The year 2005 is the greatest year for the body of Christ. God is going to move in a special way. Everything is going to change. Every stone is going to be removed. The church will no longer be the same because God is getting ready to change the facelift of his church in the 21st century and make it a more radical and terrorist institution. We have to stand up and fight for what is ours. For the last week, God has awakened me at 3:15am and guided me into my Bible and showed me something on what will be taking place in the year 2005 called “the year of remembrance”. Where God is going to speak to the least expected, least recognized and the ones who sit at the back of the bus and are called nobodies. I was looking through the Bible in 2 Kings 5:1-11, where there was a man by the name of Naaman. He was a remarkable man in biblical history. A man of character, a man of honor, and a man of ability, but he had leprosy. The Hebrew word for leprosy refers to several serious skin diseases (Leviticus 13:1-46). Naaman was the king of Syria and a constant threat to the Northern kingdom which he would later invade. The Bible said he captured a young Jewish girl who became a servant in his house. The young Jewish girl did not have a chance in life so she did something remarkable. All she wanted was her master, Naaman to be healed. God heard her request and used her testimony to transform the world. She told Naaman “there is a prophet in Israel, and his name is Elijah”. Naaman went and the prophet told Naaman to “go and dip yourself seven times in the Jordan river”. Naaman did as the prophet said and his flesh was restored.

While we look at the story, this same Jewish girl who didn’t wear the title of bishop, apostle, pastor, teacher or prophet, was used by God to save a mighty man of God. In the same way God used this young Jewish girl, God is going to use many people in the pews, which have come to church year after year and who have been overlooked by the church. But this year is, “the year of remembrance”, where God is going to use people that will have many pastors surprised, because God is no respecter of persons.

Stage 1 - Gilgal

A Place Called Gilgal (To Know The Fellowship Of His Sufferings)

Your journey in life represents four phases of spiritual growth through which every believer must pass in order to become a true disciple and servant of the Lord. No one is exempt. Transformation is a process and these four steps of training may overlap at each phase as God brings greater deliverance, renewal, and refinement. You may not go through the steps in the order set forth, but go through them you must. These four steps bring the determined servant to a place called "there". "There" ends at the River Jordan. "There" is a place that every Christian must seek. No pastor, no apostle, bishop, or prophet can bring you to your unique "there". Moses, David, Paul and all the great servants of God had to go through these four steps to attain to excellence. Failure to complete the process will keep you stuck in mediocrity. Don't you hate to see people stuck in life? Brothers and sisters, it is impossible for me to tell you in these short words all about your journey. After reading my book you will know if you truly have been through these steps. Let me assure you as a man of God, I am faced with going through these phases the same as you. God did not exempt me. Follow me on this Journey to Spiritual Maturity.

Gilgal: is a place of brokenness and cleaning
Bethel: is a place of deep prayer and intimacy with God
Jericho: is a place of warfare and victory
River Jordan: is a place of total surrender
Canaan: is the servant’s reward and The Land of Fulfilled Promised

Gilgal means “circle” and probably refers to a circle of stones, which form an altar.
Gilgal in scripture is associated with all manner of evil, rebellion, and idolatry. “All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.” Hosea 9:15 (KJV)

There is no short cut through Gilgal - the wilderness - the valley of the shadow of death. Your journey actually begins at Gilgal. This is where you must begin to reckon your old nature crucified and buried with Christ. It is upon your confession of faith in Jesus Christ that you vowed to live for God. Yes, you made a vow to God and that vow is binding.

Without Gilgal, you will operate from the power of the soul rather than the power of the Holy Spirit. Folks please let this last statement sink in. In my book I explain what this means in greater detail. Without Gilgal, your prayers will never break through and the promises will remain unfulfilled. Please be sure you understand Gilgal, as this is just your first step to Spiritual Maturity. We want the Land of Fulfilled Promises.

Stage 2 - El-Bethel

A Place Called Bethel (To Know Him)

“And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.” Genesis 35:7

El-Bethel means "God of the house of God". Bethel is a place where the believer must discard the former efforts at being humble and learn true humility and meekness in brokenness at the feet of an awesome God, without whose grace and enabling ability the servant is but a useless, empty vessel.

Bethel is a place of sitting, learning, listening, discipline, correction, obedience, and faithfulness. Often prayer and praises are all but impossible as every effort of the soul is shut down. Bethel is a place of regrouping and drawing on God’s all-pervading grace and enabling ability. You will come to understand your utter helplessness apart from God’s grace and the life-sustaining Vine. Through brokenness, you will begin to understand true humbleness of spirit which is opposite of spiritual pride, self-importance and presumption. It is at Bethel that you with deep prayer and intimacy get to know God. It is where you know that you know that you know.

Stage 3 - Jericho

A Place Called Jericho (Warfare and Victory)

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

At this phase of your journey, your enemies are even giant-sized. The good news is the fight is fixed! David did not have to fight to kill a lion and bear to save the sheep as many people thought. He was being prepared to fight the giant. Many times in our life we do not understand what God is preparing for us. We must prepare for the giant for the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. My people, if there is ever a time that we are seeing wickedness in high places, it is today. Let God’s word through my book prepare you for the warfare and the VICTORY and get you through Jericho where you will tumble all walls of opposition. I will tell you how to fight the GIANT and a totally new way to fight wickedness.

Stage 4 - River Jordan

A Place Called River Jordan (Total Surrender)

"For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known". 1 Corinthians 13:12

There must be a total and final death to all residual carnality and complete and unconditional surrender, (giving up with no strings attached), in every area of your life. You must not only believe in the bridge of total surrender, but you must have walked on the bridge in such a matter that you believe on the bridge. Believing on a bridge takes greater faith than believing in the bridge. God does not transform anything that is not surrendered. A wholly yielded mind will think God’s thoughts. A wholly yielded heart will love and feel as He does. A wholly yielded soul will obey His spirit. A wholly yielded vessel will walk as He walks. Your purity must come forward. Follow me in my book as I explain the process for The Final Rite Of Passage.

Only Jesus can bring you through these four steps. The surrendered soul does not live any well-defined lifestyle. It is ready for any move of the Spirit, always in the right place at the right time. If you cross over into the Kingdom Land, you do not have to seek things anymore. They will come to you like a river whose source never lacks for a supply of fresh water. May God bless you as we travel together.