VIDEO: The Walls of Jericho are COMING DOWN! - Pete Brookshaw Preaching

The Walls of Jericho are Coming Down!

Have you ever had barriers in your life?

In a sense the walls of Jericho symbolize for us today, walls and barriers to the promises of God. We read the story of Joshua leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land in the first few chapters of the book of Joshua. Watch below as Pete Brookshaw preaches a timely message to Salvos 3064 (Craigieburn), about the walls of Jericho coming down!

I hope the Lord inspires you and gets you fired up as you watch this message!



Let me highlight some things for you about the walls of Jericho and this story in Joshua.

Before the people of God entered the Promised Land and with a loud shout brought down the walls of Jericho, something significant happened.

Joshua 3:5 says, that the Lord challenged the people to consecrate themselves. What does consecrate mean? Consecrate means, to make holy. To consecrate yourself therefore, is to make yourself holy before God.

God wanted a consecrated people, a people willing to be devoted to him. God even required the Israelites to be circumcised before they were to take Jericho.

What do you need to consecrate in your life? Without holiness, it's impossible to see God.

Now, after the circumcision and the challenge to be holy, the people began to walk around the walls of Jericho. They walked around the walls of Jericho six times on the first six days. Then on the seventh day, they walked around the walls of Jericho seven times. So a total of thirteen times, they circled the walls of Jericho!

As recorded in Joshua 6:1-5, they gave a loud SHOUT, and the walls of Jericho came down!

In the message given above, the congregation spends a few moments, symbolically breaking down some walls.

We chose to pray that God would break down the barriers that hinder people becoming followers of Jesus, also, barriers to people regularly being healed, and the barriers of religiosity.

What are walls you need to break down, by the strength of God?

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Healing Testimony VIDEO Hot off the Press - Stirring the Pot on Healing

Does God still heal the sick today?

Some people will absolutely love this post. Others will hate it. Others will sit on the fence. I just happen to love it.

God just healed a new guy that came to our Church. Well, watch the video for yourself. 

Let me say a couple of things. God still heals the sick today.

Wait a minute. Did I just say that?

God still heals the sick today.

The problem is, too many people are simply praying nice prayers (and no doubt God hears them). Prayers that go like this:

"Lord, bless my friend today, who's feeling sick." (Praying for blessing, not healing)
"Give peace to Mary during this difficult time." (Praying for peace, not healing)
"Please be with the family, while John is unwell." (Praying something that Jesus already promises)
"Lord, please bless the hands of the surgeons."(Again, praying for blessing, not direct healing)
"Please comfort Lucinda during this ordeal." (Praying for comfort, not healing)

Nice prayers. God hears them. Sure. Agreed. BUT, what if we actually prayed for the person to ACTUALLY be healed?

I want to stir the pot a little here. Can we stop namby-pamby prayers and begin to ask that Jesus would in fact literally heal someone?

Let me stir it further. We have embraced for too long, a watered down theology of healing, and lacked the bold, Spirit-filled faith to speak to a sickness to be gone!

It's time to usher in a new theology of healing. One that not only respects and honors the idea that God wants to bring love, peace, hope and joy into someone's life, but also that God may well intend to bring physical healing into a literally broken body.

Too controversial?

That's fine. Stick with a watered down version of healing. Stick with a theology that justifies your lack of faith.

Or begin to embrace the idea that Jesus still heals the sick today. Not everyone, sure. God doesn't take away third world hunger, agreed. There is still war in Syria; I know that.

Though, God wants the fullness of the Kingdom of God to come. That's why we pray, ''Your Kingdom Come..."

When the Kingdom does come in all its fullness, that will surely mean healing of every sort.

I'm not sitting on the fence when it comes to that.

*****

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Mark 1:29-34 - Jesus Heals Simon Peter's Mother-in-Law - Pete's Bible Commentary

Mark 1:29-34 (Jesus heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law) - 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.



32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

As they left the synagogue, Jesus, the disciples and the people headed to the house of Simon and Andrew, where Simon Peter's mother-in-law was suffering from a fever. The previous verse of Mark, spoke of the authority of Jesus, and we see in this passage, Mark saying that Jesus 'took her hand and helped her up'. She was healed. Once again, the Messiah, the Son of God, has acted, early on in his ministry, with power and authority to bring restoration and healing. We are reminded of his power and of his authority by Mark.

Do you believe in the authority of Jesus today? That is, does the power and authority that Jesus had to heal the sick and cast out demons still relevant today? I believe it is. I believe that the nature and character of Jesus, and the authority that he exhibits, is no less relevant today nor less powerful. Mark was recording the ministry of Jesus in the first century, and my interpretation of the text, through twenty-first century eyes, is that Jesus has authority to heal the sick today. From this passage, there would be no hesistation for me, to pray for those who have a fever, and who are worn down by illness, and to pray for their healing, in and through Jesus Christ.

If you believe Jesus has authority to heal the sick today, why don't you think of someone right now, who is unwell, and pray the prayer below:

A prayer for the sick: Lord, today, for those who are unwell, sick, oppressed, hurting and broken, I pray for healing in the name of Jesus Christ. By the power and authority demonstrated through the ministry of Christ, let there be healing today! Amen!
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Mark 1:29-34 - Jesus Heals Simon Peter's Mother-in-Law. This is part of Pete's Bible Commentary, written by Pete Brookshaw.