There's a right way and a wrong way to pray

"Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "May the LORD give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the LORD." So then they would return to their home. Indeed the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD" (1Sam. 2:20-21).

Elkanah went up to the house of the Lord on a yearly bases. During these visits, Hannah his wife, who was unable to have children, would poured out her soul to the Lord to enable her to conceive. On one occasion as she prayed, she vowed a vow that if the Lord would grant her request she would give the child unto him. God answered her prayer and Hannah made good on her promise. When the child that she named Samuel was weaned she brought him to the temple where he served the Lord under Eli the priest. Samuel was one of the greatest judges and prophets Israel ever had.

Because of the unselfish nature of Hannah's prayer God not only answered her intial request for a child, but enabled her to have even more children. James wrote, "You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (James 4:2-3). What is the underlying and overall motive of your prayer life? Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Seek first to advanced God's kingdom not your own.

Keep me on your prayer list.

"I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all Saints; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus...at the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you." (Philemon 4-6, 22)

The great Apostle Paul not only relied on the prayers of others, but he regularly interceded for others in prayer. If I lived in those days, what a blessing it would have been to know that I was on Paul's prayer list. There's nothing the devil fears more than God's people praying for one another. As Paul regularly reminded others to pray for him with great confidence in the power of intercession, let us strive in prayer for each other. Keep me on your prayer list.

Be an encouragement and a comfort to others

"And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it" (Col. 4:17).

Why did Paul send the above message to Archippus? We don't know for sure but obviously there was something that Paul knew about him and his ministry. Perhaps Paul learned that Archippus quit or was getting ready to quit. There are great rewards to being involved in ministry but sometimes even the most seasoned minister can become discouraged and faint of heart. A few verses before Paul wrote of others, "These only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me" (Col. 4:11). Even the great Apostle Paul needed the help and encouragement of other believers in the ministry. Perhaps Paul's words to Archippus was a way of encouraging him to stay faithful to the ministry God called him too. Coming from Paul that means something. Be an encouragement.

How to be free in Jesus

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Col. 3:1-5).

This week Martin sheen made the following statement about his son Charlie Sheen’s battle with drug addiction: "If he had cancer, how would you treat him? This disease of addiction is a form of cancer." Charlie Sheen has also been labeled a sex addict. What some call the disease of addiction the bible calls sexual immorality, evil desires and idolatry. What some call an incurable sickness that requires life time treatment, the bible calls sins of the flesh that can be put to death by the power of the resurrected Christ.

The Apostle Paul writes, "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above...“ Before a person is saved he is dead in sin (Eph. 2:1-8). To be dead in sin means to be separated from God. But when we are made alive unto God--when we are born again the Spirit of God takes up residence in our bodies and we are reconciled unto God (; Romans 6:11; Col. 1:21; 1 Cor. 6:15-20). When one in saved something begins to happen on the inside that increases our awareness of who God is and our affections for Him. Therefore Paul follows his words "If ye be risen with Christ" with "seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds (affections) on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." The more we seek and set our minds on who Jesus is and who we are in Him the more our affection for Jesus will increase and the more our affections for earthly things will decrease. We can seek and set are minds on things above and not on things of earth because as Paul says, "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). We can set our minds (affections) on things above and not on things of earth because we are dead (set free from the dominion of sin). And because we've been set free from the power of sin in our position in Christ, Paul goes on to write in Col. 3:5, "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Because of our position in Christ we can daily mortify or put to death all our sinful thoughts, deeds and actions.

What does it mean to put to death your members as stated in the KJV? Paul sheds more light on this in Romans 8:13 where he writes, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Paul is not saying to literally kill our physical bodies but those evil deeds that are carried out by the body. All those deeds begin with thoughts that produce the wrong desires and deeds which are carried out by the body or its members, (eyes hands feet, mouth etc). How do we put to death the deeds and desires of our bodies through the Spirit. We must yield to and depend on the Spirit of God to put to death what will otherwise kill us. How does the Spirit work in us to put to death the deeds of the body? One way that he does is by creating in us new desires and new affections as we seek and set are minds on things above. The Puritan Thomas Chalmers wrote, “The only way to dispossess (The heart) of an old affection, is by the expulsive power of a new one” (Gal. 5:16-17). Deep idols must be pushed out by deeper worship. This is nothing short of a miracle and is only possible by the work of the Holy Spirit in the Heart of a Christian” (Rom. 8:13; Hebrews 11:24-26). Seek and set your minds on things above, put to death the evil deeds of the body and be free in Jesus.

God is looking out for our interest that we might look out for the interest of others.

"Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?" (Ruth 3:1).

There was something about Naomi's testimony that compelled Ruth to leave Moab and her people to go with her into the land of Canaan after the death of their husbands. Ruth said to Naomi (mother-in-law), "thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God" (Ruth 1:15). After Ruth turned to the true God that Naomi and her people worshiped, Naomi had a deep sense of responsibility to care for Ruth's well being. She instructed and encouraged Ruth to fall before the feet of her redeemer (Boaz) and come under his protection. Because of Naomi's love and commitment to look out for Ruth she was brought into an intimate relation with her redeemer. Likewise the Apostles Paul exhorted the Christian to "Look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philip 2:4). This is what Christianity is all about. The opposite of looking out for the interest of others is well stated by Thomas Merton who wrote, “To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell” God is looking out for our interest that we might look out for the interest of others.

Jesus is exclusively qualified and inclusively willing to redeem all who call on him

"At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer." 10 And he said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning"(Ruth 3:8-13).

Ruth's husband died before she had any children. According to the Mosaic Law, her husband's nearest kin had the responsibility to redeem her deceased husband's property and marry his widow in order to carry on his name. Ruth learned from Naomi that Boaz was a near Kin. Therefore Ruth lay at his feet as Naomi instructed and claimed Boaz as her redeemer. Knowing there was a nearer kinsman, Boaz promised that if this other guy was unwilling to do what was right, that he would redeem her. And he did.

Boaz is a great type of our redeemer and savior Jesus Christ. Although one difference between Jesus and Boaz is that there was someone else who was potentially qualified to redeem Ruth but was unwilling to do so. Jesus was not only willing to give his life to save us he was the only one qualified to do so. It's been said that Jesus is not the best way to heaven he's the only way to heaven (John 14:6). Like Ruth we all need a redeemer. Thank God that Jesus is exclusively qualified and inclusively willing to redeem all who call on him as savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-13).

Effect change by first asking and allowing God to change you.

"And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman" (Ruth 3:11).

The events in the book of Ruth took place during the times of the Judges known also as the dark ages of the Israelites. But in Ruth we learn of the compelling godly testimonies of the lives of individuals like Ruth, Naomi and Boaz who were shining lights in the midst of darkness. They were bright lights that helped to dispel the darkness of their day. Boaz gave the following testimony of Ruth, "...for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman" (Ruth 3:11). In other words the whole city she lived in was impacted by her virtuous life.

In his article entitled, "Prayer that changes me," Daniel Henderson wrote, "The problem in our world is not the pervasiveness of the darkness. It is the failure of the light. As we pray, we should not focus on praying against the darkness but for a greater experience of the life and light of Jesus Christ. Light always decimates darkness. As prayer changes us, we become more radiant and powerful agents of the light of the Gospel" (Daniel Henderson).

Too often we are focused on how much others need to change rather then on the changes that we need to make in our own lives. The best way to effect change is by first focusing on the changes that we need to make in our own lives. So before you ask God to change others, make sure you're praying about the changes he wants you to make in your own life. Effect change by first asking and allowing God to change you.

There aint no bread in the land of Moab

"Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread" (Ruth 1:1-6).

During a famine in the times of the Judges, Elimelech took Naomi his wife and two sons and went into the land of Moab. It appears that this famine that led Elimelech to flee to Moab, occurred during the Midianite oppression. In Judges we read "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD" (Judges 3:1-4).

The reason that there was a famine when Elimelech left Canaan for Moab was because the children of Israel did Evil in the sight of the Lord. But when the Israelites cried unto the Lord after seven years of oppression, God heard them and called Gideon to deliver them from the Midianites. Miraculously God had once again visited his people and saved them not only from the Midianites but from the famine that resulted from their oppression. Elimelech on the other hand not only missed out on the visitation of God that came when His people cried out to him in repentance, but he lost his life in Moab. And not only did he die in Moab, but his two sons as well leaving their widows to have to make it on their own. When things got hard in the promise land he high tailed it out of their seeking bread in Moab and ended up losing his life. Ten years later, after experiencing the loss of her loved ones, Naomi returned home when she heard that God had "visited his people" and lifted the famine. If Elimelech would had stuck it out with his people during hard times and cried out to God in prayer with them, he and his family would have experienced the great revival that came to his people.

God sometimes allows hard times to come to marriages, churches and families that he might bring about repentance, renewal and rest. But too often rather than crying out to God and working through the difficulties, married couples instead seek divorce, churches divide and families are fractured. Husbands leave their wives and vice versa when they experience problems seeking for bread in the land of Moab and later are filled with regret and even more misery. Will never find the bread that only heaven can provide if when things get hard we look for the easy way out. Many times we make decisions not based on what God is leading us to do. We do so in order to seek a better situation elsewhere only to find that there aint no bread in the land of Moab. The heavenly provision that heals marriages, and brings revival to churches only comes when God's people cry out to him in humility and repentance. God will visit his people when they allow the hard times to drive them to God not divide them from one another. God does his best work in hard times. Unless you know God is calling you elsewhere don't you runaway. There ain't no bread in Moab. Moab is your own ambitions, you own plans, and your own agenda. God's doesn't appreciate what he doesn't initiate. By God's grace may there be a resolve in our heart that says, "I will not run to Moab. I want to be where God wants me to be even if it's cost me. Jesus paid it all and all to him I owe." When the going gets tough don't cut and run. Cry out to God and wait on Him. "Heavenly Father come and visit your people. Rain down on us Lord."

Freedom without boundaries equals bondage.

"In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

In Judges 21:25 we read, "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." These words are a repeated theme in the book of Judges. What did the author of Judges mean to convey by this verse? This repeated theme and the history recorded in Judges demonstrates that when God and his word is dishonored and men do what is right in their own eyes, there is no limit to the depth of their moral depravity. Rape, prostitution and other heinous sins are recorded throughout the book of Judges.

Earlier in the book of Judges when God used Gideon to deliver Israel from the Philistines, Israel desired for Gideon to become their King. Gideon responded by saying, "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you" (Judges 8:23). Is the desire of your heart for God's will to be done in you and through you? Freedom without boundaries equals bondage. Surrender to God’s rule over your life.

The Secret of Samson's strength

"And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him" (Judges 16:20).

Samson was called of God to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Philistines. He was a Nazarite, which means that his life was consecrated (set apart)unto God. Because of His calling and consecration, God had endowed Him with supernatural strength. But although he was physically strong he was morally weak. And that moral weakness led to his demised. Samson was taken captive by the Philistines after telling a conniving pretty woman the secret to his strength. And that secret was much more than just getting a hair cut (Judges 16:17). Many today think that the source of Samson's strength was His long hair. But his long hair (or not cutting it) was just one of the vows and marks of his consecration to God as a Nazarite. The Spirit of God not his hair was the source of his strength, which was given to him to fulfill his calling to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Samson lost his power because he lost consecration. Samson repeatedly broke his vow as a Nazarite and when he least expected it the Spirit of God had departed from him. Samson played around with sin and took God's grace for granted for too long and became a captive to the very people he was given power to defeat.

Christians today can also experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives to live for God and do His work. But if we think that we can fool around with sin and still expect to experience God's power in our lives we are gravely mistaken. The Apostle Paul wrote, "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet (useful) for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21). The Holy Spirit works in and through holy vessels (Christians) whose lives are purged from sin and consecrated unto Him. May God have his way in our lives.

"And his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel"

"And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel" (Judges 10:16).

In the book of Judges you'll find a recurring cycle. The cycle that is repeated over and over again among the Israelites is apostasy, oppression, penitence and deliverance. Although this cycle occurred repeatedly and God did judge them severely at times, he did not give up on His people. When the Israelites repented of their sin, the Heart of God would grieve (break) over the oppression from their enemies, which was the consequence of their own sin. And as a result of God’s merciful heart; He raised up a deliverer.

When others are bearing the consequences of their sin, has your attitude ever been, "Well, it serves them right" or "They're getting what they deserve?" God forbid! When others are suffering because of their sinful choices we should not rejoice over that—we should not find satisfaction at the misery of others. We should grieve and pray that the consequences of the sinful choices of others would bring about repentance and restoration. I'm so glad that God is not like me. How about you?

The Apostle John wrote, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). Thank God for our faithful advocate and merciful Savior Jesus Christ.

There are no great men of God, Only men of a great God.

"Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you" (Judges 8:22-23).

After Gideon's great victory over the Midianites, his countrymen wanted to make him King. They credited Gideon for delivering them from their enemy rather then giving God the glory. This occurred because they lost sight of the fact that behind this great victory was a great God. A well known preacher was a guest speaker at a church. As he prepared to take the pulpit, the Pastor of the church introduced him as a "great man of God." When the guest speaker stepped behind the pulpit to preach he began by saying, "There are no great men of God, Only men of a great God.

Israel drifted far away from God and into idolatry when they forgot that God was on the throne--that they were to trust and surrender to God's rule over their lives not man or self. When Christians fail to trust and submit to God's rule over their lives the resluts will be the same as the Israelites. We too will drift away from God and into idolatry. We will try to find in someone or something that which we can only truly find in God. Only when we know God and surrender to his rule over our lives will the deepest needs of our hearts be met--only then will we live a life that is worth living.

When we fail to recognize that God is on the throne--that he is in control we will experience insecuirty and fear in our lives. We will make decisions based on self interest not God's interest. This is exactly what the Israelites did in the book of Judges and they ended up doing all kinds of wicked and abominable evils. There testimony ended up being that every man did that which was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). Its been said that when Jesus is on the throne of your life self is on the cross, But when self is on the throne Jesus is on the cross. Who is on the throne of your life? Crown Jesus Lord or all!

We can overcome any sin

"And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron" (Joshua 1:19).

The Lord had commanded the Israelites to drive out the evil inhabitants of the land of Canaan. In the book of Numbers we read, “And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. 53And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it…55But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. 56 And I will do to you as I thought to do to them." (Num. 33:51-55).

When the Israelites first crossed over Jordan into Canaan they began to drive out the enemy with God's help. But when it appeared that certain battles would be too costly the Israelites made compromises with the enemy. In exchange for taxes and the cost of driving out the enemy, the Israelites allowed them to dwell among them. God warned that these types of compromises would lead to the enemy becoming thorns in their sides. And that was exactly what took place.

Similarly, God has given his redeemed people today (Christians) the power through his Spirit to drive out or put to death the sins of the flesh. Paul wrote, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13). One of the reasons that the Israelites stop short of driving out the evil inhabitants of the land was because of their iron chariots. But if they would have surrendered to God and trusted in his power the Lord would have continued to drive out the enemy in spite of the iron chariots. We must never believe that certain sins are too hard for us to overcome. The sin we allow to remain will bring pain and misery to our lives. But by surrendering to God and yielding to the Spirit of God, we can overcome any sin and live victoriously.

Put away...the strange gods which are among you

"Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel" (Joshua 24:23).

When Joshua spoke these words to the Israelites they had already come into Canaan. God had given them great victories as they were enabled by him to drive out the evil inhabitants of the land. As they began to settle in, Joshua exhorted them to put away the strange gods among them. These idols were competing for the affections of their hearts and would lead them to forsake God for the false security they offered. Idols exist in our lives too in many forms. Tim Keller in his book Counterfeit Gods, gives the following definitions for identifying idols of the heart. An Idol is:

-Anything more important to you than God.
-Anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God.
-Anything you seek to give you what only God can give.
-Whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that,then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.
-Anything [that] becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity.

An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand. Do you have idols in your life? As Joshua exhorted the Israelites who were in danger of forsaking God, “Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel” (Joshua 24:23).

Jesus is not a means to blessing, He is the blessing

"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD...hath given you?" (Joshua 18:3).

God brought the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt to bring them into the blessing of Canaan. But although the land was given to them for a possession, they had to go and possess it. The Israelites had to defeat the enemy that occupied the land by trusting in the power of God. They no longer had to be ruled by the enemies of God, but on the contrary they were to have power over them.

It's important that we don't lose sight of the purpose for why God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. It's wasn't simply that he might give them a fertile land for them to enjoy. He brought them out that he might given them the gift of Himself--of his presence--of seeing and savoring His glory. In Exodus we read "Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Exodus 6:6-7).

Notice that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt not just to be free to do whatever they wanted, not just to inherit a good land, but in order that He might be their God and they might be His people. God going before, God dwelling in their midst and God with them was their greatest portion and blessing. The Psalmist wrote, "Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you...The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance" (Psalm 16:2, 5-6). "The Psalmist speaks as one already in the promise land, enjoying the best it has to offer. And above it all, God himself is his greatest blessing; his portion, his inheritance, and everything that is good" (Mike Wilkerson).

The record of the redemption of the children of Israel from bondage to blessing is a prophetic picture of the redemptive work of Christ on behalf of all those who trust him as savior and Lord. Like the Israelites, Christians have been redeemed and have been given wonderful promises that we might live for the glory of God (2 Peter 1:1-4). But like the Israelites, Christians must possess their possessions. And the first step to doing so is to recognize that the greatest promise and blessing they have is access to God by the blood of Jesus. The author of Hebrews wrote, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). We no longer need a human priest to stand before God on our behalf. Through the blood of Jesus we can come boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Oh what blessings are promised to the children of God through Christ. But above all God Himself--His presence in our lives is the greatest portion. Jesus is not a means to blessings, he is the blessing. Know him and be blessed.

Sin in our midst is like a cancer and must be rooted out

"The LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."" (Joshua 7:10-13).

Although the people of Ai were not an opposing force, Israel got whipped when they went into battle against them. Thirty six of the men of Israel were killed in this battle. As a result, Joshua fell on his face and began to cry out to God in confusion and distress. But the reason for this defeat was not a lack of prayer but sin in their midst. God said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned..." (Joshua 9:10).

Notice that God attributed one man's sin to all of Israel. F. B. Meyer wrote, "Living as God's holy people isn't an every man for himself undertaking." Israel was responsible before God and to each other to live righteously before Him. They were to encourage eachother and hold one another accountable to be God's holy people. In the same way, the body of Christ as a whole has a responsibility to hold eachother accountable and encourage each other to live holy lives to the glory of God. They are to lovingly and with grace deal with sin in their midst if they expect to experience God's nearness and power among them. We cannot sweep sin under the rug and expect to experience God's blessings. God knows what's under the rug. Sin is like a cancer that will spread and kill if not dealt with. Ask God to search out the sin in your life and root it out. "Be killing sin or it will be killing you" (John Owen).

What's influencing your decisions today, self or the Savior?

"So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD" (Joshua 9:14).

The children of Israel made an ill advised covenant with the Gibeonites. It was ill advised because God had commanded them to war against the Gibeonites and the other evil inhabitants of the promise land. But the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites by pretending to be foreigners. This bad decision, that no doubt led to major problems, could have been avoided if they had sought the counsel of the Lord. This failure to seek God's counsel was one of the main causes of Israel's greatest problems and defeats.

It appears that one of the reasons that they didn't seek the counsel of God first was because of selfish motivations. To often we too allow advantage, self interest and selfish ambition to influence our decisions and control our lives. What's influencing your decisions today, self or the savior? Seek the counsel, cause and glory of the Lord.

Don't try to get God on your side, make sure you're on his side.

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face...and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?" (Josh 5:13-15).

During the above event in the life of Joshua, the children of Israel had just crossed over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan. As they prepared to do battle with the inhabitants of the land, Joshua had an encounter with what some theologians referred to as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. In this encounter, Joshua was no doubt greatly encouraged as he was reminded that the captain of the Lord's armies was with him and his people. But before he realized who the man standing in front of him was, Joshua asked, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" (Joshua 5:14). In other words, Joshua was asking, "whose side are you on, our enemies or us?" The man with the sword drawn in his hand responded, "Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." One preacher said of this response that when the captain of heaven’s armies comes to the scene “He doesn’t come to take sides, He comes to take over.” When Joshua realized who he was talking to, he fell on his face in worship and asked, “What saith my Lord unto his servant?” This is the question that we must all ask especially in the battles of life. In the battles of life we must seek out what God desire for us to do not try to tell him what we want him to do.

If we desire to fight the battles of life with God and not against God, we must embrace the attitude that Warren Wiersbe describes when he wrote, "I will always obey God. He is the Commander-in-chief of my life. This is His battle, not mine. My goal in life is to further His purposes not my own." Another preacher said, “In any struggle we must respond not by trying to "win," not by trying to "look right." No, instead we must seek to respond in ways that further God's kingdom.” Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission once said that there are three ways to do God's work: "One is to make the best plans we can, and carry them out to the best of our ability, or, having carefully laid our plans and determined to carry them through, we may ask God to help us, and to prosper us in connection with them. Yet another way of working is to begin with God; to ask His plans, and to offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purposes."

Jesus is the captain. Don't try to get him on your side, make sure you're on his side. Don't try to get God to take up your cause, make sure you're fighting for his cause and for his glory.

The last shall be first

"Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel" (Joshua 1:1-3).

Before the children of Israel entered the promised land, Moses the servant of the Lord died. Joshua was called by God to fill Moses' mighty big shoes and lead the Israelites into the promise land. What qualified Joshua to be Moses' successor? Joshua 1:1 provides this insight: "Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister..."

Notice that Joshua was Moses minister (servant or assistant) before he became his sucessor. Before Joshua became a great leader he was first a great follower. If ever you find yourself considering a position of leadership, first ask yourself, "How well am I doing in the area of followship." If you've never been a good follower, you'll never be fit to be a good spiritual leader. Jesus said, "And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."

What made Moses a great leader?

"And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, 12 And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel" (Deut. 34:10).

What made Moses such a great prophet and leader to the nation of Israel? The passage above holds the key. The statement "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses," is followed by, "whom the Lord knew face to face." The key to Moses' greatness was that the God of Heaven and earth knew him face to face. What does that mean? Moses had an intimate relationship with God. In fact we read in Exodus 33:11, "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." God spoke to Moses and Moses spoke to God.

During these face to face encounters with God, Moses was given revelation from God for his life and for those he was put in charge to lead. As Moses received God's revealtions he surrendered his life to God's will and led the people of God to do the same. I've heard chrisitans say, "I just don't feel that close to God and I don't experience him speaking to my heart." Perhaps the reason that some don't encounter God in this way is that they don't take the time to pursue in intimate relationship with God and to listen to God. It could also be that God has spoken into their lives and revealed his will to them but they refused to obey Him. The author of Hebrews wrote, "While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts..." (Heb. 3:15). Are you pursuing an intimate relationship with God and surrendering your life to his will? "The world will not be changed by the abundance of our information but by the overflow of our intimacy." Seek the face of God and obey Him.

That which gives pleasure to God will bring pleasure to us.

"Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do"(Deut 29:9).

In the book of Deuteronomy you'll read much about the blessings of obeying the commandments of the Lord. Some Christians today dismiss the idea that obedience to law of God is a condition for blessings as something true only in the Old Testament. Although salvation is not based upon ones obedience to the law of God, (Eph, 2:8) the blessings of God are not denied to those who are faithful to God's word.

There are great and precious promises in the New Testament that we love to claim but sometimes we disregard the promise that God will not overlook the sin in our lives. But know this that "No blessing can come to us or ours through dishonesty or double dealing. The ways of worldly conformity and unholiness cannot bring good to us or ours. It will go well with us when we go well before God. If integrity does not make us prosper, knavery will not. That which gives pleasure to God will bring pleasure to us." (CS)

Live for His praise

"And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that he will set u in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised" (Deut. 26:18-19).

In the Old Testament the children of Israel were God's treasured possession. God wanted the world around them to know that they belonged to God. They were blessed of God so that they could live for the glory of God. They were treasured by God so that He could reveal His greatness through them. Concerning Christians, Peter wrote, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Pet. 2:9). Live for His praise.

Hold on to Hope

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord" (Psalm 40:1-3).

A man fell into a narrow hole that was muddy at the bottom and began to cry out for help. Another man passing by above heard his cries for help, and dropped a rope saying, "Tie it around your waist." The man said, "I fell in this narrow hole with my arms above my head and I can't bring them down to tie the rope around my waist." The man up above said, "Alright then, just hold on to the rope." When the man above began to pull on the rope, the man below, with his feel stuck in the mud yelled, "Stop! It hurts when you pull." The man above said, "Hold on to the rope even if it hurts. I'm going to get you out of here. Keep holding on. Don't let go even if it hurts."

No matter how horrible the pit or how deep the mud you are in, hold on to the sure hope that God is going to pull you through. Cry out to God, wait patiently for him with confident trust and he will lift you up.

The value of memorizing scripture

"Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers..." (Deut. 11:18-21).

In order for the Israelites to be fruitful in the land of promise they were to keep the word of God distinctly in view and carefully apply it to their lives. Jesus also taught that the key to answered prayer and a fruitful life was the abiding of God's word in our hearts (John 15:7-8). John Piper gives the following powerful testimony on the value of memorizing scripture:


1. Memorizing Scripture makes meditation possible at times when I can’t be reading the Bible, and meditation is the pathway of deeper understanding.

2. Memorizing Scripture strengthens my faith because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ, and that happens when I am hearing the word in my head.

3. Memorizing Scripture shapes the way I view the world by conforming my mind to God’s viewpoint.

4. Memorizing Scripture makes God’s word more readily accessible for overcoming temptation to sin, because God’s warnings and promises are the way we conquer the deceitful promises of sin.

5. Memorizing Scripture guards my mind by making it easier to detect error—and the world is filled with error, since the god of this world is a liar.

6. Memorizing Scripture enables me to hit the devil in the face with a force he cannot resist, and so protect myself and my family from his assaults.

7. Memorizing Scripture provides the strongest and sweetest words for ministering to others in need.

8. Memorizing Scripture provides the matrix for fellowship with Jesus because he talks to me through his word, and I talk to him in prayer.

Do you desire to know Jesus more intimately and bring forth fruit to the glory of His name? Take time to memorized God's word and allow it to permeate your life.