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God will never leave an uncompleted work. If we must fail, sin is responsible, but when we cry to God from a sincere heart, victory is assured. The message of today ” When God is in charge of the battle …….” , speaks great hidden things. We have to search out that today. God will change our wilderness to a land of sowing and reaping. AMEN.
Sunday 10th November 2019, Land of Goshen, Miracle Valley, Agiliti, Mile 12.
THE MESSAGE.
A man who goes to battle on his own, cannot stand. When God goes before you victory is assured. Inasmuch as you have not opened a battle of oppression, God will be at the helm of affairs. A righteous man will also not open an unholy war.
NOTE THESE OCCASIONS :
(i) Moses had sent his people to go and spie the land and they came back with a negative confession.
“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”
(Numbers 13 : 30).
This was not a war of oppression, but part of the advance to possess the land.
13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. ( Numbers 13 : 33).
The people underestimated themselves. They did not see God there for them.
13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. (Numbers 13 : 31)
All those who confronted Moses in the wilderness did not enter the promised land. All those who left Egypt and inspite of being delivered from bondage and who preferred the bondage, instead of the promised land, did not get to Canaan. Only those who were born in the wilderness, who had nothing to complain got to the land of Canaan .
But God delivered His promise to the people who merited the promise.
Whether there are giants in the way or not did not disturb God. May God lead us in battle Amen.
(ii) God had sent Gideon to go and fight the Midianites and he returned a negative confession. But God took him round to assure him that He will use him to destroy the Midianites, the Amalekites and the host of the people of the east, who had come against Israel. Notwithstanding the words of assurance, Gideon sought for a sign about three times.
Read the following :
6:5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.6:6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.6:7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,6:8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;6:9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;6:10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
6:31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.6:32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.6:33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.6:37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.6:38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.6:39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.6:40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. (Judges from Cgapter 6 :5….)
NOTES :
The source of the problem of man today is sin. Israel had sinned and God allowed their enemies to devastate the land. So for seven years Israel sowed the land and these nations walked into their lands with their flock and devastated the land.
Note this :
6:3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;6:4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. (Judges 6 : 3 – 4).
All that happened to Israel was a result of sin. The people had built an altar and served Baal.
There are times we will not have victory, until we destroy the strange gods we have built in our hearts , corners of our houses and the philosophies we have sown as seeds in our enclaves.
God commanded Gideon to destroy the altar of Baal, the grooves and the altar . In its place an altar was raised Jehovahshalom. Jehovahshalom is Peace, Gideon will not die as he had feared, but will defeat the enemies. This definitely happened.
The lesson we must learn:
(1) The people came against Gideon for destroying the altar of Baal. The people who came against Gideon were told by the father of Gideon : “if Baal be god must they fight for him. Let Baal fight for itself. From that day he was called Jerubbaal “
(2) when sin is removed victory is assured. Baal was an obstacle between Israel and victory against their enemies.
(3) people who do not look at how sin can bring set back in their lives will never find solution to their problems.
Even when witches attack and having a field day, sin must be responsible. People feel comfortable to buy drugs after diagnosis. Before we accuse people let us examine our lives. Proper search around us will provide clues to solution.
Israel complained about devastation of the land, but did not complain of Baal who had taken the place of God in their land.
(4) When we cry to God a wave of change must begin. By the Rivers of Babylon the Isrealites cried when they were told to sing the love songs of Zion in a foreign land. Read Ps. 137 : 1 – 9, but specifically verse 4 :
“How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land? (Psalm 137 : 4).
From that date God had compassion on them and the return to their land was ordered by those who held them captive and Ezra and Nehemiah were ordained to arrange the come back.
The prayer that is called a cry is that prayer that tears the heart and not garments.
(iii) And to Zerubbabel God had spoken :
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4 : 6).
4:9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.” (Zechariah 4 : 9).
When a task looks too hard we can trust the Lord. Those things which God has entrusted to us to do shall be accomplished . The beginning may look like nothing, but God will accomplish them as He has purposed to do through His annointed ones.
So today, let us know it that God leaves no unfinished work. What He said He will do, will be done.
Only be mindful not to provoke Him, by your harlotry. What is harlotry ? All desires and attachment to earthly things, the worship of angels or idols is harlotry. May God grant us grace. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY :
Lord fight my wars. Forgive me all my sins. Do not allow me to grope in darkness. Amen.
Miracle Valley Sermons10th November, 2019.
Email : outreach.mvgm@yahoo.com.
Web site : www.mvgmng.org.