Preparing for God's Promises: A Call to Action
Summary
In this gathering, I shared a message of hope and preparation for the year 2025, emphasizing the unique spiritual atmosphere present in our community. This is a place where the Holy Spirit moves powerfully, and we are called to seize the opportunities that God places before us. Reflecting on the past, particularly the pivotal year of 2020, I reminded us of the importance of being ready for change and embracing the journey God sets before us. As we stand on the brink of a new season, I believe God is calling us to prepare for a significant move, both individually and as a church body.
Drawing from Joshua 1, I highlighted the importance of preparation in taking hold of God's promises. Just as the Israelites were instructed to prepare provisions before crossing the Jordan, we too must prepare spiritually for the opportunities ahead. This preparation involves having a clear vision, stirring up our faith, interceding and sowing seeds for the future, being ready to share the hope within us, and stepping into greater realms of spiritual gifts.
I shared the story of the spies sent by Moses, emphasizing the power of our words and the importance of speaking life and faith into our circumstances. We must be like Joshua and Caleb, who saw the potential and promise in the land, rather than focusing on the giants. This is a time to speak positively about our city and our community, believing that God is bringing transformation.
Furthermore, I encouraged us to be ready to share the gospel, as the harvest is ripe. We must be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have, just as Philip did with the Ethiopian eunuch. Finally, I urged us to earnestly desire and operate in the gifts of the Spirit, stepping out in faith to meet the needs around us.
As we move forward, let us run the race with determination, casting aside anything that hinders us, and taking hold of every opportunity God presents. This is our time to possess the land and see God's promises fulfilled in our lives and community.
Key Takeaways:
- Vision and Faith: Having a clear vision is crucial for recognizing and seizing opportunities. Without it, we risk dwelling carelessly and missing God's promises. Vision comes from knowing God's promises and having faith to act on them, even before they manifest. [01:16:35]
- Stirring Faith: Faith is essential for moving on God's promises. It requires action before seeing results, much like Noah building the ark. We must consume God's Word to know His promises and stir our faith to take hold of them. [01:24:47]
- Intercession and Seeds: Our prayers and intercessions plant seeds for future victories. Like David sowing seeds by taking Goliath's head to Jerusalem, our spiritual battles now prepare the way for future breakthroughs. [01:32:32]
- Evangelism and Readiness: We must always be ready to share the hope within us. The harvest is ripe, and we are called to be active participants in leading others to Christ, just as Philip did with the Ethiopian eunuch. [01:40:29]
- Spiritual Gifts: This is the time to step into greater realms of spiritual gifts. We must earnestly desire and exercise these gifts to meet the needs around us, trusting God to use us as vessels for His work. [01:40:29]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:08:27] - Seizing Opportunities
- [01:16:35] - Vision and Faith
- [01:24:47] - Stirring Faith
- [01:32:32] - Intercession and Seeds
- [01:40:29] - Evangelism and Readiness
- [01:40:29] - Spiritual Gifts
- [01:40:29] - Conclusion and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Joshua 1:11
- Numbers 14:6-9
- 1 Peter 3:15
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Observation Questions:
1. In Joshua 1:11, what specific instructions were given to the Israelites, and what was the purpose of these instructions?
2. How did Joshua and Caleb's report differ from that of the other spies in Numbers 14:6-9, and what was the reaction of the congregation to their report?
3. According to 1 Peter 3:15, what are believers encouraged to be ready to do, and what attitude should they have when doing it?
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does the preparation of provisions in Joshua 1:11 symbolize in a spiritual context, and how can this be applied to modern-day believers? [01:16:35]
2. How does the story of the spies in Numbers 14 illustrate the impact of faith and perspective on the fulfillment of God's promises? [01:24:47]
3. In what ways does 1 Peter 3:15 challenge believers to engage with those around them, and why is this readiness important for the church today? [01:40:29]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you missed an opportunity due to a lack of preparation or vision. What steps can you take to ensure you are spiritually prepared for future opportunities? [01:08:27]
2. Joshua and Caleb saw the potential in the Promised Land despite the giants. How can you cultivate a similar perspective in your life when facing challenges? [01:24:47]
3. The sermon emphasized the importance of speaking life and faith into our circumstances. What are some practical ways you can change your speech to align with this principle? [01:32:32]
4. How can you actively prepare to share the hope within you, as encouraged in 1 Peter 3:15? Identify one person you can share your faith with this week. [01:40:29]
5. The sermon highlighted the need to desire and operate in spiritual gifts. What specific spiritual gift do you feel called to develop, and what steps will you take to grow in that area? [01:40:29]
6. Consider the role of intercession in your spiritual life. How can you incorporate more intentional prayer for future victories in your daily routine? [01:32:32]
7. Reflect on the idea of running the race with determination. What is one hindrance you need to cast aside to fully embrace the opportunities God is presenting to you? [01:16:35]
Devotional
Day 1: Vision as a Catalyst for Action
In the journey of faith, having a clear vision is essential for recognizing and seizing the opportunities that God places before us. Without vision, we risk dwelling carelessly and missing out on the promises that God has for us. Vision is not just about seeing the future but understanding God's promises and having the faith to act on them, even before they manifest. This requires a deep connection with God's Word and a willingness to step out in faith, trusting that God will guide and provide. [01:16:35]
Joshua 1:10-11 (ESV): "And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 'Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, "Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess."'"
Reflection: What specific vision has God placed on your heart that you need to act on today, even if the path forward is not yet clear?
Day 2: Faith in Action
Faith is not passive; it requires action before seeing results. Just as Noah built the ark before the flood, we are called to act on God's promises, trusting that He will fulfill them in His time. This involves consuming God's Word to know His promises and stirring our faith to take hold of them. Faith is the bridge between God's promises and our reality, and it requires us to move forward, even when we cannot see the outcome. [01:24:47]
Hebrews 11:7 (ESV): "By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."
Reflection: What is one step of faith you can take today to act on a promise God has given you, even if you haven't seen the results yet?
Day 3: The Power of Intercession
Our prayers and intercessions are powerful tools that plant seeds for future victories. Just as David sowed seeds by taking Goliath's head to Jerusalem, our spiritual battles now prepare the way for future breakthroughs. Intercession is not just about asking God for things but partnering with Him in His work on earth. It involves standing in the gap for others and believing that our prayers can bring about change and transformation. [01:32:32]
1 Samuel 17:54 (ESV): "And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent."
Reflection: Who is someone in your life that you can intercede for today, believing that your prayers will plant seeds for their future victory?
Day 4: Readiness to Share the Gospel
The harvest is ripe, and we are called to be active participants in leading others to Christ. We must always be ready to share the hope within us, just as Philip did with the Ethiopian eunuch. This involves being prepared to give an answer for our faith and being willing to step out of our comfort zones to share the gospel with those around us. Evangelism is not just for the "gifted" but a call for every believer to participate in God's mission. [01:40:29]
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV): "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."
Reflection: Who is someone in your life that you can share the hope of the gospel with today, and how can you prepare yourself to do so with gentleness and respect?
Day 5: Operating in Spiritual Gifts
This is the time to step into greater realms of spiritual gifts. We must earnestly desire and exercise these gifts to meet the needs around us, trusting God to use us as vessels for His work. Spiritual gifts are not just for personal edification but for the building up of the church and the advancement of God's kingdom. As we step out in faith, we can trust that God will empower us to operate in these gifts for His glory. [01:40:29]
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (ESV): "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."
Reflection: What spiritual gift do you feel God is calling you to step into, and how can you begin to exercise that gift to meet the needs around you today?
Quotes
You know, in worship today, I just sense in both services such a powerful atmosphere of the Holy Spirit, that there is something that is so unique in this house. It's, you know, just one of those things I think that, you know, for over 40 years, I've been connected to Shiloh, and it's something that is truly unique. If you've not been other places, I want you to know this place is unique. If you've been other places, you already know that. And so it's such a prophetic house. You know, this is a house that hears from the Lord and takes hold of what God is saying. [01:00:50] (41 seconds)
You have stolen my notes that I keep under lock and key because you have just told me exactly what I'm sharing today. And then Pastor Javier, the same thing. You know, I just have to say, I love Pastor Javier and Pastor Melinda. You know, there has never been a time that I have said anything to them that they did not have the faith to take hold of. You know, Pastor Javier is a man of great faith. And I love that because you replicate after your own kind. So this house is a house of great, great faith. And it's a house where anything is possible. [01:01:47] (42 seconds)
I believe that there is a window of opportunity in 2024. five that can have great kingdom advancement, both for you as an individual and for this church body. When I say that, I'm not just like throwing words out there. I'm saying I really believe this. I really believe there is something that God wants to do, but I hear him say that it is a time of preparation. You know, Leonard Ravenhill, who was a great revivalist, he had a very interesting statement, and this has just been going through my head for weeks, and he said the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity. [01:07:43] (50 seconds)
It's time to seize the opportunities, and that the Lord wants to prepare us to even be able to do that. He wants to enable us to take advantage of every single opportunity that comes. I don't know if you're like me, but, you know, I'm old enough to say I've missed some opportunities, and you know it often in hindsight. You know, for many years, really decades, I had a real estate business, and there are times, and I bet you, Pastor Chris, you can say the same thing. You see all these houses, and you think, oh, that would be a great house. You know, I've shown it to my clients, but man, I should really have a house like that, and you don't do it because maybe it's too expensive, or you just didn't have a vision for it, or whatever, but you always look back, don't you, and you go, man, I should have bought that house. Like, I didn't seize the opportunity. Maybe I was afraid. Maybe I just didn't know. You know, all these things, and there's all sorts of things like that where you go like, oh, you know, I missed it. Well, the same thing is true in the spirit. There are opportunities in the kingdom that if we can take hold of them, if we can see them, and say, you know what, I'm going to seize that opportunity. [01:08:25] (81 seconds)
Pass through the camp, and command the people, saying, prepare provisions for yourselves. And when I say that, I'm not talking about, you know, preppers. I'm talking about spiritual provisions. Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days, you will cross over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess. Let me give you the context of this. Over 40 years had passed since the original invitation to take hold of the land had happened, and instead they didn't do it. We'll talk about that a little bit in a moment, but they didn't take hold of it. But now another opportunity comes away. Maybe you feel like you've missed some opportunities in your life. I'm telling you, the Holy Spirit is coming even today. There's fresh opportunities that are here. And so the word of the Lord comes to Joshua, and he says within three days. In other words, it wasn't going to be a long time. [01:11:44] (70 seconds)
for the great harvest. We have to prepare for what God is wanting to do, for miracles, for visitations, for personal growth, for corporate growth, that we need to have a preparation of that. You see, every piece of new territory that you're going to take requires preparation and action. It's not enough to just go, yeah, that house is really nice. It's like, no, you've got to step into it. You've got to be somebody who says, you know what, I'm going to take hold of this. I'm going to take some risks. You know, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Like, we've got to be people who say, you know what, I'm going to have my eyes open in this hour for spiritual opportunities. And even from the beginning of our walk, it's that way. [01:13:15] (55 seconds)
But in order to contain the breakthrough, there must be some preparation. You see, sometimes we get tired in the waiting, or we think, yeah, whatever, you know, things will just be the same. No, they won't. You see, the Lord, I believe in this verse is saying that we have got to have the spiritual provisions to not miss the opportunities that are about to unfold, the things we don't know. Like I said, I had no idea five years ago when the Lord spoke those other two verses to me that COVID was coming. I had no idea, but I did know this. We better be okay with a new journey. We better be okay that things weren't going to be the same. Well, I feel like what I'm hearing now is opportunities are about to roll in. And we have got to be able to say, okay, I'm going to seize those opportunities. [01:14:50] (61 seconds)
And really for every season of our life, but now that this is unfolding, we've got to take hold of it even now. The first key, and these are all really simple. You're going to go like, well, that was simple. But I'm telling you, it's in taking hold of these simple concepts that it's going to revolutionize our life. You know, we don't need to have a PhD to understand this, but we've got to have the faith arise in us and say, yes, I'm going to take hold of it. And so the first key of preparation is having a vision. Without a vision of what God wants to do, the promises he's given you, you can find yourself just missing all sorts of things. You know, there's a scripture in Proverbs 29, 18, that says, without a vision, the people perish. And when you look into the meaning of those words, it actually means without a progressive revelatory vision, the people will dwell carelessly. [01:17:36] (71 seconds)
I mean, that's a story of our lives. If we don't know what we're looking for, we are just going to dwell carelessly. It's like you miss the opportunities. You don't know where you're going. We have got to understand what is it that I'm looking for? What am, you know, what is it that God wants me to see? Well, how does vision come? Vision comes by knowing and taking hold of the promises. And, you know, to really take hold of it, you have to know what your vision for the future is. I mean, if you don't, that's why you dwell carelessly. It's like, what am I looking for? What has God told me? What are the promises that he's doing? You know, it would be very unusual for God to speak to Joshua and the children of Israel and say, you know, within three days, you're going to get the land. And they had no idea where the land was. [01:21:08] (59 seconds)
You know, they had no idea what land, like what, you know, this is the hour to take hold of what God has for you in this season. It's an hour to have it be clarified in your mind, because we have to have a vision for where we're going. We have to know. what promise is the Lord calling you to as an individual and what promises is God calling this house to corporately? And we have to be on board. We have to know what that is or we may not recognize it when it's right in front of us. We may not be able to seize the opportunity because we didn't even realize that opportunity was a promise that God wanted us to step into. You see it throughout the scriptures, but I think probably one of the most descriptive stories of seeing this in operation is the story of the spies. When Moses sent out the spies, he said, you know, God's promised us we're going to go into this land. I want you to spy it out. Come back to us. Come and tell the people of Israel. What do you see? And so the spies went, but it says there were some good spies and some evil spies. And it says of the evil spies, let me read this to you because it's so interesting because what we say is actually really important. [01:22:26] (99 seconds)
It actually has a creative power to it. So let's look at it. The evil spies come back. You know, they've gone to the promised land. They've come back with all this fruit. Man, it's big. It's glorious. Here we go. And what do they say? They say, then these evil spies told Moses and said, we went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey. And this is its fruit. I mean, so far so good, but hold on. There we saw the giants and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight. And so we were in their sight. You see what you see or what you don't see and what you say or what you don't say. I'm telling you right now, it is contagious. [01:27:04] (53 seconds)
That the Lord is calling even this house to rise up in faith and begin to speak the promises forth to one another. It's not time to say that they're giants and we're grasshoppers. It's time to say if the Lord is with us, then we're the giants and they're the grasshoppers. And see, Joshua and Caleb had a revelation. They were the good spies, the only two good spies. And by the way, they're the only two who more than 40 years later were allowed to actually enter in and possess the promises that God had. Everybody else had to die. Numbers 14 verse 6, it says, but Joshua, the son of Nun and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes. They tore their clothes when they heard this evil report. It was like, are you people crazy? This is so bad. I'm tearing my clothes. And it says, and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel saying, the land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. [01:28:37] (72 seconds)
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