Hi Everyone,
Our church has come to a point of "crossing the Jordan" into the promised land recently.I was looking for some insights or thoughts especially from christians who have gone through this experience corporately or individually.
I think it would be a valuable post.
Look forward to hearing from you Yours Staff
p.s Or not recently
Not sure we're getting the point here. Would you care to elaborate on just what we should be talking about?
Greetings Staff,
I would think that all true Christians have already crossed over the Jordan River into the promised Land, lead by Joshua (Gr. Jesus) who took us there.
Hello staff
It is quite a while since I crossed the Jordan. It came about
when I reached a crisis point of many struggles, failing miserably as a believer - you know the thing I am talking about - being upone minute and down the next, singing praise the Lord on a Sunday then finding myself back in the mire on Monday, same old sins still there. I acted the part ok but inside felt like I was dying, I had fallen so far back from the early days, the honeymoon days on the mountain top where I swore I would do anythig the Lord asked of me, but now found myself chaffing because something cropped up, a house actually, that I thought was perfect for my family to live in but my application was turned down and I was thrown into the deepest despair as my circumstances were so hard, a disabled child,chronic sickness in myself and a husband who would not work. I felt that it was not too much to ask and hope for but it was not to be and the house appointed did not have that lovely view over a valley I so wished for.
At that point I felt like giving up, being a Christian felt too hard and God seemed to miss me out on blessings all of the time although I strove to be what He wanted.
I had to learn that I must praise Him in all things and trust that He knew best. When I did this I was immediately transformed into the heavenly sphere and spent 3 days in rapture. He opened up scripture to me and I saw my path had been through the wilderness in like manner to the children of Israel,whom I had thought of as unsaved but now saw it was the pattern for those who have committed themselves to `all He has`.
In those 3 days He answered all of my questions and doubts and it was so powerful that my heart could not hold out much longer - I had not slept in this time.
It has been quite an adventure in the Promised Land, and not like I imagined at first.
My advice is to study the instructions of the Lord given when the children of Israel were about to enter, and to take very seriously the warnings as Satan prowls like a lion
in these upper reaches and waits to devour. But if we trust Christ and do not look at our circumstances, we will be victorious and walk in holiness.
God bless.
Hi Sidewalk,
Thanks for your reply which I will try to answer as best I can.
It has been clear to me for many a year that I have been wondering in the wilderness similar to Israel.I had trouble with sin and didnt come into the ministry God had called me to.
Recently the small Church that I attend began corporately coming out of the wilderness towards the Jordan river(as it were).We feel as a church and individually we are about to cross over into the promise God has had for us.
When the Israelites came to the Jordan certain things happened.God told them that they should consecrate themselves for he would do wonders among them,the Jordan was dried up to cross and afterwards a circumcision took place.All off these I believe are about to happen to our church so we can finally come into the promise god has for us,
I hope it gives you an idea what I am on about.I was just asking people to share their similar experiences as I havent completed the crossing sort to speak,Yours Staff
Hi Kautfrau,
May I say your post is beautiful,thats just great thanks.
Its funny that you knew exactly what I was talking about because God had shown you the pattern of the Israelites and you had experienced the process.
I was looking for christians who had gone further than I have,who have gone over the Jordan into the promise that God had for them.
Sometimes christians live under condemnation from themselves and other christians because they are not living like a proper christian should but in fact they are going through a process.In reality they have to cross the river....
Thanks again Staff
Hi Art B,
I think you are right.I think I could put it this way.
I crossed the Jordan when god saved me.(Lead by Jesus)
I am crossing the Jordan in this life into what God has promised me.(Lead by Jesus)
I will ultimately cross the Jordan when I die or am raptured.(Lead by Jesus)
Thanks for your post Staff
[quote Staff wrote]"I think you are right.I think I could put it this way.
I crossed the Jordan when god saved me.(Lead by Jesus)
I am crossing the Jordan in this life into what God has promised me.(Lead by Jesus)
I will ultimately cross the Jordan when I die or am raptured.(Lead by Jesus)"
Let's see, You crossed the Jordan when you were saved, and when you die and are raptured, you will cross the Jordan a 2nd time.
Hey, wait a minute, let me think about this, uhmmm - wouldn't that leave you on the wrong side of the Jordan? :)
Just joshing, I know what you mean. :)
Hi Art B,
lol crossing that Jordan alot,lucky its dry I cant swim!
Just came accross this great welsh hymn,worth a listen on youtube.
Guide me o thou great redeemeer
------------------------------
Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
Hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
Feed me till i want no more.
Feed me till i want no more.
Open thou the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream shall flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer
Be thou still my strength and shield.
Be thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to thee.
I will ever give to thee.
What hits me about this hymn is it speaks of the fear before death but also I have this fear now as I feel God is bringing me to a death in myself!I'm trembling'
Land me safe on caanans side!
Yours Staff
There are vaious understandings on what crossing the Jordan refers to. Most believe it to be the point of physical death when we enter heaven but this cannot be true as once in the Promised Land, the Israelites had battles. Some think that it is when we first come to Christ but that cannot be either as it misses out the other stage of the crossing of the Red Sea. It also is not true of many believers that they see `huge fruit` that is, the fruit of the Spirit and victory over sin in more than a basic way and not including sins of the heart and the sin that easily overcomes us unless a further work of God occurs.
No, the pattern is for those who seek God with all of their hearts and must reach a point where they really do die to sin and self in more than a notion. It is when they have a revelation of the full work of the cross and truly enter into the life of walking in the Spirit. It is true that everything we need happened on the cross two thousand years ago, but the reality is that it takes time to learn just how weak we areand for the fullness to be realised in us.
I haven't crossed over the Jordan as you call it yet...but the Holy Spirit has been leading me and teaching me. I read books about it and study it in the scriptures most of the time and becasue of that my faith is increasing as I read and study...
My advice to you would be that you do not strive to get it, don't try to get it in your own strength by modifying your behaviour but pray and ask for it by faith because you'll only cross over by faith......
Testimonies you can find at these sites
http://www.enterhisrest.org/m_testimonies.htm
http://www.harveycp.com/biography-of-george-d-watson.html
http://www.dpmuk.org/Mobile/default.aspx?article_id=109310
Duncan Campbells testimony on sermon index https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=7
http://www.btinternet.com/~a.ghinn/hudson.htm
These sites will help you out
http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/BFA/Beauty_for_Ashes.htm
http://www.enterhisrest.org
Books
Watchman Nee....Normal Christian Life...
http://www.ccel.org/search/books/nee
Andrew Murray....Various Books like Two Covenants or Absolute Surrender
http://www.onread.com/writer/Andrew-Murray-106842/
Victorious Life by an Unknown Christian
http://www.bibleteacher.org/VictoriousLife.htm
Online MP3
http://media.sermonindex.net/5/SID5181.mp3
http://media.sermonindex.net/13/SID13824.mp3
http://media.sermonindex.net/13/SID13828.mp3
http://media.sermonindex.net/13/SID13829.mp3
I hope this all helps, if I had more time I would put on more......
*Edited for spelling
Hi Murrcolr,
Thanks for your post.
I am not sure whether every christian experience a "crossing over into the promise land" journey.Some christians seem to have an apprentice type journey and dont spend time in the wilderness.
I was hoping that posters could take this opportunity to testify of Christ leading through wilderness time to the promise God has for them.If their are any others who want to tell of Joshua's greatness do post.....
Yours Staff
Hi All,
I bumped up this post again as I feel their are still some stories to be told.Their has to be more than one christian that has a testimony.
Are their any Christians out there that have crossed over into "Gods promise" for them in this life and have a testimony to tell about the crossing and about what they have come into.
Yours and Thanks Staff
The original question was, "Has anyone crossed over into the promised land lately?" My immediate thought after reading that was, "Has anyone fought any giants lately?" The promised land was beset with giants and warfare. It is not a picture of heaven, for there are no giants to slay in heaven.
I would therefore say that if you have crossed over from Egypt (a picture of the world) into Canaan with Joshua (a picture of the Spirit-led Christian life), you have, in fact, entered the promised land. Welcome! Now, mortify those giants of lust and pride and self and mammon and keep pressing on toward the Spiritual Jerusalem that awaits us pilgrims! The city of the Great King.
I don't think revivals are meant to last, as designed by God. The early church, in the purist of outpouring; Pentecost, and men like Paul the Apostle carrying Pentecost; revival, were faced with apostasy early on.
Acts 20:30...and the letters to the 7 churches...spoken by Jesus Himself.
So, I see the "Promised Land" as something that must be kept, like a Garden, or it will be lost. Consider the Laodicean church.....close to death, but filled with confidence.
If God graces us with outpouring Revival...then our responsibility after the "fallow ground" has been broken up, and the seed of Life begins to sprout...is to keep Him burning.
This must be done through a spirit of continual burning, which in our world means repentance. We must DENY ourselves, our satanic identities within all of us...and allow the Holy Spirit to possess us, that we may walk with Him, His Love, and His power.
The promised land cannot be controlled by man...nor kept by man....but only under the direct Lordship of Jesus as Lord.....and by all following the Lamb wherever He may go.
Most revivals are in name only...but some are real...and I hope yours is authentic.
I was saved, born the second time, baptized in a mighty fire of God's love 40 years ago. I was 22, broken and foolish...but got saved, and yes, it was a revival; the Jesus people revival, that swept millions of mostly young folks into a Spirit filled Kingdom, a promised land, so to speak.
I went to sleep every night awake with God's presence, and awoke every day in His Presence, as did all of my friends. I carried a Bible with me everywhere I went, every day, and had adventures with God...leading me, directing me, and saw hundreds and hundreds of sinners, like me, born again, and baptized; ALL WITH THE TELL-TALE FRUIT OF LOVE...that only the Holy Spirit can give.
Several times, the Holy Spirit manifested Himself in our meetings....I witnessed the visible cloud of Glory fall in Shekinah Brightness more than once...where Jesus manifested Himself in light...accompanied twice with spontaneous dancing with joy inexpressible....
Thousands and thousands were eventually born again, and baptized..through our one little group. But...it ended. After a few years, men decided that they were responsible, and accountable, and took it over as the Pastors and Apostolic authorities. They were not. The Holy Spirit left, and today, that same church is void, with only the ritual of what was once a reality.
Out of the hundreds of friends I once knew in that time...[ of seven years or so..] most, by far...have fallen away.
So, is Revival like a ticket to ride? Or the Promise land idea? No. It is just a beginning, but an equipping for all to see a clear light at the gate.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your post
Can you lead a spirit lead life without mortifying the giants of lust and pride and self and mammon?
Their are two definite crossings of the Jordan
1.When we get saved
2 When we die
Their is a third with some people at least.
3.Crossing over into what God has called them into in this life.
Some people spend time of varying degrees in a wilderness after they are saved.Coming into what God has for them involves a biblical process,consecration-dry ground crossing-circumsicion and then after that comes the battle with the inhabitants of the land.
.......................................................
I would therefore say that if you have crossed over from Egypt (a picture of the world) into Canaan with Joshua (a picture of the Spirit-led Christian life), you have, in fact, entered the promised land. Welcome! Now, mortify those giants of lust and pride and self and mammon and keep pressing on toward the Spiritual Jerusalem that awaits us pilgrims! The city of the Great King.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Yours Staff
Hi Brothertom,
Thanks for your post,
That is a great account of revival and I suppose part of crossing the Jordan into the promised land is a revival.
When the Israelites crossed the Jordan they went through a process, consecration-crossing the Jordan-circumcision,was that the same with this revival?
I like the discription you make of "only the ritual of what was a reality"
That is the difference I think with the end time church,it wont get time to go into ritual,thanks for your testimony
Yours Staff
Daily, though I drink a secret stream
That satisfies my soul, I once did dream
Of conquests over gloating enemies
That live where countless rows of spreading trees
Along a riverbank provide the shade
Of freedom to themselves, when God has made
It really to be mine; so, as he planned
It long ago, He’ll take from them their land
And give to me gently flowing streams
That years of longing carry in their dreams.
But dreams are funny things to manifest.
They always do escape until we rest
Secure already, that though we still groan
And feel travail, and anger makes us own
That there’s a devil stalking hard in rage,
Our suffering need not be a self-made cage
In which we live a lie that we are slaves
That go down bitter to our angry graves.
Moses, great as he was, struck the rock,
And though he led for years the holy flock,
When God commanded him to gently take
The rod and set it down, for God would break
The rock again by just a word this time,
Our Moses flared, and high did anger climb
Within his breast, until he struck the stone,
And by that rod his future did disown.
The wiser Caleb stood with horror’s eye,
And dared not also God’s decree defy,
But set his heart to wait and pass the test
That every man must pass to gain his rest.
Sometimes I find it dangerous to be right,
For anger summons me to go and fight
Against opponents who stand clearly wrong,
But will not see until my angry, strong
Symphonic blast of reasoned argument,
Drives them by these blows to soon relent.
Ha! I’m the angry one if this be true,
And heaven is a hell, and I am through
With hopes of living in a land where peace
In discord finds miraculous release.
Thankfully, the man of wrath lies dead,
Not from a fight, but crucified instead,
So that the fight of praise may take its place,
And usher in the reign of healing grace.
Brian L. Coatney 12-18-01
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