The Jericho Principle (Excerpted)

AN EXCERPT FROM "THE JERICHO PRINCIPLE" (Section One)

As we prepare ourselves for being used by God, we must learn to be obedient to God and we must persevere in whatever mission God gives us. In the biblical account of Joshua, concerning the fall of Jericho, there is something to be learned about what I have come to refer to as "The Jericho Principle‟®. We learn that there was a plan. The plan was given by God. It was to be followed to the letter and it was to be carried out by the foot soldiers. With the plans successful completion, God would provide victory. When I first arrived at a new church appointment, I was given the responsibility of raising funds for a new church building. The cost would be one million dollars.

At first I was terrified. I had never been called upon to conduct a capital campaign and I had no idea how to go about it. Leadership reassured me, however, they had decades of experience doing this in many other cities and, over the years, they had developed a plan that, if followed, would assure success. They spent much time explaining the plan to me and then said it would be my responsibility to follow it through to a successful conclusion. With much trepidation, I began. First I assembled a committee of influential leaders who would make up a Capital Campaign Committee. Second, I retained fund raising counsel to give advice. And then, following their advice, I went about implementing the steps of the plan. The result was that, after just eleven months, our goal was met. In fact we exceeded it by four percent! I learned the importance of fol-lowing my leaders instruction and implementing the plan they had given me to the letter. God’s Plan for General Joshua In Joshua 6:1-20 we read the account of Joshua being given a plan to conquer Jericho. This plan was given to him by God.

The plan was a very specific one. Joshua would instruct his army to march once around the city on each of six days. On the seventh day they would march around the city seven times with the priests blowing rams horns. When his soldiers heard a long blast on the horns they would give out a great shout. The walls of Jericho would fall and God would deliver the city to them.

It is important to note that this plan was not one devised by Joshua. He certainly was a military leader who could have developed a strategy, had God chosen to leave him to his own resources and experience. However, God chose to provide the plan and required that His plan be followed. It was equally important for Joshua to give these instructions to his army who would carry them out. It has not escaped me that it was the foot soldiers who carried out the plan. Here we should realize that it would be God who provided the victory. The walls did not fall as a result of the marching or the great shout. They fell because God's instructions were carried out faithfully. Then, God willed the walls to fall.

Victorious Service Realized

 There are countless numbers of hymns written on the subject of victory. They are inspiring musical offerings which lift us up and encourage us in our service to God. One chorus, in particular, was one that my mother taught me when I was a small child. I remember that she would sing it over and over again. It was: "Ever is the war cry, victory, victory. Ever is the war cry, victory. Waft it on your banners; get it on your knees. Victory, Victory, Victory!" (William Howard Doane)

More than anything else, we desire victory in our Christian walk and we need victory in our Christian service. Joshua gained the victory because he was obedient to God. When God‟s people are victorious in their Christian service to the Almighty, people stand up and take notice. All around us are people whose lives are uneventful, or so it would seem to them. They are crying out for some meaning in their life. They experience the void that we all know exists in the sinners heart and those outside the faith are attracted to Christians, and fellowships, which are actively doing God's work and experiencing God‟s blessing.

The Plan Was Given By God

 When we discuss the nature of God‟s plan for our life we should understand that there is the general plan that God has given to all Christians through the Great Commission and there is the specific plan that He has for you. The general plan will bring new converts into the faith. The specific plan will incorporate a form of service that God will uniquely equip you for. In each case, victory will come through obedience.

The Great Commission

 The Great Commission is found in Mark 16:15. It commands us to go into the entire world and preach the gospel. This is quite a challenge! We should realize that it is in „our world‟, the immediate world around us, that our mission begins. It begins with our family and friends and then extends into our neighborhood and com-munity. The Great Commission is a plan for Christian outreach. It is a plan to bring into the fellowship of believers, those who are outside of the faith. You can be used of God to bring new Chris-tians into the fellowship if you are obedient. You will grow spiritually as this is realized in your life. Your church will benefit also as many of these new Christians will be drawn to your house of worship. Your efforts to preach the Gospel will help to grow your church community.

This is continued in my book, "That God May Use Me"