February 20, 2016

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left,that you may be successful wherever you go." Joshua 1:6-7

It was about 250 miles from Egypt to Canaan. Moses added to the distance by leading them around the territory of the Philistines.

But in reality, they were no further from their Canaan than you are from yours!

How so?

The real distance from Egypt to Canaan was eighteen inches. That's right, eighteen inches! That's the distance between your heart and your head! You must believe in your heart what you know in your head! You must commit to what you believe and believe what God says! 

Forty years earlier Moses had led God's people to the verge of Canaan but they failed to match their head with their heart and they doubted God. They missed crossing the Jordan and entering Canaan by just eighteen inches.

When the 10 spies returned from scouting out the spoils of Canaan they regaled the people of all the wonders they had discovered throughout the land. But, they said, "There are giants in the land and we look like grasshoppers in their eyes! It is a wonderful land but we can't defeat them."

So, when they said, "We can't take this land did they really mean, God can't take it?"

If that's what they meant they were a full eighteen inches from Canaan!

Perhaps they meant, "We can't believe God will use us to do this."

That is equally problematic. That's not just an eighteen inch problem it is also a nine inch problem - the space between their ears. 

In the final analysis, whether they missed Canaan by eighteen inches or by nine inches they still missed it and subjected themselves and two millions of other Israelites to return to four decades of wandering in the wilderness. Many of them would never make it back to Canaan because they would die in the desert.

The wilderness mindset keeps more people out of the Promised Land than just about anything else I know of. Canaan people call upon God to help them take "I CAN'T" out of their vocabulary.

How many things in your life have been destroyed or seriously damaged by the "I CAN'T" mindset:

• Your marriage, when you said, "I CAN'T forgive?"
• Your self-control when you said, "I CAN't resist?"
• Your career when you said, "I CAN'T do this job?"
• Your self-discipline when you said, "I CAN'T quit this habit?

The God Who brought you out of Egypt CAN bring you into Canaan if you can change your "I CANT'S" to "I CANS". 

Can you?

Will you?

Wouldn't it be a shame to miss Canaan by nine inches?

 

February 19, 2016

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” Joshua 1:1-6

I find it interesting that the first three letters in Canaan are “C-A-N” because clearly God is saying to Joshua, “You CAN cross over into Canaan!”

So how could ten spies say, “We can’t!”

How could 2,000,000 Israelites agree that they can’t?

When they agreed they “can’t” what they were actually saying was, “God can’t.”

So God gave them some time to think it over. 40 years!

God said they “Can” enter because of what He has already done!

You can because He has!

I wonder how many Christians are stuck in the wilderness because they have an “I Can’t” attitude and an “I Can” God?

Are you saying, “I can’t forgive that person when God says you CAN?”

Are you saying, “I can’t resist that temptation when God says you CAN?”

Are you saying, “I can’t make that sacrifice when God says you CAN?”

Are you saying, “I can’t break this habit when God says you CAN?”

Are you saying, “I just can’t have that much faith when God says you CAN?”

The Apostle Paul affirmed, “I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Canaan is for who CAN believe, trust and obey what God says they CAN do in Him!

The wilderness is for those who can’t.

Canaan is for those who understand they can’t enter without Him but believe they CAN because He promised!

Canaan is for those who CAN receive His power, His presence and His possession!

CAN you?

Sure you CAN!

February 18, 2016

"I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:3-5

God called His people OUT of Egypt through His Prophet Moses and by the power of His hand! He called them INTO the wilderness in order to bring them THROUGH it! And then God called His people OUT of the wilderness so He could bring them INTO Canaan to dwell and find rest!

Bringing His people into Canaan was the reason God brought them out of Egypt! It had been his plan and purpose for them for five centuries since He first called Abraham out of Haran and promised to make of him a great nation.

In fact, when God called Abraham He told him that there would be a 400 year period of captivity for His people but then He would bring them back to possess Canaan. (Genesis 15)

God always keeps His promises!

The bondage in Egypt and the weary wandering in the wilderness was allowed only to cause them to long for Canaan!

Aren’t you glad to be out of Egypt?

Do you long for Canaan?

Is the wilderness causing you to be weary?

What is it that makes Canaan so alluring?

It was a land where they could enjoy freedom!

It was a land where they could enjoy fruitfulness!

But most of all it was a land where they could enjoy God! And you see that portrayed in these several verses above.

They could enjoy His possessions! What could be better than taking possession of what He had provided for them and promised to them (“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west) and to be possessed by Him at the same time?!?!

Also, they would get to enjoy His presence! (“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”)

Thirdly, they would get to experience His power! (No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life.)

Those are the blessings of Canaan! None of them are available in Egypt or in the Wilderness but ALL are available in Canaan!

And they are available to all of God’s children including you!

Will you claim them? 

Will you come into Canaan?

February 17, 2016

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”  Exodus 13:17-18

When God led His people out of Egypt through His chosen leader, Moses, they entered into the wilderness for what should have been a two week journey to the Promised Land of Canaan.

The wilderness is a tough place to be. It may be better than Egypt but it’s not nearly as good as Canaan. We all tend to spend much more time in the wilderness than we should.

In the Exodus account, a projected two week trip became a 40 year trek. That’s what doubt and disobedience will do for you! Even though they were out of Egypt it’s clear Egypt wasn’t out of them. When they were in Egypt they were slaves to the Pharaoh but once they entered the wilderness they found themselves slaves to fear so they entered the wilderness “ready for battle”.

Little did they know that the battles they would fight would be waged in their hearts and in their minds.

When you have lived in bondage all your life, you have to learn how to be free. Some of the “freedom factors” that must be mastered while in the wilderness are:

·         Relationship

·         Responsibility

·         Role

·         Right thinking

God called them out of Egypt because He wanted them to live in an intimate relationship with Him. He wanted to be their father and their friend. But slaves only know taskmasters. Slaves have to learn how to love and how to be loved.

Slaves don’t have choices or options. Their taskmasters tell them what to do, when to do it and when to stop doing it. But freedom offers options and choices and decisions but it is also accompanied by the responsibility of those choices because decisions have consequences. Former slaves have to learn to handle responsibility.

While in Egypt as slaves the Hebrews had well-defined roles. They served at the command of their masters. Their role was to please their master well enough to limit the scorn and abuse he would inflict upon them. God called His people out of slavery to become His sons and daughters and residents of Canaan. It was a vastly different role they had to learn.

Servants and slaves aren’t paid to think. Their thoughts and ideas don’t matter and no one asks them for an opinion. Years of being subjected to slavery caused them to think like slaves. The worst bondage of all is bondage of the mind. The dominant thought of a slave is “I can’t”. Freedom begins in the mind and free people have to learn to think right.

The wilderness is where slaves learn to be free. It is where they learn to develop a relationship with God, take on the responsibilities of obedience, the role of a God-follower and learn how to transform their thinking.

These are some of the wilderness battles they faced and Moses was afraid they’d return to Egypt.

I’m wondering this morning, does any of this sound familiar?

February 16, 2016

“The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:7-10

The story of God’s people is played out on three different stages across the pages of the Old Testament; (1) Egypt, (2) Wilderness, and (3) Canaan.

For 400 long miserable years the Israelites were subjected to the suffering of slavery at the hands of Egyptian taskmasters. They received no relief, no rest and no recompense for backbreaking work they were driven to do in the searing desert sun. It’s hard to imagine a worse existence.

Think about the duration of their plight! Four centuries represents nearly twice as long as the United States has existed. Can you imagine that?

As real as that suffering was for God’s people it also served as a metaphor for the sinful condition of man prior to conversion.

Some ten generations of Israelites had the misfortune of being born into slavery through no fault of their own. Such is the condition of every man and women born since Adam’s fall. You were born into the slavery of sinfulness. So was I. It is called moral depravity. It is absolute and absolutely miserable because the sinful nature inherited from Adam causes separation from a Holy God. Unless something supernatural happens to bring us into relationship with God we will live and die as lost sinners.

God saw the desperation of His people and heard their desperate cries. He sent them a deliverer named Moses. Through the obedience and courage of Moses God was able to see His people free from the bondage of the Pharaoh.

Likewise, God sent a Deliverer for those of us trapped in the bondage of sin. His name is Jesus. He is the Son of God. He left Heaven and came to earth conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin making Him fully God and yet fully man!

This is what John referred to when he wrote, “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  

Jesus came to deliver you from the bondage of your spiritual Egypt. He will lead you out but He won’t drag you out against your will. You must confess your sinfulness, repent and turn from your sins, and trust Him as your Savior. That is your only way out of your spiritual Egypt.

Spiritually speaking, you were born in Egypt but you don’t have to die there. Please don’t die in Egypt.

February 15, 2016

"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."  Romans 12:16

For the past several weeks we have been studying about spiritual peace. This section of Romans 12 mentions three aspects of this peace:

Giving grace not holding grudges, V. 14
Empathizing with other's emotions, V. 15
Humility helps with harmony, V. 16

These spiritual characteristics are significant be cause they promote peace and unity within a church fellowship. But even more so because they show evidence that you have found spiritual peace within.

The fact that you can extend grace to someone who has hurt you shows a spiritual maturity that comes only from the Holy Spirit.

And being able to celebrate the joys of others as sincerely as you celebrate your own and being able to bear the pain of others is a sure sign of spiritual maturity.

Unless you have arrived at a point of peace and contentment in the Holy Spirit, you will not be able to live like this.

Humility is the third quality of a spiritual person. For the next several posts we are going to think about humility and come to a better understanding of why it is so important within a fellowship of believers.

My favorite definition of humility comes from Dr. Elton Trueblood, the great Quaker scholar and theologian. He wrote, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, humility is not thinking of yourself at all."

If humility is anything, it is certainly removing your self interest from the spiritual equations of your life. It is being delivered from the natural human inclination to ask, "What's in it for me?" Humility is "seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness". Humility is factoring how you can benefit your brother or your sister.

Humility is a clear indication that your "flesh" has been crucified and that His love rules in your heart.

How do you measure on the humility scale?

Have you removed your self interest to the perimeter of your life?

Are your actions showing evidence that you "love God with all your heart and all your soul and your neighbor as yourself?"

Will you humbly assess your heart today?

February 14, 2016

"The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

Nowadays the word "soul" is often attached to a type of food or a genre of music.

While I have no problem with either of those and like both, it is deeply troubling that our understanding of the soul is so limited and lacking.

How can you fully appreciate the significance of salvation and the demand for discipleship until you capture the concept of the soul?

You can't, so you'd better!

In yesterday's post I shared the OT word for "soul". In the New Testament, the Greek word for "soul" is transliterated as "psuche" or "psyche." We will use "psuche". This word occurs over 100 times in the New Testament. Combine the OT and NT references and you will find 850 "soul" scriptures.

Add to that number the other synonyms used in conjunction with the soul. Consider:

"Heart" is synonymous with soul and refers to the seat and source of your emotions. Your "heart"  is where you set your desires. (Luke 10:27)

"Mind" refers to the bias that forms your thoughts and your attitudes. Your "mind" includes your assumptions and your predispositions. You could say it is the "mind behind your mind."

(Colossians 3:2; Romans 12:1-2; Luke 10:27)

"Spirit" is the image of God within you. It is what gives life to your soul. It is where God desires to dwell and rule.

Your soul (heart, mind and spirit) is the core of your being and the essential you. Your soul is what forms at the instant of conception and endures eternally. The destination of your soul depends on the decisions you make during life. It is your soul that slips into eternity at the moment your body dies.

Jesus, as you would expect, posed the most poignant question in regard to the soul when He challenged, " For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul." Mark 8:36

How is it with your soul?