Memorials - Stones, signs, and standing firm

It was a very important day. They were about to cross the Jordan River, without a bridge or a boat. God would provide a way, a completely miraculous way. The priests (carrying the Ark of the Covenant) would lead the way, and when their feet touched the water of the river, the water would part and the priests would walk on dry ground.

You may remember that the previous generation also passed through a body of water on dry ground. However, even after they saw that and many more miracles, they were doubtful and disobedient. That disobedience cost them the privilege of going into the Promised Land. Now, the next generation was about to do what they could not. It was a very important day for them and a very important day for future generations to remember. 

God told them exactly what to do and how to do it. The priests were to go into the river Jordan first, carrying the Ark of the Covenant.  ( click here to read Joshua chapter 3 )  When the soles of their feet touched the water, the water would  "be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” So while the priests stood firm on dry ground, bless their little hearts, they were obedient and did just as God commanded! The entire nation of Israel, thousands of them, began to cross the Jordan on dry ground! What a glorious experience it must have been to walk on a dry riverbed; watching the water piled up in a heap, obedient to the hand of God!

Considering their parents and grandparents had been witness to miracles and still disobeyed, the LORD gave them an interesting additional instruction. Twelve men were to go into the (dry) river bed where the priests were standing and gather twelve stones to bring with them to the place where they would lodge that night. 

Why? “Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

“When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’  “For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” click here to read all of Joshua chapter 4

Not only were they to take a tangible reminder of a miracle with them, but did you notice the purpose of the memorial? So they would remember, and teach the following generations and all the earth will recognize the hand of God and revere Him forever. 

It is a good thing to remember major events of the past and recognize those who contributed to it. We celebrate our independence from tyranny, honor our veterans, Presidents, Mothers, Fathers, and on Memorial Day, those who died in service to our country. 

While those are worthy of our remembrance, it is far more important that we never forget all authorities are established by God (click here to read Romans 1:13)  

Who gave our founding fathers the wisdom and foresight to establish this republic and

Who allows our existence according to His will. We are thankful He continues to give wisdom to those who defend and protect it, but understand that if we forget Him, He has no obligation to defend us. Every day we must remember that the source of all these blessings is God alone. We must take with us whatever necessary as a memorial, a reminder of the source of very lives. We must diligently teach our children, because just like those who crossed the Red Sea, we are always one generation away from forgetting. 

What then can you and I do to remember what He has done for us? It could be a stone from a path where you and God had a special visit, or a verse of Scripture that you have marked in your Bible, or maybe even have framed in your home. Perhaps you wear a cross or have Christian music playing…we must do whatever we can do to honor Him, lest we forget, and the world will not hear.

Father,

In our humanness, we are quick to forget all You have done for us. Thank You for giving us Your Word in which we see Your works from the beginning. It is a powerful memorial of all You have done (and are still doing) so that we can stand firm in You. Thank You for such a precious reminder that You are working for our good. 

Help us this day to seek Your guidance in every aspect of our lives, and call to mind Your great and mighty works, and set up reminders of them, lest we forget. Give us boldness to place those memorials in view so that when someone asks, we can tell them of You and Your mighty hand that sustains us.

What reminds you of the hand of God? Will you share with us in the comments? It such an encouragement to hear how He is working!

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The Lizard Who Didn't Want to Go, and Contending Earnestly for the Faith.

The baby lizard considering freedom.

I don’t know how he came in. He might have been exploring a tiny little crack-tunnel somewhere and explored until he found himself inside. He might have come through the doggie door. He might even have ridden in on my shoulder or sneaked in when we opened the door. His little lizard lips were sealed.

He was sunning on the window when I spotted him. I promptly advised him baby lizards belong OUTSIDE. His little lizard ears were equally sealed.

Whether he wanted to go or not, I knew the best place for him was outside.  My hands were no match for the squirmy reptile, and he promptly jumped to freedom, he thought. I could have chalked it up to teenage rebellion, and just let him figure it out for himself, but knew the outcome, so back in the ring

I went.  This battle was NOT over yet.

It wasn’t a real fight, more of a mutual understanding. I agreed not to hold him, and he agreed to go along for the ride on the chair. Once outside, he reconsidered his original decision and agreed that outside was indeed the best place for a handsome young lizard. What he thought was an adventure of freedom would have been his tomb. Hallelujah! He saw the light!

I have known people like that, maybe you have too. They are headed down a path of adventure and fun that lands them in a place that seems to them like sheer bliss.  The problem with them is the same as that of the lizard. It is actually a prison in which they will eventually die.

Often they don’t realize that truth because they are so enchanted by whatever desire brought them there, that it is very difficult for them to see it on their own. That is where we come in. The book of Jude calls it contending “earnestly for the faith.” The word “contend” (epagonizomai in the Greek) has to do with being a combatant.  (Literally, epi – intensive + agon – contest = intensive contest.) “Fight the good fight” was the instruction Paul gave to Timothy. Both suggest we may have to spend a little time and energy to help people see the truth.

I could have easily just turned my back, left the baby lizard in the sunroom and rationalized “he didn’t want to be picked up” and “let him figure it out.” Instead, with a little effort the little guy understood a better way, ended up in a better place, and avoided a death sentence.

There was a little contention but I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a contender. If we go out of our way to help a lizard, couldn’t we extend a little more effort, contend a little more earnestly for a person? Don’t wake up to the regret that you “could have been a contender!”

Things to consider when contending for the faith –

• There are many who believe errors. You have probably heard some of them “there is no God” or, “being good will be enough to escape any punishment” or, “everyone who dies goes to heaven” or, “there is no life after this”…on and on.  Many are misled.  Believing it (no matter how earnestly) doesn’t make it true.

• The only way to know the truth is to study it - the Word of God – the Bible.  We must know the truth before we can accurately share the truth. Study His Word – in its entirety, the whole counsel of God. (Many errors are dispelled when you let Scripture interpret Scripture.)

• We are required (not suggested) to share that truth. Matthew 28:19,20 lists going, baptizing, and teaching as three parts of the requirement.

• When we encounter one who is lost he may not want to listen to the truth. He might even jump away and plead to be left alone. Don’t give up.

• Instead, spend a little effort to try to find some common ground to help them see the truth. Contend earnestly with them with all love and gentleness. They may just see the light for the first time! What a privilege to lead one out of certain death to life eternal!

Dearest Heavenly Father, how precious it is that You love us so much and have given us all we need to have eternal life. How we thank You for giving us our very lives.

Help us be diligent to reach out to share this good news with a world that so desperately needs to hear the truth. Prompt us when we need to contend even more earnestly. Thank You for giving us the wisdom, insight and understanding from Your Holy Spirit to know when and how to best relate this life giving truth.

How about YOU? Did someone contend with you? Are you thankful?

Have you contended for the faith? How did it work out? Was it worth it? I look forward to hearing your story!

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Freedom/Bondage Truth/Lies

We all yearn for freedom...

Bondage is being bound by something or someone - physically or emotionally tied to them.  Our actions are based upon the one who holds the cords, as a bridle directs a horse.  Sin is like that. Like it or not, we are all born with a sinful human nature. That human nature and its desire to do what feels good to us leads us to act in ways that are pleasing to us and our greed and desires, but are not acceptable in the eyes of our Creator.  Ironically, the more we want to hold our own reigns, the more bound and entangled we are to our sin nature.

Truth/Lies catch us all at some time or another. Most young children upon being caught in a punishable offence will lie and declare their innocence. We have all seen the videos of children with brown smeared faces denying they got into the chocolate stash. It is our nature. We don’t like to be told we are doing something wrong, and we don’t like to be punished. We just want to do things we want to do. So, like our young semi-sweet smeared faces, we still find ourselves listening to the lying voices in us that say,

“It will be so good! Try it, you will like it!”

“Go ahead – no one will find out”

“It’s your life – do what YOU want”

 “No one is getting hurt – why not?”

Sin is sneaky like that. It will tell you what you want to hear and believe, and cause you to think that it is the truth. Truth is, we are all born slaves to sin – in bondage to it, when we allow it to lead us into temporary pleasures we want, that God has warned us against. He is good about that – giving us warnings so we can recognize truth and error. But, without that Truth, it is hard to recognize a lie. So we fall into a pattern of following lies that seem good, while neglecting the Truth that would guide us in Truth. Sin becomes a driving master and we its willing slave galloping along our own little trail leading to destruction.

Shakespeare correctly said “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” In modern language – one lie leads to another.

Freedom from that sin-master only comes one way - Jesus. He is the only one Who can release you from it. He is the only way to find truth. “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,” He said. He should know, He is God Who came to live on earth. The same God Who created all of heaven and earth by simply speaking it into existence.

He knows the Truth and came to set us free from the bondage, power and penalty of sin. We can’t undo our sins but He, and His payment on our behalf, releases us from the consequence of all our thoughts, and words, and deeds that are unclean in the eyes of God. The consequence we all deserve for our sin (even the ones we consider the smallest of “white lies”) is death. An eternal one at that. No entrance into heaven. He alone has the keys and we must come to Him for entrance.

Because we live in bodies that still want to do what it wants to do - He even takes up residence within our hearts and minds to help us make correct decisions about our thoughts, and behavior, and speech moment by moment. We call it having the Holy Spirit within us. Everyone who trusts Jesus for salvation has this, plus the ability to call God Abba (Daddy) and Jesus our brother-a joint heir to all the kingdom of God our Father.

In the United States of America, we celebrate the fourth of July as a date upon which we declared an independence from “political bands which have connected” us to another “whose character is…marked by every act which may define a tyrant,…unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”  We appealed “to the Supreme Judge of the world”, and declared a “firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.” We acknowledge God as Supreme Judge above all rulers on earth and our reliance and submission to His protection. Simply stated, our founding fathers saw the need to release us from bondage under a tyrant and submit instead to God, in Whom we could trust. So, our beginnings were that of both freedom and submission.

How is it possible to have freedom while being in submission? We are either slaves to what we want or slaves to God. The difference is that we are held as slaves to sin, but give ourselves as slaves to righteousness in serving our new Master – God Almighty. We were demanded to be obedient to a tyrannical king, but willingly submitted this country to the rules of God, and received blessings because of it.

However, we cannot expect to continue to receive blessings from a God we do not serve. We cannot expect anything but judgment from the Supreme Judge Who is still (and ever will be) in office. Remember that when we believe lies, we become enslaved by those lies, and become deniers of the Truth that could set us free. No matter how strongly we believe, if it is a lie, it remains a lie and separates us from truth. Satan has long used lies disguised as “semi-truths”.  I can sincerely believe that “the Earth is flat” until my dying day. Regardless of the depth of my sincerity, I would die sincerely wrong.

Until we acknowledge God, seek His face, and turn from our wickedness of hearts, and minds, and actions we have no reason to expect Him to stand by us individually or as a nation. The firm promise that “He will never leave us nor forsake us” is valid for those who have put their trust and faith in Him.  The equally firm promise of destruction awaits those who deny Him, and thus deny the Truth. 

Why can’t I just do what I want? What is the benefit of just trading one master for another master? The only problem with trying to be our own master, is that we are not God. He is. He is the Potter, we are the clay. How foolish would it be to recognize the Potter Who created us, then decide we know what is best regardless of the warnings from our Potter. I am only an expert at what seems good to me, He is expert of all and over all. He is worthy of our trust, wholly and completely. He will guide us on the path that is filled with righteousness. Are you willing to turn over the reins of your life to the One Who gave it to you? You can trust Him to handle it correctly and lead you to the Truth that sets you free!

Dearest Father in heaven,

We celebrate Your lovingkindness that has given us our freedom from our sinful ways. We have lived in a sinful nature that makes us worthy of death and separation from You.

We have seen that no freedom is free – a ransom must be paid. We thank You for paying that debt we owe and giving us freedom from our sin nature and a means by which we can approach the Throne of Grace and Mercy.

Much of the world seems to be deceived by the lies of sin and in complete rebellion to You and Your Truth. Help us to share the Truth, Your Holy Word, and hold fast to it alone.  

Thank You for living in us and guiding us as we walk this path.

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Let Freedom Ring

Chris Tomlin

My chains are gone...

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