The shift is on

Joshua 3

New King James Version

Israel crosses the Jordan

Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.

 2 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp, and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 

4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure.

Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

6 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.”

So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

Monday night I dreamed Joshua 3:5 seemed all night long. God has been dealing with my heart about this, thus the message for today.

Moses has died a man of the glory, such an awesome leader. The man Moses was a man, but a man who walked in the glory.

When you saw Moses, you had seen God; he lived so close to God they shared the same address.

 But Moses is dead, and so is the cloud by day and the fire by night. Isreal is commanded to sanctify itself; one translation says purify yourself, another says consecrate yourself. There is a shift here we must get.

There is a new leader, yes, Joshua/or, if you will, Jesus. The cloud always said when to move, but the shift has taken place. 

The cloud was during the days of Moses; during the days of the wilderness travel, Israel followed the cloud/pillar of fire all the days of the wilderness travel;

Moses is dead and the shift is on. Under Joshua, they would follow the Ark of the Covenant, “the Ark of his Presence.” 

The next 480 years or so, the shift was to follow the Ark, then the temple was built, and the temple would rest in Solomon’s temple. Solomon’s Temple stood some 410 years; not trying to be exact, Israel could have enjoyed the Ark for 960 years.’

Israel was to sanctify itself. They were commanded to follow the Ark, the Ark of his presence; they would follow the words of God now.

What a wonderful leader the word of God is leading them. 

Can you see Jesus? Can you see the Holy Spirit? He’s revealing Christ to Israel. Israel was to sanctify itself, “put away your sin,” and follow the word of God. 

When you come out of the wilderness of sin, put that old life behind you, lift your eyes to Jesus, and look on the Ark, “the word of God,” the author and finisher of your faith. Now you are no longer a wanderer, but God has ordered your steps in his word.

God is shifting this church; God is shifting you; you have been a wonderer all your life. You have had no home; you have lived the way you wanted, but the Spirit of God is calling you to clean up your act and repent of your sin.

Right now, God is looking in your heart. Do you see what he is seeing? Repent of it and put it away. 

Will you step into the River Jordan? There is a new river, the River of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit has shown you a better way. 

This pastor sees people coming out of the wilderness. I want them to find a church following the word of God, following the Holy Spirit. The River of the Holy Spirit.

This church is a river church; the second temple was built, and it was destroyed too. No, the Romans didn’t run God off; the shift was on again. 

The Ark was never seen again; the word does not mention it, nor does history, but Spirit does comment on this. Joel 2 and Acts 2 both tell of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit; the shift has come; the third temple has been built. 

I know what you’re thinking—no, it’s not. God’s new temple is inward, not outward. Will man build a new temple? Yes, but God is not living in anything man has built; God has built his house in us; we are the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Have you received the Holy Spirit? The days of Moses were awesome; glory filled; Moses had done his job! The shift was on.

I ask you, what has held back the shift in your life? The past/the old man/the sinful life has kept you from the shift; the devil wants nothing but for you to die in this life and not know the Lord. Jesus today is shifting your life.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

In verse 17, notice “the sword of the Spirit.” The word of God and Spirit are one. 

Hebrews 4:12 New King James Version
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

If you want the word of God to work, you can’t do it without the Spirit; the Spirit is the driver.

To be filled with the Spirit is to give power to the word in your life. The spirit in you becomes a sword!!!

Don’t it make sense? No Spirit, no sword, defeat, despair, loss of appetite.

The Spirit brings life, brings a sharp sword, and creates appetite.

I have learned the greater the spirit, the sharper the sword. The words “Sword of the Spirit” ring in my heart.

Get out of the dead, into the living; dead men can’t change anything. Living men can change anything.

Imagine with me. The priest carrying the Ark, they step into Jordan. The waters began to heap up. The water stands to attention at the word of God/the presence of God. 

The priest walks to the other side of Jordan and stops.

The children of Israel pass over on dry ground; the shift is on when you follow the word; the shift is on when you follow the Spirit. 

Church God is taking us to a level we have never been to before; we must follow the word and follow the spirit; they are coming together for us.

Job 22:28 28 You will also decree kjv/nkjv says declare a thing,
 and it will be established for you.

Decree it; speak it out loud. I decree in the name of Jesus revival is coming to my soul, revival is coming to my children, and I dress health in my body. 

You need the Spirit of God to repent of your sin, step out of the dead zone, and leave the graveyard of sin. Leave the zombie life, dead men walking.

Be filled with the Spirit. I want to empty the valley of dry bones and fill them all with God with the Holy Spirit.