Category: Ministry



God gave us advice, sound instructions for this time on earth:

"when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads", when the earth looks bleak turn to God, put your faith and trust in him alone.

A great opportunity to grow under God.

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Luke 21:25-28 (Amplified Bible)

25 And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth [there will be] distress (trouble and anguish) of nations in bewilderment and perplexity without resources, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, not knowing which way to turn at the roaring (the echo) of the tossing of the sea,

26 Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken and caused to totter.

27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great
(transcendent and overwhelming) power and [all His kingly] glory (majesty and splendor).

28 Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.

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There was a time in the Bible where God's people were pinned down surrounded by enemies, outnumbered perhaps 10 to 1 pressed by armies with weapons and a drive to kill them. Within hours closing in. One of the leaders under God within the cornered group spoke that trust is to be put into the Lord. He believed and spoke that God would deliver them.

He turned to God in a time of crisis. Spiritually on his knees. This is a time of need.

He turned to God. He listened to what God had to say. He followed God's instruction.

The enemy could be heard off in the distance, perhaps informants approximating head counts of the armies, weaponry report, movement. These men are coming to slit your throat and their running out of distance to do it.

One might have imagined, at the time, the only way deliverance would happen is if the Lord's Hand came down from a cloud and lifted them away. Or if the enemy was struck dead as they stood. Or a ball of fire consumed the enemy.

What God actually did was cause the enemy to fight against themselves, killing each other...they wanted blood, they got it.

When the various armies saw God's people come out and praise God they fell into confusion. They may have believed they were double crossed by one another. They began to kill each other. This is an example of the power of praise.

NOTE: God's people who experienced victory praised God BEFORE the victory manifested. They were still up against an overpowering army when they praised. They did NOT wait for the manifestation of victory to praise God like giving a tip like a waitress after you've eaten.

If there is no praise before the victory there is no faith in God to move. Praise after the victory is pure, but it is not based in faith, it is in thanksgiving.

Work your heart to a position of faith regardless of outside appearances and God will discard your mountain. Does this come natural? Nope.

It took God's people a few days to collect the loot that the enemy had
among them. The Bible told that the opposing armies where even wearing jewelry, which would have been very unusual for a soldier to be wearing his valuable jewelry to battle.

Pending doom to new found riches within a day.

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2 Chronicles 20:1-30 (Amplified Bible)

1 AFTER THIS, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

2 It was told Jehoshaphat, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi.

3 Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah.

4 And Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord [yearning for Him with all their desire].

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court

6 And said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You.

7 Did not You, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?

8 They dwelt in it and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your Name, saying,

9 If evil comes upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You--for Your Name [and the symbol of Your presence] is in this house--and cry to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.

10 And now behold, the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they turned from and did not destroy--(A)

11 Behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

12 O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.

13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their children and their wives.

14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

15 He said, Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

16 Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel.

17 You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him.

19 And some Levites of the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe and remain steadfast to His prophets and you shall prosper.

21 When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were [self-] slaughtered;

23 For [suspecting betrayal] the men of Ammon and Moab rose against those of Mount Seir, utterly destroying them. And when they had made an end of the men of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.

24 And when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude, and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped!

25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil, they found among them much cattle, goods, garments, and precious things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry away, so much they were three days in gathering the spoil.

26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah. There they blessed the Lord. So the name of the place is still called the Valley of Beracah [blessing].

27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat leading them, to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

28 They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord.

29 And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about.