Joshua 5:8, "And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp Until They Were Healed." (NIV)
BEFORE the nation of Israel could go into the Promised Land…THEY HAD TO BE CIRCUMCISED FIRST!
Circumcision is Painful, Bloody, and Personal, However, For the BELIEVER…SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!
God REQUIRES each of us to be Circumcised IN HEART BEFORE we are allowed to enter and receive the blessings that await each believer in the Promised Land!
Circumcision can often be very Painful, but it is always Purposeful!
Circumcision Requires Cutting Off Our Old Way Of Life! 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]." (AMP); Romans 6:4, "We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways]." (AMP) I reiterate circumcision requires cutting off our old way of life! And when you look at circumcision in the Natural, what is Cut Away is neither kept, Reused, or Put Back in Place! IT'S COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY DISCARDED…NEVER TO BE REATTACHED AGAIN!
Can You Imagine If We Had Our Lifestyles Circumcised To The Extent That Nothing That Was Cut Away Ever Reattaches Again?
CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING THAT NASTY ATTITUDE CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN?! THAT DISOBEDIENT NATURE CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN? THAT LUSTFUL SPIRIT CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN? THAT PERVERSE MOUTH CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN? THAT BOASTFUL, PRIDEFUL, ARROGANT, CONCEITED, ENTITLED DEMEANOR CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN?! THOSE CORRUPT COMPANIONS, ASSOCIATES, AND FRIENDS CIRCUMCISED THAT THEY NEVER REATTACH AGAIN? THAT JUDGMENTAL, CRITICIZING, CONDESCENDING, BELITTLING BEHAVIOR CIRCUMCISED THAT THEY NEVER REATTACH AGAIN?! THAT HABIT/ADDICTION CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN? WHAT WOULD THE CHURCH LOOK LIKE IF THAT BACKBITING, SLANDERING, GOSSIPING, LYING, RUMOR-FILLED TONGUE WAS CIRCUMCISED, NEVER TO REATTACH AGAIN?! WHAT IF JEALOUSY, COVETING, ENVY, COMPARING, AND COMPETING WERE CIRCUMCISED, NEVER TO REATTACH AGAIN?! WHAT IF BITTERNESS, ANGER, SPITE, MALICIOUSNESS, UNFORGIVENESS, AND HATRED WERE CIRCUMCISED, NEVER TO REATTACH AGAIN?!
THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF CIRCUMCISION (SPIRITUALLY AND NATURALLY) …IT IS PURPOSED TO CUT AWAY WHAT'S NOT NECESSARY SO THAT IT'S NEVER ALLOWED TO REATTACH AGAIN!
And Despite What You Have Heard, Circumcision, Both Natural and Spiritual, Is NOT Gender-Specific! Both Males and Females Have Been Circumcised (HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE LORD'S PREFERENCE (According to the Word of God) IS MEN NATURALLY, AND MEN AND WOMEN SPIRITUALLY …READ YOUR BIBLE SAINTS!)
SO, HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN CIRCUMCISED YET?! Have you finally decided to get rid of some UNNECESSARY Stuff (WHICH INCLUDES PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS, CONDUCT, BEHAVIOR, THOUGHTS, DEEDS, SPEECH ETC…)? Have You Matured Enough to Go Without the Stuff You Should Be Without in the First Place!?
And bear in mind, just as a natural circumcision takes time to heal, so does a spiritual one! The truth is it is not easy having God cut away some stuff and people that have been attached to us for an exceptionally long time. And it does not even matter if we already know they are poisonous, toxic, and infectious; they have been attached to us too long for them to be detached without wound or pain easily! So, when you are ready to reap the promises of God for your life and finally decide to be circumcised, you will need time to heal. This is why like the children of Israel, we must WAIT UNTIL WE ARE HEALED BEFORE WE GO FORTH INTO THE PROMISED LAND!
If we launch out too early, we will not only be Ineffective, but we may Risk Infection and Disease and will not be at our Full Capacity! You see, circumcision opens you up to Vulnerability and Pain, two things none of us like to be in! And when you think about it (I pray you can handle this) but circumcision is in a very Private Area, not just Private, But Vital to Life! It is an Organ Where LIFE Itself Is Produced! It All Starts Right There! Yep, I Said it. Nicely! This Very Place Will Release a Seed for Something to Be Birthed (9 Months Later) So It Is Indeed the LAST Place You Want Infected! Hello!
Remember what the Bible says about the Israelites: "And after the whole nation had been Circumcised, THEY REMAINED WHERE THEY WERE IN CAMP UNTIL THEY WERE HEALED" – Joshua 5:8 (NIV) You Cannot Go Forth Until You Have Been Circumcised and Healed! So you Have to Stay Right Where You Are! Yes, they had the place of promise before them, but they could not attain it: "…UNTIL THEY WERE HEALED"! And You Are No Different! Yes, God has Great Things to Be Produced from Your Loins, but BEFORE He Does, You Will Be Circumcised, Then Made to Wait Right Where You Are (In a Vulnerable and Painful Place) Until You Are Healed!
When a Circumcision takes place, the doctors give clear instructions on what to wash with, how often, what cream to use, what to do for the pain, etc. and if you are smart, You Will Follow the Doctors Orders! The very same with a Spiritual Circumcision, yes, It Is Going to Hurt, Some of the Things and People He's Going to Cut Away Have Been Attached for a Very Long Time, and Many of Those Attachments Have Been Private, So When He Removes Them, It Is Going to Hurt, But It Will Not Hurt Always! However, In the Meantime, After He Cuts Things/People Away (That You Do Not Need Anyway) and you Follow His Instructions on How to Recover, Your Painful Experience Will Be, but a Memory as You Enjoy the Promised Land!
BUT…YOU HAVE TO BE CIRCUMCISED, STAY WHERE YOU ARE, AND HEAL…FIRST!
Pay attention to the text: "And after the whole nation had been Circumcised, THEY REMAINED WHERE THEY WERE IN CAMP UNTIL THEY WERE HEALED" – Joshua 5:8 (NIV) You don't get to say, 'Lord I've been Circumcised, and all is well! I'm better now, and I'm delivered now.' NO! You must remain right where you are UNTIL YOU ARE HEALED!
In other words, you do not get Promoted When Circumcised! You Remain Right Where You Are! God Is Not Taking Any More Lip Service From His People! This Time, To Attain The Promise, You Are Going To Go Through The Pain Of Circumcision…And Then You're Going To Sit Right Where You Are Until You're Healed And Completely Delivered! Can you imagine if, as Leaders, we endured this and made sure others endured it as well?! Remain Where You Are Until You Are Healed! Do You Know How Many Compassionate, Humble Folks Would Then Make Up the Church Body?! Instead of the Highly Decorated Peacocks, We Have Poised in the Pews and Pulpit?!
Here is another reason why waiting until you are completely healed and delivered is so important: The people of Israel fought ONLY 2 BATTLES when they were coming out of Egypt. However, in the Promised Land, they fought 39 BATTLES! Wait For It.
You see, far too many in the church believe that once we get to the promise or promised land, we get glad, and it is happy to go lucky every day! We will have no more problems, no more headaches, no more struggles, no more trials! ALL OF THAT IS A LIE THAT SHOULD NEVER BE TOLD…NO MORE!
The Truth Is: Israel Fought More And Tougher Battles In The Promised Land Than The Ones Getting To It! That's Why You Need To Make Sure You Are Circumcised…First! And Then Wait And Make Sure You Are Completely Healed And Delivered (Reattaching Nothing That Was Severed!) Because You Will Need Your Full Strength For The Battles That Lie Ahead In Your Promised Land!
Each of us must be prepared to enjoy the benefits of living in the Promised Land. And that Preparation Is Spiritual Circumcision! However, we must also be prepared to wage war against the enemy of our souls. Therefore, make sure the Lord has provided the needed healing to your circumcision experience before you enter the Promised Land!
I find it so amazing that Natural Circumcision Meant Much in the Old Testament. Still, in the New Testament, For Believers, Paul Pays Natural Circumcision No Mind and Instead He Talks About the Circumcision of the Heart! He Goes Through Colossians, Galatians, and Romans, talking about the Pointless Need of Natural Circumcision and the Value and Importance of Spiritual Circumcision of the Heart. There must be something to it, do not you think?!
"Look out for those dogs [Judaizers, legalists], look out for those mischief-makers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances—…" (Philippians 3:2-4 AMP)
"In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts). [Thus, you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him from the dead." (Colossians 2:10-12 AMP)
Today, ask God to perform a Spiritual Circumcision on Your Heart! Ask Him to Remove Anything and Anyone that Serves No Purpose to Your Growth in Him! And When He Removes It and Them, Do Not Attempt to Reattach Either One!
You Have a Promise Land and Bigger Battles Ahead of You, and You Cannot Afford to Be Unprepared! So Be Brave and Ask God to Use the Sword of His Word and Cut You. TODAY!
"For the Word, that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 AMP)
The Message Bible reads like this: "God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one are impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it—no matter what." (Hebrews 4:12-13 MSG)
It is vital that you have your Heart Circumcised. God has so much in store for you that will only benefit and bless you once you have detached unnecessary people, places, and things. Let nothing and no one come between you and what God has already gotten ready for you. Remember: God is only removing people, places, and things that are non-essential to your journey, life, ministry, calling, promise, and purpose. So, make no attempts to hold onto what God's hands have already determined you do not need. He has a plan and a promise just for you, but you have got to be prepared to receive it, and the only way that will happen is through circumcision. Do not miss your blessing, do not miss your promise! Let it and they go, today, and let neither one return!
Joshua 5:8, "When they had completed the circumcising of the WHOLE NATION, they stayed where they were in camp until they were healed." (MSG)
Something else that is important to note is that the WHOLE NATION was circumcised. It is not enough for you alone to endure this process, but everyone attached to you must as well. This means it is crucial to make sure that your home and your church family are all walking through the process of circumcision. Since you are going into the promise and promised land with you, you need to make sure that the Whole House has been Cut, Healed, Ready to Enter the Promised Land, and Ready to Fight Even Greater Battles! Mom and Dad, it is not enough that only you have been delivered, but your children need deliverance too! Pastor and Leaders, it is not enough that only you have been cut, made to wait, endure healing, and get ready to enter the promised land! No, the Whole House needs to be on the same page!
Joshua 24:15, "…but as for me AND MY HOUSE, WE will serve the Lord." That is not singular; that is plural! Meaning everybody in the house will have to follow the same house rules! We all get circumcised; we all must stay right where we are until we are healed, then we all will go into the promised land, fight, and win! This is a collective effort, not an individualized event! And so, your prayer life will change. Because it must shift from 'me, my, mine, and I' to 'us, we, and the whole house!'
Joshua 5:8-9, "And the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have ended your shame of not being circumcised." So, the place where this was done was called Gilgal (meaning, "to end"), and is still called that today. After the ceremony, the entire nation rested in camp until the raw flesh of their wounds had been healed." (TLB) Another good thing to note is that regardless of who you were, or what you did, or where you were, the shame is gone after the process of circumcision has been completed! They were circumcised in Gilgal! It was the circumcision to end the guilt of their painful past! A Gilgal means to an end or rolls away! As painful as your circumcision will be, it serves a greater purpose than just pain! It closes the door on the past! It ends the shame of what was and prepares you for what is to come! So, do not underestimate your process of circumcision! It is a good thing that shall work in your favor!
And do not rush the process either! Yes, it is a painful time, place, and technique, but it is also a place where God grants you rest until your wounds have healed! This means, when your circumcision is complete, do not rush to start the business, open a new church, buy a house or car, and seek to enter the ministry or elevate in it! This is not about any of that! This is your time to let the people, places, and things God severed from you heal. You cannot cut away from the flesh and not give it time to heal! You need the memories to heal, and you need the 'what ifs to heal, you need the regrets to heal, you need the pain to heal. So do not rush the process; let God do the cutting, and you do the waiting while healing.
And please do not think of your process of circumcision as a horrible place either! In Gilgal, yes, there was the pain of circumcision. However, do not forget some of the other things that transpired in Gilgal. It was also the place of the first encampment of the Israelites west of the Jordan River, where a monument was erected to commemorate their passage across the Jordan River! Joshua 4:19-24, " That day the entire nation crossed the Jordan River and camped in Gilgal at the eastern edge of the city of Jericho, and there the twelve stones from the Jordan were piled up as a monument. Then Joshua explained the purpose of the stones again: "In the future," he said, "when your children ask you why these stones are here and what they mean, you are to tell them that these stones are a reminder of this amazing miracle—that the nation of Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground! Tell them how the Lord our God dried up the river right before our eyes and then kept it dry until we were across! It is the same thing the Lord did forty years ago at the Red Sea! He did this so that all the nations of the earth will realize that Jehovah is the mighty God and so that all of you will worship him forever." (TLB). It was also the place where the Passover was kept Joshua 5:10, "While they were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover." (TLB); it was also the place where their first king was crowned, and altars were built, and sacrifices offered 1 Samuel 11:15, "So they went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord, they crowned him king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all Israel were delighted." (TLB); it was also the place of the school of the prophets: 2 Kings 4:38-40, "Elisha now returned to Gilgal, but there was a famine in the land. One day as he was teaching the young prophets…" (TLB); in addition, it was the place where the Tribe of Judah escorted King David and the very place Joshua conquered!
In other words, do not get stuck in this temporary place! You are not going to stay here forever! But also, know that God has done some amazing things even in painful areas! Do not despise your place of Gilgal, it is sad, but it is purposeful! It will not last forever; it is the place of your healing, it is the place of your resting, it is the place where your past shame comes to an end, and most important, it is the place that will lead you into your promised land and victorious battles! There are benefits and blessings to the process of circumcision, and you must endure the painful waiting period of healing to get them! My suggestion? Endure Your Process of Circumcision!
Jeremiah 4:4, "Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the Lord and remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] And burn, and there will be no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your acts." (AMP)
Deuteronomy 30:6, "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants [that is, He will remove the desire to sin from your heart] so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live [as a recipient of His blessing]." (AMP)
"Without this heart attitude, it is exceedingly difficult for us to accept the circumcision of the flesh. Every affection, desire, thought, knowledge, intent, worship, and work of the flesh must go to the cross." (Watchman Nee)
Do Not Despise Your Painful Process of Circumcision in the Place of Gilgal (the Place Where You Get Cut, You Wait, You Heal, and the pain Comes to an End Before You Enter Your Promised Land!) Do not Despise Gilgal; embrace it; it is the Place That Will Lead You to Your Promised Land!
J.P. Olson
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