Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
I believe we are in the midst of a grassroots revolution in the nations of the world. God is up to something big! God is inviting all to find a fresh dependency upon Him and a fresh empowerment from within to stand up and be who we are meant to be in Christ. Last week I addressed a prophetic word that I released in 2004 in regard to this grassroots revolution that is removing the headship of legalism and lawlessness. Legalism is a dependency upon being right according to the law or even one’s perception of law and lawlessness is an embracing of promiscuity that defines right and wrong according one’s own desires. Both legalism and promiscuity are the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They are both the bitter fruits of a tree of information that is empowered by external influences in the world around us. God wants to empower our hearts with life from within. He wants to transform our lives to be givers of life to the world around us.
At the releasing of my prophetic word in 2004, the clock on the wall stopped at 7:45p.m. as well as my watch and two other watches in the congregation. The clock battery was replaced and the following morning the anointing came during the morning worship session that was the same presence of God’s Spirit as the night before and the clock stopped again at 9:45a.m. as well as my watch and the same two watches in the congregation that stopped the night before. I believe the stopping of the time was an act of God and very significant to this word. I asked God as to the significance of the stopped time pieces and He directed me to the story of Joshua in Joshua chapter 10, when he asked God for another day to defeat God’s enemies in the battle and God turned the time back to give Joshua another day to attain the victory.
In the battle, Joshua and the armies of Israel faced five Amorite kings. The name Amorite means, bitter; a rebel; a babbler and it implies an obvious external testimony of bitterness – a testimony of bitterness that affects the world around you. I believe that the battle of Joshua represents our own deliverance from the strongholds of bitterness in our lives that affect the world around us. God wants to roll away the reproach of the bitter wounds in our lives. Those bitter wounds have left us bound to limitations in becoming who God intends for us to be. If we are honest, many of our desires and many of the attributes in our lives have been shaped and bound by bitter experiences in our past or inheritances rooted in some bitter curse of despair. We must not be afraid of the bitter strongholds of our hearts and minds, but we must face them and know that God’s grace is sufficient to empower us to overcome in all things.
Joshua 10:7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”
When Joshua pursued his enemy, the Lord fought with him in a supernatural way. When we stand to overcome the things of bitterness that resist us from being who we are meant to be in Christ, we can expect that God will fight with us in a supernatural way. This is the testimony of grace!
Joshua 10:9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. 10 So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
Who were these 5 kings of bitterness? Prophetically, the number 5 is a testimony of grace and grace works in authenticity but is bound by the bitter testimony of legalism and/or lawlessness in our lives. One Amorite king was Anoni-Zedek the king of Jerusalem. His name and location imply a life that exemplifies a justice and righteousness that sees a peace empowered by a bitter root – perhaps a personal vindication of some kind. This is not a justice and righteousness of the Father’s love, but one of personal opinions and beliefs. The second king was Hoham king of Hebron. His name and location imply a life that is impelled by alliances with bitterness. I believe that judgments and vows can become a strong force that resists our path forward in life. They hinder us from being led by the voice of God and bind our hearts from the life-giving motivations of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The third king was Piram the king of Jarmuth. His name and location imply an anointing for independence and personal opinions based upon some bitter root. The fourth king was Japhia the king of Lachish. His name and location imply a shining of invincibility based upon a bitter root. This is a demanding force that insists that one’s own light is the light to measure everyone else by. The fifth king was Debir the king of Eglon. His name and location imply being a sanctuary of personal liberty based upon a bitter root. This is an independent freedom that sees their way as the true way to liberty.
Bitter roots are connected to experiences in the realm of time. Grace is the healer of bitter roots and grace abides in the realm of eternity. I will continue with this next week but consider these forces in your life and in the lives of humanity. In the battle, Joshua put these kings in a cave and when the battle was complete, he called the next generation to put their feet on the necks of these kings. God wants to empower an emerging generation to stand in the victory over the bitter roots of the past. This is essential to becoming the body of Christ that stands to bring life to the world.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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