“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.”
I propose to you, a powerless
church is a defeated church.
Acts 1:8
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.”
The single most important thing I can say today is how important it is for you to receive the Spirit of God. Second,
grow your faith to a place where you release what you are filled with.
It’s more than the tongues of angels; you release heaven’s decrees into the atmosphere. You release the anointing,
you do your part, and God will do His part.
God is making us warriors.
Exodus 15:3:
“The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name.”
The Lord is a man of war. A “man,” which has respect to the future incarnation of Christ, for as yet He was not really
man; though it was purposed, covenanted, agreed to, and prophesied of, that He should, as He after was; not a mere
man, as appears by the following clause: “a man of war”;
Or a warrior; being engaged in war, and trained to it; having to do with very powerful enemies, Satan and his
principalities and powers, the world, and the great men of it, antichrist, and all the antichristian states.
A warrior well versed in all the arts of war, and abundantly qualified for it, having supreme wisdom, strength,
and courage, and thoroughly furnished and accoutered for it; having on the breastplate of righteousness, the
helmet of salvation, the garment of vengeance, and cloak of zeal, and a vesture dipped in blood; and with a
sword girt on His thigh, or drawn, or coming out of His mouth; and with a bow and arrows, going forth conquering,
and to conquer; for He is a victorious one, who has conquered sin, Satan, and the world, and will subdue all others,
and make His people more than conquerors through Him.
He is not a common man of war or warrior; He is the Captain of the Lord’s host, the Leader and Commander of the people,
the Generalissimo of the armies in heaven and earth, and is a Prince and King at the head of them: the Lord is His name;
or Jehovah, which proves Him to be more than a man; and being so, it is no wonder that He is so mighty, powerful, and victorious.
In Joshua chapter 5: obedience always has a reward, and heaven responds to real faith. Joshua has prepared the people, and so has God.
The Commander of the Army of the Lord
Joshua 5:13-15:
Joshua’s obedience brings a heavenly visitor, pre-incarnate Christ. “Why was He there?”
Joshua was surrounded by his enemies.
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho,
that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man
stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him,
“Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord,
I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does
my Lord say to His servant?”
15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your
sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Dark days are upon us.
2 Timothy 2:3-4
“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself
with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
There is no way to be a man of war for Jesus if you are not filled with what Jesus was filled with.
Mark 1:4-8
“John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the
Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around
his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, ‘There comes One after me who is
mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with
water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'”
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit as we
have been filled.
What was He filled with?
Ephesians 6:10-18: “The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with
all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
When He was filled with the Holy Spirit:
Isaiah 11 (NKJV):
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch
shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”
Jesus sent us the very gift we needed to be warriors of faith; He sent us the Holy Spirit.
Everything Jesus got, we need. He’s prepared power for you to be fully equipped. We have
already won this battle. Now let’s save every soul we can for Jesus. Take the fire God has
sent us, and let’s rescue the lost. Church of fire.