John 4 – Evangelism

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’…[Jesus said to his disciples] ‘Thus the saying “One sows and another reaps” is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor’…[The Samaritan people] said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’”

We need to tell people what Jesus has done in our lives. If we keep it to ourselves then we fail to plant, water, or reap the harvest growing in our neighbors lives. If we share what a relationship with Christ has meant for us, we may plant a seed of faith, or we may encourage a seed that was previously planted, or we may help our neighbor make the final decision to turn to Christ.

Everyone needs to be born again as a child of God; to recognize the light of Christ which is calling them toward God. We have a responsibility to represent the light of Christ to the world around us.

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Joshua 11 – Hard hearts

“For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

The Lord hardening hearts which leads to the eventual destruction of the people is a hard thing for me to read. I don’t know what to think of it or how to process it. Does God still harden peoples hearts and lead them to destruction. My theology would say no; but the Bible would seem to contradict that. I have no answers. It’s just one of those areas of tension, that I may eventually resolve; or maybe not.

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Joshua 10 – Allowing God to move

“So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.”

Don’t get caught up in trying to explain this scientifically; just enjoy the image of God being willing to stop the earth for God’s people.

“Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.”

God is able to accomplish more than we can imagine if we don’t insist on doing everything ourselves.

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Joshua 6 – Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho

Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

God knows that
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

Good morning sister Mary
Good morning brother John
Well I wanna stop and talk with you
Wanna tell you how I come along

I know you’ve heard about Joshua
He was the son of Nun
He never stopped his work until
Until the work was done

God knows that
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

You may talk about your men of Gideon
You may brag about your men of Saul
There’s none like good old Joshua
At the battle of Jericho

Up to the walls of Jericho
He marched with spear in hand
Go blow them ram horns, Joshua cried
‘Cause the battle is in my hands

God knows that
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

You may talk about your men of Gideon
You may brag about your king of Saul
There none like Joshua
At the battle of Jericho

They tell me, great God that Joshua’s spear
Was well nigh twelve feet long
And upon his hip was a double edged sword
And his mouth was a gospel horn

Yet bold and brave he stood
Salvation in his hand
Go blow them ram horns Joshua cried
‘Cause the devil can’t do you no harm

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

Up to the walls of Jericho
He marched with spear in hand
Go blow them ram horns, Joshua cried
‘Cause the battle is in my hands

Then the lamb ram sheep horns began to blow
The trumpets began to sound
Old Joshua shouted glory
And the walls came tumblin’ down

God knows that
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

Down, down, down, down, down
Tumblin’ down

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Joshua 5 – Angels and demons

“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our adversaries?’ He said, ‘No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, ‘What has my lord to say to his servant?’ The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”

I was surprised that the captain of the Lord’s host was not for Joshua. This supernatural leader was not for Israel. It was only for God.

What does this imply about angels and demons? If anything.

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Joshua 3 – Waterways into walkways

“Joshua said…’Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan. Now then, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.’”

When we allow God to go ahead of us God will turn the waterways into walkways.

Joshua and the people could have gone swimming ahead of God and gotten to the other side. Joshua and the people could have stopped to build boats to make sure they would stay dry. Either of these options would have gotten the people to the other side. But God had a plan of how to get the people across the waterway, and the people followed it.

When we allow God to go ahead of us the barriers are removed; the waterways become walkways.

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Joshua 2 – Seeing and believing

“I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Rahab saw what God had done and believed. When we reveal Christ to the world around us it makes it easier for others to believe.

John 20:29: “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

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Joshua 1 – God knows what he’s doing

Among the first words the Lord speaks to Joshua once he has become leader of the Israelites is the instruction to “Be strong and courageous”.

The people, who may have been a little leery of their new leader pledge to follow Joshua if he will “be strong and courageous!”

The very thing that God called Joshua to be was what enabled the people to have confidence in Joshua.

God’s instructions enable us to succeed at God’s work.

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Leviticus 18 – The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘I am the LORD your God. You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God.’”

The religion of Israel was completely different from the religion of the surrounding nations. God was declaring that they were not to become synchronists and let the foreign gods invade their worship. The people were not to worry about demons and witches; they were not to worship angels and fertility gods. They were to know and worship God alone. God was responsible for blessing, protecting, defending, and leading. The people were to leave the pantheon of foreign gods alone out of respect for their monotheistic God.

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Psalm 41 –We are called to defend the helpless

How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. The LORD will protect him and keep him alive, And he shall be called blessed upon the earth; And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.

We are called to love and reach out to the helpless amongst us. We need to open our eyes and recognize that we pass suffering people everyday. We have two duties to the world around us; to reveal Jesus Christ, and to meet the needs of others.

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Psalm 39 – We are not owed anything

I said, “I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence.” I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse. My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: “LORD, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am.

Doing the right thing does not always make us feel better. There are times when we need to remain silent and suffer through our silence even though there may be no reward for our faithfulness. There are times when we are to speak and suffer through the consequences even though there may be no reward.

Whatever we do or do not do is done for the glory of God and not our own glory. We often think our suffering should earn us a reward, but really faithful suffering is often a part of being a disciple of Christ. The expectation of a reward is a rejection of the grace Christ has already granted his friends.

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Psalm 37 – To be righteous or wicked?

The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct. Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken. Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous. The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have abundance. But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish– like smoke they vanish away. The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives. For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

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Psalm 32 – Horses don’t have free-will

Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

We are not to behave as a horse or donkey who requires a bit and bridle to be held in place; rather, we are to be responsive to the voice of God calling on our hearts. God does not have to force us to move, rather we willingly listen to God’s voice and follow God’s will. We have free-will to follow God.

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Psalm 30 – Making God angry

Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, And give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

Have you ever made God angry? I would guess that we all have at some point. David made God angry on multiple occasions, but he described God’s anger as lasting for only a moment. Even when we mess up it is important that we return to God because his favor is lasting.

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Psalm 29 – The Power of the Voice of the Lord

Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty,

Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name;

Worship the LORD in holy array.

The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;

The God of glory thunders,

The LORD is over many waters.

The voice of the LORD is powerful,

The voice of the LORD is majestic.

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;

Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

And Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.

The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;

The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve

And strips the forests bare;

And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

The LORD sat as King at the flood;

Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.

The LORD will give strength to His people;

The LORD will bless His people with peace.

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Psalm 28 – My rock do not be deaf to me

You, O LORD, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. Do not drag me away with the wicked And with those who work iniquity, Who speak peace with their neighbors, While evil is in their hearts. Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices; Requite them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them their recompense. Because they do not regard the works of the LORD Nor the deeds of His hands, He will tear them down and not build them up. Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. The LORD is their strength, And He is a saving defense to His anointed. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

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Psalm 26 – Perfectly in balance

Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders. I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked. I shall wash my hands in innocence, And I will go about Your altar, O LORD, That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders.

The purpose of being pure is to be a trustworthy witness for God. If we are living lives filled with wrong actions, thoughts, or words then we are not capable of being a witness to the glory of God. We are called to walk in truth, lovingkindness, innocence, and far from evil doers so that when we sing praises to God we can be seen as reliable witnesses.

There is a careful balance that must be maintained in our lives: we are to live with the goal of being perfect while recognizing that we will never achieve our goal and not being discouraged by our failure. When we get out of balance we get in trouble.

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Psalm 22 – To be or not to be

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

This is one of my favorite Psalms; but I’m of a somewhat melancholic nature. I relate much better to the Psalms of desperation and anxiety than to the Psalms of praise. The Psalms of praise seem gushy and over the top. The Psalms of woe seem much more real and relatable.

We have a God we can turn to in our times of trouble and he will care for us. God already knows our thoughts so we might as well pray them to him. But after speaking the words of despair it is good to remember that God has not forsaken us; rather, he has already prepared our path.

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Psalm 21 – Praise God

O LORD, in Your strength the king will be glad, and in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire, and You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked life of You, You gave it to him, Length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through Your salvation, Splendor and majesty You place upon him. For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence. For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

God may not have made you a king, but he has blessed you. Take time to praise God for his blessing. Write down your praises. Speak them verbally to God. Share your praises with your community. Inspire those around you to recognize the amazing ways God is moving in your life.

I praise God for my wife and family. For a job I love. For the opportunity to study more of God’s Word every day. I praise God for being with us and guiding us through the challenges of life. For using the obstacles we experience to make us more faithful followers of Christ. I praise God for the opportunity to lead others to Jesus at home, at church, and at work. I praise God for the talents I have been blessed with and the opportunity to use those talents to further God’s kingdom.

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Psalm 20 – Godly boasting

Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.

What do we as a church boast in? Attendance? Fancy technology? A good band? The “purity” of our worship? Tradition? Our building? Our friendliness?

Bad church (he said with a rolled up newspaper in hand). Boast in the name of the Lord our God or boast in nothing at all.

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