The God of the Breakthrough

God gave me this message today for some people who are facing opposition. All those who seek to follow God will face opposition. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (I Peter 4:12).”

As we enter the spiritual realm God has promised us we must be prepared for confrontation: “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 (Ephesians 6:12).”

Suggested Reading - Joshua 5:1-6:2

My friends I want to say something very plainly, it is important for all believers to understand, there is no spiritual progress without resistance from the enemy. Jericho was a fortress city, it was the symbol of the enemy’s strength and power, it was made up of a culture which was wholly given up to idol worship, and it stood directly opposed to Israel’s inheritance. This city had great walls that spoke of it’s great strength, and a reputation for being indestructible.

The Children of Israel had just begun to taste the goodness of their inheritance they were finally eating the fruit of their promised land. “And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna anymore; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year (Joshua 5:12).”

But Jericho stood in the way of them receiving their full inheritance. “Now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in (Joshua 6:2).”

Today in churches all over the world, many have become satisfied right there. I’m okay, you’re okay - you don’t bother me, and I won’t bother you. But God is never satisfied with containment – to suppress the enemy is never victory! To suppress lust, anger, resentment, criticism, gossip, drunkenness, or homosexuality is not victory! The Apostle James said we sin when we are dragged away and enticed by our own evil desires, we must let the blood of Jesus wash us clean – our evil desires must be replaced with a desire to know God! To suppress means to hold it inside, certainly if you are holding it inside this is not victory, victory is when the cross has destroyed that thing at the root!

I want to talk about what I call the anatomy of a breakthrough. First, sanctify yourself, take the word and cut yourself loose from anything of the flesh: “At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.”

We need a cut away from our life anything that keeps us from moving forward in the spirit and receiving the inheritance that God has promised to Hs children. We need a circumcision of the heart (see Romans 2:25-29).

Second, lift up your eyes and look beyond your circumstances, Joshua lifted up his eyes and looked beyond the walls and seen the provision of God: “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand:”

Third, start worshipping Jesus and align yourself with God: The Angel of the Lord here was Jesus, an appearance of Jesus in a form before he became flesh, because Jesus was not born in Bethlehem, He has always existed. Joshua fell on his face and worshipped. This is how we know it was the Lord, not just an angel, because angel worship is forbidden.

Worship is the key note of Destiny. Worship creates the atmosphere for hearing God’s voice, Worship opens the eyes and the ears of the heart. Worship is the atmosphere for the conception of the miraculous.

Fourth, ‘loose thy shoe from off thy foot.’ It was to the shoulders of barefooted priests that God entrusted the ark of his presence. To possess our spiritual inheritance, we must become barefooted, no personal agenda, no selfish ambitions, given up to the plans purpose and will of God walking softly, and tenderly. It symbolizes an exchanged life, my plans for His plans, my will for His will, my desires for His desires.

Now in 6:2 God basically tells Joshua, Now the city is yours. I don’t know what walls of difficulties you may be facing today, but I can tell you this: God is looking for barefoot worshipers. Instead of griping and grumbling and complaining about the problems in your life, just take your shoes off and start worshiping him!

When one bad report after another had reached jobs ears, and from a natural perspective he had lost everything, Job kept himself connected to his destiny through worship.

Fifth, obey God and keep your mouth shut. God gave directions to Joshua, They were not suggestions, They were his commandments, their victory was totally reliant upon their obedience. The People were forbidden to speak. We need to train ourselves to speak only that which edifies, and glorifies God and ministers grace. (see Colossians 4:6; Matthew 12:36; Psalm 6:2)

Many of Gods people are living far beneath their privileges because they haven’t learned how to control their tongue and make it work for them. God commands Joshua to have the people march around the city, One time every day for six days, then on the seventh day seven times around. Seven is God’s number and it stands for completion, maturity, totality, and fruition achieved through total obedience.

And finally, shout! After they had completed God’s plan, after they had obeyed, Joshua commanded them to shout! “Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.”

There comes a time, When you know you have lifted your eyes above your problem, and you have taken off your shoes and stood barefooted and worshipped God and you have aligned yourself with God and obeyed His voice, and you have learned how to speak only that which builds up and edifies, all that’s left is to shout.

You’re not shouting because everything looks right or sounds right or feels right, but because God has said the victory is yours! Shout your praise, because praise is faith expressing itself audibly. Faith has a voice, Faith calls those things which be not as though they were, and those things that be as though they were not. Faith hears God say it’s done, sees God make it done and shouts because faith believes it’s done.

I’m writing this today because some of you need a breakthrough! What is a Breakthrough? It is a victory over a wall, a victory over anything that presents a united front of opposition against you and the will of God for your life. Every one of us needs a breakthrough at some point in their lives. Every one of us will come to a place in our lives where we face something that presents itself before us as a united unbroken, wall of opposition. The good news is that Our God is the God of the breakthrough!

Don’t accept the opposition’s lies, don’t accept the evil reports, don’t be satisfied eating the old corn outside the gates - get rid of any fleshly thing that is keeping you from your inheritance, look beyond your circumstances for your help, take off your shoes and stand naked before God and worship Him, align yourself with His will through obedience, and shout, shout, shout until the walls come down!