the destruction of fortresses

This week we have been doing the Jericho March, a walk around Bethany for 6 days in which we pray for the fortresses of Satan to be overthrown in our community. Every year we do this in anticipation of this season when we move out on the beach and begin our worship services there on Sundays. We don’t think that there is some magical formula in circling the city for six days, but rather we think that it is so important that we begin this endeavor in earnest, concentrated, strategic prayer, because it is God who must do the real work in people’s hearts.

I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 10:3 which speaks to this: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” And this thought is continued in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Vs. 18, “With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.”

Scripture shows us repeatedly that God loves to do great things by just a few people, as it says in 1Corinthians 1:27 “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”

Naaman, the renowned Syrian general, almost missed out on the great healing of God of his leprosy, because he felt like the simple word of God was beneath his dignity. He derided the prophet who instructed him to wash 7 times in the Jordan, because certainly there were nice rivers at home to wash in. He didn’t need to get in the dirty old Jordan. But his servants said to him, “if God had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? Then why not do this simple thing, ‘wash and be clean’?”

I like the simple faith of Jonathan, King Saul’s son. He and his armor bearer got separated from the rest of the Israeli army in a great battle against Midian. And as they were wandering around they came upon the garrison of the Midianites. And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come, and let us cross over to the garrison of the uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few.” 1 Samuel 14:6. So Jonathan rushed upon this great multitude of enemy soldiers all by himself and slew 20 men in about a 50 yard stretch of ground, and God caused a trembling in the camp, then in the field and among all the people, and there was a great earthquake and God caused a great victory through the faith of Jonathan.

We have two more nights of the Jericho March, Friday and Saturday at 7pm in the parking lot at Ocean View Parkway. And then we will begin the first of our beach services on Sunday at 8am at Ocean View Parkway on the beach. We look forward to being part of a great work of the Lord this season. We invite you to join us.