Promised Land Living

After a time the Israelites are opposed by five kings that have come in an alliance against them. That’s a handful. They are victorious over these five kings but an interesting thing happens in this battle. The Lord sends large hail stones from heaven. Therefore, more are killed with the hail stones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

An important key to good “promised land living” is to make sure the enemy is on the run. If we are running or cowering from the enemy, something is wrong. There are tons of scriptures to use to put the enemy on the run. Father holds in His hands just the right strategy to give us, to make sure the enemy is running. It’s important to recognize and make sure that the Lord is doing more of the fighting than we are. That’s a good balance. Even if a handful of the enemy is against us, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. The name of Jesus is the greatest power source in the universe. The blood of Jesus has obtained for us the greatest victories ever known.

The victory is going well for Joshua and the Israelites. However, Joshua knew he needed more time because there was so much more to subdue. He commands the sun to stand still and it stood still for an entire day. This allowed time for complete victory. The earth had not seen such a time as this that a man could command time to stand still. Jesus also took charge over the natural when he commanded the wind to stop and the waves to become calm.

Promised land living allows us to take control of the natural. When major hurricanes are coming to our coastlines we can pray and proclaim for them to cease or take a different route out to sea. Instead of giving into what we are tempted to consider as the inevitable, we can proclaim the supreme will of God over our land.

Robert Sheffey traveled by horseback throughout the Appalachian mountains during the late1800’s. One day he came upon a man who had lost control of a fire that could have made its way to the mountains and caused major damage. There was not a cloud in the sky. Mr. Sheffey had with him his sheepskin that he used as a saddle blanket, prayer mat and sleeping mat. He knelt on the sheepskin and prayed. A rain came and put the fire out. That’s promised land living.

Promised land living allows restoration of the years the locust have eaten. (See Joel 1) This grace allows us to start again where we stepped off the path and then sometimes this grace will thrust us to where we would have been if we had never gotten off the path. The Lord can mature us faster than is natural. He knows the end from the beginning and can make all the minor and major changes resulting in our complete restoration. Joshua had great power with God. As these things happened before the cross how much the more they need to be happening now. God still causes time to stand still.

The conclusion of the battle with the five kings involves a solemn ceremony in which Joshua has his men of war put their feet upon the necks of the five kings. This was a proclamation of present victory plus future triumph over the enemy. It was a prophetic act, a thing done in the natural to proclaim the work of God amongst them and a continual manifestation of victory.

I love doing prophetic acts. While watching the Mobile Revival I have had an overwhelming desire to burn for God greater than I ever have. I love the roots of my Methodist heritage and the words of John Wesley when he explained that, “he would just set himself on fire and people would come to watch him burn." Remembering Wesley’s words and watching the Mobile Revival, caused a hunger to arise in me. On Sunday afternoon I went up to the old farm in Lebanon to spend some time in the mountains. I pitched my tent unsure of how long I would stay. I felt the Lord was calling me to the mountains to spend some time with Him, but I was unsure of why and how long. When it started getting dark, I lit a fire in the old rock circle that I had made 40 years ago as a kid. The fire began to mount as the flames reached upward. It was then that I heard Father speak to my heart that this was a prophetic action representing the fire that He was igniting in my spirit. It was worth the journey and the setting aside the hours just to hear Him say those words.

Several chapters of the book of Joshua are about the dividing of the land. Each of the tribes were given an allotment except the tribe of Levi. They were given something much greater. Their inheritance was the Lord. (see Deut. 10:9) As they ministered unto the Lord and the nation their inheritance was His Presence.

In promised land living, His Presence is enough. It is more than enough. When our hearts can genuinely say that Jesus is enough, we can begin experiencing more fully promised land living. Jesus told us in His sermon on the mountains to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and the others things would be added unto us." (see Matthew 6:33) His Presence has fulfilled the hearts of men and women throughout the ages. Many have lived in obscurity with Him to find greater fulfillment than their peers. Some have walked amongst society daily with such an awareness of God that they often forgot they were still on the earth. There is a growing multitude of sold-out people that will give up whatever it takes to walk with Him in His manifested Presence. There are a people on the earth right now that no longer just want a visitation of God but their desire is to make room for His habitation among them. And they are doing it. He is here. His Presence is with us and He is enough. This is the pride and joy of promised land living.

In Joshua 17 we have the story of how the children of Joseph were given their inheritance. Although the divine providence of God had foreordained this beforehand, they complained. They were not satisfied and Joshua told them that the mountains were before them. They were people of great power and would be able to take the mountains.

I believe we are a people of great power. God is offering us the conquest. Take the mountains. He is calling us a people of great power. As the Lord addressed Gideon as a mighty man of valor, God is addressing us. Gideon hid in fear of the enemy but God called him forth. God is calling us from fear and complacency to become a people of great power. People of great power are followed by signs and wonders. Are we ready for the display of God’s glory to follow us? Are we ready to do the “greater works” that Jesus talked about? (See John 14:12)

The children of Joseph complained because they were given only one lot and they were many in number. However, that lot was lying right against the vast mountains. Joshua told them that the mountains were theirs also. The challenge before them was to clear the land and settle it. They had to take the trees and turn them into houses, barns, and furniture.

This is good stewardship. When we take what is set before us and use it for the kingdom of God, it impresses God. In some of the parables Jesus told, he concluded them with extra blessings on those who exemplified good stewardship. In these parables we see that Heaven's government is a little different than ours. We usually give according to need and God also cares for our needs. He is the Great Provider. But, God also reacts according to stewardship. I tell you, it impresses Him! For example, if we are out of work, we might consider volunteering. As God looks at our heart in volunteer labor, and sees us making good use of our time, He begins opening the doors for promotion. Good stewardship in the smallest of things will train us to handle the larger things. Pick up the pennies laying on the ground or in the bottom of the washer. How we spend our time, money and resources are very important to confident living in the promised land. A good conscience about our stewardship allows peace to reign and we can live in the confidence that God will provide everything we need.

Joshua told the children of Joseph that the outgoings of the mountains would be theirs. (see Joshua 17:18) As they occupied the mountains, they would enjoy what they produced. The same principle still applies today.

As we pray, proclaim, and occupy we will see new outgoings from these mountains of Appalachia. Any region that does this will see the fruit of the Lord going out to the nations. I have prayed and I am proclaiming that the outgoings of these mountains will be great. Like Joshua called the children of Joseph, I call us people of “Great Power." There is a new sound going forth from these mountains. As the sound of country music went out from this region and was heard all around the world, this new sound will ripple out to the far corners of the earth. It is a sound of praise mixed with a sound of war and it will rally believers to lay aside their differences and proclaim the greatness of our God. Songs will be written and recorded. Worship services will be recorded and the media will bring the coverage and exposure needed. Whereas in the past the media would sneak reporters in to video snake handling meetings, now they will openly record the great miracles happening through the power of God here in these mountains. Messages of cutting-edge truth will go forth from these mountains. Books will be written declaring truth that will reform a nation and the world. Occupy will be the song of the day instead of escapism that has haunted these mountains so long. Sunset mentality will be replaced with visions of a new dawning.

A spiritual river will flow from these mountains and there will be healing everywhere it flows. (see Ezekiel 47) One of the most beautiful sights on a river is a waterfall. The Psalmist tells us that deep calls to deep at the sound of God’s waterfalls. His conclusion of the matter is that all God’s breakers and waves have rolled over him. (see Psalms 42:7) You don’t have to be a beach buff to get excited over this. The waves are a type of the overwhelming manifest Presence of Almighty God rolling over us. In the previous verses of this psalm we see the psalmist in a process. The Psalmist used to lead processions of worship to the house of God. He kept festival. He was a “used to be” worshiper. (see Psalms 42:4) Then, in the next verse he begins to find hope and makes proclamation. He proclaims, “I shall again praise God!” Yet he despairs as he remembers the Lord from the mountains. (verse 6) Then, as if all of a sudden, he proclaims deep is calling unto deep. He hears the sound of the River. He hears the sound of the waterfalls. He feels the waves rush over him. He hears the sounds of the breakers roaring. Like the sound of a mighty rushing wind the breakers roar. He hears the Lord calling out commanded blessings of grace and lovingkindness. He has a new song in the night. All of this becomes a prayer upon his lips. Proclamation and prayer become one. Wow! That is promised land living!

Then Caleb steps forth. He was with Joshua forty-five years earlier when they spied out the promised land with ten other guys. He and Joshua were the only ones who brought back a good report and believed they should enter the promised land at that time. Because of the unbelief that scattered through the nation, they remained in the wilderness forty years. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones from their generation that lived to enter the promised land. Now Caleb reminds Joshua of his inheritance. (see Joshua 14) I love what Caleb said. He told Joshua that his strength was the same as when he was forty. He proclaimed that he was as able and as willing to drive out the giants now as he was then. Although he was eighty-five, his strength and resolve was the same as when he was forty.

This is a promise that we need to link into. Instead of expecting to get feeble with age, let’s expect to remain strong. Instead of talking about how our parents died and thinking we may do the same, let’s break the patterns. Sickness doesn’t have to take us out of this world. Enoch walked with God and God just took him. I don’t want sickness to have the glory for my departure from earth. Sickness has been glorified too much. The Church has played a huge part in glorifying sickness by claiming it is God’s will. This is not biblical. This is not what Jesus modeled. Even if I pray for ten people who are sick and there is no evidence of their healing, I will not change the word of God or my Father’s personality. Let God be true and man a liar. I will not back down from who He is and what He stands for to make excuse for myself or those around me.

We need to start proclaiming health. Proclaim that you plan to walk your mountain when you are eighty-five. Proclaim that you plan to have the same strength at eighty-five that you had at forty. Proclaim stronger ministry will come out of you as you grow older. As we say in the mountains, don’t ever think you are too old to cut the mustard. Live strong. Live healthy. Father is alive and well and His children need to model Him.

　

Caleb’s promised allotment was Hebron, a mountain city. In Abraham’s day it was called Hebron but a Giant name Arba had changed the name to Kiriath-Arba. Caleb was ready to restore the original name. With his tribe by his side he took Hebron back. (see Judges 1) It became a Levitical city and a city of refuge. Later, King David made Hebron his royal residence.

We have been given the power to restore the names, callings or redemptive purposes of our cities. If we see the evil or perversion in our cities, we can figure that God’s purpose was probably just the opposite. For example, if the enemy has brought extreme poverty, God has originally purposed wealth and abundant resources. If addiction is strong in a region, God has purposed freedom and health. If a town is known for depression, God has purposed joy for that town. The enemy is not hard to figure out. He cannot create anything so he just perverts the good things that Father has created. I like the way Mobile Bay, Alabama changed their name back to the original name given in 1507. Mobile Bay is now Bay of the Holy Spirit. Wouldn’t you love to live in a city with a name like that?

Sometime later Caleb’s daughter made a request of him for springs of water for her land. He gave her the upper and the lower springs. (see Joshua 15:9) As we say here in the mountains, she must have been a chip off the old block. She knew the power of making a request. Growing up on the farm I learned very early in life that a piece of land without a creek or a spring was almost useless for farming. She had to have water. Caleb’s response portrayed the fathers heart when he gave her double of what she asked.

Spiritually, we have to have water. Referring to the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, Holy Spirit is like a river that will flow up out of our innermost being. (see John 7:38) Father has invited us to come boldly before Him to make our requests. (see Hebrews 4:16) Don’t be overly surprised when you receive double. Father loves His children. The springs are opening up here in the mountains. The seasons of dryness are past.

I was always amazed with the spring we had on our farm. It supplied water for three households. One of the homes was below the spring. They laid a pipe and allowed the water to run continuously into a concrete water box. During all those years the water never stopped running. That’s a good spring. That’s the power of the lower springs. Again, may this be a prophetic picture of the spiritual water that is flowing out of these hills. Hello promised Land!