My Judgment Has Come, for Achan Dwells Among You

God is bringing judgment upon His people for the disobedience we have walked in. The Father is warning the people that we have allowed Achan to dwell among us.

God has been dealing so heavily with us about sanctification and separation. Holiness is a standard of sacrifice that must be practiced if we are to be called children of God. Yet, many still choose to walk with those who do not have the same spirit. Many, in ministry, still choose not to see and discern the sin and disobedience that surrounds them. We are standing in battle, shoulder to shoulder with those who are disobedient and carry tainted motives. Then, we ask why God has forsaken us. We wonder why signs and wonders have not come to pass. We question God about His rebukes and corrective instruction.

God spoke very clearly to me about the Body of Christ in this season. Achan dwells among us...

Achan means "one who troubles." Achan was with Joshua when the walls of Jericho came down. He was part of a successful battle with the man of God, and aided in the victorious fall of Jericho. He knew the instructions of God and walked very closely with the man of God. Yet, his lust caused him to walk in disobedience.

In Joshua 7, the word of God tells us that the men of Ai were successful in killing some of the men on Joshua's army. As a result, Joshua became disgruntled. He began to grieve and cry out before God.

Josh 7:10 The Lord said to Joshua, Get up! Why do you lie thus upon your face?
Josh 7:11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. They have taken some of the things devoted [for destruction]; they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own baggage.
Josh 7:12 That is why the Israelites could not stand before their enemies, but fled before them; they are accursed {and} have become devoted [for destruction]. I will cease to be with you unless you destroy the accursed [devoted] things among you.

Like Joshua, many of us have been whining and crying about defeat in our situations. Even in ministry, many have become discouraged, wondering why the thing that God spoke doesn't seem to be coming to pass. We must understand, people of God, that NOTHING can be done above, beyond or outside of what God allows. We have fooled ourselves into thinking that we are SACRIFICING when we go through. God is saying NO. For many, this is simply the restitution from sin. In many cases, it is not even your own sin bringing forth God's judgment, but the sin of those who walk with you. God said that OUR SIN is one of omission. We have refused to cry out against the disobedience and sin of those in our realm. God's people, especially the prophets, have become soft and forgiving of the very things that anger our God. We have winked at so many things and lowered the standard of holiness. God has turned His face because we are WALKING WITH COMPROMISE. We are serving beside those who live in disobedience. God is saying the accursed thing must be put away. There are some ties and connections that MUST be severed in this hour. We are calling for the warriors, but God's true army is marching with some who don't understand how to obey orders. The battle WILL NOT BE WON with soldiers of their own mind. We cannot invite those in whom God has rejected.

Josh 7:13 Up, sanctify (set apart for a holy purpose) the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: There are accursed things in the midst of you, O Israel. You can not stand before your enemies until you take away from among you the things devoted [to destruction].
Josh 7:14 In the morning therefore, you shall present your tribes. And the tribe which the Lord takes shall come by families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come by persons.
Josh 7:15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be [killed and his body] burned with fire, he and all he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord and because he has done a shameful {and} wicked thing in Israel.
Josh 7:16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
Josh 7:17 He brought near the family of Judah, and the family of the Zerahites was taken; and he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
Josh 7:18 He brought near his household man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

Who is willing to call the accursed thing to the line? People of God, we have become so wrapped up in feelings and emotions that we are failing to call out SIN. We prophesy blessings knowing that sin abides. God is not pleased. We are allowing His temple to be defiled and we are praising His enemies. We are supporting them and placing them in high esteem - even in the house of God. God is not pleased.

Sanctification means we must be SEPARATED for God's purpose. We cannot mingle with worldly things and expect God to move on our behalf. HE must get the glory in all we do. Our Father is not glorified when His people cannot be distinguished. We must be delivered from what people think and step into the complete calling of God on our lives. There is no repentance without confession. We cannot expect people to live holy when we refuse to point out sin. We cannot pimp our gifts and anointing to those who refuse to seek the Father.

Who are you connected to? Who are you trying to battle with? Whose instruction are they following? We cannot protect anyone from the wrath of God. Those who have stepped away from the Father's covenant must also step away from you! Separate yourself, saints of God. We often think sanctification only takes place inwardly. Yes, we must separate from sin, but sanctification requires outward action as well. Flee all APPEARANCE of evil. Be careful of who you walk with. Be conscious of who supports you in ministry. IT DOES MATTER. Unholiness is infectious. You are "guilty by association". You have become an accomplice to the crime! Sanctify yourself!

Hag 2:12 If one carries in the skirt of his garment flesh that is holy [because it has been offered in sacrifice to God], and with his skirt {or} the flaps of his garment he touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does what he touches become holy [dedicated to God's service exclusively]? And the priests answered, No! [Holiness is not infectious.]

Hag 2:13 Then said Haggai, If one who is [ceremonially] unclean because he has come in contact with a dead body should touch any of these articles of food, shall it be [ceremonially] unclean? And the priests answered, It shall be unclean. [Unholiness is infectious.]

Josh 7:19 And Joshua said to Achan, My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession to Him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.
Josh 7:20 And Achan answered Joshua, In truth, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this have I done:
Josh 7:21 When I saw among the spoils an attractive mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.

Many times, our closest friends, colleagues and even mentors are walking in hidden sin. God gives us the knowledge and we wink at it. Are you not your brothers keeper? Our Father chastises those He loves. We are to love our brothers and sisters as well. Godly rebuke and guidance IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY in this hour. God is not going to show it to you for no reason. Do not ignore His warning. Separate yourself from those who are not sold out to Him.

God is tired of the people of God ordaining ministers just because they are family members. Yes, God is tired of us allowing anyone to sing in the choir just because they give to the church. There is NO PLACE in ministry for those who have broken the covenant! One who lives in sin, attempts to hide it, but does not have a heart of repentance cannot operate in the power of God. We must stop ASSUMING that God has forgiven them. We must stop winking at sin.

Josh 7:22 So Joshua sent messengers, who ran to the tent, and behold, the spoil was hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
Josh 7:23 And they took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and laid them out before the Lord.
Josh 7:24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, and the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.
Josh 7:25 And Joshua said, Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will trouble you this day. And all Israel stoned him and those with him with stones, and afterward burned their bodies with fire.
Josh 7:26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor {or} Troubling to this day.

God is prepared to turn away from His anger when we begin to deal with the sin in our own camps. People of God, we must get it right. Do not allow family, friends, co-workers or even your fellow church members to walk with you in the midst of their sin. I've seen too many demons trying to cast a demon out of another. I've seen too many adulterers trying to teach our men and women about marriage. I've seen too many thieves preach about tithing. Where is the standard? Who will truly cry aloud and spare not?