The Process of Possessing What is Yours

By Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam

 

The PRINCIPLES Involved

·         We must move on and not glory in or sulk because of the past

·         We must have a clear revelation from God

·         We must be a partner with God in miracles

 

The PURPOSE Explained

·         It is God’s testimony to unbelievers that we are God’s people

·         It is God’s testimony to His people that He is in our midst

·         God wants us to teach His truths by the word and example

 

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4).

 

To possess the promises, we need to learn the principles found in the book of Joshua (Joshua 1:1-10).

 

In commissioning Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the Promise Land, God said, “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses” (Joshua 1:2 & 3).

 

There are principles involved in possessing what is yours:

 

 Move On; Don’t Glory In or Sulk Because of the Past

 

Joshua did not need convincing as to who Moses was. Moses was a great leader. Under his leadership, miracles took place and God’s glory and power were manifested. Moses had a great influence on Joshua. Joshua saw Moses bring the plagues upon the Egyptians. He saw him part the Red Sea, turn water into blood, strike the rock and water gushed out. He also saw Moses bring manna and quails from heaven.

 

God made it clear that Moses was dead. Joshua should not live in the past, easy as it might be for him to do. Joshua had to come to terms with this and face the challenges of new experience and victories.

 

Our past successes and laurels can sometimes be hindrance to progress. Many are not growing and reaching out, as they should because they glory in what happened in the past. We tend to be satisfied. We give in to temptation of retiring before our time, giving up on new challenges and getting weary of the walk of faith. But with Christ, we must grow and believe God for all He has in store for us.

 

There were failures in Moses’ life too. There were murmurings and grumblings from people he led during those forty years in the wilderness. Those were bad experiences. But God said to Joshua. “Moses is dead.”

 

Our past failure’s or bad experiences are of the past. They have been put under the blood of Jesus. They have been forgiven and forgotten (1 John 1:9). They should not stop us from accepting new challenges. You may have a good or bad experience in the past, but God’s Word to you is, “Moses is dead.” Yes, Moses (and all the successes and failures he represents) is dead.

 

Have A Clear Revelation from God

                                             

The process of possessing involves having a clear revelation of God’s will. “You have to see to see it.” We don’t see, therefore we don’t see it. God has given you the ability to come to Him, and through the power of the Holy Spirit begin to see the possibilities in God. You must see it in your mind and in your heart. Catch a vision. Close your eyes and draw upon the canvas of your imagination that which God says is yours. It is alright to build castles provided you put a foundation (God’s Word) to the castles.

 

How many of you know that I saw Calvary Church worshipping in Dewan San Choon (Wisma MCA) before we even moved in. That vision gave me tremendous confidence in what God was going to do. I remember very well that after a combined service that was held there, I went out and said to me, “Í saw Calvary Church worshipping in this place.” I saw it then. I see it now. It has happened.

                Joshua had to have a revelation of what God is saying to him: “When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for the enemies?” ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have come.’ Then… the commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for place where you are standing is holy.’ ” (Joshua 5:13-15).

 

Joshua had a revelation of the commander of the Lord’s army. He knew that the Lord, as his great commander has come to lead him and his people into the land that was promised him. This was identical to the occasion or revelation God gave to Moses when He called Moses to go back to Egypt to lead His people out. God had said to Moses, Take off your shoes; you’re standing on holy ground.” Again God said, “I have come down to rescue them, from the hand of the Egyptians” (Exodus 3:5, 8).

 

You must lay hold of God’s promise. The only way is to go down on your knees with Bible in hand, asking God, “Oh Father, let this promise become a revelation.’

 

Joseph knew his dream was a revelation of God’s will to him. When he dreamt, he didn’t say, “No, it cannot be so.” Neither did he say, “I’m the youngest in the family and there isn’t much I can do.” He believed the dream and spoke to his brothers and his father about it.

 

Paul had a vision and heard the Macedonian call. This gave him faith and determination to do what he heard and saw.

 

Friend, we are living in days the Holy Spirit will make His Word real to us. Get down to the Word of God. Thank God for seminars and camps but they cannot give you your possession. You have to get down by yourself and start studying God’s word, allowing the Holy Spirit to quicken that Word to your heart. God said that you have been given great and precious promises. They’re yours and you can be a partaker of his divine nature.

 

Calvary Church began as a youth service in Pudu. It was a victory when we obtained land and built the present church building at No. 2 Jalan Damansara Endah. The Lord blessed the church and gave us faith to add to the church an Education Building. Again, God spoke to the leadership and also confirmed through different speakers that we are a fountainhead church in the city of Kuala Lumpur. We need to see in faith what we have been hearing. That time has come to act upon what we have heard and seen.

 

God is calling a people who would on stand n the promise in God’s Word and say, “Our Moses is dead.” We will rise and build to the glory of God.

 

Be A Partner with God in Miracles

 

If you want to possess God’s promises, you must be a partner with God in miracles.

 

Moses experienced God’s ways. God gave to the children of Israel bread in the morning, at noon and in the evening until they were tired of it and began to cry, “Give us meat.” So God sent quails. They came like a flood into the camp of the Israelites. And so it was bread in the morning, quails in the evening for many days.

 

Some people live from one, miracles to another. They think they are growing in maturity. Some people become Christians because they experienced a miracle. The Christian life is more than living by miracles. It involves being a partner with God in the miracle.

 

Under Moses’ leadership, we came out of Egypt. Under Joshua, we are soldiers.  Now that we are born again, let us put on our armour (Eph. 6: 10-20) and fight the good fight of faith. Be a partner with God and you will enjoy the miracles even more.

 

How many of you know that if you want to have a part in the miracles, it means you have to sweat. Many times we don’t want to sweat, so we say, “Give me bread or give me this or that.” There is a better way and it brings maturity. A farmer is a partnership with God when he practices the law of sowing and reaping. He sows but it is God who gives the increase. God wants you to be a partner with Him. Be like the little boy who gave his five loaves and two fish and saw more than five thousand fed, with left-overs of twelve baskets of bread. What a way to live and how exiting it is to see! God takes what you have and multiplies it before your eyes. Let me conclude by briefly giving the PURPOSE of singing:

 

The purpose is found in Joshua 3:6 to 4:7. It gives three reasons why you need to possess what is yours.

 

1.        It is God’s Testimony to Unbelievers That We are God’s People

 

God said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses” (Joshua 3:7).

 

God is interested in testifying on our behalf that we are His people. The spectacular will happen and the people will say, “This is of God.” The world needs to have such testimony today. Let us take advantage of our opportunities.

 

2.        It is God’s Testimony to His People That He is In Our Midst.

 

 “This how you will know that the living God is among you….” (Joshua 3:10).

 

God declared to Joshua and the people that He was in their midst.

 

Throughout history, the presence of the Lord was the secret of Israel’s success, so much that when the heathen nations heard about Israel, they trembled because they knew that the Almighty God was with them.

 

3.        God Wants Us to Teach His Truths by Word and Example

 

 “So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, ‘Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’ ” (Joshua 4:4-7).

 

4.        It is our responsibility to teach by word and example.

 

There is a difference between the crossing of the Red Sea and the crossing of the Jordan River. In the latter, the people had to put their feet in the water before the water parted, whereas the Red Sea parted before the people crossed over.

 

There is also a difference between being born again and actually living the Christian life. Coming out of Egypt is like being born again and possessing the land is actually living in God’s promises. We can be a testimony and teach others when we can show to our generation God’s faithfulness, and the miracles and wonders He has performed in our lives and church!

 

CALVARY NEWS

Issue No. 11, April – June 1988