Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus the Christ,

“13) As Joshua approached Jericho, he looked up and saw a man facing him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you friend or foe?’ 14) ‘Neither one,’ he replied. ‘I am commander of the LORD’s army.” Joshua 5:13-14 (NLT)

 GOD has many Names which describe the various aspects of Him, and (for some undefined reason) I’m particularly fond of Yahweh Sabaoth or Jehovah Sabaoth which means LORD of Hosts (1Sa 1:3 & 17:45; 2Sa 6:2 & 7:26-27; 1Ki 19:10,14; 1Ch 11:9; Isaiah 6:1-5; James 5:4 [KJV & NKJV]). Hosts “refers to armies but also to all the heavenly powers”.¹ Yes, the Sovereign Lord God Almighty has an army and it cannot be defeated. The response of the Commander of the LORD’s Army to Joshua, that he was neither friend nor foe, pertains to the fact that Angels of God are valued messengers sent of the LORD which includes being assigned to you and I; yet they only move or do in keeping with the Word of God. Therefore, if those reconciled unto the Family of God by the blood of Jesus speak contrary to the WORD, the Angels of God don’t move. (And) most likely wonder why we aren’t putting them to work on our own behalf. The Angels of God were compelled to exit the earth when the first Adam/Man used free-will to commit high treason, turning-over man’s dominion and lease of the earth to Satan. But GOD! . . . The Living One who was dead, buried and resurrected is alive forevermore, and now holds the keys to death and Hades (Revelation 1:18). Only by the redemptive work of Christ Jesus did the Angels of God flood back into the earth at Pentecost. Hallelujah! The world will witness more and more of the mighty works of GOD manifested through man (i.e., male, female), as they come to know Whose they are and who they are in Christ Jesus. The boldness that Joshua exhibited as relayed in Scripture had everything to do with the fact that Joshua was confident about his blood covenant with God. When Moses would leave the “Tent of Meeting” or Tabernacle, his assistant – Joshua remained in the midst of the glory (Exodus 33:11). Joshua believed God and acted upon His Word. By the grace of God, we have a better covenant with God because it was ratified by the blood of Jesus. Hallelujah! It appears, however, that those rendered sons and daughters of GOD by the Blood lack awareness about the power within them by the finished work of Christ Jesus and/or scant desire to exercise it. Though they operated by faith for salvation, it seems they’ve opted to remain at the threshold of the cross; perhaps unaware that salvation is the beginning or entry into every right and privilege restored to each son & daughter of God. Jesus is Lord because He did His part by walking in perfect obedience to the will of God on behalf of all mankind. Those of us who are “in Him” are expected to do our part. In other words, we are not waiting on GOD, He is waiting on us. The power of GOD is in you (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:20).

Speak the promise . . . Harriet 

¹ Zondervan. (1997). Life Application Study Bible: New International Version. (p. 541). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.