Talking our cities for God!

Welcome!

Today: Talking our cities for God!

Passage: Joshua 8

⁸ When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the LORD has commanded. See to it; you have my orders.” ⁹ Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai—but Joshua spent that night with the people. – (Joshua 8, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

This is the third in the series, “you have my orders”

The other day, I was just browsing through this book, “taking our cities for God”

It is all about a man’s explorations with God, in some of the spiritually worst cities which are in good demand among the people

The author, himself living in a relatively bad part of a city, was describing about the temptation to move to a calm and quiet place little away from the city

But he deliberately chose to live in the city, and in a relatively bad area!

The percentage of the population in the cities is growing at an alarming rate. In many cases, it is somewhere in the nineties; only about 10% live in the rural.

In the first eight verses of Joshua 8, we see the term “city” at least 7 times

God is concerned about the city because that is where the people are, and so is sin. God gave the city of “Ai” to Joshua and his team of 30, 000

(Jesus didn’t have even the “three” with Him, when He needed them the most)

God loves the city and so should we. We have to do the “good things” of God in the place we love and live. God appointed you and me there, for a reason!

Joshua gave the orders to the people; see what Jesus did:

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

There is so much to talk about the passage above, and comparing it with Josh 8:8,9. Jesus was given the authority; He did not just snatch it from anybody

We can’t have the authority of Jesus unless He gives it to us. He gives it to His disciples, not to everybody who goes to church. Discipleship is a process!

Once Joshua gave the orders, His people went, and did exactly what they were asked to do. If we are waiting… for orders, see that it has already been given!

¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

Jesus received the authority from the father, which He also passed on to us

When a batch of Police Officers graduate from their training, they are given the authority by someone who has already received it/graduated before them

The power of God, the anointing is something to be passed on to others, while we keep ours. There is strength is the fellowship of the anointed

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2 Tim 1, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added