Worship

 “This Is Our God” by Phil Wickham 

Scripture

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”” -Joshua 5:13 (ESV)

“And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.” -Joshua 6:2 (ESV)

“And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside… And Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.’ And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to him, ‘Rabbi, let me recover my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.” -Mark 10:46, 49-52 (ESV)

“He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.” -Luke 19:1-6 (ESV)

The Significance of Jericho

Today in Jericho, there’s a pile of rocks signifying the fall of the walls of Jericho for all the eager tourists passing through. I don’t know when the pile of rocks was formed, but it makes you stop and think about the great victory for God’s people that once took place. But for three specific men and scores of onlookers, Jericho was a place of deliverance and new frontiers, where people encountered Jesus. Blind eyes were opened, spiritually blind eyes received their sight, and Joshua encountered Jesus before the Israelites ever crossed over to take their ground!

The Lord simply mentioned the word “Jericho” to me all last week. And with curiosity, I went on a treasure hunt and believe that the timing of Phil Wickham’s new song release is a beautiful invitation for us to stand at the walls of impossibility we face right now and see Jesus. He’s about to move in front of you, sword drawn, and arms outstretched. I want to shout this truth from the mountain tops: God has not forgotten you, nor has He forsaken you. For the place where you are standing is holy ground.

I want to speak to many of you because I believe I have a word for you to come and see Jesus right now over your 20-foot wall of impossibility with eyes that cannot see beyond your circumstance and your pain. I am speaking to the ones who are facing a health crisis, broken relationships, hopelessness, infertility, dashed dreams, and years of being completely stuck in cycles you cannot reverse. I am speaking to the ones who haven’t been able to see the face of Jesus because all you can see is the mess and the grief and the pain through a lens of tears. He is asking you to stand up and get ready, just like He did with the blind beggar. In fact, He goes beyond just the need you are presenting and deep unto deep asks, “’What do you want me to do for you (Mark 10:51a)?’” What is it that you really need from Jesus today? Look up— He’s standing in front of you with His sword drawn, leading the armies of the Lord on your behalf.

He has victory in store for the righteous, for this is why He died! His life meant your liberty and healing now and on the other side of this torn veil. Do we battle the realities of human error and a fallen world? Absolutely. But we also have a God who is familiar with our frailty and establishes the feet of His righteous. He fights for us, prays for us, and carries us in every detail of life. I have a brother-in-law in ICU from a stroke whom I am praying God does a miracle of mercy in and through. Human error and a fallen world have impacted this man of God, but if the Lord has not taken him home yet, we stand in the goodness and mercy of God over his life and call Heaven to Earth.

Beloved of the Lord, will you take hold of the words of this song today:

“This is our God / This is who He is / He loves us / This is our God / This is what He does / He saves us / He bore the cross, beat the grave / Let Heaven and Earth proclaim / This is our God, King Jesus” -Phil Wickham, “This Is Our God”

Your victory belongs to Jesus!

Your healing belongs to Jesus!

Your seeing belongs to Jesus!

Lessons from Three Men of Faith

These realities will only be the work of the Lord, but it requires your faith. You get to partner with the God of the universe and place your trust in His perfect response to your faith. He doesn’t expect a field of faith, just a tiny mustard seed, as big as the comma in this sentence. But He wants you to walk to the walls of Jericho and trust Him as He leads you in this victory march. He wants you to get up when you hear His still small voice and come to Him in expectation. He wants you to climb the tree of your curiosity and face the opposition of your limits in order to encounter Him. He always comes in pursuit of us with an invitation that is very personal and intimate only for you. His grace and mercy surround us as they did Joshua, Zacchaeus, and the blind beggar as they walked into that space where Heaven touched Earth. All three guys needed to see Jesus. They needed to see God’s goodness and the victory of Jesus in Jericho.

A change of course was required for all three guys in this town. They had to do something different to experience something different. And for each one, it was pretty outlandish. How do you tell a blind beggar to go to Jesus when he can’t even see Him to find Him? Why would marching and shouting seven times around a city in lockdown release the hold on that city and cause it to collapse? Zacchaeus had to lay down his own dignity in that moment.

Walking in Faith Today

This was the counsel of the Spirit placed on my heart this morning:

I will come to My people in their despondency. I will call to them, and they will answer Me. They are seen by the Lord their God. I have taken up their cause and none are without hope. My life covers sin and death. I have the final word over every matter, and My answer is not contingent on you, it rests on Me. In the same way Joshua overtook a fortified city, I will give the marching orders for victory. Get low and get dependent on Me, not on answers or self-sufficiency. Brilliant ideas and self-sufficiency won’t work from here on out. What is ahead will require you listening only to My words. I am the One who overcomes for you, and I declare that you are an overcomer. By My blood and My testimony of who I say you are in Me, you will overcome. You will walk in victory and abundance. You will take the land I have assigned for you to take. Nothing will stop what I can do and will do for your good. My glory will be revealed in the Earth, and it’s coming like a tidal wave. Get ready to be swept under. I have been waiting to release what is coming. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

This is your opportunity to stand in the place of your Jericho and see the Lord, who has come to meet you here. He comes to defend and to rescue and redeem with a righteous vengeance against your enemy. The blind will see, and the people of God will cross over into what He has promised for us before He returns. The place and time of history you are standing in is holy unto the Lord. See His sword drawn on your behalf—He is for you. His righteous belong to Him. Give a shout to these walls, in the name of Jesus, and watch them crumble in His presence and at His command!

• Tickets are available for our next Dallas luncheon on February 22! You can also register to attend virtually.
• My book, “Arise My Darling” has been published in Spanish! Grab a copy for your friends, neighbors, or to pass kindness on to a stranger.