VIDEO Famous March Circling Around Jericho

They marched around the city seven times. Joshua 6:15

Kay Arthur, in her study of the book of Joshua, said we can always trust God, and what He says will come true, but “only in His time and in His way. What God commands, at times, may not be the way you would accomplish something. After all, who would attack a city by marching around it six times, expecting the walls to come down after the seventh time around by blowing trumpets and shouting?”¹

The Lord does things in His own creative ways. In the story of the battle of Jericho, the Israelites were eager to possess the Promised Land. They had left the wilderness, crossed the River Jordan, and were ready to claim their inheritance. But Jericho blocked their path, and Jericho was a formidable city. The Lord told the Israelites to march around the city for seven days, and the walls would come tumbling down. And they did.

What is your Jericho? What is blocking you from claiming God’s promises and inheritance? March around that obstacle with prayer and praise for as long as it takes. Let God give you the victory in His own unique way.

Your place is not to question God, nor doubt Him—but to obey Him.
Kay Arthur

1. Kay Arthur, Choosing Victory, Overcoming Defeat: Joshua, Judges, Ruth (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1995), 23.

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The Secret of Victory, Joshua 6 – Pastor Chuck Smith – Topical Bible Study

More than Just Meets the Eye

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  1 Corinthians 12:27

Attend any rodeo with riding and roping competition and you’ll see them—competitors with four fingers on one hand and a nub where their thumb should be. It’s a common injury in the sport—a thumb gets caught between a rope on one end and a decent-sized steer pulling on the other, and the thumb is usually the loser. It’s not a career-ending injury, but the absence of a thumb changes things. Without using your thumb, try to brush your teeth or button a shirt or comb your hair or tie your shoes or even eat. That little overlooked member of your body plays a significant role.

The apostle Paul indicates a similar scenario in the church. Those often less visible and frequently less vocal members sometimes experience an “I don’t need you” response from the others (1 Corinthians 12:21). Usually this is unspoken, but there are times when it’s said aloud.

God calls us to have equal concern and respect for one another (v. 25). Each and every one of us is a part of Christ’s body (v. 27), regardless of the gifting we’ve received, and we need each other. Some of us are eyes and ears, so to speak, and some of us are thumbs. But each of us plays a vital role in the body of Christ, sometimes more than meets the eye.

By:  John Blase

Reflect & Pray

If you’re an “eye,” what’s one way you could encourage a “thumb”? And if you think you’re a lesser member, why not memorize 1 Corinthians 12:27, an important scriptural truth.

Father, forgive us for our failure to remember that each of us is a member of the body of Christ. We’re the members, and You and You alone are the Head.

The Moments That Will Sustain Us

Psalm 145:1-21

When life falls apart, what do you do? All of us face hard circumstances—and some of these are very painful situations that last a long time. Unless we have a purposeful focus, joy can fade and hope may seem unattainable.

King David experienced extreme hardships, including the grief of losing both a child and a best friend. He also endured Saul’s attempts to kill him and, later on, a rebellion led by his own son. But even in hard times, David found hope and peace in God.

Why was David able to trust in the Lord? Because he knew how to meditate. That is, he focused his mind and spirit on God’s character, ways, and will in order to know the Lord better and obey Him.

What do you think about during the day? Do you set aside time to dwell solely on Jesus? Remind yourself periodically to bring your attention back to the Creator—one way to do this is to read several psalms and notice how the author refocuses on almighty God.

By continually focusing on God, David found peace in the midst of turmoil. We would be wise to follow his example. During times of difficulty, set your eyes on the Father and meditate on His Word.

Duty of Rejoicing

“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” (Psalm 5:11)

It may seem strange to think of rejoicing as a Christian duty, but the Scriptures do contain many commands to rejoice, and many of these are given in circumstances of grief or danger, as is the case of our beautiful text verse.

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), Paul wrote from a Roman dungeon. In the upper room the night before He was to die on a cross, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). And then He said: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). But then He said again: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

If David could rejoice while fleeing from murderous enemies, if Paul could rejoice while chained unjustly in a Roman prison, if the disciples could experience fullness of joy while facing martyrdom, and if the Lord Himself “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2), then our Christian duty of rejoicing in all circumstances may not be such an unseemly command after all.

We can rejoice, as our text reminds us, “because thou defendest them.” Furthermore, He Himself provides the joy, for “the fruit of the Spirit is…joy” (Galatians 5:22). It is not that the Christian will never know sorrow, for Christ Himself was “a man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). But He also was a man of joy and, in Him, we can be like Him—“as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). HMM

Your Personal Identity

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

—1 Timothy 4:12

 

This problem of personal identity not infrequently troubles the faithful minister. The congregation has called him as their pastor and teacher, but the members have a hard time forgetting the saintly predecessor who died or who was called to another ministry. They find it hard to make room for the new minister—mainly because he is not enough like the former one. His voice is different. So are his gestures. His hair is not gray. His wife is not as friendly.

Be careful! God blesses people for their faith and obedience, not because they are old or young, bald or gray, pleasant voiced or raspy. God expects each one of us to let Him use us in helping people to a walk of spiritual blessing and victory. Not necessarily must we have had a long record as heroes in the faith to qualify.   JAF070

Lord, I pray for any of my brothers who may be facing this struggle today. Challenge the congregation to move on and love their new pastor. Give grace to the pastor; help him to faithfully demonstrate faith and obedience. Weld pastor and people together in a deep love relationship. Amen.

 

The Spirit’s Call

For…we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office.

—Romans 12:4

 

While there is only one way to become a true preacher, unfortunately there are many doors into the pulpit. One is to be endowed with what is sometimes called a “good pulpit presence.” Many a tall Absalom whose commanding presence and sonorous voice mark him as a natural leader of men is attempting to speak for God when he has not been sent by God. His call is from the people instead of from the Spirit and the results cannot but be disastrous.

Others have become ministers from a genuine but altogether human love for mankind. These have a strong sense of social obligation which they feel they can best discharge by entering the ministry.

Of all wrong reasons for becoming a preacher this would seem to be the most laudatory, but it is nevertheless not a spiritually valid reason, for it overlooks the sovereign right of the Holy Spirit to call whom He will. GTM088

The church that is man-managed instead of God-governed is doomed to failure. A ministry that is college-trained but not Spirit-filled works no miracles….Things will get no better until we get back to the realized presence and power of the Holy Spirit. PRL037

 

Heaven’s Joys

Revelation 22:3-4

Deep within most people there is a longing for heaven, for something after this life. Jesus compared heaven to a wedding banquet: “The kingdom of

heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son” (Matt. 22:2).

Theologians and philosophers have often tackled the subject of afterlife and heaven. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica predicted: “Our scars will be seen as badges of honor; no one will rise in glory missing a limb; our senses will be enhanced, and we will be free of selfish passions.” The Christian belief is that in heaven there is no self-centeredness—everyone thinks of the other before self.

Tom Harpur, Anglican priest and author of Heaven and Hell, describes heaven as “a place where one continues the journey of growing in spiritual enlightenment.” St. Paul suggests that self-enlightenment will not be a process, but a part of the reality of heaven. On earth only certain things are revealed to us, but in heaven we shall know all things.

Will we simply be playing harps, or singing, all day and all night long? Mark Twain begged God to spare him from such boredom! There will undoubtedly be lots of surprises in heaven. No Internet will be necessary, for our search for knowledge will have been satisfied. We will have a heightened sense of spiritual identity, and God will fill our souls with ultimate joy.

We know that heaven will be a perfect place, and that there will be room for all who believe in Christ: “In My Father’s house are many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

We also know it will be a place of peace: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

Heaven, as far as we can comprehend, is not so much above as beyond us. Anyone can reserve a place in heaven, but entrance is by God’s grace alone. We must believe in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Once that belief is established, there must be a willingness to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In heaven we will not only serve God, but the ultimate blessing will be to see his face: “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face” (Rev. 22:3-4).

Beverly Ivany, The War Cry