“Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?”
Joshua 18:3 NKJV

2019 is a year to go and possess your promises! It’s time to take what is rightfully yours! I saw a picture of Jesus with his foot on the neck of the enemy, just like Joshua had the captains of Israel do to the five enemy kings (Josh. 10:24-25). As His foot was on the enemy’s neck, the Lord had a smile on His face as if to say the enemy has been subdued, go and take what is yours!

Many of us have promises from the Lord that we’ve been waiting on, but it’s time to take action with what the Lord has said! My latest album “Send Out Your Roar” started because of a prophetic word. The word was “now is the time to record your album.” You know what I did with that word? Nothing! Until a month after that I got another word of the same nature and with the same phrase “now is the time!” And not too long after that, two more words with the exact same phrase! I needed to take action.

The key word in the prophecy was “NOW”! Not later, but now. Joshua asked the children of Israel,“How long will you neglect to go and possess the land…?” And God is saying to us in 2019, it’s time to do something with the words He has spoken and the promises He has given! We don’t need to wait for the circumstances to be perfect, we just need to begin to move towards what God said is ours.

The challenge is that many people feel imprisoned in the land of their promise. They feel held captive by fear, shame, accusations, limitations and the like. It’s like they’re right there in the midst of the promised land, yet not able to enjoy it. This is where Israel was in 1 Sam. 17:11. They listened to the tauntings of Goliath for 40 days and ended up thoroughly disheartened and greatly afraid. The land they were standing in was rightfully theirs, but they were held captive by fear and lies.

It’s time to break free from the limitations by the glorious gospel of Jesus! Did you know that the blood of Jesus washes you from what you’ve done, but the broken body of Jesus made a way to give you a new nature? It’s one thing to cleanse my past and my actions from guilt, but it’s another thing to defeat shame and change my nature!

Romans 6:6 says, “...our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

Then Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

When Jesus died on the cross, He crucified our old nature; the sinful nature passed on to us from Adam. All the sinful tendencies have been crucified. When He resurrected, He left the old nature in the grave, rose with newness of life and we have it in Him! He bought for us a new creation nature! It’s time to see the limitations of shame, fear, guilt and condemnation buried in the grave and enter into the reality that we are new creations! Your new nature has godly tendencies, full freedom, peace and communion with the Lord.

The other challenge was that Israel was well able to fight, yet no one swung a sword. They ran to the battle lines every day yet never fought - they just listened to Goliath. I believe many in the church are over-equipped and under employed. Not because there isn’t opportunity, but because they didn’t take opportunity when it was presented. People pass opportunity because it looks like servant-hood, or too small with not enough accolades. But Jesus taught that if you’re faithful in the little, you’ll be trusted with much.

We’ve got to do something with what we’ve got! Many of us have had training after training and equipping after equipping - it’s time to activate! We were created to do good works! It’s one of the things that will bring fulfillment in your life - when you do something with what you’ve got. Whatever the opportunity is, let 2019 be a year where you use everything God has given you!

Here’s your 2019 verse found in John 20:19 - “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.””

Jesus is about to walk through your limitations, stand in your midst and release His peace on you. Why? So you can go forth and take what’s rightfully yours with confidence.

Questions to ponder:

• What is rightfully yours in Christ that you aren’t possessing today?

• How will you enforce the victory of Jesus cross and resurrection to break free and take hold of what is yours?

• What prophetic word or promise do you need to start going after today?