Transcription
Well, praise God forevermore. Amen. Glory to God.
Let's bow our heads and approach our Father. Father, we thank You tonight for Your precious, holy, written Word. We thank You that it is alive. It is full of power, sharper than any two-edged sword. We thank You for the great and mighty One, the Holy Spirit, whom You've sent to be our teacher and our guide. We trust Him now to give us utterance that we may speak, as Peter said, as the oracles of God. We'll give You all the praise, all the honor, and all the glory for everything that's wrought here tonight in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Now, open your Bibles, if You will, to Joshua 1, verse 3. Then we'll turn to Deuteronomy 2:31. And finally, over in the New Testament, 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 20. I want You to have all three ready because these are going to be the backbone of what we're talking about tonight.
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." Oh, hallelujah. Did You notice it doesn't say, "I'm going to give it to You someday." No, He said, "I have given it unto You." Past tense, settled fact. Glory to God.
Now turn back to Deuteronomy 2:31. And the Lord said unto me, "See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee. Begin to possess it, that thou mayest inherit his land." Notice that God had already begun to give it, but He told them to begin to possess it. In other words, You can have something given and never walk in it unless You decide, bless God, I'm going to take it.
And over in 2 Corinthians 1:20, "For all the promises of God in Him are yea and in Him, amen, unto the glory of God by us." All the promises, not a few of them, not some of them if You're lucky. All of them are yes in Christ. And You and I say the amen to them.
You see, beloved, God is a giver. He's already given healing. He's already given peace. He's already given provision. He's already given victory. But there's a world of difference between something being promised and something being possessed. You can have a deed to a piece of land and never build on it. You can have money in the bank and starve to death if You never draw it out. The promises of God are like that. They're deposited, but they're waiting for You to sign the withdrawal slip with the pen of faith. That's what we're going to deal with tonight. How do You move from promise to possess? How do You take what God says is already Yours and see it working in Your body, in Your mind, in Your family, in Your finances, in Your calling? We're going to look at it step by step from the Word. And by the time we're done, bless God, You'll be ready to tread on some ground the devil's been squatting on for too long.
Now, let's go back to Joshua 1:3 and read it again slowly. Let it soak in. "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon. That have I given unto You. As I said unto Moses, every place." Not just the temple ground, not just the easy ground, every place. If Your foot treads on it, God says, "I've already given it to You."
Now, notice something here. He didn't say, "When You feel strong enough, when the enemy is gone, when the weather's good, then I'll give it to You." No, He spoke before they stepped in. Glory to God. That means the giving happens on God's side before the taking happens on yours.
Over in Deuteronomy 2:31, He says, "See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee. Began to possess it, that thou mayest inherit his land." Notice, God had already begun to give it, but it wasn't yet in their hands. The land didn't float over to them on a cloud. Angels didn't bulldoze the enemies out while Israel sat at home drinking coffee. He said, "Begin to possess it. You've got to start walking toward what I've already given You."
And then over in the New Testament, the Holy Ghost through Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:20, "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him, amen unto the glory of God by us." All the promises, healing promises, protection promises, provision promises, peace promises, they're all yes in Jesus. God has already signed His side of the covenant. The amen is our part. Amen means so be it to me.
You see, dear friend, this is God's pattern. He declares it done and then He calls on You to act like it's done. Faith doesn't wait for the walls to fall before You shout. Faith shouts while the walls are still standing. Faith treads on land that still has giants on it. Faith says, "If God gave it, I'm going to walk on it until it manifests in my hands."
So tonight, I'm not here to give You some new religious theory. I'm here to get Your feet moving both in the natural and in the spirit because the land God has for You, healing, wholeness, victory, has Your name on it. But You've got to step into it. And the moment Your foot comes down on that promise, You remind Yourself, "This is mine now. I'm not waiting to feel it. I'm not waiting to see it. God said it, so I possess it."
Now, before we go any further, I want You to turn to the person next to You and tell them, "I'm about to take back what the enemy stole." Go on, tell them with conviction. And if there's nobody next to You, say it out loud anyway, because heaven needs to hear it, and hell needs to fear it.
Now, here's where so many folks stumble. God gives the promise, and they think that's the same as possessing it. But there's a gap between promised and possessed. And if You don't know how to cross it, You'll live and die holding the deed without ever walking the land. Let me give You an example. If I wrote You a check for a million dollars, it's legally Yours the moment I sign it. Your name's on it. My account backs it, but You can still go home broke if You don't take it to the bank and deposit it. God's promises are signed in the blood of Jesus, more secure than any earthly bank, but they still require withdrawal.
Israel had the deed before they had the dirt. God told Abraham, "To Your seed I will give this land." (Genesis 12:7). He told Moses, "I have given You the land due." (Joshua 1:2). But when they stood on the edge of it, the giants didn't wave them in. The walls didn't swing open. The cities didn't send a welcome wagon. They had to possess what God had already promised.
Some of You have been waiting for circumstances to deliver Your promise to Your doorstep. But dear friend, the devil doesn't deliver. He's a thief, not a courier. He won't show up saying, "Sorry, I've been holding on to Your healing. Here it is back." No, You have to go into his camp and take it because it's already legally Yours.
This is why Paul told Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life." (1 Timothy 6:12). Lay hold. Faith is not passive. Faith doesn't sit around saying if it's God's will, it'll happen. Faith says it is God's will. He already said it in His Word, and I'm taking steps toward it.
Now, the gap between promised and possessed is where most believers faint. They hear the Word, they get excited, they even start walking toward it, but when they see the opposition, they stop. But remember Numbers 13. Ten spies said, "We can't." But Joshua and Caleb said, "We are well able to overcome it." They saw the same land, the same giants, but one group measured the giants against themselves. And the other measured them against God. You and I are going to close that gap tonight. We're not going to be promise hoarders. We're going to be possession takers. And before we're through, You'll see exactly how to step over into the land that already has Your name on it.
Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy." Now listen to me. The devil's not a prankster. He's not a mere troublemaker. He is a thief with a plan. And he doesn't just want to annoy You. He wants to strip You of what belongs to You in Christ. What does he steal? He'll steal Your health if You let him. Acts 10:38 says Jesus went about healing all that were oppressed of the devil. That means sickness is satanic oppression. It's not a blessing in disguise. It's a thief at work. He'll steal Your peace. Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee." So if You've lost Your peace, it's because the enemy has distracted Your mind from the Word and onto the storm. He'll steal Your provision. Philippians 4:19 says, "My God shall supply all Your need according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus." If You're living in lack, it's not because God changed His will. It's because a thief has gotten into Your house.
And here's something else. He'll even try to steal Your identity in Christ. He'll whisper, "You're not worthy. You're not really forgiven. You're not strong enough." But Colossians 2:15 says, "Jesus spoiled principalities and powers. He disarmed them, stripped them, left them with no legal authority over You whatsoever." You see, the enemy's theft always has the same goal: to keep You from stepping onto the territory God's given You. If he can convince You it's not Yours or that You don't deserve it or that You can't reach it, he doesn't even have to fight You. You'll disqualify Yourself.
But here's the truth. If it's been stolen, it's recoverable. David at Ziklag in 1 Samuel 30, everything was gone, wives, children, goods. But he inquired of the Lord, and God said, "Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all." That's our Word tonight. Recover all. Not some, not most, all.
So before we go further, I want You to say this out loud. "In the name of Jesus, I take back everything the enemy has stolen. My health, my peace, my provision, my family, my calling. They are mine and I recover all."
The very first step to possessing the land is this: You have to see it in the Word. If You can't see it in the Word, You'll never hold it in Your hand. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." You can't have faith for what You've never heard God say. You can't stand on a promise You don't know exists. Faith begins where the will of God is known. And the will of God is His Word.
Joshua didn't just wander into the promised land on a hunch. He had a Word from God. God had already told him in Joshua 1:3, "Every place that the sole of Your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto You." That's not wishful thinking. That's covenant talk.
Now, I've seen folks try to believe for things they can't find in scripture. That's like trying to build a house without a foundation. It'll collapse the first time a storm hits. But when You see Your promise in black and white, when You can point to chapter and verse, You've got a legal claim in the courts of heaven.
So what are You believing for? Healing. Then You need to see 1 Peter 2:24. "By whose stripes You were healed." Not "going to be," "were." If You were healed, You are healed. Peace. See John 14:27. "Peace I leave with You. My peace I give unto You. Let not Your heart be troubled." That's a command, not a suggestion. Provision. Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all Your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Not according to the economy, not according to Your boss, according to His riches in glory.
And don't just glance at these verses. Meditate on them. Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Meditation paints a picture inside You until You can see Yourself in the promise before You ever see it outside. I like to say, if You can't see it on the inside, You won't see it on the outside. Abraham saw Himself as the father of many nations before Isaac was ever born. The woman with the issue of blood saw Herself touching the hem of Jesus's garment before she ever pressed through the crowd. Seeing it inside from the Word is the first act of possession.
So here's Your assignment. Find Your promise. Write it down. Keep it before Your eyes. Say it when You wake up. Say it when You go to bed. Say it when the devil whispers the opposite. Say it in the Word until no circumstance can convince You otherwise.
Once You can see it in the Word, the next step is simple but powerful. You've got to say it with authority. Mark 11:23-24. These are the verses that changed my life. Jesus said, "For verily I say unto You, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto You, what things soever You desire when You pray, believe that You receive them, and ye shall have them."
Notice Jesus didn't say whosoever shall think unto this mountain. He didn't say whosoever shall wish unto this mountain. He said "say" three times in one verse. He talks about "saying" once about "believing." That means You got to talk to it more than You think about it. Your mouth is the pen that writes God's promises on the tablets of Your life. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." You can talk Yourself into victory, You can talk Yourself out of it. Your choice.
When David stood before Goliath, he didn't just think, "I hope I win." No, he opened his mouth and said, "This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand, for the battle is the Lord's." (1 Samuel 17:46-47). He prophesied his own victory before he slung that stone. And here's what I've learned. If You won't say it before You see it, You probably won't see it at all. Faith speaks first. It calls things that be not as though they were. (Romans 4:17).
Now, when I say "speak with authority," I'm not talking about wishful, wavering words. Authority means You know who You are in Christ and You speak on His behalf. Luke 10:19, "Behold, I give unto You power," that's authority, "to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt You." That means when You speak to the mountain, heaven backs You up.
So right now, I want us to practice. Everybody say this after me: "In the name of Jesus, I declare every promise of God is yes to me. I speak to sickness. Go. I speak to fear. Leave. I speak to lack. Be gone. I receive God's promise and I possess it now." Oh, glory to God. Doesn't that stir You up? Every time You open Your mouth with God's Word on Your lips, You're driving the enemy back and pulling the promise into manifestation.
Now, here's where we bring it all together. Step three: Step on it. I mean that both in the natural and in the spiritual. Joshua 1:3 doesn't just say, "I've given You the land." It says, "Every place that the sole of Your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto You." There's a connection between Your foot and Your faith. God tied the giving to the treading. Faith without action is dead. (James 2:26). You can see it in the Word. You can say it with Your mouth. But at some point, You've got to take a step.
Israel didn't possess Jericho by standing at the gates and talking about how God was going to do it. They walked one step at a time around those walls. Remember Deuteronomy 2:31. God had begun to give them the land, but they still had to "begin to possess it." You got to put Your foot down literally and say, "This belongs to me." That's a prophetic act, but it's also a declaration to the devil, to Yourself, and to heaven. I'll tell You something. When the devil's been squatting on Your healing, Your peace, Your finances, or Your family, You don't just sit back and pray nice little prayers. You step into that territory and claim it. It might be making that phone call to reconcile. It might be applying for that job. It might be sowing a seed. It might be starting the ministry God put in Your heart. Whatever it is, step.
Let me give You a picture. Back when I was healed off that bed of sickness, I remember the first time I walked out into the street. I was still skin and bones in the natural. But I walked down to that courthouse square, stood right there where I had told the devil eight months earlier I'd be, and said, "I told You I'd come." And here I am. That wasn't just about standing on pavement. That was about putting my foot on territory the devil swore I'd never see again.
Now, I want You to do something with me. Even if You're watching at home, stand up right where You are. That's right. Stand up. Take a step forward. And as You do, say this out loud: "In the name of Jesus, I step into my healing. I step into my peace. I step into my provision. I step into my calling. This land is mine. I take it now." Oh, hallelujah. Do You feel that boldness rise up? That's the Holy Ghost confirming the Word. You're not just talking about the land anymore. You're walking on it. And when Your foot hits that ground in faith, the devil's occupation notice is served.
Now, I need to tell You something. Stepping onto the land doesn't mean the enemy will roll out a red carpet for You. No. The moment You start to take possession, You'll often see resistance rise up. That's why You've got to know how to overcome opposition while possessing what's Yours.
When Joshua led Israel into Canaan, the land was theirs by covenant. But the Canaanites didn't send them welcome baskets. They sent armies. The first city they faced was Jericho. Fortified walls shut up tight. The second was Ai. And throughout the book of Joshua, it's one battle after another. But here's the key: They never fought for victory. They fought *from* victory. God had already said, "I have given You the land."
Ephesians 6:12 tells us exactly where our fight is. "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." Your boss isn't the problem. Your neighbor isn't the problem. Your in-laws aren't the problem. The devil is the problem, but he's already a defeated foe.
Now, opposition will come in many forms. Delay. The devil will try to convince You that if it hasn't happened yet, it never will. But Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not be weary in well-doing. For in due season, we shall reap if we faint not." Distraction. He'll send little fires to pull You away from focusing on Your promise. But Isaiah 26:3 says He'll keep You in perfect peace if Your mind is stayed on Him. Discouragement. He'll magnify the size of the giants in Your land. But remember Numbers 14:9. Joshua and Caleb said, "Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not."
When I was believing God for healing, the devil sent wave after wave of symptoms. People, even good folks, told me it wasn't God's will or that it would come in His timing. But I had already seen it in the Word. I had already said it with my mouth, and I was already taking steps. I refused to let opposition move me off my possession. You got to settle this. Opposition is a sign You're in the right territory. If there were no giants, it wouldn't be the promised land. If there were no walls, it wouldn't take faith to walk around them. So when You see opposition, don't turn back. Dig in Your heels and say, "Devil, You're on my land and I'm not leaving."
And here's the beautiful thing. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." That word "flee" means to run as in terror. The same devil who's been roaring like a lion will scatter like a scared cat when You resist him in the authority of Jesus' name. So keep stepping, keep speaking, keep standing. You don't stop just because the enemy shouts. The shouting means he knows his time is short in Your territory.
Now, let me give You a weapon that'll drive the devil absolutely crazy while You're taking Your land: praise. Yes, praise. Praise isn't just what You do after the victory. It's one of the ways You possess the victory. Psalm 23:5 says, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies," not after they're gone, "in their presence." That means You can eat from God's table of healing, peace, and joy while the enemy is still glaring at You from across the room.
Psalm 8:2 tells us that praise stills the enemy and the avenger. Praise shuts his mouth. He may be shouting in Your ear about how it's not working, but when You start praising God for what He's already done, You silence his accusations. Think about Paul and Silas in Acts 16, beaten, bleeding, chained in the inner prison. If anybody had a right to feel discouraged, it was them. But verse 25 says, "At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them." And the very next verse says, "And suddenly there was a great earthquake. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed." Their praise didn't just set them free, it set everybody else free, too.
Why? Because praise is the sound of faith. Anybody can shout when the walls have already fallen, but faith shouts before they fall. Faith looks at the land and says, "It's mine now." And begins to rejoice while the enemy is still camped on it.
I remember a time when I was believing for finances to come in for a particular ministry project. Everything in the natural said it wasn't going to happen. The numbers didn't add up. But I got alone with God, opened my Bible to Philippians 4:19, and I began to thank Him out loud that every need was met. I praised Him like the money had already come in. And within days, without me begging, without me stressing, every cent came in. Praise pulled the manifestation out of the unseen realm into the seen.
So here's what we're going to do right now. I want You to lift Your hands and begin to thank God not for what You hope He might do someday, but for what He's already said is Yours. Thank Him for the healing that's already been bought. Thank Him for the peace that's already been given. Thank Him for the provision that's already been released. Go ahead, open Your mouth and say, "Father, I thank You that every promise in Christ is yes and amen to me. I praise You for the land You've given me. I rejoice in the victory while the walls are still standing because they're already coming down." That's it. That's how You possess the land. With a shout before the fall, with a song before the breakthrough, with praise before the evidence.
Now listen to me. It's one thing to take the land. It's another to keep it. Some folks get their healing and then lose it. Some get their breakthrough and then it slips away. Why? Because they never learned how to secure the land. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." That means, "Guard it, watch over it. Don't let anything steal what God has entrusted to You." The same faith it takes to receive is the faith it takes to maintain. The devil doesn't give up just because You got a victory. In Luke 4:13, it says that after Jesus resisted the devil in the wilderness, he departed from him "for a season." For a season, he came back later to try again. That's why Ephesians 6:13 says, "Having done all, to stand." Stand therefore. You don't drop Your sword because You won one battle. You keep it in Your hand.
How do You secure the land? Keep the Word before Your eyes. Joshua 1:8, meditate day and night. The Word that got You in will keep You in. Keep Your confession aligned. Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised." Don't talk symptoms after You've received healing. Don't talk lack after You've received provision. Hold fast. Keep Your praise flowing. Praise is not a one-time event. It's a lifestyle. It keeps the atmosphere of victory around You.
Remember Deuteronomy 2:31 again, "Begin to possess it." That's not a one-step event. It's an ongoing walk. Every day You wake up, You keep Your foot on that territory. You keep walking it, talking it, praising over it. I've seen people healed in my meetings and the devil would try to bring a symptom back the next week. And if they didn't know better, they'd say, "Well, I guess I lost my healing." No, You don't lose it. You let go of it. You've got to answer those symptoms the same way You answered them the first time. "No, You don't, devil. I'm healed in Jesus' name. Get off my land."
When Israel settled in the promised land, they built altars to God as memorials of His faithfulness. That's a good practice for You. Maybe it's journaling. Maybe it's a note on Your wall. Something that reminds You, "This is the day I took the land, and I'm not giving it back."
So, I'm telling You tonight, don't just take Your healing, keep it. Don't just take Your peace, keep it. Don't just take Your family's salvation. Keep standing in faith until it's complete. The land God gave You is Yours forever if You'll keep Your foot on it.
Now, we've been talking about seeing it, saying it, stepping on it, and securing it. But right now, we're going to do it together. This is not just a sermon point. This is a prophetic act. When we move our mouths and our feet in agreement with the Word of God, something shifts in the spirit realm.
I want everybody to stand to Your feet. If You're watching at home, stand up right where You are. Kitchen, living room, doesn't matter. Plant those feet. Feel the ground under You. This is about more than Your carpet or the church floor. This is about symbolically planting Your feet on the territory God has given You.
Now, lift one foot and set it down with purpose and say out loud, "Every place the sole of my foot treads, God has given to me." Lift the other foot, set it down, and say, "I take it now in Jesus' name."
Now, we're going to make a declaration together. I want You to say it with conviction, loud enough for the devil to hear it and for Your own ears to agree with it. "This is my land. This is my promise. God gave it to me through Jesus Christ. The enemy is trespassing. He must go. I am healed. I am whole. I am supplied. I am victorious. I take back everything the enemy stole and I will not give it up."
Now take a few steps. Walk in place if You don't have room. And as You do, name the territory You're taking. Say, "This step is for my healing. This step is for my family. This step is for my peace. This step is for my finances." Every step is a prophetic act saying, "Devil, get off my land. This belongs to me." Glory to God. That's how You combine the Word, Your confession, and Your action. When Your feet hit the ground in faith, heaven calls it done, and hell calls it defeat.
This is not just an exercise. It's a declaration that what God said in Joshua 1:3 and 2 Corinthians 1:20 is true right now. Not someday. Not when the fight's over, but while the fight is still on. You're not waiting to possess. You're possessing now.
Now, I don't want tonight to be just a good service You remember for a few days and then drift back into the old routine. No, this Word demands action. God told Israel, "Begin to possess it." That means You take a step today. Some of You need to make a phone call tomorrow to start a reconciliation You've been putting off. Some of You need to lay hands on Your own body tonight and declare healing until the pain bows. Some need to get that resume in. Apply for that opportunity. Sow that seed. Start that ministry. Whatever land God has shown You, put Your foot on it.
Now, here's Your faith action assignment. Before the sun sets tomorrow, do something. One concrete step that says to heaven, "I believe I have received," and to hell, "I'm not backing off my territory." Don't wait until You feel ready. The devil will see to it You never feel ready. Step out now. And when You do, don't do it in fear. Do it in joy. Because 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, "All the promises of God in Him are yes and amen." Amen means so be it to me. That's not a churchy ending to a prayer. That's a declaration of agreement with God Almighty.
I want to seal this tonight with prayer. Lift Your hands. Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for every promise You've given us in Your Word. We choose tonight to see it, to say it, to step on it, and to secure it. We declare that the enemy has no more place in our territory. We take back health, peace, provision, and purpose. We possess the land You've already given us through the blood of Jesus. We will not back down. We will not give it up, and we will not grow weary in well-doing. We thank You for the manifestation and we give You all the praise for it in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
Now before You go, tell somebody right now what land You're taking back. Don't just keep it in Your heart. Testify because Revelation 12:11 says we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of our testimony. And then go live like it's already Yours because in Christ it is. Go out tonight with Your head high, Your mouth full of the Word, and Your feet walking in possession. And every time the devil tries to talk You out of it, just remind him: Joshua 1:3, "Every place the sole of my foot shall tread upon, that has God already given me." Now go take Your land and keep it.