Joshua, A Man used by God

Joshua, A Man used by God

The grandeur of Israel with their renowned leader, Moses, does not end when Moses ascends to the peaks of Mt. Nebo to view the Promised Land. It does not end when God takes the body of Moses and buries it in an unmarked tomb. The reality is that far greater days lay ahead for Israel under a new leader, Joshua the son of Nun.

Joshua, A Chosen Vessel

The reality is that we know so very little about this great leader, but what we know shows that he was a vessel chosen by God to accomplish His will.  Before the Jews, having passed through the Red Sea, even arrived at Mt. Sinai, they were attacked by the Amalekites. Israel had no army for they had been slaves for many years in Egypt, but Moses instructed Joshua to become the leader of the battle with this nomadic tribe. It was on this occasion that the uplifted hands of Moses lead to victory over the enemies.

The second mention of this chosen vessel is when Moses ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets of stone. Joshua, described as the assistant of Moses (Ex. 24:13), ascended part of the way on Moses’ upward journey. Joshua was still there forty days later when Moses descended from the mountain because of the building of the golden calf (Ex. 32:17).Joshua

Joshua, A Man Appointed by God

Right before Moses ascended to the peaks of another mountain, Mt. Nebo, he entreated God to select his successor (Numbers 27). Joshua was brought before the nation and, in their presence, he was inaugurated as the new leader (Num. 27:23). Joshua had received the Spirit to help him and this happened when Moses laid his hands on Joshua (Deut. 34:9). He received Divine wisdom to enable him to do his work.

Joshua, A Man of Faith

The life of Joshua is centered on the faith he had in God. No man could have accomplished what he did without having deep faith in the Almighty God and His help. We must never overlook where faith comes from, not only in one who is seeking to become a child of God, but also in the oldest Christian who seeks great faith. The key to greater faith is greater knowledge of His word.

Look at the charge given to Joshua by God. “Observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left…This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it” (Josh. 1:7-8).

Let me urge you to be used by God like Joshua.

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Following the Leader

Following the Leader

I remember a game I played as a child, but I am not sure what it was called. I think it was called “Follow the Leader,” where one child became the leader and whatever he did had to be exactly duplicated in all those other children who were following the leader. If he jumped, they jumped. If he turned in a circle, they turned in a circle. If he walked backwards, they walked backwards. If he did all three in an immediate sequence, they did all three.Following the Leader

There is serious application of this game in the lives of those early Christians. Paul came to Thessalonica as part of the “Macedonian Call” and went first to Philippi and then to Thessalonica. He was only there three weeks before tremendous persecution forced him to leave. He came back there often for several years. In his first letter to that church, Paul spoke of what had happened as the church began. “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 1:6).

For the first time, these people in Macedonia met a follower of Jesus. He taught them, and they saw the way he lived what he taught. They followed him. They had worshiped images made by the hands of mortals which were embellished with gold and precious stones. Paul taught them about the One who created these very stones, and they “…turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess. 1:9). What they had seen and heard from the apostle caused them to follow him. Look at verse 6 again. They followed Paul, but he taught them more. They became followers of Paul and “of the Lord.” The apostle diverted their focus from him and focused it on the Lord, the One who really matters.

The Greek word for “follower” (mimos) became a word we commonly use today. They saw the folly of idolatry and began to “mimic” Paul and Jesus. Paul was not seeking to become an iconic apostolic hero. He taught them what he taught those in Corinth. “Imitate (mimos) me just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). He is the One to follow!

Paul described the lives of these new Christians in this way. “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 2:14). I will never forget how this verse was taught to the people of Easter Island. Josh Blackmer said, “We have come to this island to ask the people to become followers of ‘churches of God which are in’ the Bible. The Bible describes that church, and Jesus wants us to read about it and be followers of the Lord as seen in that church.”

Read about the Lord. Then become one who mimics the One who really matters!

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Jesus a King Above this World

Jesus a King of a Kingdom Above this World

As daylight was breaking, the Jews brought Jesus to Pilate in their determination to kill Him. Pilate was not a Jew but a Roman who had been appointed governor over the land. The governor went out to those assembled and asked why they had brought Jesus to him. One of the charges was that Jesus Himself had said that He was the Messiah and a king.

When Pilate learned this, he asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews. In answering this question, Jesus clearly implied that His authority was so great that even Pilate was subject to God (John 19:11). His defense before Pilate reveals so much about the nature of the kingdom. “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). It is vital that we understand His kingdom and its relationship to the world.Jesus is King

His kingdom is NOT of this world. The concept of a kingdom in the mind of Herod, the Jews and many in Christendom is impacted because earthly kingdoms have a king who has great authority and sits on a throne. Yet, the words of Jesus indicate another kind of kingdom. Some even view that a time will come when He will sit on a throne in Jerusalem ruling the world. Hear the words of Jesus. I am a King. I have a kingdom. The kingdom that I have is not like the kingdoms of this world.

His kingdom is IN this world. There were eighty-four messengers who affirmed that the kingdom was to be established in the first century—John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2); Jesus (Matt. 4:17); the apostles (Matt. 10:7); and the Seventy (Luke 10:9). Those in sin were delivered from sin and brought into that kingdom (Col. 1:13). It was a reality. It was visible. However, it was spiritual in nature and not of this world. Jesus used these words to describe those in the kingdom. They are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:11-16)

His kingdom is ABOVE this world. The primary difference between these two concepts of kingdoms is that the kingdom of Jesus is above all kingdoms. It is repeatedly described as the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is that King of kings. He is above all kings. The kingdom is kingdom above all kingdoms.

His kingdom is FOR this world. Why is the kingdom in the world? It is because it is the salt of this earth and the light of this world (Matt. 5:13-14). It is not here simply to be a gathering of worshipers each week. It is like the church in Thessalonica whose impact was such that “…the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place” (1 Thess. 1:8). We are here for this world and to give it the hope of heaven.

Entrance into that kingdom involves a new birth, being born again as His Spirit leads us to a baptism in water (John 3:5).  Let us know how we can help you!

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Raising Your Ebenezer

Raising Your Ebenezer

What or who comes to your mind when you hear the word “Ebenezer”? In all likelihood it is the miser created by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol—Ebenezer Scrooge. Now a second question is, how long has it been since you talked about Ebenezer? You may not be aware of this, but this past Sunday you sang this very word! It was in the second verse of “O Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” which we sang together and said, “Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thou help I’ve come.” You told God that you had raised your Ebenezer. What on earth did you raise? What is an Ebenezer?

Before answering that question, let’s take a moment to consider what singing it is all about. If I do not understand the meaning of the words I am singing, I am “singing in an unknown tongue.” Paul said that he would not sing in a language which he did not understand. “I will sing with the spirit and the understanding” (1 Cor. 14:15). Yet, we often do. What is that Ebon Pinion that brooded o’er the vale? What is a vale? We sing about the Rose of Sharon—who or what is Sharon? What do we mean when we sing about “my pillow a stone” in “Nearer, My God, to Thee”? We really need to pay greater attention to the words as we sing.  

What is my Ebenezer? The word certainly predates Dickens’ Ebenezer, which was published in 1843. It is a Hebrew word which literally means “stone of help” and was a geographical location in Palestine. That place was where the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and killed the two sons of Eli. The magnitude of the loss of this holy vessel is highlighted as we read that when Eli heard of this loss he fell over backwards, broke his neck and died.

Twenty years later, Samuel called all Israel to an assembly at that location in Israel. The Philistine army (who had returned the Ark to the Jews) assembled to attack the Jews. When the Jews repented and turned to God, Samuel took a stone and set it up as a memorial of their repentance and deliverance from their enemy. He called that stone “Ebenezer” and said, “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (1 Sam. 7:12).

The significance of the words “thus far” must not be overlooked. They look backwards to see the past where God helped the Jews, and by implication show the confident assurance that He would help them regardless of what adversity they faced. The Jews saw providence in that stone.

Thus, when we sing about our Ebenezer, we call upon the Fount of Every Blessing and verbalize what Samuel verbalized—my God has helped and will help me!  It is an affirmation of praise to our Helper and our faith in Him. Never forget to raise your Ebenezer!

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God the Foundation of Government

Why God Should Be the Foundation of Government

The first line of the original draft of the Declaration of Independence was, “We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness.” When Jefferson asked Benjamin Franklin to edit the document, he crossed out “sacred and undeniable” and replaced it with “self-evident.” Why? Franklin preferred that the truths under consideration come from man’s reason than the Creator’s revelation.

Truth that rests on God’s revelation means the unchanging word of God serves as the underlying basis for government. Truth that rests on man’s reason results in fickle public opinion making the law. The difference is between a government that fundamentally stays the same and one that changes with popular opinion. Today, the nation no longer looks to God for its foundational truths, but human wisdom. Many do not want to be governed by the founding documents. They want to make law without submitting to a constitution. This is just tyranny, totalitarianism disguised as “democracy.” It entails the notion that “might makes right.” It means the slavery of the citizenship to an all-powerful human government.

By contrast, divine truth preserves freedom and limits government. Only when a society recognizes the existence of God is freedom elevated above tyranny. God gave the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel instead of an earthly king to preserve freedom, not to limit it. Once Israel said, “Give us a king,” they orchestrated their own demise. The result was a downward spiral into war, poverty, exploitation of the weak, and eventually slavery. It is truth and only truth that makes us free (John 8:32).

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