The Gates of Jericho

Has the Lord promised you something but access to it seems unsurmountable? Like Peter stepping out of the boat and starting to sink because doubt began to rush in so too have I missed out on God’s perfect plan because my eyes were in the wrong place. That’s what I love about this story of Joshua and the Israelites; though the walls revealed no cracks no one complained or doubted their purpose, only obedience was shown and victory revealed. 

There was no doubt about who was doing the work, have you ever shouted a wall of stone down to the ground? And there was no doubt about abilities, again because the Israelites knew who was orchestrating this victory. Why does doubt always surround selfishness? The enemy of God is cunning and even if you believe God can do all things if he can get you to question why God would do anything for you, knowing who you are and what you’ve done, then he has won the battle.

One of the key insights to the walls of Jericho coming down was when Joshua told the people everything in Jericho must be destroyed!

Joshua 6:18 NLT
(18) "Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.

I believe faith is hindered when we try to hold onto things that do not honor God and when His Holy Spirit instructs us to come to Him with open hands and an open heart that is exactly what is required of us in order to follow His leading. Sadly, when our faith seems to be in vein we turn from God and never truly discover why we missed the mark. 

Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT
(9) "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
(10) But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."

So Lord I ask that you search my heart and reveal any wicked ways so that I may come to You and be made clean. May Your Holy Spirit lead and guide me and may You give me strength to step out of the boat. Keep my eyes upon you as the walls before me sometimes seem unsurmountable and if I am blind let it be to the limits of this earthly kingdom, not Yours.

The Lord's Return

James 5:7-8 NLT
(7) Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.
(8) You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

Do you look forward to the returning of the Lord? Is your heart heavy for a place it has not been before? These things point to a life set apart for God’s purpose. Though action is required to prove you are who you claim to be it is the heart that reveals the motive behind the actions. Just as the farmer must plant the fields with his own hands so must you be busy about the Lord’s work and like the farmer who looks forward to the harvest so do those who love God look forward to His return.

So set aside those things that so easily beset you and I pray that God gives you a clearer vision of those things which hold true value, those things that are eternal instead of the temporary. Be glad when trials come your way because we know through these things God will cause us to be the person we are meant to be. In the same way be carefully aware of becoming someone in a position of being served rather than serving others.

James 5:5 NLT
(5) You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.

God’s righteousness cannot be taken lightly. The Webster dictionary explains righteousness this way, “acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.” There is only one free from guilt or sin, for we have all fallen short of the glory of God but because of what Jesus has done for us we may also be declared righteous.

Romans 3:23-24 NLT
(23) For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.
(24) Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.

Not only must we believe in Him, who He is, and what He has done but we must also have hearts that are turned towards Him and love Him and if we say that we love Him then our hands and feet will be busy about His work until the Lord’s return.

If You Are Wise

James 3:13 NLT
(13) If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

There are many today who speak of wisdom as if it is theirs to wield, cutting through ignorance and revealing those who are unable to use it or manipulate it as they do but is that true wisdom? The Creator of life has provided evidence so that each one may know which path is right. Jesus provided the answer in Matthew chapter seven, if we will listen and are hungry for truth. 

Matthew 7:15-17 NLT
(15) Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
(16) You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
(17) A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

Sometimes, as strange as it may seem, it is difficult to tell fruit good to consume from fruit that is rotten on the inside. There are many things done in the name of charity but if you dig a little deeper you see they are done out of selfish reasons. Certainly the Pharisees and the religious leaders in Jesus’ day gave to the poor but what was in their hearts at the time of their giving? Was it for the purpose of the eternal or the temporary? Who did this act prosper? Was compassion involved or was it a show used to manipulate those who might be watching? Jesus further explains…

Matthew 6:2 NLT
(2) When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

You see true wisdom begins with a healthy fear of the awesome God we serve! So in this way when we give to the poor among us we do it because of our reverence and love of the Lord not because we want to be recognized for doing what is right.

Psalms 111:10 NLT
(10) Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise Him forever!

As a result we grow in understanding and our eyes and ears are opened to things we did not know even existed before, it is then and only then you will be received as a wise person because that is the way the Great Architect of all time has designed it. Not only that but you must live out what has been revealed to you and there lies the battle field. Learning how to listen to the moving of God’s Holy Spirit and reading His Word so that you recognize the character of God becomes enticing and compelling, therefore the deep things of God calls to things even deeper but applying it to one’s own life keeps us in check and well-grounded with the frailty of being human and reminds us of the vast greatness of our God and Savior, yes this is the beginning of true wisdom.

Where is Home...

If home is where the heart is then the question must be asked where is my heart. This world with all its urgencies and headlines seems to take control even without my permission but You O Lord are ever present and in You do I find my refuge! I only need to think of whom You’ve been to me in times of need and it doesn’t take long before the things that have surrounded me fade away into the shadows. Lord it’s been too long, for even if a single day goes by without meeting you I know my heart cries out in the silence of my own desperation. Though my flesh chases after ideals and regulations in order to show it’s worth my soul knows nothing counts unless You’re in it. Please don’t leave me in the mess I’ve made. In the hand of my God is the key that unlocks every door to my heart and You have the ability to melt this heart of stone as if it were wax in the heat of the noonday sun. Lord, open my eyes that I may see the ways within that cause this separation between us and give me the strength to overcome, for You are my home; You are the foundation on which I stand and under Your wing do I find peace from the storm. When the skies darken all I need is one reminder of who You are, for you gently lift my chin and when our eyes meet there is nothing else, You are my all in all. Lord I long for the day I see you with my own eyes and this wonderful faith is replaced with sight but until that day comes I will faithfully run this race and all that entails, for You are the Lord of the Dance and Your presence causes me to overflow with joy. Who but You O Lord knows me inside and out, it doesn’t matter who else knows my story as long as I can walk hand in hand with You! Thank You for undeserved mercy, thank You for unconditional love, and thank You for the purpose You have placed inside this heart O Lord, for in You is my only place of rest.

Mercy

James 2:13 NLT
(13) There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when He judges you.

Why do we ask God for mercy when we make mistakes but have none when someone has failed us? If God’s kindness is to grow and be known throughout the world don’t we, the Body of Christ, have to be like Him? God has given us the power to determine our own outcome… by loving others we are also loved but by condemning others we are also condemned. Our weapon against the enemy of God is our God-given ability to love the unlovable, because He first loved us. Satan expects us to be selfish but it is God’s mercy and kindness that sets us apart from the world. If we are God’s children then we must live according to how our Heavenly Father instructs us, if the wisdom of God is with you then you must also be obedient to His leading.

James 2:18 NLT

(18) Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds."

Both faith and good deeds are required if we are to prove that we know God and have a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. For to know of Him is not the only thing that is required by salvation, even the demons know of Him. Do you remember the time when two men who were possessed by many demons and Jesus cast the demons into the herd of pigs? Before Jesus had said a word they screamed out in fear of what Jesus was about to do, that indicates that they knew who Jesus was but obviously that did not save them (read Matthew chapter 8)! But if we love Him we will be compelled to be like Him, we will mimic who He is, as the Holy Spirit leads us. We know from Galatians 5:22-24 what Jesus looks like. In the same way actions alone will not save us either. We can tell the truth and have not the spirit of God within us, even telling others what must be done to be saved but remain in the dark.

Acts 16:16-18 NLT
(16) One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters.
(17) She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved."
(18) This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And instantly it left her.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT
(1) If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
(2) If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.
(3) If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

Ultimately this question remains… have you sold all out for Jesus? Would you abandon your greatest possessions to follow Him? You see to carry your cross the way our savior did you must abandon everything, to hold onto something prior to meeting Him means that you are bound to the old life still and cannot go where He will lead you. 

Mark 10:17-21 NLT
(17) As Jesus was starting out on His way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to Him, knelt down, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
(18) "Why do you call Me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good.
(19) But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.'"
(20) "Teacher," the man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."
(21) Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. "There is still one thing you haven't done," He told him. "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me."

There will be times when faith will require something of you and if you are straddling the fence you’ll end up exposing more than you want to for all to see! Jesus said that if you didn’t love Him completely, like no other, you could not be His disciple. 

Luke 14:26 NLT
(26) "If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple.

As we come to know Him better through prayer, study of His Word, and obedience He leads us to deeper waters. Not so that we might drown but so that we might crest the horizon of our own understanding. Making the choice to be His is a decision that we make once but growing to be more like Him requires decisions made multiple times throughout the day, for the rest of our lives! And that is why there are seasons in our lives sometimes we chase hard after Him disregarding all else and other times the decision to obey is more difficult which leads us back to needing His mercy but that mercy isn’t just for us, when we are in need but for all and receiving it prepares us to give it away, if we love Him. This is what is meant when Jesus said that healing is the children’s bread, it is mercy that leads to restoration. In Matthew 15:22-28 we see Jesus helping a Gentile woman understand what it means to be merciful but instead of telling her He helped her come to the conclusion on her own. She could have walked away, her need unsatisfied and her feelings hurt but Jesus knows just what each of us can handle and you can be sure that lesson stayed with her the rest of her life.

The Birth of Sin

James 1:13-15 NLT
(13) And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else.
(14) Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
(15) These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Sin is a living, growing organism that you can either give birth to or destroy but once it is born instead of you controlling it, it will control you. Like a drug you may think you are in control but it is an illusion and everyone but you will soon see the effects it has on your life. The longer you nurture it the more obvious it becomes to everyone else that the Holy Spirit of God is not in you and the less you care.

Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
(19) When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,
(20) idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,
(21) envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

All of your energy goes into hiding it rather than getting rid of it but because the Holy Spirit of God gives witness to holiness and righteousness the only one you deceive is yourself. Does this not remind you of the drunkard who tries to cover the alcohol on their breath with gum or a mint? Everyone but the one hiding it knows the truth! God’s presence in our lives is known by the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-24 NLT
(22) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(23) gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
(24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.

If these spiritual fruits are not present then God does not dwell in you. I’m not talking about judging others but recognizing right from wrong and living with our eyes, our spiritual eyes, wide open in order for us to follow that which cannot be seen. And if we do not feed our spirit with the Word of God then by what means does our spirit have the strength to lead us and if we do not know the One who has walked this path before us how will we know which way to go? Do we depend on our own judgement to decipher between good and evil? 

1 Corinthians 2:10 NLT
(10) But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets.

God leads His children by His Holy Spirit but sin covers our spiritual eyes and ears, leaving us separated from God, alone and in the dark not knowing which way to go. It is the plan of salvation that we come to the end of our ways, give up the control we think we have, and surrender it to God so that He may lead us into His marvelous light. This describes the battle field and details the fact that all who follow the Christ… Jesus are indeed warriors, though they may be weak in body and physical strength has left them the measurement they will be known by once their physical bodies are laid to rest is the strength of the spirit within. Sin kills but Jesus gives life! Choose this day whom you will serve.

Joshua 24:15 NLT
(15) But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."

We all fall but we also all have the God-given grace to turn and follow righteousness and holiness and if we are honest we not only fall once but daily thereby proving our need for Jesus on a moment by moment basis but we being born of a sinful nature struggle to abide with Him at all times therefore we should be mindful of others who struggle as well reminding them not of their own sin but of who Jesus called them to be through the work He has done.

For What Do I Toil

James 1:11-12 NLT

(11) The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
(12) God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

When I push my own agenda, when I craft ideals and methods, when I ignore the needs of the many to fulfill my own, who receives glory? Though I label myself “Christian” the one I deceive is not the one I intended. I can live my whole life thinking I am in control but that doesn’t mean it’s so. Be glad that you face trials and test for it is a process, God accepts you the way you are but loves you too much to leave you that way.

Hebrews 12:6-9 NLT

(6) For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child."
(7) As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?
(8) If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all.
(9) Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

If we cannot love and respect our earthly fathers, even with all their faults, at some level our ability to love and respect our Heavenly Father is limited because we have not understood what real love is and therefore what we call love is soiled and stained and not worthy of that which is holy.  

1 John 4:20 NLT

(20) If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

And if we do not love our brothers and sisters how should our achievements prosper us? Let it be known God’s hand will lead and correct if we are truly His. Those who say God blesses without correction are blind and do not know God, for to say this would indicate that this person does not understand their own need for Christ Jesus and though they say that they accept the work Jesus did on the cross they cannot see it is their own crooked heart that put Him there. They have their cake and eat it too, loving themselves because of what they have achieved but rejecting the call of the Holy Spirit to surrender, yet expecting God’s blessing at every corner. This cannot be and therefore they allow themselves to be blinded by the enemy of God so that they might satisfy their own selfish desires. If I toil for the temporary then the accolades I receive will also be temporary but if I toil for what is eternal then thief, nor moth, or rust can take it away.

My Trials

James 1:2-7 NLT

(2) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
(3) For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
(4) So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
(5) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
(6) But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
(7) Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

We know that by loving God we are compelled to tell others what He has done for us but by doing this we set unaware a target on our backs. Yes the enemy of God is aiming at you Christian for the purpose of hurting God but God has made a way of escape and has not forgotten you. Though we cannot always see it, a door has been opened but before we reach that door we must fight off the snares of the enemy of God. Giving in to selfish desires only prolongs our deliverance but even still the Holy Spirit within us calls us forward, not just for our own good but for the glory of God. Be not dismayed when you stumble but be reminded of who you serve. For if you serve self surely you will die in your sin but if you serve God and do not doubt you cannot lose. Therefore, we are to count all trials as opportunities for great joy knowing that God is near and will not leave us! Walking with God is not always easy Matthew 7:13 Jesus said this, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” (NLT). So be determined not to let go of the unseen hand of God for He has promised not to leave you or forsake you. Though we walk through darkness morning is coming and His light will consume all the land. Do not be found serving self when His light shines upon you but carry His light within you so even now in this present darkness the ember of God continues to spread around the world in preparation for that day when Jesus returns.

My burden

Matthew 11:25-30 NLT

(25)  At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank You for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.

(26)  Yes, Father, it pleased You to do it this way!

(27)  "My Father has entrusted everything to Me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."

(28)  Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

(29)  Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

(30)  For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."

For those who are religious it is possible to believe the burden of being Christ-like is a heavy one but this is to be a warning sign that you are focused more on self than Jesus. For those who do not take heed to this warning and come back to Christ and who continue on this path soon find compromise as a close companion but this is not what God intended for those He loves. It’s only through having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can one know that doing as Jesus does is not a liability but your one true source of strength and that is why the yoke Jesus offers is easy to bear and the burden He gives is light.