TEXT: The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them. But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance. (Joshua 18:1-2)
The birth of JesusIn preparation for our end of year Shiloh program scheduled to begin on 31st through 1st January, 2010 at Good News Church, I am obliged to share some of the revelations I received concerning Shiloh with all of our partners and friends and members around the world.
Shiloh was the place where the Tabernacle of meeting was set up for the purpose of worship and sacrifice after the land had been subdued for them by God. The people of Israel came to Shiloh annually to feast, to worship and to offer their sacrifice.
One of the significant aspects of Shiloh is that it was where the remaining seven tribes of Israel were allotted their inheritance. Shiloh was where the distribution of the land of Canaan to the Israelites was concluded. This is where the exercise of distributing the land was finalized. (Joshua 19:51) If you didn’t get your portion at Shiloh , you would have missed out. The distribution was done by casting lots. What you get depends on your lot. (Joshua 18: 10) The people would probably have prayed fervently for a lot for a good and fertile land. The belief of the people was that Shiloh is a place where you come to possess your possession. It became a tradition where the people came annually to pray for a better lot for things that will add value to their lives.
The mentality of the people was that if you miss it at Shiloh , you could hardly get it again. It may mean that you have to wait for another year when the feast will come up. That is why the people that come to Shiloh come with a sense of desperation. They come with determination to receive from the Lord. They were not ready to take "No" for an answer. To them, Shiloh is not where you come with lackadaisical attitude. Shiloh is where you pour out your emotions. It is where you allow your tears to flow freely if you cannot hold it. Shiloh is where you let God know the disgraceful provocation you are going through.
I pray in the name of Jesus that this year Shiloh will be a turning point in your life. You will possess you possession. You will not miss out when others are receiving. The land will be subdued before you. When the lot is cast, you will inherit the best. Your shame shall turn to fame and provocations from your adversaries shall turn to congratulation.
Another interesting aspect of Shiloh is that it is where the curse and covenant of delay marriage was broken. When nearly all the male descendants of Jabesh- Gilead were killed, the young ladies there could not get husband to marry them. About four hundred virgins from the tribe of Jabesh-Gilead were crying because there was no man to marry them. Then, they were instructed to go and dance and celebrate at the annual feast at Shiloh . Also, the men of the tribe of Benjamin were crying for wives. Their tribe had been destroyed and those that remained were mostly men. The women had been killed and there was every indication that the tribe of Benjamin would go into extinction. They were also instructed to go to the annual feast at Shiloh .
It was at Shiloh that the four hundred virgins of Jabesh- Gilead (Daughters of Shiloh) met with young men of the tribe of Benjamin. While the daughters of Shiloh were dancing and performing, the young men from the tribe of Benjamin came out and rushed at them and took them as wives. (Judges 21: 23)
Shiloh is a place of divine connection for people looking unto God for a good husband or a good wife. If you are reading this message and you are in the shoe of the daughters of the tribe of Jabesh-Gilead or the young men of the tribe of Benjamin, I prophesy in the name of Jesus Christ that the God of Shiloh will connect you with the flesh of your flesh and bone of your bone. By this time of next Shiloh, you will come with a Testimony
Another thing that is so unique about Shiloh is that it is a place where the spirit of barrenness is put to shame. When you come to Shiloh with the expectation to receive the blessing of fruitfulness, you cannot go empty handed. Hannah had been coming to Shiloh for sometime with nothing to show for it. Then, one particular year, her rival (Peninnah, the second wife of her husband-Elkanah) provoked her beyond what she could bear emotionally. So when she got to Shiloh that year, she poured out her heart and her emotions before the Lord. In her prayer, she specifically asked God to give her a male child. Then she backed up her prayer with a vow. (1 Samuel 1: 1-28)
Now listen. When you want to receive at Shiloh, you must adopt the strategies of Shiloh . The first strategy is the strategy of specificity. This means that you have to be specific in your prayers. Don't just ask for blessing. Make it explicit whether it is the blessing of money, fruit of the womb, promotion at work, growth of your ministry, or spiritual blessing. Here, Hannah was specific. She asked God for a male child and that was what she got. Always be exact in your prayer request. When you are desperately in need of something, your prayer cannot be broad and general. In specific terms, you must talk it, sing it and dream it.
Another Shiloh strategy is that wise people that come to Shiloh always back up their prayers with vow. Vow is like fertilizer. It is borrowing from your future. After you have planted your prayer, you add fertilizers in order for it to grow and yield better fruits. A vow is like gasoline in your car. Your prayer is the car that can takes you from one point to the other. When your car is out of gasoline, then you get stranded. You must constantly fuel your prayer with the gasoline of a vow. This was what Hannah did and it worked for her and it will work for you.
Also, Shiloh is a place where you pray as if you are drunk. Hannah prayed as if she was drunk. Her mouth was moving, yet nobody could hear her voice. When the priest accused her of drunkenness, she said she was pouring out her heart to God. The priest then said "May it be unto you according to your heart desire" She received the blessing of the priest with strong faith. She stood up and wiped off her tears. The bible says her countenance changed. Once your countenance changes, your prayer has been answered.
Receiving from God is a matter of choice to either believe or refuse to believe by thinking over what the word says and see whether it makes sense to you or not, as you know here in Uganda we don’t have many choices but to believe and we see God at work.
We will end the year with this all night prayer and praise meeting at Good News Church with Holy Communion and also start our year in church. Those in Uganda who were there last year still remember the impact, the crowds that came but also the testimonies.
Tell your friend and get prepared for a great night of pouring out to God.
See you then.
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