you need to understand specifically that
you are a leader and you have
responsibility and to him whom much is
given much is required and so as you
lead the problem with leading it means
that you are continually facing new
things if you’re not continually facing
new things you’re not leading you’re
repeating so there is a perpetual
vulnerability that exists in the heart
of a leader because you can never have
your act down pack every morning you
wake up you’re facing something new
because every morning you wake up you’re
moving into another dimension another
area and if you are really a leader you
are progressive and in the process of
being progressive it means that you are
facing new issues and new areas all the
time
now much of our time when we deal with
battles if most of our time is spent
telling you you know just least feel and
know that God is God and and and just to
be passive and early make the battle is
not yours it belongs to God and I’m
going to talk about that a little bit
today
but the idea and the inference suggest
that that once you turn it over to God
you have no responsibility at all and
this becomes a welcome message to
procrastinators who love to say well you
know if the Lord meant for me to have
that he’d give it to them if the Lord
meant for me to do this he’ll do it if
the Lord if you mean to give me this job
let it reign on the right side of this
carpet in the hallway and we put out all
those fleeces and crazy concepts to
relieve ourselves from the human
responsibility of engagement the
challenge of a pastor with feeding God’s
locking on one hand you have passive
people who need to be motivated and so
you preach something to challenge them
but on the other hand the concern is the
aggressive person over here is it may go
into overdrive because you got one
person who needs to be stimulated would
you please do
something just do it if it’s wrong do it
if we have to fix it breathe on a mirror
let us know you are alive do something
you live like a statue some of you are
married to somebody like that that’s why
you’re just sitting there saying Lord
Jesus but Joshua is not a passive
reserved person who procrastinate he is
an aggressive person he is a warrior he
is a fighter he is tenacious he is
relentless and oddly enough the very
thing that makes him a great leader
almost kills him isn’t it amazing how
your greatest strength in the wrong
place can become your greatest weakness
Joshua had no trouble taking on issues
and taking on areas and taking on a
third Authority Joshua was aggressive
perhaps he is selected to be the
successor of Moses because Moses has a
tendency at times to lead people in
circles in fact an entire generation
followed Moses around and around did the
same stuff and Moses faced with an
opportunity to go forward becomes
frustrated and leads people out of his
human frustration and events over the
pulpit and he gets angry and God removes
him from leadership because Moses is a
leader who cannot control his own temper
you cannot lead into greatness with
small-mindedness you cannot go forward
with your feelings on your sleeves you
got to be able to feel your emotions and
still control them we all have them but
you cannot be controlled by your
emotions and be an effective leader
Moses instead of telling them what thus
says the Lord had started telling them
what thus sayeth Moses and God had to
get him out of the way because he wasn’t
misrepresenting God God is concerned
about people who abuse Authority not
only when it talks about corporate
leadership church leadership but even
domestic leadership in the house God
warns men against being abusive to their
wives God said I won’t hear your prayer
because you abused Authority thankfully
God doesn’t just mentor followers he
also mentors leaders and helps you to
develop your skill so that you can be
more a depth at what God is going to do
in your life many times when God starts
training you he trains you with trouble
exposing you to various degrees of
frustrating situations and then
critiquing your response see some people
don’t have that back in critiquing your
response so that you can learn what how
you should have ended this particular
situation just who I have got the war
thing down pat and in a moment we’re
gonna go back and look at his background
and understand
he’s got the war thing now that some of
you you’ve got the war thing down pat we
don’t have to motivate you to speak your
mind
nobody you didn’t even have to get shame
to learn how to speak your mind you
don’t need any tapes on how to be
impressive and to tell people what you
think you will do it in a flash you will
fight in a minute and find out what the
war was about later you just tell me
you’re so aggressive you slap people
then say what did you say
[Applause]
Joshua would fight at the drop of a hat
let’s just be honest with me how many
people in this room have the tendency to
go to war you will go to war in a flash
that’s not a bad thing it’s not a bad
thing it’s in you and God can use that
in you you don’t you don’t want to kill
it you want to control it you want to
make sure that you have found a place
that is appropriate where your script
skills and your skill sets and scripts
can be utilized effectively you might be
a great person to have a job calling
people with bad credit I don’t know
there’s a call in somewhere we don’t
find someplace for you
bounty hunter
you’ll get it tomorrow nevermind you
should have went to bed earlier Joshua
is getting ready to take on the Battle
of his life and he has all of the
tenseness that comes from being in a
series of battles when you get in a
series of battles you are prone to fight
but the problem is when he looks up and
he sees a man standing by him he says I
saw a man standing by me and he ran out
and said are you with me or gives first
of all it wasn’t a man it was God and
yet we have a problem
becoming so practical that we don’t
recognize God in the middle of our
situation to not discern God as being a
part of the process is a crippling
mistake that Joshua is about to make
here because he thinks he’s just running
into man and he’s running into God have
you recognized God in your situation or
are you so practical and are you so busy
dealing with man and dealing with
processes and dealing with budgets and
dealing with facts in dealing with
figures and dealing with the principal
at the school and dealing with the
problem down at the hospital and dealing
with this and that another but you don’t
know that there is a spiritual dynamic
to winning I am NOT saying that you
should do nothing except pray in fact it
drives me crazy to hear people tell you
just pray spin around seven times and
throw five dollars over your head and
God’s going to bless you it drives me
crazy because it makes you think
something that is not real you have to
get engaged and you have to do something
in order to win faith without works is
dead being alone
and I’m going to be clear about that but
you must understand that works alone
doesn’t get it either it’s not about how
much there’s some of you working
overtime under time around the clock you
got five jobs you don’t have time to go
to church you don’t have time to get
your hair done you don’t have time to
patch your kids you don’t have time to
go to the restroom you just working
working working working working working
where you where you’re working you
determine you won’t get there about 37
and you decided to go at 36 and a half
and you want it in the next six months
or it won’t be done and so you have
unrealistic expectations and you jump
into it and you’re relentlessly going
after it and you’ve got everything going
all your engines are going all your
flames are shooting from every direction
and you’ve got everything in it but God
when God gets into the midst of your
goals and the things you’re going after
it helps you to be more effective you
haven’t say that it says then came
Amalek and fought with Israel in
referendum and Moses said unto Joshua
choose us out men and go out fight with
Emily Moses is living now he says to
Joshua choose us out men and go out and
fight with Emily tomorrow
I will stand on the top of the hill with
the rod of God in my hands so Joshua did
as Moses had said to him and fought with
amalek and Moses Aaron and Hur went up
to the top of the hill there on the
mountain Moses Aaron and her
Joshua’s down in the valley fightin and
it came to pass and it came to pass when
Moses held up his hands that Israel
prevail and when he let down his hands
Amalek ferrell so in other words Moses
him up on the mountain razor says it
raising his hands and whenever he raises
his hands
Joshua beats up the Amalekites Moses and
hands got heavy they put something up
under his hands and he had to hold his
hands up to setting of the Sun that’s
all I need out of there here’s my issue
Joshua was down there fighting and he’s
winning he’s winning but he doesn’t know
that he’s winning because Moses is up on
the hill holding up his hand
see some of you think you’re winning
because you’re such a good fighter but
you’re not winning because you’re such a
good fighter
you’re winning because somebody’s at a
secret closet praying for you calling
you to prevail over your intimate oh my
god and you running around with your
sword in hand said don’t fool with me
I’m tough I’ve whipped this and I
overcame then I’ll retain the shot it
was not your works alone unless any man
should boast it is that balance between
the sacred and the secular that is so
important between faith and works
between action and concentration finding
that balance is the critical thing and
Joshua doesn’t know what Moses was going
to help him and so Joshua goes out there
in his own strength to do his thing
because Joshua worships his own skillset
Joshua has too much confidence he’s too
aggressive he’ll go in and fight in a
minute he’s so ready to fight that he’s
fighting his own hell when you get like
this you fight away people who love you
you fight away help that God sent to
sustain you fight the paramedic that’s
trying to get you in the ambulance you
fight the swimming expert that’s trying
to stop you from drowning you fight your
own husband you’re fighting with your
parent you’re fighting with your wife
you’re fighting with the person who
cares about you enough to confront your
hateful self and tell you how you really
are
and you’re fighting
and you’re fighting them because your
past has shaped how you see your present
your past has shaped how you see your
present
it didn’t shape your present it shapes
how you see it your perspectives on
where you are are based on where you’ve
been so you read into it a prejudice
prejudged disposition based on past
experiences and now gossip ruptured the
place that he is demanding maturity I
defined the tortillas valence he’s
demanding maturity he’s demanding that
you understand that you’re not going to
whip everything with your sword that you
can’t just assign God a post in your
army using him for your agenda that this
is not about you the thing that you are
up against right now is not about you
now the battle is not yours it belongs
to God that doesn’t mean that you don’t
have to show up for the fight it just
means that ultimately the victory that
you seek is not your victory it is the
victory because God has a purpose in you
getting the victory over this situation
it is not you that’s getting the victory
it is God that’s getting the victory and
you’re not using God to get your victory
God is using you to get his victory and
as soon as you get that strength
you can get down to business I’m telling
you the thing that is fighting you is
fighting him and you’re not using him
God is using you tell me I said go get
that twisted
because when you get that twisted you
become God over the battle and you start
manipulating everything that comes in
your life trying to get the victory you
need to understand this battle is not
yours it belongs to God and in order to
get the breakthrough
you don’t run against the enemy before
you have an encounter with God I told
the Lord I said I’m getting tired I’m
getting tired and getting physically
tired and you know you get some rest for
that emotionally tired spiritually
entire drain ICU it doesn’t mean that
the battle intense I said I need spend
more time with you until I guess but I
can always tell when I need to spend
more time with God because people start
getting on my nerves they just get old
and it is a sign not that they need to
change but if there’s a fine then I
maybe need to get up 30 minutes early or
an hour earlier
spend a little bit more time in this
further get my core by getting my Center
straight getting my priorities in place
so that I can work from a position of
strength and not a position of strange
I’m about as taped myself I want to
operate from a position of strength and
not strain
some of you right now you’re strained
and stressed and at the breaking point
because you’re in a battle that you
can’t get out of and you can’t stop and
you’ve got to fight the battle and party
who wants to give up because you’re
tired and frustrated and you want to
quit but you can’t quit because you’re
in the kind of battle that does not
afford you the luxury of retreat you’ve
got to stand there and arm yourself and
fight but until you recognize that God
is in the midst of the battle and you
humble yourself and say Lord I’m here to
serve you how would you use me to get
the victory in this situation
Tessa might say this is not so bad
why must the warrior in spite of his
skillset be faced with the battle that
you cannot win through your skill set
alone because it teaches you to pray you
will not beat this devil with what you
can do you will not be able to tap into
your skill set and your core ability and
what you did before and get the victory
because when you do that there is no
room in your life for God before you go
against Jericho Joshua
you must have an encounter with God not
the traditional religious god of your
father’s but a fresh vision of the
contemporary revolutionary understanding
of who God is that we’re in a battle
right now because people are trying to
hold us to a traditional mentality about
God because traditional people like a
traditional God and they want to keep it
in a traditional place and traditional
atmosphere and they wanted to stay just
the same well the devil is a lie it’s
time for a radical change to get God out
the box and out of narrow thinking until
you embrace a contemporary understanding
of God God may not be the same but his
methods changed his mannerisms changed
and he changes his garments and suppose
he shows up in another city just was
standing there having an encounter with
God why are we here this morning why
don’t we get up and go to church a
little bit on weekend you got
it’s amazing to me when when I’m
speaking out of count on a Sunday and
I’m in a hotel and I see all the people
who never think about this on Sunday it
just amazes me then it never crosses
your mind I’m in the elevator I’m coming
down in my suit get ready go to church
they’re in their shorts they’re golf
clubs on Fred I’ll meet you out there in
a minute it’s a great day for golfing
man it doesn’t cross there man stay get
their hair done they’ll get the laundry
done today to do this today to trial
date of reheat give me just a glass of
Chablis and I’m going to sit up and
relax today and read what is it about
you that makes you get up on Sunday
morning on your one true day off put on
clothes get in the car drive down the
road and get in some church traffic to
line up to try to get a parking space so
that you can line up to try to get a
seat
and get an usher in a service and now
you got a schedule on your only day off
I got to be a guy to get up at 7:00 you
have to be out about 7:30 you have to be
as a judgment if you know if you do all
of that and you don’t know why you’re
doing it you won’t do it long
then we’re reduced to coming up with
tricks and scams to keep you coming Let
Me Entertain
[Laughter]
[Applause]
[Music]
now we got to make crazy promises to get
you to come out and keep begging you and
massaging you until you’re so wonderful
we’re so glad to have you in this chair
oh we can make this church without you
you’ve been here so long you’re so
wonderful oh god bless you and now we
got to give you all these mental
massages to keep you coming back and if
you don’t get there your little feelings
get hurt and you stay home I am NOT a
massage therapist I didn’t come to give
you a rubdown
[Applause]
if you bring your hips up in here you
are going to come because you understand
that the battle you fight tomorrow
necessitates that you spend some time in
the presence of God being directed and
motivated and feel and charged with the
mind of God how to get the victory on
tomorrow slap somebody tell them I had
to be here I will never see the walls of
Jericho come down until I have this
experience with God I will never see my
credit come down my dad come down my
tumors come down my crisis come down my
pressures come down unless I have an
encounter with
[Applause]
[Applause]
I didn’t come out of here to heaven
encounter with the ushers and encounter
with the Deacons and with all due
respect I didn’t come out of here to
have an encounter with TD jakes I’m here
to have an encounter with God speak to
my heart speak to the music strictly the
song speak to the word speak to me
[Applause]
[Music]
oh my god who am i preaching to today
touch them I told my head to be here it
doesn’t matter whether I felt like
coming or not I had to be here I had to
be here just like I have to stop by the
gas station if I’m gonna keep on driving
my car I had to be here I needed this
word I needed this mother my spirit
meeting it my flesh didn’t want to come
but my spirit needed this encounter with
God where I worship him and praise Him
and adore him without phones ring it
without emails without brothers without
blast need this moment of consolation
with the Lord surrounded with people who
understand hallelujah and thank you
Jesus and glory to God
God says sit down just something gossip
don’t you jumping up honey I’ll do it
God says Joshua you must understand that
the ground you stand on it’s holy ground
well Joshua for all intents and purposes
is on the battlefield he’s not in a
Cathedral he’s not in a synagogue he’s
not in firming he’s not in a Bible class
can you see holy ground in the battle
field never want to trip me see
seeing holy ground in a crisis it’s what
separates greatness from mediocrity
seeing this as an opportunity for God to
reveal himself see then that’s that’s
what makes a sanctuary a sanctuary it’s
a place for God to reveal himself do you
understand that what you’re dealing with
right now is a place for God to reveal
himself he may show up in a way that
you’ve never seen him before
he may do something that he’s never done
before but he said take off your shoes
take off your preconceived ideas get rid
of your religious mentality and get
ready to have a fresh experience right
in the middle of your fight this is holy
ground this is holy ground tell somebody
say this is holy ground I’m gonna have
an encounter with God on this ground
I’m gonna learn something about God on
this ground I’m gonna learn something
about myself on this ground I’m gonna
learn something about life on this
ground I’m gonna learn something about
my faith on this ground God has decided
to make my sanctuary a situation
some of my greatest moments of worship
have not been in church I’ve had some of
the best experiences with God when I’m
within an unemployment line and I had a
divine encounter with God standing in
line unemployed a great experience with
God in a hospital room a great x-ray one
of time I was working with my kids and
we were having we were supposed to be
having a family meeting it became a
family battle I was thinking about
killing them I’ll kill you tell God you
died maybe he won’t know that I’d kill
you and right in the middle of the
argument one of my kids started crying I
know what’s really wrong in you do you
know what’s wrong god I took off my
shoes
certainly I recognize that what I
perceived in the situation was a
sanctuary
[Applause]
does anybody get what I’m preaching
about this morning do you understand
that you will live beyond the temporary
inconvenience of this situation this is
not about Jericho Jericho is going to
pass away it will be no more do you not
know they still can find Jericho let me
tell you something the problem that
you’re dealing with now when God
delivers you he’s gonna deliver you so
completely that even your grandchildren
will never be able to find it when God
brings you out he brings you so
completely out that the archaeologists
cannot find the better when God delivers
you people won’t even believe your
testimony they’ll never believe that you
went through what you went through
because when God brings you out he made
you all the way
[Applause]
Tesla might say this has come to pass
the situation that you’re dealing with
right now will come to pass it will come
to pass it came to the past get over it
don’t worry about it don’t build a house
in it it will not last you will be
standing when Jericho is laying in total
ruins you will still be standing there
telling your children I remember the
time you will make it to the front porch
with the iced tea with your dentures in
a cup stand back when I was your age I
faced that too I thought I was going to
die but some kind of way we made it out
of that this will come to who am i
preaching touch seven people just say
strategy strategy strategy
[Applause]
strategy strategy strength our God our
God is a strategic god I hate Katrina I
think it was horrible I think it was
devastating I hate the trauma that it
caused I hate the hardships I hit the
images that remain in my head today from
that moment but I also know that God
used Katrina to push some people into
another dimension to give you a fresh
start
and a fresh opportunity I’m telling you
God will take the storm EURion and blow
you into a change in your life and a
fresh opportunity I’m telling you I
haven’t been in Katrina but I’ve been in
some storms that blew me out of my
comfort zone and made me start over and
I’m glad they blew me
[Applause]
[Music]
look at them I think this is gonna take
me somewhere
out of the box out of my comfort zone
away from my friends into a new life and
a new opportunity now shout about it
right now
[Applause]
yes yes yes
sit with me I’m gonna give you one more
point than I will try to close
the situation is a sanctuary and as soon
as you see it as a sanctuary you will do
what Joshua did he fell down and started
worshipping God in the middle of his
situation worshipping God in the middle
of your grief worshiping God even though
you lost the child worshiping God at the
cemetery worshiping God after you’ve
been fired and you don’t know where
you’re gonna go to work
worshipping God as he friends upheaval
and chaos and tornadoes and hair calms
and hurricanes in your life but you’re
saying though he slay me yet shall I
trust him and you worship God anyway
it’s when you convert that situation
into a sanctuary when you convert the
situation into a sanctuary you have to
do it now you have to turn it into a
sense where how do I do that by
worshipping God in the middle of it what
will he do in exchange when you make a
sanctuary out of a situation God will
give you a strategy
now you can pray for resources all you
want to but I would rather have a
strategy than all the resources in the
world it is a proven fact that people
who have no strategy soon lose resources
check the stats on people who hit the
lottery all of a sudden they got fifty
two million dollars
Uncle Sam said 25 so you got 27 million
dollars left that still ain’t bad for
somebody who was making $35,000 a year
27 million dollars ain’t too fussy never
would think if the average person 3
years later would be completely broke
resources without strategy leads to
poverty
you are leaving your children your two
houses and the farm the growth and five
chickens you watch your whole life and
you give it to your kids and you’re
dying
and you’re just signing paper and you
gave them your stuff but not your
strategy and they will lose the stuff if
they do not have your strategy that’s
why the Bible says let this mind be in
you which was also in Christ Jesus
out of what Christ stuff without his
strategy
[Music]
somebody holler strategy when God gives
you a strategy you can overcome anything
when God gives you a strategy you can
overcome anything but God can’t give you
a strategy when you think it’s your
battles because when you think is your
battle you’re giving God a strategy okay
God I need you to show up in this
situation go and fire Helen fire her get
her out of that job if you think you
know what ought to be done
that’s what semesters you up when you
humble yourself has had on the one out
to be done I don’t know how to get the
victory I don’t know how to fight this I
don’t know who to talk to I don’t know
who to trust then God will give you a
strategy for God I feel like I’m just
talking right to somebody God will give
you a strategy for every situation you
confront there is a strategy that will
bring you out God I believe that I want
to shout myself Joshua you will not whip
this battle with your sword
put your sword up I want you to just
walk
walk
this this
okay I walk what you want me to do go
home get some rest
talk to you tomorrow that’s it
that was stupid that’s the strategy we
need to get Jericho when they come yeah
shut up do what I told you walk I sure
don’t feel stupid there stand up her
pointing cannons at me they’re
threatened to kill every last one of
them the chariots are all on top of the
mountain and you’ve got me taking a walk
have you ever felt like God had you
taken a walk while your enemies were
conspiring to kill you and destroy you
and when you went to God he gave you one
of them silly answers that made you want
to take matters into your own hands
six days they took a walk went home and
rested day off
seventh day it comes justice justice
says okay I’m gonna take my walk and go
sit down and he goes he takes his walk
after six days I know how to do this all
right I’m gonna let you go Gus – no no
see that’s what’s wrong you think you
know how to do it this time I want you
to go seven times around in the same day
so you don’t have to talk to him every
day
give me the strategy for today you
cannot afford to think you know anything
you have got to talk to him every day
just because he said once on Tuesday
once on Wednesday one so thirsty that
mean he’s gonna say once on Saturday
seven times he goes around the wall on
the seventh day they blow the trumpet
now God says something that is totally
insane
he says shout
no no you don’t get it anybody can shot
when the wall comes down
God said get right in front of the wall
that you’ve been looking at all week
long that wouldn’t come down that hadn’t
bugs that hadn’t gotten any better and
even with my strategy he still looks
like you’re still in debt still in
trouble child still on drugs
marriage is still kind of bad God said
get right in front of the wall and shout
and if it were already gone
you
you are a leader and you have
responsibility and to him whom much is
given much is required and so as you
lead the problem with leading it means
that you are continually facing new
things if you’re not continually facing
new things you’re not leading you’re
repeating so there is a perpetual
vulnerability that exists in the heart
of a leader because you can never have
your act down pack every morning you
wake up you’re facing something new
because every morning you wake up you’re
moving into another dimension another
area and if you are really a leader you
are progressive and in the process of
being progressive it means that you are
facing new issues and new areas all the
time
now much of our time when we deal with
battles if most of our time is spent
telling you you know just least feel and
know that God is God and and and just to
be passive and early make the battle is
not yours it belongs to God and I’m
going to talk about that a little bit
today
but the idea and the inference suggest
that that once you turn it over to God
you have no responsibility at all and
this becomes a welcome message to
procrastinators who love to say well you
know if the Lord meant for me to have
that he’d give it to them if the Lord
meant for me to do this he’ll do it if
the Lord if you mean to give me this job
let it reign on the right side of this
carpet in the hallway and we put out all
those fleeces and crazy concepts to
relieve ourselves from the human
responsibility of engagement the
challenge of a pastor with feeding God’s
locking on one hand you have passive
people who need to be motivated and so
you preach something to challenge them
but on the other hand the concern is the
aggressive person over here is it may go
into overdrive because you got one
person who needs to be stimulated would
you please do
something just do it if it’s wrong do it
if we have to fix it breathe on a mirror
let us know you are alive do something
you live like a statue some of you are
married to somebody like that that’s why
you’re just sitting there saying Lord
Jesus but Joshua is not a passive
reserved person who procrastinate he is
an aggressive person he is a warrior he
is a fighter he is tenacious he is
relentless and oddly enough the very
thing that makes him a great leader
almost kills him isn’t it amazing how
your greatest strength in the wrong
place can become your greatest weakness
Joshua had no trouble taking on issues
and taking on areas and taking on a
third Authority Joshua was aggressive
perhaps he is selected to be the
successor of Moses because Moses has a
tendency at times to lead people in
circles in fact an entire generation
followed Moses around and around did the
same stuff and Moses faced with an
opportunity to go forward becomes
frustrated and leads people out of his
human frustration and events over the
pulpit and he gets angry and God removes
him from leadership because Moses is a
leader who cannot control his own temper
you cannot lead into greatness with
small-mindedness you cannot go forward
with your feelings on your sleeves you
got to be able to feel your emotions and
still control them we all have them but
you cannot be controlled by your
emotions and be an effective leader
Moses instead of telling them what thus
says the Lord had started telling them
what thus sayeth Moses and God had to
get him out of the way because he wasn’t
misrepresenting God God is concerned
about people who abuse Authority not
only when it talks about corporate
leadership church leadership but even
domestic leadership in the house God
warns men against being abusive to their
wives God said I won’t hear your prayer
because you abused Authority thankfully
God doesn’t just mentor followers he
also mentors leaders and helps you to
develop your skill so that you can be
more a depth at what God is going to do
in your life many times when God starts
training you he trains you with trouble
exposing you to various degrees of
frustrating situations and then
critiquing your response see some people
don’t have that back in critiquing your
response so that you can learn what how
you should have ended this particular
situation just who I have got the war
thing down pat and in a moment we’re
gonna go back and look at his background
and understand
he’s got the war thing now that some of
you you’ve got the war thing down pat we
don’t have to motivate you to speak your
mind
nobody you didn’t even have to get shame
to learn how to speak your mind you
don’t need any tapes on how to be
impressive and to tell people what you
think you will do it in a flash you will
fight in a minute and find out what the
war was about later you just tell me
you’re so aggressive you slap people
then say what did you say
[Applause]
Joshua would fight at the drop of a hat
let’s just be honest with me how many
people in this room have the tendency to
go to war you will go to war in a flash
that’s not a bad thing it’s not a bad
thing it’s in you and God can use that
in you you don’t you don’t want to kill
it you want to control it you want to
make sure that you have found a place
that is appropriate where your script
skills and your skill sets and scripts
can be utilized effectively you might be
a great person to have a job calling
people with bad credit I don’t know
there’s a call in somewhere we don’t
find someplace for you
bounty hunter
you’ll get it tomorrow nevermind you
should have went to bed earlier Joshua
is getting ready to take on the Battle
of his life and he has all of the
tenseness that comes from being in a
series of battles when you get in a
series of battles you are prone to fight
but the problem is when he looks up and
he sees a man standing by him he says I
saw a man standing by me and he ran out
and said are you with me or gives first
of all it wasn’t a man it was God and
yet we have a problem
becoming so practical that we don’t
recognize God in the middle of our
situation to not discern God as being a
part of the process is a crippling
mistake that Joshua is about to make
here because he thinks he’s just running
into man and he’s running into God have
you recognized God in your situation or
are you so practical and are you so busy
dealing with man and dealing with
processes and dealing with budgets and
dealing with facts in dealing with
figures and dealing with the principal
at the school and dealing with the
problem down at the hospital and dealing
with this and that another but you don’t
know that there is a spiritual dynamic
to winning I am NOT saying that you
should do nothing except pray in fact it
drives me crazy to hear people tell you
just pray spin around seven times and
throw five dollars over your head and
God’s going to bless you it drives me
crazy because it makes you think
something that is not real you have to
get engaged and you have to do something
in order to win faith without works is
dead being alone
and I’m going to be clear about that but
you must understand that works alone
doesn’t get it either it’s not about how
much there’s some of you working
overtime under time around the clock you
got five jobs you don’t have time to go
to church you don’t have time to get
your hair done you don’t have time to
patch your kids you don’t have time to
go to the restroom you just working
working working working working working
where you where you’re working you
determine you won’t get there about 37
and you decided to go at 36 and a half
and you want it in the next six months
or it won’t be done and so you have
unrealistic expectations and you jump
into it and you’re relentlessly going
after it and you’ve got everything going
all your engines are going all your
flames are shooting from every direction
and you’ve got everything in it but God
when God gets into the midst of your
goals and the things you’re going after
it helps you to be more effective you
haven’t say that it says then came
Amalek and fought with Israel in
referendum and Moses said unto Joshua
choose us out men and go out fight with
Emily Moses is living now he says to
Joshua choose us out men and go out and
fight with Emily tomorrow
I will stand on the top of the hill with
the rod of God in my hands so Joshua did
as Moses had said to him and fought with
amalek and Moses Aaron and Hur went up
to the top of the hill there on the
mountain Moses Aaron and her
Joshua’s down in the valley fightin and
it came to pass and it came to pass when
Moses held up his hands that Israel
prevail and when he let down his hands
Amalek ferrell so in other words Moses
him up on the mountain razor says it
raising his hands and whenever he raises
his hands
Joshua beats up the Amalekites Moses and
hands got heavy they put something up
under his hands and he had to hold his
hands up to setting of the Sun that’s
all I need out of there here’s my issue
Joshua was down there fighting and he’s
winning he’s winning but he doesn’t know
that he’s winning because Moses is up on
the hill holding up his hand
see some of you think you’re winning
because you’re such a good fighter but
you’re not winning because you’re such a
good fighter
you’re winning because somebody’s at a
secret closet praying for you calling
you to prevail over your intimate oh my
god and you running around with your
sword in hand said don’t fool with me
I’m tough I’ve whipped this and I
overcame then I’ll retain the shot it
was not your works alone unless any man
should boast it is that balance between
the sacred and the secular that is so
important between faith and works
between action and concentration finding
that balance is the critical thing and
Joshua doesn’t know what Moses was going
to help him and so Joshua goes out there
in his own strength to do his thing
because Joshua worships his own skillset
Joshua has too much confidence he’s too
aggressive he’ll go in and fight in a
minute he’s so ready to fight that he’s
fighting his own hell when you get like
this you fight away people who love you
you fight away help that God sent to
sustain you fight the paramedic that’s
trying to get you in the ambulance you
fight the swimming expert that’s trying
to stop you from drowning you fight your
own husband you’re fighting with your
parent you’re fighting with your wife
you’re fighting with the person who
cares about you enough to confront your
hateful self and tell you how you really
are
and you’re fighting
and you’re fighting them because your
past has shaped how you see your present
your past has shaped how you see your
present
it didn’t shape your present it shapes
how you see it your perspectives on
where you are are based on where you’ve
been so you read into it a prejudice
prejudged disposition based on past
experiences and now gossip ruptured the
place that he is demanding maturity I
defined the tortillas valence he’s
demanding maturity he’s demanding that
you understand that you’re not going to
whip everything with your sword that you
can’t just assign God a post in your
army using him for your agenda that this
is not about you the thing that you are
up against right now is not about you
now the battle is not yours it belongs
to God that doesn’t mean that you don’t
have to show up for the fight it just
means that ultimately the victory that
you seek is not your victory it is the
victory because God has a purpose in you
getting the victory over this situation
it is not you that’s getting the victory
it is God that’s getting the victory and
you’re not using God to get your victory
God is using you to get his victory and
as soon as you get that strength
you can get down to business I’m telling
you the thing that is fighting you is
fighting him and you’re not using him
God is using you tell me I said go get
that twisted
because when you get that twisted you
become God over the battle and you start
manipulating everything that comes in
your life trying to get the victory you
need to understand this battle is not
yours it belongs to God and in order to
get the breakthrough
you don’t run against the enemy before
you have an encounter with God I told
the Lord I said I’m getting tired I’m
getting tired and getting physically
tired and you know you get some rest for
that emotionally tired spiritually
entire drain ICU it doesn’t mean that
the battle intense I said I need spend
more time with you until I guess but I
can always tell when I need to spend
more time with God because people start
getting on my nerves they just get old
and it is a sign not that they need to
change but if there’s a fine then I
maybe need to get up 30 minutes early or
an hour earlier
spend a little bit more time in this
further get my core by getting my Center
straight getting my priorities in place
so that I can work from a position of
strength and not a position of strange
I’m about as taped myself I want to
operate from a position of strength and
not strain
some of you right now you’re strained
and stressed and at the breaking point
because you’re in a battle that you
can’t get out of and you can’t stop and
you’ve got to fight the battle and party
who wants to give up because you’re
tired and frustrated and you want to
quit but you can’t quit because you’re
in the kind of battle that does not
afford you the luxury of retreat you’ve
got to stand there and arm yourself and
fight but until you recognize that God
is in the midst of the battle and you
humble yourself and say Lord I’m here to
serve you how would you use me to get
the victory in this situation
Tessa might say this is not so bad
why must the warrior in spite of his
skillset be faced with the battle that
you cannot win through your skill set
alone because it teaches you to pray you
will not beat this devil with what you
can do you will not be able to tap into
your skill set and your core ability and
what you did before and get the victory
because when you do that there is no
room in your life for God before you go
against Jericho Joshua
you must have an encounter with God not
the traditional religious god of your
father’s but a fresh vision of the
contemporary revolutionary understanding
of who God is that we’re in a battle
right now because people are trying to
hold us to a traditional mentality about
God because traditional people like a
traditional God and they want to keep it
in a traditional place and traditional
atmosphere and they wanted to stay just
the same well the devil is a lie it’s
time for a radical change to get God out
the box and out of narrow thinking until
you embrace a contemporary understanding
of God God may not be the same but his
methods changed his mannerisms changed
and he changes his garments and suppose
he shows up in another city just was
standing there having an encounter with
God why are we here this morning why
don’t we get up and go to church a
little bit on weekend you got
it’s amazing to me when when I’m
speaking out of count on a Sunday and
I’m in a hotel and I see all the people
who never think about this on Sunday it
just amazes me then it never crosses
your mind I’m in the elevator I’m coming
down in my suit get ready go to church
they’re in their shorts they’re golf
clubs on Fred I’ll meet you out there in
a minute it’s a great day for golfing
man it doesn’t cross there man stay get
their hair done they’ll get the laundry
done today to do this today to trial
date of reheat give me just a glass of
Chablis and I’m going to sit up and
relax today and read what is it about
you that makes you get up on Sunday
morning on your one true day off put on
clothes get in the car drive down the
road and get in some church traffic to
line up to try to get a parking space so
that you can line up to try to get a
seat
and get an usher in a service and now
you got a schedule on your only day off
I got to be a guy to get up at 7:00 you
have to be out about 7:30 you have to be
as a judgment if you know if you do all
of that and you don’t know why you’re
doing it you won’t do it long
then we’re reduced to coming up with
tricks and scams to keep you coming Let
Me Entertain
[Laughter]
[Applause]
[Music]
now we got to make crazy promises to get
you to come out and keep begging you and
massaging you until you’re so wonderful
we’re so glad to have you in this chair
oh we can make this church without you
you’ve been here so long you’re so
wonderful oh god bless you and now we
got to give you all these mental
massages to keep you coming back and if
you don’t get there your little feelings
get hurt and you stay home I am NOT a
massage therapist I didn’t come to give
you a rubdown
[Applause]
if you bring your hips up in here you
are going to come because you understand
that the battle you fight tomorrow
necessitates that you spend some time in
the presence of God being directed and
motivated and feel and charged with the
mind of God how to get the victory on
tomorrow slap somebody tell them I had
to be here I will never see the walls of
Jericho come down until I have this
experience with God I will never see my
credit come down my dad come down my
tumors come down my crisis come down my
pressures come down unless I have an
encounter with
[Applause]
[Applause]
I didn’t come out of here to heaven
encounter with the ushers and encounter
with the Deacons and with all due
respect I didn’t come out of here to
have an encounter with TD jakes I’m here
to have an encounter with God speak to
my heart speak to the music strictly the
song speak to the word speak to me
[Applause]
[Music]
oh my god who am i preaching to today
touch them I told my head to be here it
doesn’t matter whether I felt like
coming or not I had to be here I had to
be here just like I have to stop by the
gas station if I’m gonna keep on driving
my car I had to be here I needed this
word I needed this mother my spirit
meeting it my flesh didn’t want to come
but my spirit needed this encounter with
God where I worship him and praise Him
and adore him without phones ring it
without emails without brothers without
blast need this moment of consolation
with the Lord surrounded with people who
understand hallelujah and thank you
Jesus and glory to God
God says sit down just something gossip
don’t you jumping up honey I’ll do it
God says Joshua you must understand that
the ground you stand on it’s holy ground
well Joshua for all intents and purposes
is on the battlefield he’s not in a
Cathedral he’s not in a synagogue he’s
not in firming he’s not in a Bible class
can you see holy ground in the battle
field never want to trip me see
seeing holy ground in a crisis it’s what
separates greatness from mediocrity
seeing this as an opportunity for God to
reveal himself see then that’s that’s
what makes a sanctuary a sanctuary it’s
a place for God to reveal himself do you
understand that what you’re dealing with
right now is a place for God to reveal
himself he may show up in a way that
you’ve never seen him before
he may do something that he’s never done
before but he said take off your shoes
take off your preconceived ideas get rid
of your religious mentality and get
ready to have a fresh experience right
in the middle of your fight this is holy
ground this is holy ground tell somebody
say this is holy ground I’m gonna have
an encounter with God on this ground
I’m gonna learn something about God on
this ground I’m gonna learn something
about myself on this ground I’m gonna
learn something about life on this
ground I’m gonna learn something about
my faith on this ground God has decided
to make my sanctuary a situation
some of my greatest moments of worship
have not been in church I’ve had some of
the best experiences with God when I’m
within an unemployment line and I had a
divine encounter with God standing in
line unemployed a great experience with
God in a hospital room a great x-ray one
of time I was working with my kids and
we were having we were supposed to be
having a family meeting it became a
family battle I was thinking about
killing them I’ll kill you tell God you
died maybe he won’t know that I’d kill
you and right in the middle of the
argument one of my kids started crying I
know what’s really wrong in you do you
know what’s wrong god I took off my
shoes
certainly I recognize that what I
perceived in the situation was a
sanctuary
[Applause]
does anybody get what I’m preaching
about this morning do you understand
that you will live beyond the temporary
inconvenience of this situation this is
not about Jericho Jericho is going to
pass away it will be no more do you not
know they still can find Jericho let me
tell you something the problem that
you’re dealing with now when God
delivers you he’s gonna deliver you so
completely that even your grandchildren
will never be able to find it when God
brings you out he brings you so
completely out that the archaeologists
cannot find the better when God delivers
you people won’t even believe your
testimony they’ll never believe that you
went through what you went through
because when God brings you out he made
you all the way
[Applause]
Tesla might say this has come to pass
the situation that you’re dealing with
right now will come to pass it will come
to pass it came to the past get over it
don’t worry about it don’t build a house
in it it will not last you will be
standing when Jericho is laying in total
ruins you will still be standing there
telling your children I remember the
time you will make it to the front porch
with the iced tea with your dentures in
a cup stand back when I was your age I
faced that too I thought I was going to
die but some kind of way we made it out
of that this will come to who am i
preaching touch seven people just say
strategy strategy strategy
[Applause]
strategy strategy strength our God our
God is a strategic god I hate Katrina I
think it was horrible I think it was
devastating I hate the trauma that it
caused I hate the hardships I hit the
images that remain in my head today from
that moment but I also know that God
used Katrina to push some people into
another dimension to give you a fresh
start
and a fresh opportunity I’m telling you
God will take the storm EURion and blow
you into a change in your life and a
fresh opportunity I’m telling you I
haven’t been in Katrina but I’ve been in
some storms that blew me out of my
comfort zone and made me start over and
I’m glad they blew me
[Applause]
[Music]
look at them I think this is gonna take
me somewhere
out of the box out of my comfort zone
away from my friends into a new life and
a new opportunity now shout about it
right now
[Applause]
yes yes yes
sit with me I’m gonna give you one more
point than I will try to close
the situation is a sanctuary and as soon
as you see it as a sanctuary you will do
what Joshua did he fell down and started
worshipping God in the middle of his
situation worshipping God in the middle
of your grief worshiping God even though
you lost the child worshiping God at the
cemetery worshiping God after you’ve
been fired and you don’t know where
you’re gonna go to work
worshipping God as he friends upheaval
and chaos and tornadoes and hair calms
and hurricanes in your life but you’re
saying though he slay me yet shall I
trust him and you worship God anyway
it’s when you convert that situation
into a sanctuary when you convert the
situation into a sanctuary you have to
do it now you have to turn it into a
sense where how do I do that by
worshipping God in the middle of it what
will he do in exchange when you make a
sanctuary out of a situation God will
give you a strategy
now you can pray for resources all you
want to but I would rather have a
strategy than all the resources in the
world it is a proven fact that people
who have no strategy soon lose resources
check the stats on people who hit the
lottery all of a sudden they got fifty
two million dollars
Uncle Sam said 25 so you got 27 million
dollars left that still ain’t bad for
somebody who was making $35,000 a year
27 million dollars ain’t too fussy never
would think if the average person 3
years later would be completely broke
resources without strategy leads to
poverty
you are leaving your children your two
houses and the farm the growth and five
chickens you watch your whole life and
you give it to your kids and you’re
dying
and you’re just signing paper and you
gave them your stuff but not your
strategy and they will lose the stuff if
they do not have your strategy that’s
why the Bible says let this mind be in
you which was also in Christ Jesus
out of what Christ stuff without his
strategy
[Music]
somebody holler strategy when God gives
you a strategy you can overcome anything
when God gives you a strategy you can
overcome anything but God can’t give you
a strategy when you think it’s your
battles because when you think is your
battle you’re giving God a strategy okay
God I need you to show up in this
situation go and fire Helen fire her get
her out of that job if you think you
know what ought to be done
that’s what semesters you up when you
humble yourself has had on the one out
to be done I don’t know how to get the
victory I don’t know how to fight this I
don’t know who to talk to I don’t know
who to trust then God will give you a
strategy for God I feel like I’m just
talking right to somebody God will give
you a strategy for every situation you
confront there is a strategy that will
bring you out God I believe that I want
to shout myself Joshua you will not whip
this battle with your sword
put your sword up I want you to just
walk
walk
this this
okay I walk what you want me to do go
home get some rest
talk to you tomorrow that’s it
that was stupid that’s the strategy we
need to get Jericho when they come yeah
shut up do what I told you walk I sure
don’t feel stupid there stand up her
pointing cannons at me they’re
threatened to kill every last one of
them the chariots are all on top of the
mountain and you’ve got me taking a walk
have you ever felt like God had you
taken a walk while your enemies were
conspiring to kill you and destroy you
and when you went to God he gave you one
of them silly answers that made you want
to take matters into your own hands
six days they took a walk went home and
rested day off
seventh day it comes justice justice
says okay I’m gonna take my walk and go
sit down and he goes he takes his walk
after six days I know how to do this all
right I’m gonna let you go Gus – no no
see that’s what’s wrong you think you
know how to do it this time I want you
to go seven times around in the same day
so you don’t have to talk to him every
day
give me the strategy for today you
cannot afford to think you know anything
you have got to talk to him every day
just because he said once on Tuesday
once on Wednesday one so thirsty that
mean he’s gonna say once on Saturday
seven times he goes around the wall on
the seventh day they blow the trumpet
now God says something that is totally
insane
he says shout
no no you don’t get it anybody can shot
when the wall comes down
God said get right in front of the wall
that you’ve been looking at all week
long that wouldn’t come down that hadn’t
bugs that hadn’t gotten any better and
even with my strategy he still looks
like you’re still in debt still in
trouble child still on drugs
marriage is still kind of bad God said
get right in front of the wall and shout
and if it were already gone
you
Please follow and like us: