Wednesday, April 28, 2010

El Shaddai

The many names of God in the Scripture provide us with insight into His character.


El Shaddai is the name that God used when he talked to Abraham at the time that he established his covenant. 
Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai--'God Almighty.' Serve Me faithfully and live a blameless life.

If somebody makes a covenant with me, I want to be sure that they at least have the power to live up to the covenant, whether they have the desire to keep it is a different issue, if they don't have the power to do what they say that they will do then why bother?

Not to worry with El Shaddai, he has the power to fulfill every promise that he has ever made. He promised many things to Abraham and he came through on every detail. He is God Almighty and nothing can stop him from fulfilling every promise that he has made to me, David says that his promises are my armor and protection. 

Psalms 91:1-4 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him. 3 For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

I can count on the promises of God, he has never made a promise so big that he didn't have the power to come through, he is my protection and I can trust in him to give me victory, even over death.

Thank you Lord for your power to protect and save your children, help me to be rely on your strength to accomplish everything that you have commanded me to do.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Watch Out!

Is somebody guarding you?


 Joshua 24:14-16  "So fear the LORD and serve Him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone.  15  But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."

16  The people replied, "We would never abandon the LORD and serve other gods."

Wow! What a statement!

How can these people say that they would never turn away from God and make a replacement for him? After the track record that these people have had!

It is easy to read a history book and think to yourself, "Why didn't they see that" But we have to remember that hind-sight is much more clear. As the Casting Crowns song says "It's a slow fade" almost undetectable, that's why the writer of the book of Hebrews tells us to look out for each other.

Hebrews 3:12-13  Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.  13  You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.

We usually start toward evil one baby step at a time, we don't just wake up with an unbelieving heart and suddenly turn away from God, we have to be careful that we do not fall for the deception that nothing is wrong.

The drift toward evil is so subtle that we need to watch out for each other, if I see a brother that is slipping away then I need to warn him early on, I cannot fall for the lie that it is none of my business. If he is a part of the body of Christ then it is my business to send him a warning before he hurts the rest of the body.

Thank you Lord for brothers in my life that have the permission to come and tell me if I am drifting away, I pray that we will always watch each others back so that we will remain strong in our faith.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

No Way!

Is any thing too hard for the Lord?   


Joshua 10:9-14  Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. 10 The LORD threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

11 As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.

12 On the day the LORD gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said, "Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon." 13 So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. 14 There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day!

God promised his children that the were going to have this land and if they need a little bit more daylight to get the job done then so be it. Is the movement of the universe impossible to stop? Not if God is in control.

Joshua led Israel to conquer six nations and thirty-one kings (Joshua 11:18-23, Joshua 12:24) to bring the people into the possession of the Promised Land, he brings them into a place of rest just as Jesus brings his people to the heavenly Canaan where they will rest forever.

In the battles of this life it can be easy to forget the the war is already won and Jesus is going to bring us to the place of rest that he has prepared for us, that place isn't here.

Thank you Lord for giving us hope that no matter how difficult our world can be, we know that this is a temporary assignment, nothing is impossible for you and you will take us into your rest.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Decisions, Decisions

We all have to decide about God's involvement in our lives. 


Joshua 9:1-20 Now all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about what had happened. These were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who lived in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as the Lebanon mountains.

2 These kings combined their armies to fight as one against Joshua and the Israelites. 3 But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to deception to save themselves.

They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. 5 They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy.

6 When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us." 7 The Israelites replied to these Hivites, "How do we know you don't live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you." 8 They replied, "We are your servants." "But who are you?" Joshua demanded. "Where do you come from?"

9 They answered, "Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the LORD your God and of all He did in Egypt. 10 We have also heard what He did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River--King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan (who lived in Ashtaroth). 11 So our elders and all our people instructed us, 'Take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them, "We are your servants; please make a treaty with us."' 12 "This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey."

14 So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD. 15 Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.

16 Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby! 17 The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty. 19 But the leaders replied, "Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them. 20 This is what we must do. We must let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath.

We have heard of the might of the LORD your God
The God of Israel has a reputation for helping his children, he has done mighty things to prove that he alone is God, everybody knows what he does for his people. The crazy thing is that these people could have acknowledged him as God, they could have tossed out their idols and false notions about who God is but despite their knowledge about the awesome God that we serve, they still refuse to change.

So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORDThe Israelites look at the physical evidence and buy into the story that the heathens made up and even though they realized the possibility of a trick, they still made a hasty decision, they didn't give God the time of day.

God could have helped out either of these two groups of people but he wasn't considered as an option by either of them. The heathen nations could have had a change of heart just as Rahab did back in Joshua chapter two. The Israelites shunned God and made their own decisions without asking him what he wanted them to do.

For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. – Rahab

It is amazing that we can know God and how awesome that he is and still we don't run to him until it is the last option that we have, I need to invole him in every decision that I make, I need to find out what God's will is before I run away with my own will.

Thank you Lord for your patience with us and for allowing us to come back to you with our mistakes. I want to always be reminded of how awesome that you are.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Be Careful!

Don't hide the things that belong to God.


Joshua 7:1-13 But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.

2 Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven. 3 When they returned, they told Joshua, "There's no need for all of us to go up there; it won't take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don't make all our people struggle to go up there." 4 So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai 5 chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.

6 Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the LORD until evening. 7 Then Joshua cried out, "Oh, Sovereign LORD, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! 8 Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? 9 For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?"

10 But the LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? 11 Israel has sinned and broken My covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for Me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. 12 That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction. 13 "Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.

Everybody likes stuff, we go to the store with the notion that we "need" something , all over the store there are temptations to get something else. This guy named Achan liked bling, he was supposed to be destroying everything in Jericho except the silver and the gold which was supposed to be given to the Lord, as he is busy doing the Lord's work he gets distracted.

Joshua 7:21 Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them."

Check out that sweet robe, can you see how good that is going to look on me? Achan was just one step from stupid and all of a sudden this military operation has turned into a trip to the mall. Achan wanted the things that God wanted, the very things that were supposed to be set apart for the Lord, God has been so good to this guy, he just moved his tent from the wilderness and now he is setting up camp in a land "flowing with Milk and honey."

Malachi 3:8 "Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated Me! "But you ask, 'What do You mean? When did we ever cheat You?' "You have cheated Me of the tithes and offerings due to Me.

Everybody is afraid of Israel (Joshua 5:1) except the people in Ai, these people were pumped up with courage and strength from the Lord because instead of Israel judging the nations of the Promised Land now it is Israel that is being judged. Back in Joshua chapter one God told Joshua to "Be strong and courageous" and now Joshua is on his face before the Lord wanted to know what happened. It's not hard to figure out Joshua!

It makes me wonder how much we hold back from God, how much of our everyday life is fully turned over to God, how much are we holding back and trying to hide from him? All of the blessings that he has given to me, all the riches, the talents, the stuff and most importantly all of the time that he has given to me, how much of it is "things set apart for the LORD."

I need to be open to spending my time and my treasure in a way that will please God, the Lord says that some of these things are "things set apart for the LORD" and they need to be offered back to him. I need to be willing to give my money to those in need, I need to spend my time in ways that will benefit the kingdom.

Lord help me to realize that my resources all came from you and that you want me to give back to you the "things set apart for the LORD" I need to give to those that need money and I need to give my time, I need to spend it doing something for somebody else. Help me to always give to you the "things set apart for the LORD."

Friday, April 16, 2010

A Strange Battle Plan

God knows how to put you to the test. 


Joshua 5:13-15  When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a Man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to Him and demanded, "Are You friend or foe?"

14 "Neither one," He replied. "I am the Commander of the LORD's army." At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. "I am at Your command," Joshua said. "What do You want Your servant to do?"

15 The Commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did as he was told.

Joshua 6:1-5 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the LORD said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams' horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town."

Joshua 6:20 When the people heard the sound of the rams' horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.

Here is the strangest battle that there ever was, what we have here is a contest between God and the men of Jericho, God is bringing judgment to town and the people of Jericho are ignoring God and their impending doom. Maybe the people Jericho were confident in their own strength, after all they had built a mighty strong wall, a wall that has stood up to other more power armies.

Actually they were paralyzed with fear, the news about what the God of Israel had done for them was well known by everybody in town, there were two miraculous river crossings, the Egyptians were destroyed by all of the plagues and Pharaoh and his army were killed. There were military victories that the people of Jericho had heard about. You would think that somebody would become traitors or offer a peace treaty, instead they hunker down in defiance, choosing to die.

Job 15:25 For they shake their fists at God, defying the Almighty.

Not only is the battle strange but the preparation for battle was also very different, there wasn't any deployment of military equipment, there wasn't any trenches being dug, there is just a bunch of noise outside the wall everyday and then they go back to their tents. Ordinarily the priests were excused from war but in this battle plan they are the main players.

God's plan to bring down Jericho was designed to try the faith, obedience, and patience, of the people, to see whether they would observe a command which to human logic seemed foolish to obey and believe a promise which in human probability seemed impossible to be performed.

They were also proved whether they could patiently bear the criticism of their enemies and patiently wait for the salvation of the Lord. Can you imagine the hecklers looking down the wall at them, making fun of their strange warplan.

This time the Israelites pass the test. So by faith, not by force, the walls of Jericho fell down, thats a concept that I need to remember when I am tempted to do things under my own power instead of forcing my abilities to fix the problem, I need to have faith that God has things under control.

Heb 11:30  It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho
for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

Give me the faith Lord that can believe that your ways are right, even if they defy human logic.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

He Will Bring You Through

Don't forget how well God has treated you.


Joshua 4:1-7 When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 "Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. 3 Tell them, 'Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.'"

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen--one from each of the tribes of Israel. 5 He told them, "Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the LORD your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder--twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 6 We will use these stones to build a memorial.

In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 7 Then you can tell them, 'They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD's Covenant went across.' These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever."

Joshua 4:19-24 The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. 20 It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.

21 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 Then you can tell them, 'This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 23 For the LORD your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and He kept it dry until you were all across, just as He did at the Red Sea when He dried it up until we had all crossed over. 24 He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the LORD's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the LORD your God forever."

Yesterday we saw that the Israelites had a problem, there was a powerful force between them and the good things that God had Promised to give to them, we learned that God isn't surprised by the circumstances that stand his people and his promises. The fact is, those problems are there for our benefit, just another example of how God's logic is completely opposite of human logic.

Those trials are there for a reason:


God wants us to learn to rely on him. What a difficult lesson to learn, forty years ago they wouldn't rely on God, but now after forty years wondering around in the wilderness, they finally get to claim God's promise.

So we can teach the next generation. What good is it to discover how awesome your God is and then not pass it on to your kids?

A testimony to his power. If there was never any opposition or road blocks then we would be self sufficient and we wouldn't realize God's power or have any need for it.

So you will fear him, both in His severity and in His goodness, He is to be feared (Job 23:13-16, Psalm 90:11, Jeremiah 33:9; Luke 5:26).

I need to remember his faithfulness, too bad that we don't set up memorials these days to commemorate when we have seen God work and when he has proven his love for us.

Thank you Lord for revealing yourself to us through your mighty deeds, help me to remember that you will keep your promises despite the trials of life.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

God Made A Promise

He doesn't need me to figure out how to make it happen.


Joshua 3:1-5   Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.

2 Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, 3 giving these instructions to the people: "When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, move out from your positions and follow them. 4 Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don't come any closer."

5 Then Joshua told the people, "Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you."

Joshua 3:13-17 The priests will carry the Ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall."

14 So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. 15 It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, 16 the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

17 Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

Joshua 4:15-18 The LORD had said to Joshua, 16 "Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to come up out of the riverbed." 17 So Joshua gave the command. 18 As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant came up out of the riverbed and their feet were on high ground, the water of the Jordan returned and overflowed its banks as before.

Look across the river over there, that's the land that the Lord has promised to give us, it looks like a nice place but there is something big that stands between us and what God has promised. That water is moving fast, this is not the right time of year to move our cattle across the river, and look at that little foot bridge over there, it would take a few years for all of us to cross the river on that thing.

Great big problems can stand in between us and what God wants to give us, that raging river was nothing for God, if God has made a promise then you can stop looking at the raging river. The Israelites camped out next to that river for three days and they must have looked at that river and thought "Wow, we are going to get wet" or perhaps they thought that God was going to have them camp out right there until the rainy season was over.

God has already seen the raging rivers in our lives and he already knows the way to get us to the other side, the nation of Israel didn't realize that God's power was about to be displayed in their life, there was only one way that God's promise could come true and that is for God to provide his way.

I will trust God to come through, even if it looks like I need to help him out, I need to just wait on him to provide.

Thank you for your promises Lord, help me to trust you and to rely on you to keep your promises.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

It Doesn't Matter Who You Are

How could God save Rahab!?! 


 Joshua 2:8-14 Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them.

9 "I know the LORD has given you this land," she told them. "We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. 10 For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. 11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

12 "Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that 13 when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families."

14 "We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety," the men agreed. "If you don't betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the LORD gives us the land."

Joshua 2:18 When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members--your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives--must be here inside the house.

Joshua 2:23-24 Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them. 24 "The LORD has given us the whole land," they said, "for all the people in the land are terrified of us."

The news is out, the nation of Israel has done great things, things that could only be done with the help of God. People are scared, they have heard that the Israelites are getting closer to Jericho, it must have been torture to hear about the Israelites camping on the other side of the Jordan river for forty years as they waited for God to allow his children to cross into the Promised Land.

In all of those forty years the citizens of Jericho had time to get right with God, much like the delay that Moses asked for on behalf of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, one family was spared from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and now one family will be spared from the destruction of Jericho.

The question is why? Why did Rahab receive favor when everybody else in town was going to be killed, didn't God know what kind of person she is?

Rahab makes a personal confession in verse eleven, "For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below" As big as Jericho was, she was probably the only person that confessed that there is one God, nobody else cared, they were scared of the Israelites but nobody payed any attention to why they were so powerful.

Rahab was to hang a scarlet rope outside here window so that her family would not be harmed during the attack, it sounds a lot like the first passover back in Egypt when the blood had to be put on the door post so that the death angel would pass by. It also sounds like the scarlet thread that was used by the priest (Lev 14:4, Lev 14:6, Lev 14:51, Num 19:6).

God is full of grace and compassion and he allowed Rahab to be saved from the destruction of Jericho, not because of who she was but because of what she believed.

Thank you Lord for your mercy and compassion, I pray that I will always remember how undeserving that I am to receive favor from you.

Friday, April 09, 2010

Need Courage?

Try starting with obedience. 


Joshua 1:1-9 After the death of Moses the LORD's servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant.

He said, 2 "Moses My servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.

3 I promise you what I promised Moses: 'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you-- 4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.' 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

6 "Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.

7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.

8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

9 This is My command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua has some big sandals to fill, Moses was the first leader of the Israelites as a nation and he proved to be an awesome leader, Joshua has a big job ahead of him.

Things are about to get tough and the Lord knows that Joshua is going to need courage to lead the troublesome Israelites into the Promised Land and lead them into battle against the people that are already there.

God tells Joshua that the way to "Be strong and courageous" is to rely on God's strength, be obedient to all the teaching and commands that God passed down through Moses, he tells him to be obedient and he tells him how to know that he is being obedient. The only way to be certain that you are obedient is to study God's word, Joshua was told to study the word day and night and meditate on it, then you will know what is right and then the Lord will prosper you because of your obedience.

James 1:22-25 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

I need to study God's word so that I will be busy doing what he wants me to do. There isn't any better way to guarantee my obedience to God than through meditating on what he is telling me to do. If I just crack open the word once a week then I am much more likely to forget what I am supposed to be doing and how I am supposed to be changing to become more like Christ.

Thank you Lord for investing so much time in revealing yourself to us, I pray that I will always dig into your word and see the things that need to change so that I will be more like you.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Christianity With Passion

How do we become more passionate and burdened about getting beyond the four walls of our church?


From a book that I am reading called "Dangerous Intersections" by Jay Dennis and Jim Henry

Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The last thing that Jesus told us to do before exiting our planet must become our magnificent obsession.

The question is how do we get the opportunity to make disciples?

There was a day when people flocked to the church and our outreach program existed only so that we could talk people into returning to church. Now days it is a different scenario, today we have to reach people that have possibly never had any exposure to church at all.

I could talk about programs and what kind of programs, but as this book states, the main problem isn't the programs but rather our main problem is the lack of passion.

We need a lot more passion but how do we "get" passion?

Never Get Over Being Saved.


It is difficult to keep the excitement that a lot of new Christ followers have but sooner or later we get over the wonder of salvation. I need to remember that the God that created the whole universe also created me and wants to spend eternity with me and he did what had to be done in order to make it happen.

Never Get Used To The Fact That Hell Is Real And People Are Going There Everyday.


The doctrine of eternal punishment doesn't get much time in the pulpit anymore, it seems that we shy away from the unpopular and unsavory, but we cannot allow ourselves to forget reality and live with apathy, choosing to ignore the ruin of those around us.

Pray Daily For A Burden For The Lost.


If I remember the reality of hell then having a burden for the lost will come about much easier but only God can give a burden that leads to action.

Pray Daily For Divine Appointments.


This is a good way to break out of the routine "rut" of daily life, how exciting would it be if my life was "interrupted" everyday with God's plans? His plans for my day must be a lot more exciting than the everyday stuff that I fill my calendar with.
Emphasize Building Relationships With The Lost.
Relationship building "visual" Christianity precedes "verbal" Christianity, if it isn't real to me and if it isn't having very much impact in my life then why would somebody else be the least bit interested?

Provide Programs And Events Where It Is Easy To Invite Unchurched Friends And Family


Seeker friendly opportunities to be exposed to God's people, stuff that will captivate the interest of the unchurched.

There are way too many Christians that mess around with church on Sunday and go on without any focus on why we are here. I need to be focused on the mission that I am supposed to be working on, how can I not take up this mission when I think about the serious consequences of those that die each day without a Savior.

I need to pray for people and for opportunities, real serious deliberate prayer. There is a world full of people that need to know the reality of their eternal destiny, hell is real and they don't need to be there.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Our Savior Is Risen!

What a Savior we have! 


Revelation 1:5-8 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding His blood for us.

6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God His Father. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen. 7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see Him--even those who pierced Him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for Him. Yes! Amen!

8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega--the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come--the Almighty One."

Revelation 1:12-18 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest. 14 His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth. And His face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living One. I died, but look--I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

We have an awesome Savior:
  • He is the first to rise from the dead
  • He is the assurance that we will rise from the dead, we will be given new life. (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
  • He is the ruler of all rulers, far above any other authority (Eph 1:20-22)
  • He has been given all power and glory forever and ever (Jude 1:25)
  • He is the beginning and the end (Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12)
  • He will be seen by everybody some day (Matt 24:30)
It will be so overwhelming the first time that we see Jesus, John was overcome and all he could do was fall down like a dead man, who knows what we will do when we first see Jesus face to face. He doesn't want us to be afraid of him (Luke 24:37-39), but it is difficult to imagine that we wouldn't be as we remember all the things that we could have done better, all the impure motives, all the opportunities that we missed.

Our Savior doesn't want us to be overwhelmed with the thought of all the wrong that we have done, the only reason that we would have for fear is if we were going to receive God's wrath, but there is no wrath for those of us that know the Savior. Surely we will not dread his appearing if we are saved. Who dreads the coming of one that comes to bestow favor on him, who would dread the jailor that comes to serve your pardon, who would dread a loving parent that offers healing ointment for our wounds?

My Savior is alive, he always has been through all the times past, and he will live forever. Beside being alive I know that he is coming again to get me as his child, the giver of life will return and give me life eternal.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

God Raised Jesus From The Dead!

Journey To The Cross Series


Acts 2:22-24 "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through Him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and His prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed Him to a cross and killed Him. 24 But God released Him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip.

Acts 2:32,36 "God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!"

During his ministry years Jesus proved himself every day, it seems that there wasn't a single day that went by that he didn't perform a miracle of some sort, if he wasn't walking on water or healing somebody, then he was feeding a multitude from a lunch box. All a part of the plan!

Does it look like the plan failed? Jesus was betrayed, turned over to the jealous religious leaders, passed on to the ruthless Romans so that Jesus would be nailed to a cross. All of which was predicted by the prophets hundreds of years ago.

No the plan hasn't failed, this was just the next step, the ultimate proof! Jesus Christ is raised back to life!

Just a couple of months before Peter preached this sermon, Jesus was seen many times, there were plenty of witnesses, plenty of people that were around town that could have been asked. The people that heard this sermon didn't have to believe a story that Peter made up, they didn't have to have very much faith to believe that Jesus came back from the dead, the news was all over town.

Let there be no doubt! Jesus came back from the dead and he is our Lord and Messiah. Jesus proved in his life and through his death that he is the Messiah. God's plan to build a bridge to us was completed!

Romans 4:25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Jesus Told Us To Love One Another

Journey To The Cross Series


Matthew 26:62-64 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus remained silent.

Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.

Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

There were six parts to Jesus’ trial: three stages in a religious court and three stages before a Roman court. On the night of Jesus’ arrest, He was brought before Annas, Caiaphas, and then an assembly of religious leaders called the Sanhedrin (John 18:19-24; Matthew 26:57).

After this He was taken before Pilate, the Roman Governor (John 18:23), sent off to Herod (Luke 23:7), and then back to Pilate (Luke 23:11-12), who finally sentenced Him to death.

The trials were illegal for many reasons: (1) No trial was to be held during feast time. (2) Each member of the court was to vote individually to convict or acquit, but Jesus was convicted by acclamation. (3) If the death penalty was given, a night must pass before the sentence was carried out; however, only a few hours passed before Jesus was placed on the Cross. (4) The Jews had no authority to execute anyone. (5) No trial was to be held at night, but this trial was held before dawn. (6) The accused was to be given counsel or representation, but Jesus had none. (7) The accused was not to be asked self-incriminating questions, but Jesus was asked if He was the Christ.

The first three trials included beating the defendant (John 18:22-23), inconclusive testimony of the witnesses (Mark 14:56-59), and finally a verdict that he was guilty of blasphemy (Luke 22:66-71).

The trials before the Roman authorities started with Pilate (John 18:23). After Jesus was beaten the charges are made and they are a lot different from the charges in His religious trials, the Roman government didn't care about blasphemy, they had to make up a new charge. This time he was charged with inciting people to riot, forbidding the people to pay their taxes, and claiming to be King.

Pilate found no reason to kill Jesus so he sent Him to Herod (Luke 23:7). Herod had Jesus ridiculed, but wanting to avoid the political liability, sent Jesus back to Pilate (Luke 23:11-12). This was the last trial as Pilate tried to appease the animosity of the Jews by having Jesus scourged, but to no avail.

Our Savior was treated as poorly as a man could be treated, deprived of his right to a fair trial, which would have cleared him of all of the charges.

Jesus fought against injustice, told us all to love God and our neighbor but the world didn't listen. They hated him and his message. Yet he died for everyone of them people standing there that day, even the ones that tore his flesh and beat him. And yes he died for you and I.

I pray Lord that I will love you as much as I should and that I will appreciate as fully as possible, how much you have endured for my benefit.

Credit for a lot of this information goes to Chuck Swindoll.