Thursday, May 31, 2018
Why the Undeserved Blessings?
Verse of the day: Joshua 24:13 I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.
It is somewhat difficult to not be critical of Israel when we see how often, and how greatly, God blessed them; yet, time after time, they continually rebelled against Him. However, before we get too critical of Israel, let us stop and examine our own lives. How often, has each of us who are born again children of God, rebelled against God? How often have we committed idolatry and worshipped other people and things above worshipping God? Before you say that you never have, I will say this: “Any person or thing that took priority over spending time with God, being obedient to what God tells us to do, or whatever preoccupies our time and thoughts over meditating on the things of God, is our god. How often have we coveted that which God chose not to give us? How often have we done something sinful, knowing it was sin? How often have we refused to do something, knowing it was sin to not do it? I believe we get the point now. We too have been blessed often and greatly, even if we did not realize it or appreciate it. Like Israel, we too have received blessings undeserved. As I read this particular verse in its context, it reminded me of 1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” Leaders at Corinth had become prideful because of the blessing God bestowed upon them in their spiritual abilities. Rather than faithfully using them to be a blessing to the church, these blessings became the tools of division within the local church. The Apostle Paul had to remind them that all they had did not originate with them, but was given to them by God. Every blessing that Israel received was not because of their own ability to gain them. They were a small people whom God delivered from a mighty people so that they would inherit blessings that they did not labor for. So it is with each of us who are born again Christians. Our eternal life, talents and abilities, spiritual blessings, as well as material blessings, were not gained by us because we are great people. All the blessings we have gained in this life are blessings undeserved that came for a God who is far better to us than we deserve. Sadly, too many of us become prideful and boastful, as if anything we have was not given to us. Some of us would argue that we went out and worked for what we have, but forget where we got the talents, abilities, and imagination to be successful at whatever it is we do. Too many of us forget that our ability to be healthy each day, take our first conscious breath of the day, and get out of bed to go work for what we have, all came from God. It still amazes me that many of us Christians, who have eternal life that we did not die for, or do anything to gain, refuse to open our mouths to tell others about Jesus. We often become so prideful because of all we have, that we do not realize that in the blink of an eye, it could all disappear. What was the point of Joshua recounting Israel’s blessings before them? Verse 14 tells gives us that answer, “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!” This too is the bottom line for each of us that have received blessings underserved. The talents and abilities that He blesses us with should not just be wasted trying to gain the riches of this world, but used, first of all, to further the kingdom of God here on earth. Fear and serve the Lord in sincerity and truth.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
What Will Our Life Say?
Verse of the day: Joshua 23:14 “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.”
It is inevitable. “What is” you ask? Death; unless the LORD comes back first that is. Nonetheless, it is likely that many of us will have an experience with death, whether the death of a loved one or someone we know. For those we knew, what do we remember of their life? If they were close relations, what was the impression they left on our life? Let me ask this… What impression will we leave on the life of others once we are gone? How will we be remembered? What will be remembered about the type of person we were? More importantly, what will they remember of us as a follower of Jesus Christ? Will our testimony for Jesus live on long after we are gone? Have we stopped trying to make a difference because we have made bad decisions or choices in our walk with the LORD? What will our testimony reflect? Will it honor us, or Christ? Joshua had something to say at the end of His life, but it was not about his own glory as their leader. His testimony was about all the God had done for them, and a reminder that they were not to forsake the Lord once Joshua was gone. His testimony was a reminder of God’s goodness to them, in spite of them and their periods of rebellion and disobedience. Like the Psalmist, we must make every effort to share with others all the good God does in our life, yes, even throughout, and especially throughout, difficult times. Psalm 66:16 says, “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul.” Psalm 71:15-16 also says, “My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.” Our life in Christ is not about our righteousness or how good we are, as we all stumble and experience some sort of failure at some point in this life. Our life in Christ is about His righteousness. Our acceptance before the Father and into Heaven is about Christ’s righteousness. Those of us who are born again believers have been given the Holy Spirit, not just to seal us and indwell us, but to guide us. Part of this guidance has to do with knowing how to glorify Christ and testify of Him and His goodness. Jesus said in John 15:26-27, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” When Jesus healed the demon possessed man, he desired to follow Jesus, but Jesus said to him in Mark 5:19, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” Regardless of what we experience in life, or what failures we experience, we know that the Lord is always with us, does not forsake us, and can put back together what we have broken during our moments of rebellion and poor choices. The important thing is that we repent, get right with God, and continue walking with Him. As we do this, we must make it obvious by the way we live that true forgiveness from God, and change, has taken place in our lives. In other words, regardless of what any of us have gone through in life up to this moment, we still have the opportunity to live a life that will glorify God. In doing this, we will encourage other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25), allow the Lord to open doors of opportunity to lead others to Him (Philippians 1:27-30), and leave a lasting impression with those closest to us, whom we love. A life lived for Christ is never wasted if our efforts are concentrated on glorifying Him, and Him alone. Let us live out 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Let the testimony of our life be, to everyone we know, “And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD our God spoke concerning His promises to us.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Monday, May 28, 2018
Do Not Be So Quick
Verse of the day: Joshua 22:22-23 “The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, He knows, and let Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the LORD, do not save us this day. 23 If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the LORD Himself require an account.”
How often have we been on the receiving end of someone judging our intentions way too quickly? How often have we admittedly done the same to someone else, much to our shame? A quick reaction to what we think another person’s intentions are is a great way to ruin any relationship. It is a recipe for division in a local church, and a good way to discourage others and cause them to walk away from fellowship with other believers, and even the Lord (sadly). The children of Israel, in hearing that the children of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, built a great and impressive altar to the LORD, jumped to the conclusion that they were building an altar for the purpose of idol worship. Rather than inquire about their intentions, and giving them the benefit of the doubt, the children of Israel immediately prepared themselves to go to war against their own brethren. As commendable as it was that they did not want any part of idol worship, and were willing to eradicate the situation, should it be necessary, they were wrong in being so rash in their reaction. Far too often, we allow ourselves to get angry and immediately react in our displeasure to something someone has said or done, without stopping to consider that we may be wrong in our estimation of what is really going on. It is for this reason that the Lord tells us to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath, in James 1:19. While we are called to be a discerning people (to be able to effective judge a matter), we are called not to be judgmental. We can use discernment to determine what might be happening in a particular situation. However, before we act or react, we should remember that whatever the situation is, we are to reach out to the other person for the purpose of helping them get back to the right place, if in fact they are straying from the LORD or His truth (Galatians 6:1-3). Jesus said in John 5:26-27, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” James 4:11-12 clearly tells us, “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” Before even hearing the matter from the children of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, and asking them what their intentions were in building the altar, they had already judged in their hearts that their intentions were evil. Who are we to judge what is in the heart of another believer? How do we know that it was not of the LORD for them to do what he/she is doing? As someone who has been in law enforcement for many years, the one thing I always keep in mind (because I learned the lesson the hard way) is not everything is always as we perceive it. What I find to be a sad commentary, in respect to judging the actions and intention of others, is that we often judge people for the very same things we are guilty of ourselves. I will leave you with this thought from Romans 2:1-3, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Not A Word Fails
Verse of the day: Joshua 21:45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
The one thing that all of us can say with certainty is that nothing in this world is certain. As society becomes more and more corrupt, it becomes more and more obvious that there are very few things, or people, we can truly rely on. As Christians, as sad as it may sound, today we cannot even trust many of our brothers and sister in Christ to keep their word or be faithful friends. Nonetheless, that does not remove the responsibility we personally have to be faithful followers of Christ, who are true to their word and faithful in our relationships, especially our relationship with God. Many Christians have even forsaken the church, and their walk with the Lord, because of the unfaithfulness of other believers. I have to ask, “Who are we following, Christ or other Christians?” “Who is the One who promised that He would always be faithful?” “Who is the One whose Word can ALWAYS be trusted?” It is God. Joshua had been through more than many of us will experience in this lifetime, in our walk with God. He was one of the original men who spied the land initially, and brought back a positive report, along with Caleb (Numbers 13). They suffered the consequences of Israel’s unbelief and lack of faith in God delivering the Promise Land into their hands (Numbers 14). Although both Joshua and Caleb had to suffer the consequences of everyone else’s unbelief, neither one turned their back on God because of man’s unfaithfulness or lack of trust. They continued to be committed to God because they knew and trusted that regardless of man’s shortcomings God is always faithful and true to His word and promises. Joshua proved his trust in God by being a faithful servant to God by faithfully serving with Moses (Exodus 24; Deuteronomy 31). Joshua’s faithfulness paid off, as the Lord chose him to lead in Moses’ place after his death (Joshua 1). It would have been very easy for Joshua to complain about having to wander for 40 years because of the faithlessness of his people. He could have gotten discouraged, forsaken God and Moses, and blamed it on his fellow Israelites. Instead, he chose to keep his eyes on the One who NEVER fails us. He trusted the One whose Word never goes unfulfilled. When all was “said and done”, and all of Israel received the land that God promised to give them, we are told that not a single word failed in respect to God’s promise to all of Israel. Who, or what, are we putting our trust in today? Are we discouraged because other Christians have let us down? Have we distanced ourselves from fellowship with the local church, and chosen not to serve God because of something someone failed to follow through on, or did, that made them look hypocritical? Well, I have news for us; we all do that at some point in our walk. Whether or not we continue to faithfully follow the Lord after someone has failed us will show who we have our eyes on; man who is bound to fail at some point (including us), or God, whose Word never fails us.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Last in Line
Verse of the day: Joshua 19:49 When they had made an end of dividing the land as an inheritance according to their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun.
In a society where it is all about “me, me, me”, it is difficult to put others first. However, as born again believers, it is not only right, it is commanded. When we are willing to put others first, even to our hurt, we show the Lord that we trust Him. Putting others first is always a test of our faith. Joshua led the Israelites into the land God promised them, but note that he did not go in and choose the first piece of land. He did not pull rank on the Israelites and choose for himself the land he thought was best for him. He waited until the land was divided amongst the people, and trusted that God would not fail in His promise to him. The world’s philosophy is “take care of #1”. In other words, make sure you take care of yourself first. Yet, God tells us that we should take great care for the needs of others first. Jesus was the greatest example of selflessness. He not only gave His life, but He gave it for people who do not deserve it, care nothing for it, and often take it for granted. Yes, I’m talking about each and every one of us. How often do we who know Christ as Savior have lived in such a manner that brings dishonor to the Lord’s Name? Every time we disobey His Word, or fail to do that which shows the love of Jesus, we show that we care little for, and take for granted, what Jesus did for us. As born again Christians, we show our appreciation for what Jesus did by putting Him first; others second, and ourselves last (J.O.Y., Jesus, Others, Yourself). Philippians 2:3-4 clearly tell us, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” How do we get to the place where we begin to consistently concern ourselves with the wellbeing of others, and avoid selfishness? It begins with Jesus. When we give ourselves over to the Lord and trust Him completely to take care of our needs, trusting that He will handle our cares, we will then be more apt to think of others. 1 Peter 5:6-7 tells us, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” When we, with humility, cast our cares on Jesus, we can focus on the cares of others, as the Lord leads us to. The Apostle Paul praised the grace that the churches in Macedonia received of the Lord for their generosity in giving. He wrote this in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” If we took more care to think of the needs of others, we would be more careful about all that God provides for us. Far too many Christians cannot, and will not, do for others because we have been poor stewards of what God has given us. We are so busy trying to gain as much of the world’s riches that we have come up with all kinds of excuses as to why we cannot give to the church, missions, or those in need. We are so focused on using our time to do that which benefits us, that we have excuses for why we cannot take an hour or two, of the time we often waste, to do something for someone else. God gave Himself freely for us. Is it too difficult for us to do the same for others? What will we lack if we do for others, trusting that God will take care of us? Joshua had not worries in respect to allowing himself to be last in receiving a portion of land in the land God promised. He allowed himself to be last in line. Does our care for the needs of others reflect this kind of faith?
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, May 25, 2018
He Always Knows Best
Verse of the day: Joshua 19:47 And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
The Tribe of Dan was a large and powerful tribe. Yet, they were only given a small portion of land. I immediately noticed that unlike Ephraim and Manasseh, this tribe did not complain about what they received. Instead, they took action to claim that which God promised He would give them. Their placement was not random, but was strategic in God’s providence (which I will explain in a moment). The Book of Judges recounts for us the results of the Israelites failure to completely remove the Canaanites from this land (they became a thorn in their side). We see the results of Israel doing what was right in their own eyes. Before we criticize them, let us be mindful of the fact that many of us, in many instances, choose to do what is best in our own eyes over what God tells us is best. In our own reasoning, if we were the ones dividing the land today, we would be looking to give the bigger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less, in accordance to what we perceive their needs would be. This is logical thinking. However, we must remember one important fact about why God allowed this particular scenario to play out. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” I mentioned before that God’s providence play a part in the placing of this tribe on this particular portion of land. In Judges 13 we read the story of Samson, one of the judges of Israel. Judges 13:1-2 & 5 tell us, “Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. 2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.” 5 “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” What we do not realize when we read this account in Joshua is that the Tribe of Dan was placed in a location where the Philistines were their neighbors to the west, positioning the tribe in the perfect place for God to raise up Samson who would begin to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of the Philistines. We may not always understand why God allows certain situations into our lives, or why He chooses to give us little or much at certain times. We may not understand why God allows things to unfold in ways that make no earthly sense to us, but ultimately God knows EXACTLY what He is doing, and why He allows the things He allows. We must trust less of our own wisdom and put our complete faith and trust in Him. Proverbs 3:5-8 reminds us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” God has a plan for each of us, but too often we get in the way when we choose to do things our way. We push back and we complain when God allows challenges to come or when He does not give us what we want, when in reality He is positioning us to do things that are much greater than we could imagine or foresee. We must walk with the Lord, each day, prayerfully, and seeking His will and plan for us, in His Word. What may seem irrational and irrelevant to us today may be exactly what God needs to allow today so that we can glorify Him in how He uses us tomorrow. We must let go of the reigns of our lives and give God full control. He sees today and know what He needs to allow, or not allow, in order to give us a better tomorrow, for our best and His glory (Romans 8:28-29).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Thursday, May 24, 2018
How Long Will We Wait?
Verse of the day: Joshua 18:3, Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
What are we waiting for? What is the hesitation? Like Joshua, we need to ask ourselves, “How long will I neglect to go and claim God’s promises?” “How long will I neglect God’s command to go share the Gospel?” “How long will I neglect going forward and claim the blessing of gaining heavenly reward for being a blessing to others here on earth?” It amazes me that we strive, to our hurt, to gain the things of this world that are so elusive; yet, we fail to serve God in order to gain that which He promised was ours, if we would just live life for His glory. Proverbs 23:4-5 tells us this about pursuing earthly wealth, “Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! 5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus tells the parable of the foolishness of choosing to pursue earthly riches over the pursuit of God. The Word of God says, Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” How many of us know with all certainty that we will still be here tomorrow? The Bible tells us that life is like a vapor and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow (James 4:13-15). Let us stop and seriously consider this…how much heavenly reward would we personally receive, right this moment, if the Lord decided to take us home right now or He chose to come back right now? What have we truly accomplished for Jesus as a Christian? How many opportunities to tell people about Jesus have we passed up? How many opportunities to give to others or serve the Lord (maybe by serving others) have we passed up? How many blessings are passing us by because we are more focused on earth than we are on heaven? How many blessings are we missing out on because we are refusing to step out by faith to do something in our service to Jesus? When we are afraid to give, or refuse to, because we want to hold on to what we have, let us be reminded of 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” When we are afraid to serve the Lord, or become discouraged because serving God seems to bring suffering, let us remember 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The bottom line is that everything we do, in Christ, and in His Name, done by faith, will render a heavenly reward. This is God’s promise to those who are His. Colossians 3:3-24 tells us, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 reminds us that our labor for the Lord is not in vain, so we must be steadfast in serving Him. Galatians 6:9-10 clearly states, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Israel prolonged the receiving of God’s blessing because they hesitated. I ask, “What are we waiting for to begin reaping the promised blessings of God?” Is it because what this world has to offer is more real to us that what God promises He has in store for us? We must decide NOW.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Stop Whining
Verse of the day: Joshua 17:16 But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.”
One of the most unattractive things about Christianity is a whiny, complaining Christian. The children of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) were complaining that they did not have enough land, when in reality there was enough land for them. It appears they were being too lazy to clear the land that was available to them. Sadly, this shows that they were an ungrateful people who complained even when God blessed them with much. They were quick to use the Canaanites as an excuse for needing more land, because they alleged that the Canaanites had chariots of iron, and were therefore more powerful. Yet, these were the very people they enslaved into forced labor. How silly do we look and sound when we make irrational excuses for our ungratefulness and lack of contentment? We do much damage to our testimony when we do nothing but complain when God calls us to serve in a particular manner or we complain when it is obvious to others that we have many blessings in our lives. My favorite verses in Scripture that keep me focused on giving thanks for all that God has given me, regardless of how much or how little, is Hebrews 13:5-6. These verses read, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ 6 So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” How much more can we ask for, and how much can we accomplish, knowing that we have Jesus, in whom we have life eternal, and in Him we have all things? The bottom line is that anything God gives us above and beyond our salvation is “icing on the cake”. When we begin to put our eyes on what we do not have, that we think we need, we not only become ungrateful, but we become complainers and whiners. Philippians 2:14-15 tells us, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”. We are called to do ALL things without complaining and disputing. That means not complaining about what we think we do not have, and unlike the children of Joseph who were blessed, but complained because they had to work to appreciate their blessing, let us be a people who thank God for what we have, even if we have to labor a bit to show our appreciation. Many of us complain that we do not have this or that, or we complain that we have to pay this bill or that bill; yet, we may have a job and our health, and we are able to go to work (which is a blessing), earn a living and pay for the things we need. Sadly, because many of us have become covetous for the things of the world and mismanaged our finances, we have become complainers and grumblers because we cannot make enough to get the things we want (not really things we need). We do not think of the consequences of our whining, but let us not forget what we just read in Philippians 2:15. We are to be “children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”; in other words, when we become covetous whiners and complainers, the light of our testimony for Christ dims. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Finally, Ephesians 4:29 tell us, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” When we complain against God and what we are called to do, because we are not getting what we want, we are speaking corrupt words. Ephesians 4:31 tells us to let all bitterness and evil speaking be put away from us. When we are ungrateful for what God has already given us, we eventually become bitter and we get “diarrhea of the mouth” with our complaining, which is speaking evil. Let us be a people who is thankful and who express thankfulness to God and to those around us (I did not say “boast”), not just verbally, but by having an attitude of thankfulness and contentment; for if we only have Christ, we have far more than the majority of the people around us.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
It Will Catch Up
Verse of the day: Joshua 15:63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
This sad commentary was repeated in two other instances. In Joshua 16:10, Ephraim failed to completely drive out the Canaanites. In Joshua 17:12, we are told that Manasseh could not drive the Canaanites out the cities. However, in the case of both Ephraim and Manasseh they were strong enough to force the Canaanites into forced labor. What that says is that they actually had the ability to force them out of the cities, but chose to keep them amongst themselves for their own comfort and profit. It also indicates that they were disobedient to God’s command to remove the people from that land that the Lord was giving them. The result of this disobedience and their self-serving actions was that the Canaanites (Jebusites) were a thorn in Israel’s side throughout the time of the Judges, and up until King David took Jerusalem from the Jebusites in 2 Samuel 5. As I read this, I was reminded of a couple portions of Scriptures. The first is Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” The second, Galatians 5:7-9, “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Like Israel, if we insist on pursuing the things of this world and compromise our Christianity, the consequences of our disobedience and pursuit of this world will catch up to us, and we may suffer great loss here on earth accompanied with much heartache. The ultimate price we will pay is the loss of rewards when we stand before the Lord at His judgement (Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15). The Canaanites were idolatrous and immoral people, and it was this compromise that later caused the Israelites much trouble, as idolatry and immorality became a part of their daily living. As God’s children, the Word of God gives us guidelines for righteous living, not to keep us from enjoying life, but to help us live the most of this life for God’s glory (note that I did not say for our self-serving pleasures and gains). Isaiah 43:7 clearly states, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” Psalm 100:2 tells us to serve Him with gladness. In 1 Samuel 12:24, during King Saul’s coronation, Samuel said to the people, “Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” In respect to the sinful behavior taking place in the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7, “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” This is the reason the Bible clearly states that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, and live a life that is distinctly set apart from the behavior and practices of the world. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 commands, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ 17 Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ 18 ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.’” Israel’s desire to be at peace and gain wealth opened them to idolatry and immorality because they chose compromise over obedience. A Christians who compromises their faith for the sake of earthly peace, comfort, and the gain of riches, opens the doors to the path of spiritual ruin. The best advice we can follow was given to Timothy by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:6-10, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Know this…compromise today will catch up to you tomorrow.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Monday, May 21, 2018
Excuses Excuses
Verse of the day: Joshua 15:14 Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
When we read of Joshua’s and Caleb’s conquests in this book, it is amazing that these men, now in their 80s (as we know from the previous chapter, Joshua 14:10) have the courage and stamina to take on, in battle, the people that were already inhabiting the land God promised them. What Caleb set out to do was not an easy task. One group in particular, the children of Anak, were the people whom the spies observed when they first did a recon of the land, and returned with a discouraging report to the rest of the Israelites (Numbers 13). These men were large and warlike, and the spies felt like grasshoppers in comparison. It is believe that Goliath was a descendant of these people. Yet, Caleb, in completely trusting God’s promise to him that he would inherit the land, requested Hebron and went after the people who inhabited it, to expel them and take possession. I must stop here and ask, “What excuse(s) do we have for not serving the Lord in some form or another?” “Are we too young, too old, too weak or too frail?” Is the real reason that we are too preoccupied with the things of this world? Are we just too lazy? Are we unwilling to be inconvenienced? Are we not willing to step out of our comfort zone? Whatever the reason, I see repeatedly that we can never be too young or too old to serve God in some capacity or another. I have known wonderful saints of God who were shut-ins because of physical limitations, yet they were some of the greatest prayer warriors I have known. I have known Christians who were limited in their ability to get around, but were faithful to minister to others by sending out cards and notes of encouragement. I remember, some time ago, announcing in church that we would be meeting on a Saturday morning to go door to door and pass out tracts and flyers for the church. To my surprise and disappointment, the only person who showed up outside of my children, the youth pastor, and me, was a godly church member who was 80 years old. To top things off, it was raining out, but she insisted on going with us. What possible excuse(s) could all of the other younger Christians (age-wise) in our church have had that prevented them from showing up, other than not caring? We can all be used by God, if we would only step up and have the courage to be used. God can use us all, if we make Him the priority of our lives, and are willing to step out of our comfort zone. In Matthew 16:24-27 Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” When God called Samuel, he was just a boy (1 Samuel 3). David was just a young shepherd boy when God called him (1 Samuel 16). Moses was an old man when God called him to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt (Exodus 3). God used Daniel from the time he was a young man into his old age. The bottom line is that none of us has an excuse for not serving God or experiencing wonderful victories in the process. How many opportunities and blessings are we passing up by our unwillingness to step out, by faith, to serve God in some capacity or another? What excuse will we give God when we stand before Him to give an account for our lives and how we chose to live it? I want to leave us with this portion of Scripture to ponder, 2 Corinthians 5:9-11, Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” I ask, “What will this moment potentially be like in each of our lives, based on how we are serving God now?
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Sunday, May 20, 2018
The Fight Is Not Over Yet
Verse of the day: Joshua 11:23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.
I have a difficult time imagining that Joshua barely had time for anything else other than being in battle while he and Israel claimed the land that God gave them. When we read of Israel’s conquests, we must realize that God did not just hand the land over to them. He promised that it was theirs, but Joshua and the Israelites had to fight and engage the enemy in bloody battles, executing many people. Some today, even Christians, would say that this is not right and that they cannot believe that the God of love they know would command this (which tells me that they really do not know Him). Nonetheless, this is the truth given to us in God’s Word. He is a God of love, but He is also a God of war. He is a God of mercy and grace, but He is also a God of justice. When I read these passages, it makes me wonder and question, “Do we do enough today to engage in the war we are in?” “Are we so distracted with the things of the world that we are losing the fight?” “Is our enemy gaining ground around us because we are too lazy to put on the armor God has provided us (Ephesians 6) and too self-absorbed to even care about anyone, or anything, but ourselves?” As Christians, God did not give us eternal life in Jesus Christ so that we can just sit around and overindulge in the things of this world. Yes, we have lives to live here, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying life with family, friends, and such, but we must be careful that we not become so entangled in the “here and now” that we forget what is most important…eternity. The fact of the matter is that whether we like it or not, the moment we became born again believers we were automatically, and immediately, drafted into God’s army. Therefore, our life is no longer our, but Christ’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 clearly tells us, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Keeping this in mind, we must follow the same command given to Timothy by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:11-12, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Notice that he was told to “fight” in verse 12. As a soldier in God’s army, the more we seek to live for Christ, the more the enemy will oppose us, and the more we will realize that our Christian life truly is a fight. Therefore, we are told in 2 Timothy 2:3-4, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier.” If we are going to have victory in our Christian life, if we are going to make an eternal difference while here on earth, we are going to have to change the focus of our life. We must become more concerned about the things of Heaven than we are about the things of earth. We can do this and still enjoy life. In fact, until we change our perspective to a heavenly perspective we will not truly live life more abundantly in Christ here on earth. Jesus told us in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The devils want us to be of no heavenly-worth as Christians so that we do not share the Gospel and so that we gain no heavenly rewards, but God wants us to live life abundantly in Christ Jesus as we serve Him and win others to the Lord. Joshua and the Israelites won great victories, even though they experienced some setbacks and difficulties because of their own propensity to stray from God. However, in the end, God gave them the land, and they were finally able to rest from war. We are called to endure suffering like a good soldier of Christ, and not be so entangled in the world that we are failing to make a difference, until we are finally home with Jesus. If you are reading this, you are not home yet. This means that both you and I must continue to fight the good fight. We must continue to be sober and be vigilant, for the devil seeks to devour us (1 Peter 5:8-9), as we face the everyday battles that we will encounter if we are truly serving the Lord and striving to live a life that honors God. The enemy seeks to sift us as wheat, and make us, and our testimony, useless for the cause of Christ (Luke 22:31). Let us therefore continue in prayer, reading and studying God’s Word, applying it to our lives, being doers and not just hearers (James 1:22-25). Let us stay focused on what we are supposed to be doing in carrying out our part in this battle for eternity we call life, for there will come a day when we too will finally rest from war (Revelation 14:13).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, May 19, 2018
He Still Fights For Us
Verse of the day: Joshua 10:10-11 So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
One of the facts about God that we can find great comfort in is the fact that God does not change. Hebrews 13:8 clearly states, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” What that means for us is that when we read about how the LORD fought for His people, Joshua and the Israelites, we can find comfort in knowing that God still fights for His people today, we His children. We live in a fallen world that opposes all that is good and right. Anything that we stand for that is biblical will be challenged, and it will lead to persecution and suffering in our lives. If we are truly living for Christ, we cannot escape it. Jesus promised that in this world we will have tribulation (John 16:33). He plainly told us that if the world hated Him, and persecuted Him, it will do the same to us (John 15:18-25). The Gibeonites, even though they were all mighty men (v. 2), were afraid to engage the Hebrews in battle, not because they feared them, but because they feared God. Their fear came from hearing how God was fighting for Joshua and the Israelites. When we stop and consider Israel’s defeats, they came from those times when they rebelled against God. They experienced defeat when they lacked faith, when they disobeyed God, when they fell into idolatry, and when they failed to go to Him first before making hasty decisions. Does this sound like our lives at times? If we were honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that this is some of us. Yet, when we take the position of getting out of God’s way and letting Him take the rightful place on the throne of our lives, we experience more victories in the everyday battles we face. God gave Israel a great victory against their enemies. Again, we are reminded that God confirmed Joshua’s decision to honor his treaty with the Gibeonites, as He gave him a great victory in defending the Gibeonites in this chapter. Note that even though God gives the Israelites this victory by miraculous means, using hailstones and making the sun and moon stand still (v. 12-13), it was also necessary for Joshua and the Israelites to play their part in the fight. The majority of the time we forget that our greatest battles are spiritual, and that the enemies love to use people, yes…even Christians, as their weapons. They try to influence our thinking, they distract us, and they use other people’s attitudes and circumstances to keep us off balance. When we allow outside influences such as these to affect our faith, joy, and peace, we set ourselves up for defeat. However this does not have to be the case and we do not have to live a life of constant defeat. God has provided us with the spiritual armor we need to stand against the enemy and his trickery (Ephesians 6). This armor is to be worn prayerfully (Ephesian 6:18) and in the Lord’s strength, not our own strength (Ephesians 6:10). We must continually draw near to God so that our enemies, like the Gibeonites, will choose not to engage us. James 4:7-8 tells us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” The enemy is not afraid of us, but he knows that when we let God fight for us, he stands no chance of winning. Letting God fight for us means that we start our day with prayer, we make the reading and studying God’s Word a priority over being on social media or being hypnotized by mindless junk on television and the internet. We must renew our minds with the Word of God, not the garbage of man (Romans 12:1-2). It means continually trusting God and His promises over what our circumstances show us. We must not allow others to dictate whether or not we have peace and joy, we must give their attitudes, deceptions, and hurtful actions over to God and trust that He will take vengeance on our behalf (Romans 12:9:21). When we forgive (Ephesians 4:32), return good for evil (1 Peter 3:9), love and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44), we give God the room He desires in order to carry out His promises to us. The enemies we fight are far mightier than we are, but we have a God who is even greater! I John 4:4 reminds us, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” God has made many promises in respect to giving us victory over our enemies. I will leave you with these two: 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, May 18, 2018
Do It Anyway
Verse of the day: Joshua 9:14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.
Joshua and the Israelites found themselves in a very difficult situation because they lacked wisdom in how they dealt with these strangers. So often, in our efforts to be kind and giving Christians, we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of. The fact of the matter is that we live in a fallen world, and whether a person calls him/herself a Christian, or not, we must be wise in how we deal with others. The Gibeonites were cunning in how they approached Joshua and the Israelites. They took extra measures to ensure that they would appear to come from far away in an attempt to deceive Joshua into making a treaty with them. It worked. Sadly, Joshua and the Israelites ignored that feeling within them that caused them to question these men after they told their story. In verses 7-8 they made their suspicions known when they said and asked, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?” The reply they received should have made them suspicious of the tale these men told because they never really directly answered their questions. Nonetheless, they proceeded, skipping one very important step in their decision-making; they failed to seek God’s counsel. Three days after making this hasty decision, they learned of the deception they were drawn into. What is to be done when we realize that the person we trusted lied to us in order to gain something from us? What do we do when we find ourselves having to fulfill a promise to someone who deceived us in order to get what they wanted? Maybe the person was considered a friend. Maybe it was a person we may not have known well, but for the sake of being a kind and giving Christian we agreed to do something for that person or promised to give them something to help them in their plight. In our lifetime we will meet many people, and possibly enter and turn away from many friendships. Not everyone we meet will be a person of integrity, and we may not realize it right away in every instance. Proverbs 13:7 tells us, “There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.” So what do we do when we are deceived because someone who had plenty convinced us that they had nothing and took advantage of our kindness? What do we do when we find out that we promised to give something to someone or do something for them, only to find out that they were not the person we thought they were? We do as Joshua and the Israelite did. Because they made this treaty of peace with these deceivers in the Name of the LORD, they refused to break their covenant. Sadly, many of us today would immediately begin to justify breaking our promise on the basis of being deceived. We would rationalize that we do not have to follow through on our promise, based on the other person’s dishonesty. However, God said this in His Word about the character of the person who dwells with the Lord in Psalm 15:4, “But He honors those who fear the LORD; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change”. In Psalm 15:5, the Psalmist concludes, “He who does these things shall never be moved.” In other words, God is pleased with those who keep their word; even if it means that there is a loss for that person in following through with what they promised. We can come up with a thousand reasons why we should not keep our word, but it would only bring us down to the level of the dishonest person who deceived us to begin with. When we consider the hastiness with which Joshua made his decision, it is his own fault for his failure, and Israel’s failure to seek God’s counsel in the matter. In the end, Joshua’s decision to not break the covenant proved to be pleasing to the Lord, as we read in chapter 10 of the magnificent victory God gives him and the Israelites, marked by one of the greatest miracles performed by God in giving them victory over their enemies. God further confirmed this when He severely avenges Saul’s wrong toward the Gibeonites in 2 Samuel 21:1. The bottom line is that the devil will use people in our lives, some we even consider friends, to bring us to ruin and cause us to ruin our testimony for the Lord, by drawing us into situations where we behave like the world in retaliation for the wrong done to us. However, we must not return evil for evil, but return good for evil (Romans 12:17; 1 Peter 3:9). Joshua and Israel kept their promise, but it cost the Gibeonites dearly as they became Israel’s slaves from the point forward. Those who think that they have succeeded in taking advantage of us are only setting themselves up for their own hurt; for when they take advantage of our kindness, because we desire to do good in the Name of Christ, they are actually putting themselves in confrontation with God, and God will repay their unkindness toward us (Romans 12:14-21).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
No Quitting
Verse of the day: Joshua 8:1 Now the LORD said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
When we stop and consider what had just taken place relative to Israel’s defeat at Ai, this first verse in chapter 8 is extremely encouraging. The sin committed by Achan that brought about Israel’s defeat, and Joshua’s failure to go to the Lord before engaging Ai the first time, is now in the past. The first thing God says to Joshua after the sinful behavior was confessed and corrected was, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed”. In other words, “be of good courage”. The fact of the matter is that we all fail at some point in our walk with the Lord. We stumble, we fall, but we have a God who does not forsake us or discard us simply because we have made a wrong choice (whether intentional or not). We can thank the righteousness, and Blood, of Jesus for our standing before our Heavenly Father, for it is in Christ that we have such forgiveness. Far too often, we allow Satan to beat us up with the guilt of our past, when in fact, we should be looking to Jesus for the encouragement that He offers when we repent, confess, and get right with Him, after we stumble (1 John 1:8-2:1). We cannot give up simply because we experience moments of defeat. In war, there are battles we win, and battles we lose. The most important thing to remember is that in Christ, in the end, we win. Revelation 20:10 tells us how it will end for the enemy that opposes us now, “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Nonetheless, while we are still here, we are going to face those moments when we do not do so well in our walk. We will have moments of weakness when we will give in to our temptations. James 1:14-15 tells us, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” 1 John 2:16 reminds us that temptation will come from the world, the flesh, and the devil, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” 1 Peter 5:8:9 warns that our enemy want to devour us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” We can resist him by drawing near to God. When we do, God will draw near to us, and the enemy will flee. James 4:7-10 clearly tells us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” So, when we fail and stumble, when we give in during a weak moment in our lives, and we are convicted by the Holy Spirit to repent and confess, let us do so, but continue to move forward. Like Joshua, we must allow the Lord to remind us, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed”. Let us be like the Apostle Paul who always strove to move forward, forgetting that which was behind. The Apostle wrote this in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The devil wants us to live in our past and present failures. This is not the place for us, as God’s children to dwell. Instead, let us remember who Christ is in our lives, and remember the fact that in Christ we have already overcome. Jesus already told us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:37 promises, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Whatever defeat we have experienced, or are experiencing, know that God has not forsaken us. Let us do all we can to avoid stumbling, but if we do, like Joshua and the Israelites, let us put the past in the past, repent and confess anything that we need to in the present, and move forward with Christ to future victories!
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Debtor to No One
Verse of the day: Joshua 8:2 “And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”
It always amazes me when I hear Christians’ reactions to giving. I hear many excuses as to why born again believers do not give to their local church. Sadly, far too many Christians are soured because of what some churches, preachers and false teachers have done to give the impression that all the church wants is for us to give them our money so that their pastors can live lavish lifestyles. That is not what giving to the ministry is all about, and those who do this will stand before God to give account. Giving is an act of faith. If there is any area of our lives where our faith is tested, it is in the area of giving. In Joshua 6:18-19, God instructed Joshua and Israel not to take any of the accursed things, and all the silver and gold that was found belonged to Him. In Joshua 6:21, the Word tells us that all was utterly destroyed, and gives no indication that anything was kept as spoil, except for what Achan took in disobedience to God’s command, and that cost him and his family their lives. Here in chapter 8 we see God instruct Israel to take spoil and cattle for themselves. We previously said that the Apostle Paul commended the Philippians for their generosity in meeting his needs while he served the Lord (Philippians 4). However, the Apostle Paul made it clear to them that he did not seek their gift for selfish reasons, but for their benefit. Philippians 4:15-17 reads, “Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.” The bottom line is that when we give, we should be giving God the first of what we have, not just our material gain, but of our time and talents as well. We should also give in accordance to what the Spirit puts in our hearts to give, and do so cheerfully. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 tells us, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” Like Achan, we should not allow covetousness to rob us of opportunities to give to God what is rightfully His, and in turn rob ourselves of eternal blessings. When we give to our local church for the work of the ministry, when we give to missions, when we give towards fulfilling someone’s needs, we are giving it to God. In Matthew 25 Jesus says this, about the time when He will judge the nations, in verses 34-40, “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” God commanded that the first fruits of their victory at Jericho be set aside for Him. However, He did not forget His people, and at Ai they were rewarded for their obedience with spoil and cattle. We should not give for the sole purpose of getting something back; that is selfish and God knows the intention of the heart. We should give for the simple reason that we trust God to take care of our needs, regardless of how much He asks us to give for the purpose of the furtherance of the Gospel or for the purpose of meeting someone else’s needs. When we give, we not only show the love of Christ, but we also prove to the Lord how much we trust Him and show acknowledgment that all we have belongs to Him anyway. When we give, let us have the same mindset of the Psalmist who wrote this in Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” God is Debtor to no man.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Monday, May 14, 2018
Eyes Fixed
Verse of the day: Joshua 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
Interesting to see the process that took place leading to Achan’s sin. Although warned not to take of the accursed things in Jericho, Achan made a fatal mistake. He set his eyes on that which was accursed (the Babylonian garment), and that which was supposed to be set aside for the Lord (silver and gold), and kept it for himself (Joshua 6:18). How shortsighted Achan was in his actions, and how tragic an end it was for him and his family; all because he coveted what was forbidden and prohibited for him to possess. He traded the blessings that were to come in the Promise Land for immediate gain. Before we criticize Achan, we need to ask ourselves, “How often have I traded eternal blessings because I coveted, and went after, the things of this world?” In Genesis 3:6 Eve coveted the fruit that was forbidden by God, thereby bringing on consequences (because of Adam’s refusal to stop her) that brought sin and death into the world. The verse tells us, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Eve’s downfall was first that she listened and believed Satan’s lie, but her second downfall was the lust of her own eyes, which when it took over, Satan stepped aside and allowed Eve’s covetousness to do the rest. 1 John 2:16 tells us, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” Covetousness does not come from God. Covetousness stems from our own greed, and our own ungratefulness for what God has already provided us. Philippians 4:19 tells us, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” In its context, the Apostle Paul was telling the Church at Philippi that God would meet all their needs for their generosity in taking care of his needs as he served the Lord. Sadly, far too many Christians have put themselves in a position where they are losing many eternal blessings (Philippians 4:17) because they have created so much debt for themselves (because of covetousness) that they cannot be a blessing in their giving. Like Achan, we end up using that which is rightfully the Lord’s for our own gain. All that we have belongs to God. He gives us what we need, and in many cases more than what we need. However, that excess is not for our own selfish wants. We are supposed to be good stewards of what God gives us and use our blessings to be a blessing to others. I am not saying that we can never buy anything for ourselves. What I am saying is that God provides us with what we need, but it may not always be the newest thing on the market. Nonetheless, He provides us with just what we need that will be sufficient to meet our need. Like Eve and like Achan, we put our eyes on that which is not ours to have, and we end up allowing covetousness to grow within our hearts. We may think that being covetous is a harmless sin, but it leads to idolatry and immorality. Idolatry because money and worldly possessions become our gods, but God tells us that we cannot serve two masters. Matthew 6:24 tells us, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” When we covet relationships that are not ours to have, we commit adultery and fornication. Colossians 3:2-3 & 5 read, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” The greatest defense we have against covetousness is coming to the place in our Christianity where we are completely satisfied with having Christ alone, and seeing everything else He allows us to have as “icing on the cake”. Hebrews 13:5-6 communicates this best, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ 6 So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” The bottom line is that we need to be a people who are continually giving God thanks for what we already have, keeping our eyes fixed on Him, being satisfied with Him, and taking our eyes off the things of this world, which lead us astray in our walk with the Lord. When we covet, we put more care into gaining the things of the world, and fulfilling our own desires. When we covet, we fail to show the love of Christ because we will care little for the needs of others, and the love of the Father is not in us (1 John 2:15).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Do Not Mistake His Grace
Verse of the day: Joshua 7:24-25 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
What a tragic ending for Achan and his family. What a contrast to repentance and confession, compared to today. Achan had sinned against God, and caused Israel to sin before God. His sin resulted in thirty-six men being killed. God’s anger was kindled against Israel and they lost a battle they should have won against the small city of Ai. Now, we read that Achan, his family, and all their possession were stoned and burned. How much effort would we put into avoiding sin if we knew this would be the result? Sadly, far too many of us would be too focused on what we would lose, rather than focus on how our sin makes God feel and how it affects our relationship with Him. While having family members lose their lives is devastating, and losing all our possessions is tragic, it should not compare (in our minds) to how our sinfulness affects God. Today, we often do not feel the full sting of God’s anger, as Christians or even as non-Christians, because of His grace. The unsaved mock God and think that they will not be accountable to Him. They talk as if God is accountable to them and as if someday they will stand before Him and give Him a piece of their mind, while others simply say that there is no God. Well, the truth of the matter is that Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Those who proclaim that they do not believe in God are fools. Why? Because one day EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11). Whether they want to believe it or not, their end will be eternal condemnation (Romans 6:23). A truly heart-wrenching scene will one day take place, and many of our loved ones will be part of this scene if we, the true Christians, do not begin to take our Christianity seriously. Revelation 20:11-15 gives us a glimpse of this tragic scene, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Yet, the unsaved are not consumed this very moment because God’s desire is not that they perish, but that they all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). However, there will come a day when God will say enough is enough. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 clearly tells us, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” For those who read this, who have not yet trusted in, and called on, Jesus, today is the day to do it! For us, the born again Christian, we do not feel the wrath of God’s anger in our lives because of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. God poured His anger, which should have been poured on us, onto His Son, Jesus Christ, as we know from 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” When we look back at Achan and his family, even though he confessed what he did, God still required his life and the life of his whole family. Because God does not deal with us this way, thanks to the finished work of Christ on Calvary, we have a tendency, far too often, to take His grace for granted, and even turn it into something it is not. Romans 6:1-2 warns us, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Romans 6:15 again warns, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” Today, we should praise God for such a wonderful salvation that gives us an Advocate in Christ, who speaks on our behalf, and in whom we have forgiveness of sins. Jesus is the One who stands ready to hear our confession when we repent and turn back to Him (1 John 1:8-2:1). Let us not be lukewarm Christians, but Christians who are on fire for the Lord so that we will go out and share Jesus with family, friends, co-workers and anyone else God puts before us, so that they have the opportunity to avoid perishing in eternal fire.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, May 11, 2018
We Can’t Hide It
Verse of the day: Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
One of the first things that stood out in reading this was passage is that the chapter opens with this statement, “But the children of Israel committed a trespass”. Hold on…was it not Achan who sinned? Yes, it was Achan who sinned, but this passage is a great lesson on how our sin, our personal sin, affects others. We may think that keeping our sins private is no one’s business, and we can do whatever we want as long as no one is being hurt by it, but the reality is that our sins do affect others, even if no one seems to know about it. As Christians we must never forget that we may be able to hide our sins from man, but we cannot hide our sins from God. In Numbers 32:23 Moses warned Israel, “But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out.” Jesus warned in Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.” Even before our sins are publicly revealed, the secrecy and nature of the sins we commit change us. For example, pornography has become a great stumbling block in many relationships. A husband or wife who “dabbles” in pornography will eventually become addicted to it. Their attitude toward sex, something God gave us as a blessing between a husband and wife, now becomes tainted. A husband or wife now begins to lose interest in their spouse because their idea of what sex should be (or what their spouse should look like or perform) is now based on the staged scenes they view day after day. The other spouse notices the change and becomes suspicious that their husband or wife has lost interest, no longer loves them or might be involved in having an affair. This private sin can lead to the breakdown of the marriage. There are other sins that can affect our relationships with others. The most important relationship that is affected is the relationship between us and God. Achan’s sin, although hidden from Israel, was not hidden from God. In this case, his sin resulted not just in putting a wedge between Israel and God, but also in the death of thirty six men. What we do not think about, that is not recorded for us, is that it is probable that these thirty six men had families. So, it was not just these men that were affected by losing their lives, but their families were affected as well, their parents, wives, children, etc. One thing we can observe in this tragic defeat is that when we read this chapter, not once do we see Joshua go to the Lord before he commanded the attack against Ai. He assumed that because it was small, the victory would be easy. Had he gone to God first, he may have found out that sin was in their midst and that defeat was inevitable unless he dealt with the sin that was lurking in their camp. When Joshua finally goes to God in tears, God is direct and firm in His response in verse 10, “So the LORD said to Joshua: ‘Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?’” In other words, “Why are you coming and crying to me now?” God then proceeds to give him instruction on what he needs to do to handle the situation immediately. It is of utmost importance that we deal with sin when it is discovered within the church. Our personal responsibility is to immediately repent and confess our sins before God, but when it is discovered within the church, it must be dealt with. However, we must also make sure that we deal with it in love, so that in dealing with it, the church not sin by dealing with it in a manner that dishonors God. In Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 2:3-11, and Galatians 6:1-3, God has given us the process with which we can best deal with sin, in a manner that will please the Lord and keep unity within the body. The bottom line is that sin in our lives affects those around us, even when we do not see it. More importantly, nothing is hidden from God, and it is to Him that we will ultimately give an account (Hebrews 4:13).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Thursday, May 10, 2018
All About Perspective
Verse of the day: Joshua 6:2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
Getting through, and dealing with, most of what we go through in life as born again Christians has everything to do with how we respond. It is amazing how perspective plays such a great part in how we react to life’s challenges. As God’s children, our perspective on life, and all that God may possibly allow, has everything to do with our faith. The one thing that we often forget when we are faced with seemingly impossible challenges is that God’s perspective about the situation or circumstance is far different than ours. Joshua and the Israelites had yet to take the City of Jericho, yet, God says to him, “See! I have given Jericho into your hand”. The walls were still intact, but God saw the situation from the perspective of, “It is done.” In Isaiah 55:8-9 God said, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” While we sometimes panic, stress, and worry about how things will turn out in difficult times, or how we will find a solution, God sees it as already resolved. God already has a solution, and already knows how He will resolve it, but it is usually in a way that we would never think of, even if we had a thousand years to come up with a solution. When God promised that He would give Israel the land of Canaan, from His perspective, it was done. It was their lack of faith that caused the generation that came out of Egypt to forfeit the blessing. We often forfeit the blessings that are hidden within the trials because we lack faith. We miss the blessing of seeing God’s hand at work when we begin to try and manipulate situations to get the outcome we desire, rather that trust God for the outcome He has planned. We miss the blessing of the opportunity to grow in our faith and become more like Jesus in how we view life. Just like God dealt with Joshua on the basis of where they would be and not where they were, God deals with us on the basis of who we will be, not who we are. This is what I mean… When Peter met Jesus in John 1:42 Jesus said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). Peter was not yet a stone for Jesus, but Jesus saw him for who he would become. In Acts 1:41 it tells us that about three thousand souls were saved in one day from the Apostle Peter’s preaching; the same Peter who denied Jesus in John 18. God does not see us as eventually inheriting eternal life or Heaven eventually becoming our home. He does not see our problems as eventually being solved. In Christ we already have eternal life. In Christ Heaven is already our home. In Christ, our problems are already solved; it is just that God has chosen not to show us the answer yet. As believers who have eternal life and whose home is already Heaven, we must live a life of hope, knowing that everything God has promised is certain, even though we may not see it with our own eyes at the moment. We may not see the solution to our problems now, but we can see them as resolved if we view them with eyes of faith. When Israel rebelled against God, once again, He delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty year (Judges 13:1). However, in the meantime, He began to put His plan into action with the birth of Samson who would begin to deliver them, as we are told in Judges 13:5. From Israel’s perspective, life might have seemed hopeless because it would take forty years for them to begin to be free from Philistine oppression. Nonetheless, from God’s perspective, it was done. What are we going through today that we are needlessly worrying about? Do we not know that God has already resolved it? Are we going to forfeit the blessings that He is waiting to give us as we patiently, and with faith, walk with Him through whatever the circumstance or situation is? Let us do all that we can to change our perspective from ours to His, and I guarantee that we will begin to see life in a different light.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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