HAVE YOU CROSSED THE JORDAN RIVER YET ?

6/8/2019

A FEW YEARS AGO, GOD WOKE ME UP. I HAVE SHARED THIS BEFORE, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING. IT WAS A REALLY SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND QUESTION THAT CAME AT A GATHERING WHERE A GROUP OF CHRISTIANS WERE DISCUSSING INTERCESSORY PRAYER, AND PROPHETIC WORD. THESE WERE TOPICS THAT QUITE FRANKLY I HAD NEVER HEARD DISCUSSED IN DEPTH AT ANY CHURCH I HAD ATTENDED. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT. I WAS AT THE MEETING BECAUSE I HAD BECOME RESTLESS WITH WHERE I WAS IN MY LIFE. AND YOU KNOW WHO HAD MADE ME RESTLESS ? IT WAS GOD. HE WAS READY FOR ME TO BE WHO HE HAD CREATED ME TO BE. HE WAS READY FOR ME TO BE THIRSTY. BEYOND THIRSTY. SO DRY IN MY SPIRIT THAT I WAS CONSUMED WITH FINDING A WAY TO BE QUENCHED. I REMEMBER SITTING AT MY DESK AND ASKING HIM, “GOD, YOU HAVE BLESSED ME SO MUCH. AN AWESOME LIFE, SUCCESS IN BUSINESS, INCREDIBLE WIFE AND KIDS. GREAT FRIENDS AND SO MUCH FUN AND ADVENTURE. SALVATION IN JESUS, AND A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. BUT,…..WHAT NOW ? I NEED PURPOSE. I NEED A PATH. PLEASE HELP ME…..AND….. FAST FORWARD TO THE MEETING. MY BROTHER DEREK WALKED UP, INTRODUCED HIMSELF, SHARED A CONVERSATION, LOOKED ME IN THE EYE, AND SAID, “ ARE YOU ALL IN “ ?

BOOM ! THAT WAS WHAT I WAS MISSING. AT THAT MOMENT I REALIZED THAT SALVATION IS JUST THE STARTING POINT FOR US. DON’T GET ME WRONG HERE. SALVATION IS THE KEY TO IT ALL. IT IS THE MOMENT THAT UNLOCKS THE DOOR INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. BELIEF IN THE CROSS, THE RESURRECTION. AND THE CLEANSING POWER OF BEING REBORN INTO JESUS AND THE SAVING GRACE OF HIS BLOOD IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION YOU WILL EVER MAKE. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE ! I WAS SAVED, AND YET, I WAS WADING AROUND IN MILK, UP TO MY ANKLES. IN FACT, THREE PLUS DECADES AFTER MY ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS AT 17 YEARS OLD, I WAS STILL SPLASHING AROUND AT SUNDAY CHURCH, BIBLE STUDIES, PUTTING MONEY IN THE OFFERING PLATE, AND YET NO WHERE NEAR TO DIVING IN THE WATER TOWARD ANYTHING DEEPER. I HAD NOT CROSSED THE JORDAN RIVER YET. BUT I WANTED TO. I WAS TIRED OF WALKING IN THE WILDERNESS, AND LETTING THE WORLD AND IT’S “GIANTS” HOLD ME BACK. MY GIANTS ? NOTHING TOO CRAZY. DOING THINGS MY OWN WAY. IMPATIENCE WITH WIFE AND KIDS SOMETIMES. WANTING BIGGER AND BETTER TOYS. ENJOYING THE GLITTER AND TEMPTATIONS OF THE EYES. SELF RULE AND PRIDE SOMETIMES. THE KNOWLEDGE DEEP DOWN THAT BEING A GOOD PERSON AND A GOOD MAN ISN’T ENOUGH. I NEEDED TO BE A MAN OF GOD. IT WAS TIME TO FOLLOW JOSHUA’S FOOTSTEPS AND CROSS THE JORDAN RIVER !

I HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERY PLACE WHERE THE SOLE OF YOUR FOOT TREADS, JUST AS I PROMISED MOSES. YOUR TERRITORY WILL BE FROM THE WILDERNESS AND LEBANON TO THE GREAT RIVER, THE EUPHRATES RIVER. ALL THE LAND OF THE HITTITES, AND WEST TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST YOU AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. I WILL BE WITH YOU, JUST AS I WAS WITH MOSES. I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU OR ABANDON YOU.BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, FOR YOU WILL DISTRIBUTE THE LAND I SWORE TO THEIR FATHERS TO GIVE THEM AS AN INHERITANCE. ABOVE ALL, BE STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS TO OBSERVE CAREFULLY THE WHOLE INSTRUCTION MY SERVANT MOSES COMMANDED YOU. DO NOT TURN FROM IT TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT, SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE SUCCESS WHEREVER YOU GO. THIS BOOK OF INSTRUCTION MUST NOT DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH; YOU ARE TO MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT SO THAT YOU MAY CAREFULLY OBSERVE EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN IT. FOR THEN YOU WILL PROSPER AND SUCCEED IN WHATEVER YOU DO. Joshua 1:3-9

HOW DO YOU CROSS THE JORDAN RIVER ? THERE ARE A FEW VERY IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER. FIRST AND FOREMOST, JESUS HAS TO BE YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. YOU MUST ACCEPT HIM AND RECOGNIZE THAT HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS. ASK HIS FORGIVENESS AND ASK HIM TO TAKE YOUR SINFUL LIFE. BE REBORN. LET YOUR OLD SELF DIE, AND BE REBORN INTO A NEW PERSON. BE REBORN WITH AND IN HIM, AND HIM IN YOU. THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE REIGN OF JESUS MUST BE BORN INTO YOUR HEART AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND TRUST AND BELIEF IN THE AUTHORITY OF GOD MUST PROCEED BEFORE YOU IN EVERYWHERE YOU GO, AND IN ALL THAT YOU DO. AND WHERE YOU ARE HEADING IS GOING TO REQUIRE THE ARMOR OF GOD, BECAUSE LIKE JOSHUA, GIANTS WILL NEED TO BE UNDERSTOOD, DEALT WITH, AND DEFEATED.

FINALLY, BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER. PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE YOUR STAND AGAINST THE DEVIL AND HIS SCHEMES. FOR OUR STRUGGLE IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES, AND AGAINST THE POWERS OF THIS DARK WORLD AND AGAINST THE FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS. THEREFORE PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, SO THAT WHEN THE DAY OF EVIL COMES, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND YOUR GROUND, AND AFTER YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING, TO STAND. Ephesians 6:10-13

SALVATION IN CHRIST IS SUCH AN AMAZING PLACE TO BE. IT IS MY FIRST PRIORITY. TO SHARE THE GOSPEL. TO SHARE THE JOY OF JESUS AND WHO HE IS. TO SHARE HIS GRACE. BUT THERE IS THE TASK OF MOVING FORWARD. GETTING TO KNOW HIM, AND UNDERSTAND HIS KINGDOM, HIS REIGN, AND HIS CHARACTER. UNDERSTANDING YOUR PLACE AND YOUR WORK TO MAKE HIS KINGDOM THRIVE. THE LAWS AND THE FOUNDATIONS THAT MAKE HIS KINGDOM STRONG AND POWERFUL. TO BE A WARRIOR FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HIS LIGHT. TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE SAVED, AND BE ABLE TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING. BRING IT INSIDE YOU, AND GROW IN IT WITH YOUR OWN DESIRE, AND EFFORT, AND COMMITMENT. GET PREPARED, GET UP, AND CROSS THE RIVER INTO YOUR FUTURE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD……..FOR IT IS MAGNIFICENT ! AND THE BEST PART ? JESUS IS RIGHT BESIDE YOU !

LET THE HEAVENS BE GLAD, AND LET THE EARTH REJOICE; AND LET THEM SAY AMONG THE NATIONS, “THE LORD REIGNS”. 1 Chronicles 16:31

JESUS, MESSIAH, KING. HALLELUJAH ! JA