PROPER PREPARATION FOR THE VICTORY OF FAITH

Faith is the Victory | Mustard Seed Missions

Text: Joshua 1:10; 2:24; 1 John 5:4-5.

The Lord has promised us the victory of faith, but there must be the virtue and vigilance of preparation before we can have the victory. “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.” (Joshua 1:10-11). For those of us in the New Testament, under the Captain of our salvation, we have also been promised the victory that comes by faith. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5). Everyone who has been born into the kingdom of God by repentance and faith has this promise of overcoming the world. All the children of God are conquerors in Christ. As Joshua and the army of Israel prepared to take the land, we too, as members and ministers of Christ must prepare for the victory of faith.

1.      THE PREPARATION AND READINESS FOR THE PROMISED LAND

Joshua 1:10-15; Luke 12:40-43.

(i) Readiness with the Prompt Assertion of Faith Joshua 1:9-11; 3:1-3; Psalm 119:60, 63; Galatians 1:15-16. “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. Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.” (Joshua 1:9-11). God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous. Strength begins at home; if you are not strong at home, you cannot be strong abroad, if you are not courageous at home, you cannot be courageous abroad. Joshua had to demonstrate courage in commanding the officers of the people before he commanded the rest of the army of Israel. “And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.” (Joshua 3:1). Joshua, the officers, the priests, and the children of Israel knew that there were things they had to do before passing over, and they got the victory because they did those things early, without delay, and without contemplating. “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.” (Psalms 119:60). There are people who make haste to claim a promise or get a gift, but they are slow, sluggish, and retarded when the commandments come. “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:” (Galatians 1:15-16). If something pleases God, we must make haste to do it without any delay. This is the readiness and promptness we ought to have, as this will be the assertion of our faith.

 

(ii) Remembering our Past Agreement for Faithfulness Joshua 1:12-15; Numbers

32:20-28; Deuteronomy 3:18; Revelation 2:4-5. “And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.” (Joshua 1:12-15). In preaching to those who have read the Bible many times and have made past commitments to the Lord, we call them to remember their past agreements with the Lord. We must not count it strange that we may sometimes be required to temporarily separate from family members for the sake of the ministry. If soldiers in the world and the Old Testament soldiers can do this, more is expected of us as New Testament believers. We must be ready to give this devotion for as long as necessary; it’s not the period it will take to do the work that matters but the passion and dedication to the work and service He has given us to do. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5). While it is possible to lose one’s first love, the Lord is correcting the leader in the church in Ephesus for leaving their first love—a deliberate action. Because of this, the Lord warned that He would take away the ministry privilege and opportunity from those who have left their first love unless they repent. The Heavenly Father will only be satisfied with that first burning love, first commitment, first consecration, and first sacrifice that we brought to the altar at the beginning.

 

(iii) Responding with the Proper Answer of the Faithful Joshua 1:16-18; Numbers 32:25; Deuteronomy 5:27; Acts 5:29-32. “And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.” (Joshua 1:16). Obedience is an act of the will; it is not just an act following knowledge, understanding, intelligence, or desire because if these are there without the will and willingness, there will be no obedience. What makes all the difference after we have heard the word of God, understood the word of God, prayed about it and have been persuaded about what to do is our will and willingness to obey. “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32). Salvation, sanctification, and Holy Ghost baptism do not make us equal to God, we are still men and when it comes to obeying the word of God, our opinions and feelings don’t matter. We ought to obey God rather than men, whether those men are ourselves as believers, other believing men, or unbelieving men in authority in our communities.

 

2.      THE PRUDENCE OF RESEARCH BY PROGRESSIVE LEADERS

Joshua 2:1-11; Proverbs 18:15-16.

 

When we face a new field, it is wise to know the peculiarities there and do proper research, for example, by Google search, and getting the facts concerning the people before we go to the field.

 

  • The Precedence and Prudence of Proper Research Joshua 2:1-7; Numbers 13:1721; 14:6-9; Luke 14:31. “And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.” (Joshua 2:1). When we develop strategies, they should be confidential and not be published on social media or in newspapers. The Lord expects us to search, count the cost and prepare before we go to the field. “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31). We need to know the strength of the army we are to confront because there is a precedence to that and there is prudence in it.

 

  • The Pain and Panic Caused by Persuasive Reports Joshua 2:8-10; Exodus 15:1516; 23:27; Nahum 2:10. “And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.” (Joshua 2:8-10). It is good if the idol worshippers and powers of darkness are terrified and people with challenges are prepared and expecting before we arrive at events where we preach Christ as the Conqueror because they have heard of the past testimonies. Hearing brings faith in the hearts of the people and brings fear in the hearts of the enemies. “She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.” (Nahum 2:10).

 

  • The Perception of the Power of our Prevailing Redeemer Joshua 2:11; 1 Kings 8:60; Jeremiah 16:19-21; Zechariah 8:20-23. The Egyptians, the Philistines, the Gentile kings in the Old Testament, and Herod in the New Testament heard of the power of God; we must let the kings of the world know of the power of God. “And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:11). This should also be the confession of the people of God. “That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.” (1 Kings 8:60). The people of the Old Testament had the desire that not only Israel will know that our Redeemer is great, mighty, and powerful, but that the whole earth will know of the power of God by revealing His miracle-working power. We have resources in our generation to make this desire of God’s people come to pass.

 

3.      THE PETITION FOR THE REDEMPTION OF PRECIOUS LIVES

Joshua 2:12-24; Hebrews 11:31.

 

(i) The Conversion of Rahab and Relations to the True God Joshua 2:12-16; 6:25; Hebrews 11:31; 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10. “Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.” (Joshua 2:12-16). From the day Rahab knew that she could be saved, she desired the safety and salvation of her family; we must also be concerned about our family members to want the gospel of salvation and redemption to come to them. Rahab saved the lives of the spies and helped the nation of Israel, and people like her today who believe in the goodness, greatness, and redemption of God enough to preserve and protect the ministers of the gospel must also be offered the gospel. “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” (Hebrews 11:31). Rahab had faith that Israel would overcome Jericho and that she would be saved. Although she was in a position to report the spies to the king, she did not do that but was at peace with them.

 

(ii) The Condition of Retaining Relationship with the True God Joshua 2:17-21;

Exodus 12:22-23; Hebrews 10:38-39; Matthew 24:11-14. “And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.” (Joshua 2:17-19). The spies had faith that they were coming with victory, not for victory because they already had the victory. The spies did not give Rahab a date for their return, but they commanded her to keep her family members in her house and they had to remain there if they would be saved. We will endure to the end in Jesus Name. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:38-39). Backsliders who remain, backsliders, until the rapture will not go in the rapture, or if they die in their backsliding, they will not get to heaven. Those who draw back, draw back unto perdition; we will not draw back in Jesus Name.

(iii) The Consequence of Reports of Revelation on the True God Joshua 2:24-3:1;

Proverbs 25:13,25; Isaiah 53:1; Romans 10:16-17. “And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.” (Joshua 2:24). As you go to investigate and interrogate in researching the location for the next evangelisation, your report must be positive and encouraging. And when you receive the good report and you know that the Lord has opened the door for you, you must act on it promptly. “And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.” (Joshua 3:1). Joshua knew that it was time for renewed action and acted on the news of the spies immediately. Our time has come to pass over, and we will overcome in Jesus Name.

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