July 2018 – The Month Of Judah Christian Arise

This month we want to look at Judah’s uniqueness scripturally, socially and positionally. This month, you as a Judah Christian shall arise in Praise, worship and thanksgiving to our God, in Jesus’ Name! The tribes of Israel were twelve (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), and Benjamin. If I could join any of these tribes, I will prefer to be a member of the tribe of Judah, because it confers some benefits that other tribes don’t enjoy. 

Let’s discuss the prophetic symbolism of Judah’s tribe, the meaning of his name, and all it spiritually confers on whosoever is associated with it. The patriarch, Jacob, was about to join Abraham and Isaac in paradise, so he called his children to tell them what shall happen to them in the future (Genesis 49:1-2). When he spoke to Judah under the unction of the Holy Spirit, Genesis 49:8-12 records the enormity of the far-reaching, multi-generational blessings bequeathed to Judah. In Hebrew, Judah means PRAISE. Every member of the tribe of Judah would know something about “Praise.” As a believer, you can decide to “join” the tribe of Judah, like me, by asking for the power of praise from God and operating in a strong grace of praise. 

Business men seek for contracts, students seek for knowledge, pastors for godly power to optimally serve God’s people. However, God is seeking for worshippers (John 4:23-24). When you become a Judah Christian, you will be given to praise, worshipping God with much adoration. A Judah Christian praises God more often than he prays to, and makes requests of God. David is from the tribe of Judah. No wonder, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, was beloved, and tagged a man after God’s own heart. Read the psalms and you will know that David had a good understanding of praise and worship. His psalms brought such an overwhelming revelation, insight, prophetic grace and ability. This probably made God overlook many of David’s faults because he meant so much to God. 

David “fed” God regularly with His spiritual food – praise.  At one time when David was deathly sick, David began to pray the verses recorded as Psalms 30:8-12. God knew he was going to miss the praises of David, so, God spared him. In spite of your condition, can you just praise Him, adore Him, magnify Him, eulogize Him, and sing hallelujah to Him anyhow? I’m talking about personal, private praise and worship this day, week and month. Be a “praise addict” this month; dance for Him for no reason. This month be like David who exemplified what it means to be a Judah Christian! “God inhabits the praises of his people” (Psalms 22:3).

Benefits of the Judah Christian:
From Genesis 49:8, we know that a Judah Christian has the grace of consistent praise upon his life and he really gives it to God. It stands to reason that a day or time will come when God will raise him to a position of prominence, excellence and dignity. Here are twelve benefits of being a Judah Christian: 

1. Praise brings honor (Genesis 49:8): As you excel in praise, you shall bring glory and honor to God and family. David was an early achiever who eventually became a national hero. You will arise to the position of prominence when you become a Judah Christian.
2. Praise leads to victory (Genesis 49:8): Judah’s grace brings victory – victory over sin, self, destiny wasters and over death.
3. Praise leads to dominion (Genesis 49:8): The grace of dominion will give you the upper hand in family and community.  David’s elder brothers bowed down before him when he became Israel’s king. Joseph also had a similar experience. Moses was the youngest of three children of the same parents – Aaron, Miriam and Moses. Aaron called Moses “my lord” and Miriam probably would knee down before Moses as she approached him. This is authority and dominion. 
4. We are made strong through praise (Genesis 49:9): Judah is a lion. Revelations 5:18 says, “Weep not for the Lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed.” The lion is the strongest of all the animals. It has no challenger and no rival. The Judah Christian is a lion in the spirit, with a lion’s power and ability.
5. Praise brings spiritual authority and power (Genesis 49:9): When a lion lies down, possibly resting or sleeping and not looking ferocious or prancing up and down, any animal passing by beats a quick retreat because, even in repose, a lion is intimidating.
6. A strong praiser is a strategic leader (Genesis 49:10): The scepter speaks of power and royal authority -it connotes leadership privileges, responsibilities and rights. As a Judah Christian, there is a royal (kingly) calling upon your life with its attendant leadership privileges, responsibilities and rights. Jesus is referred to as “the root and the offspring of David”. Meaning that the one who ‘gave birth’ to David is also the son of David! What a divine mystery.
7. Praise brings wealth & riches (Genesis 49:10): As a Judah Christian, God will not allow you to wallow in poverty. Judah’s grace will bring you into wealth and riches.  
8. Praisers always excel (Genesis 49:11-12): Only people who live in opulence and affluence drink wine and milk regularly. When you’re a Judah Christian, God will feed you – spiritually and physically until you are satisfied – your eyes red with wine and teeth white with the milk of abundance.
9. Praise brings the power to possess (Joshua 14:6-14): In verse 6, the Bible records that the children of Judah led by Caleb came to Joshua in Gilgal and demanded to be given their promised inheritance in Canaan. Caleb went to the mountain and drove out all the giants. After he conquered that hilly town, he renamed it Hebron. Caleb was a man of Judah, he followed the LORD very closely. He was intimate with God. He took the steps God asked him to take. He was in total agreement with God – Caleb saw victory before they went to battle.
10. Praisers are always rewarded (Joshua 14:10): Forty-five years earlier, Caleb and Joshua said, “we are able,” while the other spies said they were “just as grasshoppers.” However, Caleb and Joshua made the right profession and like Judah Christians they were rewarded. You will get what no other person can get. You will have marvelous divine manifestations and glorious visitations of God. Caleb got a territorial reward.
11. True Praise brings Longevity (Joshua 14:10): I prophesy that you will not die in the midst of your years, in the mighty Name of Jesus. The LORD God will cause the anointing of Judah for longevity to fall on you like it did Caleb, who at 85 was still given a whole city for a possession. Try praise!
12. Praisers go from strength to strength: Judah was anointed and selected to lead Israel’s wars for the possession of their inheritance (Judges 1:1-2, 1 Chronicles 5:1-2). Judah always leads in all battles. The high praises of God must be employed by the Judah Christian in spiritual warfare. Praise must precede every other weapon of our warfare.

I know you will put on your dancing shoes, lifting holy hands to The One you love the best and begin to worship, honor, bless, adore Him this month. So, what are you waiting for? You need to praise God amidst your problem and you must do it now. Your praise is what attracts God to you, it gets you into His Presence.

• Praise Him because you believe and want to please Him.
• Praise Him because you want to honor and obey Him.
• Praise Him because He is your God, the Mighty God.
• Praise Him because you need Him every hour/minute/second.
• Praise Him because there are some circumstances, events, and relationships in your life you do not know how to handle. 
• Praise Him that you were not aborted. Neither did you die nor were deformed or handicapped at birth. Even if you are born with disabilities of any kind whatsoever, you can still praise Him with everything within you!
• Praise Him because He has made promises to you which are yet to be fulfilled; it gives you something to look forward to!
• Praise Him because you’re certain He will be faithful to fulfill all He has spoken to you.
• Praise Him because there is power in praise, and you want to tap every bit of that power. Praise Him for yesterday, today and tomorrow.
• Praise Him because His goal is that you’ll bask in His Presence (Psalms 16:11) and eat at His table forevermore (Psalms 23).
• Praise Him that His Presence is more important to you than anything and everything that would love to keep you from praising Him (Exodus 33).