetting sin. In our mind, we trick ourselves to believe it is only “our weakness” – “because everyone has one and it’s no big deal.” The stronghold needs to come down. It will be such a testimony to those around us as they see a new creation and new creature in Christ. (See Galatians 6:15 and II Corinthians 5:17)

The most formidable stronghold of the Appalachian Mountains is the Religious Spirit. By that, I mean useless religious activity and beliefs without intimate relationship with Christ. When I talk of religious activity, I’m not specifically referring to traditional activity or forms of structure within churches. It is not those who use bulletins, or more rituals, or have more order than we do that we label as religious. Even the most traditional communion service can be powerful because Christ can be recognized powerfully in the breaking of bread.

Let me give a few examples of what I do mean when I talk about “religious” activity. It is not uncommon for me to go to funerals and hear that the KJV is the only version that is right and anyone who reads anything else is going to hell. This angers me because I have spent some valuable time in some other nations such as Kenya, Africa and their Bible is written in Swahili. For an ignorant speaker to stand and tell me these people that I have labored amongst are going to hell because of the translation in which they read the Bible is ludicrous to me. It causes holy anger to rise up in me. It makes me want to turn some tables over and use some whips. Another religious mindset in our region concerns women in ministry. The ministry of women is still suppressed here in the name of religion. Women bring more emphasis on the heart while men often focus on rules. If we continue to suppress women and their callings we will continue to be legalistic. What people wear and especially what they wear to church is a big deal in religious circles in these mountains. Escapist mentality is prominent in this region. It hinders tons of believers from occupying the Promised Land now. If we are always only thinking of the “hereafter – when we will escape this old world,” then how can we faithfully take hold of what God has given us now? The religious mindset in these mountains is one of denominationalism and isolation. Because of our Scotch-Irish heritage we have become a culture of isolation. We have a clan mindset that causes us to separate and divide and then gather around religious ideas and opinions. The worst part of all is that we seem to enjoy these negative, binding mindsets. We don’t seem to see any other way. We love to dance with our demons. We sing about our depression. Shall I continue? Bad religion is bad religion. It grips a region and holds it captive – and the walls are thick.

The walls of Jericho were so thick that they built houses upon the walls. Rahab lived in one of these houses. She was redeemed and was blessed to be part of the lineage of the Messiah. No matter how thick the walls of bad religion trail through these mountains they are coming down. I recently had a vision of the Great Wall of China (that once divided so much of that nation) weaving its way through these Appalachian Mountains. I looked at this mighty wall understanding that the original wall in China was so wide that people traveled upon it. I recalled the scripture where Jesus said the way to destruction is wide. This wall is so destructive. However, the good news is…. It is coming down! Proclaimed Revelatory Truth will bring it down. Piece by piece it will crumble. The very foundation is beginning to shatter. Like the Berlin Wall, there will be those who take sledge-hammers to it, and with joy, bring it down. What a time to live! You and I were born for such a time as this…. to bring down the big one.

David, as a young man, heard about Goliath and his threats to the nation of Israel. He made the journey to where his brothers were at war with the Philistines. It just so happened that Goliath, their most formidable giant, came out and made his boast while David was visiting. While others stood back in fear, David questioned why they allowed such a one to even have a platform. He brought him down with the simple strategy of a smooth rock flying from his sling and then cutting off the head of the giant with his own sword. David went for the big one first and then all the others ran. Is this not the way God works? Is this not the way Holy Spirit through inspired scripture is teaching us to live? These are examples and testimonies to the power of the Living God. As the stronghold of bad religion is broken down in the region, the rest will run. The little ones may regroup later, but only to be taken down thereafter, because the big one is history.

A man appears to Joshua (Joshua 5) and tells him that He is Captain of the Host of the Lord. Their conversation continues in Joshua 6 and it is evident that the man is the Lord Himself or the pre-incarnate Christ. The Lord shares with Joshua the plan that will cause the strongest city to fall. The amazing thing and lesson for us to learn is that Joshua willingly surrendered whatever military preparations he had to the declared will of God. We, likewise, must continually surrender all our careful preparations we have made in exchange for new plans or strategies the Lord reveals to us. This deadens the soulish part of us that loves to be in control.

For Jericho, the strategy was different and simple. They would march around the city for six days, once a day. On the seventh day they would march seven times around the city. Seven priests would carry seven trumpets before the Ark of the Covenant. On their last time around they would shout and the walls would come down. There was the promise of certain and easy victory. The Lord told Joshua that He was giving into his hand, the city, the King and the mighty men of valor. It is believed that men had gathered from all seven nations of Canaan. They were there to protect the interests of their nation. They had stored up provisions and were determined to defend themselves to the uttermost. They were all destroyed with the city. There were lots of resounding effects of this fall. Fear went throughout the land. The big one had fallen and the smaller ones were taking notice.

The march began and the people fell into cadence. An entire week passed. The longevity deepened several things. It showed the enemy the divine omnipotence of God. It taught the Israelites faith and confidence in the promises of God. It brought deeper reverence and respect for the Ark of His Presence that went before them each day. Somewhere in this week was a Sabbath and still they marched, breaking the traditional rules of Sabbath travel. Much like David who would later eat the bread that only Priests ate and like Jesus’ disciples went into the fields on the Sabbath, it looked like they were breaking the rules. Did they really break the rules or did they step outside their time and through vision take hold of future promises that allowed them to walk in obedience in a different way? Jesus said that the law and prophets were fulfilled in Him. Did they behold this Day-Star arising in their vision and allow their intimacy with their God to take them farther than the letter of the law could ever take them?

This is the challenge of each generation to go farther and even step into the shadows of the next season. Most consider Heaven to be the next major transition of our life. If this is so, and rightly so it is, then why not pull from Heaven’s way of life now? Paul said we have been made to sit with Christ in heavenly places. Jesus instructed us to ask for His will to be done on the earth as it is in heaven. We have every right to pull from heaven’s ways right now. As some remarkable men and women of the Old Covenant pulled from beyond the cross, we must pull from beyond death and bring Heaven to Earth.

There was one major command that the Israelites were given. They were not to take anything from the city. They were not to covet the things they found there. Only the gold, silver, bronze and iron were to be saved and put in the treasury of the Lord. When Achan took a Babylonian garment, some silver and some gold, he caused setback for the entire nation. For the remnant who chooses to be set apart in this season, we must refuse to take anything from the stronghold. Realizing the great stronghold is bad religion we must continually check ourselves to see if we have taken anything with us from that stronghold. This will require regular checkups. The Religious Spirit is a subtle spirit and has many forms. Opening our hearts (circumcised hearts) to Revelatory Truth will counteract this spirit by bringing great light where there has been darkness. I see this transformation to be as real as Luther’s transformation that brought great awakening to Europe and the rest of the world. It is time and we cannot underestimate the impact and power of taking the big one first.

The enemy does not want to give up this stronghold. The enemy wants to bind us and keep us bound so he can overpower us and afflict us. This is seen in the story of Samson. The parents of Samson are barren. They are visited by an angel who tells them of Samson’s coming birth. The angel tells of the mission of Samson and how he will deliver the people. The nation has been under oppression for forty years. When Samson grows up the enemy comes for the sole purpose, “to bind Samson.” Then, three-thousand of his countrymen also come down for the same purpose, telling him, “we have come to bind you.” The mission of Delilah was to entice him to see where his great strength was so the enemy could overpower him, bind him, and afflict him. Is this not the power of bad religion? It overpowers people, binds them, and afflicts them.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:19, “I give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.” He repeats this almost word-for-word in Matthew 18:18. In Matthew 12:29 Jesus says, “How can we enter a strongman’s house and take his property unless we first bind the strong man? Then we can plunder his house.” Jesus spoke this in a time of outpouring. There was powerful healing and deliverance taking place. The blind were receiving sight and the mute were talking. The crowds were amazed. In the midst of this, bad religion stepped forward in the character of the Pharisees and accused Jesus of working by the power of the devil. The strongman must be bound instead of us being bound. We have to bind the big one first.

I believe one of the most powerful ways to bind the strongman is through proclamation. We are doing that in our region. Powerful proclamations open the atmosphere and Heaven recognizes what we loose and bind on earth. When we make powerful statements about what God is doing in our midst, it opens the heavens. Here are some statements we have been making lately. Revival has come to the mountains! Walls are coming down! There is a new sound that is penetrating the heavens over the region. The nations are coming to the Appalachian Mountains to experience the Manifest Presence of God. Strongholds of addiction are coming down. These are only a few of many proclamations being released into the atmosphere. Although they may look like little green apples right now, they will be big apples soon. As Bill Johnson says, “Little apples are still 100% apple.”

At Jericho, the Israelites used the shofar, which is a trumpet of Jubilee to proclaim freedom. This was chosen instead of the normal war trumpet. The Priests blew the trumpets and the people let out a shout when the long blast was given. We are getting close to the sound of the long blast. Are you anticipating it? This is not a time to be passive. We must go to war with the freedom-trumpet, which is best manifested in our worship. We need to worship violently. The Kingdom is advancing and the violent take it by force (see Matthew 11:13). When praise is released into the atmosphere it keeps the enemy from controlling our inheritance and purpose. It binds him. Praise includes loud songs, and physical movement along with sacrifice. There are also times of silence, and meditation. A great part of praise is a sanctified (set apart) life. There is such a joyful balance in the ways of God. There were six days of silence and a grand day of shouting. These together, under the declared will of God, brought down the walls. Violent praise and worship changed things in Jericho, it changed things for Israel under the leadership of Jehoshaphat, and it changed things in Philippi when Paul and Silas sang in prison. It still changes things.

So, for regional transformation and personal victory we need to consider taking the big one first. Seek the Lord for simple but certain strategy. Trust His ways and His promises. Watch the walls fall and the big ones move out of the way. Get ready to do what you were born to do. Enjoy life in your Promised Land.

Just After the Crossing

The Israelites arrived at the Jordan when the river was overflowing its banks. The land was flooded. It probably looked out of control. The miracle of the Red Sea was that of just one man lifting his staff and the waters rolling back. This time a corporate company of Priests would step into the floodwaters. Upon doing this, the floodwaters rolled back.

During the time of floodwaters, the lions that lived around the river would come out and enter the camps and villages. It was definitely a time of challenge with struggles and difficulties to overcome. Jeremiah refers to these times when he wrote, “If you have run with footmen and they weary you, then how will you run with the horses? If you fall in the land of peace, how will you do in the swelling of Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5)

The Israelites first resting place after crossing the river was Gilgal. Gilgal means, ‘God has rolled away, completely, our reproach.’ One of the first things that Joshua did was have the men circumcised. They used knives of sharp stone. Although they probably had metal, the cut of the stone would heal quicker. But, even with the use of stone, the men needed at least 3 weeks to heal. This was a three-week opportunity for the enemy to utterly destroy them. The army had been reduced to total helplessness.

Looking at this situation, we might ask two questions. Why did God lead them to cross during a time of flooding? Could they not have done the circumcision on the other side of the river where there was less danger from the enemy? This gives us some insight into the ways of God. He wanted them to see the excellence of His power. He wanted them to know they were under His complete care and protection. He would be honored instead of man. Trust in the strength of man and his weapons had to take a back-seat to the Lord of the Angel Armies.

Joshua saw a man standing there and asked Him if He was for them or against them. The man simply replied that He was Captain of the Hosts. I believe this was the Lord pre-incarnate because He didn’t refuse worship from Joshua. Angels refuse worship. Here was the Lord leading His Army of Angels before the people. The Lord had already promised in Exodus 33:2 that He would send angels before them to drive out the enemy. He always does what He promises He will do.

As we have entered this season of walking in the Promised Land, we can see some valuable parallels here. Upon crossing into this season, we too are vulnerable. Like the floodwaters, sometimes things almost look out of control. The great Revivals and Outpourings of the past have always looked out of control. When man has finally gotten them under his control, they have ceased.

As we lay our hearts bare before the circumcision rock (Romans 2:29), our hearts are now open to receive. It’s our greatest opportunity to step outside the box to receive new passions and desires from the Lord. As Israel camped out at Gilgal (place of their circumcision), and continued to come back there throughout the conquest of the land we must continue to come back for heart-circumcision. We will have a new understanding of “open hearts” in this season.

We must learn to trust Father more than we ever have. This is the generation that will be called the friends of God because of their awesome trust. This is the generation that will camp outside of their man-made fortresses and allow themselves to be vulnerable. Walls will come down as we lay our souls bare before an Almighty God. We will take the risk, allowing ourselves to be open to the criticisms of man. However, we will value the opinion of Father more than all the opinions of man. We will deny the flesh and be willing to be unknown that God be better known and greater honored than man.

In these floodwaters the enemy will come out. Although the lions roar we will not turn to the right or the left. Revelation tells us that in the latter times satan will be like a roaring lion because he knows his time is short. The louder the roar of the enemy the more confident we are that his days are numbered. With greater steadfastness we will go forward. The challenges will do no more than confirm and define who we are. Ezekiel was taken down into a valley, but while there, he encountered the breath and wind of God. There is not a place too dry or out of control that we cannot invite the breath of God to breathe upon.

A wind is already blowing across these mountains of Appalachia. Dry bones are coming back to life. How many of you have felt a momentum in the last 6 months? The momentum is building. We need deeper perception, which comes from deeper hunger. Deeper perception will allow us to see what Father is already doing. To deny what He is doing forfeits increase and cancels opportunity. The Omnipresent God is here and He is becoming more and more tangible. He is manifesting Himself and His power. To deny this is to dishonor Him.

We need to stop acting as if God is not in the room. We talk to Him about coming and He is already here. What a dishonor this is. As long as we keep looking for Him, we will never step up to the plate and play the game. He is on the pitcher’s mound and He is throwing the ball. We can keep asking for more rain in the time of the latter rain but let’s not deny it is raining! Jesus talked some about ‘bad praying’ – repeating ourselves, long prayers, street corner prayers, etc. I have trained myself to spend about 1% of my prayer-time asking and about 99% listening or agreeing with Father. Let’s change some of our bad praying to thankfulness for what He is doing and proclamations of what we see that He is going to do. Thankfulness is something that greatly satisfies Father’s heart. Proclamation opens the atmosphere for grace and angelic activity.

The Lord sent angels before the Israelites to drive out the enemy. As we are now living in the Promised Land, He is doing the same today. Just after the crossing, the Lord of the Angel Armies appeared to Joshua. He was ready to go. Jesus said that in the end-time harvest the angels would be the reapers. (Matthew 13:39) He also said we need to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers into His harvest. How much easier this is with angels going before us. We work together in synchronized motion. They swing the scythe and we follow in the same path. In modern day farmers’ language – they rake the hay and we come behind to bale it. The path is easier because they are going ahead of us. We are still in elementary school in our understanding of how to utilize angelic activity. Soon, we will be following the angels into the fields of the nations. Like Ruth they will lead us to the threshing floor of our Redeemer Kinsman. We will continue to lie at His feet throughout the night seasons. In the morning we will awake and He will put a double measure in our mantel. Ruth would have received three measures if she had worked all day, but she received six measures for just laying at the feet of her Redeemer. Intimacy will always outweigh works. Jesus Himself cleared the way so we can come boldly unto Him and His resources without much toil. What a blessed Harvest this is!

I challenge you as a Believer to experience what Elisha’s servant experienced. Elisha and the servant were surrounded by the enemy. The odds were bad. Like a normal man the servant was greatly alarmed. Elisha simply prayed that the servant’s eyes be opened to see the spiritual realm. Then… he saw the mountains… full of horses and chariots-of-fire all around them. (II Kings 6)

Do I need to say it? These Appalachian Mountains are filling up with angelic activity. Things that looked impossible a couple of years ago in this region are now looking possible. The strongholds are coming down. A region known as the 'second most religious area' because of its staunch religious strongholds are changing. The light is shining in and the darkness cannot stand against it.

Jericho was the greatest stronghold they had to face and they faced it first. It was the first victory just after the crossing. God is calling us to face our strongest one first. Upon its fall all the others will fall in submission. Religion without relationship is our strongest fortress in this region. Christianity is not a religion. Religion is humans trying to work their way to God. Christianity is God coming to men and women through a relationship with Jesus Christ. As this stronghold falls, others will follow. The drug empire will crumble. Injustice will bow. Arrogance will humble. Poverty will change. Jobs will come. Are you ready to march? It will be a different march and a different sound, but it will permeate the atmosphere. Father has already rent the heavens so we can send up the sound.

(Painting above is "Exposed Hearts" - watercolor by Gwen Meharg ~ www.drawneartogod.com)