Joshua 11:1-12:24

Again, the kings of Canaan unite in their effort to defeat the Israelites. This time the Scriptures describe Israel’s opposition as vast, mighty, and almost innumerable:

Joshua 11:4 (NKJV) “So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.”

The enemies of Israel had a cavalry that could mow down their opposition, they had chariots which would be comparable to modern-day tanks – but Israel had God, they had the LORD of Hosts and He’s all they needed.

The LORD gave Joshua these instructions:

 Joshua 11:6 (NKJV) “But the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.’”

There’s that command again – “Do not be afraid…” God (who is always with us) always give us the victory, He’s for us, it’s for that reason there is no need to fear.

It’s interesting that God commanded Joshua to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots. You would figure that the children of Israel could use these weapons of warfare for future battles. But God did not want His children to trust in horses or chariots, He wants His people to trust in Him and to give Him…ALL the glory!

Psalms 20:7 (NKJV) “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

God gave Israel utter and absolute victory.

The key to Joshua’s success was simply his outright and overall obedience to the LORD. I love the way it’s worded:

Joshua 11:15 (NKJV) “As the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.

It’s a bit frightening to read how the LORD hardened the hearts of the people (Joshua 11:20), which led to their judgment. But God only hardens hearts if those people have already hardened their own hearts. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, after he had hardened his own heart five times.

In Canaan, this cases of perversity had reached the heavens, they had seared their own conscience, they were ripe and overdue for judgment. God would now establish His people in the land flowing with milk and honey.

Joshua 12 lists the thirty-one kings Israel conquered on both sides of the Jordan. It may sound like a lot but it’s nothing for the LORD. 

Jeremiah 32:27 (NKJV) “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

What “land” do you need the Lord to conquer for you today? We will prevail as we go out and fight by faith – He will give us the victory over our flesh, the enemy, and the influences of the world. He will baptize us with the power of the Holy Spirit to be overcomers and grow to be more and more like Him. The Promised Land largely speaks of Victorious Christian Living.

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Luke 17:11-37

In those days leprosy was a horrible and incurable disease. Not only was it a slow death, it was a disease that thrust a person out an absolute outcast of society, banished not only from the Temple and religious life (considered ritually unclean) but banished from the general population, forced to live outside the city walls and to maintain a distance of at least 30 feet from others. With that in mind…imagine being healed of leprosy!

Ten lepers were healed but only one returned to express appropriate worship and gratitude. I have a hunch, the percentage of grateful people hasn’t changed much over the years (right around 10%). The grateful leper’s gratitude and faith led not only to his physical healing, but to his spiritual healing. Which is more important?

May we always be a grateful people. Especially as Christians, may we always have that attitude of gratitude. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

The kingdom of God is present now (in one sense) in that it is within us. I like to tell people that there’s a throne in our hearts and my prayer is that Jesus sits on that throne and rules over my life. But the kingdom of God will also literally be present one day when the King returns.

That season of the Son’s Second Coming begins with the Rapture of the Church – which can happen at any time. Are we really ready? People will be living life as usual, it will be a regular day and it’s ok and necessary to live life, as long as we’re simultaneously living for the Lord, watching, waiting, and knowing that today may be the Day of Jesus’ return. 

This world will be judged, so let’s be sure not to look back at it with longing eyes, lest we end up as a pillar of salt, like Lot’s wife. (Luke 17:32)

When the rapture comes, many will be left behind. Jesus mentions it repeatedly in this section, “…one will be taken and the other left.” (Luke 17:34-36)

Luke 17:37 may describe vultures encircling dead bodies after a time of judgment. But the eagles most likely are in reference to angels of some sort, maybe even Jesus, rapturing up the body of Christ, wherever His people are…all around the world.

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Psalm 84:1-12

The Psalmist apparently had been away from Jerusalem and the Temple for an extended period of time – he may have been unable to attend the required feasts, he felt distant, and shares his heart. To him, this was way beyond merely missing church attendance, he wanted to reconnect with his Creator.

Psalm 84:2 (NKJV) “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

Imagine the love and longing he had for the Lord, to the point that he said one single day in God’s courts is better than a thousand elsewhere! (Psalm 84:10). That he’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God, than to have that so-called “fun” in the tents of wickedness. And what a beautiful promises he shares with us to hold tightly to:

Psalm 84:11b (NKJV) “…No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Another motivation to holiness.

Before we leave this Psalm it’s helpful to note the three “beatitudes” we see within it:

In Psalm 84:4 the declaration is how blessed are those who dwell in God’s house – perhaps in reference to the Priests and Levites. Did they know how privileged they were?

In Psalm 84:5 the declaration is how blessed is the man whose strength is in God, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. No doubt the pilgrimage he’s referring to is the wonderful journey to Jerusalem…when that’s our heart, God will be our strength!

In Psalm 84:12 the declaration is how blessed is the man who trusts in God. As we travel through life our trust will be tested, may we have that firm belief in the ability and reliability of the Lord our God!

As has been said by many, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”

“The more we depend on God, the more dependable we find that He is.”

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Proverbs 13:5-6

Once again, we see the contrast between the righteous and the wicked.

The righteous man HATES lying, but the wicked don’t. Do we HATE lying? 

Why should we hate lying? It’s  – the language of Lucifer (John 8:44). This would include exaggerating and speculating; remember, there’s no such thing as a white lie, a half-truth is a whole lie.

We see another contrast in Proverbs 13:6, that righteousness, guards a person from evil, while wickedness removes that protection and makes a person open game.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Joshua 9:3-10:43

There’s that old adage, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” That was the strategy of the Gibeonites. While the other nations of Canaan were joining forces against Israel, the Gibeonites sought to join forces with Israel, through deception. We need to remember that if the enemy fails to devour us as a roaring lion, he will try again as a slithering snake.

The key here is that Joshua and the men of Israel did not pray about their decision.

Joshua 9:14 (NKJV) “Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.”

It turns out that Gibeon was just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Gilgal, where Joshua was stationed. Gibeon was right smack dab in the middle of Canaan – they lied about their location (the enemy does that), and yet Israel, so easily deceived by their moldy bread, worn out wineskins, and torn clothing, made a covenant with the Gibeonites.

Rookie mistake on the part of the leaders – even the congregation knew better. But it was too late, they had entered into a covenant with the Gibeonites, in the name of the LORD their God.

Joshua’s only possible consolation in it all, is that he would make the Gibeonites cutters of wood and carriers of water for the house of his God. The Gibeonites were okay with it, their lives had been spared.

In the meantime the kings of the other inhabitants decided to attack Gibeon for the treaty they’d made with Israel. Since Israel had entered into a covenant with the Gibeonites, Israel was obligated to help. It turned out for their benefit for now they faced five kings and their kingdoms at once, and God would give them the victory.

The Israelite men marched all night before the battle (which normally wouldn’t be a wise battle strategy), but as God leads and with God’s help, there’s no need to worry – the LORD would fight for them. God gave them a great victory using different modes of ammunition, raining down hailstones upon His enemies, even making the Sun stand still (or slowing the earth’s rotation) in order to keep the fight on, and give Israel a complete victory.

Joshua had a lot of boldness to ask this of God (Joshua 10:12) and God honored his faith. We have a big God, so don’t be afraid to pray “big.” God has land for all of us to conquer – not necessarily physical land, but spiritual land, souls to win, saints to encourage, more people to love on – may we fight – not for victory but from victory. There may even be areas in our own lives that needs to be conquered for Christ – He is able – may we believe and receive. The explanation is simple:

Joshua 10:42 (NKJV) “All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.”

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Luke 16:19-17:10

The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is not a parable because Jesus never used names in parables. That means this is a true and detailed account of what actually happened in history. Lazarus was a poor, pitiful beggar, but he was also a believer. The rich man was not only rich, he was rotten, and he rejected the Gospel. When they died, they went to two different holding tanks. In Old Testament times the afterlife was a duplex. One side was the compartment of the saved, (Abraham’s Bosom – Abraham is representative of faith) – the other side was hell, with a gulf between them that no one could cross. You notice that the rich man had all five senses intact – and he was burning in the flames. The rich man had no relief available! Realizing he was doomed to this destiny, He asked Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead, to warn his brothers, assuming they would believe if someone came to them who had risen from the dead. Abraham said the Scriptures were sufficient, and even if someone rose from the dead, if his brothers rejected the Scriptures, they would still not believe. This is an indicator of the hardness of man’s heart and his love for sin. Today, people still don’t believe the gospel, even though Jesus Christ rose from the dead. 

This parable is a heavy warning about hell. Some reject this possibility in the afterlife even though Jesus spoke more about hell then He did about heaven. All I can say is I believe it’s real because the Bible says it, Jesus said it, and that settles it. This makes me want to share God’s love with an even greater urgency.

Today (after the cross) there’s no longer a holding tank for the righteous, when we die as Christians, we are immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Luke 16 begins with the fact that because we live in a fallen-world where men and women have a free will, offenses will come. It’s a warning, it’s also heartbreaking when our family becomes the victim. But don’t be defeated or discouraged, God has a way of working everything out for good for those who humbly come to Him – AND – one day justice will take place for all the offenders. Jesus issues an especially heavy warning to those who cause the children to stumble. This includes people such as child-molesters, child-abusers, and ultimately anyone who in any way would steer these children wrong and break them at young ages, when they’re in some ways, “innocent” and vulnerable, and their little hearts are being formed (Luke 17:2).

In Luke 16:3-4 Jesus gives us some very practical commands – how we are to be people who rebuke, people who repent, and people who forgive, even as we’ve been forgiven. Can you imagine forgiving seven times in one day? But doesn’t God forgive us much, much more than that? Sandy Adams said, “Be as generous with your forgiveness as God has been with His.”

The Apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith – and Jesus essentially said, it’s not the quantity of faith we need to look to, it’s the quality. Warren Wiersbe said, “Faith is like a seed: it seems small and weak, but it has life in it; and if it is cultivated, it will grow and release power.”

Serving for the right reason is vitally important for us as Christians. In Luke 16:7-10 Jesus makes us check our hearts: Do we serve for a pat on the back? No, we are to serve because it is our calling from Christ, our daily duty, because the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. I don’t think Jesus’ illustration is teaching us that God doesn’t care for His workers or even that God is ungrateful; He just wants us to simply serve with a servant’s heart – that at the core it’s not, “What can I get?” But “What can I give?”

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Psalm 83:1-18

This is another one of those Psalms where it sounds as if God is silent, and sometimes He is, but that’s okay, we can rest assured, He is never absent.

Asaph prayed because the enemies of Israel were mounting up with a plan:

Psalm 83:4 (NKJV) “They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

(Sounds like modern day Iran). Asaph prayed for God to defeat these evil alliances just as God had defeated many kings and nations in the time of the judges (Psalm 83:9-11).

Asaph prayed for God to blow them away as chaff, to frighten them away with His thunder and lighting.

It’s interesting to note that two times Asaph seems to indicate that his heart was that these enemies would be saved – that they would know the LORD and even seek His name (Psalm 83:16, 18).

Warren Wiersbe said, “Asaph had a purpose in mind—not just the safety of Israel but the glory of the Lord (Psalm 83:16–18). Some of the enemy soldiers might even trust in the God of Israel! It was not important that Israel’s name be preserved (Psallm 83:4), but it was important that God’s name be glorified.”

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Proverbs 13:4

Just because a man is hardworking physically, doesn’t necessarily mean he’s hard-working spiritually; here we read about the soul of the lazy man, and the soul of the diligent.

Deep down inside, they both long for spiritual riches, but if we’re not willing to work hard as disciples, not merely reading the Bible, but digging into the Word, listening to studies, reading Bible based books, which is just gleaning and growing with other teachers, if we’re not willing to work hard for those spiritual riches, then we we’ll posses less and less – this Proverb even uses the word “nothing.”

But, if we are diligent as disciples, we will be made rich spiritually.

We’ll know God, we’ll serve God, and we’ll be all God wants us to be.

Philippians 2:12-13 (NKJV) “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

Work hard, pray hard, go hard for God.

Colossians 4:12 (NKJV) “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Joshua 7:16-9:2

We pick up the account after the defeat in Ai.  Joshua was praying, crying, doubting. God commanded him to get up, there was sin in the camp and it must be dealt with.

Usually when we read of someone rising early in the morning (Joshua 7:16), it means there’s an urgency, in this case, to find out who’s responsible for Israel’s defeat. The tribes cast lots and Judah was taken. From Judah the family of the Zahrites. From the Zahrites, Zabid was selected, and from his children Achan was the man. We can still be sure, our sin will find us out (Numbers 32:23).

It was at that point that Achan confessed his sin:

Joshua 7:20-21 (NKJV) “And Achan answered Joshua and said, ‘Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.’”

The first-fruits belonged to God. The people had been clearly and severely warned (Joshua 6:18-19). Achan brought trouble on the entire nation of Israel, thirty-six men died because of him, and he therefore brought this trouble upon himself, he was stoned to death.

IF Achan’s family was put to death along with Achan, it would be only because they were participants in the sin. God would not punish children for the sins of their parents or punish the righteous with the wicked (Ezekiel 18:20; Genesis 18:23). It would have been difficult for Achan to hide the burying of such things under his tent without the knowledge of anyone else in the family. 

On the other hand, there are some who believe Achan’s family was not punished with him – they point to the words, “So all Israel stoned him…” (Joshua 7:25). It’s possible to hold that view but a bit challenging for later in that same passage we read those words, “…after they had stoned them with stones.” 

I’ve always read this passage with a heavy heart – to think that one man’s sin can affect an infect the entire congregation! It’s heart-wrenching to realize that one person’s secret sin can bring defeat upon a church -it strikes fear into my heart. Paul the Apostle dealt with something similar in 1 Corinthians 5, where there was a man in the church in sexual sin with his step-mother and the church was proud of it. Paul commanded the Corinthians to deal with it and clearly warned them:

1 Corinthians 5:6 (NKJV) “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”

God reveals..and God commands us to practice church discipline.

Once the sin was dealt with, Israel was empowered once again with God’s presence and experienced great victory over Ai. Joshua’s outstretched spear held up throughout the battle providing the victory (Joshua 8:26), reminds us that it was God who fought for them. It also reminds us of how Moses would often stretch out his rod of God.

Israel was allowed to partake of the spoil of Ai. If only Achan would have waited on the LORD!

After the battle, Joshua built an altar, offered sacrifices, and  read the entire Law of Moses to all Israel – clearly articulating the blessings and cursing, in front of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal just as Moses had commanded (Deuteronomy 27:4-8).

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Luke 16:1-18

In the parable of the unjust steward, Jesus is dealing with multiple issues. He calls us as Christians to be wiser than the people of the world. The tragic tendency is for the “sons of the world” to be shrewder than the “sons of the light” (Luke 16:8) when it should be the other way around. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10:16?

I believe another point of the parable is the wise use of money. As Warren Wiersbe said, “God wants us to enjoy His gifts (1 Timothy 6:17), but He also wants us to employ them wisely.”

How we spend and “steward” God’s money reveals a lot about us! If we can’t be faithful in that which is least, how can God entrust to us more? Sandy Adams wrote, “Jesus warns us if a man cannot handle money, do not trust him with your soul.”

Money is a great temptation – the Pharisees were lovers of it (Luke 16:14) but Jesus warns us that no one can serve both God and money (Luke 16:13). Money in-and-of-itself is not sinful, but the love of money definitely is (1 Timothy 6:10).

In Luke 16:14-18, Jesus mentions a few things that may seem unrelated, but I have a hunch that all these things were issues the Pharisees especially needed to here. The Pharisees were putting on a good show in front of everyone, but God knew what was REALLY going on in their hearts (Luke 16:15). They knew the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) but they were ignoring the fulfillment of it in Christ – and yet every single prophecy that pointed to Him. It’s too bad they weren’t willing to enter into the kingdom of God through the Gospel, as others were (Luke 16:16-17). Like today, there were many unbiblical divorces taking place, and people thought they could just go on with their lives without any type of consequences to suffer, but Jesus reveals the fact that they were living in adultery because there wasn’t even a sliver of repentance (Luke 16:18; see also Malachi 2:13-16).

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Psalm 82:1-8

This Psalm is an indictment of the unjust judges in the land. 

That the Bible refers to them as gods does not mean they are actually divine in nature, it’s intended to bring an awareness to all judges of the immense power they have been delegated and the way it affects the lives of others.

God was right there “standing” among them, He witnessed the injustice, He was aware of the partiality. They did not deliver the poor, the fatherless, and the afflicted from the wicked.

They had these positions and were even called (in that context) “gods” and children of God, but the warning is – they would die before God, and fall before God.

One day God will judge all judges. This is the prayer of Asaph, not just for Israel, but for the entire world.

Psalm 82:8 (NKJV) “Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit all nations.”

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Proverbs 13:2-3

V.  2 – “The fruit (produce) of his mouth.” What we find is that a holy heart produces wise words which bring bountiful blessings. But the flipside is that the unfaithful wil breed and feed violence.

I still remember my neighborhood there on Adelia and Garvey growing up, the shouting, the fighting, the stabbing, the shooting. Some survived, some have died. What a contrast between the fool and the wise.

This ties in to the next verse, which is pretty self-explanatory:

V. 3 – Take it from an older man who’s been around a while, if you can tame your tongue, you’ll avoid a lot of unnecessary heartache, even to the point of our passage today – the preservation of life.

1 Peter 3:10 (NKJV) “For “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.”

Let’s guard our mouths, or better yet, ask God to guard our mouths:

Psalms 141:3 (NKJV) “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

… but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. “Please help me Lord, not to have a big mouth like that.”

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Joshua 5:1-7:15

The fear factor is powerful. The Canaanites heard of all that the LORD had done for Israel, and their hearts melted, it would be a factor in their defeat. One wonders what would have happened if instead of melting hearts they would have had turning hearts – if only they would have (like Rahab), turned to the LORD? Undoubtedly their consciences must have gripped them in all the evil they were practicing.

God had Joshua make knives, but it’s interesting that instead of the knives being used on the enemies first, God commanded Joshua to use the knives on the uncircumcised of Israel. This would be symbolic of the covenant the Jews had with the LORD, and of the cutting away of the flesh. Today God doesn’t use knives He uses His Word in order to circumcise our hearts (Romans 2:29). God wants us to use His word in the secret and sensitive places.

Warren Wiersbe, “The new generation had not received the mark of the covenant (Genesis 17), so this ritual was a reaffirmation of their relationship with God. Circumcision symbolizes putting off what belongs to the sinful flesh (Romans 8:13; Colossians 2:11–12) and devoting the heart wholly to the Lord (Deuteuronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4).”

God is on the move on behalf of His people. He’s rolling away the reproach of homelessness (Gilgal means “wheel or rolling”). The people ate of the fruit of the land, no more manna (I have mixed emotions on that one). It all happened in the time of the Passover – definitely a new beginning.

I’ve always loved this section of Jesus appearing to Joshua as the people are on the brink of the Promised Land. Joshua doesn’t know who it is (this theophany), but he asks that question, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” Jesus loves everyone, so His simple response is:

Joshua 5:14-15 (NKJV) “‘…No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’ Then the Commander of the LORD’S army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”

Warren Wiersbe, “Joshua met Jesus Christ and learned that the Lord already had a plan for taking Jericho. All Joshua had to do was obey and remember that he was on “holy ground.” From that time, whenever Joshua took off his shoes, it reminded him that he was second in command. That was the secret of his victory (2 Chronicles 20:15).”

God appeared to Moses with similar instructions (Exodus 3:5).

The battle plan to conquer Jericho didn’t make much sense from a military perspective, but God wanted to clearly demonstrate to Israel that obedience to Him would be the key to victory. His ways are not our ways, they’re infinitely higher. There will be many times in life when we don’t understand God’s direction – we must simply trust and obey. If we do, we will see victories in life, walls will fall!

The first-fruits belong to God. By giving to Him first, off the top, the best of the best, the fat of the firstborn, we remind ourselves that it’s all from Him and it all belongs to Him. This was supposed to be the case in the conquering of the Promised Land as well – the spoil of Jericho belonged to God. We read God’s clear command in:

Joshua 6:18-19 (NKJV) “And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”

But Achan disobeyed, thinking he could get away with his secret sin, and brought defeat to the entire nation…a little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9).

Warren Wiersbe, “We never sin alone. God sees His people as one, so the sin of Achan was the sin of the whole nation. (See 1 Corinthians 12:12–27) One man’s sin caused the death of thirty-six soldiers. Sin ultimately brings defeat. The secret of success is knowing and obeying God’s Word (Joshua 1:8), and Achan knew that. But he deliberately disobeyed God and brought defeat to the army, disgrace to the Lord, and dismay to his commander. Joshua started looking back instead of looking ahead (Joshua 7:7)!”

Disobedience leads to defeat which can easily lead to doubt and discouragement. It’s hard to read Joshua’s words:

Joshua 7:7b (NKJV) “…Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!”

May we never be content to live on the wrong side of the Jordan, wandering through life. God commanded Joshua to get up and deal with the sin within, in order to win. (Joshua 7:12)

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Luke 15:1-32

Warren Wiersbe, “These parables are Christ’s defense of His ministry, explaining why He fellowshipped with sinners and even ate with them.”

Christians need to be careful to avoid two extremes. On one hand there are those who live in a Christian bubble. They only interact with Christians, do business with Christians, talk to Christians, and over time the only people they know, are those who are saved. How can we be lights in the world, or salt on the earth, or fishers of men if we stay within our Christian bubble?

The other extreme is worldly trouble. Some Christians make the mistake of getting too close to the edge. In their attempt to win the lost they compromise and rather than pulling them “up,” their worldly friends pull them “down” (which is easier to do). Jesus told us in John 17 that we are to be in the world, but not of the world. It’s okay for the boat to be in the water, we just don’t want too much water in the boat (we’ll sink).

I love the fact that Jesus was friends with sinners. In Luke 14 Jesus ate with the “saints,” but in Luke 15 He ate with sinners – even tax collectors (they were considered the worst). I have to search my heart, “Do I only interact with Christians? What about all the lost and hurting people out there, am I afraid to ‘contaminate’ myself by getting too close? May it never be, after all, I’m the chief of all sinners! (1 Timothy 1:15)”

How ugly the heart of a legalistic Pharisee and how contrary to God they are. Pastor Sandy Adams said, “The Pharisees looked down their noses at the sinners who Jesus loved. They lived to draw distinctions that would keep people out of the Kingdom. Jesus lived to build bridges that would woo them in.”

In Luke 15 we have three Parables. The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.

Some would say that the shepherd is representative of Jesus, leaving the 99 sheep safe-and-sound to go looking for that one which has strayed.

The lost coin is a story of how the Holy Spirit searches diligently for the valuable drachma (silver coin) – for everyone is infinitely valuable to God, and the Holy Spirit is gathering a bride for Christ.

The parable of the Prodigal Son, might more aptly be called, the Parable of the Forgiving Father. The younger son asks for his inheritance NOW! In that culture this would be a terrible thing to do, it’s as if he was saying to his dad, “You’re as good as dead to me.” But the father obliged, sold half his estate, gave his son the wealth, and his son swiftly traveled to the city and blew it all on prodigal (wasteful) living.

In this parable the Father didn’t go looking for His son, He no-doubt prayed and waited (we must all be led by God). His son proceeded to eat, drink, and be merry, spending his father’s hard-earned money on girls and apparently even prostitutes. We don’t know how long it was, but eventually there was a famine in the land and the son sank so low, that he would have gladly eaten pig-food, if only he could. But then, he came to himself (Luke 15:17). He decided to go home, reasoning that he could at least be a servant. The parable reveals that our heavenly Father will forgive anyone who returns to Him, He will even run to them, embrace them, and celebrate. It brings joy in heaven, in the presence of the angels, and in the heart of God, and it should’ve brought joy to the religious leaders (the older brother) but tragically it didn’t – selfish self-righteousness will do that to you every time.

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Psalm 81:1-16

This Psalm was probably written in a time of special celebration, perhaps it was a Passover celebration, but it may have coincided with a time when Israel was not doing all that well as a nation, maybe even in the middle of discipline.

The Psalm begins with the volume cranked up – to sing aloud, to make a joyful shout to God (Psalm 81:1). This would be accompanied with the timbrel, the harp, the lute, the trumpet. It was a day established while still in Egypt (Psalm 81:5) so it seems to point to the Passover.

God removed their burden, God set them free, He tested and sustained them in the wilderness, gave them the law and was willing to fill them with the fulness of life.

But then things went south.

Psalms 81:11-12 (NKJV) “But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.”

Warren Wiersbe, “Had they obeyed, they would have experienced victory instead of defeat, fullness instead of emptiness, and the best instead of the worst. They could have looked back with rejoicing, but instead they had to remember with regret.”

I don’t know about you, but I need these constant reminders – if I would only seek the Lord to know and do His will – He will take care of me and my family, defeat our enemies, feed us with the finest wheat, with honey from the rock, and there, right there in that proper place of obedience wherein God satisfies us (Psalm 81:16)

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Proverbs 13:1

Of course, this applies to those children whose father was wise; we see it repeatedly in the Proverbs, don’t we? Children, listen to the instruction of your parents who love you.

A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a wild child won’t be directed or corrected. It’s usually because they think mom and dad are square, out of touch, the child thinks he knows better than his parents. If only he’d listen.

Mark Twain said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

“God, help our children to grow up…to their need to heed instruction.”

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Joshua 3:1-4:24

Just as Moses led the people through the Red Sea as it supernaturally divided, so Joshua would now lead the people through the Jordan River.

I believe the Red Sea crossing symbolizes our salvation (redeemed from Egypt) and being water baptized. The Jordan crossing symbolizes us ending the life of wandering in the wilderness and getting baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4), entering into the Promised Land – a life of victorious Christian living.

As the people crossed the Jordan, they were to be led by God, symbolized in the Ark of the Covenant, for they had “…not passed this way before.” We find ourselves there frequently don’t we? Venturing out into new territory, facing new challenges and struggles – no need to worry, just keep your eyes on the Lord.

One of the reasons God divided the Jordan was to let the people know that just as He was with Moses, He would also be with Joshua; they could trust his leadership.

This would also be a faith-builder for the people:

Joshua 3:10 (NKJV) “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.’”

I love those words, “without fail.” God will not fail us, He’s with us and can be completely trusted.

When Israel crossed over, God commanded the Israelites to gather 12 stones from the midst of the dry Jordan as a testimony to their children and future generations.

Joshua 4:6–7 (NKJV) “that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

It’s good for us to set up some sort of reminders of those significant days, movements, and miracles of God in our lives, to tell (show) our children that they might tell their children.

It’s also good for us to see what God did for the nation of Israel – they’re a sign to the world.

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Luke 14:7-35

Jesus noticed the way they all jockeyed for position and seats of prominence at dinner, so He gave them (and us) that wonderful principle found repeatedly in the Scriptures:

Luke 14:11 (NKJV) “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Another interesting lesson at dinner-time has to do with the people we invite. We usually invite our family and close friends, people who typically would return the favor. But Jesus challenges us to take our hospitality a step further – invite people who in all reality will not be able to do the same. Invite the poor, the handicapped, someone who can’t afford to “pay you back.” We don’t do it for the reward, but the truth is, we will be repaid by God at the resurrection of the just (the Bema Seat judgment).

One of the attendees at the dinner spoke up about how he looked forward to the heavenly feasts in the age to come, but Jesus responded with a parable that pointed out the overall Jewish rejection of Jesus. There are some Jews who have embraced Jesus as their Messiah, but generally speaking, they have rejected Him. And not just the Jews, what percentage of the population would you say is truly saved? Who are true-blue believers in the Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus said in Matthew 7:14 that there are few who enter through that narrow gate. So many excuses regarding relations, ambitions, and possessions. Many of those people who assume they’re set and on their way to heaven are not – often times they don’t even go to church service, or have a heart to pray, read the Word, or reach out. How can such people think they’re saved?

Of course, God’s heart is that all would be saved (2 Peter 3:9) so He tells the workers to go out into the highways and byways and do everything they can to bring people in, so God’s house would be full. This challenges me to reach out with much more of an urgency.

Jesus saw the crowds begin to grow, but did they understand the nature of the call. When Jesus bids us to follow Him, He bids us to come and die. Sometimes people think that being a Christian means my life is going to be everything I want it to be – but that’s not what Jesus said. There are to be no rival thrones – our love for Christ is to be so supreme, that there are no comparable loves – anywhere else. Do we know the cost of discipleship? Are we willing to pay the price? When we follow Jesus like this, our life will be radically different, our life will be like salt on the earth – working as a preservative from decay and creating a thirst for Jesus in the lives of others.

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Psalm 80:1-19

This is another one of the Psalms of exile. The nation is being disciplined and the prayer is for God’s intervention.

The Psalmist prays for God’s restoration, for God’s favorable expression, for God’s salvation (Psalm 80:3).

It’s getting hard – it’s been a long time, and there have been many tears.

Psalm 80:4–5 (NKJV) “O LORD God of hosts, how long will You be angry against the prayer of Your people? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in great measure.”

The Psalmist identifies Israel as a vine (Psalm 80:8). We see similar comparisons in Isaiah 5, Matthew 20 and elsewhere in the Scriptures. God expected fruit, but there was none; so the day came when He disciplined His people. The church is also compared to a vine (John 15) am I bearing fruit?

The Psalmist pleads for mercy, “Revive us and we will call upon Your name.”

Psalm 80:19 (NKJV) “Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!”

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Proverbs 12:27-28

V. 27 – Apparently this lazy man had fun hunting, but when it came time to cook what he’d caught, he couldn’t muster up the energy.  We’re reminded frequently in the book of Proverbs that careful and persistent work and effort (diligence) is wise to have, and will be rewarded.

V. 28 – In many way our entire existence is this battle between life and death. Once we place our faith in Jesus Christ we receive His righteousness and life, and in this pathway there is no death! God help us to experience the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ!

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24

Moses went up the mountain and was allowed to the see the Promised Land but he wouldn’t be allowed to enter-in. His time had come. It was time for him to enter an even better land, his home in heaven.

Moses had fought the good fight, he had finished his race, he had kept the faith. He was one hundred and twenty years old and his natural vigor did not not diminish, but he died and God personally buried him. No one knew where the grave of Moses was located, and I have a hunch it’s because the LORD was well aware of the fact that they would make an idolatrous monument out of it.

Jude 9 tells us something interesting, that Michael the Archangel disputed with Satan over the body of Moses. We’re not sure why, but the devil may have wanted to desecrate Moses’ body or even perhaps possess it in an attempt to lead the people astray…but the LORD didn’t allow it.

Joshua the son of Nun is called to be the successor to Moses. He is an excellent successor to Moses, for he has personally seen all that God has done over the years and he’s gone through the hard times, he’s traveled the wilderness with the nation. The LORD promised to be with Joshua, as He was with Moses, and this is the key to life and ministry (Matthew 28:20; Acts 18:10; Hebrews 13:5). God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous – to live and lead by God’s Word.

When Deuteronomy was completed, there had not risen a prophet like Moses. But in God’s perfect timing another Prophet like Moses was sent to us, Jesus Christ, fulfilling Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19, as God has, in these last days, spoken to us by His Son (Hebrews 1:2).

Joshua 1:7-8 (NKJV) “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Joshua is called to carry the mantle, to follow the LORD and follow in the footsteps of the mighty man Moses. God promises to give Joshua every place the sole of their feet would tread (I’ve always loved that promise), but he is to “only be strong and very courageous.” (Joshua 1:7)

Some don’t see strength and courage as matters of obedience, but they are. We must choose to gather our strength from the LORD by depending on Him – and if you think about it, courage is not always the absence of fear, sometimes it’s facing our fears. We must do this obediently. We can do this, for God is with us (Isaiah 41:10).

May we not miss God’s command in Joshua 1:9 to meditate in God’s Word, to ponder it, mull over it, talk to yourself about it – don’t just skim the surface, don’t stay on the outskirts, soak it in, marinate yourself in it – for the observance of it (obedience) brings spiritual prosperity and success. (see also Psalm 1)

Joshua sent two spies to conduct a reconnaissance of Jericho and while they were there, they were hidden and protected by a harlot named Rahab. The people of Jericho were petrified, they had heard of Israel’s great victories over Egypt, and the two Amorite kings. Rahab knew in her heart that the LORD was the God of heaven and earth, and it is for that reason she hid the spies and asked the men to spare her and her family. The men agreed to do so, if she hung the scarlet cord out her window; all within that home would live (symbolic of the scarlet blood of Jesus washing away our scarlet sins; Matthew 27:28; Isaiah 1:18).

Rahab is a fascinating figure in the Bible; she is commended for her faith in Hebrews 11:31 and her faith in action in James 2:25. She is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5. She is an example of Jesus’ words in Matthew 21:31. May this truth be loud and clear, God can forgive any sins of anyone who places his or her faith in Him.

Now, understandably there is the question about Rahab’s lie. The following is a brief word from Warren Wiersbe, and a longer answer from a great resource cited below.

Warren Wiersbe, “Although the Bible does not commend Rahab for her lies, it does commend her faith (Heb. 11:31) that revealed itself in works (James 2:25). Her faith saved her and her family from destruction (Joshua 6:17–19), and it resulted in her becoming an ancestress of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5). Once you begin to trust God and obey Him, you never know what He will do!”

JOSHUA 2:4-5 – How could God bless Rahab for lying? 

PROBLEM: When the spies came to Jericho, they sought refuge in the house of Rahab. When the king of Jericho commanded Rahab to bring out the men, she lied saying that the men had already gone and that she did not know where they went. However, when Israel finally destroyed Jericho, Rahab and all her family were saved alive. How could God bless Rahab for lying? 

SOLUTION: Some argue that it is not clear that God blessed Rahab for lying. God certainly saved Rahab and blessed her for protecting the spies and assisting in the overthrow of Jericho. However, nowhere does the Bible explicitly say that God blessed Rahab for lying. God could have blessed her in spite of her lie, not because of it. Actually, Rahab’s act of protecting the spies was a demonstration of great faith in the God of Israel. She firmly believed that God would destroy Jericho, and she exhibited that belief by siding with Israel against the people of Jericho when she protected the spies from being discovered.

Others insist that Rahab was faced with a real moral conflict. It may have been impossible for her to both save the spies and tell the truth to the soldiers of the king. If so, God would not hold Rahab responsible for this unavoidable moral conflict. Certainly a person cannot be held responsible for not keeping a lesser law in order to keep a higher law. The Bible commands obedience to the government (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13), but there are many examples of justified civil disobedience when the government attempts to compel unrighteousness (Ex. 5; Dan. 3, 6; Rev. 13). The case of the Hebrew midwives lying to save the lives of the male children is perhaps the clearest example of this.

Thomas Howe;Norman L. Geisler. Big Book of Bible Difficulties, The: Clear and Concise Answers from Genesis to Revelation.

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Luke 13:22-14:6

Luke 13:24 was one of the first passages I ever memorized as a Christian, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate…” Of course we know that salvation is a free gift, we could never, ever earn it by our own efforts, but we must make sure we know the Lord and we should strive (make great efforts) as Christians. We must strive to resist legalism and the traditions of men that are contrary to truth. We must strive to fight our flesh that viciously pulls us to the left and to the right. We must strive to cultivate a truly personal relationship with God, to listen to His voice, to know Him more and more, to experience God in this life so that there will never be a day when we say, “I never knew Him,” and walk away. We must examine our lives to make sure there is the genuine fruit of the Spirit, because if there isn’t, how can we say that we truly know Him?

Jesus lamenting over the way the people were not willing to come to Him, is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in all of Scripture (Luke 13:34). God wanted Israel to be saved, but they “were not willing.” God’s heart and desire is that none would perish (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) but we are all free to choose. How about you? Do you see His love? Have you honestly decided to follow Jesus? I pray that you have.

The leader of the local synagogue invited Jesus over to his house for dinner – but the table was only a trap. There just happened to be a man with dropsy at this dinner, and they were watching Jesus like a hawk, to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath. When I read those words, “…they watched Him closely,” I thought to myself, if only they watched Him closely for the right reasons, not to find fault, but to find God, to find love and life, freedom and forgiveness. But they didn’t. they had a law that said healing was prohibited to do on the Sabbath (please show me in the Bible where it says that). They lacked any and all compassion.

Pastor Chuck Smith said, “Dropsy was a fatal disease where the capillaries break and the fluids cause great swelling and sagging of the skin.” Jesus humbly asked them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath – but no one responded. Jesus would go on to heal the man and tried to reason with the Jews regarding the value of human life, but they wouldn’t have it, they were set in their ways, hard-hearts, minds made up, bound by the traditions of men, rather than the truths of God.

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Psalm 79:1-13

This Psalm was obviously written during Israel’s exile. It breaks your heart to think of all the suffering, death, and blood that was shed when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and leveled the Temple.

Israelite bodies left out in the open for birds to feast on. The shame, the pain…and it was lingering so long. The Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel and Judah had forsaken the LORD to serve other gods, and they were now paying the price. The Psalmist prays and he wonders, “How long?”

Psalms 79:5 (NKJV) “How long, LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?”

The Psalmist didn’t just ask questions though – he also acknowledged the sins of the nation, pleading for mercy and forgiveness, for God to defeat Israel’s enemies (he still believed), and he commendably did ask for the right reason – for the glory of God’s name (Psalm 79:9).

They were prisoners who were groaning (Psalm 79:11) and at the same time they were growing (spiritually). Many a soul has been saved in prison – a time to think, to search, to ponder and appreciate true freedom.

Even in the midst of such horrible circumstances, the Psalmist knew, Israel belonged to God, they were the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 79:13).

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Proverbs 12:26

The Hebrew word translated “choose” means to search out, to explore.

Let’s do some sanctified exploration to search and even pray for God to bring good friends into our lives, not worldly or wicked.

That doesn’t mean we can’t have people in our circle who don’t know the Lord, after all, we should have people we’re reaching out to as Christians, but when it comes to “friends,” people we’re close to, people were getting counsel from, spending most of our time with – they really should be genuine Christians, people who honestly love the Lord (see also 1 Corinthians 15:33).

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Deuteronomy 33:1-29

These are the final words of Moses before he enters into glory. If you read carefully, you’ll notice that these are actually prayers for the twelve tribes of Israel. Moses was a faithful intercessor on behalf of the people he served and he’s a great example for us. Do we pray for the people?

Warren Wiersbe, “Before viewing the land, Moses viewed the future and told the tribes what lay ahead. When Jacob gave his blessing before he died, he revealed some of the sins of his sons (Genesis 49), but Moses did not do that. Instead, he focused primarily on the relationship of the tribes with the Lord and how each one would have a distinctive character, blessing, and ministry.”

In Deuteronomy 33:2 we read that the LORD “came with ten thousands of saints,” and most likely this is in reference to the innumerable angels behind the scenes (Daniel 7:10; Acts 7:53).

It would require volumes to comment on everything in detail, but certain things stood out to me this time around.

I love the way God’s word is described as a “fiery law” (Deuteronomy 33:3; Luke 24:32).

And after all these years and all that had transpired in his lifetime, Moses knew, something to be true:

Deuteronomy 33:3 (NKJV) “Yes, He loves the people; all His saints are in Your hand; they sit down at Your feet; everyone receives Your words.”

The people are also made saints by the power of God’s love – yes, He loves us and calls us to be blessed as we sit at His feet to receive and become students of His Word (Luke 10:38-42).

Jeshurun was another name for Israel which means, “Upright One.” It’s only found in Deuteronomy 32:15; 33:5, 26; and Isaiah 44:2.

Moses goes on to pray for, and bless the twelve tribes individually. 

Moses alludes to the incident where the tribe of Levi chose God over their own family (Deuteronomy 33:9; Exodus 32:27-30). We are to love God more than anyone else.

We also have the responsibility of the priest and even pastors spelled out in:

Deuteronomy 33:10 (NKJV) “They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, and Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, and a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.”

Teaching the Word, praying for the people (incense), and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (the ultimate sacrifice). God help us to be faithful as “priests!” (1 Peter 2:9)

Moses closes his words in such a wonderful way – ALL in reference to the holiness and glory of God (Deuteronomy 33:26-29).

Deuteronomy 33:26-27 (NKJV) “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, ‘Destroy!’”

Did you catch that? There is no one like our God – who comes to us faster than the speed of light, right on time, to help us, to protect us, to carry us and to defeat every form of opposition. Even in the hard times we are more than conquerors, in Christ (Romans 8:37).

Happy are you Israel. (Deuteronomy 33:29) Happy are you (Manny) (please put your name there) because the LORD is our God, our Helper in life, He really is the Savior of our souls!

Are you happy? Some prefer the word joyful…are you joyful? Is there a smile in your soul? Moses’ final words are prayers of blessing upon God’s people. As believers we are God’s people! This is probably where the Psalmist was inspired.

Psalms 144:15 (NKJV) “Happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is the LORD!”

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Luke 13:1-21

I remember when the Twin Towers were hit by terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It was a horrible tragedy where close to 3,000 people died and 6,000 were injured. Immediately there were certain Christians who began identifying these New Yorkers as the worst sinners of all, saying that this was the reason for the tragedy. I tend to stay clear from such conclusions, from playing God in the tragedies and calamities of life – and part of the reason is because I’m aware of this passage, and I know how much of a sinner I am! In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus condemns these type of conclusions when it comes to calamities. Let’s not be quick to judge others, but rather let’s be swift in judging ourselves (in reference to personal repentance – 1 Corinthians 11:31).

The fig tree was symbolic of Israel. They’d been given ample time, but still no fruit. Justice tells us “the tree” should be cut down, or at least judged, but Jesus said, let’s give it some more time. What’s true for Israel is true for all of us. God is looking for fruit (see Galatians 5:22-23) if we’re not bearing fruit, God is gracious to give us more time, but let’s not take that lightly, for if we don’t bear good fruit, eventually the day of discipline will arrive and hit hard. Such was the case for Israel in A.D. 70 when 1.1 million Jews died.

It’s hard to consider the calloused heart of the ruler of the Synagogue.

In Cambodia I’ve seen women bent over to such extremes, I just couldn’t handle it. If only I had the power to heal like Jesus. This so-called ruler of the Synagogue should have rejoiced in the healing, but this religious man had elevated tradition over truth, he cared more about the petty rules and regulations than he did about the people. Jesus exhibited His power over the enemy and disgust for man-made religion, by healing the woman. She was made upright (Jeshurun).

The parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven both point to that part of the Kingdom of God (the invisible Spiritual realm) where the church grows in exponential fashion. The shrub grows to a tree, so the bad birds of the air (the enemy) rests in its branches. Leaven (a typology of sin, false doctrine, and hypocrisy) permeates the people. This may have been a reference to the state of Judaism in Jesus’ days, or a warning to the church, or both.

Beware and be aware.

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Psalm 78:65-72

Psalm 78 has been a tough Psalm chronicling the history of Israel. Although God had chosen them, loved them, blessed and graciously cared for them, they turned their backs on Him, over, and over, and over again. Israel therefore experienced the heavy hand of God’s discipline.

As this Psalm concludes, however, it ends on a good note.

God had used nations like Assyria and Babylon (and many others throughout the years) to discipline His people, but He wouldn’t fail to deal with Israel’s enemies as well.

It’s as if God woke up, beat back His enemies, and continued the work in His people through the southern Kingdom of Judah (hence the Jews).  God would take care of His them as He’d always done.

The Temple would be built up (the sanctuary).

Servant leaders would be raised up…just as He chose David. I love the way David is described as transitioning from following after sheep, to leading God’s people (Psalm 78:71). When we’re faithful in the little things, God will entrust more into our hands (Luke 16:10; 19:17).

And then when David led, we read:

Psalms 78:72 (NKJV) “So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.”

Lessons for us as servants and leaders – take note of these two things:

The integrity of our heart – being real and right with God to the core.

Skillfulness of our hands – cultivate those gifts and talents, work hard at getting better in what you do for the Lord, play skillfully (Psalm 33:3), serve skillfully, let’s do our best…and commit the rest.

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Proverbs 12:25

This is a huge verse in the day and age that we live in. There’s so much anxiety, so much depression.

Anxiety is  when we worry, we’re nervous, uneasy…usually about an imminent event ahead of us, something with an uncertain outcome. But anxiety doesn’t need a special event to take over…it can permeate our lives for no reason at all.

This passage offers two forms of advice.

1. Offer up a “good” prayer to God (from the heart).

2. Listen up to a “good” word from a friend, be open to Godly care and counsel.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Deuteronomy 32:28-52

Deuteronomy 32:28-30 reveal the heart of God’s complaint against His people.

Deuteronomy 32:28-30 (NKJV) “For they (Israel) are a nation void of counsel, nor is there any understanding in them. Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had surrendered them?”

Israel would eventually reach a place where they would completely lack all wisdom and understanding, if only they would have considered where they were heading. If only they opened their eyes! Imagine one enemy soldier chasing a thousand Israelite soldiers, or two enemy soldiers chasing ten thousand – how could that possibly happen? The LORD would surrendered them to their enemies as a form of extremely severe discipline.

But although Israel would be severely disciplined, in His grace God would not extinguish them, God would show compassion upon His people (Deuteronomy 32:36). This reminds me of the passage in:

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV) “Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

The rest of this chapter details the way God would take vengeance upon the nations that God used as instruments of judgment on Israel – they thought it was their strength and their gods, but it wasn’t. There’s only one Rock, and there’s only one God (Deuteronomy 32:39).

The LORD would take vengeance upon His adversaries (Deuteronomy 32:43).  I can’t help but think of:

Zechariah 2:8 (NKJV) “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.’”

I know, I know, we sound like broken records, saying the same thing over and over and over again, but as my pastor used to say, “Repetition teaches a donkey,” (that’s me). Moses once again commands us to obey God’s law, His Word, and to make sure we teach it to our children.

In our reading through the Old Testament we’re not only on the brink of the Promised-Land, we’re also on the brink of Moses’ death. Just like his brother Aaron it was time for him to be gathered to his people (Deuteronomy 32:50). I’ve always loved the way these passages describe the passing of a believer, how we will be reconciled with our loved ones who have gone on before us (1 Samuel 12:23). This is the ultimate ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

I will see my mom and dad again, my father in law,  mother in law, I think of other family members and dear friends from church…even though I want to finish my race with joy, I DO, I really do look forward to that day. Not only will I be gathered to God (John 14:3), I will be gathered to “my people.”

Moses would be able to see the Promised Land, but because of the incident recorded in Numbers 20:7-13 when he lost his temper in front of the people, He would not be allowed to enter in.

This has always struck fear in my heart. “O Lord, help me when I’m tempted to sin in anger.” 

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Luke 12:35-59

Am I really ready for the return of the Lord? He can come at any time, even today, but if He doesn’t…I won’t ever regret living with that genuine possibility permeating my every day. We must not only be waiting for His return, we must be watching for His return! (Luke 12:35, 37) we must always be ready!

Luke 12:40 (NKJV) “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

If we spend our lives living in the light of the Lord’s imminent return, we will serve Him faithfully now, and be graciously rewarded then.

Luke 12:43–44 (NKJV) “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.”

But if people say in their hearts, “Ah, Jesus isn’t coming anytime soon,” they will lose that spiritual edge and leverage and inevitably begin to mistreat people, get caught up in the appetites of the flesh – that lack of spiritual sobriety can even lead to a life of drunkenness. When Jesus comes, or that person dies the Bible describes Christ’s judgment as “cutting him in two.” (Imagine that) This is a vivid picture of the judgment of the half-hearted hypocrite. 

Luke (again) goes back to the place of punishment for the wicked. The more a person knows but chooses to suppress the Scriptures, in disobedient unbelief, the more that person will suffer. Just as there are degrees of reward in heaven, there are also degrees of punishment in hell. Make peace with God before it’s too late (Luke 12:57-59).

Sometimes being a committed Christian creates divisions in families; don’t be surprised by this or let it make you stumble. Hold your ground – love them, but love Jesus more; let there be no rival thrones, and prayerfully one day they too will follow Him. Sadly, over the years I’ve seen many Christians “undone” by a family member’s unbelief. Jesus warns us in advance, so we won’t stumble if it happens, or choose anyone over Him.

Earlier we spoke about waiting and watching. Watching means you’re looking for and into the signs of Christ’s return – proactively. Have you noticed the times we’re living in? It’s the Times of the Signs – we see them everywhere. The religious leaders missed His First Coming, and I have a hunch a lot of religious folk are gonna miss His Second Coming. “O Lord, please help me to always be ready.”

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Psalm 78:56-64

In spite of all that God had done for Israel (they had tasted of His goodness) it didn’t matter, they tested Him who loved them.

They turned their backs on God, were unfaithful to Him, they turned aside and provoked Him to anger, moved Him to jealousy by serving other gods.

If only we would stay true to our Maker and Maintainer. Why do our hearts so easily drift? This Psalm is the history of Israel – may we learn from their tragic mistakes.

God was furious with the the nation, He forsook the tabernacle, and delivered His people into bondage. He gave His people over to the sword, the young men died, the maidens were not married, the priests even fell, and their widows made no lamentation.

Sometimes I think we have this misconception that no evil can befall us, but that’s not true, for if we forsake the Lord, we bring it upon ourselves and anything is possible.

The book of Hebrews was written to a church that was falling back into their old ways; listen to what he wrote:

Hebrews 10:31 (NKJV) “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Hebrews 10:38 (NKJV) “Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.””

Have you ever had to hold on to something for life? This must be our mentality with Jesus. May we hold tight lest we fall away or draw back. On the contrary may we grow forward.

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Proverbs 12:24

The Proverbs frequently emphasize the importance of hard work, and here once again we see that notion with promotion. The lazy man is the man who only works when he’s pushed and forced to work, when he’s watched by his supervisors. They usually don’t rise in the ranks.

Let’s make it a point to be the best employees of all, and the best workers for the Lord Himself.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Deuteronomy 31:1-32:27

Moses would not be permitted to enter into the Promised-Land. He prayed and pleaded with the LORD three times, but God said no – Moses had misrepresented God when he was angry with the people. 

I only bring that up because although Moses didn’t get his way, he didn’t get bitter; he didn’t finish his life on a sour note. He encouraged the people. He encouraged Joshua his successor. He encouraged the Levites. He did everything possible to infuse the people with faith. 

When we started the church in El Monte the verse that God made personal to me was:

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV) “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

One day back in 2002 I was praying about what to do. I was looking at a beautiful work of art my eight-year-old daughter, Ariel, had colored for me and it had a Bible verse on it; while I was pondering and praying, a lady who had never called me before, phoned and told me that God had given her a Bible verse for me, it was Deuteronomy 31:6. After I hung up the phone, I noticed that it was the same verse my daughter had put on her artwork – Deuteronomy 31:6. This was one of the ways God clearly confirmed my calling, that He wanted me to go and start a Bible Study in the city of El Monte. He told me to be strong and courageous – NOT to be afraid, for He Himself was the one who would go with me. And what a beautiful work God has done in Calvary Chapel El Monte all these years. His promise is true!

Moses wrote the law (Deuteronomy 31:9) and he commanded the Levites to read all the law to all Israel (Deuteronomy 31:11). His prayer was that the people would learn to fear the LORD (Deuteronomy 31:13).

Moses’ time was drawing near, he was to bring Joshua to the tabernacle in order to inaugurate him into “office.” God told them at that time that the day would come when Israel would serve other gods, and He would punish them by expelling them from the land. Neither Moses or Joshua knew exactly when, so this would keep all future leaders on their toes, to be constantly warning the people to be true to the LORD. But when that generation was eventually carried away, they would have this song as a witness against them.

The Law, which was placed the in Ark of the Covenant, would be a witness against them, and so would the song of Moses.

The LORD is good, He is Rock, His ways are perfect and just – and yet they have corrupted themselves.

Deuteronomy 32:6 (NKJV) “Do you thus deal with the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?”

The LORD separated the sons of Adam, He divided to them the Promised Land; Israel was God’s inheritance.  God chose Israel, God instructed Israel, God kept them as the apple of His eye. The LORD carried Israel, He bore them up on eagle’s wings. God blessed this nation. 

But once they prospered, they forgot God, they provoked Him to jealousy, they even sacrificed to demons!

So God hid His face from them, He heaped disasters on them, He brought other nations against them and would have dashed Israel to pieces, but He didn’t, for the sake of His name.

The reason this song would be a witness against Israel is this is close to six hundred years before it ever happened. All the children would know this song, memorize this song, and sing this song, but because they ignored this song, the generation would eventually come…that would experience this song.

If only we would read and heed God’s Word, especially His warnings!

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Luke 12:8-34

The public confession of Christ in the here and now, is imperative – we must not be ashamed! The denial of Christ now, leads to a denial of entrance into heaven…forever. Are you bold in your belief? Unashamed?

To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to refuse His message of salvation in Christ (John 15:26) this is the only unforgivable sin.

In Luke 12:11-12 Jesus is not speaking about preparing a Bible study, He is speaking about testifying in a courtroom setting, as the church would suffer severe persecution. The promise is beautiful:

Luke 12:12 (NKJV) “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Imagine this guy interrupting Jesus’ sermon because he’s so desperate to get the money. Our Lord’s teaching on this is radically different than the world’s teaching (Luke 12:15). When we start to accumulate too much stuff, it’s time to start giving it away, not building bigger barns or renting more storage. If our focus is only on earthly riches, which are temporary, we will lose out on those spiritual riches which are eternal. God knows our hearts, and can know our hearts too, by searching out at the way we spend His money.

Worry is not only an act of disobedience, it’s dangerous. Warren Wiersbe said, “The word translated ‘worry’ (in Luke 12:22) means “to be pulled apart,” and that is what worry does to you.”

 Worry is a sin simply because Jesus commands us not to worry. My prayer: “Lord, You know, that I don’t worry too much about food and clothing, (although I may be preoccupied with these things), but I do worry about my family, I do worry about the flock; it seems as if there are always ‘issues’ that somehow surface and I have a choice, I can melt in fear, or I can pray over it, ask You for wisdom, and surrender it to You. Lord, please help me to trust You.”

When Jesus commented on how worrying cannot add one cubit to my stature, I believe He’s saying we won’t grow by worrying – but we will grow by trusting and seeking God and His Kingdom – first.

Jesus closes this section on money-matters with a banking truth:

Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Am I giving to God? Am I giving to ministries that are doing God’s work? Am I giving to the genuinely poor, to genuine needs? Am I giving at all? 

May our hearts not be bound to this earth, but rather completely surrendered to God, reflected in the way we lay up treasures in heaven.

Matthew 6:19-20 (NKJV) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

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Psalm 78:32-55

In reviewing the history of Israel – it just breaks our hearts. In spite of all that God had done for them, in spite of all the love He showered upon them, they still sinned, they still did not believe in His wondrous works (Psalm 78:32).

Psalms 78:33 (NKJV) “Therefore their days He consumed in futility, and their years in fear.”

What a terrible epitaph!

God disciplined the people, even to the point of death, it was then that they sought Him, in moments of earnestness, but that didn’t last very long. The Lord knew their unfaithful hearts, He knew they would wander, but He had compassion upon them and forgave their iniquity. 

Have you ever been there? Maybe with a child? Maybe even with a spouse? You’ve tried everything you can to bring them to a proper place in life; you’ve been nice, you’ve been forgiving, you’ve tried tough love, even heavy discipline, but it doesn’t work? We read over and over again the pattern of foolishness:

Psalms 78:40-41 (NKJV) “How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.”

The Lord wanted to do so much more and bless His people beyond their wildest imagination, but they limited the LORD God Almighty! They did not remember all that God had done in saving them from Egypt.

May we learn, may I learn from their tragic mistake. May I always remember the way God saved me and has so graciously sustained me…all my life. May I bless Him and obey Him opening my eyes to this the wonderful land I’ve landed in; may we all.

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Proverbs 12:21-23

V. 21 – When we’re followers of Christ, even what the world may perceive to be troubles, become triumphs…no grave trouble overtakes us. This is not true of the wicked.

V. 22 – We are to gird our waists with truth (Ephesians 6:14) – always. Lies are the language of Lucifer.

V. 23 – Wise is the person who does not share everything with everyone; we may hear of the fall of a fellow believer, or the struggle of a saint, the latest gossip in the world, or even might be tempted to boast of our Bible brilliance. God knows our heart – may it never be foolish in its proclamation.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.

Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20

The LORD had given the law to Israel in Horeb, at Mt. Sinai, but now Moses adds these beautiful words of warning and encouragement to the people as they find themselves in the land of Moab – Israel is now on the brink of the Promised Land.

What would be the key to their success? 

To love the LORD by living a life of obedience, by clinging to God and His Word. We read the solemn summary:

Deuteronomy 30:19–20 (NKJV) “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Imagine that, heaven and earth as witnesses! Life and death set before us! Blessing and cursing! Choose life, that both you and your descendants may live!

It’s one thing to see and hear, but it’s another thing to perceive with our hearts. Israel had seen and heard many things, but it still didn’t sink in. Tragically, I see that today, frequently in the church, people sit and hear, but their hearts aren’t there. Jesus explained the reason this happens in:

Matthew 13:13–15 (NKJV) “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’”

Someone might read Deuteronomy 29:4 and blame it on God, but make no mistake about it, God is not holding back, He’s not hiding His will from certain people. God wants everyone to see and hear with their hearts, to perceive with the senses of their soul, but as we read in Mark 13:15, we must beware that our heart doesn’t grow dull, that we don’t close our spiritual eyes and ears, let nothing keep us from turning to Him, for it is there that we are able to perceive.

Moses was a leader to emulate; he cared for the people and wanted them to enjoy their covenant relationship with their Creator (Deuteronomy 29:12-13). Moses was not guilty, in any way of tickling the ears of the people, he told them what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear; he warned them as to what would happen if they chose not to follow the LORD…if they turned to other gods.

May we take these warnings to heart!

Deuteronomy 29:29 is a popular passage. We quote it when we come across the things we don’t understand, “The secret things belong to the LORD.” And that’s true, but the primary point of Deuteronomy 29:29 is not necessarily the secrets God keeps, but the revelation He’s given – He’s revealed everything we need to know – it’s all here for us to hear and heed, for us and our children, it’s all in His Word.

It’s heart breaking to consider that God knew Israel would stray far away; that they’d be scattered throughout the world. So God promised to bring them back to the land, if they returned to Him will all their heart and soul (Deuteronomy 30:2). God is always willing to receive the prodigal back to His heart, and when we return, He meets us there, to embrace us (Luke 15:20) and begin a new work (Deuteronomy 30:5-6).

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 is alluded to by Paul the Apostle in the book of Romans 10:6-8. Sometimes we think this Word from God, or to God, is too mysterious or distant, that it’s yonder in heaven, far, far away beyond the sea – so to speak, when in all reality it’s near, it’s here, in our hearts. God has written His Word on our hearts and our response should come from the same place. Even as you read these words, it doesn’t matter where you are, you can hear and speak to God from your heart.

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Luke 11:37-12:7

The Pharisees were the religious elite among the people during the times of Christ’s earthly ministry. The general public’s perception of them was that they were holy, godly, and right before God. But they weren’t. They got caught up in all the externals of religion and traditions of man, they lost sight of true love for God and His people.

Jesus loved the Pharisees and here we even have an account of His willingness to dine with them, but this certain Pharisee found fault with Jesus (accounting it as sin) because Jesus didn’t wash His hands before He ate (the Pharisee marveled). Now if it were a matter of personal hygiene, he might have a point, but to the Pharisee it was a matter of holiness, the Pharisees had a certain way of washing their hands, from not just the germs, but the sins and uncleanness of others (see also Mark 7:3).

The Lord therefore warns these guys to get their hearts right on the inside, not just the outside – that looking good to others is not what really matters, what matters most is being right in the sight of God. They were meticulous in their tithing which is fine, but they were not meticulous in the weightier matters of the law such as love and justice. They were hypocrites, and sad to say we see many in the “church” visible today, poser-pastors, wolves in sheep’s clothing, greedy, and wicked – one day they will give an account, especially those in prominent positions who loved the special treatment at the expense of the people.

It wasn’t just the Pharisees, it was also the scribes and lawyers who were the teachers and experts in the law. They placed heavy burdens on the people (a ton of rules and regulations can quickly add up) but they themselves didn’t live what they taught. They built the tombs for the martyrs, but didn’t acknowledge their guilt for the past, they would be responsible for the blood of the saints in the future, even the Apostles (Luke 11:49), but God would eventually require it of them. As a matter of fact, this generation would pay the price for the blood of the prophets, from Abel, all the way to Zechariah, and in A.D. 70 the Romans came and leveled Jerusalem.

Bible Knowledge Commentary, “The blood of Abel and the blood of Zechariah refers to the killing of innocent men involved in serving God. Abel was the first innocent victim (Genesis 4:8), and Zechariah the priest (not the writing prophet) was the last martyr in the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 24:20–21; Chronicles was last in the OT Hebrew order).”

What a heavy exchange took place that day! They assailed Jesus vehemently!

Jesus warned His apostles to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. God help us to be the real deal, to maintain our heart as well as our witness, to live and speak the same at home as we do when we’re at church.

The Lord knew the day would come when His followers would be persecuted by the religious institution of the day, so He tells them (and us) not to fear. God values us, He never, ever forgets us; if He cares for the sparrow, how much more will He care for His children? He knows every hair we have, yes, He’s involved in all the details of our lives, and if something comes our way, we can be sure, it’s been filtered through His sovereign will – we can trust Him, even to the point of death. We must not fear death – the only valid fear in life, is the fear of God Himself.

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Psalm 78:1-31

This Psalm is an exhortation to every Jewish generation NOT to forget all that God has done for them, especially in redeeming them out of Egypt and the way He sustained them in the wilderness – even in His discipline.

We have the word “children” five times in the first nine verses – a reminder to us, how we parents are responsible to tell our children, that they would tell their children, and so on and so forth.

What for?

Psalm 78:6–7 (NKJV) “That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, 7 That they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”

Apparently by now, Israel had been divided and the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim)  was already guilty of apostasy (Psalm 78:9-11). In spite of all that God had done, dividing the sea, leading the nation, water from the rocks, forgiving their sin, manna (angel’s food – Psalm 78:25) from heaven, all you can eat meat in the wilderness – all that God did, including His discipline.

Should we not know all this and learn from these things?

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Proverbs 12:19-20

V. 19 – If we tell the truth, we’ll go the distance, and that truth will go the distance as well; we won’t just be a shooting star, and neither will our message be a fly by night, but truthful lips and lives will last and build a legacy. I think of Pastor Chuck Smith – decades of teaching and telling the truth – he’s still making that impact in time and eternity.

V. 20 – What’s in our hearts? Deceit to beat? Or peace to pass on, or joy for others to enjoy? May God fill our hearts with truth, peace, and joy.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.