The Reach of The Church Through Evangelism
Isaiah 37:31
31. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:
As in the last post we see the effectiveness of prayer. Joshua’s army and his sword destroying the Amalekites were directly impacted by the raising of Moses’ hands in prayer on the mountain.
Exo 17:8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Exo 17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
Exo 17:10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Exo 17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Exo 17:12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
Exo 17:13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
People are converted and the flesh (Amalek-warlike-descendant of Esau) is destroyed by prayer and the preaching of the anointed Word of God. This is why Paul said, “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim 2:8). Moses modeled how we will overcome the works of the flesh and the enemies of God and the cross. Paul tells Timothy his disciple-this is how saints should pray literally. Try it, you will find that it is a real battle, but Lord “teach my hands to war and my fingers to fight (Psa 144:1). God help your people to follow the pattern exactly as you gave from the mount, “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount” (Ex 25:40). Could it be that our lack of effectiveness is not living and building the way God has instructed us? We like to improvise. Paul stated to the church at Philippi that we must follow exactly as the Lord has shown us, “ ‘Only’ let your conversation (conduct-words or acts) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” (Phil 1:27), or we will misrepresent our Lord even as Moses did when he improvised and struck the rock twice when he was to speak to it (Number 20:8-13). It may seem like a small deviation, but sin is BIG in the sight of the Lord. Could it be that our little compromises are keeping the Israel of God in the wilderness and out of the promised land.
God give us grace to just obey you exactly as you desire us to. This was Israel’s problem they wanted to add and take away from his holy Word. They obeyed certain things and omitted other things. When the house of Praise (house of Judah), God’s holy people take root downward again we will bear fruit upward, our lack of fruitfulness is simply not having spiritual roots which is the saints prayer life. The church’s impact on others is like a tree, the branches or the reach of the tree is in direct comparison to it’s root system, the further out the roots the further the branches will stretch. So Christian how healthy is your prayer life?
Gen 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
Gen 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Gen 49:25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
Gen 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
Joseph obeyed his Father even in suffering- a type of Christ. Friend, will your branches reach over the walls of sin to bring God’s people home, and save those in the World who will hear God’s voice? Will you abide in him and him in you to bring forth much fruit? (John 15:1-9)
2Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways (improvisations); then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
If you have never accepted or if you have fallen away from Jesus Christ here are three steps you need to take to be saved:
You must admit you are a sinner, confess your sin to Jesus, repent (turn from all you know is wrong), ask Jesus to come in your heart, and begin to follow Jesus by reading and obeying his word and go to a Bible believing church that teaches his word. And tell someone what Christ Jesus Has Done For You (Rev 12:10)
May God through Christ bless you!
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