Deut 11:8-15 “Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter. 9 If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey! 10 For the land you are about to enter and take over is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 Rather, the land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain— 12 a land that the Lord your God cares for. He watches over it through each season of the year! 13 “If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, 14 then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. 15 He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.
The Promise land represents the resurrected life of a Christian. When we first get saved, we must come to be filled with HIS Word and Spirit. In the wilderness, we must make a choice to carry our own crosses and crucify our flesh so that we may be prepared for the Promise land. It is during the wilderness walk, they were fed manna (Word) from heaven and water (SPIRIT) from the Rock.
The Promise land is a land in which we are able to conquer the giants with our faith and be able to have a taste and experience the millennium kingdom. It is a season and life of blessing and favor. But in order to sustain our journey in the Promise land of blessings and favor, we must continue to fully obey His Word and commands. As scripture states, our strength comes from fully obeying HIM.
The story of Exodus from Egypt to the Promise land is a representation of salvation and the life of a believer. It illustrates the mistakes that a believer can make during their walk and the character of God in HIS Mercy, Grace, and Judgments. It illustrates the journey of a believer and how the multitudes can start out well but at the end, how many did not finish the race. In fact, many were judged and killed during their wilderness period.
Hebrews 3:16-17 For who were they who heard and yet were rebellious and provoked [Him]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was He irritated and provoked and grieved for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dismembered bodies were strewn and left in the desert?
Egypt represents the world, bondage, slavery, and its dependency on a system. A person can be first saved and come out of Egypt or it can represent a back slidden Christian coming out from sin and returning on the road with Christ. Once we are saved or once we return to Christ, we are placed in the wilderness. Even Jesus was placed in the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for testing before His ministry. We will all be placed in our own wildernesses for testing of our faith and to show what is in our hearts before God can use us.
The length of time we will spend in our own personal wildernesses will depend on our own choices whether we obey, grumble, or complain to God. But I believe God does not want us to spend a great deal of time in our own personal wilderness. I have recognized that those with more stubborn and hardden hearts will experience a longer wilderness until they submit and yield to the sovereignty of God. Many cry out for help but in reality, it is their own stubborn hearts that have led them to their difficulties. It is their blindness and usurping God's authority that prevents them from their breakthroughs and from entering the promise land.
In Verse 10, scripture says when we were in Egypt, "you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden." In Egypt, it is where we are toiling physically by sight and not by faith. We are working within the system of the world and it is controlling and using us. We are on our own looking for jobs and resources. In the wilderness, God supplied His people and they never lacked and their shoes did not wear out. But those who complained were severely dealt with according to their sin. But once we pass our tests in the wilderness, we enter the promise land stage. The Promise Land is a stage in which we master, use, and control the system of the world and it does not master us. It is a place in which we are the lender and not the borrower. We are the head and not the tail However, sadly, many will not make it to the promise land stage as many in their wilderness have complained, grumbled, and rebelled against God. Many, even today, are judged and struck down by God in their wilderness period.
After we pass our tests and at His Time, we then are prepared to go over the spiritual Jordan River. The other side of the Jordan River is the Promise Land. But the Promise Land is occupied by Satan and his demons, curses, spells, and witchcraft. Yes, it is our Land! The devil has stolen what belongs to us. The earth belongs to us!
In the Promise Land, we live by faith. Our provisions are now granted by faith and His Grace. Unlike Egypt, we will no longer have to toil, planting our seed, making irrigation ditches. Rather, the Promise Land is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain. The Spiritual Promise land is a land that the Lord our God cares for. HE watches over it through each season of the year. HE will be supplying all our needs. It will be a place and season in which our cups will be overflowing.
The current war is no longer by flesh or blood but it is spiritual and against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. In order for Joshua and God's people to take Jericho, they had to march around once each day for seven days and then seven times on the seventh day. On the last march, they shouted and the walls came tumbling down. Today, our marching is represented with prayer. We must accumulate our prayers to an appointed time until the walls around our hearts come tumbling down. The spoils of Jericho belonged to God. You must be the living sacrifice totally committed to HIM. After Jericho, the spoils belonged to the people. Nevertheless, we must continue to pray as we march to the next enemy to conquer.
The Promise Land is about conquering for we are more than conquerors in Christ. As we continue to take the Land, we will gain in our spiritual and physical prosperity. This is the Land and season in which what we profess and pray for are manifesting. There are many who pray and profess during the wilderness period but their words and prayers are not manifesting or being answered. This is the time in the Promise Land in which our prayers are being answered on a greater level. As we move forward from Glory to Glory, we continue to take the land and the spoils of the enemy (Satan) in which he had stolen.
As we continue in our full obedience to the Lord, there will be a continued seasons of "rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil." The Holy Spirit will be pouring His Spirit upon us and the evidence of our reaping of good fruit will be shown and abundant. The seasonal rains will bring in our harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. The harvests of grains are the new souls we will harvest into the Kingdom. The new wine is the spiritual gifts and power we will receive from Jesus. The olive oil is spiritual and physical wealth and the out pouring of His Spirit.
May you all pass your tests enduring in your faith to make it to your spiritual Promise Land. And once you are there, may you continue to move forward in Glory to Glory. The command is given! We are to take the Land and conquer and possess it awaiting HIS RETURN! Do not just look up doing nothing! We are called to conquer, possess, and occupy the land until HIS RETURN. The earth belongs to HIS people.
You must return as a people repenting and praying. Pray in the Spirit! Dance in the Spirit! Worship HIM in the Spirit! We are an army on our knees marching in prayer to possess the Land. Remember, you must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God and those who overcome their trials, tests, and tribulations of life are considered born of God. Those born of God are overcomers! Stay in prayer crucifying your flesh.
God bless you and Praise HIM with all your being!
Fire of God Church
An International Holy Fire Ministry
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
Fremont, California, USA
May 20, 2014
Thanks for reminding....
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