Faith and family values go hand-in-hand. This month you’ll learn to put your values in action while bringing your family to faith! In this message, Pastor Jentezen delivers three lessons from Rahab’s story that will help your home stand against the enemy’s attack. Watch it now and request your Foundations box set for teachings that will give your family a lasting legacy!
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today I want to tie this message of
Joshua chapter 2 to our lives and I want
to speak to you on the power of the
scarlet cord because it’s so powerful
when you understand what is taking place
here and how it affects us today I want
to give you three things I’ve just got
three points quick easy points that I
want to give you about the story but you
know the only thing standing between our
families and destruction is the blood of
Jesus Christ that scarlet cord it was a
simple little scarlet cord tied in the
window and yet when destruction came
when problem when the enemy wanted to
destroy their home because there was a
scarlet cord that house stood I was
thinking about how that the greatest
threat to our home is not what happens
in Washington DC
I hear people ranting and raving and
certainly we need to be praying and we
need to vote and all of that for four
things of our convictions and the Word
of God and always stand with the word of
God but there is nothing that Washington
DC has done that can affect my home the
greatest danger to my home is not what
Washington DC does the greatest danger
to my home is not what Hollywood does
the greatest danger to my home is what
goes on in my home Hollywood cannot
invade my home I have to invite them in
filth cannot invade my home all that
stuff going on out there it really can’t
get in my home unless I invite it into
my home so the greatest danger is not
what they do
it’s what I do and what we do in our
homes and this story is amazing you see
the battle today is the battle over our
spiritual legacy which is our families
when you say that you’ve been married 26
years like Charisse and I on you and you
have five children and they all love God
and they all serve God and they all are
unashamed and have been filled with the
Holy Spirit people look at you like you
have three
yours or something they can’t believe
that you can raise a Christian family
and all of your children love God and
serve God just like you did for
generation after generation but he can
be done our children are worth the fight
our grandchildren are worth the fight
our marriages are worth the fight our
families are worth the fight so fight
the fight it’s worth it
it is our spiritual legacy our families
the setting is one of Jericho Jericho
with its impregnable walls the walls
were so thick that chariots could race
on the top for entertainment of the
inhabitants of Jericho and God said that
it would be the first city that they
would take when they conquered the
Promised Land so Joshua was sent in two
spies to spy out the city and they tried
to be unnoticed but someone noticed that
there were strangers in the city and
reported it to the king and when they
when they reported it they noticed that
they had slipped in to the house of
rehab the harlot and so soldiers were
sent to arrest and soldiers were sent to
capture these spies and take them back
to the king but when they got there the
scripture said that Rahab
hid them not just under her roof but in
the roof in stalks of flax she made them
ill and covered them in the material
that made her roof and so when the
soldier searched the house they could
not find these two men and she made up a
story and she said they they went out
the gate they were here but they went
out the gate as the gate was closing and
they went that direction and if your
hurry you can catch them in the in the
end the soldier scurried out and there
she was with these two spies and they
said help us escape and they go to the
window that was on the house that was on
the wall and they opened a window and
she begins to let them down through with
a cord but the Bible said that she said
something before she agreed to help them
she said I want one thing from you
she could she could have asked for a lot
of things she could have asked for gold
because they had it they had just come
out of Egypt and they had all the gold
that they had been given she could have
asked for a big estate because they were
about to take land that that hat that
was flowing with milk and honey and she
could have been set up but she said if I
can only have one thing this is the one
thing that I asked of you I want my
family to be saved more than I want
house more than I want land more than I
want money more than I want anything
this whole world can offer I love this
this woman Rahab the harlot because
something in her loved her family enough
to say out of all of the things that I
could ask for the most important thing
that I can get from you is I want my
family to be saved what a powerful
powerful word to get our family saying
she took a scarlet cord I’m sure it was
a thick rope but it was a red rope a
scarlet cord and she hung it out the
window and I’m just using this little
prompt but she hung it out the window
and they climbed down and then when they
climbed down the man said leave it in
the window bind it notice the orders
bind it upon your window and get your
family in the house and everybody who is
in the house will be saying what a good
word all of them will be saved we ought
to claim that this morning all of them
come on let’s just let’s just make a
powerful confession all of my family
will be safe
I feel joy in my soul all of my family
all of my children my grandchildren my
great great grandchildren I’m preaching
now but thirty forty years from now the
blood cord can-can weave its way all the
way for generations and tie up my kids
and my kids kids and my kids kids kids
hallelujah now I want to give you
quickly three quick lessons number one
and once you get excited over this point
I’m telling you in advance so you will
get excited because it’s a powerful
point even though it’s simple this story
teaches me these three lessons number
lesson number one your family can be
saved no matter what your background is
she was a harlot she was morally unfit
she was socially bankrupt she was not
running a motel 6 on the wall she was
running a brothel she was a prostitute
and God did not say I’m sorry you’ve
asked me to save your family but you
have so much baggage that there’s no way
I can do that nope
he said come on in the family sis I know
you’ve got baggage and I know you’ve got
a pass but if you just get a hold of
that scarlet cord that represents the
blood of Jesus Christ it does not matter
about your background and how bad you
messed up I can still save your children
some of you have such guilt some of you
have such shame some of you almost have
accepted I’m reaping what I sowed
because I leave this stuff and now my
children and my children’s children that
is not in the Word of God the blood of
Jesus has caused you to become a new
creation in Christ and your family can
be saved regardless of your background I
need somebody to shout if you believe
I’m preaching truth
God honored the cry of her heart even
with a horrible background and saved her
whole family no matter what road you
took to get to Calvary if any man be in
Christ he is a new creation the old
things have passed away and behold all
things are new and listen to this I
wrote this down on the airplane there is
nothing in your past stronger than the
blood of Jesus Christ
the devil can’t reach in my past and
condemn me and say my children are going
to be lost because I was in the things
and did things because I’m a new
creation in Christ that Old Testament
Tabernacle had the Ark of the Covenant
it was the God box and in it were three
things there was the pot of manna they
took some of the manner that God fed
them within the wilderness and put it in
a pot and put it down in that box they
took the rod that budded supernaturally
a dead stick that came to life and they
put it into that box and they took the
tables of stone that Moses brought down
off of the mountain that God with his
own finger wrote the Ten Commandments
with and they took those and put them in
that box then they took a covering and
they put it it was called the mercy seat
and then they took blood and they would
sprinkle the blood seven times a day on
the mercy seat and I’ve heard people say
well that was God’s museum box it was
supposed to be a testimony to the
children of Israel of God’s faithfulness
and that could be seen that way but
really if it was a testimony box nobody
ever got to hear the testimony because
it was in the Holy of Holies and only
one man on one day out of all the people
of Israel got to go in and could
actually see the table of stone and the
and the budding rod in the and the and
the pot of manna no none of the other
people it was inaccessible they could
not get to it
so why did God put that in that box and
then put a mercy seat on top of it and
covered in blood because all three of
those things were rooted in the worst
failures of Israel the only reason that
the tables of stone were broken and put
in the box was because when Moses came
down off of the mountain the children of
Israel were dancing around idols dancing
before the golden calf and he got mad
and threw the stones down and broke them
and they picked them up and put them
inside
the box but it was rooted in their
failure in their idolatry the only
reason that there was a bloody dead
stick that came alive and began to
produce almonds was because a woman and
a man named Cora enter and enter and the
children of Israel rose up and they
tried to they tried to usurp authority
over Moses in the leadership and God
said I’ll tell you who my leader is he
said tell all of the children of Israel
the leaders to bring their dead stick
and the one that comes alive would be
the one that I choose to be my leader
and the only reason that it was there
was because they were full of rebellion
and tried to do things their way and God
slew fifteen thousand of them and Cora
had leprosy and the only reason that the
pot of manna was there and God gave man
it was because they complained and
whined and said we don’t like the food
and God said I’ll just send the same
thing for 40 days for 40 years and you
eat it morning noon and night if you
complain about my cooking here take this
and the only reason it was in there
listen to me carefully was all three of
those items were deeply rooted in the
failures of Israel and God took their
worst failures put it in the Box put a
thing called mercy overtop of them
because mercy is always over the law and
then he covered it in blood and there
came a time when the box was kidnapped
by the Philistines and they decided they
were going to lift off the mercy and the
blood and reach into the box and pull
out the past failures of Israel and when
they did fifty thousand of them were
slain God was saying don’t you ever when
I put something under the blood and
under the mercy of God don’t you ever
let anybody lift the lid and try to dig
out what I have already covered in my
blood and in my mercy you don’t hear me
don’t you let the enemy tell you that he
has a right to your children if it’s
under the blood he can’t remember
the mercy seat my children are under the
blood come on my children are under the
mercy of God
whoo let’s just take a praise break
everybody thank him that your past is
covered anybody got a pass that you’re
glad can’t curse your children because
the mercy and the blood have covered it
so maybe your dad wasn’t alcoholic but
your children aren’t going to be and
maybe you’ve had a problem but your
children don’t have to today the blood
of Jesus Christ can reach beyond your
background and save and set free the
second thing that I want you to see in
this story is he said Rahab if your
family is going to be saved there’s
going to be work involved on your part
take the cord and bind it in the window
he did not say have the priest do it he
did not say it’s the pastor’s job he did
not say have the youth pastor if you
want your children say tie and bind is
the word the cord in the window no he
said if you want your family saved then
you have to get involved if you want
your family to go to heaven you have to
get involved you have to do something
about it
you take the scarlet cord and you bind
it in the window you put it there you
put it there every time you pray moms
and dads call your children’s names out
and put that cord and bind it there fast
for them pray for them when you get a
burden for them call their name out in
prayer put the cord there mom put the
cord there dad grandparents put the cord
there pray and fast and pray and fast
and believe God for your family you do
something get up every day and
sure that scarlet cord is there I’m sure
if you understood that if the cord was
not there the family would be destroyed
so if something’s not important I’m sure
the last thing she did before she went
to sleep is she went and checked the
cord I’m sure the first thing she did
when she got up in the morning and she
went and she checked the cord have I got
the blood on my children have I got the
blood on my house have I got the blood
because without the blood we can’t
overcome the culture that we’re in it’s
a culture of death but if we’ve got the
blood no matter what’s going on out
there we’ll have victory in here as long
as we’ve got blood check it recheck it
every day every morning keep checking up
making sure your family is safe be sure
be very very sure that cord is there
every day pray for him every day called
her name in prayer every day every day
every day bind it
he didn’t say scotch tape it bind it you
got a nail some things down neither is
our salvation by any other name you must
be born again and you have to sew nail
it down into their spirit that when they
go there no wind of doctrine no faults
wind of doctrine can come along and just
blow it away if it’s bound if you bound
it into their spirits if you’ve taught
it until they understand then then
nothing can remove no wind defaults
doctor and Paul said preach the word be
instant in season out of season for the
time will come when men will not endure
sound doctrine but they’ll be blown away
with every wind the false doctrine but
when you bound it like you’re supposed
to no boyfriend
can take it away no girlfriend no beer
party at college
no no college professor can remove that
cord cause it’s bound it’s not scotch
tape it’s bound and wherever they go
when they go off to school they’re bound
to it and they can’t get away from and
when the college professor gets up and
throws the Bible and says this books a
lie and I’m going to tell you there’s a
cord that they’re wrapped up in that
says even though I may be in a hostile
environment my family has not
scotch-taped me they bound the truth in
my spirit by the truth and sell it not
the scripture said find it find it talk
about it and Deuteronomy 6 said when you
get up in the morning talk about it when
you go to bed talk about it when you’re
driving around talk about it talk about
your bind in it your natan you gotta
nail some things down cuz you can’t keep
them but so long and at some point
they’re gonna go into the world but if
you man I feel like shouting right now
because I’m not just preaching theory
I’ve watched five children and they
tried their best to get away from it
some of them did but glory to God the
cord holds the cord holds the cord is
where it has worked for my family and it
will for yours believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ at 16 you shall be saved in your
house shall my family shall be saved and
give God a shout if you believe it
Oh hallelujah I’d rather have this than
a billion dollars in the bank I’ve got
the cord on my family find it it’s gonna
require effort from you you gonna have
to pray you gonna have to fast you’re
gonna have to stand you’re gonna have to
Oh God
pray for that child right now the
Scarlet thread dictated access to the
home
once that cord was there I don’t think
they use that window for anything else I
think it was so important they knew that
when when judgment comes to the city if
that cord is not seen we’re going to die
like all the other families and so Rahab
probably had some new rules kids I know
you used to go in and out of that window
and climb through it but never again
will you climb through this one – some
things nothing things will not go
through this window again I’m sure there
were times when they pulled up and they
said hey we’re gonna throw the groceries
up and somebody grab them and put them
through the window since you know and
they pull up in the chariot and say
let’s unload kids and I’m sure they put
groceries through that window but once
they put that that scarlet thread in
that window it dictated what had access
to that home and what I’m saying to you
is you have to stand your ground and
guard the window guard the wind to train
up a child in the way that they should
go online posting pictures cell phones
what’s coming into your home satellite
you have to guard your house again
nothing out there can destroy help
Hollywood can’t I have to invite it in
through the internet through through
through stuff I almost did this in the
first service I thought about doing this
but I don’t know how to do it somebody
would lose their cell phone but I
thought about saying to all of the kids
that are 20 and
under all of the youth in here 20 and
under how many of you want to go to
heaven alright if you’re 20 in under you
want to go to heaven raise your hand I
wanna see your hand if you want to go to
heaven raise it and wave at me don’t see
you all over this ring there’s thousands
of thousands of you 20 and under that’s
astonishing
look at the hands wave at me wave at me
I don’t say it 20 and under alright how
cool would this be what watch the joy
just drain right out of the little soul
how cool would this be if I gave an
altar call and I said if you want to go
to heaven
bring me your cell phone and I made them
come and put it on the altar and then I
say go sit down and then I would say
something like this how many of you
parents want your children to go to
heaven raise your hand then I would say
to the parents you come down and look at
what’s on your children’s cell phone
I’m pensive Franklin
what about my privacy
see let me explain some things you get
privacy in my house when you have a
mortgage note as long as you’re living
under my house and under my cord you
don’t have any website you don’t have
any codes you don’t have anything that I
can’t get access to you don’t shut your
door and lock it and say stay out and
don’t go through my room not in my house
and you know why we can do that with
them because any of my kids can take my
cell phone or my computers and they can
track me anytime they want to I don’t
have anything to hide
I’m guarding the windows what have you
got to hide give the code to your wife
give the code to your children if you
hadn’t got nothing on there don’t be
ashamed let the whole world see it
here’s what got me
that cord works so good that that family
that came out of the house shows up in
Matthew chapter 1 in the genealogy of
Jesus Christ regardless of her
background because she bound a scarlet
cord in her window and guarded the
access to her home she and her family
became part of the genealogy the
great-great-great-great grandmother of
Jesus Christ
I believe today’s message has spoke to
your heart I know that there’s nothing
more near and dear to my heart than my
family and to know that there is a
scarlet thread or cord that can secure
our family’s salvation and deliverance
and help the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses and covers our families what
kind of blessing is that that you
wouldn’t cherish and want for your
family and your children I really want
to encourage you today to make Jesus
Lord of your home in your household pray
this prayer say Lord Jesus I give you my
family I give you my loved ones I want
that blood that scarlet cord to deliver
my home and my family and I receive you
as my savior
I give you my marriage my life my future
my home my children be Lord of our lives
in Jesus name I pray amen and amen I
know I know the power of the blood of
Jesus Christ is working for you it’s for
you right now and for your family and no
weapon formed against you will prosper
is my prayer over your family in Jesus
name no closing moments together I want
to say thank you for helping us with our
outreaches and the ones specifically
that we’re focused on is the work in
Haiti it’s really amazing what God is
doing there we’ve already been able to
send over 300 thousand dollars because
of your generosity to this work we’re
laying the foundation even as I speak on
the twenty plus acres of buildings that
are going to be built there the miracle
marketplace that will provide food for
life for tens of thousands of people
it’s such an exciting project and we
just are now sending another hundred and
ninety thousand on top of that so that’s
almost a half a million dollars that
we’ve been able to send in the last few
months because of your generosity so
open up your heart ask God what he would
have you do we are depending on your
generosity and I thank you for it
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