ARRIVAL AT LAST DESPITE ADVERSITIES AT PARADISE
Exodus 16:35
We have been following through the journey of the children of Israel. We saw them in Egypt, and as a picture of the burning bush. And that Moses came later to deliver them from bondage in Egypt. They came out at the Red Sea, their first milestone. And God showed up again with the cloudy pillar and fire around them, and they passed through the Red Sea. And you will pass through. They were fed with manna for forty years in the wilderness. And God fought all their battles until they came into the Promised Land. We need to understand that all the miracles in Egypt will be wasted if they do not come out of Egypt. Also, all the miracles in our lives will be wasted if we do not come out of Egypt.
Pharaoh’s army was drowned in the Red Sea, which was great. But that great miracle and deliverance will be wasted if they do not come into the Promised Land. We need to understand that the goal and purpose of God working all the wonders and miracles in our lives is to get us into the Promised Land, Heaven. Are you drinking honey out of the rock, eating manna, overcoming all the Amalekites? The purpose of all these miracles is to get to our Final End, which is Heaven. After all those miracles, deliverance, dominion, taking water from the rock, arrival at last despite adversities, at Paradise. “And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.” (Exodus 16:35). That you also take people with you into the Promised Land. Bring others to salvation so that you will all arrive at Paradise at last. The reason for grace, impartation, and all the miracles is arrival at last in Paradise.
- AWAKENED, DURING ADVERSITIES, LONGING FOR THE PROMISED LAND
Exodus 3:7-10
When you are awakened and revived, there should be a longing in your heart for fellowship at last in Paradise.
(i) The Ministry of Affliction for Settlers Outside the Promised Land – Job 36:15; Isaiah 26:9-10. Affliction that is permitted and allowed by God has a ministry and purpose in our lives. The children of God became settlers in Egypt, and as all was going well for them in that land, they forgot Canaan, the Promised Land. So, God allowed a Pharaoh to arise who knew not Joseph, and he began to afflict them, and with that affliction, they began to think upon the Promised Land, Canaan. “He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.” (Job 36:15). When oppression comes, it has a ministry to open your ears to divine revelation. “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.” (Isaiah 26:9-10). When there are wars and afflictions, the people of the earth will learn righteousness. Affliction makes people think and learn righteousness. Some people hate the Deeper Life Bible Church, but when afflictions come their way, they find their way to the Church, and they receive their healings and consider their ways after genuine conversion.
(ii) The Misery of Aggressors, Subtle With Pernicious Laws – Exodus 14:22-28; 2 Chronicles 33:10-13. Pharaoh was an aggressor to destroy the children of Israel. Some aggressors want to afflict the people of God, but they will get their miseries. “And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.” (2 Chronicles 33:10-13). When Manasseh and Israel did not hearken to the word of the Lord through the prophets. The Lord sent afflictions their way through the Babylonians. And these Babylonians were aggressive in tormenting the children of Israel. And in that affliction, Manasseh sought the Lord, which was the purpose of the affliction.
(iii) The Mystery of the Almighty, Subduing Pretentious Liars – Deuteronomy 33:27-29; Revelation 21:8,27. Some people are like Pharaoh, who did not fear God, and are ferocious like Pharaoh. They wanted to stop the holy nation from getting to the Promised Land. But we have the mystery of the Almighty God. “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.” (Deuteronomy 33:27-29). The Body of Christ is more important to God than any glorious or beautiful thing that you can see on earth. And He will protect the Body. The aggressors do not have everlasting arms; their lives, thinking and abilities are short. But for you as a member of the Body of Christ, you have the Everlasting Arm of the Almighty God underneath you. Some aggressors do not want you to be happy in life, but God ordains happiness for you in this New Year. And all your enemies shall be found liars unto you.
- ADVANCING, DESPITE ADVERSARIES, LED TOWARDS THE PLEASANT LAND
Jeremiah 3:15,19
There are adversaries who want to hinder and defile your consecration, and service unto the Lord. But we have Christ as our Advocate, Who is always there for us.
Unfortunately, we feel the presence of our adversaries than the power and presence of our Advocate with us. We must be advancing as ministers in the ministry despite all the adversaries around us.
(i) Tackling Invading Amalekites on the Way to the Promised Land – Exodus 17:8-16; Matthew 16:18-19. On the way to the Promised Land, the Amalekites will come up to invade and stop your journey, but we are to tackle them and not crawl before them. “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:8-16).
The Amalekites came to fight against the Israelites, who were on their way to the Promised Land. Joshua was sent to fight against them with his army. You cannot be following Moses for nothing. There is work to be done as a follower of Moses and Christ. As Joshua went into the battle, Aaron was observant that as Moses lifted up his hand, Joshua and the army were winning the battle against the Amalekites. We need to be observant as ministers in the ministry. We must be able to connect the dots as Aaron did. And he called Hur to lift up the hands of Moses, as his hands were going down.
(ii) Taming Internal Adversaries in the Wilderness of Our Private Lives – Numbers 11:1,4,31-33; James 3:5-12. In the privacy of your life, there are those internal adversaries more powerful than the invading Amalekites. For the children of Israel, they had an internal enemy, which was their tongue that they did not recognise. “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.” (Numbers 11:1,4,31-33). The Amalekites could not destroy them, but their tongues destroyed them. In a holiness Church like ours, when people were disciplined.
We do think that discipline is only for committing fornication, immorality, adultery or any other outward sins. But when someone is disciplined for complaining, murmuring, grumbling, lying and criticising, we think that this is not right. Holiness means that God will so work in your life and heart to get rid of all these internal sins in your life. There are some mixed multitudes that you will not recognise because they are addressed as we do, and have learn our godly languages and singing of hymns. You will think that they are part of us, but their character will reveal them. It is the tongue that destroys lives, but God will give you the victory over the use of your tongue in Jesus Name.
(iii) Triumphing over Inveterate Adversaries in the World of Perverse Lords – Exodus 5:2; Acts 12:21-24. We are citizens of two kingdoms. The kingdom of this earth and that of Heaven. Anyone not born again is perverse. And some of the leaders of this world are perverse. But we will triumph in Jesus Name, and we must not go into the same perversion with them. You are freed at last, and when you carry that dominion and freedom, everywhere you go, there might be perversion there, but you are freed at last.
- ARRIVAL AT LAST, DENYING ADVENTURERS, LIVING BY THE PERFECT LOVE
2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18
Some people are always looking for adventures and laughter all the time. But we have adventurers that want to hinder us, but we are to deny them that they are dead to us. The perfect love of Christ is in your heart, and you live by that perfect love.
(i) Adequate Daily Provision on the Way to the Promised Land – Psalm 68:19; John 10:10. Those children of Israel have an adequate supply of manna and water in the wilderness. And as we journey into the Promised Land, we will have adequate provision. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” (Psalms 68:19). You will have daily provisions and will not suffer lack in your life. The Lord is your Shepherd, and He will make adequate provision for all your needs. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). The devil came for to steal, kill and destroy you from your blessing, but Jesus came to give you abundant life and provision.
(ii) Active, Dynamic Partnership for Warfare and Prevailing Life – Exodus 17:10-13; Romans 8:34-39. The Lord partners with us, just like Joshua was on the battlefield against the Amalekites and Moses was in partnership with him by lifting up his hands. So, the Lord is in partnership with us, and we will never fail. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:34- 39). Joshua did not see Moses’ hands up, and yet he had the victory. Also, you may not see Christ making intercession for you in Heaven, but you have the victory already. You are more than an overcomer.
(iii) Actual Delightsome Possession through Willingness and His Perfect Love – Deuteronomy 30:5-6; Joshua 21:43-45; Obadiah 1:17. God’s perfect love for you will not allow you to fail. And you will stand firm and strong, you will not fail or falter. You will be firm, strong, steadfast, and faithful like our General Superintendent. Our God who helped him to this time will help you to be faithful and steadfast. “But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.” (Obadiah 1:17). And you will possess your Promised Land.
