Walls Fall Down: 7 Steps from the Battle of Jericho to Overcome Any Challenge - Softcover

Rutherford, Dudley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1400206030 ISBN 13: 9781400206032

Verlag: Thomas Nelson, 2014

Inhaltsangabe

Hope for those up-against-the-wall moments in your life

The secrets to overcoming any obstacle you are facing today are revealed through one of the most extraordinary victories ever recorded―the battle of Jericho. Whatever walls you may be up against, you don’t have to stay stuck behind them.

Enlightening and encouraging, Walls Fall Down tells how Joshua and the Israelites followed God’s unusual plan to walk around the heavily fortified walls of Jericho for seven days. The Lord promised that at end of those seven days, He would cause the walls of the famed city to fall, allowing His people to take possession of the Promised Land. Seven spiritual principles are in this story, and they are available to you today.

Join pastor Dudley Rutherford on a seven-day journey to discover how the foundation behind Joshua’s victory is the key to overcoming our stubborn hurdles and unsolvable issues. When we choose to do things God’s way, walls crumble, victory replaces defeat, and a blessed future unfolds. Discover how your personal Jericho is no match for the power of a great God.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Dudley Rutherford is the senior pastor of the 10,000-member Shepherd Church, which the mayor of Los Angeles has called "the most racially diverse church in Los Angeles." Dudley, his wife, Renee, and their three children reside in Northridge, California. His other published works are God Has an App for That, Unleashed: The Church Turning the World Upside Down, Romancing Royalty, and Proverbs in a Haystack.

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Walls Fall Down

7 Steps from the Battle of Jericho to Overcome Any Challenge

By Dudley Rutherford

Thomas Nelson

Copyright © 2014 Dudley Rutherford
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4002-0603-2

Contents

Introduction: Setting the Stage, xiii, 
DAY 1: SHRINKING THE WALL Focus on the power of your Lord, not the size of your problem, 1, 
DAY 2: AN UNCONVENTIONAL PLAN Trust in God's plan even when it doesn't make sense, 33, 
DAY 3: MAKE IT A HOLY EXERCISE See the supernatural in all situations, 65, 
DAY 4: A CULTURE OF LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE Surround yourself with other believers committed to the same goal, 99, 
DAY 5: THE DISCIPLINE OF CONSISTENCY Keep putting one foot in front of the other; you 're almost there!, 131, 
DAY 6: OBEDIENCE BRINGS THE BLESSINGS Follow God's instructions every step of the way, 161, 
DAY 7: THE PERFECT NUMBER Get ready for a season of joy!, 191, 
EPILOGUE The journey continues, 221, 
Author's Note, 223, 
Acknowledgments, 224, 
Notes, 226, 
About the Author, 235, 

CHAPTER 1

DAY ONE

SHRINKING THE WALL

Focus on the power of your Lord, not the size of your problem.

I imagine it may have happened something like this ...

The Israelites wandered around the camp like zombies, a vacant gaze in their eyes as they went about their mundane tasks. If you looked closely at their faces, you would see the trails where tears had etched through the desert dust that had settled on their skin. The Israelites had wept and mourned the death of Moses for thirty days, and now their tears had run dry.

After surveying this group of disheartened men and women, Joshua disappeared into his tent and felt the weight of the entire community upon his shoulders.

"They're looking to you, Joshua," a voice said from a dim corner of the tent.

An intruder, perhaps from the nearby Hittite clan. How did this person know Joshua's name? How could he have infiltrated their company unnoticed? In an instant, Joshua was ready to fight for his life. He lunged for his sword as the figure stood and moved toward the light.

"Caleb, you startled me!" Joshua exclaimed, setting down his weapon and gripping his chest.

"I'm sorry, my friend." Caleb chuckled and placed his hand on Joshua's shoulder.

"How can you laugh at a time like this?" Joshua said.

"The days of mourning have come to an end," Caleb replied. He looked earnestly into his friend's deep-set eyes.

"Moses is dead," said Joshua, pausing as he contemplated the gravity of his statement. "You were right when you said that the people are looking to me now, but how can I dream of being all that Moses was to these men and women?"

"Joshua, you were by Moses' side as his aide from the days of your youth, learning from him. If anyone can—"

"There will never be another prophet like him among us. Ever," Joshua asserted. "The Lord sent him to do miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt. He led us out of that oppressive country. He displayed the mighty power of God in our midst. Now Moses is gone, and who am I?"

Caleb looked at Joshua with compassion. The two friends had always possessed the same indomitable spirit, the same intrepid nature. Many years earlier when Joshua and Caleb were much younger, Moses sent them out to explore Canaan, the land God had promised to His people. The ten men who had accompanied Joshua and Caleb in their reconnaissance mission were afraid and couldn't see beyond the strength and size of the Canaanites or the tough fortification of the city. Upon their return, the ten gave a negative report to the rest of the Israelites, causing fear and panic to spread throughout the entire community. The people wanted to choose a new leader and return to Egypt where they had been enslaved for so many years.

But Caleb and Joshua stood together courageously and declared to everyone in the assembly,

The land we passed through and explored Is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.

It was a Braveheart moment—a scene right out of the movies. But instead of the people cheering with approval after Joshua and Caleb's speech, they threatened to stone them. That's when God stepped in. As His glory appeared suddenly at the tent of meeting, the lord vowed that no one over the age of twenty who had grumbled against Him would enter the promised land except for Joshua and Caleb. So the Israelites wandered through the wilderness for forty years until every last rebellious person had died.

Now the two faithful comrades were on the cusp of finally realizing a dream that had been long deferred. Together they had withstood doubters, defectors, and angry mobs. But today Caleb sensed that years of heartache and hardship had shaken the confidence his friend once possessed.

"Joshua," Caleb began slowly, "before Moses died, he blessed you in the presence of all of Israel. He told you to be strong and courageous because you must go with this people into the promised land and divide it among them as their inheritance. Moses said, 'The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.'"

These words were like medicine to Joshua's soul and seemed to awaken him from his sorrowful daze. "Thank you, Caleb," Joshua replied. "I had become so focused on Moses' absence and whether or not I was fit to take his place in leading this people through the great challenges before us."

"Yet it's not about the people or the problem," Caleb said. "It's not about Moses, and it's not about you. Everyone and everything is diminished in light of God's surpassing greatness. I just wanted to remind you of that, my friend."

And as abruptly as he had appeared in Joshua's tent, Caleb was gone, ducking under the open flap and disappearing into the crowded camp.

Soon after, Joshua received another unexpected and much-needed exhortation when the Lord spoke to him for the first time—His words filling the whole atmosphere and pushing out of sight every worry that Joshua previously had entertained. Suddenly Joshua felt incredibly small. Ashamed that he had allowed his own insecurities to take his focus off of God's greatness, Joshua fell on his face in reverence and listened intently.

The Lord said to him, "No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them."

A few days later, as Joshua looked out toward the promised land, God spoke to him again, saying, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men."

He instructed Joshua to have the priests and the armed men march around the city for seven days. Then God would cause the monstrous walls to collapse before them, enabling His people to conquer Jericho as well as the other cities composing the region He swore to give their ancestors. Although Joshua didn't know how this would be possible, he knew that the Lord's greatness could accomplish any task, of any size, in any way. Ready to step out in faith and into the role of leadership...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Thomas Nelson
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2014
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1400206030
• ISBN 13: 9781400206032
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 256
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Thomas Nelson; https://www.thomasnelson.com/about-us/; ; Damson Lane; Hull; East Yorkshire; HU8 7DS; Vereinigtes Königreich
• Verantwortliche Person: Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland GmbH; consumerhealth_de@reckitt.com; ; Darwinstrasse 2-4; Heidelberg; 69115; Deutschland