First Time Obedience

In Joshua 6 we read of the great faith of Joshua as he listened to and obeyed God for GREAT things. Joshua was slowly being prepared for the BIG day...the day that the Children of Israel would take Jericho. He took the people over the Jordan on dry ground by faith, set up stones and cut away the flesh of the people in obedience.  Joshua was learning that faith and obedience go hand and hand.

All of this was preparing Joshua for the next BIG test of his faith...Jericho. Would Joshua obey God..would he trust God...would He believe that God would do what He said?

As Joshua was instructed by God, he so instructed the people. They were to walk around the city one time for six days and on the seventh day they were to walk around seven times with seven priests blowing seven trumpets. When the trumpets blew the people were to yell as loud as they could and the walls of the great city would fall. They were then instructed to burn the city and not take any of the spoil. Everything went according to plan except for one small thing...someone disobeyed and took of the spoil. 

We tend to say what's the big deal, right? Wrong! Obedience is a BIG deal to God...in fact it's what makes or breaks us as believers. It's been said that partial obedience is disobedience and even delayed obedience is disobedience. But  God says "Obedience is better than sacrifice"  (1 Samuel 15:22) It's more pleasing to the Lord that we heed His instructions and listen to His still small voice then anything we could offer as a sacrifice to Him. 


We can flourish in our walk with the Lord or we can struggle through it....the key is first time obedience. We often find it easy to obey in the BIG things (fellowship, prayer, daily devotions, serving  at church, tithing...)  but very difficult in the smaller things (gossip, exaggeration, over sharing, complaining, procrastination, hypocrisy,  patience, loving the unlovely, forgiving...) We somehow think that these "little" sins won't effect us or others and it's not a big deal.  But, in reality it's the small areas of obedience that the Lord often puts His finger on in our lives. He wants all areas of our lives in submission to Him.

Joshua knew that something was wrong when they went to go take the small city of Ai and ended up losing the battle. It was then, that God told Joshua that there was sin in the camp. One by one Joshua went through the tribes, then the families, and finally the men, to see who it was that took of the spoil. When Achen's sin was revealed and he was removed from the people Joshua then went back a second time and took the city of Ai. 

It was all a matter of of complete obedience. Partial obedience is disobedience. God wants our complete obedience in all areas of our lives, big and small.  Oswald Chambers said; " The golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters is not intellect, but obedience." 

Sin hinders us from hearing from God, being used by God and understanding God's Word. "No man ruleth safely but that he is willingly ruled." said  Thomas a Kempis, are you willing to be ruled by God completely...for that is where your safety lies, in complete obedience. Lord help us to obey all things...small and great and to do so quickly!

Conquering The Enemy

"So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded." Joshua 11:12

As Joshua went in to conquer the land from Jericho and onward he was commanded by God time and time again to utterly destroy the inhabitants and to burn the city with fire. He was also continually encouraged to not be afraid...and that the Lord God was with him. As Joshua spent time praying and waiting upon GOd he heard and obeyed God's commands and was victorious in all he set out to accomplish. When Joshua did not inquire of the Lord and allowed sin in the camp he was defeated. 

This serves as a great example for us as to the successful way to conquer the enemy in our own lives. There must be an utter destruction of the enemy in our lives to have complete victory. But how is this possible? How do we have victory over the constant attack of the enemy, our own flesh and the world which wages against us on a daily basis? We do what Joshua did...we seek God daily, we listen to Him and we obey Him. As we take our daily instructions from the Lord by spending time in the Word and prayer each day we are strengthened to go and fight with the right kind of weapon... a sword. 

It was the sword...the Word of God which Jesus used against the Devil when He was tempted in the wilderness ...and it's what we are to use when the enemy comes at us each day. As we sharpen our sword each day we are able to fight the enemy...but, we are also able to conquer the enemy and have a final victory as well. The key is the utter destruction of the flesh. We, like Joshua are commanded to not let anything be left breathing. When it comes to the enemy we cannot afford to leave anything breathing...we need to destroy the flesh or it will grow and take over. Practically speaking we need a plan, like Joshua was given a plan of attack from the Lord. Our plan may look different then Joshua's, but the tactics are the same...seek God, obey His commands and destroy the flesh. To destroy the flesh requires death...death to self, death to desires, wants, tendencies, cravings...whatever it it...the method remains the same...DEATH must take place to have victory. 

If you are struggling today, as I often do with overcoming the devil and having victory over the things that are waging war against me...do what Joshua did...sharpen your sword through the reading of the Word of God... spend a long time in prayer on your face pleading with God...surround yourself with like minded people who can help you in your battle and go out in confident obedience trusting God completely and knowing that the God who has called you is faithful who also will do it!

Remember The Stones

"Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying 'What are these stones?' "then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over the Jordan on dry land....that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4:22-24

   It's good to remember where we've come from, and how the Lord snatched us up from the hands of the enemy and tucked us safely under His wing. At times in our lives we may have a memory or visit a place that reminds us of something that occurred in our life. If it was something from the past, most of us would rather forget it entirely. But, there are somethings that the Lord desires for us to remember that He might be glorified in and through those memories. I remember a time when the Lord had me share my testimony to a large group of women. I had been saved for 20 years and never shared my testimony in public. I was terrified to go back and revisit the past, and yet the Lord was right there with me encouraging me all the way. I recall Him speaking to my heart reaffirming His great love for me and that He had cast my sins as far as the east form the west long ago. I also recall Him speaking so sweetly to me that I was no longer that person, and that He was going to use my testimony for His glory. Although the Lord forgets our sins and has cast them as far as the east from the west( Ps. 103:12)...we still remember. This can be a bad thing and it can also be a good thing. Bad if it's the enemy behind it...and good it it's the Lord reminding us as He did with Joshua...to "remember the stones."

When Joshua was commanded by the Lord to cross over the Jordan River in Joshua 4, he obeyed, leading 40,000 people over on dry land. Then, God told him to commanded each of the leaders from the 12 tribes of Israel to take a stone from the Jordan and carry it to the other side. There they stacked the 12 stones as a sign of the Lord's faithfulness in their lives. They were told to speak of this to their children and their children's children. They were to remind them of all the Lord did in the past, all He saved them from, and all He would continue to do in and through their lives. What stones have you set up in your life?Has God brought you through a difficult time, a time of financial hardship or a time of grieving? Remember the stones. Remember that He carried you and that He loves you. Remember that He isn't done with you and is using difficult times to reveal Himself to you in a greater way. Just think if Joshua hadn't listened...and the people hadn't obeyed...there wouldn't be the sign of God's faithfulness still stacked by the River Jordan today. We serve  a BIG GOD, a faithful GOD, a loving GOD. He can still divide the sea...He can still dry the Jordan River...and He can still do a miracle in your life as well...but you have to first step in and trust and then obey!Step in and watch Him work today...and then set up the stones of remembrance...using them as a testimony of God's faithfulness in your life because the greatest stone every set up for us to remember was rolled away on Easter morning...let us remember that stone this time of Year as we remember Jesus!

Mustard Seed Faith

"...If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

The mustard flowers are in full bloom right now in Israel.They are bright yellow and fields of them are everywhere. Our guide pulled off some flowers, showed me the little seed and told me to eat it...which I did....and it tasted just like Dijon Mustard! It was spicy and the potent flavor stayed in your mouth for a while. Such a little seed with so much punch! 

 I couldn't help but think of Jesus' words to His disciples as I looked over the vast fields of mustard seed flowers. I marvel as I think of the endless possibilities of such faith....so very small, yet so very powerful! But, this faith has a condition..."If..." meaning that it is our choice to have the faith or not. You see the disciples were not able to cast out a demon from a little boy and yet Jesus cast it out immediately. The lesson for us is not in the healing, but in the mountain. What is your mountain today? Is it fear, your marriage, a prodigal child, a job, financial troubles, or health issues? Whatever it is...Jesus would say to you the same thing..." IF you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain( fear, marriage, child, obstacle, health or financial issue) move from  here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." The question then becomes...will you trust God for that little tiny, yet amazingly powerful faith?  Just as every flower starts out very small and grows into something much bigger...so too your small faith will do the same, you just have to trust Him. Sit back and be amazed by God as HE begins to move some mountains!

Good Leaders Are Worth Waiting For

"And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles." Acts 1:26

     As I sit and reflect on this weekends message I can't help but see myself in Peters decision to fill an empty position with haste. I have done this same thing and always regret it. Why do we feel that we need to help God out and why do we often act in haste with something so important?
To get the answer we must look at the text in Acts 1:9-26. There we see that Jesus commanded the disciples to go and wait for the filling of the Holy Spirit. So they did...120 of them squeezed into the upper room and waited...and waited... and waited...for 10 days they waited for the promise to come. But, it's never easy to wait. Maybe the first few days were easier as we're told they all continued "with one accord in prayer and supplication." But, at some point in the 10 days of waiting Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and suggested that they fill the position left by Judas. At first reading we see nothing wrong with this, but when we look more closely at the principle, the process and the price we discover a whole different side to this decision and one that we all can learn from.

The Principle was simple...fill the position that was left by Judas the betrayer therefore fulfilling scripture. Peter remembered that Jesus spoke of the 12 tribes sitting upon the 12 thrones in heaven and of course thought he, as the leader of the Early Church, was responsible for filling that empty spot. Not knowing when Jesus would return, Peter took it upon himself to fill this position. The Process he used was casting lots. This process was derived from the Old Testament and was last used in the New Testament when the soldiers cast lots for Jesus garments. Mark tells us..."And they crucified Him, dividing up His clothes, they cast lots to see what each  would get." Mark 15:24. As Peter used this method to chose the twelfth apostle, the lot fell on Matthias who is never again mentioned in the Bible. We can't help but wonder if Peter was operating in the Spirit or in his flesh. Meaning well, but not yet baptized with the Spirit, it's possible that Peter once again would pay the Price for acting impulsively. 

Many believe that Peter selected the wrong man, and should have waited to chose Paul as the twelfth apostle. Paul certainly proved himself worthy of being called one of the twelve. We read of Paul's conversion, ministry, and missionary journeys which make up more than half of the Book of Acts and the majority of the New Testament. To say that he was anointed and used by God is an understatement! Even though Paul had a rough start with the other apostles, he knew that God hand selected him for a special purpose...using the "foolish things of the world to confound the wise."

 We can learn several lessons from this possible mistake of Peter's. First, we learn that it's important to wait on God for His approval before selecting a leader. Next, we see that although Peter did select Matthias out of necessity, God chose Paul out of obscurity. And finally, we should remember that haste always makes waste. When we're tempted to act impulsively we must remember that there are always consequences to making hasty decisions. Sometimes we, like Peter, can feel the need to act upon an impulse, but do yourself a favor and DON'T! Rather, WAIT upon the Lord to reveal His perfect will in His perfect timing and with His perfect resources. Remembering that God won't always chose the most obvious people to serve Him in radical ways, but will often use the ones waiting in the wings who are being prepared to rock this world...if we will but wait for them!

His Return Is Near

"Now I saw heaven opened and behold a while horse. And He who sat on him was called "Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war." Revelation 19:11

   As I stood on the Mount of Olives in Israel this past week I once again had an overwhelming sense of the nearness of the return of Jesus. Right behind me in the top picture is the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock on top, a Muslim temple. To the right of that is the Eastern Gate. The gate in which Revelation tells us that Jesus will enter at His Second Coming and put His foot on the Mount of Olives... where I am standing and it will split in two from east to west. "And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives will be spilt in two, from east to west, making a very large valley. Half the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south." Zechariah 14:4

 It's a sobering, yet exciting experience to be standing in the very spot that all of this will take place. To make everything just a little more real, we saw a beautiful white horse standing posed for us to take it's picture on a hill above the Easter Gate. It hit me like a ton of bricks..."this is real and it will take place right here". It brings tears to your eyes. Tears of joy for us, but tears of sorrow for all who will not chose Jesus. Lord help us to be those who are not ashamed of the gospel. Those that are busy about our Fathers business. Those that are doing all we can to fulfill the Great Commission. May we not grow weary while doing good for in due season we will reap the harvest. Be encouraged today to continue the good work of the Lord...for He is coming soon!

Growing In LOVE...just in time for Valentines Day!

"...but the greatest of these is LOVE."
    1 Corinthians 13:13

      Jesus gave us the definition of LOVE in 1 Corinthians 13, although not many of us could see ourselves in that definition. As believers, we are to seek to grow in love...not that we have obtained it as Paul said, but that we press forward in our upward call to LOVE as JESUS loved. This is not an easy task and becomes obvious when we insert our name in 1 Corinthians 13 in the place of the word LOVE. It's then, that we discover that we aren't really as loving as we thought. When Jesus is our standard of love we see love as it was intended to be...perfect, complete and lacking nothing. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we naturally grow in the area of LOVE also. We become more patient and kind, more humble and polite, more others minded and less us minded, more holy, more truthful, we have more faith, more hope and more endurance. Instead of inserting just my name...it would be more appropriate if I inserted my name and the word "more". Then, it would read; "Michelle is "more" patient and kind...and so on...understanding the fact that we're all under construction helps us to be patient with the work that God is doing in us...knowing that He has begun a good work in us and promises to see it though to the end. But, how is this accomplished...how do I grow more in the area LOVE? I want to love my spouse more, my kids more, my family more, my neighbors, and co-workers and others more, but I'm in this flesh and at war daily with it! How do I win, you might say?

There is hope! Praise God...there's hope! We don't have to settle for half- hearted love, complacent love or hypocritical love. We can have real genuine love...love that come straight from Jesus. But, it does cost. It's costs your pride, it costs your time, it costs your flesh...to love as Jesus loved requires death. For God demonstrated what real love truly looks like when He sent His only Son to the earth to die for us. Real love takes death. The more you die the better! Paul said  in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." The more we die to our flesh the less we recognize the old person and the more we look like a new creature in Christ. Because we have seen what real love looks like, we have a model that we are to strive for. As we die to our flesh and begin to abide in faith and hope, love is the natural byproduct. We are to live, dwell and remain in the Word, in prayer, in fellowship, and in service...and the more we live there in that place... the more we become like Jesus...who is the definition of love. Will we ever attain perfect love? No...not while we are here on earth, but we are to seek to be more like Jesus in the area of love while we are here...until we see Him face to face, then we will be perfected. Until then...we can remember a little acronym for
LOVE to better help us ...

L...less of me
O...others first
V...valentines
E...everyday

May the Lord fill us with His Spirit and empower us to love as He loved!