New Year Prophetic Message 2016 - Dr. Ezekiah Francis
2 Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them… the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
I bring greetings to you for this New Year 2016 in the name of the Lord who sets His eyes on this year from the beginning till the end.
As God’s servant, I heartily bless you- Let this year see the fulfillment of your long awaited dreams and God’s promises given to you personally.
May the Lord lift you up as a leader and a father-figure. May He enlarge your territory and cause you to claim new inheritance.
I bless you with a conscious enjoyment of God’s Presence within you all the twentyfour hours of your day.
I bless all your ways to succeed and be prosperous because of your God who goes with you whereever you go.
Maybe you are anxious about this New Year. You ask yourself, what will it bring, but there is absolutely nothing to be worried or anxious about. Remember how you entered into the previous year. Maybe you had so many troubles in your heart at that time. Just see how beautifully and meticulously your God was holding your hand and guiding you with deep love. Yes, years may come and go, but your God is always the same (Heb.13:6).
In this article, we will meditate Joshua chapter 1, verses 1-9. Please meditate these scriptures throughout this year and let these words sink deep into your whole being.
Year of new leadership
This year, God wants to commission you into a new level of leadership. “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant...” (Jos.1:1)
This is the first time that God began to communicate with His new leader Joshua directly. Till then, God had been speaking everything to Moses, even face to face. God did marvelous miracles through Moses’ hand and led millions of people from the land Egypt all through the wilderness.
Now the time had come for this great man of God, Moses, to depart from this world. God’s men may come and go, but God’s promises still endure. Men may change, but God’s message never changes. As long as the world remains, God’s leaders will constantly rise up with God’s mission and mandate. The great prophet Moses being gone forever, now God focused on Joshua, the next young leader, and began to give him His strategies and promises to take the people of God into their promised land.
In this year 2016, the faithful assistants to their mighty leaders will rise up as leaders and shine gloriously. Maybe you were gladly serving your leaders with all humility and faithfulness. This year God is encouraging you to rise up as God’s leader. He expects you to listen to His voice as never before. This is God’s season for the next generation of leaders to shoulder higher responsibilities. Many mighty men of God who are powerfully shining are getting older. Many are exhausted by their constant battles. God is desperately searching for His faithful men and women to lead the next generation all over the world. See how God made this faithful servant of Moses the captain of His army.
“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan… for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them” (Jos.1:2, 6).
Joshua’s mandate was great and mountainous. He was commissioned to take the millions of God’s people into the Promised Land and lead every one of the tribes to find and possess their destiny and their possessions.
This is God’s time to lead God’s people to find their place in the Kingdom mission. Only spiritual parents with a selfless heart can do this great task. Such parental leaders forget themselves and promote and build up others’ callings. This is the time for God’s captains to mobilize God’s soldiers for the final war.
This is not the time to have small visions and settle in small territories and get satisfied. This is the time to think big like God and act on God’s vision. God trained you all these years and performed many miracles in your life to take you into your destiny. Every blessing and opportunity God gave you must leave you into your God-given royal mission. You have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this. Please don’t be silent at this time (Est.4.14). As God’s new leader, it is your responsibility to take God’s people into the fullness of God and into all His promises.
Alas! There is a terrible scarcity for such father-hearted leaders in the Church of God. That’s why the Church is still struggling in the wilderness instead of enjoying their Blood-bought privileges. The apostle Paul cried, “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me” (1.Cor.4:15-16). Do you see God’s desperate cry here?
Please take this heart cry of God as a great challenge in this New Year. Don’t look down upon yourself. Don’t cry like Jeremiah that you are too small. Yield your life like Mary and say, “Behold, the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to Your Word” (Lk.1:38). God is speaking to you right now. This is your time to rise up to the occasion and shine brightly in this darkest time. Rise up like a mature leader. Carry God’s people on your heart and cause them to possess everything God gives to them. Rise up with your family and congregation. Carry your community, city and nation in your heart and move on into your God-given possessions.
Year of possession
In this year God wants you to enter into your possessions. God clearly told His new leader Joshua to boldly move on to possess everything God had given to them. The promise God gave right from Abraham had to be fulfilled under Joshua’s reign. Moses reassured them of the same promise and led the people forty years through the wilderness, all the time reminding of them of possessing the Promised Land, Canaan.
God has given to us enormous, great and precious promises in His Word (2.Pet.1:4). Before the foundation of the world, God has prepared so much for us, but we live most of our lives without even seeing the promises in His Word. Preachers don’t show God’s people what God has given to them. This is a real tragedy. Truly, God has blessed you with all His spiritual blessings and with everything that pertains to your earthly life and Godly life (1.Pet.1:3).
Healing is yours. Healthy life is yours. Anointed and supernatural ministry is yours. Nation-transforming ministry is yours. All you have to do is to see and hear and allow His promises to sink deeply into your soul.
God is challenging you this year to come out of your wilderness into your God-given territory. Never be content with a small ministry and small vision. Make a bold vow to possess everything God has promised and accomplished on the cross.
Old Testament Canaan portrays the picture of all the blessings in Christ Jesus. All the fullness of God, His peace, His joy, His power to heal and to get wealth, His entire authority, everything you need for this life is in Christ Jesus. Explore all His blessings and dare to step into every one of them in this year.
Never be satisfied with one or two blessings. Your God is not like Isaac to have very limited blessings. When he had blessed his younger son Jacob, he had nothing left to give to his favorite son, Esau. Do you remember how Isaac cried, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” (Gen.27:36)? Praise God, today you need not cry like Esau for your blessings.
There is no lack for you in Christ. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom.8:32). There is no blessing more precious than your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When you have become one with Christ, what do you really lack? All you have to decide this year is to spend time with the Word of God to gather all your God-given blessings and meditate on them so you can claim them. Hallelujah!
Abraham
This truth is clearly portrayed in the life of Abraham. His nephew Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan and settled there. But God spoke to Abraham, “…after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are… northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you” (Gen.13:14-15,17).
First God asked Abraham to lift up his eyes and look at all the land before him. This is one of the main secrets to possessing your blessings. God wants you to come out of your small circle and look at another level of glory and power, another state, another province and other nations. Truly God wants you to enlarge your tent and lengthen your cords! Like your Savior, move on to the next city and next territory. Like Paul, reach other nations and continents.
Likewise, seek both the gifts and the fruits of the spirit. It’s a tragedy to see some people easily satisfied with their character developments. A sanctified character is good, but what can we achieve with Christ’s nature in us if we don’t manifest His power to heal the sick world and deliver all those who are oppressed by the devil. Anpther group of people is very satisfied with the gifts of the Spirit and supernatural manifestations. They fall and stumble once when fame and wealth come because of their character flaws. One of the great frustrations of my life is to see people easily satisfied with their developments.
Beloved, you are the one who determines your territory. You are the one who decides your blessings, character and power. God is challenging you right now to cross over your Jordan. Break every limitation in Jesus’ name. Boldly cross over your Jordan and conquer your Jericho. Keep moving on till the end of your life. Don’t get stuck on the way. None of your hindrances should ever stop your progress. Take your eyes off of everything that would limit your vision and hinder your progress. He who observes the wind will not sow and he who regards the clouds will not reap (Eccl.11:4). Like Abraham, look and walk in faith and possess the length and breadth of your Canaan.
Don’t fix your eyes on only one portion like the younger son who misused his property. Don’t be like elder son who wanted only a goat to be happy with his friends. Your father God will only be happy if you understand His heart that cries, “Son, you are always with Me, and all that I have is yours” (Lk.15:31).
One of the alarming things in the Church of God today is to see people waiting for God to bless them. The truth is that God Himself is waiting a long time for us to claim and possess our possessions. God gives, you take. This is the principle of possessing. You and God are co-workers. Every promise that you ever possess depends on your cooperation. He endows and you enjoy.
“So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass” (Jos.21:43-45). What God promised to Joshua was totally performed. All the lands! All the promises! All possessed! Let this be your final word when you close your eyes!
Year of victory over all enemies
This is the year where the Church of God will walk in God’s victory. “The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand” (Jos.21:44).
What a marvelous promise! No enemy can challenge you all the days of your life. Is this truly possible for a child of God? Yes, absolutely yes. This is the Word of the Lord. Total victory in total life is God’s will and desire for His people. What He promised was exactly confirmed at the end. There stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. All the enemies are delivered into your hand and placed under your control. You have enough power to subdue.
The apostle Paul could boldly sing, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2.Cor.2:14). Can you believe that you can always walk in triumphant procession in Christ? If you believe the Bible, you must believe in this triumphant life. Your captain, the Lord Jesus Christ, boldly declares to you, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Lk.10:19). You have enough authority and power over ALL the power of the enemy. You can trample on ALL the serpents and ALL the scorpions. When you take such a bold stand, NOTHING shall by any means harm you, hurt you, torment you or destroy you.
This promise is for all your life. All the days of your life you can walk over your enemies. Your enemies today are not of flesh and blood. They are wicked spirit beings. All of them are under your feet. No power of sin, demons, poverty, disunity, impurity, flesh nor the world can stand against you all the days of your life. Would you dare to believe and declare this? Will you believe no enemies can hurt you? All the demons screamed before your Savior, “Did You come to destroy us or torment us?” The same unchanging Savior lives within you now in all His glory. Every day, the demons must tremble before you because your very presence torments them. Your mission is to celebrate Christ’s victory and to declare that He has already destroyed the works of the devil.
Please don’t believe and speak negatively. Don’t ever say that the devil will attack you or torment you. Don’t even entertain the thought that the devil will make you fall or steal your blessings.
Please fix your eyes on God’s promises and accomplishments on the cross and step into your Promised Land. Dare to believe and decree that you will have rest all around you. I don’t say the enemies will not come against you, but I do say they cannot stand victoriously against you. I don’t say your wrestling is over, but I do say they are your resting-wrestle. Your enemies will come in one way and flee in seven ways. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not your Captain’s Word. Hallelujah!
Year of enjoying God’s Presence constantly
This year God wants you to enjoy God’s indwelling Presence in you practically.
“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Jos1:5). What a promise! As God was with Moses, till his last breath, He will be with you. He will never abandon you a single day of your life. He will never ever forsake you or give up on you. Remember the last Word of your Savior before His ascension, “Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age” (Mt.28:20). Always means that every minute and second of your life He will engulf you with His glorious Presence - that is, till the end of your life or till the end of this age.
Constantly paint the picture of Moses’ tabernacle in your mind and thank God continually. The cloud covered the tabernacle of Moses, and the glory of the Lord filled it completely. Even Moses could not enter into that tabernacle (Ex.40:34-38). Now you are God’s tabernacle and dwelling place. Christ Jesus lives in you as the hope of glory (Col.1:27). The Spirit of God is upon you, completely covering you like the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Right now, God is in you, around you, above you, completely enveloping you wherever you go.
“…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Jos.1:9). He is always with you. He is everywhere with you. When you walk through the waters, He is with you. The rivers cannot overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you cannot be burnt. No flame can scorch you. Like Daniel’s friend, you will walk through all your troubles and the enemies’ fury with the Son of God walking with you. Wow! What a life!
All God expects from you is that you believe in His ever abiding, indwelling Presence in you and that you acknowledge Him in all your ways. Keep thanking God for living in you. Every time the devil comes against you, simply focus your eyes on the One who lives in you. Don’t look at your disease or doctor’s report. Turn your eyes on the great Healer who lives within your mortal body. Truly, His Presence will promote you.
Year of success and prosperity
“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Jos.1:7-8).
This year is a year of success in whatever you do and wherever you go. It’s not in God’s hand. It is absolutely your choice. You will make your way prosperous. You will be a successful person, if you dare to walk in all His Word.
The secret of constant success and divine wisdom and prosperity is very simple. It’s all in your meditation of His Word. Make a strong decision to take God’s book as your first and foremost priority in your life. Speak the Word constantly! Meditate the Word night and day. Meditation means pondering the Word constantly, speaking it to yourself. When you delight in God’s Word and ponder His Word, whatever you do shall prosper. You will be always fresh and green in your life. You will be extremely fruitful in your endeavors. You will lose nothing and gain everything.
How could Joshua meditate on God’s Word night and day, given his enormous responsibility of leading millions into the Promised Land with all the intense battles? Is it possible? If God commanded Joshua to do it, it is possible for him and for you. Allow the Word of God to constantly revolve in your mind. Focus on the indwelling Presence of Christ in you. Practice the Presence of God throughout the day. Whenever you face a problem, immediately shift your focus from your mind to your spirit, where Christ lives in you as the hope of glory. Keep enquiring from God for every new step you take. Every now and then, keep thinking and imagining whatever you read in the Bible . This may be difficult at the beginning, but as you practice it more and more, every Word of God will become a reality in you.
Another important key to possessing your inheritance is to treasure every Word written in the Bible. Please don’t have your favorite subjects in your Bible. All Scripture is given by the very breath of God. You can never be a complete servant of God without the complete Word of God (2.Tim.3:16). To Joshua, God made it very clear that he should meditate on and observe all the law that Moses gave, and that he should never turn to the right hand or to the left. No part of the Scripture should be neglected or ignored.
Let me sum up the promises of God for this New Year. You will possess all the land and promises. All the days of your life, all your enemies will be defeated. God’s glorious Presence is always with you. In all your ways, you will make your way prosperous. The only requirement is to meditate and act on God’s Word all the time.
All God’s promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus (2.Cor.1:20). May the Lord open your eyes and your ears to see and hear His promises. May the Lord embolden you to take risk-taking faith steps to enter into new territories. May the Lord make you God’s leader to lead His people.