45 years? Are You kidding me?

How long are you prepared to have faith and believe in God's promises?  Is there a point where you would give up and say I guess God isn't real?  Or are you all in?  Is the amount of time it takes irrelevant?

Joshua 14:6-12(NKJV)

6Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 

7I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 

8Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. 

9So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ 

10And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 

11As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 

12Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”

Think about that.  Caleb had faith in God's promise for 45 years and he showed up to collect on that promise at that allotted time.  We don't know if he had doubts in those 45 years.  What we do know is that he seemed pretty confident when he made his claim.

Are you that confident in God's promises?  Do you believe that He will always honor His promises?  Would you like to be sure?  Then spend time daily in prayer and in the Word seeking God.  Get to know Him.  You'll be glad you di

But God, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time!

 

Joshua 9:14-15(NKJV)

14Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord. 

15So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

You know it is an interesting thing turning your life over to Jesus.  It's a pretty unnatural thing to do.  It goes against the grain for most of us.  We like being in control.  We like making decisions and directing our lives.  It's hard to give that up.

And yet the example above is a great example of what can happen when we don't run things by God.  In the story above you had a group of people who came to the Israelites with a sob story of how they had traveled a long way and they wanted to make a treaty.

To the Israelites the story sounded plausible so they said "OK let's make a treaty".  The Israelites went so far as to give this people food and clothing.  Well as it turns out this group of people lied.  They weren't from a long ways away.  They were from right next door. 

Where did the Israelites go wrong?  They didn't run it by God before acting.  Do you recall God ever telling them to make treaties with anyone when they took over the land flowing with mild and honey?  No.  What did God tell them to do?  Kill every man woman and child. 

So by not checking with God first, even though their intentions were good, they managed to act against God's instructions.

How often does that happen to us?  What is usually the cause?  That's right, not running it by God.  We don't mean to go astray.  We have all the right intentions.  We just didn't check with God first to make sure we were on the right track.

So as we go forward let's try to remember to actually go to God and run things by Him before we act instead of always going to Him afterwards and having to ask forgiveness because we screwed up again! 

The Bible-A War Manual?

Kind of a weird thought isn't it?  A lot of people think of God as peace and love, etc.  However there is a warrior side to God.  A violent, vengeful side.  That somehow doesn't square with how a lot of people like to view God. 

Then as we move on to Jesus, the image of a warlike, violent, and vengeful God seems even more foreign.  After all it's Jesus that tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves, etc.  But look at what Jesus said in Matthew.

Matthew 10:34-36(NKJV)

34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 

35For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 

36and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ £ 

As I have written many times in the past, the Bible is a book of balance.  There is no contradiction in my mind between a peaceful God and a warrior God.  As Ecclesiastes say "there is a time for everything under the sun".

So your probably wondering where I am going with this.  So am I.  This is kind of evolving as I'm typing.

I've been reading in Joshua.  The Israelites have crossed the Jordon.  They've taken some land and had some success so they decide to go against another country, AI.  They do so without inquiring of God.  They go up there and get their tails kicked.   

So now in Joshua 8 they go to God and He tells them now it's time to try again.  God tells them how to set an ambush.  This is what I mean about the Bible as a war manual.  It actually teaches you tactics.  In this case God knows that because the other country was victorious in their first battle, it will be easy to get them to chase the Israelites.  Therefore they will be able to lure them out of their city and get them to leave it undefended.  Pretty cool.

So what does that have to do with today?  Am I suggesting that we attack and burn down someone's city?  Not at all. 

But aren't we in a war today?  A spiritual war?  Don't we do battle with Satan on a daily basis?  Both on a personal level and also at the community level .  On a personal level in our daily lives and on the community level in a battle for  the hearts, minds, and souls of our community. 

So we need to know how to win the battle.  What strategies to use, etc?  Where do we get that info?  From God.  He has given us the manual for fighting the battle.  It's up to us to use it.

It starts with that personal relationship with Jesus.  Have you won that battle with Satan and accepted Jesus yet?  Why not?  It is the first and most important battle.  Win that one and the rest gets easier.  Lose that battle and I am afraid all is lost for you.  So what are you waiting for?  Be victorious.  The choice is yours.  Just simply talk to Jesus.  "Dear Jesus…."

Salvation Belongs to God

 

Revelation 7:10(NKJV)

10and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

Did you ever think of that?  It belongs to God.  It's His.  He owns it.  He doesn't have to share it with anyone.  He can do whatever he wants with it. 

And He choses to offer it to us.  How cool is that?  But here is the catch.  Because it is His and He owns it, He gets to set the terms of that salvation.  We don't get to pick and chose how we get our salvation.

It's not we each find our own path to salvation.  It's not up to each individual.  There is only one way to get salvation and that is to do it God's way.  And what is that?

Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Have you done that yet?  It's pretty easy.  God is willing to share salvation with you if you are willing to do it His way.  Why not do it right now?  Have a conversation with Jesus.  Share with Him what is on your heart.  "Dear Jesus…".   

Where's Your Pile Of Stones?

Let me set the stage.  We are in the book of Joshua.  Moses has just died.  God has directed Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land.  The Priests and the Levites along with the Ark of the Covenant go into the Jordan River.  The Jordon River stops flowing so that all of Israel can cross over on dry land.

Joshua 4:2-3(NKJV)

2“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 

3and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’”

Joshua 4:20-24(NKJV)

20And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 

21Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 

22then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; 

23for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 

24that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Here's a question for you.  Has God ever done anything miraculous in your life?  Each time He does are you collecting a stone?  Where's your pile of stones?  What?  You only have one or two.  Actually they are only pebbles?

Folks we serve a great God.  Depend on God to do great miracles in your life all the time.  Serve God and at the same time collect a big ole pile of stones.  To what purpose?  Great question.  For the same purpose that God gave in Joshua 4:21-24.  As a testimony of what God has done in your life and by example what He can do in others!

Are You An Overcomer?

Revelation 3:5(NKJV)

5He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Revelation 3:21-22(NKJV)

21To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Notice the wording here.  Jesus is very big on people being overcomers.  Just so we are all on the same page, let's take a look at what it means to overcome.

o·ver·come

1. to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; conquer; defeat: to overcome the enemy.
2. to prevail over (opposition, a debility, temptations, etc.); surmount: to overcome one's weaknesses.
3. to overpower or overwhelm in body or mind, as does liquor, a drug, exertion, or emotion: I was overcome with grief.

4. Archaic . to overspread or overrun.

Pasted from <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/overcomer?s=t>

One of the things that is left unsaid here is that in order to overcome, there is usually a struggle involved.  We all have to go through them.  As I've written about before, the struggle is where most of our personal growth comes from. 

Now why is Jesus so attached to overcomers?  Because He is one also.  Take a look. 

Revelation 3:21(NKJV)

21To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

This is just another example of how Jesus sets the example for us.  Now what is the single most important thing to overcome?  Satan trying to keep us from accepting Jesus.  Have you accepted Jesus yet or are you still listening to that voice that is casting doubt and stopping you from living the life that God has in store for you? 

Why not begin your new life as an overcomer right now by overcoming Satan's deceptions?  Simply say "Dear Jesus, please come into my life.  Help me to be an overcomer like you.  Thank you for the great life that you will lead me to.  Amen!".

And there you have it.  The beginning of a new life as an overcomer.  Going forward make it a habit to attack life with this new attitude.  I am an overcomer through Jesus.

Revelation 3:22(NKJV)

22“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Safety In The Fathers House

The passage today is from the story of Rahab.  She helped two Israelite men avoid capture in Jericho.  For doing so she was promised safety for herself and her family when the Israelites came into the land and took it over.   Take a look at this passage.

Joshua 2:17-20(NKJV)

17So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 

18unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. 

19So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 

20And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”

I think this passage is a good analogy to that whole process of being saved or not.  As people come to know Jesus we then go out and tell others about Him.    If others accept Jesus we bring them into God's house.  They are saved.  God has promised to take care of them. 

But what about the ones who chose not to accept Jesus?  There are many who wonder how a loving God could send anyone to hell?  Look what this passage says about those who choose to go outside the safety of the house.

  19So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless.

It was a choice they made.  God didn't send them to hell, they chose to go there by rejecting Jesus.  It was their choice so their blood was on their hands so to speak. 

God sets the rules for how we are saved.  We have the choice to play by God's rules or not.  Who's rules are you going to play by?