The Sound of an Army Arising (Part 2)

Cleaned from the live recording. Lightly edited for reading.

Committed to the process

Good morning once again. It's such a privilege to come into your house by this broadcast.

There's a mighty army arising. God is doing something extraordinary on the earth. He's doing it. And we need to make sure we avail our lives. He can call, but we need to respond. He can give instructions, but we need to heed his instructions. Be prepared to put in the hard work.

When we talk about an army, or we talk about soldiers, we need to remember there has to be sacrifice. There has to be hard work. There has to be discipline. Sometimes we look at God calling and God doing things, and some person will be on the sideline wondering, why is this person seeing extraordinary stuff, why is the other person seeing extraordinary stuff? It's because they were able to be disciplined and commit to what God called them to.

So as we get into this topic, I want us to say to God, I'm committed to the process. I'm committed to the process. Some things will come out later in our discussion, and we'll notice that an army must be committed first and foremost to the nation that called it.

If you are not committed to the nation, to the commander in chief of that nation, it's irrelevant. Maybe the best thing is you exit the army, because you'll become counterproductive to the whole. So there must be a unified vision, a unified goal. The mission of the nation's army, the mission of the commander in chief, must be first and foremost. Then every other vision or mission must be subordinate to it and contribute to that overarching goal. That's where I want to start this morning.

Abner, Joab and the vision of the king

(The host asks what the Lord showed him that led to this topic.)

Last week I was looking at a particular story in 2 Samuel (2 Samuel 2).

God spoke to David. God promised him he would be king, not over Judah alone but over the entire Israel. Not only two tribes but all twelve tribes. But for seven years he was only ruler over Judah. The other ten tribes aligned with the son of Saul, the house of Saul.

Then there was a situation between Saul's son, the king at that time, and his commander, Abner. Abner wanted one of Saul's concubines. Saul was dead. Saul's son took issue with it, and Abner got angry with him and said, you fighting with me over this little issue? I swear, I will take this kingdom and give it to David (2 Samuel 3:8-10). So God was stirring something there to unify the nation of Israel under King David.

Abner reached out to King David and said, I know God promised you you'll be king over the entire nation. I want to come and talk with you so we can streamline things. I can share my plans to make this happen. He was a powerful general. Israel respected him, and the Bible says the son of Saul feared him.

So he spoke to all the elders of Israel, saying, remember God spoke and said David will be king over us. When I was reading that, I said to myself, imagine that. They all knew God spoke. David was reigning over Judah only, but they knew God promised David the entire kingdom. Yet they had aligned themselves with another house, another party.

God orchestrated things, and David met with Abner (2 Samuel 3). Abner told David his plans, and he was leaving to go back to Israel to keep speaking to the leaders and put the plan into action. He was going to get all the chiefs of Israel to come, and they were going to proclaim and anoint David king over the entire realm.

Then Joab returned. So there are two military commanders here. Joab is David's. Abner is from Saul's house. When they got back, some of the army said, do you know what happened today? We had a big summit here. The military commander of Israel came and met David. When Joab heard it, he was angry. Real angry. He sent men to stop Abner and kill Abner.

Why? Petty grievance, anger, bitterness.

If we check back, Abner had killed his younger brother (2 Samuel 2:18-23). But Abner didn't just kill his younger brother. The Bible describes this brother as agile, quick-footed. David's men met on one side of the battlefield and the army of Saul's house on the other side. The two generals said, why should we fight? Let some of the young men go out and spar. So they did.

But Joab's brother started to go after Abner. Abner said to him, why come after me? Find one of the other young soldiers like yourself and go after him. He would not. He kept pursuing Abner. Abner spoke to him more than once. Stop chasing me. Why would I kill you and cause your brothers to be angry? There were two of them. But he would not listen. He kept pursuing Abner, and Abner put out the spear and thrust him through.

He was quick-footed. He was agile. But Abner was a seasoned general, seasoned in war. Abner had skill, wisdom, practice, experience in battle. Joab's brother thought that because of his quick feet and his agility he could outmaneuver Abner. Abner, understanding the big picture, said no, find one of the young men and contend with him. Why should I kill you?

After that they pursued Abner, and Abner asked them, why continue this and spread bloodshed over this matter? And Joab said, you've spoken. If you didn't say anything, we would have pursued you all night. The matter ended there, it seems.

But this is what I'm going back to. David is the commander in chief of this army. God gave him a vision. God gave him a promise to unify the kingdom under him. That's the overarching plan, purpose, goal. Abner came to make sure that happened. But because of Joab's personal pain, his unforgiveness and bitterness, he nearly sabotaged the purpose of the king, the purpose of the commander of the army. Because of personal issues.

That's what stood out to me. God can have tremendous plans and purposes for our lives. Our commander in chief is the Lord of heaven's armies, the Lord of hosts. And if we allow certain things to settle in our heart, especially bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, rage, jealousy and envy, we can sabotage God's overarching plan for his kingdom over petty, personal issues.

That's why I started there. We must have one vision and put aside our issues, our feelings, our agendas. Not necessarily put them aside, but make sure they are subordinate, aligned, and contributing toward the overarching goal. Let me stop there.

Apostles: a military and diplomatic word

(The host asks whether Christians should think in terms of taking geographical territory, the way armies do.)

How should I answer that? Yes. But in this context. Jesus said occupy until I come (Luke 19:13).

When we understand the term apostle, it wasn't taken from a religious context. It was taken from a military and diplomatic context. In the Greek period, when seasoned generals went out to conquer lands and expand the empire, most times they would put these generals as governors over those lands, to rule and to set up the political and social structures. They would bring the life of the empire, the structure of the empire, the religious, judicial and financial systems, everything from the empire. They made sure it was established there, so that the colony reflected the empire and its resources were aligned toward the empire. So you have a military general taking up the position of ambassador, a governmental position.

When God called his apostles, the Bible says he called them and laid his hands on them, and in one case breathed on them (John 20:22), and gave them authority over all the power of the enemy and sent them out two by two (Luke 10:1, Luke 10:19). So there is a great God who sent out his generals two by two into various lands. When they came back and gave the report, they said, Master, even the demons are subject to us (Luke 10:17).

What they were reporting was this: every jurisdiction we went into, we brought those powers, those dominions, those entities that control the region, under your jurisdiction. Everywhere we went, the demons bowed and the areas opened to us.

This is what every church should be like. When you move into an area, you dislodge principalities and powers and bring the reign of our sovereign to that place. When those generals conquered a nation, that nation had its own king and its own governor, but they brought Caesar's authority, or Pharaoh's reign, over that nation. That's what we're supposed to be doing as Christians.

Every sphere of the nation

When we do that, we need to understand there are different spheres of influence in these nations. Judicial, military, the financial sector, arts and entertainment, education. We heard a lot about the seven mountains, some call it eight mountains now. You bring the influence of the Lord there.

When we read Luke and Acts, we realize the gospel got into the medical profession. Luke was a doctor. From Luke's writing we understand it got into government, because he was writing to Theophilus, who wanted an account of what really transpired (Luke 1:3-4). In Acts we read about the eunuch of Candace (Acts 8:27). We see how the gospel got into the palaces in Africa. From Matthew the tax collector we see the gospel get into the financial sector, strategically. That's how the gospel operates. That's how the kingdom of God operates.

So when we talk about taking territory, that's how we think. We need to make sure the gospel gets into the military too. Government. Parliaments. So legislation is written in a way that aids the delivery and reach of the gospel. So the security structures are saved. So that from the legislature, the judiciary and the security sector, laws are drafted and enacted for the well-being of the people. That is the majority of the civilized nations, and those nations that stand for a very long time. You have the Ten Commandments as the foundation and pillar of those societies.

Jesus went to the business district

(The host notes that "occupy" carries the sense of "do business till I come." Minister Boris speaks about colonization, driving on the left because of the British, and having righteous people in every sphere.)

That's why, when we look at the gospels, it is very interesting. All of those men Jesus called were in business. Do business till I come. Matthew the tax collector. Peter, his brother, and the others were fishermen. Businessmen. Jesus went to the business district and said, follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).

You're in that economic industry, but I want to show you something grander. I want to show you something greater. I want to show you how to multiply what you're doing for the kingdom.

A kingdom that conquers by love

Jesus started a revolution. He kept saying the kingdom of God is at hand, and he began to build and establish the kingdom of God on earth. But he didn't go about it the way others went around with a sword, enforcing their religious rule on people. He went about it by love.

The Romans conquered by brutality. They were a strong force. The Chaldeans conquered that way. The Egyptians conquered that way. Even Barabbas, who was locked up for insurrection, wanted to overthrow the government that way. Look at the Maccabees. Look at the different groups. Look at the crescent and the moon. When people did not listen to the teaching he said he got from an angel, he went about with the sword, killing and bringing into subjection everyone who did not subscribe to his worldview.

But when Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, are you the king of the Jews, he said, you say I am. A funny way to respond. But my kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36-37). In fact, you would not even be able to have me here in chains unless the authority was given to you from someone else (John 19:11). He was saying, you think right now you have me in captivity, but you're a servant to a greater power.

He said the kingdom of God is not meat and drink (Romans 14:17). You can't say, here it is, or there it is (Luke 17:21). His kingdom operated in the hearts of men.

Even the apostles, at the opening of Acts chapter one, asked him, when will your kingdom come (Acts 1:6)? They expected him to take up arms against the Romans. But what Jesus did was bigger than dismantling the Roman Empire. Above the Roman Empire there were beings ruling, supernatural powers. Just like we saw in Daniel. When he prayed, the answer was given, and the angel said, from the first day you set your heart to seek God I was sent, but the prince of Persia withstood me twenty-one days (Daniel 10:12-13).

A fast that lasted 21 days because of a demon

So even in this season of prayer and fasting, we need to be very careful. We can be doing a fast we consider a Daniel fast, but that fast only lasted twenty-one days because of a demon. It wasn't a twenty-one day fast God instituted. It was a fast that lasted twenty-one days because of a demonic entity.

God could ask you to go on a fast that lasts only four days, and in four days you accomplish the purpose God asked you to fast about. So we need to be very careful setting off on these kinds of fasts that are just religious, where the length came not from God but from demons.

This is just a little side point, because even when we talk about an army arising, we can set ourselves on things our commander in chief never asked us to do, and we wear ourselves out. All because of a demonic strategy that says to the church, when it comes January, you need to fast. I ask a question. Where have we seen that in the Bible? I'm very strong on this. Where have we seen that in the Bible?

Jesus spoke about the traditions of men (Mark 7:8). In our day we cannot keep holding the traditions of men over the actual word and instructions of the Lord.

Suppose the instruction of the Lord is that this year he's bringing you into celebration, and he wants you to start your year with a feast. He wants you to start the year prophesying that he has prepared a table before you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). So he says to you, this is the prophetic act you'll do this year. Gather your family, set up a nice table, and feast. That's how you're fighting this year.

That doesn't sound like typical gospel, right? It actually goes against it. I'm saying this to tell us there are things the Lord will say that go against tradition. And we need to be careful. The Bible says when you fast. We need to fast. We need to pray. It's important. But we need to make sure our fasting and praying is not directed by tradition, not directed by religion, and not orchestrated or manipulated by demons. Let me leave that there.

A year of celebration

(The host recalls Bishop Bloomer's teaching on echo chambers and tells a story about a Hindu funeral tradition that began only because the bearers got tired.)

I love that, because there are so many things we practice. When the Lord shared this with me, he said, this year is going to be a year of celebration for you. This year I'm bringing you into abundance. Your enemies are going to plan, they're going to scheme, they will do all kinds of things. But you're going to walk in such a level of dominion and prosperity that you're going to prosper and enjoy life. I am the one preparing it for you. You just need to make sure you're seated. You're rested in me. You relax. Your faith and your confidence is in me.

I say that because many Christians are defeated from the month of January. We didn't listen to God's plan and God's instructions for us, and we embarked on some fast that destroys our health.

When the army is at ease

(The host shares that Elijah's forty days were powered by food the angel gave him (1 Kings 19:8).)

That's why I raise this, because we're talking about the army rising, and it matters for armies. If you read what happened in Venezuela, it was on a holiday, when the military would have been on leave, when they would have been at ease, that the attack was carried out. They planned everything, and they looked for when the army would be at ease, when the army would be at a disadvantage. That was a strategic plan.

That's why I'm bringing up this whole religious thing. You can be at a severe disadvantage if you follow tradition and not the instructions of the Lord.

Some people ask us why we fast the way we do. I said to my leaders and to the church, two years ago now, that we don't just do a fast at the beginning of the year, because God had been placing it on my heart. This is a tradition. There's no power in this thing. I did not give you instruction to do this. That's why you find so many Christians starving themselves and going through a slave process, because it wasn't instructed by the Lord. It's a craving and desire of the flesh. One is tradition, and sometimes it is just fleshly. It can even be instituted by beings of the fallen realm and not by God.

I'm not saying fasting is evil. We fast. But we have a goal for what we're fasting for. Sometimes as a church we initiate a fast and it doesn't go for ten days or twenty-one days. It goes until we sense we've gotten the answer we've been praying for, or we sense we've gotten the release and God is saying, this is it. And we stop. Sometimes our fasts go two months, three months. So we set up different types of fasting. Sometimes different members fast on different days. Not everyone is fasting every day, but the church is fasting every day. You have a corporate fast, a group fasting on Mondays, and various groups fasting and praying throughout the week. Listen to what the Lord is saying.

Why do we do it? Peter was locked up, and the church prayed (Acts 12:5). The church did not say, we're going to fast twenty-one days for Peter. No, forty days for Peter. No. The prayer ceased when Peter was released. In Daniel, the fasting ceased when that angel was released to bring the answer.

We need to understand spiritual things and stop doing things just because they sound nice. Sometimes I look on social media and see "21 days fast, Daniel fast," and every day people sharing what they're fasting about. That's good. Do your stuff. Show your commitment to the Lord. But when you finish all of that, make sure the Lord has shown commitment to that fast.

As Bishop Bloomer mentioned about the echo chamber, we don't just go about things because they look nice or feel good. I'm going to tell you, there's a period when you fast where, if you're not careful, if you do a lot of fasting, you can slip over into the flesh. When you finish fasting, your body still feels like it wants to keep going. I'm telling you from personal experience. Then you need to say to yourself, I need to eat. This assignment was completed. It's just my body, because it's been conditioned this way. If you're not careful, you can destroy your health, because your body is now conditioned to stay away from food. Let me stop there.

How the instruction comes

(The host tells of a man in Africa who died attempting a forty-day fast with no instruction from God.)

The instructions can come different ways. Sometimes with fasting, I may be going through the word and the Holy Spirit witnesses to me, or I'm going about my day and it witnesses in my spirit that I need to go and fast. I may have a dream. The Lord may show me something, or a prophetic word through another servant of God brings confirmation. And I'm not fasting to make it happen.

I said that to somebody. I was doing some fasting in the latter part of last year. I know the Lord granted me this thing. When we pray, believe that he heard us and we'll have what we asked for (Mark 11:24). And when Jesus prayed, he said, Father, thank you that you have heard me (John 11:41).

So there are cases where I embark on a fast and I'm not praying for God to give me this thing. I know I have the answer to this thing. What I'm fasting for is God's grace to prepare me to be a good steward of those things. To prepare me to be good soil, good ground, so that when these things start to mature and manifest, they don't fall to the ground, and I don't squander them and I'm not lazy. So when all these military resources come in, they are maintained, taken care of and used.

The voice-command gun

Imagine you are given extraordinary equipment, but you never read the manual. You never practice, and you never learn how to use it. Imagine you're given a fancy gun, modern technology, that works with your voice command. You never use it. The enemy attacks, everybody runs in, you pick up the gun and start pulling the trigger, and nothing happens. The first thing you say is, they gave me faulty equipment.

But it's lack of knowledge. Lack of wisdom. And one reason it's lack of wisdom is laziness. You didn't do your due diligence. You didn't check how this thing operates. You've gone back to the traditions of men. What's the tradition? Every gun ever developed, you pull the trigger. So that's how guns should operate. But you were given an updated one that works with voice command. You just need to aim and say, fire, three rounds, rapid fire. And you've been taken down by the enemy because you never spent the time to sort it out.

I sit in the place of elevation

(The host and Minister Boris speak about the Amalek battle (Exodus 17:8-13): Joshua fighting, Moses on the hill, Aaron and Hur holding up his hands, everyone in their place. The host describes the order he has seen in heavenly realms.)

I need to write down some things the Lord has been showing me this morning. But let me say this.

I ascend to my position of calling, and I'm not coming down. I sit in the place of elevation. You can say that too. I sit in the place of elevation. I'm following the path. I'm ascending. I'm walking in the path the Lord has planned for me, and I'm remaining there. I will not allow curiosity or selfish desires to cause me to come down from the mountain. I'm going to sit in the seat the Lord has prepared for me, and I'm orchestrating events and ruling from there, from henceforth, in Jesus' name.

Seated on the rock

Something Minister Boris said. When the scripture says Aaron and Hur put Moses to sit down on the rock (Exodus 17:12). Christ is our solid rock. Sometimes we try to stand on our own without the support we need, and we get tired very quickly. It's like I said: the Lord has prepared a table for me. I need to make sure I'm seated. The table can be there, but we can be running all around it. Sit, be at peace, and enjoy the feast.

Each of them had their own role. But carrying the mantle, carrying the rod, carrying the anointing can be heavy. Sometimes it's heavy. It's demanding. We need people to pray for us, to keep us in prayer and intercede for us. That's why almost all the ministers who made great impact, or are making great impact, have established intercessory teams, people who pray for them.

Angelic assistance and supply lines

One more thing I saw there. Those two men are also a prophetic type of angels. As we engage in what God has called us to do, there is angelic assistance on standby to help us.

When Jesus was tempted by the enemy in the wilderness, after Satan left, the Bible says he was hungry and angels came and ministered to him (Matthew 4:11). If you're hungry, are angels going to come and sing you a song? Angels came and fed him.

Moses spent forty days on the mount (Exodus 24:18). When you read the scriptures, check and see if he went up with rations. Check and see. I think he waited six days, and then the cloud came and he heard a voice calling him in (Exodus 24:16). What sustained him for forty days?

You understand why I'm saying this about the season of fasting. One of the first things the enemy does in any war is cut off supplies. Cut off resources. We need to make sure that even in a season of fasting, we were called into it.

Back to Aaron and Hur. The battle was going on. Look at Joshua. What does Joshua mean? Savior. Yeshua. There are certain things our Master is doing on the earth, but he needs people who will lift up their mantle. People who will use their gifts, their calling, what he placed in their hands, and lift it up where he called them to lift it up, so he has victory in those areas.

There's so much we can get into with that scripture as the Holy Ghost drops things in my spirit. But this is the year to sit upon the rock. He has prepared a table before you, and you're going to feast.

Invisible allies

When we talk about building an army, we understand what our commander in chief is doing this year. We also understand that in this army there are invisible forces. They are allies, and we need to work with them. We work with them by our words, by what we say. Angels are looking to perform the word of the Lord (Psalm 103:20). So we need to speak.

That's why you heard me pause and say, I've ascended the path God laid for me, I'm sitting in the seat of authority and elevation he called me to, and I'm not coming down. I'm seated with him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

"I'm not worthy" is a distraction

We can have so many distractions. Something the Lord was showing me: one of the greatest distractions from sitting in that elevated place the Lord has called you to is false humility and pride. I'm not worthy of that. I don't have what it takes.

Say, I am worthy. I have what it takes.

God did family planning for you

I was reading Ephesians this morning as I was praying, and the scripture says God predestined us to adoption as sons (Ephesians 1:5). The Holy Spirit witnessed to me and said, you haven't paid attention to that the way you should. You don't understand what it means. This is what it means.

As a mother plans for the birth of her child, she buys clothes, she buys this, she buys that, and prepares everything for the arrival of this child. Even her body produces milk. Everything for the arrival of this child.

I made provision long before for you to be my son. I put everything into motion before you were born. It has nothing to do with how good you are. I preplanned. I did family planning for you. So everything you need to live a successful life on the earth like me, because you are my son, I have already planned, arranged and packaged for you.

Bishop Bloomer, February 6 to 8

(The host announces Bishop George Bloomer at Throne Room, February 6 to 8.)

Bishop Bloomer will be here the 6th to the 8th of February. As Minister Boris was saying, the message stuck. Echo chamber. He's a man of the word, a teacher, and I love him. When he shares some things, some religious demon starts running wild in you, confusion, because they're about to be cast out. They're about to lose their stronghold and their footing in your life. They start screaming, you've come to torment us before the time (Matthew 8:29). Like some of you got tormented this morning when I started talking about fasting. I know some of you will clip this and tell your pastor I said it. Yes. We need deliverance.

Mature sons

There are a lot of things done in the kingdom that God accepts when you're a child. But as we mature into sonship, mature sons. Somebody asked a question, I think it was Pastor Chris. He asked the women in the audience, would you like your ten-year-old son to still be breastfeeding? It makes you cringe. There's a season for that. When they reach a certain age, they start to cook for themselves.

It's so with God. Certain things God accepts. But even in the area of fasting, the Lord is saying to us, stop that foolishness. Fast. But before you fast, what are you fasting about? What needs to be accomplished in the realm of the spirit that requires this intensity, this separation? We need to know these things. Sometimes we don't know, and you're fasting and praying for the Lord to shed light. But whatever you do, don't go fasting because you want to fast for twenty-one days. You'll accomplish just what you set out to do: starve yourself and lose some weight.

Follow me as I follow the King

(Minister Boris closes on David's mighty men staying faithful before they were recognized.)

Follow me as I follow Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). When I read that verse, I think, follow me as I follow the sovereign. Follow me as I follow the King. Follow me as I follow the God over all gods. Follow me as I follow the one who holds the earth in place on nothing (Job 26:7), because he spoke a word and said let it be there when there was nothing.

I'm trying to hold my peace because there's so much coming out in there. We'll pick up next week.