Occupy and Conquer
Part of A series of messages by Apostle Aje Pelser, Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town. Jan. 2026

Occupy and Conquer overview of Joshua and Israel’s conquests
Joshua is the Hebrew form of Jesus and means “the Lord saves.”
1 – Prepare to receive your spiritual inheritance (Josh. 1:1 – 5:15)
2 – How to possess your inheritance (Josh. 6:1 – 12:24)
3 – Partake in your inheritance (Josh. 13:1 – 22:34)
4 – How to protect your inheritance / Joshua’s final discourse (Joshua 23:1 – 24:33)

Here is a key from the New Testament to help you occupy and conquer:
2Pe 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
2Pe 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Be Strong and Courageous
Fasten your mind, will and emotions to the substance of your faith and fortify your spirit to prevail until you possess the promises.

Jos 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying:
Jos 1:2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.
Jos 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
Jos 1:4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
Jos 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Jos 1:6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
Jos 1:7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
Jos 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Jos 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Ways to be strong and courageous.

1. Acknowledge the death.
If you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, old things have passed away, all things become new. This doesn’t mean you discard good values, legacy of faith, principles that your mentors taught you. On the contrary, you honour their legacy by fulfilling the tasks that they prepared you for and the ones they did not finish. Stepping into God’s purposes in life is greater than seeking your own purpose alone. If you read Romans 8:28 again, you might realise that all things only work together for good to those who live God and are called according to His purpose. If you choose to read a bit further and allow scripture to interpret scripture, you might realize that His purpose is for us to be confirmed to the image of His son. Understanding the New covenant and Jesus’ purpose to prepare a Bride through His church, a many membered Body of Believers of which He is the Head, the purpose becomes even clearer.
You must call old things obsolete and wait on the Lord for the battel plan for the new.

2. Faith comes by hearing.
God tells you to be strong and courageous. Rom. 10:17 is the principle – if you hear it and repeat it in prayer and agree with what you say, faith will rise in your heart and mind, and you will begin to believe that God is enabling you. An identity shift happens when you receive the word of the Lord through spiritual sense of faith hearing.
The difference between positive thinking and faith is that faith helps you face the reality, whereas as positive thinking has no real substance and attempts to confess the problem away without dealing with it strategically. Faith is a substance that God releases in your three-part being: that is your spirit, soul and body; when you hear the Word preached by a sent one from God. Romans 10 is a process that produces faith in the hearer.

3. Arise and Go Over.
When you obey the command to arise and go over, your feet become conduits of occupation: “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” Josh. 1:2
We also rejoice that the steps of a righteous man are ordered of God.
Ps. 37:23 “The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].” Amplified Version.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Prov. 3:5,6
The Hebrew concept of prosperity is to cross over the river to the other side. Israel was on the verge of crossing over into their promised land. It takes courage to take that first step, especially if that promise you are waiting for so long has been delayed.

4. God is with you.
Awareness of God’s presence is a key to being strong and courageous. In the New Testament, they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized they had been with Jesus. That is a fruit of abiding in the vine, you Boldy declare the works of the Lord and act on His word.
Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
5. Meditate in the Word and observe to do it!
There is a whole new level of courage derived from meditating in the Bible, day and night. But this must be done accurately and by the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit revealing Christ in every scripture, it becomes a mental exercise and without unlocking the treasures of the Word through the keys that Christ gave us, it becomes a religious duty versus a journey of discovery.

Application:
• Identify things that must die for you to arise and cross over to your promises in Christ.
• Repeat some of the words of the preaching you have heard and pray them over your life.
• Take the first step of faith towards your faith goal and realise God is with you. Practise the awareness of His presence and note where you have really seen God’s influence in your life recently.
• Make a daily habit of meditating in the word and find a simple phrase the Hoy Spirit illuminates for you to walk in that day – the word becoming flesh in your; life daily – then you begin to observe to do according to all that is written in it, for you for that day.