PREPARE FOR BATTLE Joshua 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. (2) And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; THEY'RE STANDING BEFORE THE RIVER JORDAN, GOD HAS ALREADY TOLD THEM THAT THEY ARE GOING OVER THE RIVER, But they must WAIT 3 DAYS. (3:3) And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. (4) Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits (4/5 Mile) by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. YOU HAVE NOT BEEN HERE BEFORE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HERE. BUT HE DOES. (5) And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. THAT IS A WORD OF PROPHECY FOR WHITE SANDS MINISTRIES. GET READY. FOR TOMORROW THE LORD IS GOING TO DO WONDERS!! Take a few days to sanctify yourselves and get yourselves ready... and YOU'RE gonna see miracles and power like never before; SANCTIFY YOURSELVES!! WE'RE GOING TO TALK TODAY ON PREPARING FOR WAR!! HOW MANY OF YOU ARE READY FOR WAR??? YOU ARE IN A WAR, so you might as well FIGHT, AMEN!! Turn back to Joshua 1 Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. HE COMMANDED THEM, to go over the Jordan River. Joshua 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. WHAT'S NEXT? Joshua 1:6, "Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them." WHAT ELSE? Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. God says, to prepare for WAR. God says, to be STRONG and not AFRAID. God says, to Study and OBEY the law... we'll we're doing that, RIGHT? AND NOW, HE SAYS in Chapter 3 that we're to SANCTIFY OURSELVES!! GOD GAVE THEM THE LAND. GOD GAVE THEM THE PROMISE THAT EVERY ENEMY THAT OPPOSES GOD'S PEOPLE WILL BE DRIVEN OUT OF THE LAND. THEY WILL POSSESS HOUSES THEY DID NOT BUILD. LAND THEY DID NOT PURCHASE. VINEYARDS THEY DID NOT PLANT. GOD KNEW THAT BEFORE YOU GOT TO THIS PLACE OF BATTLE IN THIS MINISTRY THAT THERE WOULD BE ENEMIES OPPOSING YOU. DO YOU THINK GOD WOULD TELL YOU TO BE SAVED, BE SANCTIFIED, BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND LEAVE YOU UP TO THE WHIMS OF THE ENEMY? THEY COME NOW TO THE RIVER JORDAN. THE RIVER IS FLOWING. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT AT THIS TIME THE RIVER JORDAN WAS SWOLLEN. LOOK at Chapter 3 verse 15: Joshua 3:15, "And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)" HAVE YOU EVER BEEN WHERE YOU ARE SURE GOD WANTED YOU AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE IS A BIG RIVER IN FRONT OF YOU, OR SOME KIND OF WALL OR HINDRANCE, OR BLOCKADE IN FRONT OF YOU? Like the Red Sea? AND THE 1ST THING YOU THINK IS "UH, OH, I'M NOT WHERE GOD WANTS ME. YES YOU ARE. THE ENEMY'S JOB IS TO MAKE THAT JORDAN SWELL. AS GOD IS SHOWING YOU THE WAY, the enemy comes against you and THE BARRIERS GROW LARGER AND LARGER. NOW REMEMBER WHAT GOD TOLD THEM; "wait HERE 3 DAYS..." NOW WAIT A MINUTE.... GOD HAS GIVEN US THE GIFTS, we've been learning about that... GOD HAS GIVEN US THE POWER, you shall receive power... GOD HAS GIVEN US THE AUTHORITY..... , Behold.... WELL, LET'S GO!!! LET'S TAKE THE ENEMY!! GOD SAID, "NO!!" LET'S WAIT. WHY WOULD GOD TELL HIS PEOPLE TO WAIT? There's no different route, no NEW COMMANDS, no ADDITIONAL army, We've got THE AUTHORITY, the POWER, Let's go GET THEM... but God says, "WAIT." WHY would he COMMAND us to wait? Because there's a SANCTIFICATION, there's A SEPARATION THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. BECAUSE GOD ALWAYS PREPARES HIS warriors FOR BATTLE BEFORE HE LEADS THEM INTO THE FIGHT. THAT'S what God is doing with you guys, He's preparing you for battle, He's preparing your for WAR!! TRAINING YOU IN the Word! Teaching you to fight!! HE'S PREPARING YOU FOR BATTLE The Deliverance is part of the sanctification... PART of the cleansing, HE'S PREPARING YOU FOR BATTLE We can only pray for one person at a time and every other week, we're doing somebody from this team!! HALLELUJAH!! HE SAID, wait 3 days... there's a sanctification, a separation that needs to take place. NOW CHECK THIS OUT: THERE WERE a couple of TRIBES IN ISRAEL THAT CAME TO A PORTION OF LAND THAT WAS FERTILE, AND WEALTHY, and didn't want to go across! Turn to Numbers Chapter 32. Numbers 32:1, "Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; VERSE 5, "Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan. THE RICH PEOPLE SAID, "We would rather stay here on the east side of the jordan... we don't want to go into canaan. "It will be easier for us here." CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD GAVE THESE PEOPLE A PROMISE TO GO AND TAKE THE LAND, BUT THEY SAID, "NO THANKS. WE'LL JUST STAY HERE" THEY SAID, "We don't care about the victory. We don't care about the promise. We'll just stay here where everything looks nice." THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD LIKE THAT. THEY SAY, "thanks, this land looks real good. I AM happy with this little experience, but no thanks... it'll be easier for me here in my old traditional church... no problems, no confrontations..., no conviction, no squirming.... I can pretty much do what I want and nobody says anything..." YOU CHOOSE THE LEVEL YOU WANT. God says, "I place before you life and death, blessing and curses, choose life" SO YOU can't BLAME your parents, you can't blame your kids, you can't blame your Pastor, you can't even blame THE DEVIL FOR. YOU say, "I'M SICK ALL THE TIME, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY VICTORY, I KEEP HAVING Marital PROBLEMS.." YOU ARE CHOOSING TODAY THE LEVEL OF LIFE AND VICTORY ON WHICH YOU LIVE. I CHOOSE Which level of life I'm going to have. Can you believe, that somebody Would Feel the ANOINTING of God flow all over them HERE at this Church, THEN See LISA get out of her wheelchair and walk on November 25th AND Hear LINDA'S testimony of being healed of CANCER AND GO BACK TO THE WILDERNESS, SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO stop watching the Red Shoe Diaries on HBO at night? I'VE GOT TO SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO those who remain behind... that get saved, but don't really change their LIFESTYLE... MEDIOCRE Christianity: TURN TO 1 Chronicles 5. 1 Chronicles 5:26, "And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day." THESE 2 12 TRIBES WERE THE 1ST ONES TO BE CAPTURED WHEN THE ASSYRIANS ATTACKED AND INVADED ISRAEL. THEY WERE THE FIRST ONES DEFEATED!! Those who won't pay the price, are the 1st ones to be swept away. THERE WAS A SEPARATION OF THOSE WHO WEREN'T FAITHFUL. NOW REMEMBER WHAT GOD TOLD JOSHUA'S ARMY (remember ACTS 2 -- the 500 who heard the resurrected Christ talk about waiting for the "promise" vs the 120 left who were of one mind and one accord on the day of Pentecost): IN those 3 days, when God told the soldiers to wait, to tarry, he told them to sanctify themselves. HE WASN'T TELLING THEM to sharpen their swords, HE WASN'T TELLING THEM to pull out their spears HE WASN'T TELLING THEM to get the guns loaded HE WASN'T TELLING THEM to OIL their shields HE'S TELLING THEM TO SANCTIFY THEMSELVES. Because GOD DOESN'T WANT CLEVER PEOPLE, GOD WANTS CLEAN PEOPLE. GOD DOESN'T WANT STRONG PEOPLE, GOD WANTS PURE PEOPLE. Most military men would tell you to prepare your weapons, perfect your methods, devise your strategy. BUT THIS ISN'T SO FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD.... YOU SEE -- OUR ENEMIES ARE NOT PHYSICAL.... OUR ENEMIES ARE SPIRITUAL!! TURN TO EPH 6: Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." SO, IS THAT PERSON WHO CRITICIZED YOU YOUR ENEMY? IS THAT PERSON WHO FLIPPED YOU OFF, your enemy? IS THAT PERSON WHO CUT YOU OFF IN TRAFFIC, your enemy?. IS THAT PERSON WHO LIES TO YOU YOUR ENEMY??? WHO IS YOUR ENEMY? IS HE PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL? SO IF YOU'RE FACING A SPIRITUAL ENEMY, your preparation is not physical. Your preparation in SPIRITUAL WARFARE has to be spiritual! SO YOU HAVE TO BE SANCTIFIED!! PURE in heart. YOU KNOW WHY WE DON'T SEE MORE MIRACLES IN PEOPLES LIVES? NO SANCTIFICATION!! God was about to reveal his Glory and His power! HE WAS TELLING THEM, "Tomorrow, I will show you my wonders!!" Tomorrow, Rivers will part! WALLS of cities are going to fall down!! SANCTIFY YOURSELVES!! Why? God was getting ready to come down in power!! WHAT IS SANCTIFICATION? IT MEANS TO BE SEPARATED for God. CONSECRATED to GOD and SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD! SET APART FOR GOD!! TO BE SEPARATED FROM SIN! 2 Chronicles 29:5, "And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place." 2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. THIS SAME SCRIPTURE CONTINUES in the next Chapter: 2 Corinthians 7:1, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." WHAT A JUSTIFICATION of OUR deliverance MINISTRY for CHRISTIANS!!. Here they ARE sons and daughters, so they're saved... but yet he THEN says to cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and SPIRIT!!! NOW, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WE CAN GET YOU CLEANSED OF ANY FILTHINESS OF THE SPIRIT, BUT YOU GOTTA TAKE CARE OF THE FILTHINESS of the FLESH PART. WHO DOES THE SANCTIFICATION? GOD DOESN'T. HE DOESN'T COME AND SAY, "I'm going to take you out of the sin... I'm going to take you out of the world..." HE SAYS, "you do it!!" SANCTIFY YOURSELVES! YOU NEED TO SEPARATE YOURSELF from it all!! You shouldn't be going into bars or clubs. QUIT watching that late night HBO stuff! Get rid of that CABLE BOX! (APPEARANCE of evil. I'll always remember Ch 15 at a Pastor's house. QUIT Gambling! QUIT Drinking, Druggin, and Smoking! QUIT Cussing, and Coarse Joking! I SEPARATE MYSELF FROM EVERYTHING THAT would DEFILE ME, AND THEN I KNOW MYSELF THAT TOMORROW WONDERS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU NEED TO PREPARE FOR BATTLE. The ENEMY is Continually roaming around looking for a doorway. DRINKING is a doorway. PORNOGRAPHY is a doorway. YOU ARE CHOOSING RIGHT NOW THE LEVEL ON WHICH YOU LIVE. The level on which God meets you depends on the level on which you meet God. THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - IF YOU WANT GOD TO DRAW NIGH TO YOU, WHAT DO YOU DO? THE BIBLE SAYS: James 4:8, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands..., IF I WANT GOD TO MEET ME IN THE HOSPITAL AND HEAL THE SICK, I'VE GOT TO BE SANCTIFIED AND READY TO RECEIVE HIM. (NO Nurse butt) IF I WANT GOD TO MEET ME IN COURT WHEN I PRAY FOR FAVOR OF ONE OH HIS CHILDREN, I'VE GOT TO BE SANCTIFIED AND READY TO RECEIVE HIM. TURN TO 2 Timothy: 2 Timothy 2:19-21, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (20) But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." SANCTIFY YOURSELVES GOD IS GETTING READY TO DO A MIGHTY WORK. God Bless You!