Text: Joshua 3-5
After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel was about to cross over into the Promise Land. It was an important moment in their lives. It was a major event that completely changed their lives.
You are about to cross over into your Promise Land. 2018 will be a year of glory in your life. It will be a year of entering into your Promise Land. Those things you have desired for a long time will come to you.
You are crossing over from failure to success, from success to a higher level of success. You are crossing over from poverty to prosperity, lack and insufficiency to abundance, crises to peace, sickness to health, death to life and from barrenness to fruitfulness!
Cross Over Facts
1. God divided the water of the river Jordan to bring them across. He had to literally divide some waters of Satan’s plans to bring us to this point.
2. They had difficulties in the past, they had challenges, and they fought battles but they made it. Touch 5 people and say to them “I made it.”
3. Every cross over is a new experience. “You have not passed this way before…” –Joshua 3:4. We are all going to experience 2018 for the first time. None of us has lived this year before. We have a natural tendency to fear what we don’t know. We wonder what it is going to look like. But if He saw you through 2017, He will see you through 2018.
4. The most successful cross over is that done spiritually. Most people cross over physically but doors of vital things remain shut against them throughout the year. These are the people who struggle while others are busy making it because they captured the blessings of the New Year when gates of the New Year opened at midnight of the preceding year.
5. Every successful cross over requires spiritual leadership. Moses took Israel across the red sea. Joshua took them across the river Jordan. God instructs the people through His chosen spiritual leaders.
After crossing over, the following happened:
1. They were cleansed of old baggage. The reproach of Egypt was rolled away. They were purged of their past.
Not everyone in your past is going to your future. You will have to do away with unprofitable relationships. You will have to be careful in choosing your friends because your associations determine your destination. Evil company corrupts good morals. A godly fellowship promotes.
You will be meeting different people in your future who will react differently to your victory and breakthrough. True friends will rejoice but Israel’s adversaries were terrified. Your enemies are terrified: others are filled with envy. Your success infuriates some people: your only crime is that things are working out for you. You must be prepared.
Everyone cannot like you. Everyone will not celebrate you. You cannot please everyone. But you must know how to respond to each person you will meet. Some you will have to ignore while some you may have to deal with.
Not everything in your past is qualified for where you are going. There are things you have to drop. They may not even be bad things but you will not be needing them. You will have to do away with unforgiveness, bitterness, hurts and such things. Allow the Lord to heal you emotionally.
2. They had to fight for every inch of space they occupied. The outcome of the battle was already decided in their favour. They fought a physical warfare, but we fight a spiritual warfare. The Bible makes it clear that God has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2Peter 1:3) but the devil will like to prevent us from accessing them. We fight a fight of faith to take possession of what has been given us. We fight the thoughts the devil shoots into our minds to make us believe his lies and thus deprive us of the victory and blessings that have been given to us already. 2Corinthians 10:4-5, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) [5] Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” Lies are the devil’s weapons and you fight them with the truth of the Word of God.
There will be challenges and battles to fight but you will prevail because the Lord is with you. You must therefore covet the manifest presence of the Lord if you are to win. You must focus on the Word of God. You will prevail in every battle in Jesus name.
They won because they obtained battle strategies from the Lord. Pay attention to your prayer life. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. You must keep asking, “What do I do next, what do I do now, which way do I go?” How do I deal with or handle this situation? Lord, what is your plan for meeting this need in my life?
3. They had to help each other to obtain their inheritance. Those who got their inheritance before the Jordan had to cross over to help the others. Service to others will be a vital key to enjoying the abundance that the Lord will pour forth in the New Year.
4. God changed the method and channel of their provision and supply though He remained their Source. Manna ceased when they ate of the produce of the land.
God moved them from a daily ration to abundant provision of the produce of the land.
God moved them from just enough to more than enough.
God will be releasing creative ideas for creating wealth.
Those who ate from hand to mouth will begin to experience a flow of abundance in the mighty name of Jesus.
Get ready for a larger bank account. Get ready for a major increase in your supply this coming year in the name of Jesus. Get ready for a major breakthrough. Get ready for a major promotion. Get ready for major miracles. Get ready for a major release of God’s power and anointing.
But notice also that they had to start sowing seeds for their needs.
2018 belongs to those who will not fail in their tithes and offering.
In 2018, God will place his glory on you and you will do greater exploits, in Jesus name!!
Join us this night at 9pm as I lead the congregation to cross over spiritually and gloriously from 2017 into 2018. You are sure to have a Happy and Prosperous New Year, in Jesus name!!
Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l. Website: www.dayspringcmi.org e-mail: [email protected] Help line: 08035150515
