Ironic

I had to write about this because I think it is needed in a day of two-faced believers, who may not really intend to be, but are. We live in a day where people who call themselves Christian blatantly live ironically to what their claims are. Their ironic behavior takes places not only outside the context of church, but inside the church as well.

Why do you think church is on the decline in America? Why do we baptize less and less? Why do few churches seem to have the power of God on them? The answer is that their lives are so ironically lived juxtapose to the will and ways of God. Simply put; they do not have the power and presence on God on their lives, just maybe from the claims of their lips. Read Judges and you will see that as soon as the godly leadership passed away the people begin to live completely opposite of the will and ways of God. Therefore, they suffered as a result. They begin to loose battles and begin to be roughed up by surrounding nations.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Paul gives us a description of the behavior of people in the last days. Here's the kicker, these people will be inside the church. My, My, if we are not living in the last days! Paul says in the last days, people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, arrogant, proud, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, negative, not loving good, brutal, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

I have one word for this, Oh mylanta (ok, maybe two)! There are people who rally behind the banner of being Christian, yet have lives that are far from what it means to be Christian. Today Churches are filled with those who say "We want to reach people," yet do nothing to reach people. Churches are made up of people who say "We want to help the pastor, or the leadership," yet will not even listen to his suggestions or how they want to do it. God has placed pastors and leaders in authority of shepherding the church, yet people do not even submit to its leadership.

Churches are filled with people that if things do not go their way, they run to the next person they can find that will listen to them and fill that ear with negativity, slander, and maliciousness. Churches are filled with those who have the mentality "this is our church," while neglecting the fact that it is Jesus' Church. It is His bride that He died for. Where do we get off saying that this is 'our' church? How dare anyone say that! We have those who go to church that say "we love everyone," yet are racist and judgmental towards groups of people. There are those in the church that accept the grace and forgiveness of Christ for their screwed up lives and failures, but will fail to forgive and show grace towards others. There are those that will say, "God is my top priority," yet for some reason everything usually gets shoved in front on him from sleep-recreation. Churches say they want to be just like Jesus, yet we (including me) are far from who Jesus was and is.

It is time that we quit playing this Christian game. Christianity is not a game, it is a way of life. Christianity is not a Masquerade Ball that we get to put on a mask and say that we are Christians without living out that we are. I have a feeling that if Jesus had us for dinner, He would vomit us out of His mouth, because the majority of us are rotten, good for nothing food, that would make our Savior sick. "I know your works; you are neither cold not hot Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." (Rev 3:15)

As you can tell, I am flat going off. I am turning tables through my verbiage rather than my hands. Because, we, by our actions have turned what God deemed His mission vehicle to reach the nations, into a vehicle of ungodliness, backward living, wayward living, backbiting, selfishness, and a puny force, to be reckoned with.

1 John 2:6 says, "whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. It is my desire to lead believers to living what they believe. And when we do fall, which we will, we will be honest and humble and confess our faults and repent and continue to move forward. I want to lead Christians to embrace the heart of Christ and to truly live out what it means to be a 'Christ-follower'. I want a church comprised of believers who see it as their life calling to reach people far from God. I would love to lead a church to be a magnet for the lost (opposites attract) so that when they come in the church, they see that lives, attitudes, hearts, actions, words, and love are completely different than on the streets!

Let us search our hearts right now to see if there is any ungodliness and filth that we might need to confess. Is there anybody we need to ask forgiveness from or anyone for us to extend forgiveness to? Let us not play a game with the heart and mission of Christ! Let us live unashamedly and holy for Him!

As For Me and My House: Joshua 24

Well there is no surprise at all at the blatant paganism, agnosticism, humanism, and biblical illiteracy. I read a stat the other day that said that 75% of America was in the Lost category. When you hear stats like that, you can understand why our country is headed in the direction it's going. I even heard on the radio today, in the context of talking about Iran and nuclear weapons, one guy saying to let them have it and do what they want with them. That Amidenijad is a good leader. Now, this is a guy in America saying something so idiotic! Obviously he knows nothing about history of the Middle East or of the Jews as well as knows nothing about the eschatological/end time beliefs of the Muslims, Jews, or even Christians.

Our government is slowly taking the place of the church with all of these entitlement programs. Instead of running to the church where hurting people are suppose to run, they have been slowly and even now sprinting towards the government to solve all of their life's problems and ailments. This is going to lead our country even more down the road of paganism, idolatry, moral decay, and atheism. If you don't believe me, begin to look at countries whose government controls everything. If you take a look at Western Europe they are some of the most paganistic and atheistic people on the planet. That is some of the toughest soil for the Gospel to be planted on. No matter how noble the government tries to be and even claims to be, they are slowly taking the place of God in the heart and lives of people. When people hurt, they will no longer call on God, but the government to bail them out. Even the public school system will continue to standardize our children to death, where we we abolish in them the creative mind to think and come to a conclusion on their own. The schools will have the curriculum of what they want the children to learn. Read C.S. Lewis' book 'The Abolition of Man' if you don't believe me. He is spot on.

So, what am I getting at painting this bleak picture? The same thing Joshua in Joshua 24 said, "Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (emphasis mine)

That is exactly the attitude and heart we, as believers, need to embrace in the 21st Century. With everything going on around us, we need to dig our heels in and place our feet on the solid rock and not give in and not give up and stand strong for the Lord. By faithfully serving the Lord we set the tone for those wishy-washy believers. If you read the end of Joshua and the first couple of chapters in Judges you find that Israel served and followed the Lord as long as Joshua and his elders/leaders was alive. After they died Israel begin to fall away from following the Lord. So what if believers today begin to, like I said, embrace this attitude and mentality that they will serve the Lord no matter what! Not serve our interest or even the interest of others, but we would serve God and what He has said. I have a filling that the impact would begin to spread throughout our churches. Many of these churches would be resurrected. This would lead to the church in North America beginning to truly impact the 75% who are considered lost.

Father may we be strong and courageous as we make a bold stand for you in a generation who, by in large has no regard for you. Give us the strength we need. Spirit of God fill us up that we might live according to the commandments and holiness of God. May people see us and see our good works and glorify you on the day of visitation. Thank you for salvation!

Impatience or Patience? Genesis 16

Yesterday in service I made reference to Abram's and Sarai's impatience on account of the promise God had made to them about having an offspring. In my study time I was convicted that many times in life I find myself impatient with what is going on inside of me and around me. Another story we might be familiar with is Moses striking the rock and not speaking to it. Israel was thirsty and were complaining about it, so God told Moses to speak to this rock and water would come out. Out of frustration, Moses struck the rock and failed to speak to it. This failure to obey what God had said kept him out of the Promise Land. Impatience does not get you very far. So what is the difference between Patience and Impatience. How can we still pursue the call and mission of God under patience and control, without becoming impatient?

Definition of Impatience: An Irritation with anything that causes delay; and/or becoming restless with the desire for change and excitement.

Characteristics of Impatience:

* Fails to Remember God's Promises and Word (What Have You Said?)

* Fails to Consult God on Present Actions (What Should I Do?)

* Fails to Trust in God's Answer (Am I taking matters into my own hands?)

* Fails to think of Potential Consequences (What Will Happen if I ____?)

* Sometimes Fails to Treat others properly (Will this or my actions affect anyone negatively?)

* Leads to out-of-control busyness (Is this the best, or should I say no?)

* Reactions and not Responses;

- reactions are spur of the moment decisions that people act out without properly thinking of what they are or will be doing. People react all the time which leads to people leaving friendships and marriages. Reaction leads to anger and resentment and frustration. Reaction leads people to enter into complaining and grumbling mode. Reaction can lead to debt, especially if you react to the Tv add, or car ad, etc...

These are characteristics of impatience and what impatience can lead to. So what is patience? What is godly patience. Because I am not advocating that we do nothing. In Abraham's situation he and Sarai could have kept on having relations with one another as measure to bring about God's promise. Yet they stopped and Hagar entered into Abraham's room. Moses could have taken one deep breath, or hit the pause button, before he struck the rock.

What are specific areas we get impatience, frustrated and bent out of shape?

- Marriages

- Parenting

- Career/Vision

- Finances

- Relationships

- Singleness

- Busyness of life

- Health Problems

How can we become more Patience and less Impatient?

We need to make sure that we are constantly having time with the Lord. Reading His Word and praying. This makes sure that we stay in constant contact with Him and His Word. Live life in the Faith Lane. I say faith lane because many of us, including myself, like to live life in the fast lane. We want what we want and we want it now! But when it comes to living for God and living out His plan there are times where we might have to wait, and then there are times where it may come quickly. It is, many times than not, a mystery with the way God works in our lives. Have time with the Lord, Live Life in the Faith Lane. Third, always pause and ask God, if this is what He wants for you. Take time and talk to God specifically about what you want and what is on your heart. Spill your guts. Tell Him if you are frustrated. Tell Him if you are hurting. Tell Him if you are freaked out. And then begin to ask Him what He would have you specifically to do. Also, during this time it would also be wise to ask for godly counsel from those you trust. Make sure you don't go to someone who will tell you what you want to hear, but will be truthful and honest. Last, make sure what you are leaning towards will not inadvertently harm or hurt anyone, including God. In the case of Abraham and Sarai, Hagar and even Ishmael were hurt. In the case of Moses, God's name was hurt because of Moses' failure to fully listen. So, make sure that are actions will not cause harm or ill-intent on those around us.

Father, give us wisdom today that we may be patient to do those things that You would have us to do. May we not grow impatient in the areas of our life where we are the weakest, but may they be taken over by the Spirit of God that we might walk by the Spirit and not gratify the desires of sinful, impatient flesh. Continue the good work you have begun in each of us. May we give you glory today!

The Paralysis of Fear: Joshua

There is a running sub-theme throughout Joshua and that sub-them is 'Do not fear...' God on numerous occasions tells Joshua and Israel to 'not fear'. I would say (off the top of my head) that in each case it is in the context of moving forward. Whether the moving forward would be leaving the Wilderness and crossing over into the land or going into battle against large and enormous armies.

God told them not to fear because the human tendency is to fear those things we cannot humanly defeat or accomplish on our own. However, God knows the promises that He has made and wants His children to trust Him and move forward to the Destination that He has promised them. No matter what they face, they can be strong and courageous for the Lord is with them and will fight for them.

You could say that humanly speaking that everyday and every battle for Israel was a risk that they took. It was like the 'leap of faith' in the Indiana Jones movie in the 80's. All Israel had was the Promises of God and the Word of God that He would be with them and fight for them. So every time they step out on the battle field they risked their life.

I really believe that I am at a juncture in my life where God is telling me to not fear. I am overwhelmed with ministry, mission, lack of people, lack of money and resources, lack of staff, and reaching for the future. Leading people is not easy. Leading a church is really not easy. Moving people forward to accomplish a dream and vision is extremely difficult. Because people get comfortable, set on their own directions and presuppositions, and when we talk about moving forward, fear grips the heart and paralyzes the faith of God's people.

Joshua led the Children of Israel to...

1) Act in Radical Faith (Move Forward)

2) Actively Participate in the Promises of God (they fought and conquered and inhabited the land)

3) Partially Accomplish God's Plan for them (they did not overtake all the land- they stopped)

Will God's church act radically in faith? Will we be willing to move forward even when it makes no sense humanly? Will we take risks in our own personally life? Will we take risk as a church body? Will we leave comfort, convenience, familiarity, presuppositions, and mediocrity behind?

My prayer is that all would make the journey and possess radical faith and active participation, but I know that is wishful thinking. Heck, 2 1/2 tribes stayed on the East side of the Jordan because of comfort, convenience, and mediocrity.

My prayer for me, individual believers, and the church body is that we would not be paralyzed by fear, but that we would be strong and courageous and that we would move forward, fight hard, and conquer the areas of our life and community God would have us to. God grant us the courage to move forward in our life today, in whatever area that might be in. Give us the strength through the Holy Spirt to move in faith and fight in the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you would work through us to accomplish that which You want to accomplish. Let us not settle for mediocrity or the mundane. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your plan!

Deception: Joshua 9

There are many things in life that clothe themselves in fooling attire, only to be rotten, debased, and not God's best. Joshua and the children of Israel experienced being deceived by people who dressed up to act as if they came a long ways, when in all reality they came from down the street. The key verse in Joshua 9 is v14, "So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord." I could imagine these elders of Israel taking the food from these Gibeonites and saying to themselves, 'we will see if you are telling the truth, just give me a piece of bread.' And after eating the bread I can see them spitting it out because of the crustiness and nastiness of the bread. I could imagine them thinking, 'these guys must be telling the truth, because that is some nasty bread, Lord help these people.'

However, since they failed to consult the Lord, they looked just at the appearance and not was underneath. They looked at just what they saw and experienced, not what God would have revealed to them if they consulted Him. I believe this should be a lesson for us even today. We live in such a deceitful society and culture. Things are not always as they appear. That man at our work or lady, may not be what they appear. They may appear very innocent and nice and flattery, but what they are doing is flirting. That job, although may be very good and higher paying, may take you away from your family and church community. That device we are on all the time, may help us stay intouch with friends and family and help us buy things we need, yet it can lead us and draw us in the wrong direction. The car we want and probably deserve, although nice and good, may lead to us being so tied up in debt that we will not be able to give to the kingdom of God. Our busyness, although getting a lot done, may be taking us away from faithfulness to God's mission of reaching people to bring them into a relationship with Him.

There are things in our life that on the surface appear very flattering and appealing to the eye, yet underneath will lead us away from God or prevent us from living as fully devoted to God as He would have us live. We cannot make the mistake that these leaders in Israel made, which was to think they knew best or that they had things under control. Pride leads to fall and failure in God's eyes. Pride leads to a breach and break in covenant with God. Because remember just as Israel was, we are too, in a covenant relationship with God.

So, what we need to do is to run to God for counsel and wisdom and ask Him to reveal to us things in our life that may be deceiving us from fully living for Him. This could be a person, thing, item, job, preference, attitude, or hobby. After asking God to reveal, we need to be quiet and listen. Father today give us wisdom and insight into our lives and areas of our lives that might be in jeopardy of being deceived into not fully living and obeying you. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see. May we surrender to your counsel and direction in our lives.

Be Careful to Do:

I keep going back to this whole idea that I see expressed throughout the Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and now Joshua. God tells Israel, literally countless times, 'to be careful to do' all that He commands them. I think of those words and three words come to my mind.

1) This is a Word of Caution. What God tells them they better be cautious with their life and actions and make sure that they are following what God is telling them to be careful to do.

2) This is a Word of Exhortation. God is exhorting them to be careful to do that which He is commanding them. He is strongly encouraging them to live the way He has prescribed.

3) This is a Word of Warning. God is saying be careful to do this or else. God doesn't mess words when it comes to what will happen if they fail to be careful to do what He is asking.

I think of these three words, caution, exhortation, and warning and cannot help to apply those to my own life. That God cautions, exhorts, and warns me about being careful to follow what He has outlined. The question is whether or not I take His commandments to heart? I pray that I will and that I do. 1 John 5:3 says, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." Following God and His standard should not be a chore for us, but should be a joy for us. Now, I am not sitting here saying that following and obeying God is not difficult, nor am I not saying it will not require discipline. For we all know following God many times is difficult and will always require discipline. I think that is why again we see Him saying over and over and over, 'be careful to do.'

Will we today 'be careful to do' what we know God has revealed to us. We might not know everything in God's word and have exhausted everything we should know about God, but what we do know, will we keep? Maybe we ask ourselves why 'be careful to do'? Three answers come to my mind:

1) Because He has showed us grace by saving us. He loves us, therefore we love Him back by following Him.

2) Because we are in a covenant relationship with Him. It is not like He saves us and then leaves us to ourselves. He enters into a relationship with us. Therefore we should not blatantly cheat on Him by doing what we want to do and living the way we want to live without any regards to God.

3) People's lives depend on it. 'Being careful to do' all that God has told us distinguishes us from the rest of the world. It elevates God. When this happens people see that and one or two things happen; either they are drawn towards Him or they are driven away from Him. Hopefully they are not driven away because we are too careless not to do what He says!

Let's live for Him today. Father we pray that our lives would be lived today with this whole idea of being careful to do what you have said. Give us strength through the Holy Spirit to live out what we know you have said. Continue to teach us and mold us in your image. Let us be careful to be the husbands, wives, children, parents, people, bosses, workers you have called us to be.

Success in God's Eyes begins with His Word: Joshua 1

Here in this passage the Lord speaks to Joshua and tells him it is time to move the people from the wilderness to the Promise Land. God gives Joshua a strong exhortation that includes what to do and what to be. Joshua is to be strong and very courageous for the Lord God is with him and will never leave nor forsake him. I believe with all my heart the promise that God makes to Joshua, He also makes to us today! He truly will never leave nor forsake us. We might think all hell is breaking loose, but know that God is right there with us. He will not leave when the going gets tough.

The Lord also tells Joshua 'be careful to do according to all the law of Moses my servant...This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that yo umay be careful to do according to all that is written it it." The revealed word of God is to be in Joshua's mouth. He is to be utterly consumed with God's word. God also tells him to meditate on this word. The Hebrew word for meditate is actually a very interesting word. This word can mean 'growl, speak, moan, and even mutter.' And it seems as if God, when He tells Joshua to 'meditate' on His word, is telling Joshua to go around speaking to himself the word of God. That is how God's word will be on his mouth at all times. Joshua's meditation on God's word involves him going around day to day with it not only in his heart, but in his vocal cords, coming out of his mouth.

Meditation for us involves reading God's words, maybe writing it on an index card and taking it with us wherever we go. While in the car maybe we are looking at the verse. Maybe we post it in our office or on our computer. Maybe we put it in our calendar on our phone and set an alarm reminder. The point is simple the word of God should be close to us to the point it is a part of us and coming out of us.

Look at what God says next; "For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." This statement is in context and connection of meditating on God's word. You see success in God's eyes begins with His word. Those who read God's word and follow it through are successful in God's sight. Do you want to be successful? Of course you do! You doesn't want to be a successful dad, mom, husband, wife, business guy or gal, student, ball player, lawyer, doctor, etc... If so, we need to be starting off with God's word and make sure that it is in our heart, in our vocal cords, coming out of our mouth, as well as our lives.

Make sure you spend time with the Lord this morning and make it a point to memorize and meditate on Joshua 1:8. Father, may we continue in Your word. Give us understanding and insight to Your word, as well as the strength and desire necessary for carrying it out. Thank you for Your word and how it is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path and how if we hide your word in our heart, we may not sin against You.

The Way to Go: Deut 34

Here we have the account of Moses' death. God brings Moses on the mountain and lets him get a glimpse of the Promise Land. After the glimpse, Moses passes away. But an incredible thing takes place. God buries Moses. The bible says, "So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab oppisite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day."

God highly honored Moses and his life by burying him, himself. Could you image a life that is so lived for God and His glory that He would personally bury you? Unbelievable! God might not bury us personally, but there will be a time where we will see God face to face and we have the potential of hearing the words, "Well, done my good and faithful servant."

I don't know about you, but I can live with those words. Therefore, if I desire those words to be uttered at my appearance before God, I need to be living with that intention and motivation. God, give us the strength and the wisdom through the Holy Spirit to live for you today, that we might please, obey, and bring you glory.

A Constant Reminder: Deut 29-30

I was sitting here reading through Deuteronomy and thinking that I have blogged about most of this stuff. I was reading where God is reaffirming the covenant that He has made with Israel when He first brought them out of Egypt. God is reminding them that He is in a relationship with them and that He is going to keep His end of the Covenant, but will they keep their end? Will they be obedient and faithful to a loving God who wants to bless them?

God is faithful, and He is God, therefore He cannot lie. What He says, He brings to fulfillment. Us on the other hand have to be reminded constantly to be faithful to God. God tells Israel, "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it."

God truly wants to bless us, in order to display who He is in and through us. In order for Him to do that He needs a vessel that is obedient and willing, submitting themselves to His reign and rule in their life. Will we be that vessel today? Will we be willing for God to use us and to live through us?

WHEN YOUR TIRED

Today, for some reason I am extremely tired. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, coupled with the weather and it being Thursday; I don't know, but do know that I am tired. So, what happens in life when we are tired? What should we do? Well, I don't want to sound cliche-ish, but what did Jesus do? He withdrew. He got away and spent time with the Father. Mark 1:35, "And rising very early in the morning while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."

Jesus got alone with the Father to energize his spiritual and physical battery. And remember that temptation usually become more forceful during the times when you are drained and wore out. So, it is imperative that we withdraw and have some S and S. Silence and Solitude. But I would not only say we need Silence and Solitude, but we need R and R. Rest and Reflection. God gave us this day when He instituted the Sabbath. This is a day where we can Rest and Reflect and worship Him. Having S and S and R and R, will help us through those times in life when we are tired and wore out.

The last thing I will say, is that no matter how wore out we get here, we have a eternity to rest in the presence of our Great God and Savior. We have something worth looking forward to. Have a blessed day!

Whatever It Takes!

I have been thinking about the mission of God and what I am doing to be part of His mission. I have also been thinking about me leading Life Point to embrace His mission. I have come to the conclusion we need to do whatever it takes to be part of His mission! I am convinced that we need to take risks. Risks, as in plural. We need to quit playing safe! We need to quit playing 'church christian' as a little girl and boy would play house. We need to quit pretending we are doing as much as we can. We need to do more!

We need to be audacious and daring. Study the life of Paul and it was as if he was a kamikaze pilot. If he died, so be it! Where are those risks today, especially here in God bless America? We might not be threatened with our heads being chopped off like Paul or other people today in the 21st Century. Risks could be the days we meet, the places we meet, businesses we open, schools we open, open debates we could have with other religions and philosophies, needs we try to meet like orphan/foster care, widow care, poverty care, and homeless care.

If Believers would unite under the banner of the Mission of God, there is nothing that we couldn't do or God couldn't accomplish through us. I am convinced more than ever that we need to work, harder, faster, and smarter. How can we reach more people? How can we create platforms to reach and engage our community? How can we reach the nations and lead people to embrace the nations and pray for the nations? How can we plant more successful churches rather than churches who struggle for years and who go in and out of healthiness?Needless to say, there is so much more we can be doing and need to do. But it will take people who are serious about the mission of God and who have surrendered to the mission of God.

Don't Panic Today! Deuteronomy 20:1-4

In the context surrounding Deuteronomy 20, God is giving laws concerning different aspect of Israel's life. Here in these verses God gives them specific laws or rules to govern them when they go to war. It wasn't going to be a smooth road for Israel although they were in covenant with God. There would be times they would have to battle against another country. Also, there would be times where they would be facing nations that were stronger, more in number, and more advanced militarily. Facing these types of nations would be an act of faith. Read what God prescribes before any of these battles would take place;

"And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies; let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory."

Did you see that God wanted a preacher to talk to them before they went to battle. He wanted a priest to encourage them and give them a pep talk prior to going to battle. And in this pep talk the preacher would remind them that God has already given them the victory. All they have to do is be believing, be brave, be strong, and fight. And the Lord would do all the fighting in and through them. Pretty cool, huh? The great news for Israel and even for us believers today is that our God fights for us. He is with us. And if we believe Him and are strong in Him, He will give us the victory.

This doesn't mean that we sit on the sidelines or don't participate. In fact, part of the victory come through our participation. There may be times we face, what we believe to be insurmountable odds. There may be times where we face overwhelming circumstances or temptations. The only encouragement we have is to hold on to the anchor of our soul, Jesus Christ. He will never leave nor forsake us. He will lead, guide and see us through. He will fight for us! Let's let Him fight for us!

So, how do you let Jesus fight for you today when facing battles in your life? Maybe a battle with cancer. Maybe a battle with faith. maybe a battle with temptation. Maybe a battle with bombardments with craziness.

- Trust Jesus that He knows what is going on and He will see it through, although it may be painful.

- Hold on to Hope. Hope that this too shall pass and the hope of eternal life with Jesus.

- Remember that our Savior subjected Himself to the battle of sin, which lead to a cross, humiliation, and death. But He overcame that with power and He can do the same with you!

- Remember that people are watching you and how you face your battles in life. Make sure you make Jesus proud! This could be an awesome testimony to those by-standers.

- Commit to memory and meditating on God's Word.

The Heartbeat of God

Yesterday, we had a great day having church. We were in Genesis 12 where we see the account of Abram being called by God, or being invited, to join Him on His mission. The mission would involve being a blessing to those who are far away from God. Galatians 3:8-9 says, "And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.' So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."

In other words, if you are a believer today, you are connected to the line of Abraham by faith. You are a child of Abraham. Pretty cool. Look at what Romans 15:8-12 says,

"For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, 'Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.' And again it is said, 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.' And again, 'Praise the Lord, all your Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.' And again Isaiah says, 'The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.'"

God's heartbeat and Mission has always been to reach outside the nation of Israel. Israel was to be God's ambassador, His missionary. Yet they neglected the mission of God. In my own life I pray that this would not be me. I pray that I would not neglect the mission of God, but I would choose to embrace it with all my heart. I pray that I would not be selfish, but I would die to myself, every single day. Father, inject the boldness in my veins through the Holy Spirit that I might live out Your mission in my life!

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

I just want to copy what I read this morning:

"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your should, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?"

I call this the Fave Five:

1) To Fear

2) To Walk

3) To Love

4) To Serve

5) To Keep

This was what God desired for Israel. I believe today He still desire the same things. If we follow these five requirements we will be juxtapose to every other person on the face of the planet. We will be different! We will be loving! We will be godly! We will have a personal relationship with God! We will be living in light of the grace He has shown us!

Again the question rings and races in my mind: Will I choose today to follow these five requirements that I know will please God, or do I do what Josh wants to do? The choice is up to me. My prayer is that I would live by the Spirit of God so that I may follow these five requirements that God has for me.

Today you have the Opportunity!

Something that God laid on my heart this morning as I drove to Starbucks is this: Today you have the choice before you to either worship Me, or worship yourself. In light of what I have been reading devotionally (the children of Israel in the wilderness) this really hit me. Just as the children of Israel had the opportunity every single day to worship God or worship themselves. Over and over they choose the later. Even today I was reading Deuteronomy 9 and came across a passage where Moses tells the people that he had to intercede on their behalf 3 times in order for God not to destroy them.

Can you believe that? On 3 different occasions the Lord wanted to start all over with Moses! These people had the choice just like you and I do; we can either worship the Lord and listen and obey Him or we can worship ourselves and do and live the way we want to. Which one will I do today? Which one will you do today? Where you sit, ask God to grant you the grace to live for Him today. Tell Him you desire to live for Him. And ask Him if at any time you begin to wander off track to convict you and bring you back.

Be Careful to Do: Deut 5 and 6

In these two chapter, or in the span of these two passages the Lord uses the terminology 'be careful to do' many times. In the context God is telling the children of Israel to 'be careful to do' all that He has instructed them. He issues out this word of warning and exhortation for a very vital reason. The reason being is that as long as Israel is following and obeying the Lord than everything will go well for them in the land that God is giving them. This doesn't mean that there will not be other nations that threaten them or hardships that they might have to face. But what it does mean is that the Lord will look after them and see them through.

However, if they are not careful to do, then they run the risk of God punishing them and allowing them to fall into the pit they dig with their sin. The truth is that God wants to bless Israel. He chose them to be His nation and to display His glory to other nations. God desired to be their God and for them to His people. It was all up to Israel. Their blessing was conditional.

Today, the choice is the same; we can choose God's blessing upon our lives by our sheer obedience to God. Or, we can choose disobedience and the full on effects of God's blessing being distant from our lives. Let me make clear that God's blessing isn't financial or materials. God's blessing is the fact that I am in right relationship with my Heavenly Father and there is nothing that comes between Him and I in this loving relationship that He desires us to have. The blessing of God is a clear conscience. The blessing of God is peace and harmony. The blessing of God is the assurance that where I am at and what I am doing is exactly where He would have me. But I can have none of that if my life is not submitting to and obeying Him.

Let us today 'be careful to do' all that is written (or that we know is written) in His word!

Behave: We are in a Relationship Deuteronomy 5

Let's say I am in Walmart shopping. While there I run across an eight year old that is behaving very poorly. I walk over to him and tell him to shape up and act right. Do you think he will listen to me? Maybe. But in all reality he might straighten up for a sec and then go back to behaving improperly. Why? Because he doesn't know me from Adam. I am not his dad, and he doesn't have a relationship with me.

Let's say I am in Walmart with my wife and kids. Caleb, my four year old, begins to misbehave. I walk over to him and tell him to straighten up or else. Chances are he will listen to me. I may have to interfere one or two more times, but he will more times than not listen to me. Why? Because I am his dad. I love him and have a relationship with him. He knows that I can either get him a treat for behaving properly or punish him for misbehaving.

When we read Deuteronomy 5 we see another passage that records the 10 Commandments that God gave Israel. Many people see the 10 Commandments as rules to follow to be a good person. While seeing the 10 Commandments as these rules to live by in order to be a good person, they cloud what is the true meaning behind the 10 Commandments. Sure, the 10 Commandments are rules and standards to live by, but more importantly they are meant for someone (in this case Israel) who is in a relationship with God. See Israel was not suppose to follow these rules to be in a relationship with God, they were to follow these rules because they were in a relationship with God.

You could say that these were the family rules. God wanted His children to be different than the other nations around them. As believers we need to realize that they reason we are to follow the standard that God has set for us in His Word is because we are in a loving relationship with Him. Just as Caleb will listen to me because I am his dad and he knows that I love him, we need to listen to God because we know that He loves us.

Make it a point to listen and follow God today. Let us be faithful to do what we know would please Him.

Marvelous and Amazing Grace! Ephesians 2:1-10

Yesterday we saw an important truth surface very early on in Scripture. The truth is an established pattern that we will see throughout Scripture; which is Sin, Judgment, Grace. This morning I would like to write on grace. I think everyone would agree that they don't like people talking much about Sin and God's Judgment. However, they would rather on the other hand hear about God's marvelous grace! In Ephesians 2 Paul writes about this grace. He tells us, "you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked... and were by nature children of wrath..." So we see the first two aspects of the pattern. Paul tell the church in Ephesus, that at one time you were marked by judgment because of your sins and trespasses against God. No matter how good we think we are or how better we think we are than others, we still smell and look and taste like sin to God. Paul describes us as dead in this state. In other words, Paul said spiritual as human beings who are sinners, we are dead in that sin. Sin has left our spiritual life dead. Yea, we are alive physically, but slowly decaying (because of sin). But our spiritual nature that is suppose to be connected to God in a vital relationship with Him, is dead because of sin.

Let's say that you go in to the hospital for surgery and while on the table, you flat line. Your heart stops beating, you have no pulse. You are dead! Unless the doctors and nurses begin to try and revive you from this lifeless state. Let me ask you a question: Would you want them to try and revive you? Of course you would! The somber news when it comes to God is that He didn't have to revive us. He could have left us dead in our sins and trespasses. In other words, He had and has every right to leave us, because we all have chosen to sin and disobey and trespass against a holy and loving God. That's the cruel and somber reality. However, this is where God's marvelous and amazing grace comes into play.

Paul continues on in verse 4, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved... For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Unbelievable! Amazing! Incredible! If you are saved and are a child of God today, that means at some point in your life God resuscitated you. Maybe you were reading Scripture, sitting in a service, talking with a friend or family member, reading a tract, or watching Billy Graham on television, but nevertheless you were confronted with the gospel and God resuscitated your heart to respond in faith to the gospel of grace. By grace you have been saved! You did nothing! You don't deserve grace! God gracefully chose to make you alive.

So what should we do? How should we respond? Great question. Paul goes on to say in verse 10, "For we His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Understand that God's act of grace on your life was His handiwork so that you might be a vessel of grace used for good works for the kingdom of God. What will you do today for Him? How will you live this week for Him? Will it be for Him and His kingdom? I pray we would.