A Time to Declare

Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”

A declaration is a formal announcement, revealing your state or condition.

On the day of July 4th, 1776, the 2nd Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and declared why the 13 colonies that were at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as sovereign states. The Declaration of Independence was a momentous occasion in the history of the United States of America and has been a date we have celebrated ever since.

There have been many declarations made across cultures and times, but the most significant declaration has been the one the Lord made over His people.

Isaiah 48:17 “Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go.”

You may ask, what does a declaration over Israel have to do with us today?

If you are a follower of Christ, the same promise that God made through Israel is the promise that we have now been adopted into.

Galatians 3:29 “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise”

When we examine the declarations that God made over His people, we can receive those promises as our own.

What has God revealed?

Deuteronomy 31:8 “And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

Regardless of epidemics or evil rulers, sickness or death, heartache or financial loss, the promise of God hold true until the end.

Genesis 28:15 “Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

The promised land Israel expectantly waited for parallels the hope of Heaven God’s people wait for today—The hope of glory is to dwell with God in His presence forever. To those who have never known the presence of God o who have never tasted of His goodness, this promise carries little weight. For those who have partaken of His Spirit, there is a foreshadow of things to come. The expectation of the fullness of His presence in Heaven is worth more than anything this world can provide.

A Declaration of Victory

Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”

There is a spiritual war that is being waged against God’s people, it is one that can only be fought with spiritual weapons. If we submit to the Spirit in our lives, we are equipped with the weapons we need to take this battle to the enemy. We are not called to hold a defensive position but rather to storm the gates of Hell. Whoever goes through those gates, the Lord will go before them.

Deuteronomy 20:4 “For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’

Personally, the Lord has shown me His protection on more than one occasion.

~Once, when going out with a team on a Friday night to share the gospel we had a very fruitful night and it just seemed too good to end. We usually went out in 2’s or 3’s so as to be safe, as we traversed the alley’s and side building’s looking for those we could share the gospel. As the evening came to a close, I wanted to do one last loop in an area we hadn’t walked so I ventured off on my own. When I came to the end of the loop and was heading to my car, I saw one last homeless man walking toward me, so I approached him with my tracts and blankets. As we sat down on the curb to talk, I caught out of the corner of my eye a man who had been following me, he looked very suspicious and was looking across the street, so I glanced across the street and saw another man following me from that position as well. As I shared the gospel with that homeless man, I could tell those men had been tracking me to my car and were planning to jump me when I was alone. Once they realized I had spotted them, they seemed to have lost their nerve and reconvened down the street then off they went. I had never seen them before and assumed they were from out of town, many times gang’s would come into downtown and cause problems, I guessed this may have been the case since I never saw them again. I realized after I finished that conversation that the Lord had brought that last guy not only to witness to but so that He might protect me. The Lord confirmed to me that I was kept by His Hand, and no weapon formed against me could stand. This experience emboldened me years later to take even more risks in sharing the gospel that I might not have done otherwise.~

Psalm 91:11 “For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.”

There is an army of angels God has commissioned to protect His people.

1 Samuel 2:9 “He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.”

It doesn’t take much searching to prove that God is faithful. The declaration for His people is one of protection, strength, and blessings. The alternative for those who reject the Lord, is a declaration of hopelessness.

Leviticus 26:14-17 “If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments, and if you reject My statutes, despise My ordinances, and neglect to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, then this is what I will do to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting disease, and fever that will destroy your sight and drain your life. You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.”

There has been a declaration of war.

Where do you find yourself in this battle? Do you think that whoever is leading you now has any strength that can stand before the Lord of all glory….the Alpha and Omega?

There have been many who have tried to oppose the Lord and yet none have succeeded——-NOT ONE!

The absurdity of those who think they have any knowledge that God did not already form, any power that God has not provided, or any position that God did not allow, is the position of foolishness.

The declaration of the Lord is against those who defile His name.

Leviticus 26:40-42 “But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me—and I acted with hostility toward them and brought them into the land of their enemies—and if their uncircumcised hearts will be humbled and they will make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.”

The expectation of God is Obedience.

When the Lord declares a promise, His Word reveals His character. When He says He will bless you if you follow Him, His nature is to always act faithfully. If He says that He will bring trouble upon your head if you walk in rebellion, you can expect it is coming.

The Lord is always consistent in His work.

What has God declared to you?

There was a line that Moses formed in the desert for those who opposed God or who stood with Him—to stand apart from Him was to trust in man’s strength, to rely on false gods and leave fate to chance, for those who were with Him, there was an expectation of holiness. The line was referred to as the “line of Korah”.

Numbers 26:8-11 “It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the congregation, who fought against Moses and Aaron with the followers of Korah who rebelled against the LORD.  And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.  However, the line of Korah did not die out.”

The line of Korah still exists today. It separates the people of God from those who have chosen their own way. The people of God face against the enemies of the Lord. There is no standing on the line, you must take a side. The Light of God’s Truth has been revealed to you, now you must make a choice.

Choose wisely and declare your allegiance. The time is now.