Possess the Land

“See, the Lord your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the Lord the God of your fathers, has spoken to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed.’” [Deut 1:21]

What land has God called you to possess? What dream, kingdom assignment, mission endeavor, or promise from God have you been called to possess? There are things the Lord has dropped into our hearts and set before us. By faith He calls us to possess these things for the glory of His name. What are those things for you?

To possess something you have to drive out the previous tenants. You have to occupy and seize what God wills and promises. What is that in your life? For days I have walked around torn between faith and doubt. While in the prayer closet my faith is strengthened. When I walk out into life I have battled the fiery darts of the enemy and not always with the shield of faith. He has given me much land to possess. The task is daunting but God is larger.

For seven months the Lord spoke one resounding message to me. “Follow Me.” Now the Lord is speaking another constant message. “Do not fear. Trust Me.” While seeking the Lord this morning I read the scripture in Deuteronomy 1:1-21]. I feel like Israel getting ready to possess the promise land. There are things God has appointed me to do and to believe Him for in His kingdom.

Israel lived beneath their destiny for forty years. They chose to operate in doubt rather than faith and suffered for it. I wonder how many who read this blog are living beneath their destiny. God had great plans to use you. There was a day or series of days when you had to choose to possess your God ordained destiny by faith or to remain firmly entrenched in disobedience. If you chose not to obey you may feel like you have wandered in the wilderness for all these years.

While reading this morning [Deut 1:6-7] moved me to action. “The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and set your journey and go to the hill country….”

Many people have stayed long enough. The word stayed means to “settle, dwell, and remain.” It is so tempting to take the path of least resistance and to justify that path through logic and common sense. This would be well and good except God wills for you and I to possess the land of His purposes. God has dreams He plants in the hearts of His people. He calls people to follow Him down some challenging paths.

It saddens my heart that far too often we choose not to possess the land but to dwell in the familiar and the predictable. Even when God leaves us somewhere geographically He has kingdom territory for us to possess in souls to be won to Christ, nations to spread the gospel, meeting needs all around us, and even at times expanding the kingdom by expanding the facilities at the church. To remain at the mountain seems like the best option but possessing the land is always better. Notice I did not say always easier. When you set your mind to possess anything for God you will find yourself engaged in spiritual warfare. You will find yourself assaulted in your thoughts and your circumstances. The enemy does not want us to possess the land.

In my case I assure you the enemy does not want my family to go back to Paradise. Many have tried to dissuade me. Others have told me it was not the will of God. While some in Paradise are glad and ready to welcome us there are plenty of others who not nearly so supportive. We are looked at as a threat and the enemy. My face is set like flint. I know what God has called me to do. I am called to possess the land of lost souls in Paradise and Wise County. Not only that, I am called to possess the land of dozens of other new churches all over the world through the prayers, labors, and financial support of Faith Community Church. We will not be a church self-absorbed with building our own kingdom but one who possesses the land of planting new churches in the Pacific Northwest, among the Chorti people in Honduras and wherever else God leads us.

God’s word to Israel called them to turn from the familiar and to “turn and go to the hill country.” The word turn means to “pull up the tent pins and depart.” This is where the rubber meats the road for so many of us. It is one thing to pray and to believe. It is one thing to dream large dreams for God. It is a completely other thing to actually turn to go. Pulling up the tent pins is not easy. It is not convenient and it certainly is not comfortable.

The majority of people in the church like to stay more than to turn and go to possess the land. When some zealous soul finally does hear from God and turns to go the naysayers abound. Many try to pull the zealous soul back to the mountain of comfort and convenience. I thank God others throughout history have thrown caution to the wind and followed God to possess the land. They inspire me. Jim Elliott and Nate Saint did it in Ecuador. Hudson Taylor did it in China. David Livingstone did it in Africa. George Mueller did it with orphans in Bristol, England. Charles Spurgeon did it in London. Billy Graham has done it all over the world.

What about you? What is God calling you to possess? Where is God calling you to turn and go? For me it is simple. I must turn and go possess the land of Faith Community Church. I must possess the land of future churches all over North America and beyond. I must possess the land of a hospital in Copan Ruinas, Honduras for the Chorti Indians. I must possess the land of writing and publishing new books and being published on a broader scale. I must possess the land of lost souls to be saved and transformed by Jesus Christ. I must possess the land of writing thousands of new blogs and over reaching 100,000 visits to our blog site. I must possess the land of revival in Wise County and beyond. By faith I possess the land of a third miracle house.

We have pulled up the tent pegs. In a five days Taylor and I will turn and go east to Paradise. Brenda and the other boys will follow as soon as the house sells and we are able to possess the house God has chosen for us in Paradise. Will you possess the land God has put before you as well? It is time to decide but be reminded your choice of obedience or disobedience will have consequences. Choose obedience.