Choose this day

Not sure who is still with us but today is our last chapter in Joshua. A few have requested we continue on forward together in the Word. The more comments and feedback the more likely we will continue on. Thanks so much to Robby and Jack who have been faithful posting. I have grown so much and I am sure others have as well. We truly are victorious. So let's close out with Chapter 24.

Joshua begins by rehearsing for them all that God had done for them. Beginning in verse three, speaking on the behalf of God Joshua, seventeen times in rapid-fire succession Joshua shouts aloud for the Lord, “… I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and (I) multiplied his descendants and (I) gave him Isaac. (4) To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau….. (5) I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them. Afterward I brought you out…... (8) And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you…. (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.'”

He is asking them to examine the facts and then decide.

Joshua’s primary concern is crystal-clear; He wants them to know who the real God is. It is not with the might of their swords or bows that the victory has been won, but by the power of God. God had done it all. But the people nevertheless have to choose God for themselves – intelligently, decisively and willingly.

“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! (15) And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. …”

There can be little doubt about what Joshua is after. The word “serve” appears seven times in verses fourteen and fifteen. Joshua that day called for a decision that would help end the spiritual, intellectual and moral restlessness that marked so many lives. Joshua demands a commitment when he says, “And now fear the Lord and serve him whole heartedly and without reservation.”

We are challenged to go on and by deliberate, daily choices to follow Christ in fearless faith just as Joshua had. It may not make us popular but it will make us powerful as the people of God.

Choosing and blessed to serve with you,
Pastor Joe

Would love to hear from those who haven't posted especially if you would like us to continue

The Truth

“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

- Joshua 23:14-16

Joshua is a witness to the undeniable fact that every word the Lord speaks is true. Every promise is fulfilled. But, He demands that we acknowledge His Kingship and Lordship, that we put Him in the proper place. There's consequence to not doing so. When we haven't, we have no right to those promises and no place in His inheritance. Let's acknowledge Him and His Word and put them in their proper place. The place of our reverence and respect, obedience and service, honor and glory, belief and trust, wonder and awe, praise and worship, adoration and the highest love.

Chapter 18-22 Living in the Blessing

It's one thing to experience victory and blessing, but it's another to remain victorious. In these chapters we are discovering daily obedience to, and faith in, Christ allows us to enlarge our capacity to live a life in His Spirit. In Chapter 18 we see the challenge of resisting change.

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? God wants to be our refuge and invites us to live in this land but we choose instead to live outside of his blessing after we have obtained it. We neglect being faithful in the word, Church attendance, accountability. It's exciting to talk about possessing the Land, but it would be a shame to possess to the Land and obtain Victory only to loose it. I believe we are challenged to be obedient in the midst of the daily routine and celebrate the daily disciplines that we have strive to conquer. It's like being a championship team that loses in the first round of the playoffs. I am not going to settle for one ring I want the Dynasty,

Joshua 22:5

⁵ But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Dwelling with you,

Pastor Joe

Sharpening the AX

¹⁴ Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?”
¹⁵ So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.” Joshua 17:14-15

The children of Joseph were not satisfied with their lot; there was not enough room for there gifts they thought; they wanted more. Your complaint may be the same. that you don't have enough or given enough responsibility for your abilities. Are you constantly discontented with your present lot? Do you find yourself always wanting a greater role to serve the Lord? Today's reading my be bringing to light that the enemy is still present in your inner being. Do you find yourself saying, if only my circumstances were different! I had a different job! God will keep you where you are until you have lived to the full capacity in your present lot. I love Joshua's answer. If your so great get an ax and start possessing the land, go ahead! We can at any time decide to go it alone without God but in the end it will not be good for us. The Lord may be saying to some of us that we need to step out in faith and cut down some trees that are hindering us from greater opportunity for service for the Lord. So obey God in all things today. Stop the whining! Drive out the enemy! Cut down whatever it is that is preventing you from living a full life in Christ.

Pastor Joe

Good Friday

So I wanted to break away from Joshua today and talk about Good Friday. Today marks the day that Christ was crucified for our sins, the day He took our place, our burden, and our punishment. Today is the day we reflect on the work of our Savior on the cross. Today is a somber day as we read about the brutality, the shame, and the rejection He experienced on our behalf. Today is the day that Jesus went through the most difficult, most painful, most horrible experience that anyone could ever experience for you and for me. Today is the day that He gave the greatest sacrifice, paid the greatest price to purchase us, and showed the greatest love. Today the veil was torn. Without today we would still be lost without hope. Let's take time today to remember, to refocus, and realign ourselves with the work of the cross because our response is thus:

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

Robby

Joshua 13-14

Joshua 14:11-12 (New King James Version)

¹¹ As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. ¹² Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”

I hope you noticed by I am covering two chapters today. Chapter 13 was primarily a list of the land that had been conquered. I think Caleb's response in vv. 11-12 in chapter 14 is amazing. Here we have an 85 year old man saying that he is ready to kick some butt. 45 years earlier Caleb as a spy, returned with a report of the land and was ready to enter but the other spy's were fearful. Saying that the people were taller and greater than them (Duet 1) but not Caleb, the dude is a warrior. We need more Caleb's in our lives that don't walk in fear but ready to take on whoever and whatever is thrown at them. My question for you is are you Caleb or are you someone who walks in fear assuming the worst? There is nothing impossible with our God. Real men follow Jesus. I would encourage you to go pick a fight with Satan today. Stop walking with fear and being a wimp. Don't let an 85 year old dude put you to shame.

Man Up and walk in your inheritance!

Pastor Joe

Details and Enjoyment

Difficult chapter today because there isn't really any action here. We have an account of all of the kings defeated in Moses' time as well as in Joshua's conquest. But something that I got from this portion of scripture is that our God cares about the details. That's why His Word can't be proved wrong. We can base our understanding of history on the Bible because history is based on His plans. And to bring it to a more personal level, He is involved in every detail of our little lives. The word says that even the hairs on our heads are numbered and that He sees each tear that falls. He sees our every private moment and into our very hearts. He cares about the details.
Another thing that I wanted to point out was that Moses spent the time before they entered the promised land in battle fighting through the land. When Joshua entered into it it seemed like there should've just been peace. But we see that he had to conquer 31 kings! Their enjoyment of the promise was dependent on them taking hold of it, believing God in faith, stepping forward and ceasing what God had promised. What are the promises God is telling you to cease in faith in this season?

Robby

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