Dispossess to possess December 1997

There is an element of ruthlessness in the Kingdom that is vital in the pursuit of excellence in matters pertaining to the Kindom. Kingdom business is bloody business. Cursed is the man that keepeth back his sword from blood (Jer 48:10). A quick reading through the old testament will reveal that this was a great key towards victory. Dispossession is a Kingdom principle that is powerful and ruthless. This is the word YARESH (3423) which is to occupy by driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place. It is to seize, to rob, to inherit. For one to possess they must expel, inmpoverish the enemy and ruin him. You must cast out and conquer before you occupy and inherit. Num 33:53 "And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. It is very evident that dispossession is God's idea and His expressive will. A reading of Numbers 33:50-56 reveals that not even the picture of the enemy is allowed to exist. You can only dispossess individuals to personalities and only then can you possess their land (Num 32:39, Judges 11:23). Possession can only follow dispossession. A land is dispossessed by invasional forces who use heavy artillery. The occupational forces come in just to possess or or enforce a victory. You cannot fight a battle already won. The christian does not fight for victory but enforces victory. In Luke 19:13 the message is very clear that we should go and be the occupational forces till He comes. The church is in the business of discovering dispossessed lands and going in to enforce what has already been finished. That is why the fight of the believer is known as a good fight (1Tim 6:12) We are in the time of life (Gen 18:10, 2Kings 4:16) and the time of life is a time of possession. It is the time of bringing forth sons. It is a time of maturity II Kings 7:3-16 gives the essence of a dispossession and the actual occupation. The Lord has made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots. Dispossession is always a major activity. There was also a noise of a great Host. The Syrians were struck with terror and they fled. When the four lepers walked in they found food, drink, silver, gold, and rainment. When the Syrians fled and left these treasures behind, they had

relinquished their right on them. They had been dispossessed. The four lepers were now the possessers! Joshua and the 31 Kings In Acts 7:38 we are made aware of the fact Israel in the wilderness was a picture of one of the stages the church undergoes. Yet there comes a time when the church will graduate from the wilderness, overcome carnality cross their Jordan and enter into Canaan. (Rom 2:29, Joshua 5:2-9) Joshua's name means Saviour, showing that He is a type of Jesus, the conqueror. Canaan is a place of a soldier (Joshua) and not a Shepherd (Moses). In Canaan there is a new mandate - taking over! When the captain of the Host appears in Joshua 5:13-15, He has not come to take sides but to take over! It does not matter which side, church or denomination you are in. It is a time to take over! We should stop looking for sameness and begin to identify a more vital likeness. Canaan has new food and new weapons. It is time to exchange all our rods for swords. Joshua dispossessed all the Kings of Canaan. Joshua 21:43 And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therin. Joshua's mandate was one of taking over. He was a soldier and not a politician. He responded to orders and not to committees and negotiations. Committees rule by compromise since no one wants to take responsibility. An order can either be right or wrong and one takes responsibility for it. Committees usually take minutes and waste the hours ( no ofence meant), but Joshua was a soldier. In Joshua 11:18 we see that he made war a long time with all those Kings and with the edge of the sword. In Joshua 12:24 we see the vanquished 31 kings in total. This was real dispossession. Then in Joshua 10:24 we see the picture of possession. Josh 10:24 ".....Joshua called for all men of Israel and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. Colossians 2:15 is very clear that Jesus disarmed and spoiled the enemy. This was real dispossession. Our mandate is one of possession and

occupation. We are to keep our feet on the neck of our enemy and enforce the vistory. Once you lift your feet off, the enemy will take off only to be a pain in the neck in the future. Keep your feet there and enforce the great victory. Malachi 4:3 promises that we shall tread on the wicked; fir they shall be ashes under the soles of our feet. This was to be accomplished when Christ came. We are in those days now (Rom 16:20. Once dispossession has taken place possession is meant to be progressive (Ex 23:29) As you discover new lands you recover and possess. As we continue to discover the full aspect of the redemption miracle we recover all that is legally ours. Ease in Zion. Whereas all things have been given in the redemption of man, once we lift our feet from the neck of our enemy, he becomes a big pain in the back. The lifting up of our feet is known as EASE. Once you ease the enemy you will always be dis-eased. Ease is from an old French word - AISE - which means convenience, comfort, effortlessness and contentment. It is a bad sense of security. The church begins to grow so self confident and fails to notice that their grasp on the enemy's neck (Gen 49:8) is loosening. It begins to give the devil unwarranted undue authority and this is all he needs. The Apostolic move of God is now unmasking the enemy's devices. In II Cor 2:11, Paul says that we are not ignorant of the devil's devices. Devices here literally means perceptions or purposes. We are not ignorant of how he thinks. One sure way to defeat the enemy is to know how he thinks. Jesus said that words were spirit and everything brings forth after its kind (John 6:63, Gn 1:11) Words are voiced thoughts and thus thoughts can automatically be categorized as spirits. God, man and the devil are all spirit and therefore any thought that comes to man will have its origin from God, the devil or man's spirit. The genetive element dictates origin and character. When a thought is generated by God, It has it's origin from God, and takes on the character of God's spirit. Therefore every thought is a seed and our mind is the womb where it is conceived. The birth canal of this thought is the mouth and the baby will always be words. What are you giving birth to? Ease always begins as a thought and once conceived, it is birthed in words. Ease is the most subtle of the enemy's devices; but praise God, we know how the devil thinks. Amos 6:1

Woe unto them that are at EASE IN ZION, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, o whom the house of Israel came! Ease will always produce a trust in the wrong things. Yet all things will be shaken. The sin of Sodom was pride, fullness of bread and abundance of idleness. (Ez. 16:49) Many at times ease will produce pride which is a false sense of security. The key reason for Solomon's fall was EASE. There were no wars or battles in his day and thus because of abundance of idleness and fullness of bread, his fall was catalysed. He loved many women who drove his heart from God. (I Kings 11:1-8). David's fall with Bathsheba was a product of Ease. It is shameful for a man to sleep during the day! Abundance of idleness (II Sam 11:1-5). An idle mind is the devils workshop. Ease is dangerous. There is nothing so sweet as victory; but the enemy can use victory to finish you. The day after the battle is more important than the day before the battle. Great generals are the victims of self confidence and comfort. The early church had to be rudely awakened out of ease. God had to allow the tool of persecution Which necessitated the preaching of the Gospel. (Acts 8:1-8) The only sad note is that they had waited for eight years to obey the great commission. The ease of Acts 2:46 was not so attractive to God. In Joshua's day the same subtle enemy was lurking in the shadows. He comes with excuses like, "you are entitled to enjoy your victory" whereas we should never be burnouts and die from fatigues and strokes, a balance needs to be struck between ease and burnout. Jesus never fell into neither and so it is possible to please the Lord on a constant basis. In Joshua 18:1, the whole congregation was rejoicing because the land was subdued before them. There was eating, drinking and rejoicing. In v.3, Joshua identifies EASE in its child called slack and questions on when they intend to possess the land. This is the crucial question in the church now! when will we ever move in and possess the land. Churches are full of Lazy excited people. Ezekiel 33:30-31 points out that they will come Sunday after Sunday. They will "Amen" and "halleluyah" They will set patiently as the word is preached, but ease will escort them home and slothfulness will lullaby them them to sleep. They will not do it. Ease is the devil's natural atmosphere. In matters 13:24, it is while men slept that the enemy planted tares. In Rev. 3:17 we have the Laodecian compnay limited, which is rich, increased in goods and have need of nothing. Yet this is a false security. In Deuteronomy we have some others who say, "my power and the might of

mine hand hath given me this". This are dangerous attitudes. In Isaiah 47:79, we have individuals who are saying, I will be a lady for ever; I am and none else beside me. This infuriates God to apoint He allows a double portion of judgement - widowhood and loss of children. Ease visited Job and God was not going to allow this alien in His servant's house (Job 16:12) In scripture anywhere his enemy appears we see destruction. He comes a very innocent self-righteous vindicated friend, yet behind his mask is the horrendous desire for destruction. We see Eli sitting and growing fat. We never see him stand again. He just fell backwards. Samson was cushioned by some philistine laps. His strength was taken from him. In this instance, we see Delilah beckoning unto another man, who shaved Samson. Ease will never work alone. It is used by the enemy as a dsipossessing tool while other spirits move in to possess. It is only when the christian is at ease with the seemingly innocent television programs that pictures of hate, violence and unfaithfullness are drapped in their spirits. Listen Oh saint of God! if the enemy can just get you out of the word, he will finish you. He will therefore use all means available. I Sam 13:19-22 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel .....But all the Israelites went down to the phillistines to the Phillistines to sharpen every man his axe... so it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear in Israel. The sword is the word of God (Eph 6:17). This weapon needs to be constantly sharpened. The word sharpen is (3913) which has among many meaning, the word instructor. The word is LATASH which also means to inculcate. Inculcate is to progressively teach and impress a lesson in one's mind and spirit by frequent repetition. If we go down to Philistia (the world) for our instructor and inculcation, it is no wonder that in the day of battle there will be no sword in our hands. We cannot spend 3-4 hours everyday in front of an inanimate tube called a television, watching horror movies, violence, murder and adultery; and obtain faith, zeal and might to fight the enemy. There is a reason why God ordered Israel to destroy even the enemy's pictures. (Num 33:52) what you continually see is what you become. What you glance at, at once, will lodge itself in the subconcoscious and it has an ability to reproduce itself. This was the mistake of Hezekiah. He showed the King of Babylon (confusion) all his treasure. The principle produced negatively too - what you see is what you get (Isaiah 39:1-8).

Isaiah was very specific, "what have they seen in thine house?" This was going to be a key to the enemy. Ease is a friend of carnality and uses the flesh as it's page - boy. The body is a useful servant, if you give it its due, and no more than its due. Taste and Scent. Jeremiah 48:11-12 Moab hath been at EASE from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity; therefore his TASTE remained in him and his SCENT is not changed. Behold ..... I will send .... wanderers....... and they shall empty his vessels and break their bottles. There is nothing as secure as ther familiar. The shores will always feel safe because your feet are in touch with the ground. The call to launch out is heeded by very few individuals. Comfort is the incubator for stagnation. In the above scripture, we see that many times God allows tragedy to get us out of Ease and effortlessness. As much as settling is a blessing, there is a settled apathy and passivity that thwarts the efforts of God. God hates laziness. A lazy believer will never maximize himself. There some who wait for re-engineerings, re-trenchings ans S.A.P. (Structural Adjustment Programs) to hear God and finally obey. There is nothing as uncomfortable as change. Change is very inconveniencing since it rocks the boat and unsettles the establishment. Change is a waning out of normal and a growth out of the ordinary. To live is to grow and to grow is to change. Average is an enemy that should be dealt with. Ease will allow a dream but discourage a deadline; yet a goal is a dream with a deadline. Because of ease, many are born originals, but most die as copies. They are not daring enough and stay anchored to the rockbed of mediocrity and excuses. The call in your life is not a copy. It is time to set soil on the waters of unlimited potential. We should not be afraid of confrontation and challenges. we should always look uncertain but everything done with skill and diligence is bound to succeed. Every obstacle introduces a person to himself. Crisis do not necessarily make a man but simply reveal what he is already made of. No obstacle will ever leave you the way it found you. In our text (Jer 48:11) the word "taste" is powerful. It is dangerous when our "taste" does not change. Obstacles come to change of perception. In Jer 48:11 taste is TAAM (2940) which is perception, intelligence, decision making, behaviour, reasoning and understanding. You are a poor specimen if you can't stand

the pressure of adversity (Prov 24:10 TLB). An empty stable (Prov 14:4 TLB) it is time to be daring and get our stables dirty by bringing in the challenge of rearing livestock. This spells work but without such, there is no income. The same message is amplified through the word SCENT in Jer 48:1. Scent is is RUWACH (7307) which is to percieve quickly or to be of quick understanding. The root word stands for the mind, Spirit or Wind. It is the same word used in Ezekiel 37. The wind stands for understanding. The picture is very grevious. We can prophesy and there is a noise and a shaking bone to his bone. We cab prophesy again and the sinews came upon the skeleton structure. More prophesy and the flesh comes on the sinews, then the skin. But unless there is the breathe - the corpses cannot live. These breathe or wind is perception or understanding. Only then can the army live, stand on their feet and become an exceeding great army. Ease will keep us from a change of taste and scent. It is this scent of water (understanding or grasp of the word) that gives life to cut tree in job 14:7-9. The key to God's army isunderstanding. This virtue is a result of dicipline and study. It involves a search and a running after. Understanding is teh difference between water and wine in John 2. Understanding must be drawn out (Prov 3:13, 20:5, 18:4) In 2 Kings 24:10-14 we see that confusion (Babylon) is carrying away the smiths or the people who give understanding. Ezra could not move on minus men of understanding. (Ezra 8:15, 16, 17, 18). The great provision that was given in the days of Daniel was understanding. Dan 10:11," Understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright. Understanding will put a backbone into God's people and restore dignity. It will make them upright as it breaks the yoke of Bondage. Dominion, which is a product of understanding, will always break the yoke (Gen 27:40) and only then can the anointing destroy the yoke (Isaiah 10:27) A yoke must first be broken before it is destroyed. There must be a dispossession before there is a possession. God had to bring Israel out of Egypt (limitation) only to bring them into the promised land. As they left dispossessed or spoiled the Egyptian (Deut 5:23, Ex 12:36) Egypt's economy depended on the R. Nile and therefore they were never concerned with rain. Because of the self sufficiency and independence, they thought that man lives forever and so they embalmed their ded into mummies. In essence, they never looked up. As children of Israel left this economy, God had to teach them to look up and expect the rain. They had to get from a self sufficiency into an all sufficiency - on - God mentality.

Change is coming and God is announcing that the Egyptian economy must cease. The time for free things is over. (Num 11:5) Everything that becomes profitable to the believer now must be paid for. It is for our taste to change. Saul will keep you from tasting the honey. Honey is likened to the word (I Sam 14:24-30, Ps 119: 103) But as soon as you taste a little your eyes will be enlightened. The key to enlightenment is to taste or understanding. The great slaughter we are all waiting for is keyed to the Honey; but this honey must first be tasted. I Sam 14:30) Saul will keep the inner man starving. The outer man feeds on physical food while the soulish man feeds on the word of God. Since he has no dimensions, his appetite is great. Many of us have powerful mascular bodies but our inner man is on a stretcher. We need food!spiritual food! we are in a day of reversals and it's time to deny the outer man some food and give attention to the real man - the inner man. Procrastination, Cares and Fear Amos 6:3 gives still another device of the enemy. People who put off the evil day - the device of procrastination. This is the greatest poison to change alongside ease. In this verse we see that as one puts far something, it causes a certain result. In this instance the putting far, caused violence. Procrastination is the art of evading greatness. The future is what you make it now. The three greatest enemies of man are ignorance, procrastination and slothfulness. Ignorance comes from "Ignore" and you cannot ignore what does not exist or not offered. For one to ignore something it must first exist and then it has been offered . Ignorance does not exempt one from consequencies. If someone steps off the top floor of a twenty - eight storeyed building, his ignorance of God's law of gravity will not excuse him from the consequencies. Procrastination is a robber. If you wait for perfect conditions you will never get anything done (Eccl 11:4 TLB) It is time to live behind our foolishness and begin to live (Prov 9:6 TLB) Procrastination will always create problems since it will put you in the defence and not on the offence. It will meake you a re-act-or instead of an act-or. Growth come from building on talents, gifts and strength - not by solving problems. One of the keys to life is time. Time is the thing that makes all thing not to happen all at once, at the same time. Procrastination steals time. The greater control we excercise over our time, willl give us greater freedom to experience maximum potential. If you gain control of your time you will gain control of your life. Postponing things will simply cowardice of not making decisions and taking up responsibilities. Indecision is deadly. The

truth is that the most dangerous place to be is in the middle of the road. The more the procrastination in our lives, the greater degree of mediocrity. Our will controls our decisions. If the devil controls our will, he controls our destiny. In a world of thje normal, The mediocre and the average, procrastination is low. Yet we need to remember that in the eyes of average people, average is always considered outstanding. It is better to be alone than in wrong conmpany. In the instructions given about battles, Deut 20, we see that associations are very crucial. Lok careful at the closest association in your life for that is the direction you are heading. Some had the cares of a new house, others of a vineyard. Another had just married a wife. Cares are contagious and this can be passed on by one who is sharpening his sword in phillistia. Sharpening your sword in phillistia is simply to be inculcated with the ways of the way. Cares will always choke the word of God. (Matt 13:22) To choke is to die due to lack of enough air. there are people or things round about you who / which are producing the wrong atmosphere thus choking the word. Fear was the other category. It comes from what is around you - People, Book, Videos, etc. Some of us need to change our closest associations. Fear causes others to faint (Deut 20:8). There are some people you need to contact on a regular basis and others need to be avoided. Fear is one of the greatest hindrance to disposession. Ease procrastination, cares and fear will keep us from enjoying God's best. His best is portrayed in Joshua 21:43-45, 23:14 and I Kings 8:56. All He has promiosed must come to pass. God is not mocked and this shows us that He does not also mock. He has the very best for his people. He is waiting for the `Isaiah 62:1 company' - for zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, untill the righteousnes thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth!