outside the church

6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD. 7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD. 8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rerewardb came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noisec with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. 11 So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.

17 And the city shall be accursedd, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursede, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecratedf unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flatg, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Have you ever looked at a building from different angles its the same building but each face is different The north side the south side the east and west but all these different views go to make up a complete picture in your mind of the building.

Also the shadows that each side cast can be different, also the shadow may be darker than the substance but without the substance there can be now shadow

Depending upon where your life is situated in God this will alter your understanding of what God has to say to you let me explain a little

What kind of person or christian are you, are you the kind that might be summed up like this. If we were to take the children of Isreal as an example

Are you the kind of person that knows there is a God but are still in bondage in Egypt. you haven’t made up your mind to follow God

Or are you the kind of christian that knows what its like to experience the life in Egypt inside the house under the protection on the blood upon the door posts and lintels but doesn’t venture out

Or have you come out from the house of bondage knowing the protection of the blood but are walking out of Egypt towards the Red sea with the Egyptians following hard up behind

Or are you that christian who is waiting for God to rescue them, because the red sea is stopping you going forward and the enemy is not allowing you to retreat.

Or are you the kind of christian that has known all of those lifestyles and God has pulled back the red sea allowing you to cross over but but because of doubt you are now wondering in the wilderness of sin, Gods there and he meets my needs but I’m spiritually malnourished.

Or maybe your in this final category you've crossed over the Jordan and your in the promised land all that God has promised to you, you are enjoying and the years of struggle are over.

Which ever category you fall into will influence the way you perceive scripture and your ability to understand what God has to say.

There are differing types of Christians in the church today and they can be categoriesed as falling into one of the six mentioned types

Type 1

You knows there is a God, but are still in bondage in Egypt. you haven’t made up your mind to follow God

Here we have that individual who is living in Egypt. egypt throughout scripture is a symbol of sin.

So here we have that individual who is living in the place of sin and is doing all that sinners do. they are eating drinking and having a good time

Oh yes they know that there's a God, they have been told, they seen how God works in other peoples lives, but they haven’t Got time for him because they are having such a good time.

A good time with ............ you can put your own name for that good time.

where i have my church its in a area where you can get your choice of drug anytime of the day or night and they say there having a good time. I see them ratting because they havent had a fix i see them begging on the street to make the money for that next fix I see them eyes rolling after they've nail up in some ally because they have no where to live and are out on the street.

I see them come into my church asking if they could have a cup of coffee because they are so cold.

There having a wonderful time

There thoughts and actions are selfish as all they live for is pleasure.

Hebrews 11:24–25 AV

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season

Friends yes there's pleasure in sin for a season but only for a season.

James 1:15 AV

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death

Romans 6:23 AV

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

when death comes what next If you find yourself in this type then come to the saviour.

Type 2

are you the kind of christian that knows what its like to experience the life in Egypt inside the house under the protection on the blood upon the door posts and lintels, but doesn’t venture out

Here we see a picture of the children of Isreal who have heard the word that moses has been sent to give and have recieved it. They have see all the might acts that happened to the people in Egypt

and realize there is a God

A God that not only wants to free them from all the things the EGYPT wants to entice them away with. But also a God that wants to put them under the protection of his care by bringing them into a house and placing blood over the lintels and down the door posts thus protecting them from the final plague of Death.

You maybe that individual who has accepted the covering of the blood over your lintel and down the doorpost but are happy to stay their. Happy in the knowledge that you are saved but never experiencing and growth.

You are a spiritual dwarf your life has never really grown in God you’ve never exercised yourself in the christian Gym.

In my country people are fanatical about going to the gym.

pushing weights and riding bikes that don’t go any where, or walking on roads that lead to nowhere.

God expects us to grow we must grow or we end up being stunted.

How do we grow simple

Read the word not only when people can see you.

Pray the word not only when people can here you

Live the word where no one can see you.

1 Peter 2:1–3 AV

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious

If you've experienced the saving power of the saviour with his precious blood being applied to your life, why would you not want to trust him to keep you.

If your in this type this morning shut up and stunted in your grown why not trust in the one that saved you to keep you.

Type 3

Or have you come out from the house of bondage knowing the protection of the blood but are walking out of Egypt towards the Red sea with the Egyptians following hard up behind

The children of Isreal had heard the crying from the people of Egypt because of the death that had come upon them, the cry's of sorrow that were like a darkened blanket being draw over the Land.

However God had told them to leave and with much of the possessions of Egypt ,they were heading out of the land of Egypt.

whist still in an attitude of sorrow Egypt realized that their work force had gone and went out after to bring them back.

When you've been in the camp of sin for a long time, sin gets a liking to having you around and when you start to by the power of your saviour and Lord move from that land of sin thous ties that you had try to pull you back.

My friends do not ever under estimate the power of sin we have heard that the wages of sin is death

sin is a brutal taskmaster and he want to kill you

sin doesn’t want to see you rise and be free from him

so he will try all kinds of ways to bring you back.

That girlfriend that says if you love me you would --------

That workmate that calls just as your going to church

that family member that plans that event when they know your going church and calls to make sure your coming

Your heading down the road to church in your best clothes and that inconsiderate car or lorry drives fast through that water and wets you through

friend see them for what they are ties to keep you from moving forward.

Many years ago i preached a message in the morn in a packed church about nothing shall separate us from God

the church was standing agreeing and proclaiming that nothing would separate them from the love of God When i came to the evening service all that was there was the pastor a brother and myself what had happened the rain had fallen and everyone had stayed in.

Don’t let the things of this world stop you from journeying to the river that will separate you from the pull of your sins.

sean

God will bring you out of that house protection to bring you to that place where your past life’s ties are broken

Type 4

Or are you that christian who is waiting for God to rescue them because the red sea is stopping you going forward and the enemy is not allowing you to retreat.

Here we see that the children of Isreal when in a canyon, there was mountains on both sides the red sea before them and the armies of Egypt behind them

As a General moses had not got a good position in the natural, but we have to remember who had lead the children of Israel thus far it was moses lead by God

Let me tell you this God never leads us up some dark ally without there being a way of escape. Our God is not a cardboard icon that we place on a shelf and bow down to, Our God is the maker of heaven and earth

God can make a way were there seems to be no way.

You might feel that your trapped the red sea in front and the enemy behind and tall mountains that you feel you cannot climb on both side.

what God did for children of Israel, he can do for you, he can place that wall of protection between you and the ties of your past life.

your life is going to change but you don’t know just how. you want to go to higher grounds but just feel unable to climb.

That presence of God that is between you and your ties shows protection to you, but separation to your ties.

Is this how you see your life mountains sea and the worldly ties

God will place his presence between so you can follow.

Type 5

are you the kind of christian that has know all of those lifestyles and God has pulled back the red sea allowing you to cross over but because of doubt you are now wondering in the wilderness of sin, Gods there and he meets my needs but I’m spiritually malnourished.

Here the picture is of the Red sea opening up the children of Isreal crossing on dry ground and the Egyptians following behind and getting swallowed up in the receding water.

You have because of doubt and sin had to wander through the wilderness being feed on water manna and quail until those that doubted die out.

What a picture, caused to wonder but never satisfied until through doubt there bones litter the sand of the desert.

You might feel a bit like this, Yes the red sea has broken all ties with your old world Gone is the pull of you old life but you seem to be in a wilderness, Moving from one bowl of mana a day and an occasional bite of meat.

You come to church and you get fed as pastor breaks the bread on a Sunday and you feel full but for the rest of the week you are on wilderness rashons. You life throws up more questions than you have answers till in the end your Christian life dies feeling that you’ve starved.

Friends Remember God has given the mana, water and the quail

so that you can survive its enough the clothes never ware out the shoes never fad away.

I would like to know which shop God shops at if he can make clothes and shoes to last 40 years.

What has come in has gone out, we have cease to trust God even after we have seen what he has done for us, and when he has asked us to go or do something and because of fear we have declined so doubt has taken the place of faith.

Faith = forsaking all i trust him

or we have seen how God has blessed someone else and we have become jealous and we have started to die.

we wer'nt use and we've started to die.

Or you may be like

Type 6

Or maybe your in this final category you've crossed over the Jordan and your in the promised land all that God has promised to you, you are enjoying and the years of struggle are over.

Here we see that the children of Isreal have crossed over the Jordan and they are about to take the city of Jericho. They have one final push to put them into the promised land.

They are ready to cross the Jordan, the only two that came out of Egypt are Joshua and Caleb they had faith to believe they had faith to do as God asked.

They could see the promise land, but there was one last obstacle in their way the River Jordan

It was in Flood only a fool would cross at this time of year so the people of Jericho thought

But God was no fool, and with the ark of God presence in the water first the people crossed

They have crossed the river that separates them from the wanderings in the wilderness, there doubt and all the lack of faith

They were there waiting to take the city at Gods command

Their lack of faith their doubt and all the thing that belonged to there past life were behind them and there glorious Commanded in chief had given to Joshua the battle plan

Not doubt no lack of faith no under mining of Gods Plans they were Going to follow the Plan to the last letter.

They were going to enter into the promised, land that which was

promised to Abraham was final going to come to pass.

This is what God has promised to his people to be fed of the finest of the wheat

We can know what it is to trust him

We can know what its like to be fully satisfied in God

We can Know what its like to see the walls of the enemy come crashing down

we can know what it like to move on in God.

whatever type you found yourself in let me tell you God can move you on

Whatever the difficulties you are facing God can bring you through

What ever sin you are struggling with God can cut those ties

What ever sinful state you in My god can save you.

Whatever need you have can be filled by God today.

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