Timely Insights into God's Word from Khandielese Reyes

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?  Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even amount their own stuff.  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.  Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, UNTIL ye TAKE AWAY the accursed thing from among you.  In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.  And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel” (Jos 7:10-15) 

What happens when we openly and blatantly go against the commandments of the LORD GOD?  What happens when we ALLOW evil and corruptible things to dwell among us?  What happens when we REFUSE to repent and continue in sin?  It is then The LORD GOD REMOVES His presence from us.  Thus, our prayers are hindered, we then have NO “spiritual” protective covering, we are virtually on our own!  As the children of Israel were here in the Book of Joshua, UNTIL they REMOVED from amongst them, the “Accursed Things.” 

When the Lord God spoke to Joshua concerning the city “Jericho”, He declared that he’d given the city to them and spoke to him a warning in these words written in chapter 6 verse 18-19 regarding what should be brought back to their camp and what should not.  In order that they not become defiled, and not become tempted by the paganism worship of the Canaanites, Thus saith the Lord: “And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.  But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.” All of Israel obeyed these words except one named Achan of the tribe of Judah.  Upon entering into the city of Jericho, he came upon a “Babylonian garment”, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels and desired them.  Thus he took these things and buried them in the dirt in his tent.  Not only did Achan disobey the Lord’s instructions to keep away from the “Accursed things”, he also violated the Tenth Commandment of God which speaks against covetousness.   

Now, Israel being unaware of the sin of Achan, sent 3,000 men to attack the land of “Ai” where the Amorites dwelled.  They were confident that they’d overtake the city as the spies reported back that the people were few who dwelled there. Israel did not know The LORD had removed himself and his protective covering from them because Achan had brought into the camp, the accursed things.  Thus, when they went to attack “Ai”, they discovered they themselves were under attack and they fled from the men of Ai, but not before 36 men of Israel lost their lives.   When the sin of Achan was discovered, Israel repented.  However sadly, because of the sin of greed, covetousness, and disobedience of ONE man, 35 others along with Achan and his family had to lose their lives. 

Just as the Lord warned Israel through His prophet Joshua, He gives the SAME warning to the CHURCH today: “REMOVE THE ACCURSED THINGS” From among you!  For we will NOT be able to stand against our enemies UNTIL we TAKE AWAY the accursed things.  For there are some within the body, who are serving and worshiping IDOLS and NOT the LORD GOD!  There are some that are serving their wealth and NOT God!  There are some that are serving their great possessions and NOT God!  There are some who are serving the very lust and filth of the flesh and NOT God!  There is the stench, OUT in the open for ALL to witness,  of foul and wicked sin within the church and yet we’ve passively turned a blind eye to it, we’ve shut out hears that we may not hear, and deem it all as the “their problem, their sin” thus, it shall not affect the whole body!  Be not fooled!   For when cancer has entered into the body it begins to SPREAD….UNLESS IT IS REMOVED!!!  

Notice here in the book of Joshua the Lord spoke to Joshua concerning the evil that Achan had done by saying….”ISRAEL HATH SINNED, AND THEY HAVE ALSO TRANSGRESSED MY COVENANT WHICH I COMMANDED THEM: FOR THEY HAVE EVEN TAKEN OF THE ACCURSED THING, AND HAVE ALSO STOLEN, AND DISSEMBLED ALSO, AND THEY HAVE PUT IT EVEN AMONG THEIR OWN STUFF.” (Jos 7:11)   Notice how the Lord did not mention “Achan” but referred to the sin as being ISRAEL’S SIN.  Because of the sin of ONE the whole camp suffered UNTIL the evil thing was removed from them!  The Lord did not view them individually, but as a WHOLE when it came to the breaking of HIS commandment.   He further explains to Joshua the reason why they were defeated when they went up to attack “Ai”……”THEREFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL COULD NOT STAND BEFORE THEIR ENEMIES, BUT TURNED THEIR BACKS BEFORE THEIR ENEMIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE ACCURSED: NEITHER WILL I BE WITH YOU ANY MORE, EXCEPT YE DESTROY THE ACCURSED FROM AMONG YOU” (Jos 7:12)

This is the warning for the Church today!  REPENT, and REMOVE from our midst the things that corrupt the body and that are CONTRARY to the Word and Will of the Father!  These things CANNOT REMAIN AMONG US!  For the Lord will NOT go before us, nor give us power to defeat our enemies UNTIL WE REMOVE THE CANCER THAT IS EATING AWAY THE BODY!!  SANCTIFY OURSELVES!! RETURN BACK TO THE LORD IN GENUINE SORROW FOR THE SINS WE HAVE COMMITTED AGAINST HIM!  For the Spirit of The Lord will NOT dwell, where there is SIN!  How can we COLLECTIVELY come before the Lord in prayer, seeking his blessings upon a Nation that has TURNED FROM HIM and yet we EXPECT him to answer while we ALLOW wickedness and evil to remain within us!  We refused to be cleansed, to be purified, to be sanctified, to be SET APART for the Glory of God, and yet we desire HE answer our prayers.  We speak NOT against the sins WITHIN the body, but are ALWAYS readily desirous and willing to speak of the sins OUTSIDE the body, the sins of the world of which we are NOT the judge.  The very same wickedness and sins that are present in the world, are ALSO present in the Church, and yet we shut our eyes to the sin of the church and open them WIDE to the sins of the world!  We shall not escape the wrath of God if we continue in disobedience.  WHERE is our boldness!!  Where is our LOYALTY to the LORD GOD of whom we profess to LOVE!  Why are we NOT ASHAMED?  Why have we not come before Him as Achan did, and CONFESS of our sins against HIM and REMOVE such from the midst of us!  Why are our hearts not filled with Godly sorrow, that LEADS to repentance? If Israel, His Chosen were not spared because of disobedience, how on earth do we think that we can escape his wrath if we continue in disobedience?  For JUDGEMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD!

I love you all so very much. Have a blessed week in the Lord and remember: Whatever we do, do ALL for the GLORY of GOD, who ALONE is worthy of the GLORY and the PRAISE!

May the peace of the Lord be with you today and always…….

Khandielese
Daughter & Servant
   of the Lord God