The link to the message is below.

https://youtu.be/rE15vMj0-UQ

Pastor, preacher, Evangelist, Bible student, missionary, born-again Christian, please don’t give up. The finish line is in front of us.

Things are getting worse and worse by the moment. If and when you have time to slow down and think about what is going on around the world, and you are thinking about this in the flesh (which is easy to do), it can get really scary for you. My first thought is I don’t want my son and family members to have to go through all of this mess. But then, I have peace when I give all of it over to the Lord. My son and all of my family members are in the hands of Jesus. When I do this, everything is good. I have peace that can only come from the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

Real soon, we will see our precious Savior face to face and hear his voice for the first time. We will see Jesus’ glorified body and see the scars on his body.

Zechariah 13:6 “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”

We will be able to hug him for the first time and talk to him in person. Wow! Writing this article is really making me homesick. What will be the first words out of my mouth when I speak to the Lord? I know in my heart that when I see him for the first time, I will fall flat on my face. How can I do anything else when I see my precious Savior? The one who took my place. The one who died for me. The one who died the most horrible death that anyone has ever gone through in the history of mankind. IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF MY SINS. Jesus did not have to do this. The reason he did this was that he loved us more than anything.

When I see my Savior for the first time, I do not want to have any regrets in my service to my Lord. I want to know in my heart that I went all out for my precious Savior. Yes, that would be wonderful to hear Jesus say to me, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” But it would also be wonderful to see his face and not have the thought in my mind that I wish I’d done more for my Savior.

How many Christians, when they went home to be with the Lord, wished they had gone all out for their Savior? Once you get to heaven, you cannot go back and then start living for the Lord; it is too late. But what about you right now? Are you going to go in the same direction you have been in most of your Christian life? It is not too late to go all out for your Savior Jesus.

Let’s get into the message.

The battle of all time is between good and evil and over lost souls. Satan wants everyone to go to hell with him. However, Jesus is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. The battle is over your mind, Christian. If you feed your spirit more than your flesh, you will start going in the right direction.

The battle of Jericho was the first battle for the children of Israel as they crossed over the Jordon river to enter the promised land that the Lord had given them. Joshua was appointed leader over Israel.

Numbers 27:18-23 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

“And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.”

God appointed Joshua to lead the children of Israel after Moses. Has the Lord appointed you to preach?

Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”

I believe there are many behind the pulpit today that the Lord has not called to preach. The Lord had separated Paul and Silas for work.

Notice in Acts 13:2 that it says, “I have called them.” It has to be a calling of God. When I surrendered to preach in August of 1982, I knew the Lord had called me to preach; it was very clear to my heart. It scared the living daylights out of me. I would ask the Lord, why me? I know even today that the Lord has called me to be an Online Missionary to the world. He has called me to spread this worldwide prayer movement; I have no doubt in my mind. I am thankful that the Lord has separated me for the work he has called me to do. What has the Lord called you to do?

Joshua had to become humble.

Daniel 4:37 “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”

The Lord is able to humble anyone. All of us preachers need to be humbled. God was able to humble Joshua. How did he do this? Joshua had to go through forty years in the wilderness, just like Israel did. Has the Lord humbled you? I believe the main reason why the Lord can’t use most preachers is that they have not gone through the wilderness experience. I know in my own life, I have struggled with pride.

Joshua 1:5 “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.”

Joshua 1:7 “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”

Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

Verse 5 is such a wonderful verse; it should comfort us in the day in which we live. The Lord told Joshua that he would be with him for the rest of his life, just like he was with Moses. I believe he is with us also. We can rest in his promises in his Word. The Lord told Joshua that he would not fail him nor forsake him. This gives me such peace in my heart as I type this article.

Verse 6 “be strong and of good courage.” The Lord said this to Joshua three times. I believe Joshua needed to hear this; so do we. The Lord needs to repeat things to us also.

Verse 7 “Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left.” So many Christians, it seems to me, are getting away from the Word of God. They have stopped preaching and teaching and living by the Word of God. Why? The last thing we need to do is to get away from the Word of God.

Verse 8: Three things I want to take a look at three things in this key verse. It says so much to Joshua and to us.

1. Speak the Word.
2. Meditate on the Word.
3. Observe the Word.

We need to keep preaching, teaching, and living the Word of God. No matter what happens in your life, determine in your heart that you will never stop preaching the Word of God, even if they threaten to throw you in jail or kill you. Our children need to hear it at home. Everyone around us needs to hear the Word of God.

Psalms 119:97 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”

Meditate on the Word of God all day not just for the preacher but for all Christians. If we meditate on God’s Word more, we will become stronger in the Lord. We will become bold in our witness to others. If preachers would meditate more on the Word of God, their messages could become more powerful.

Observe the Word, meaning to keep and remember.

What are the results in Joshua’s life if he does these three things?

1. Thou shalt make thy way prosperous (your direction in life)
2. Thou shalt have good success (everything you do in life)

We are in the mess we are in with the church of today because pastors and church members got away from the Word of God. So many Bible colleges are not even teaching the true Word of God. This has gone on for decades and has had a devastating effect on our churches across America. Let us get back to speaking, meditating, and observing the Word of God. Let us not turn to the right hand or the left but stay on course with the Word of God.

Verse 9: He has commanded us to go. It is not an option. He also commanded Joshua. He told Joshua not to be afraid nor dismayed. This means to shake, break down, discourage, be scared, or be terrified. I believe it is safe to say that all of us have felt every one of these words in the last few years. I know in my own heart that I have felt every one of these bad feelings. It is obvious that Joshua was feeling them also. We see what he was facing at Jericho, and we know why he was feeling this way. Also, this was the first battle that Joshua would lead Israel in to take the promised land.

In Joshua chapter 3, the children of Israel passed over Jordan on dry ground. This sounds familiar. Has anything big happened in your life, and after it was done, your faith in the Lord grew so much? You see this and say to yourself that if God can do this and answer my prayer, then he can do anything. It is impossible to please him without faith. The more and more we use and practice our faith, the more it will grow. So many Christians are facing the walls of Jericho, and they don’t have enough faith to realize that God will bring the walls down if they will trust in him. He is faithful.

Joshua 6:1 “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.”

Joshua 6:2 “And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”

In verse 1, God has the enemy right where he wants them. Even today, the enemy of America is exactly where the Lord wants them. The enemy always thinks that they get away with so much, but with the Lord, no one gets away with anything. No one can hide from God. No enemy of God will say to themself, God has me right where he wants me.

In verse 2, before the battle started for Joshua, the Lord told him, “I have given into thine hand Jericho.” This is the same today for us Christians. The Lord is telling us we are on the winning side. The victory has already been won in Christ Jesus.

In verses 3-5, God gave direction to Joshua.

In verses 6-10, Joshua gave direction to the people

Our messages need to come from the Lord and then be spoken to the people. The message needs to come from the Bible.

They were to march around the city 6 days in a row, one time each day. They were not to make a sound. On the 7th day, they were to march around 7 times not making a sound. Then when the trumpet sounded, they were to shout out loud. I have one thing to say about this: prayer. Prayer warriors, get involved in everything: church services, soul winning. Praying and fasting for your pastor and for each other.

In closing

Joshua 6:20 “So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.”

The wall of Jericho not only came down, but the wall fell flat on the ground. Whatever wall is in front of you – no matter how tall it is, how thick it is, or how big it is – the Lord can bring that wall down. Whatever the name is on that wall: fear of the future, the past, or the present. Whatever it is, the Lord has the power to bring it down so you can keep going for him. No matter how big the calling is on your life, the Lord can bring the wall down if you will let him. Don’t give up.

Urgent prayer for seven nations:

I am asking all prayer warriors from around the world to join us for a day of prayer, fasting, and repentance on March 28, 2023, for these 7 nations:

1. Hong Kong and on behalf of over 7,664,998 precious souls.
2. Laos and on behalf of over 7,572,247 precious souls.
3. Singapore and on behalf of over 5,977,358 precious souls.
4. Georgia and on behalf of over 3,968,569 precious souls.
5. Mongolia and on behalf of over 3,427,288 precious souls.
6. USA and on behalf of over 336,332,440 precious souls.
7. Israel and all Jews from around the world and on behalf of over 15.3 million precious souls.

Please join us and be a part of the harvest of lost souls in these nations. We are believing that we’re moving the heart of God. I ask you to post this on all media to spread this worldwide prayer.

Facebook page: Prayer Warriors 4HIM Online Ministries

Email: bkwatts64@yahoo.com

Keith Watts

Online Missionary to the world

 

Joel 2:28-29, John 16:5-15, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:17-18, Acts 2:24-36

Summary: This message gives a survey of the events leading up to Pentecost and the command from the Lord Jesus to preach the Gospel to everyone. This is an adaptation of a message from the 1995 edition of the Zondervan’s Pastor’s Annual. It needed no update, for the Word of God is eternal.

The disciples were made up of men who had been called from their chosen professions to follow Jesus of Nazareth. Having left all, it must have seemed to them that, at the crucifixion of Jesus, they had lost all. Following the admonition of their Lord, whom they saw disappear into the clouds, they returned to the place of danger – Jerusalem. He had told them that they should tarry there until they received power from “on high.”

They made their way to the Upper Room, where not long before, they had heard Jesus say, “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). It was the room where He had promised them the coming of another comforter, someone to stand alongside them (John 14:16). It was the room in which Jesus had promised them peace of which the world was totally ignorant (John 14:27). It was this very room where Jesus had appeared to His disciples after the event of the Resurrection in order to satisfy Thomas, the skeptic of the group, who proclaimed at that moment, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

So, the disciples returned to Jerusalem to receive power, but the question in their minds must have been, “Power to do what?” What was this gathering of believers, these “called out ones,” known as the “church,” to do? The LORD said they were to be witnesses, but in what sense were they to carry this out?

The Day of Pentecost was to be that Divinely appointed time when their answers would be supplied. Pentecost was a time in which the Hebrews gave thanks for the grain harvest and remembered the giving of the Law through Moses. Pentecost was a time of huge crowds because Jews living in other parts of the world chose to come to Pentecost rather than Passover due to better traveling weather that usually occurred at that time.

In many respects, Pentecost is the Tower of Babel in reverse. At Babel (Genesis 11), the pride of people brought the judgment of God, and tongues were confused. At Pentecost, the miracle seems reversed as the confusion of the world suddenly hears the message of God in the languages they understood. God performed a great miracle of communication that day. As the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke with “other tongues.” A literal translation (Acts 2:6) tells us that every person “heard them speak in his own dialect.” Here we see the church beginning its primary mission of proclamation.

The people of God in the Old Testament were a congregation that did not seek to convert outsiders. With the exception of Jonah’s mission to Nineveh, the Old Testament indicates that the Israelites felt that their position was to be an example to the world but not a converter of the world. Likewise, there are churches today that see themselves as social influencers yet shy away from preaching the Gospel that changes hearts and minds in order to be the godly influence Jesus expects.

The proclamation of God’s Word is the prime mission of the church. On the Day of Pentecost, it was Simon Peter who stood to explain that what was happening was the fulfillment of what had been declared by the prophet Joel centuries before, that the time would come when young and old alike would voice the message of God. Just as in the fullness of time, God created all things, and in the fullness of time, He sent His only Son, so also, in the fullness of time, the proclamation of salvation began.

The arrival of the Holy Spirit empowered the church to begin its mission. On a personal scale, the Holy Spirit came to empower and inspire a person’s witness.

Luke, the author of the book of Acts, described the coming of the Holy Spirit in terms of flames. Fire always purifies, and the message of the Gospel is the message that must be preached in truth by people whose hearts have had all falsehood burned out of them. The fact that everyone there heard in their own dialect was an indication that the Gospel was for all the world.

The coming of the Holy Spirit was to bring power primarily for witnessing. God did not give us the Spirit to make us feel good but to make us courageous in the battle for people’s souls. Those who have no desire to be a witness need not pray for any manifestation of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

It is the power of the Holy Spirit that convicts the unsaved. Upon hearing Peter’s sermon, many were “pricked in their heart” (Acts 2:37). The word translated as “pricked” is the word that describes the sting of a hornet. They were stung in their hearts by the Holy Spirit’s power of conviction (John 16:8-10). Here we find the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit with regard to the unsaved world.

God has always been present in a spiritually unseen way in this world. However, before the work of Christ, there was not as clear a manifestation of God and of His love as there was after Christ’s coming.

Before Christ’s coming into the world, the primary method of God’s desire to deliver us was seen in the Exodus. The prophets constantly pointed the people back to the Exodus as proof of God’s power to save and His desire to save. With the coming of Christ, God’s revelation was complete and concrete (Hebrews 1:1-4). Christ was the final message of God, and the message had come with its final fullness, and God’s spiritual presence was there to convince the world that this was truly the message of God. No one nor any other message need apply (Revelation 22:19). The arrival of the Holy Spirit sealed the intent of God (Acts 2:21).

The next message in this series will be on what the church must preach, regardless of whether we or the world likes it or not (Romans 1:16-17, 3:4). In the meantime, I hope this caught your attention. Repent of your sins and give your life to Jesus Christ today (Romans 10:9-10, 13; 2 Corinthians 6:2).

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

www.youtube.com/@realitycityreview