March 2, 2016

"Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel. However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?” “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from? ”They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.”’This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey. ”The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now." Joshua 9:1-19

This is an eye-opening account of what can happen to a leader as great as Joshua when he neglected to pray.

God commanded Joshua and his army to completely destroy all the Canaanite nations and their kings so they could have rest in this Land of Promise.

However, one of their enemies was cunning enough to trick Joshua into making a treaty of protection with them. The men of Gibeon came to Joshua claiming to be foreigners from a territory far from Canaan saying they had heard of their reputation and the power of their God. They put on old tattered clothing, old wineskins and moldy bread to make it appear they had truly traveled from afar when they had only come around the corner.

Joshua and his men listened to the claims of the Gibeonites and looked at their evidence and lacking the discerning wisdom received from prayer were taken in by their ruse. 

Joshua pledged a treaty of protection to the Gibeonites and then three days later he realized he had been had.

By trusting his own judgement, Joshua put himself in a compromising situation because God had commanded His people to destroy all the tribes of Canaan but now he had just pledged to protect one of them.

Oh, if they had only inquired of the Lord before they made their pledge to these men! Oh, if they had listened to God before listening to these deceptive men from Gibeon!

Have you ever gotten yourself into a compromising situation because you neglected to pray?

Are you still living with the complications of an unwise decision you neglected to pray over?

If it happened to Joshua it can happen to you.

If it happened once it can happen again if you forget to pray. When you are prayerless you are careless!

Have you prayed today?

March 1, 2016

"Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." Joshua 2:8-11

Joshua discreetly sent two spies into Jericho to gather intel. They ended up at the home of Rahab the harlot. It may have been the only safe place within the walls of Jericho and it wasn't even that safe as the soldiers came by looking for them. Thanks to the courage and resourcefulness of Rahab, they stayed safe while they were in the city. When it came time to leave Jericho she helped them escape by lowering them down the wall.

Forty years earlier Joshua had been a spy, one of 12 appointed by Moses. After scouting out Canaan he came back with a realistic yet optimistic report, "We should go up and take this land!"

Unfortunately, there were 10 other spies who gave a negative report which discouraged the people and brought fear to their hearts.Rather than cross over into Jordan they demanded Moses lead them back into the wilderness.

But, God is the God of fresh starts, beginnings and second chances so He brought them back to Canaan for another shot at entering into the Land of Promise. And while they wandered By the time they were committed to cross the Jordan those who had doubted were dead.

So the two secret spies came back to Joshua with a very encouraging report. They told Joshua that God had planted a fear in the Hearts of those inside the walls of Jericho. All the marvelous miracles wrought by God to lead His people out of Egypt gave the Hebrews a fearsome reputation among the Canaanites. The Canaanites feared the God of the Hebrews perhaps more so than the Hebrews did! They should have felt quite safe hiding behind the impenetrable walls of Jericho but instead they were shaking in their sandals.

Herein lies a life-changing truth that should embolden you when God calls you to destroy your stronghold. WHEN GOD PUTS HIS COURAGE IN YOUR HEART HE HAS ALSO PLACED FEAR IN THE HEART OF YOUR ENEMY!

That's huge!

That can be a game-changer!

Anytime God is calling you to do some great thing that you wonder is possible, remember this powerful truth! When God is stirring courage in your heart you can be cure He has also placed fear in the heart of your enemy!

Here's the truth: THE BATTLE IS DONE BEFORE THE BATTLE IS BEGUN!

Serve God courageously!

Serve God confidently!

February 29, 2016

"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!"  Luke 15:13-17

You probably recognize this portion of Scripture as being taken from the Parable of the Prodigal Son and it shows how one can shift from being a son to being a slave.

Here are some of the modern forms of slavery:

Achievement - being a slave to performance.

It is actually more apparent in the case of the old brother in this parable but it is rampant in our culture. While there is nothing wrong with achievement, living to achieve is a problem. When you are driven by the need to out perform everyone else in order to prove yourself it is not a healthy way to live.

As seen in the older brother, having an inordinate need to perform and achieve usually is driven by unrealistic goals and results in frequent frustration.

Affirmation - being a slave to popularity.

Both sons seemed to care more about what others thought of them than the approval of the father.

The approval and validation of others is a powerful influence in life. It is important to everyone but seems to be an obsession for some who define their self-worth based upon what others think of them.

Do you care about the Father's opinion or are you a slave to the need for man's approval?

Adherence - being a slave to legalism..

In the two sons you see both extremes in regard to rules. The older son kept them all with a critical heart and the younger brother rebelled with a careless heart. As a result, neither them enjoyed the love of their father.

Legalism supposes that keeping rules can result in holiness. The law-breaker believes that casting off rules will result in happiness.

Each is a slave to misconception.

Addiction - being a slave to appetites.

When you think of addiction you most likely think about abuse of chemical substances. More often than not, that is the case.

Certain personality types lend themselves to addiction, but those drawn into addiction are drawn by a need to feel good and escape from emotional, physical or psychological pain. They begin using the pain-killers but soon abuse them. In an attempt to escape momentarily from pain they become a slave to a great source of pain - addiction.

Addiction is perhaps the most harmful form of selfishness - unless you become addicted to Jesus.

I am glad slavery in America was abolished 150 years ago. I look forward to a day when slavery of the soul is abolished.

For you, that day could be today.

February 28, 2016

"The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days." Joshua 6:13-14

Glory Days begin or end from the neck up. You can be physically present in the Promised Land but have your heart and mind mired in Egypt.

That had been the problem with the Hebrews for the past 40 years. God is a God of second chances, fresh starts and new beginnings and under the leadership of Joshua the Children of Israel got their mulligan when they crossed the Jordan. But soon after they ran head on into the stronghold of Jericho. It would have to fall before they could realize their "Glory Days".

Strongholds always stand between you and your Promised Land.

What is a stronghold? A stronghold is a mindset or a thought process that stands in opposition to God's truths. You could say it is a false premise that keeps you from embracing God's promise.

That "stronghold" can be every bit as imposing to you as Jericho was to God's people. And like Jericho, it has to fall!

Joshua 6 details three ways to take down a stronghold. I've given you two of them and now I'm sharing the third:

1. Fight in God's Power!
2. Fight With God's Weapons!
3. Keep God in the Center!

When God called Joshua to take out Jericho He gave him a plan! The plan was to have the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant in the center of a procession that would circle Jericho every day for six days. There was great significance in how the procession was organized.

Soldiers prepared for battle led this procession, the priests carrying the Ark were in the center of the procession followed by more soldiers.

What a beautiful picture of how God leads us to victory! His soldiers (angels) go before us and behind us as long as we keep Jesus in the center of our lives and keep marching toward our Promised Land!

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”

    and you make the Most High your dwelling,

 

no harm will overtake you,

    no disaster will come near your tent.

 

For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways;

 

they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

 

He will call on me, and I will answer him;

    I will be with him in trouble,

    I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

    and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91:9-16

February 27, 2016

Your "Jericho" must go if you want to experience your Glory Days!

Everyone has a "Jericho" to overcome. You know what yours is and I am well aware of mine.

One of the great things about the Book of Joshua is how clearly it lays out a strategy for defeating a spiritual stronghold. The first key is to fight in God's power!

The second key is to fight with God's weapons!

So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” Joshua 6:6

Decades ago, Clara Peller famously asked."Where's the beef?"

You may be asking, "Where's the weapons? I see no weapons in this verse!"

The weapons listed in Joshua 6:6 are in no way conventional weapons. That's probably because this is not a typical battle! Taking on Jericho, like taking on your personal spiritual stronghold requires spiritual weapons. You cannot fight a spiritual battle with the weapons of man. Spiritual battles are fought and won with spiritual weapons like the those mentioned in the verse above. 

• The Ark of the Covenant
• Trumpets Made of Rams Horns
• Priests and Soldiers

Who fights like that?

Well, that was the point! They only needed the weapons God assigned them because they weren't going to fight, God was going to fight FOR them!

If I'm going up against a strong spiritual enemy such as a stronghold I want every spiritual weapon available! Strongholds remain strong and even become stronger when you come against then with weapons of the flesh. Don't do that!

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." II Corinthians 10:3-4

Before we discuss the significance of these weapons God told Joshua to take into his encounter with Jericho let's understand what a stronghold is. Paul gives an insight in II Corinthians 10:5 - "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 

A stronghold is a argument or a mindset or a thought process that sets itself up against God's truth. You could say a stronghold is a false premise that you set up in direct opposition to God's promise. Some examples might be:

• "God can never forgive me" - A stronghold of guilt
• "I could never forgive" - A stronghold of resentment
• "Bad things always happen to me." - A stronghold of self-pity
• "I don't do well if I'm not in charge" - A stronghold of pride
• "I don't deserve to be loved." - A stronghold of rejection
• "I'll never get over this." - A stronghold of defeat
• "I'll never measure up." - A stronghold of legalism
• "I'll only as good as my appearance." - A stronghold of vanity
• "I'm only as good as my net worth" - A stronghold of materialism

To bring down a stronghold you must deny these false premises and stand firm on God's promises! That's when these godly weapons come into play!

The weapons:

• The Ark of the Covenant - which represents God's presence and His power
• The Ram's Horn Trumpet - this trumpet sounded to signal victory. The silver trumpets where the call to battle but when the ram's horn sounded it signified the end of the battle!
• The Priests - carried the Ark of the Covenant
• The Soldiers - walked in front and behind the priests to protect them. That symbolizes the angels God sends to guard His people.

The battle is the Lord's and just like He did with Joshua He will give you the victory over your stronghold when you use His spiritual weapons!

February 26, 2016

"And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor." Joshua 6:2

God has a Promised Land for you! He wants you to enjoy the Glory Days He called you out of Egypt to experience Canaan. When God led you out of Egypt He gave you everything you need to make into Canaan!

Just as the fierce, fearless and formidable fortress of Jericho stood in between the Israelites and their Glory Days you have your own stronghold that must be defeated if you are to enter into the joys of Canaan.

You are well aware of what your "Jericho" is but you may not be aware of how to overcome it. 

The story of Joshua and his defeat of Joshua provide valuable insights into how you can take down the stronghold standing in your way. Let's pull them from this Biblical account.

First, make sure you believe in God's power as Joshua did!

Notice that God didn't say, "You take this city," He said, "I have taken this city!"

God didn't say, "Fight FOR victory", God said, "Fight FROM victory!"

God didn't say go forth hoping to win, He told Joshua to go fight IN the hope that He had already assured the victory!

God did not say, "Go fight against your stronghold," He says, "Believe in my power to defeat it and tear it down!"

God said to Joshua and to you, "Trust in me and believe in what I have done for you and given to you when you were converted!"

• Did God forgive you?
• Did He put His Spirit in you?
• Did He make you a new creation?
• Did He renew your mind?
• Did He make you alive in Christ?
• Did He deliver you out of darkness?
• Did He make you His child/heir?
• Did He make you great and precious promises?

So, face it, the question is not, "Will you overcome your Jericho?" The question is, "When will you overcome it?"

When will you stop thinking in past terms and begin thinking and talking and walking like a child of God?

When will cease your negative self-labeling  and expect things to begin to change?

When will you stop living like a victim and begin living like a victor?

You are not destined for defeat Jesus defeated the enemy. You are not destined for depression or discouragement! 

Today's habits will not necessarily be tomorrow's habits!

Don't give place to the devil! Don't agree with his lies!

"The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." Psalm 16:6

February 25, 2016

"And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; and on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him." Joshua 6:2-5

God had brought His people OUT of Egypt and THROUGH the wilderness. Now He was ready to lead them IN to Canaan the Land of Promise. As soon as He brought them across the Jordan River the first thing they confronted was the impregnable fortress of Jericho. Jericho stood between the Israelites and the fulfillment of their God-given inheritance. Jericho had to fall. God promised Joshua He would deliver Jericho into his hand and gave him a plan to do it.

You have a Jericho standing between you and your Glory Days in Canaan. Your Jericho is that stronghold that stubbornly prevents you from enjoying God's presence and His power and from possessing what He promised as your inheritance. It won't be a city it will be something left over from your years in Egypt aggravated by the futility of the wilderness wanderings. It may be:

• Your anger
• Your guilt
• Your anxiety
• Your addiction
• Your negativity
• Your bitterness
• Your resentment
• Your critical spirit
• Your trust issues
• Your cynicism
• Your feelings of anxiety
• Your fear of rejection

Your Jericho is as real and foreboding to you as the real Jericho was to Joshua and his people. But the good news is the same God Who delivered Jericho into his hand is the same God Who can bring down your stronghold!

Do you believe that?

You may be thinking, "I want to believe that but I have tried to break down those walls for years but I haven't made a dent in them."

Let me point you to the promise God gave Joshua "See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor."

Just as God promised Joshua He would give him the Promised Land He will do the same for you.

Just as God had a plan for His people to attack Jericho and defeat it He has a plan for you to charge Jericho and bring it down!

Do you want to know what that plan is?

I will be preaching on it this Sunday and writing on it in this blog.

Are you curious to know the plan?

Read and reread Joshua 6 and it will become obvious to you!

In case it doesn't I plan to devote the next several days revealing three steps for destroying your Enemies in Canaan!

Stay tuned!