God has given us a New Covenant Promised Land. The Land of Christlikeness. Will we join with the Joshua's and Caleb's in our generation and choose to believe in the loving heart of God or will we balk in unbelief and join the crowds that are of the opinion that say, "it will never happen".
It should noted that when it comes to "entering into the Land" this is where revival gets real personal. I can't control other peoples choices. I can't cause a local church or a nation to experience revival but I sure in a position of authority when it comes me and what I'll allow the Lord to do in my own life. I choose for me.
The more individuals that choose to fully surrender to God's "prophetic vision" for today the larger the revival will be. The story is told of a young pastor who was visiting a revival meeting. He approached the aged and seasoned revivalists and how he could have a revival in his church. The answer he was given is what we all need to hear and embrace today. Here's the "key to revival" that was given to the young eager pastor. "I want you to go home and, with chalk, draw a four foot diameter circle on the living room floor. Then I want you to stand inside the circle and pray this; God revive everything inside this circle."
The first generation of "exodus Israelites" were given the promises of God. They were given Canaan Land yet they refused to personalize those promises. They failed to embrace them! They failed to believe that the "prophetic vision" of God was for them. All they say was the impossibilities. They choose to look at the promised land through the eyes of humanism. Through the eyes of human logic. Nothing made sense because they refused to look at it through the faithful uncompromising heart of God's love. They refused to walk by faith. They refused to walk on the revealed Word of God. They allowed their unbelief to dictate their future. This we need to avoid like a plague. There will always be plenty of opportunities throughout life to be dictated by fear and unbelief rather than peace and faith.
There's some major things to learn and apply to our New Covenant life through truths revealed in the "exodus story". I think it's important to understand that the promises given to the nation of Israel were the same for both the first and second generations. The second generation of "exodus Israelites" experienced in their generation all that the first generation missed. They promises were the same for both generations. God had done His part in releasing to them His "prophetic vision". The fulfillment of that would be determined by the peoples obedience to God's Word. An obedience which was generated out of genuine faith, a faith that was motivated by love for God. (Gal.5:6)
The New Covenant promises had been around since the conception of the Church. The promises, God's "prophetic vision" is the same for our generation as they were in the early Church. Nothing has changed! The Word of God penned by the Apostle Peter in 2P. 1:3,4 are as relevant now as they've ever been.
-----2Pe 1:3,4 - His divine power has granted to us all things that
-----pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who
-----called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has
-----granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that
-----through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
-----having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because
-----of sinful desire.
These two verses reveal the heart of God for us today. In a nut shell they're God's "prophetic vision" for us today. Do they seem out of reach? Are we tempted to put at least put so of this into heaven? How real is the vision of Christlikeness to us? Over the years I've heard more than once this expression coming out of Christianity, "Well what do you expect, we're only human you know!" Prior to being "Born Again" this statement has some relevance, however, it's simply not true of the New Covenant Believer. By the power of the Holy Spirit Christ lives in us. We're no longer "just human". This is because of truth that Christlikess becomes a major possibility just like Canaan Land was possibility for the "exodus Israelites".
The challenge we face today is unpackaging the promises. How do we enter into our Promised Land? What must we do? The example has been left us. One that is clear and easy to follow. The second generation of "exodus Israelites" did things different than their forefathers. They chose to obey. They chose to agree that what God had said He wanted for them was a realistic objective. It was a possibility because of who He was. They chose to trust the integrity of God's love filled heart. They chose to obey, to move forward. The first thing they were confronted with was a flooding Jordan River. (Josh 3:15) There's a picture here that is vital for us to not only see but also apply personally. In order for Israel to enter the Promised Land they were required to go through the Jordan which means "down under" which for us typifies the need we have to humble ourselves and the water of the Jordan typifies the water of the Word.
Before we can experience the fulfillment of the promises we must know what they are, humble ourselves, and begin living in agreement with them. We do this the same way the Israelites did, by trusting God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Put yourself in the shoes of the priests who were carrying the Ark. They were the first ones to be confronted with the realities of the impossible. They moved steadily forward trusting that as they did, that something was going to happen that would enable them to get to the other side. (The imaginations could have been running wild for sure) We're not requited to figure it all out. We're required to trust and obey. God will work the miracles required to fulfill His prophetic vision as we simply choose to obey.
-----2Cor 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of
-----the Lord, are being htransformed into the same image from one
-----degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is
-----the Spirit.
-----Php 2:13 - for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work
-----for his good pleasure.
-----Col 1:27 - Christ in you, the hope of glory. (glory now as well as latter)
For us to experience God's "prophetic vision" being realized in us today requires that we humble ourselves, agree with the Word of God and allow it to be applied to our personal life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jms 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
It's a very possibility for us to experience our New Covenant Canaan
Land of Christlikeness. Let's be open to hear the testimony of Joshua today. Jos 23:14 "And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed." Let's be apart of that company of people that are able, with all honesty, to say this at the close of our earthly journey in Jesus.
