The Army of God - by Jim Tharp

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’ Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13-15, NKJV)

“Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: ‘See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.’” (Joshua 6:1-5, NKJV)

After pastoring churches for 43 years and then spending 23 years in traveling the world preaching camp meetings, revivals, and Schools of Prayer, I felt led of the Holy Spirit to spend the later years of my life writing about prayer. I believe the greatest need for the Church and the world in these times is a mighty spiritual awakening. All great outpourings of the Spirit of God bringing revival to the church came about by prayer—Spirit-anointed prayer, prolonged prayer, fasting prayer, burdened prayer. Spirit-anointed prayer is prevailing prayer.

For the last 50 years I have been convinced that the Holy Spirit’s most urgent call to the American churches is a call to prevailing prayer for revival! What America needs at this dark hour are Spirit-filled Christian men and women who will pour their hearts into prevailing prayer and become prayer warriors. God is calling out men and women in all our churches to join the Army of God. While reading Chapter 5 of Joshua, I felt the need to write about “The Army of God.”

Joshua was called of God to replace the great leader Moses in leading the children of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt and take them to a place that God called “The Promised Land.” God had also ordered Joshua to invade and capture the major city of Jericho. So, Joshua was on his way to check out the city of Jericho, which would be the location of his first battle as the captain of his army—an army that had seen previous battles. We need to remember that this is Joshua’s first assignment, and he is going to check out his challenge. But God has been waiting for this new captain to tell him about the kind of army he would need and how to capture that city of Jericho. God had already dried up the Jordan River so the army could cross on dry land. But the Lord needed to get this new captain’s attention.

As Joshua approached Jericho, he noticed that “a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn.” Joshua was concerned, so he asked, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” He got a strange answer: “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” At this Joshua knew that he was in the presence of God Himself! So, knowing that he was outranked—and grateful for it, he asked, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?” Reporting to Jesus and recognizing that He was the Son of God, Joshua is humbly anxious for His orders. Joshua knew he could never succeed without his obedience to this “Commander of the army of the Lord,” who is the Son of God incarnate. Without Jesus as His Leader, Joshua could never have taken Jericho, which was the beginning of the taking of the Promised Land. Jericho was only one of many battles to come!

To all Christian prayer warriors, I would remind us that without the fullness and anointing of the Holy Spirit the church will never win the battle against the demonic forces operating in the heavenlies who are seeking to paralyze the church and destroy the American nation. God gave our founding fathers wisdom, courage, and faith to pray their way into forming a nation that would be like a shining city on the hill to attract and inspire all the nations in the world. But Satan has other plans for America. He is out to destroy it with division, hatred, moral insanity, violence, and atheism.

The Family of God - by Jim Tharp

“...Christ is the head of the church, the body of which He is the Savior... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to Himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:23, 25-27, NRSV)

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:41-42, 47, NKJV)

“Let us not neglect our church meetings as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25, TLB)

God’s plan for your life includes the Church! With all the criticism hurled against it—and some of it is deserved—the Church is still God’s organization for accomplishing His will on earth. Persons who oppose the Church make themselves enemies of God. The professing Christian who neglects the Church is guilty of holding God in contempt.

What Is the Church?

The Church is the Building of God. (Ephesians 2:21; I Corinthians 3:9) God’s main business in history is that of building His Church. In the ancient times He called out a people in whom He might manifest His glory and through whom He might speak to the world. In these times He has a covenant sealed in the Blood of His own Son with a people in whom He would put His Spirit and Life and Power.

The Church is the Body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12; Colossians 1:18) He is the Head of the Body, and with each believing and obeying member He shares His Life. Through the Church our Risen Lord works out His redemptive and eternal purposes.

The Church is the Bride of Christ. (Ephesians 5:25; II Corinthians 11:2) He gave Himself for His Church. Like a Bridegroom toward his Bride, Christ has pledged to love and protect His beloved. He demands faithfulness on the part of each follower. He has promised to come again for those who prove true and catch them away to The Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

But His spiritual body must take visible form. The Church must be organized. Whether it belongs to a national, independent, or denominational organization, the local Christian cell or congregation is the most vital body for the individual Christian.

God has called you to be a part of the Building, the Body, and the Bridehood of Christ. The Church was purchased by the Blood of Christ and brought to birth by the Holy Spirit, and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” it. So, do not allow the critics on the outside nor the hypocrites on the inside to keep you from becoming a member of the congregation that represents the Body of Christ!

Which Church is Right?

What Church should I join? Well, the Bible is not going to tell you what denomination to affiliate with, but the Holy Spirit will lead you in your selection of a Church. The Bible does show us an example in the Early Church as pictured in the Book of Acts.

Join a Church where the Word is preached! Social action groups and studies in psychology and intellectual calisthenics all have their place, but if these form the big show where you are trying to find spiritual food, move on fast! Go where the minister preaches the Bible with his or her soul as well as his or her mind. Only the person of God whose heart, mind, and life are judged by the Word can feed your soul.

Join a Church where Bible doctrines are taught without apology! Don’t get trapped in a faithless environment where good men and women apologize for the directness of such Christian doctrines as God, Sin, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the New Birth, Sanctification, the Second Coming, Death, Hell, and the Judgment.

Join a Church where Christian love and fellowship find warm expression. You need to be loved, and you must give love. You must have a sense of belonging. Christians must accept you as you are, and you must accept your fellow members as they are. If you cannot feel strongly that mutual acceptance, then you are trying to adopt the wrong family.

Join a Church that requires something of you! There are plenty of religious clubs around that will let you off easy, if that is what you want. They will let you enroll and then let you alone. But a Bible-centered, Christ-worshiping, Spirit-filled Church will make some demands of its members. From the pulpit, by its discipline and through the programs introduced, the Church must expect discipline, devotion, loyalty, time, regularity, creativity, and finances from its members.

Join a Church that really makes an event of its services! If you are going to grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, you need to belong to a Church that makes its services the most important hours of the week in the lives of its people. The pastor and staff must pray, plan, and present the entire order under the leadership of the Spirit. Every portion must be put to the test of prayer beforehand and surrendered to the Holy Spirit during the service itself. You will be able to look forward to such an event with joy and bring your guests with delight.

Join a Church that believes in the leadership of the Holy Spirit! Who seems to be sovereign? –-The pastor? The Church Board? A few influential laymen? Or the Holy Spirit? If the Holy Spirit is allowed freedom, then the Church will be free. The atmosphere will be spiritual. There will be love. There will be power. There will be an element of the supernatural. You can make it in such a fellowship.

Join a Church that is strong in evangelism! If you were not already a Christian, could you get saved in that Church? Can you bring men and women to Jesus Christ in the Church where you are trying to worship? The Church must employ many methods of evangelism, for example, pulpit evangelism, personal evangelism, group evangelism, and fellowship evangelism.

Join a Church that invests in world missions! It must be interested in the person next door, but it must also give financially to evangelize the underprivileged continents and areas of the world. Do not hold out on world missions.

Yes, Join the Church! Do not be a spiritual orphan or a religious vagabond. Join the family of God. Belong! Get registered in officially. Take on both the opportunities and the blessings of a Church home. Of course, you are going to be disappointed with some of your new brothers and sisters. You will probably be shocked to learn that the Lord does not seem to have complete control of a few of them. You have started to follow Jesus. Launch out into the deep. Fellowship with those members who have depth, balance, and complete commitment to Christ.

Yes, Join the Church, anyway! You cannot afford to waste your time and wear yourself out in a futile search for the perfect Church. In spite of the fact that the Church is called unto Holiness, you will discover that every believer has his or her imperfections—and this includes you. But we can remember and remind each other, “God isn’t through with us yet!” So, pray for the Spirit to do His cleansing and polishing in your Christian life.

And, Yes, Stay in the Church! You have been accepted into the family of God. You have adopted the membership, and they are your brothers and sisters. You have adopted the Pastor and he or she is your shepherd. You have adopted the doctrines of the Word, and they have formed your way. You have adopted the programs of the Church, and they become your ministry. For all of this life and throughout eternity, you will rejoice that you are part of the family of God!

Jesus Is the Way - by Jim Tharp

"Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:5-6)

Some years ago, a poor Texas sharecropper received word that a wealthy relative in England had died and left him over a million dollars. But the miserable old fellow went on scrounging and worrying and cursing through life until he died in abject poverty. A few neighbors chipped in to give him a decent burial.

God in His love has sent the message to every sin-cursed son of Adam that He has made provision for their eternal life. But millions go right on laboring and doubting and walking in darkness. They refuse to believe the greatest story ever told.

The appalling ignorance of salvation involves the devoutly religious and the brazenly sacrilegious, the profoundly intelligent, the pathetically ignorant, the fabulously wealthy, the wretchedly poor, the genuinely sincere, and the despicably hypocritical. But not everyone!

Millions have believed. They have listened to His Word with conviction. They have believed in their hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He lived a life of perfect righteousness for them, died on the cross to pay for their sins, and returned from the grave to be their Eternal Savior and Lord! They saw the light, heard the call, and felt the change. You will find them on every continent. They come in all colors. They belong to all denominations. They represent every age.

Christians around the world form an impressive minority. They shine in the darkness. They know where they are going. They seem to know that their convictions and values are held in contempt by the present order. Still they go on—in radiance, love, power, and purpose. Having tasted the Bread of Eternal Life and drunk the new Wine of the Spirit, they refuse to turn aside to the carnal elements of a condemned world.

Why don’t you come and go with us? It is the only way to go! Let me tell you how to turn into this way. It is simple, but it is not easy!

For God So Loved the World

1. Realize that God loves you. Stop blaming Him for war and tragedy and death. Quit fussing at Him for your personal heartaches and disappointment. Open your mind to the truth that our rebellion against the goodness of God has let evil forces loose in our world. But despite all this, “God Is Love.” (1 John 4:16) He has never willed any harm to one of His creatures or children from all eternity. In the very face of our rejection of His will, “. . . God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

All Have Sinned

2. Acknowledge that you are a sinner. Do not try to justify any action in your past that violates God’s Word. Do not seek to excuse any attitude in the present that His Word might condemn. Allow yourself to be the sinner you are. Only sinners who acknowledge their sins can be saved: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) It is only a short step from owning up to sin to repentance for sin. Repentance is agreeing with God about your sin and changing your mind about your sinful way. It is having done with sin and going God’s way.

 

Christ Died for Us

3. Trust in Christ alone as your Savior. Believe that His suffering on the cross paid in full for all your sins. Do not try to be your own savior through self-improvement and self-righteousness. Make certain that you see that all your good works glorify God and understand that they are the result of salvation not the cause. Salvation is a free gift. Christ took your rap. Any effort on your part to save yourself would be to hold Christ’s work for you on the cross in contempt. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)