Transcription
If you don't believe I got some press in me, look back in my history and ask the folk who fought me. Ask the people who said I would never make it. I got some press in me. Do you have the press in you to move into all that God has for you? God is positioning you. He is positioning you. And if you don't accept the position, you won't get the [Music] miracle.
Hello everybody! I'm excited to have this opportunity to share the word of the Lord with you today. We're going to take you into "Woman, Thou Art Loosed" 2012. This is powerful. It's nostalgia for me as we go back and look at how God moved in a powerful way. Many of you will remember this message. It's called "The Pecking Order," out of Joshua 6, verse 20. Let's hear it.
The Book of Joshua is not for people who are still wandering or wondering. They're for people who are through wandering and they're about to step into their destiny and [Applause] purpose. There's new leadership in Joshua. Moses, my servant, is dead. Somebody shout, "Moses is dead!" Moses is dead. That means the former grace of enduring and surviving is over. Moses had an anointing to help people survive the bleak terrain of a desert. He led them through the wilderness. When he got to the end of the wilderness, he died. And a new leader took over named Joshua, whose anointing was not to wander. Joshua was a fighter. He was a warrior. And he was a possessor of the promises of [Applause] God.
Moses was dead. God gave them a certain amount of days to weep for Moses. And when the day of mourning was over, God said, "Moses, my servant, is dead. As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you, Joshua. Dry your face. Stop crying, crying. It's time to cross over." I want to pronounce, listen, listen clearly, I want to pronounce a benediction on every grieving, weeping, depressed, lonely, frustrated, tired spirit. Your period of mourning is over. Touch your girlfriend, your sister, girl, your cousin, or Mom, and tell her, "I cried my last tear yesterday." Yesterday, I cried my last tear. Yesterday, I cried my last tear. Yesterday, I cried my last tear. Yesterday, I cried my last tear. You can send them flowers back. You can give that sympathy card back. You can stop looking at me all pitiful. You can stop seeing me as charity. I got my strength back. I got my fight back. I got my drive back. I got my focus back. Glory to God! I'm forgetting those things which are behind and reaching to those things which are before.
I got some press down in me. Yeah, yeah. Shake your sister, girl, say, "I got some press in me." That's how I got in here tonight. I got some press down in me. That's why I'm watching on television. I got some press down in me. I got some fight in me. If you don't believe I got some press in me, look back in my history and ask the folk who fought me. Ask the people who said I would never make it. I got some press in me. I made it without them. I made it in spite of them.
You know the story. Joshua sends out a couple of spies and sends them in, uh, to spy out the land before he ever takes it. He sends them over there to spy out the land. And it's interesting that he would send the spies out to spy out the land. It's very interesting that he did that, considering he had been one of Moses's spies. So he really didn't need them to go over there to spy the land, 'cause he didn't know what was there, 'cause he'd been there. So why did he send him? Why did a man who had been to Jericho himself now send these spies over to the promised land? You remember Joshua had been there before with the 12 spies. Now he sends these two spies over there and says, "I want you to scope out the land." Because you cannot lead people into anything that they don't have a vision for. That's number one. Number two, God wants you to be excited about your destiny so that you can endure the process that brings you into promise. Uh-huh. Because there is a process before promise. And if you don't have at least a vision of the promise, the process will discourage you. But every time discouragement is trying to get you to give up the process, remember the vision you have of the promise and keep on walking around the wall. Keep on walking around. "I'm tired, Lord, but I'm going to walk around this wall." "I'm frustrated, Lord, but I'm going to walk around this wall." "I'm lonely, Lord, but I'm going to walk around this wall." "Ministry is not growing, but I'm going to walk around this wall." "Thought I'd be married by now, but I'm going to walk around this wall." "Lost the first house, supplying for the second house, but I'm going to walk around this wall." "Credits all jacked up, Lord, but I'm going to walk around this wall." I'm trusting You when I can't trace You. I'm going to walk around this wall. And Lord, I am crazy enough to stand in front of a solid wall and shout as if it had already come down. Let's try that one time. Let's shout as if the walls had already come down.
There is in the city of Jericho a woman that God has strategically allowed to be in that city for such a time as this. There's nothing like being in the right place at the right time. Oh, y'all don't hear what I'm saying. There's nothing like being at the right place at the right time. As long as I know I am where God wants me to be, I don't worry about the resources. I don't worry about the people. I don't worry about the haters. I don't worry about nothing else because wherever God guides, He provides.
Now, you know, you know the story how when the spies had spied out the land and saw that it was a land that flowed with milk and honey, saw that the grapes were huge, and the promises of God were incredible, and they got ready to come back with their report, the king of Jericho pursued them. Follow me now. The king of Jericho pursued them. But God had arranged a hiding place for these great men. Oh, God! God had arranged a hiding place for these great men with this one woman. Many of you, God has made you a hiding place, a secret keeper, a burden bearer. Your house, your presence, who you are has become a haven for greatness to be protected. Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?
I want to give you [Music] four lessons out of this text that are transferable truths that you must understand in order to see God do what He's going to do in your life. I want to give you number one: the positioning. Rahab's house wasn't a bank, wasn't a fortress, wasn't a safe house, a protection house in the city. Why did God use Rahab the Harlot's [Applause] house? Because the girl's house had been positioned on the [Applause] wall. I want to talk to you about positioning. I want you to understand the reason I don't want you to bemoan the storms, the tests, the tears, the divorce, the abuse, the injustice, the improprieties, because God used those things to position you in a strategic place for a strategic, magical time. God let you build a house on the wall to relocate you away from where you were to where you are right now. Do not despise the wind that blew you. Do not despise the force that took you. Just rejoice in the fact that you are in the right place at the right time to do the thing that God has called you to do. Positioning. Positioning. Many of you have been through a shift, a shifting time. Things you thought wouldn't move, did move. People you thought wouldn't move, got up and walked away. Jobs you thought you'd always have, shook out from under your reach. You thought, "Lord, what in the world is going on? My whole life feels like a great big earthquake. Hidden, everything's shaken, and everything's going crazy." It is not crazy. God has a strategy to position you. And it took every wind, and every storm, and every attack, and yes, every hater. God used your haters to push you to a place of positioning for divine [Applause] purpose. Rahab's house was positioned right. It was the last stop before crossing over. The harlot's house was on the wall. You have been positioned. You have been positioned. To those of you that have not yet been positioned, you are in a process of moving your life into alignment so that you can be positioned correctly for divine purpose. Position correctly. Everything can, everything can change. Fall in love with nothing. Don't have a couch you got to have. Don't have a car you got to have. Don't have a friend you got to have. Just be open before the Lord and say, "Lord, at this season in my life, whatever You do with me is okay. Whoever You bring in my life is okay. Whoever You don't want in my life, take them out of my life. I want to be positioned where You want me to be so I can do what You call me to do." I am assuming the position. Touch three women, say, "Get in the position, girl. Get in the position." That's why you got to get your credit straight. That's why you got to get your business straight. That's why you got to get your mind straight. That's why you got to be exposed to the right people. That's why you got to get the right attitude, 'cause God is positioning you. He is positioning you. And if you don't accept the position, you won't get the miracle. Ask the woman with the issue of blood. She couldn't get healed till she got in the right position. So she said, "I'm not getting healed where I am. So I'm going to have to press out of my comfort zone and get in the position so that the miracle can [Applause] happen." It takes courage to be successful. It takes courage to win. People don't talk about people that don't win. If you win, they're going to talk about you. Do you have the courage to stand there though the storms keep raging and the people get to talking, and you stand there and say, "I've come too far to turn around"? Find the courage deep inside of you and overcome. I'm through running back home. I'm through staying in my place. I'm through sitting back and being quiet. The kingdom suffereth violence, and the violent take it back. TDJ Global Partnership System is one family, joining hands from every culture, community, and nation, partnering with us in an effective and wonderful way to impact the lives of millions. Jesus told us to preach the gospel, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those in prison, and give God's gift of salvation to the entire world. There is power in our partnership, and together we're making a difference. One moment can reveal truth. I think that you see the best in him, but you don't see the best in you. One moment can give hope. You can teach other people how to love you by how you love yourself. One moment can change the rest. Out of the ashes of what you have left will come the resurrection of all that you will [Applause] gain.
I want to talk to you, number two, about the exposure. I want you to understand that this text teaches the power of exposure. The reason Joshua sends spies over into the promised land, even though he knows the land, is to expose the next generation to what he sees. You cannot expect your children to be excited about what you're excited about if you don't expose them to what you see. This is a season for exposure. Exposure is going to come in a parallel fashion beyond the demographics of your environment, your friends, and your comfort zone. God is going to put you in some strange places, expose you to some new things, give you new favor beyond anything you ever imagined before. God is whetting your appetite. He's giving you a taste test for the next season that's coming in your life. He is exposing you. Joshua cannot work with people who have not been exposed on the level of his exposure. He either has to bring them up or let them die in the wilderness. Either you come up higher and you get the same vision, or you got to get out of my way because something is about to happen in my life. Listen to what Elijah and Elisha said. Elijah says to Elisha, "Give me a double portion of your spirit. I want the promise." Elisha says to Elijah, "If you see me when I'm taken up, you can have a double portion of my spirit." One translation says, "If you see what I see, you can have a double portion of my spirit." You can't get what I got if you don't see what I see. Oh, y'all don't hear what I'm saying. Touch your sister next to you and say, "He's exposing you out of your comfort zone, out of the norm, away from what you're used to, away from your circle of friends." God is putting you in an environment that you're going to feel uncomfortable. You're not going to fit. You're going to have to learn again. You're going to have to think again. You're going to have to read again. You're going to have to pray again. But God is exposing you. I don't know who I'm talking to tonight, but somebody. So you've been positioned. The house is on the wall. They built the harlot's house as close to the edge as they could. One foot further, and she was out. You're right, right on the edge. One more foot, one more step, one more push, one more, one more. And your eyes have not seen, your ears have not heard, neither has entered into your heart the things that God has in store for them that love Him. But it has been revealed unto us by His Spirit. He said, "You can't even imagine it, but I'm revealing it in your spirit. You get it in your spirit before you get it in your life. You get it in your spirit before you get it in your checkbook. You get it in your spirit before you get it in your ministry. You're healed in your spirit before you're healed in your body. You're free in your spirit before you're free in your life. You are blessed on the inside before you're blessed on the outside." What you are feeling in your belly is a preview of what God is about to do in your life. So you've been [Applause] positioned. Number two, you've been exposed. Number three, you got to have the courage. Rahab, I know she, she was a harlot, but she had courage. She had great courage. She had the courage to withstand the king of Jericho at the risk of her life. She had the courage to take a stand for what she believed. She had the courage to hide the spies at the risk of losing her life. She had the courage. Do you have the courage to act outwardly on what you see inwardly, or will you die a dreamer? Will you die on the verge and on the edge and in the land of "could have" and "should have"? The strong hand rules the roost. Do you have the courage? I'm, I'm going to drop something on you. It takes courage to be successful. It is far easier not to be successful. Misery will always have company. Success breeds contempt. If you don't want to make waves, be mediocre. Be normal and fit in. And if you're more concerned about people than you are God, then neutralize everything He put in you. Just fit in with everybody else. Dress like them, walk like them, act like them, eat like them, go where they go, think like they think, do what they do. And once you've neutralized your uniqueness, you don't need courage. It takes courage to be different. It takes courage to go where you've never gone before. For some of you, it took courage to come to this conference. It takes courage to get you outside of the bar. It takes courage to be successful. It takes courage to win. People don't talk about people that don't win. If you win, they're going to talk about you. Do you have the courage to stand there though the storms keep raging and the people get to talking, and you stand there and say, "I've come too far to turn around"? Touch your girlfriend and say, "Do you have the courage?" I'm going to, I'm going to say something to you. It takes courage to be exceptional. It takes courage to be wise. It takes courage to be rich. It takes courage to be educated. It takes courage to be knowledgeable because the moment you do, but you, you don't talk like you. Oh, you got forgot where you came from. Look at you. T. It takes courage. And I'm just wondering in this weak, watered-down, mediocre society that we live in today, in this reality TV world we live in today, I'm wondering if there's anybody left that's got the courage to say, "After all I've been through, and all my ancestors have been through, and all my parents have been through, I didn't come through all of that just to fit in with normalcy. I have the courage to go after my dream and stand for the Lord." Is there a woman left in this entire Coliseum that's got some [Applause] [Music] courage? I'm through running back home. I'm through staying in my place. I'm through sitting back and being quiet. The kingdom suffereth violence, and the violent take it back.
The fourth lesson, and I'm almost done. Anybody getting anything out of this? The fourth lesson is the knowledge. The knowledge. You must have knowledge beyond your parameters. How in the world did this harlot have knowledge of international affairs? She's a [Applause] hooker. She's a madam. She's a mistress. And when the spies walked up to her and started talking about it, she said, "Yeah, I know something about that. I know something. We heard about that. We understand international affairs." God said, "Your knowledge must go beyond your situation." You have to know something about things that you haven't received yet. You got to start reading things you've never read before, going to places you've never gone before, so that when God opens the door, you're not trying to get ready. You got to already be ready. I wish I had a thousand women that had escaped mediocrity. Jump up on your feet and holler, "I'm [Applause] ready!" Like Rahab, God wants to deliver entire families from destruction. Your partnership makes it possible to continue sharing the life-giving gospel with families around the world. God is not willing that any perish, but that all should be saved. Together, through the Global Partner System, we are making an eternal difference in the lives of men, women, boys, and girls. God grants favor and protection to all those who trust in Him. The more effective you are, the more attacked you will be because you are releasing somebody that the enemy wants to keep out. The word's been awesome. It's just been spiritually renewing. For your gift to the ministry of any size, you will receive "Master of My Need" on CD. Your necessity is not a necessity. It is, in fact, an opportunity for you to experience another dimension of God's glory. Just one of Bishop Jakes' groundbreaking messages that became a movement from "Woman, Thou Art Loosed." It doesn't matter what they think of about you. God is not going to bless you by their opinion. God is going to bless you by how you see [Applause] yourself. And when your gift is $70 or more, you will receive "The Best of Woman, Thou Art Loosed" Volume 2 on five DVDs, as well as "Master of My Need" on CD. I am not who I was. I am not where I am, but I am where I'm going. However, when your gift is $140 or more, you will receive "Master of My Need" on CD, "The Best of Woman, Thou Art Loosed" Volume 2 on five DVDs, the "Woman, Thou Art Loosed" Bible, and "Woman, Thou Art Loosed" mugs. Head. Let these tested messages take you to a new level of freedom today. Positioning, exposure, courage, knowledge. Positioning, exposure, courage, knowledge. Positioning, exposure, courage, knowledge. What P.E.C.K.? Pi. Let us know how "The Pecking Order" has impacted your life. We look forward to hearing from you. See you next time on The Potter's Touch. Touch, touch, touch.