The Bible Speaks - Words of Inspiration - Possess the land

[00:00:00] Let us pray, pray together on our knees

[00:00:07] Let us pray, pray together on our knees

[00:00:14] When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun

[00:00:21] Oh Lord, never see all the knees

[00:00:27] Welcome to the Bible Speaks with Elgin Carelock

[00:00:30] The Bible Speaks is a weekly ministry of Harvest International

[00:00:33] Our prayer is that the Bible Speaks will encourage you in your study of God's Word

[00:00:38] You will be able to contact Elgin at the address given at the end of this broadcast

[00:00:44] And now, here's Elgin

[00:00:46] Brothers and sisters, I welcome you wherever you are, whenever you're listening

[00:00:51] To another edition of Words of Inspiration

[00:00:56] This week we have been continuing in the conversation that began on Sunday

[00:01:02] About the children of Israel leaving Mount Horeg and going to take their journey to the Promised Land

[00:01:10] Today we are going to discuss possessing the land

[00:01:16] And our scripture of inspiration comes from Revelation 3 verse 7

[00:01:24] It reads, to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, right?

[00:01:28] These are the words of him who is holy and true

[00:01:32] Who holds the key of David

[00:01:35] What he opens no one can shut

[00:01:38] And what he shuts no one can open

[00:01:42] The instruction to possess the land was not just about physical relocation or settlement

[00:01:49] It was a divine command involving the authority and backing of God

[00:01:54] The Israelites were to enter and take over the land under God's guidance and power

[00:02:00] Which underscored the sacred nature of their mission

[00:02:04] This command implied that God was not only the grantor of the land

[00:02:08] But also the enabler of their conquest and settlement

[00:02:14] Genesis 12 verse 1 states

[00:02:17] Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land

[00:02:22] When I will show you

[00:02:24] After Abram arrives in Canaan, God appears to him and says

[00:02:28] To your offspring, I will give this land in Genesis 12 verse 7

[00:02:35] God reiterates his promise to Abram in Genesis 13, 14 through 17

[00:02:42] Where God tells Abram to look around from where he is

[00:02:46] North, south, east and west

[00:02:50] All the land he sees will be given to him and his offspring forever

[00:02:57] Do we as Christians truly understand what is possible with God?

[00:03:02] Do we stop short of taking the land he has promised

[00:03:06] Because it seems like it's too big to be possible

[00:03:11] Deuteronomy 6 and 10 tells us

[00:03:15] The Lord your God will soon bring you into a land he swore to give you

[00:03:20] When he made a vow to your ancestors, Abram, Isaac and Jacob

[00:03:26] It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build

[00:03:31] The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce

[00:03:36] You will draw water from cisterns that you did not dig

[00:03:40] And you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant

[00:03:44] When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord

[00:03:49] Who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt

[00:03:53] This tells us that what God has for us is for us

[00:03:58] It doesn't matter who owned it before or even now

[00:04:02] But we have to be willing to go get it

[00:04:06] But he will not force you to take it

[00:04:09] In my study of the Book of Deuteronomy, I listened to a pastor

[00:04:16] Giving a lesson on how the land that God promised was 300,000 square miles

[00:04:24] But the most the children of Israel ever occupied was 30,000 square miles

[00:04:31] Possessing the land also means establishing a society based on the laws and principles given by God

[00:04:39] The Israelites were expected to create a community that reflected God's holiness and righteousness

[00:04:46] This involved not only physical occupation of the territory

[00:04:51] But also the implementation of social, judicial and religious structures

[00:04:56] That aligned with God's commands and outlined in the laws of Moses

[00:05:01] The same is true for us today

[00:05:04] As representatives of Christ everywhere our feet trod

[00:05:09] We are to be beacons for the Lord

[00:05:12] We are to represent a higher standard, love, empathy, compassion and fruits of the Spirit

[00:05:20] In these instances possessing the land is about us permeating places that may not be ruled by the Word of God

[00:05:29] But there are opportunities for us to share the good news and change the culture

[00:05:36] The main culprit in us not possessing land is fear

[00:05:42] Fear often leads to paralysis where individuals become so overwhelmed by the perceived risks and uncertainties that they choose an action over progress

[00:05:56] Fear can cloud our judgment, skew perspective and exaggerate the difficulties ahead

[00:06:03] Making the task seem more daunting than it actually is

[00:06:08] In a biblical context when the Israelites were on the brink of entering the Promised Land

[00:06:15] The fear of the inhabitants strength and size caused them to hesitate and ultimately refuse to enter the land

[00:06:24] Leading to 40 years of wandering in the desert

[00:06:31] The Israelites and sisters possess the land and encapsulates a multifaceted directive from God to the Israelites that combines elements of divine power, command, provision and testing

[00:06:47] It was about much more than physical territory

[00:06:50] It was about establishing a covenant community that lived under God's rule and reflected His character to the world

[00:07:00] I thank you once again for joining me on today and I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow and until then God bless

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[00:07:40] Again that's Harvest International, Post Office Box 6690 Ocala, FL 34478

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