God's side by Dr. Paul Taylor

Stay focused!  I know that right now there is much going on in Burundi that is difficult to understand when we have all prayed and worked so hard for this nation.  My advice is to stay focused!!!  Do not look at the things that you see with your eyes or listen to everything that you hear with your ears.  If ever you needed spiritual discernment, it is right now!!!  The enemy of peace is a great deceiver!!!  He can make anyone look guilty of horrific things.  He wants you to think the worst things about people and not to trust anyone.  So he sows seeds of doubt, fear and unbelief. 

 WE CANNOT ALLOW HIM TO DESTROY YOUR HOPE!  A HOPELESS PERSON IS A DESPERATE PERSON AND THEY WILL DO THINGS THEY NEVER EVER DREAMED THEY WOULD DO.  YOU ARE NOT WITHOUT HOPE!!!!  I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES LOOK LIKE!  YOU POSSESS THE GOD OF ALL HOPE, JESUS CHRIST THE HOPE OF GLORY!!!!

As I have been praying for you the Lord opened my eyes to a Kingdom principle that is difficult for all of us to understand.  Right now there is a great battle going on in Burundi.  Everyone wants you to be on their side.  I realize in an election you must vote for someone, but ultimately you must believe that God is in control and He is going to have His way.  So my first question to each of you is are you alright with God having His way?  This is a very important question.  Very often we are concerned more with getting our way, which we think is God’s way, rather than submitting ourselves to the Lord!  Go to Joshua 5:13-15.

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that helifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite himwith His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him andsaid to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” 

¹⁴So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LordI have now come.”

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, andsaid to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 

¹⁵Then the Commander of the Lord’S army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand isholy.” And Joshua did so.

It is very important for you to notice the response of the man whom Joshua met.  Remember, Joshua is about to enter the battle of the century.  Jericho was a fortress.  There was no way imaginable to penetrate the walls of this city as far as Joshua could see from a human perspective.  All he knew was he was told that God was going to give him Jericho.  Joshua was a great general.  He had fought in many battles and won them all, but this battle was different.  The pillar of fire and cloud were gone.  The manna and the quail were gone.  All the outward manifestations of God being present were gone!  Now he faced the greatest challenge yet and this was the first battle without Moses!  I can only imagine what was going through his mind.  So when he sees this man with a drawn sword, it is only natural for him to ask, “Whose side are you on!”  This is the way we think as human beings.  This is the way we think in America, so don’t think because you are facing dire times in Burundi that you feel this way.  It is only human to feel this way and ask that question.  BUT THAT IS NOT THE WAY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!!!  THIS IS WHAT YOU MUST HEAR TODAY AND LEARN.  IT IS NOT ABOUT YOUR SIDE.  IT IS ABOUT GOD’S WAY!

THE MAN (COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE LORD, PROBABLY JESUS CHRIST AN OLD TESTAMENT EPIPHANY) SAYS, “NO, BUT AS COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE LORD I HAVE NOW COME.”  This is very significant.  He doesn’t say, “I am on your side.”  If He had, Joshua would have asked Him to join his side.  It would have become Joshua’s battle and not the Lord’s.  Hope you understand this Kingdom principle.  We have been asked by the Lord to be a part of what He is doing on the earth.  NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!!  GOD HAS NOT AGREED TO BE A PART OF WHAT WE ARE DOING!  IT IS NOT ABOUT OUR MINISTRY, PROJECT OR CHURCH.  IT IS NOT ABOUT MAKING OUR NATION A CHRISTIAN NATION!  IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD’S KINGDOM PLAN FOR THE WORLD!!!!  THIS IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND AS BELIEVERS.  SURELY GOD IS GOING TO HELP ME.  ONLY WHEN OUR PLAN AND HIS PLAN ARE ONE!!!  JESUS AND THE FATHER WERE ONE.  JESUS DID NOTHING WITHOUT SEEING WHAT THE FATHER WAS DOING AND HEARING WHAT HE WAS SPEAKING!!!!  IT IS THE SAME WITH US!  WHEN WE LOSE SIGHT OF THIS, WE FALL INTO GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN GOD DOESN’T DO WHAT WE THINK HE WAS GOING TO DO.!!!

It is all about God’s presence.  Not whether He will be there or not, but what will we do with His presence.  Here are a few points for you to ponder no matter what you are going through right now.  

1.  God’s presence should never be questioned.  It is promised!  Joshua knew this.  Read Deut. 31:5-8; Joshua 1:5-9.  For each of us in the new testament we know that God has promised us that the Holy Spirit would come and live in us and never leave us.  That if God be for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31).  That God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). 

2.  So the question should never be, “Is God with us or on our side.”  The question is, “Are you with Him and are you willing to be on His side, doing what He asks you to do?”  What is your position?  Can you accept what God is doing whether you see it right now or not?  Remember it was only natural for Joshua to ask this man whose side he was on.  We must not walk according to the flesh!  Allow God to renew your mind!  Ask Him to see how He sees!  This doesn’t mean we do nothing!  

3.  It is all about how you respond!  What kind of place do you create!!!  We think position meaning whose side are you on, but God is looking to create a holy place!!!!   “Will you humble yourself before me?”  Immediately when Joshua hears the response of this man, he falls to the ground and worships Him.  Joshua doesn’t ask him to come and fight on his side!  He asks, “What does my Lord say to your servant?”  In that moment a covenant is formed between God and Joshua.  The taking off of a man’s sandal was the way that the Hebrews entered into a covenant.  Read Ruth 4:7-9.  AT THAT VERY MOMENT JOSHUA WON THE BATTLE OF JERICHO!  THE BATTLE WAS OVER BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER JOSHUA’S BATTLE, IT WAS THE LORD’S!!!!!

If you read Joshua 6:1-3 immediately God opens the eyes of Joshua and gives him vision from above.  Verse 2 says, “And the Lord said to Joshua: “See I have given Jericho into your hand, its king and the mighty men of valor.”  Then the next things that is released is the strategy to take the city.  There is no way that Joshua takes that city without encountering the Commander of the army of the Lord!!!

Please understand me this day.  DO NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER GOD IS PRESENT.  HE IS!!! DON’T BE CONCERNED WITH WHOSE SIDE HE IS ON.  HE ISN’T ON A SIDE!  BE CONCERNED WITH YOUR POSITION.  ARE YOU WITH HIM!  ARE YOU ALRIGHT WITH GOD’S WAY.  FINALLY, CREATE THAT HOLY PLACE WITH GOD!  HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE HIM.  THEN WATCH AND SEE WHAT THE LORD WILL DO!  YOUR VISION WILL CHANGE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE YOU AND STRATEGY WILL BE RELEASED.  MOST IMPORTANT, IT IS NOT YOUR BATTLE AT THAT TIME.  ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS WHAT HE TELLS YOU TO DO!  BATTLE IS ALREADY WON!!!!

Believing for the impossible,

Dr. Paul Taylor

President/CEO

Champions with Destiny

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