Joshua 3:1-4:24 + Luke 14:7-35 + Psalm 80:1-19 + Proverbs 12:27-28
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Old Testament – Today is a major day in our readings as the Israelites cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land! The significance of the events in today’s readings cannot be overstated. The Israelites 40 years in the Wilderness are over. God’s Promise made to Abraham is being fulfilled!
I am intrigued by verse 5 in Joshua chapter 3 today as the Israelites are about to cross the Jordan – “Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you.”” I’m wondering what the Israelites did to purify themselves? Some sort of ritual purification I’d guess – likely similar to the purification before meeting God at Mount Sinai, which included washing all their garments as well as themselves. I also wonder what we do in our lives today to purify ourselves? The first thought comes to mind that we are of course purified today completely by the blood of Christ. But, then, I also know that once we have made the decision to follow Christ we will still sin on occasion. And then, is purification needed? Not from a salvation standpoint – but from simply having a pure heart before God? I’m thinking that our purification today is confessing directly to God our sins and repenting. And I think through this process God’s grace arrives in a nanosecond and purifies us. I think we’re purified by God’s grace today. But, I think in part we need to recognize our own need for purification and confess to God our shortcomings and repent. Let me know what you think on this in the Comments below if you’d like. Again, I’m not looking at this from a salvation / justification perspective – more of the sanctification perspective. I like the thought of purification – of being pure before God. I pray for this for each of us. No dark corners. No secrets. Just a pure heart before our heavenly Father.
A watercolor painting is below for verses 16 & 17 – “Then all the people crossed over near the city of Jericho. Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the LORD’s covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by them. They waited there until everyone had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.”
Bible.org’s commentary on Joshua’s readings today titled “Crossing the Jordan” is at this link.
New Testament – Wow. Jesus’ teachings in Luke chapter 14 verses 12 through 14 are so powerful – “”When you put on a luncheon or a dinner,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will repay you by inviting you back. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the godly, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”” How often do we do something for others – in hopes of getting something back in return? Maybe it’s simply praise? Or maybe it’s indeed an invite to something else in the future? Kind of the whole idea of “I’ll scratch your back if you’ll scratch mine.” Jesus tells us there is another way – care for others that cannot repay you. Because God will repay you. And who would you rather receive repayment from for your good deeds – humans or God? Do you think that caring for the poor is giving to God? Will you give to God?
Today in Luke chapter 14 verse 27 we read – “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” I don’t know about you, but I’m not so good at carrying “crosses.” I’m not so good at taking on perceived burdens. I’m not so good at suffering at all. I like to get my way. I often feel entitled to get a lot of good stuff in my life. . . And yet. . . Jesus says if I am to be his disciple I must carry my cross. And I must follow him. I think sometimes in our culture we want to keep up with our neighbors – be hip; be cool; be relevant; know the latest styles; wear the latest fashions; and this list can go on. Jesus tells us to carry our cross. And truly, this is the eternally hippest / coolest / most relevant decision any one of us can make – to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Nothing else matters.
Bible.org’s commentary on Luke chapter 14’s readings today titled “Table Talks” is at this link and commentary on today’s readings titled “How to Hate your Wife” is at this link.
Psalms – Psalm 80 verse 19 today is powerful – “Turn us again to yourself, O LORD God Almighty. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.” I like that opening – “turn us again to you God.” I don’t believe that God turns himself away from us – but that we do indeed turn ourselves away from God. And like the Psalmist, maybe sometimes we literally need to pray that God will turn us back toward him. I kind of come up with the imagery of us maybe sometimes being like pouty kids with our arms folded and our backs toward God – and God is looking at us lovingly – all we simply need to do is turn our face toward God and his grace will heal that pout and whatever is troubling us immediately… If you need to, will you turn yourself again toward God?
Proverbs – Today in Proverbs chapter 12 verse 28 we read – “In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.” What is the way of righteousness? How does one find the way of righteousness? How does one share with others the way of righteousness? Do you believe there is immortality along the way of righteousness?
Got K-LOVE? A couple of times each year, I enjoy sharing the impact K-LOVE radio has had in my life. First and foremost, I want to simply share with each of you that listening to K-LOVE has absolutely redeemed so much time I have spent in my car. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve jumped into my car thinking or worrying about x, y, or z and then some amazing song comes on K-LOVE (which is, oh, about all the time!) and I just start singing along and oftentimes worshiping God. This radio ministry has blessed my relationship with God significantly and turned me into a frequent car worshiper! I have a hunch there are many of you out there who know exactly what I am talking about here? I used to be someone who would listen to news or talk radio frequently while driving. However, I now pretty much listen to K-LOVE all of the time in the car. I can get my news easily from other news sources at different times of the day. I cannot get back the opportunity to worship God so frequently in my car that K-LOVE affords.
So, if you’re not a K-LOVE listener, I want to encourage you to please find your local station and give this ministry some time to work in your heart and life! I have a hunch you’ll soon realize how K-LOVE can redeem the time in your car significantly. You can find your local K-LOVE radio station by simply typing in your zip code at this link: https://www.klove.com/. Also, you can easily listen to K-LOVE online at klove.com or on iTunes under their Radio tab, then select “Religious” category, then K-LOVE.
If you are a K-LOVE listener, I do want to encourage you to please consider supporting their ministry. They have been doing their Spring Pledge Drive recently and I encourage you to please make a monthly pledge if you are not doing so already? Will you join me in making a gift of $10 (or more) each month to K-LOVE? You can even make a monthly pledge, one-time gift, or pledge of prayer support right now at this link: https://www.klove.com/. Thank you so much for your support of K-LOVE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llLaUpp8-6A
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: “”Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Luke 14:34-35 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are the salt of the earth through your relationship with Jesus. Pray that you will not lose your salt and light.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Based on our Luke 14:27 readings today about carrying our cross, how about you? Are you a disciple of Jesus carrying your cross? Do you know what your cross is? Do you want to know? Are you following Him? Are you letting worldly and pop-cultural cares fall to wayside of your life as you walk along the true path of following Jesus? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless,
Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
(our Group Bible Study is below! : )
======= Ramona:
Joshua 3-4:24
I believe the Book of Joshua is jammed packed with models and examples of how to walk by faith giving examples of things to do and things not to do. The third chapter begins with the Israelites leaving Acacia, which also happens to be the type of wood the Arc of the Covenant is made from as well as the poles used to carry it. The wood is very dense and is naturally resistant to insects and diseases and is very heavy. I have compared the Arc to a type of Christ because it was made from a nearly indestructible wood, which was covered in pure gold, Christ like.
The Levities were told after three days (Hmmm, Jesus was in the grave three days.), the people having “purified” themselves before, to “Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.” Only this time, unlike the crossing of the Red Sea where the water separated and formed walls in front of their very eyes, the Levites were told to step into the water and then the water would stop flowing, but the place where it stop was about 30 to 90 miles upstream, O my. In Egypt they stepped out on dry ground, now they had to get their feet wet relying on and believing that God had stopped the waters because they couldn’t see where the waters had been blocked.
Boy-o-boy! When we first began our walk with God how many of us use to get our prayers answered one, two, three but now there is a delay. Could it be as we mature in faith and in our walk, God is asking us to trust Him more by telling us we have to get our feet wet? The Jordan is not a pretty river, it is very muddy and at some places it may be just a “trickle” very unlike a river, but that day the Jordan was at flood stage so it was moving fast and it was pretty high. Am I afraid to get my feet wet because I don’t trust God to stop the water because I can’t see where the flow has been cut off?
Everything that happened at this crossing took place because of obedience to God’s Word. Trusting seems to walk hand in hand with obedience and it is in the obedience that good things happen.
Luke 12:7-35
Mike I began really thinking about your question in the gospel reading, “How often do we do something for others – in hopes of getting something back in return?”
I think this whole thing is Jesus’ way of teaching us how to give and receive gifts. Although there is a consequence of not accepting the free gift of salvation, Jesus didn’t give salvation to get anything from us. For us to be more like Him we have to understand what it is too not only receive gifts but what is to give one. The dinner Jesus was invited too had both elements, Jesus told the host to invite those who couldn’t pay him back and the guests were admonished not to try to get a “bigger” place in the house of the host.
If we don’t know how to receive a gift we will have trouble accepting the free gift of salvation. The guest at the dinner thought it was their right to jockey for a better seat to show they had power and position. Jesus told them to stop doing that. And if we don’t know how to give a gift we will misunderstand grace and mercy.
A gift is something you give to someone with no strings attached. If they don’t use it, its on them; if they use the gift, how they use it is on them. Most of us have never received a gift from our fellow man, even our parents. What we really receive are bribes and extortions, we receive things with strings attached and that “ain’t no gift.” When we give gifts we look to endear ourselves to the one we gave the gift too and expect them to treat us right because after all look what I gave you.
This entire reading is about Jesus “renewing” our minds on what it is to receive and give so that we will understand His work on the cross from a new perspective. It is not about us but all about Him.
The parable of the great feast shows what happens when we reject the gift He gives, He will just go out and bestow His generosity on others. The excuses that some of the previously invited guests give are really pathetic or they are very stupid. The guys who brought the field and the oxen and then claimed they had to inspect and/or try the oxen, were utter fools. Who buys a field sight unseen, and who buys an animal without seeing if they will do the kind of work or be the kind of pet they need them to be? Now the guy who said he just got married is also a fool because they date for the feast had already been given because the text states: A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to come.
This was one of those invites that said, “Save the Date,” and he didn’t.
Psalm 80
This Psalm is about God’s people suffering before the coming of Messiah. This is the hearts cry of all those waiting for a deliverer even if they don’t know they are waiting. In the beginning of the Psalm the writer is begging God to turn His people back toward Him and he then rehearses their deliverance from Egypt in the hearing of God. He recalls how they prospered comparing the nation of Israel as a tender vine growing deep roots and spreading out. But then they find themselves in a precarious state, broken and defeated by their enemies.
Verse fourteen then turns and refers to a son, and not the nation,
14 Come back, we beg you, O God Almighty.
Look down from heaven and see our plight. Watch over and care for this vine
15 that you yourself have planted,
this son you have raised for yourself
Then the last three verses boldly state:
17 Strengthen the man you love,
the son of your choice.
18 Then we will never forsake you again.
Revive us so we can call on your name once more.1
9 Turn us again to yourself, O LORD God Almighty.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved.
This cannot be talking about anything but the coming of Messiah! Jesus is everywhere in the Old Testament, He is Christ concealed in the Old and He is revealed in the New.
Proverbs 12:27-28
27 Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.
This cannot be laziness the way we think of it as being. It takes stamina to hunt, at least back then. This must be a laziness of the mind and a lack of understanding of how to take raw material and process it to add value. This is kind of like the Parable of the Talents.
Mike in answer to your question about purifying ourselves as Christians today and what would that look like, I believe we can find lots of examples in the Apostle Paul’s letters. The Epistles were written to churches in specific cities or to individuals and I believe Paul spoke about “purification” often. His letters were written to believers so if he dwelt with sin it wasn’t the sin of the “world” but the sin of those that belonged to the Household of Faith. The fourth chapter of the Book of Ephesians, the entire chapter, is devoted to walking rightly,
20 But that isn’t what you were taught when you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, 22 throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. 23 Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. 24 You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness–righteous, holy, and true.
25 So put away all falsehood and “tell your neighbor the truth” because we belong to each other. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
======= Luch:
Regarding purification, there is the part that God does that we can’t add anything to, what is called ‘positional righteousness’ that Ramona already referred to, but then again, we are told to ‘work out our salvation’ with fear and trembling. Phil 2:12. We are to work out what God has already ‘worked in.” “For God is at work IN you…”
Then Paul gives us alot of help in 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us PURIFY OURSELVES from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Some of the best writing on this subject is contained in Jerry Bridges’ class “The Pursuit of Holiness” which is in my mind the 20th century version of Bishop Ryle’s 19th century “Call to Holiness.” Not a long book but one that you can mull over and over, and written for our times.
Jesus also said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” I think that the proactive way to be ‘purified’ is to pursue internal righteousness passionately without making it an external show like the Pharisees. Just pursue it because we delight in God.
I think purification also includes a ‘confessional dimension’ where ‘we confess our sins to one another and pray for one another that we may be healed.” James 5:15-17
Luch
======= Anka:
Purification….hmmm…well true we are washed by the blood of the lamb and we have the gift of righteousness but we do have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.We need to continually watch our steps and confess our sins…that’s our part of the battle.In Deut 20,it says”the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” …then it also says “Has anyone built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may dedicate it”…well then the Lord had given the Israelites victory over their enemies but they still crossed the Jordan armed and ready for battle…Like us they had to work for the promises of God…they didn’t just sit down and watch God work…they had a part to play…and for those of them who didn’t…(Deut 25:17 ” Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. 18 When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind”)..there was a price to pay…if in our own daily battles we don’t do our part which includes purification…there’s a price to pay…by grace Israel was chosen by God…but to maintain their relationship and blessings,they had a part to play…we were saved by grace…but we too have to work out our salvation to the end…after getting saved we still live in a flesh that loves sin and we gotta fight it!!
God bless you all….soldiers:))
Anka
======= John:
Purification
I am not sure, but I regard purification meaning the same as “sanctification”. If that is true, then we, as believers, do not achieve it as much as “strive” for purification (sanctification).
Purification (sanctification) is a process which will not be finalized until we get to heaven.
Personally, I see the confessing of sins as a means to continuing in “fellowship” with God. It is not for forgiveness as Christ died for all sins (past,present, future), but as an acknowledgment that we are still sinners. If we do not acknowledge our sins, then we are in danger of God distancing himself from us – like David. By being in fellowship with God – we can continue in the process of sanctification through the Holy Spirit. If not, then we perhaps become “stuck” Christians. Spinning our wheels, running in place, until a breakthrough is made or worse we receive chastisement from God – which would be meant to get us back on the “way” and progressing towards purification (sanctification).
John
====== Jan:
One thing I find very interesting in regard to Rehab in this account is the fact that in Proverbs it teaches young men or old men not go go the way of a prostitute; yet they went directly to her house?!?!? I have to admit, what were they thinking & why were they going to a prostitute?!?! Here is an excerpt from my Living Faith Bible/NLT:
“God saw through those thick walls of Jericho into Rahab’s heart & brought the 2 spies to her very door. She immediately seized the opportunity to put her faith into action, first hiding the men & then pleading for her life & the lives of her family members. In rather dramatic fashion, Rahab entered into God’s family of faith. By His grace, God also placed this former prostitute & foreigner into the lineage of the coming Messiah (Matthew 1:5). You & I can give thanks that God gladly saves us if we turn to Him, no matter what our nationality, family background, or past sins, for He still rewards the faith of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).”
SO…even though God teaches not to go to prostitutes houses, this was His plan before He formed the earth…it is truly mind boggling to say the least. We just never know what He is up to…He is always up to something…imagine that?!?!?!
jan
======= Ramona:
Jan,
Remember the Prophet Hosea was told by God to marry a prostitute. If something is God directed and your heart’s desire is to follow after God, then ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Ramona
======== Johnnie:
I think about the verse,
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”
It is the act of surrendering to Him in every part of our life that God is looking for.
Johnnie
======= Penny:
I like your idea about being purified by grace, Mike. Sometimes as I sit still and quiet before the Lord, aware of His presence, being saturated in it, I sense Him doing a cleansing in me. It’s like a holy bath, washing away the dirt and dust that have accumulated. Each morning as I do the OYB readings I am cleansed. The Holy Spirit is the water and the Word of God is the soap.
Jesus said in John 15:3-4 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4″Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
I think abiding in Jesus is an essential part of being continuously purified and spiritually productive.
Penny
======= Edward:
Luke 14:12-24 – In weddings or feasts, most people think of only inviting those who can afford to pay and are generous but Jesus encourages to invite those who are destitute and handicapped to bless them so that God who sees it will bless us in heaven. Have we considered who shall we invite to the Lord’s banquet? Do we invite only those whom we think are worthy by our own standards? Maybe God is telling us to cast our nets to the less fortunate or those at the crossroads in their lives or imprisoned since those people whom we think are “worthy” are not keen and feel they have more important things to do then to know the Lord.
Luke 14:26-33 – Jesus says in V27 “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” and continues in V33 “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” What is the cross that Jesus would have me to bear daily to follow Him? Is there something that I must renounce of so that I am worthy to be His disciple? Have we calculated what it takes to be His disciple or will we just give up halfway. Jesus is not telling us if you are not ready, then don’t be a disciple, but rather to know ourselves and what we must likely have to sacrifice in our pursuit for God so that we don;t just give up halfway but will complete it.
Edward
======= Angelo:
I agree with you on the sanctification perspective, because sanctification means “set apart.” So when we are sanctified, we are set apart for God’s own use. Now when we sin, we are no longer set apart from the world, because that is the world’s trademark…sin. So God does indeed bring us back to Him and sets us apart from the world when we confess our sins and repent (not just saying sorry, but also turning from our sinful ways). “If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 God is faithful to heal us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, if we approach Him humbly with a broken heart. “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Psalm 34:18 And after He reconciles us back to Him, He prevents us from falling again. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” Jude 1:24
I also enjoyed the part of us giving to others who cannot repay us back. We are supposed to be godly and take on our perfect Heavenly Father’s attributes. There is nothing that He does for us that we can repay Him back for (I think God says something like that in Job 37 or 38, but I can’t find it). He does this to simply show His love to us and reveal His glory through us. Now, we should also look to do things for people who are not in a position to pay us back, to simply reflect the love of God that He shines on us.
Angelo
======= Jenny:
“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
what does this mean? This means self denial…dying to the flesh. We need to do this every day! You dont just get saved and then thats it, we need to walk in the spirit if we are to be effective.
“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” Gal. 5:24
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” Romans 13:14
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me .” Gal 2:20-21
Wow, those are some heavy verses, guess we should wait til we get there, but it relates to picking up our cross. To my flesh, this sounds completely impossible! BUt when I deny the flesh…or my nature, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, He enables me to do all things, for its Him who does the work in me, not me. Its a power not our own. He will transform us and guide us in a way that is supernatural through the power of the spirit those things which we cannot do on our own. Allow the spirit to infiltrate you and pour out His essence into you, fill you up. first we must empty ourselves and there is strong opposition to this! but once we pierce that, or put a nail in our flesh, it dies and we can be led by the spirit. we dont wake up in the spirit, or at least i dont. we cant just trust that we will always be in the spirit, its an act we must take everyday. It can really be a battle too, but its a battle that we can win bcos Christ gave us that victory when He took up the cross, when He took the nails. He took it in our place that we may have life, a new life in the spirit. The life in the flesh is miserable. Notice when you have mountain top experiences, you just never want it to end…it doesnt have to. The spirit is there for the taking, we must be open and willing to empty ourselves out.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matt 7:7-8.
This doesnt mean ask for that new car and its yours. Ask for the spirit, ask for spiritual gifts, ask for the Lord’s power, ask for wisdom, ask for anything of God and it will be yours. Ask for the spirit to fill you and you will receive. Its an awesome promise we have and so incredible to know we dont have to go in this alone. We have the spirit, also called, the Helper, the Comforter…I like that! I need all the help and comfort I can get!
Jenny
======= Lisa:
Being together! That is what Jesus wants. One as He and The Father are One.
Taking our two teenage sons to carpool this morning, I told them that I had forgotten my Driver’s License on Wednesday when I went to pick them up from school. I immediately felt closer to Jesus and to them.
Did I have to tell them that? Well, after Jesus told me to, I did. I think just sharing things and confessing who you really are brings you closer to God and to others. And I believe that somewhere down the line, this simple confession will help me just because I did not keep it to myself.
Lisa
======= Art:
Amen, Lisa. God lives in relationships and in our openness and honesty (to ourselves, to others and to Him).
One of the things that struck me about today’s reading was the metaphorical similarity between Josh 3:3-4 and how Christ leads the way for us:
“…move out from your positions and follow [the ark of the LORD]. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.”
We are called to “move out” from what may be a comfortable ‘camp’ in this world and trust in where God is leading us. As in that long-ago crossing of a geographic river, Christ reassures us that when we cross the ultimate river (death) – by definition a way we have never been before – and enter the good and bountiful land (heaven) that God has prepared for us (e.g., see John 14:1-4) we can have confidence that He has already crossed ahead of us and knows the way and that it is now, in Christ’s redeeming work on the cross, quite safe for those who have faith.
I was also struck by how closely Psalm 80 relates the story that Jesus would be part of many years later (v 8, 14-17):
“You brought a vine out of Egypt… watch over this vine, the root of your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself… Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.”
(‘Son’ and ‘Son of Man’ are not capitalized in my NIV, but it’s not hard to see the significance of the passage if one does that.)
Have a blessed day, everyone!
Art
======= Jim:
Do you know what your cross is? Do you want to know?
IMHO, instead of the “gifts” classes so popular today (proven to be wholly unreliable not to mention the only identified “gifts” are seemingly the gifts of casserole and back patting – no one is ever told they have prophecy, tongues, healing, etc), churches would be far more relevant is they had cross classes. Alas, the complete and total lack of cross classes (please, someone correct me if they’ve ever been to a cross class) would suggest that, in fact, no one wants to know (or to really be Christ’s disciple). Note, this is not about carrying Christ’s cross (to shoulder alone the full wrath of God’s anger for our sins) just as being a Christian isn’t about finding what’s easiest to do – or, in other words, the “color of our parachute” (whether, say, it’s to make casseroles or pat backs).
BUT, there is no greater question to be answered after we have accepted Christ – this is the starting point for the natural “what do I do now” question. Adam failed at this and so did not rebuke and teach Eve – thus, primary responsibility for sin entering the world did not fall on her (or Satan’s) shoulders, but his! Barna has suggested that what is wrong with our churches is that we consume religion like any other product (we like the music and new friends) while wholly fail to invest ourselves. I have asked over 100 people why they chose the church (#1 answer was the music) they go to and only 2 answered, “because God made it clear that I had a job to do here.”
Remember that Jesus’ parting words to the crowd he said this to was to keep their saltiness. Look at verses 34-35: “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.” Let us pray the Holy Spirit may instead help us to make it our life goal to carry our personal cross and follow Jesus. There are four parts of an honest apology: 1) name, 2) magic word (like sorry), 3) what you did wrong, AND 4) what you can do to make it up as well as your plan to stop sinning in the future (or, At-One-Ment). Without change, even a “good” cry is actually bad for us (science shows this). We only generate 1 year of Christian experience 30 times over while we grow older but never up.
Jim
======= Elizabeth:
Hello All,
I’ve always liked the story in Luke about the banquet and the last minute guests. I love that our Lord is always about the unlikely and unexpected.
Elizabeth
======= Mick:
I was impressed with today’s Old Testament reading. It is an awesome story – how God held back the waters for the Israelites to cross, but I was impressed more by what wasn’t said. At the Red Sea the people were grumbling and complaining constantly it seemed, but now, standing at the Jordan, we do not get any indication that there was any grumbling by the Israeilites. Forty years wandering in the desert had prepared them now for this moment. They had matured and had been humbled before God; they now knew what it meant to trust God and believe; they had learned to respect those in leadership, etc. They were now ready to cross into the Promised Land.
Mick
======= Teriann:
Mick, I like that, God has a preparation process to get us ready for great things. At the time, though, it may seem that He has forgotten us and let us wander around with no real direction. It is so nice that we can read the whole story from beginning to end and get the big picture. Thanks for pointing that out.
In Joshua 3:11&13, mentions the ark of covenant of the Lord of all the earth. I immediately thought of Rahab’s words yesterday when she said, “the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” I did a very quick word study (and please correct me if I’m wrong) but I think this is the first time where we see God called the God of ALL the earth instead of the God of Abraham or the God of the Israelites. At this significant point of crossing over into the promised land it seems to be an important president to establish.
Well this is just a thought and I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts, I have to get to church.
Teriann
======= David:
Thinking about the “purification” that you brought up for sanctification, I’m reminded of the story where Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.
“Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me. Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet,[c] to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” John 13:8-11
I want you to know I greatly appreciate your work on this blog and I hope it continues for many years.
David
======= Mary:
For me, to “carry my cross” means that Jesus wants me to die to my own selfish desires. In Galatians 2:20, Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” When we “carry our cross,” we die to self-centeredness, and strive to live a God-centered life.
Mary
======= Patty:
Still love reading through the bible. I wanted you to know that I really appreciate the music clip that you put in with the scriptures. May God bless you and blessings to all who take part in reading the Word of God! Love,
Patty
======= Marabel:
I couldn’t agree more with your comments on purifying ourselves through confession of our sins. How else can we have fellowship with the Spirit? One of the titles of Christ that helps me to remember Who He is and what He sees in me is: Young stag, Song 2:9. “My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he is standing behind our wall, he is looking through the windows, he is peering through the lattice.
Marabel
======= Sherie:
K-Love has ministered to me so much over the years. Music speaks to my soul!!
Sherie
======= LaRhonda:
I believe that the purification today has to do with us purfying our minds.Romans 12:1 We do this by transforming our thinking. By being ready to recieve , “God’s way of doing things”
LaRhonda
======= Mitch:
Great Reading for today. I also am a frequent KLOVE listener it is really my relationship with God also, because of the same thing you mentioned in your post about thinking about X, Y or Z and then a song coming up and worshiping God. : ) God Bless you
Mitch
======= Grant:
Thanks for you blog, Mike. -always an encouragement.
-Grant
======= Bob:
As I reflect on personal thoughts about Crossing the Jordan in Joshua 3 and 4 I’d like to share them with you. 3:1 “Early in the morning”: It suggests that when I take on new endeavors or am about to start a new journey it is important to get an early start. It seems like whenever I go on holiday I always have to catch a 5am Flight! (Chuckle). 3:5 “Consecrate yourselves”: To me this simply means to set aside all worries. Yah, I know that is not easy at times but we all have methods of doing that and a lot are suggested in our commentaries. 3:6 “went ahead of them”: Re: Deut 31:8 tells us that the Lord goes ahead of us. I love when Jesus says this to his disciples in Math 26:32 and then keeps his promise in Luke 24:15 on the road to Emmaus. 4:8 “stand in the river” Well here we see what our job is as he gives us the example in Act 5:20. Tell the people the full message of this new life! 4:3, 4:5-7, 4:21 Those very important stones in our life. Milestones! Times we need to mark our journey and remember important events with a heavy, physical, intentional marker. Birth, Baptism, Marriage, Graduation, Driver’s license. Of course the importance of these revolves around celebrating the memory. My favorite is “Coming Home Day”. Because my 5 kids were all adopted, every year we have a little family party in honor of when they came to live with us. To end I think it is interesting to note that in our reading today in Psalm 80 verses 8-11 we hear the plan God had for his people:
8 You took us like a grapevine dug from the soil of Egypt;
You forced out the nations and transplanted it in Your land.
9 You groomed the ground around it,
planted it so it would root deep into the earth, and it covered all the land.
10 As it grew, the mountains were blanketed by its shadow;
the mighty cedars were covered by its branches.
11 The plant extended its branches to the Mediterranean Sea,
and spread its shoots all the way to the Euphrates River.
Bob
======= Jill:
I heard if you do something for someone and expect something back it’s business. If you do something for someone and don’t expect anything back it’s kindness.
Klove is a wonderful radio ministry! Listening to christian radio really brings one into a realm with Jesus. It takes our focus off our problems and bring us into a closer relationship with God!
Jill
======= Joyce:
Mike and everyone,
Mike, thank you for bringing up the question: “is purification needed?”
Your question led me to look up sermons/commentary about having a pure heart before God.
came across this story (source: Matt Slick, Sermon: Psalm 51, A broken and contrite heart, Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry):
“When he was just 19, Al Johnson had joined two other men in robbing a Kansas bank. The case was closed after the two other criminals were killed in an auto crash and were mistakenly identified by bank officials as the robbers. Al felt sure he would never be caught. He married a Christian girl and even pretended to be a Christian. She knew nothing of his past crime. Then someone sent him a tract in the mail entitled, ‘God’s Plan of Salvation.’ Reading it, he noticed the Bible verse that said, ‘whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ The realization struck that salvation was for him. He could be forgiven and his conscience set free. The guilt of his crime accused him, the cowardice of hiding his crime shamed him. He realized his guilt and hated it.
Al Johnson became convicted of sin, was contrite, humbled his heart and decided to truly forsake his sin and to follow Jesus Christ. When he did, his life changed. He stopped a lifelong habit of lying and cheating. And after much thought and prayer he confessed his crime. His confession made television newscasts and newspaper headlines.
As it turned out, under a Kansas statute of limitations, he was set free.
Yet, although he was beyond the scope of law to punish him, he still chose to repay his share of the stolen funds to the bank. In time he became the manager of a service station, the father of three admiring children, and an outstanding Christian layman. But he didn’t do that alone.”
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12)
Mike, as you said, may we have “No dark corners. No secrets. Just a pure heart before our heavenly Father.” pray in our Lord’s name, amen.
Sincerely,
Joyce
========= Ed:
I too am always conscious of the thought of purification. We sin constantly and must repent and be aware of our sins to be purified at the end of the day. I also think of when we take the sacraments. We must be purified before we partake.
Ed
======= Dee:
I love the book of Joshua..he definitely was confident and God picked a good leader. Or predecessor. Moses will be missed sure. I love KLOVE love the ministry and have supported them in past. Definitely worth the support. Love book of Luke too.
I try to pick up and carry cross daily..not perfect and still trying to work out a few areas but God is good and he perfects that which is flawed..for His glory. Amen
Dee
======= Robert:
Luke 14:27
“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
(Also found in Mathew 16:24). This verse has always been a bit hard for me to grasp. I think others may have the same problem. I understand the cross Jesus had to carry, literally and spiritually. However, what is he saying to us? So, I googled it. A couple of examples of a burden or trial one must put up with, as in Alzheimer’s is a cross to bear for the whole family, or in a lighter vein, Mowing that huge lawn once a week is Brad’s cross to bear. So I tried to relate this to my own life’s challenges that in some way make it hard for me to follow Jesus and what sort of cost is involved with being a disciple? Here is the difficult part. I have to balance my family with this personal passionate devotion to a person (Jesus). Fortunately knowing Jesus makes this rather simple but I run the risk of using him as a principle and then prioritizing him becomes an issue. This simple verse is not so simple. It really speaks to the question I have to ask myself, who am I and who do I want to be?
Robert
======= Ramona:
Mike your question, >>The first thought comes to mind that we are of course purified today completely by the blood of Christ. But, then, I also know that once we have made the decision to follow Christ we will still sin on occasion. And then, is purification needed? >>
My answer–Just the Word, just the Word ma’m (A take from the Cop Show Dragnet’s “Just the facts, just the facts ma’m”–Sorry)
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10 KJVR).
Many of us confess–but we don’t hang around for the cleansing–it is a multipart process. Also, there is a difference from living in sin and “falling” or tripping into sin, just as there is a difference telling a lie and being a liar. One is an event or maybe multiple events the other is a lifestyle choice.
Joshua 3:1-4:24:16
More Ramblings from my readings in Joshua:
O.K. The river is at flood stage and I’m not sure what that would look like with this particular river. I do know that the Jordon is dirty, full of silt, and not very wide in many places. The closer the Jordan gets to the Dead Sea the slower it runs; but what does it look like when it is flooded? I have never been affected by a flooded river; although I have been affected by water main breaks in New York City, but still that is not a flood. I have seen video footage of swollen rivers washing away dirt, houses, cars and people as it rushes down and overflows its banks. Caught up in raging waters must be frightening, yet God tells the priests who are responsible for carrying the Ark to step into the waters, they have to get their feet wet.
Not only does God tell them to step in, the water stops flowing when they get in, but upstream. Now, I don’t know if this is true but I’ve heard that the place where the water was damned up is about 80 miles upstream from where the priest stood. So how long would it take for the last of the flowing water to reach them?
So we have the priests standing in the Jordan, carrying a box made from Acacia Wood, wood that is very dense and heavy, which is overlaid with gold, making it heaver, and has as a lid, a solid gold cover with two gold Cherubim with large wings. These guys had to be buffed to carry that box around in the desert for 40 years.
Step in the water, the priests were commanded, time to get your feet wet, so that the people could walk on dry land. At the beginning of their journey, the water of the Red Sea parted and everyone walked on dry land, but now they had to get their feet wet. It seems that when I first accepted salvation, many things happened that were unbelievable, without any input on my part, but then …that stopped. I now have to engage with the “enemy,” I have to hold on, hang in there, and believe that God has my back when circumstances say otherwise. My Red Sea experiences had me walking on dry ground, but to get out of the wilderness I had to get my feet wet. It was the stepping in that caused the river upstream to stop running and I had to wait for it to get to where I was.
Respect the leadership over you wherever you choose to worship. If you cannot, find a new place. Those who lead you are stepping in the water, getting their feet wet, so you can walk on dry land.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
======= John:
Luke 14
Luke writes of “hate” regarding family, yet Matthew speaks of it in terms of love.
Matt 10 37-38
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
Did Luke get it wrong? No, and I think Bob in the bible.org commentary gives a good explanation of this comparative concept.
Luke also says one has to hate – “yes, even his own life”. The word for life in Greek is “psuche”. It does not mean your daily or outward life, it goes much deeper. The word is defined as ‘your essence or your soul’. You are to hate what you are inside – one who is turned away from God, whose very essence is “sin”.
The whole extended family is listed here – so I agree with Bob I do not think it means hate each and every one – but like “life” they are to hate the essence of the family, the dependance on family instead of God. The Jewish family provided status, security, and a false assurance of salvation (Bob’s list) – hate these things. If you do not you can not be Jesus’ disciple. You must depend on Jesus.
As to the rest of the reading in Luke, Bob says it nicely:
“Our Lord is not trying to get these followers to muster up enough commitment to become His disciples, but to reckon with the reality that no one has the resources to follow Him, apart from His enablement. Discipleship, then, is not following Christ with sufficient means to do what He commands, but with utter dependence upon Him to enable us to do His will.”
If we try to go it alone after salvation: without prayer, without the “Word”, without worship, – without dependance on Christ – then we will flame out. The “World” (non-Christians) loves this as there is nothing so open to contempt and judgment as a half-hearted Christian.
John
======= Vance:
CLEANSING, PURITY has ALWAYS come by grace. The role of the law has always been the same in OT and NT: to lead us to grace by showing us our sins and failings.
HASHEM — the highest name for God in the Torah, that is the GOD OF MERCY — does
this out of His rich mercy!
Thus, when OT sacrifices were given, those with perceptive hearts in worship knew that they were not saved through their works of obedience. They knew they were able to worship God and have a relationship with God only because of the sacrifice offered in their place.
MERCY… GRACE
This brings me to a comment by J. Hampton Keathley, III , Th.M. on the following verses in Joshua 3 (NKJV):
7
And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
8
You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’”
9
So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.”
10
And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: 11
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. 12
Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.
13
And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”
Comment by J. Hampton Keathley, III , Th.M. :
“These verses in essence reinforce the concept of grace. They show that crossing the Jordan and dispossessing the enemies (as in all aspects of our salvation and sanctification) is the work of God.”
HOW TRUE!
We need to walk in the authority of Christ. We already have the authority of Christ invested in us personally by the Father and the Son.
We already have the Holy Spirit.
Now is our time to not only have our spirits birthed in this reality, but the rest of our beings as well.
Luke 14 (NKJV)
33
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
For the past few months, I had the extremely high honor of going through strict discipline of theatrical rehearsals for a theatrical Easter performance.
This last weekend, April 7 through 9, I was able to take on the role of one of the characters.
The worship leader who wrote the play emphasized
the importance of WORSHIP during acting. It is ALL about worshipping through the medium of theatre and leading others to God AS THEY JOIN US IN WORSHIP.
He emphasized that, while the roles of the characters can and must be acted out with skill — THE WORSHIP CANNOT BE AN ACT. It must be real.
~~~
My only point is this: I had to give myself COMPLETELY to learn the lines and to become another character.
In like manner, we also need to give ourselves COMPLETELY to the Lord to “learn our lines” and to become the people God created us to be.
FORSAKE… receive cleansing… in GRACE.
~~~
The process of acting and becoming a character who came to the Lord in the play showed me there are two (2) kinds of acting:
1)
acting: pretense, to lie to try to deceive
2)
acting: to take on a role, to learn that role, TO BECOME.
We are CALLED TO BECOME, and we– through grace– are able to PRACTICE.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Ephesians 4 (NKJV)
22
that YOU PUT OFF, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23
and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24
and that YOU PUT ON the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Hebrews 5 (NKJV)
13
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those WHO BY REASON OF {note: CONSTANT} USE {i.e., PRACTICE}
have their senses exercised {i.e., TRAINED} to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 6 (NKJV)
11
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,
12
that you do not become sluggish, but IMITATE THOSE
who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Vance
