As our story opens up, we see that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. And we could so easily assign names to these enemies that apply to us personally.
So easily we could name these same troubles as: attack on our character, Trouble, an attack on the ministry, and here’s the worst part of it all, is that they can all show up at the same time, which could make you feel at though you are in a battle.
And my question to you all this morning is have you ever felt Like you were in the middle of a war zone and the enemy was surrounding you? You turned to the east and the enemy was there, you turned to the west, and there was a different enemy. You turned to the north and you find no relief. You turned to the south and it looks like, and seems like hopeless is there.
And I feel like there is someone that is listening to me that is on the live this morning and they are in that same situation.
You Love God, you’re doing your best to serve God, You’re doing your best to live right, you’re reading your bible, you’re praying,
you’re coming to church. You’re paying your tithes; you’re sowing you’re seeds. But you feel like that you are in a fight for your life, and you don’t see any sign of it letting up.
You have conquer one issues, and you think that maybe your making some progress, Then all of a sudden you look up and the enemy has sent reinforcement to come in, and this reinforcement comes in with what seem to be seven more that is stronger than before.
Then comes those people who is telling you in one ear, too hold on, and someone else is telling you in the other ear, to let go, and you are so confused that you don’t know which way to go, and sometimes fear sets up.
When we look at the text, the bible says that Jehoshaphat feared, but what we have to know is that faith comes by hearing, and so does fear.
One of the greatest weapons that Satan has is fear. Because fear can open the door to sickness, illness, and diseases. Fear can open the door for depression, despair, misery and oppression. Fear can open up the doors for worry, anxiety, agony, anguish, stress, strain, tension, pressure, burdens, confusion, bewilderment, perplexity, turmoil, disorder and chaos.
Also, I found out that fear can steal your joy, fear can still your peace, fear can bring you into bondage, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In fact, Job said in chapter 3:25, For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
1st John 4:18 talks about how fear hath torment but I love what 2nd Timothy 1:7says, For God hath not given us the spirit of Fear, but of power and of love and of a sound Mind.
And I don’t care who you are, or how spiritual you are, or how anointed you are, at some point in your Life you are going to have to face off with fear.
People are paralyzed by fear, held in bondage and captivity by fear: Even Christians can find themselves as a prisoner to fear. And today’s fear has many faces: Many today are living in fear of a bad economy, fear of terrorists, fear of losing their income, fear of losing their homes, fear of losing their social security, fear of earthquakes, and Tsunami’s and fear of radiation poisoning.
Then there’s fear of sickness and disease: Some people live all their lives in fear of getting some deadly disease. Some live in fear of failure, afraid to try anything new because they might fall or fail.
Fear of criticism, fear of persecution. Some people live in the fear of just getting old.
I believe that, the only way to move forward is to conquer the spirit of fear.
The First Thing Jehoshaphat did when he was attacked by the spirit of fear was he turned to the Lord.
2nd Chronicles 20:3 says And Jehoshaphat feared. Yes, He feared but he made the right choice, and his choice was, he turned to God. He set himself to seek the Lord and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
And I want to say something right Here: and that is God has given the church everything we need to overcome in this life and to advance the kingdom of God – and we have to know that our weapons are not weak, but they are mighty, our weapons are powerful, and they are effective.
The Bible says: in 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5: The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
But it does not matter how powerful your weapons are. If you do not pick them up, they are useless.
We lose many battles as Christians, not because the enemy is greater, not because he is smarter, or because he has better weapons. But simply because we do not take full advantage of what God has given us.
The first thing that Jehoshaphat does, is he launches the weapons of prayer and fasting.
Understand that fasting multiplies the power of prayer, and it magnifies the effects of prayer.
If you are serious about needing a breakthrough in your life, then get serious about praying and fasting. James 5:16 says that the effectual prayers of a righteous availeth much.
And then Isaiah 58:6 tells us the power of the fast:, is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bonds of wickedness, undo The heavy burdens and allow the oppressed to go free, And it will empower you to break every yoke. Jehoshaphat did something that a lot of us are too proud to do. He cried out To the Lord. he wept, and He travailed.
And I need to tell somebody this morning that there is something powerful in a cry: and when you need God immediately, and desperately you don’t have time for those long fancy King James prayers, those show off prayers, the self-center prayers, sometimes you need to just cry out.
Because when we cry out, it is an acknowledgement that we need help.
When we cry out, it is a recognition that the human effort is not enough
When we cry out, we say that I have reached my limits.
I can’t do this by my own might or power,
It means that I need help, and I need it right now, and I don’t need any superficial help, any shadow, phony and any surface help, but I need some profound, some over whelming and some supernatural help, I need help that only God can give me. (Pause)
We need to have a Jehoshaphat cry, because a Jehoshaphat’s cry, creates an avenue for the Power of God. Never be too proud to cry out to God for Help. Because what seems to be the weakest link is actually, the master link. Somebody ought to lift your hands right Now and cry out To God.
Acknowledge your Weakness.
Tell Him How much you need his help
Tell God that I can’t do this by myself
Tell him that it’s too much for you bear
When we look in verses 14-15, The spirit of the Lord comes upon Jahaziel and He Begins to prophesy. “Thus saith The Lord:”
And can I tell you that, “a thus saith the Lord can change everything?
I don’t care what the banker says, I don’t care what the doctor or The lawyer says: because I want to know what is the Lord saying?
It doesn’t matter what people are saying or what the economy is saying or what even what the government is saying
I want to know: what is The Lord saying? I want to know is there a Word from the Lord?
Because one Word from God changes everything
One Word from God will makes you unsinkable
One Word from God will makes you unbeatable
One Word from God will makes you unshakeable
One Word From God will turn Famine into plenty
Sickness onto health
Weakness into strength
Drought into a flood
Your nothings into too much
And you doubt in to knowing, knowing what Spies? Knowing that the Lord can make a way somehow.
One Word from God can open closed doors
One Word from God can set the captives Free
In fact, in Mt 8:8 a centurion came to Jesus on the behalf of his servant who was sick, and Jesus Said: I will come and heal Him, but the Centurion said: you don’t Have to Come (all I need is a Word)
Just Send the Word (speak the Word only and my servant shall be Healed).
Tell your Neighbor (All you need is a Word).
Vs. 20 Jehoshaphat says; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established, believe his prophets so shall ye prosper,
Thank God for prophets
Thank God for men and women who walk with God so that they can hear feel his Spirit and do his divine will.
Throughout the bible, it was the prophets that brought directions, guidance and correction to the Kings and The children of Israel.
What did the prophet say? He gave them some incredible instruction (He said Go out against them and set yourselves, stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord.
It like seems that every natural evidence and impulse was to run away from this great army, and to hide in the rocks and caves, but the instruction of God is: (Meet them head on), go out against them.
Jehoshaphat appointed singers to praise the Lord and the beauty of His holiness.
When they began to sing and praise the Lord, the Lord set an ambush against the children of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir which were come out against Judah and they were smitten in fact verse 23 says that they turned on each other. God confused them, and they began to kill each other.
And what I have found out is that praises confuses the devil: (If you want to drive the devil crazy, when he throws something heavy at you, instead of whining, crying and complaining, just go to praising God like you have lost your mind.
Praise breaks up the enemy lines of communication.
When the children of God began to praise God: it brought total confusion into the ranks of the enemies, their rank and file, and their strategy and their orders were completely destroyed and they started killing each other.
Praise is a weapon.
Praise will go to the foundation of your problem, Praise will open doors, praise will break yokes, and praise will confuse the enemy.
Why is Praise such a powerful weapon? Because: God inhabits the praises of his people, and when we praise God he moves into our praise, and when God moves into our praise our problems don’t stand a chance, not saying that we won’t go through some things.
It is said that when they got through praising, Vs 25 teaches us that when they looked around they saw that their enemies are dead on the ground and nobody escaped.
And I’ve got to tell you that God knows how to take care of your enemies.
I know you might be able to handle one, two, or even three of your enemies but you can’t handle everyone of them.
Because there are some of them that are in hiding and you don’t know where they are, or who they are. But if you’ll let God fight your battles he’ll take care of everyone of them.
Right there is enough to shout about for the next three days: God can take care of my enemies; I don’t have to worry about them.
I don’t have to fight my own battles
I can stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
I can hold my peace and let the Lord fight my battles
And if you can’t remember all of that, just remember this:
Vengeance is mine saith the Lord and I will repay.
Somebody ought to lift your hands and praise God right now, that he can take care of your enemies and that not one of them will escape.
But it doesn’t end there. God doesn’t just want to get the enemy off your back, God wants to bless you and he wants to prosper you.
Not only did he destroy their enemies, but he brought them into overflow.
They found among them, (among their enemies) abundance both riches and precious Jewels More Than they could carry off.
Can I tell you that God can bless you in some unusual ways.
In fact, God can use your enemies to bless you, some of the mean, spiteful, vengeful people that have been trying to destroy you just might be the ones who might have to bless you.
From the same place that the enemy was launching his attacks against you, just (might) be the same place from where they (might) have to bless you.
They were three days in the gathering of the spoil. Each day they gathered the jewels but there was too much to carry, it was a too much blessing, in the place where the enemy planned to destroy them.
And it all happened because they had a Word from God. And someone needs is a word.
Someone ought to praise God right now and fill this atmosphere with praise, because God can take care of your enemies.
All I Need is a Word!!!!!!!!
