(Ch. 3) Crossing into the Land of Promise

The stage has been set and the spies have given their report…the time for Israel to embrace its future has come. They have taken the time allotted to prepare mentally and physically for one of the greatest moments in their nation’s history. The time for talk and theorizing was over; the time to walk the path of faith was upon them.

Verse 1 of Joshua 3 says “Then Joshua rose early in the morning…” Joshua did not allow events to turn themselves; he arose early and stepped onto the scene before anyone else. If we are to let God move in our lives, should we not be involved? Joshua did not intend to let the day pass him by. He was standing firm on his feet as the sun rose and he was ready to seize the day.

In verse 3, we see Joshua’s officers commanding the people and making Joshua’s orders known. While Joshua had great authority and influence, he learned from Moses the importance of delegating and allowing others to participate in his leadership. He put his officers to work!

“Yet there shall be a space between you and it (the tabernacle), about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.” (v. 4)

Two thousand cubits measures over half a mile. Sounds really opposite to how we treat God today, isn’t it? And that is okay, because we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who interceding for us. A close relationship to the Father is meant to be present for believers today. However, we see here a sign of respect and fear that many Christians do not show God today. They did not doubt His love for them as you and I do not doubt. However, sometimes we treat God as our “homeboy” when He is not. Many of us think of Him as our buddy, yet He was clear in Deuteronomy 34 that none aside from Moses had arisen that God knew face to face. And Moses was a great prophet who saw the Lord part the Red Sea. Moses was the man that Almighty God chose to give His Ten Commandments to. Would we compare ourselves with Moses?

It is God’s desire to be our Friend and Companion in life, but he is not our buddy. He is our God and there MUST be a reverence that we hold for Him like the Jews hold for Him here. They would not travel within half a mile of the Ark! Yet many times we assault and try to ambush God with our concerns, worries, and problems. We treat God like a vending machine; if we ask enough and wait long enough, eventually we’ll get the thing we desire. God doesn’t work that way. He is the Lord of heaven and the Creator of all. He is to be respected above all others and spoken to carefully. It is okay to be real and honest with God, but it is not acceptable to speak to Him irreverently. He is still King.

Back to Joshua 3. After Joshua’s officers had finished their orders, the Lord revealed to Joshua that He would “exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” (v. 7)

So far, Joshua had done everything right. He made God the focus, he was wise steward with the time given him and cared for the people under him. And how did God reward his faith? He promised to exalt and bless Joshua in front of the whole nation to remind them that Joshua was God’s anointed servant. God was flashing Joshua’s badge of authority and reminding everyone of his credentials. Joshua was the man. And God was making sure that everyone knew it. How great would it be if God did that for you and me today? Well, serve Him faithfully and do not deny Him, for He said that whoever denies Him before men, He will deny before God the Father. (Mathew 10:33) Rather, serve and bless His name and you will see His blessings in your life.

So did God follow through on what He told Joshua? Yes! Joshua sent the priests bearing the Ark into the Jordan River and the moment their feet touched water, the Jordan parted as the Red Sea had done forty years before! But notice that the priests had to get their feet wet first…faith without a willingness to act is not faith at all. God waited for them to step into the river before He made a move.

Verse 17 said that the priests “stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan and all of Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.”

So I want you to imagine the biggest obstacle in your life. Maybe it’s a certain fear you wrestle with, a habitual sin that won’t leave you alone, an event of your past that you just can’t forget, whatever it is. I want you to imagine it a raging river that desires to sweep you off of the path you want to go and overwhelm you and drown you. A scary situation. Now imagine hearing God’s voice. This is what He says: “I know what you’ve been through. I was with you in your wilderness. But now it’s time to come home. It is time for you to become all that you are meant to be. You only need to trust Me and step into the water. Embrace My promise for your life.”

If God said that to you, would you do it? Would you take that step of faith? If God was wrong, you will be swept away by the raging current and would most likely die. But if God told the truth…then the waters would part the moment you stepped in! Can you imagine that? Standing on solid ground with your greatest obstacles being held back by the hand of God? Just as the Jews stood in the midst of the Jordan and stood firmly despite all logic and reason, you and I can too. God has made the promise to us that we will never be alone. He is our God and Father and He will never forsake us or abandon us. And when He tells us to step forward, we need to swallow our fear and put our foot in the water. Trust Him with His plan. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. Everything will be alright in the end. But until we get tired of our limitations, tired of the fears and doubts, tired of the mundane, tired of living powerless, we will always be held back. 

We must choose to let those things go and step into the river. He has called us to a better life in Him. Embrace it and seize it! Stand firmly on solid ground in the midst of your Jordan. God is not too small for any problem. No matter what you face, He is greater still. Trust Him and enter your land of promise. Step into your battle arena. And prepare to wage war and conquer. The Lord is with you.

(Ch. 2) The Faith of an Outsider

The popular story about Rahab and the spies is found in Joshua 2. Following Joshua’s gathering of a military force at the end of Chapter 1, we see him sending two spies out into Canaan to “view the land, especially Jericho.” (v. 1) Joshua is all about using his time productively, so while he is waiting three days for the people to prepare to cross the Jordan River, he sends two spies to do some recon.

In verse 2 we see that the spies chose to lodge in the house of Rahab the harlot…a curious choice as women (especially harlots) were not looked on favorably. But we can see God setting the stage for something awesome.

Somewhere along the way, someone figures out that the two men are Israelite spies and tells the authorities. Verse 3 tells us that the king of Jericho asked Rahab to hand over the spies. And what does she do? She lies.

Now I have been involved in some serious and deep discussion with other mature Christians from around the world about whether or not it is ever right to lie. Some hold to the view that Rahab’s lie to the king in order to protect the spies was sinful. These same people also speak negatively towards those who hid Jews from the Nazis during WWII. Then there are some who argue that not telling the truth in order to perform the ultimate good is acceptable to God. Either way you look at it, the Lord saw fit to include Rahab in the “Hall of Faith” in the book of Hebrews. (Hebrews 11:31)

Now what was it she had faith in? Let’s look: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone, because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.” (v. 9-11)

Rahab was in a pagan land where many gods were worshipped. And yet she tells the spies “your God is different…He is the God of everything! And when we heard of all the things He did for you, our hearts melted and our courage left us.”

Now that’s a positive report to give Joshua! But note that everything Rahab said was “When we heard what your God did”. It was never about the Israelites and Rahab recognized the awesome works of God and placed her faith in Him and her trust in His servants. Could we learn something from her? How many of us are truly willing to put our faith in the Lord and trust His servants? There are so many Christians out there that question each other and draw blades on one another that the Church is in a civil war! But we do not see Rahab question the spies here, though they chose to lodge with her, knowing what she did for a living. No, she placed her faith in God and trusted those He sent to her.

Following her declaration of faith towards God, Rahab made a deal with the spies. In summary, she asked that they spare her and her family in return for the kindness she showed them. They agreed to spare everything and everyone that she brought into her household and so she dangled a scarlet rope down her window to remind the Israelites of their promise to her when the time for their invasion came. After escaping from Jericho, the spies returned to Joshua and repeated Rahab’s words to him. Canaan was ready to fall.

But here’s the part that really impacted me. The spies were the first Israelites to enter Canaan since Joshua, Caleb, and their ten companions entered the land over forty years ago. And yet those who dwell there are still trembling! God’s reputation precedes Him and leaves an impression that lasts for over four decades!

What reputation precedes you and me? What first impression are you leaving others? The Israelites and their God left a pretty big first impression on the people living in the Promised Land…an impression that kept them scared for decades before Israel ever stepped foot in their land!

Rahab was on the outside, and yet she had tremendous faith! She was in the lineage of Christ because of her faith. And she was not raised knowing God, but came to faith in who He was just by hearing stories about Him that were possibly older than she was.

Our words and our deeds leave an impression on people. As Christians, we mark those around us and they may carry that mark with them for a long time…what mark are you leaving? How is a true Christian supposed to live? Are you living that life and leaving such a mark on those you come in contact with? Or are you hypocritical in your lifestyle and turning the people around you away from the Gospel of Christ? It’s your choice. Will you leave an impression on others that will last for decades? Or are you just taking up space in the world and doing nothing to further His kingdom? Again, it’s your choice.

(Ch. 1) Moses is Dead!

At last, we are in Joshua 1! Moses has passed away and Joshua is left in charge of some very uncertain Israelites. The only leader they had ever known was Moses. And now that he was gone, things were so very different. God, in His infinite wisdom can see the people’s distress as well as Joshua’s. Let’s see what He says!

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead.’” (v. 1-2a)

Let’s stop there a moment. Because in the first verse is the entire point of this whole chapter. Joshua has stepped into some big shoes and the people are expecting a lot from him. I’m sure he’s nervous and waiting on God to show him what to do. So when the Lord decides to speak to him, you can be sure that Joshua is listening very intently. And what is the first thing out of God’s mouth? “Moses My servant is dead.”

Talk about Captain Obvious there, God. Why would He tell Joshua that? Joshua was VERY aware of that fact. Here’s the thing. God was telling Joshua right from the start “Hey, I know Moses was my representative to the people for a really long time, but that’s in the past now. Time to look to the future.”

Do you see the finality in God’s words? Moses had a way of doing things. Moses used to be around. Things worked out in the past. But…Moses is dead! Time to take a deep breath and accept that change is coming and let go of the past. If Joshua cannot let go of Moses, he can never be the leader God intends for him to be. So from the very beginning, God had to remind him that Moses was gone and Joshua had to let him go. It was time for Joshua to look forward and allow the change to occur. Too many of us resist change. We hate it. Yet this is a case in which Joshua could not control things. Moses was gone whether he liked it or not and God’s first piece of advice to him was to let Moses go and look to the future.

Let’s continue through the rest of the verse. “Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them-the children of Israel.” (v. 2b)

So first, God reminds Joshua to look to the future and let go of the ways things had been done before, and then He next tells him to “arise and go.” See, the Lord knows people really well (being our Creator and all). He knows how we naturally tend to sit down and think about “the good old days”. We are so easily satisfied with complaining and doing nothing. But God does not allow Joshua a chance to do that. He says “don’t think about the good old days right now because they’re behind you. Instead, get up and get to work.”

Let’s keep reading. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” (v. 3)

Here’s an important key that we need to realize. God will never send you without equipping you to win. And so He says to Joshua “I want you to get up and lead this people across the Jordan River. Oh, and by the way…I promised Moses this territory to you, so anything you step foot on is yours.”

Now think about this radical idea with me a moment. Can you imagine if God said to you “every argument you ever have, I have ensured you will win. Every game you ever play, I have ensured that you will win. Every idea you propose, I promise to bring it to fruitfulness.” Isn’t that crazy? That God would say “wherever you are in life; I have delivered the victory of that situation into your hands.” Would He promise such a thing? As far as I can see, that’s what He just promised Joshua. The Israelites are staring at the land in front of them wondering if they will be able to conquer it all and God pulls Joshua to the side and ensures them that they get it all. Total victory.

“From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.” (v. 4)

Now please note that God did not say “so go explore the world and whatever you step on is yours!” He gave them a very clear and definite border. There was a line and as long as they remained in the parameters of what God had promised, Israel was guaranteed the land. In the same way, we can’t strut around life acting as if everything we touch God will bless. We must take the time to recognize what His guidelines are for us and be sure to remain within the box he has set. Within that box, we have God’s guaranteed blessings. But outside of it, we are in disobedience to where God has told us to be.

Now how does that look in our daily lives? Because God has not sat down and discussed with me what I am permitted to do and what I’m not with my life. I have moral standards to help guide me, and that is a start. But how do I know if God will bless a specific conversation with someone or if he will be angry if I decide to take this class in school. God was clear with Joshua what the approved territory was, but He’s not always so clear with us. So here is my suggestion: ask Him.

If you are unsure about whether or not God wants you to move forward in a certain area, just ask Him. God wants us to talk to Him; to trust Him and to desire His will for us. He will not refuse to answer us if we honestly ask Him for guidance in making a certain decision. And if we make a decision within His will and with His guidance, He will bless it.

Verses 5 and 6 say “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”

So check this out: After God establishes the boundaries, He promised Joshua that He would be with him. Now here’s the thing: God promised Joshua victory in the war, but that would not mean Joshua wouldn’t get knocked around. God only promised that Joshua would never be defeated as long as he stayed in God’s will. That does not mean that Joshua and the Israelite army could waltz into enemy territory and take the land easily. No, a battle still had to take place. Sweat and blood still had to be spilled. God guaranteed the victory, but Joshua still had to get his hands dirty.

Do not be deceived into believing you are invincible. Even if you are within God’s will, that does not mean you will not get hurt. If God had promised Joshua victory in every battle he faced, then He lied. The Israelites were beaten badly in Joshua 7 against the people of Ai because they had sinned against God and were not in right standing with Him. But we’ll get to that later. But what I want us to see is that God promised Joshua the war. Yet Joshua still had to fight every single battle. He had to work for every inch of the territory that had been promised to him. When in God’s will, we are not given a golden ticket to do nothing. Even if God promises us victory, we must work to achieve it and accept that we’ll be knocked down a few times in the process.

And that is hard. Fighting every battle that arises can get tiresome and exhausting and even overwhelming. And that is why God continued on to tell Joshua to “only be strong and very courageous.” (v. 7) Joshua was up against quite the challenge. Dozens of pagan kingdoms against Israel. Not the best odds. This conquest would mean constant war for many years. Joshua would get tired; he would question if all the effort was worth it. God knew this and so He told Joshua up front to stick it out and bravely press on. These words of encouragement apply to us as well.

God has given each of us a specific purpose and task that we alone are designed to do. If you do not do your part, no one else will. Each one of us is vital to the cause of Christ as a whole. And when the Lord reveals to you His purpose for your life, there will be hard points. There will be rough patches and times of fear and doubt. And when those times crash against our defenses, we have to remember God’s words here: “I will never leave you nor forsake you. Only be strong and very courageous.” ONLY be strong…God specifically told us that we’re not allowed to doubt and fear or do anything other than be brave and press on. He knows our fears and our weaknesses and He is there by our side through it all when we are taking the time to make sure we stay with Him and His will for us. For you see, God does not take sides…He IS a side. And with every choice we make, we must choose to step across the line and join God’s side. And once we’re there, it’s a daily decision to stay on His side no matter where He leads. But as long as we’re with Him, He promises us His presence and His strength for all the battles of life. If you’re apart from Him and His will, He makes no such promises. I encourage us all to take the time and seriously consider where we stand with Jesus. Are we on His side? If not, we’re not doing anyone any favors. And we cannot claim any of His promises when He are living outside of the way He directs us to live. Check yourself, as I must continue to do, and make sure you’re still on God’s side.

Skipping down to verse 10 “Then Joshua…”

Stop! Read that again. The Lord spoke, then Joshua did. How many of us have received a word from God that we need to act in some way? Whether that be to take a stand in a conversation or to act in a generous way towards another. Now how many of us immediately obeyed upon hearing God’s command? If we answer ourselves truthfully, we will find that we’re not so willing to obey the Lord. We want to analyze His orders and weigh the pros and cons and see if that is really the wisest course of action. Usually, by the time we’re done thinking about it, the opportunity has been missed and we have failed to honor God in that situation.

Yet this is not what we see from Joshua. God spoke, He said “Arise, go over this Jordan…” and the moment God finished speaking, Joshua is summoning his officers and telling them to prepare to cross the river in three days. This is obedience! And this is the secret to Joshua’s success.

Verses 12 through 15, Joshua gives the people the same encouragement that God offered him. In fact, if you see how he speaks to the people you will see that he is modeling his words after the very words God spoke to him! God showed Joshua the next step and encouraged him and urged him to step forward with confidence. Joshua did the same for the people. He told them of the Lord’s plan and told them of his plans to gather Israel’s army. “Mighty men of valor” were the elite soldiers in Joshua’s army. He was gathering his strength and separating the soldiers from the civilians early on. He knew once they crossed the Jordan things would escalate quickly and he wanted to be ready. He was trained in combat; this was his field of expertise.

And throughout giving his orders, you can see Joshua dropping encouragement everywhere. He was firm in his command, yet he strengthened the hearts of the people. And look how they responded in verses 16-18: “All that you have command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”

The people responded in submission to Joshua’s authority because they knew God was with him. They knew because they could see that same level of strength in Joshua that Moses had. Truly, what is it that makes Christians different from the rest of the world? Is it our eating habits or our choice in music? Of course not. It is the Holy Spirit inside of us. Our personal connection with Jesus Christ separates us from those who have not trusted in Him for salvation. And when we have the Spirit of God residing inside us, don’t you think others ought to see that? Shouldn’t there be something different about how Christians think and live? Well the difference was obvious with Joshua and the people saw that. They knew he was from God and he led them with confidence and passion. They were drawn to him and swore loyalty to him and to God…even to the point of killing any who would not follow through with their oath. Can you imagine your fellow church members killing someone in your church because they would not heed the pastor or minister? A bit extreme, right? Well that is pretty much what these men were saying. They trusted that Joshua would not lead them astray and dedicated themselves to Joshua’s plan because they knew that he was getting his plans from God.

Is there anyone in your life right now that you can swear such loyalty to? Can you pick out someone in your life who you know for certain lives their life for Christ and receives their plans from God as Joshua did? BE that someone. Surrender your own will and give it up to God. Moses is dead! The old ways are in the past and God has a plan for the future. Choose to be on board with Him. Choose to side with Him no matter how things appear and receive your plans from Jesus Himself. Be a Joshua and be willing to lead those around you in the will of God with courage.

(Background) Joshua Before His Time of Leadership

So before we begin in Joshua, we should know that Joshua’s life started way before. Joshua is first mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 17. “And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.’” (v. 9) The very first time Joshua is ever mentioned, Moses is commanding him to gather some men together and to battle against the Amalekites. It is apparent then, that Joshua had already established himself as a capable warrior. When battle was upon them, Moses went straight to Joshua. There is a level of trust there. As a side note, Exodus 17:13 records that Joshua defeated the Amalekites…Moses’ trust seems well-placed.

Later in Exodus 24, we see the passage of when Moses gathers a small group of trusted men and takes them with him up on Mount Sinai. Now it’s commonly believed that Aaron was Moses’ right-hand man during the early years of Moses’ leadership, yet this passage implies differently. Here is the passage:

Exodus 24:9-13 “Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God and they ate and drank. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.’ So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.”

Check out that last verse. Moses took Aaron and the seventy-two others part of the way, but when God called him to go further up to receive the Ten Commandments, who did he take with him? His assistant, Joshua. We do not know how far Joshua went with Moses…but it is unlikely that he went all the way to the top and met with God alongside Moses. Joshua’s time to lead hadn’t come yet. But in verse 18, it says “So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and nights.” Joshua hung out on the mountain waiting on Moses for forty days!

How do I know this? Jump to Exodus 32 when the Israelites make the golden calf. Verses 15 and 16 say “And Moses turned and went away down from the mountain and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, ‘There is a noise of war in the camp.’”

So get this picture: Moses is climbing down the mountain because God told him of Israel’s creating of the golden calf when he meets Joshua part of the way down. Joshua tells him that he hears noises of war going on in the camp below. First, this tells us that Joshua was still on the mountain after all that time. Though those below had forsaken God and Moses, Joshua remained loyal. Would you and I be loyal to a friend as to wait on them for forty days on a cold and lonely mountain? Probably not. Next, this tells us that Joshua did not accompany Moses all the way to the top because God specifically told Moses what Israel had done and if Joshua had been with Moses, he would have known of Israel’s sin and would not have assumed there was a battle. So this is obvious evidence that Moses left his assistant half way up the mountain for forty days. Alone. The other seventy-two men were at the foot of the mountain with Aaron and were probably the ones who had created the golden calf. So Joshua was on a mountain for over a month by himself waiting on an old man to climb down and meet him again when his business with God was concluded. Do you see the faith of Joshua here? Some of us might be willing to wait a few hours for a friend to get back from an errand. But how many of us would wait the whole day? Joshua waited forty days. He totally put his whole life on pause and followed Moses up the mountain. And then Moses left him alone. Moses above him, the elders of Israel below him, Joshua was by himself. And no reward was promised him for waiting around for all this time. I do not know if he was aware that he would be succeeding Moses at this point, but I doubt that God told him if he’d wait things out, he could succeed Moses. God does not bribe us like that. We can only assume that Joshua stayed because he was loyal and faithful to Moses and to God.

Now after the Lord had disciplined the Israelites for their disloyalty in creating the golden calf, He commanded Moses to pitch his tent far away from the Israelite camp. Moses’ tent came to be known as the tabernacle of meeting. The tent was a place to find God for those who sought Him. Now I love this…check out verse 11 of Chapter 33. It says “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

You understand what that verse said? It said that God spoke to Moses face to face on a personal level and afterwards Moses would return to camp, but Joshua refused to leave the presence of God. Do you understand now why I love Joshua so much? He faithfully waited for Moses for forty days and kept his hands clean when the rest of the camp sinned against God. And then when Moses established a place of dwelling for God, Joshua refused to depart from it! And Scripture was clear that Joshua was still a young man at this time. His days of leading Israel are still far off and yet you can see his faithfulness.

Later in Numbers 11, there is an instance where the Spirit of the Lord came upon two men in the camp and they began to prophecy. When Moses and Joshua heard of this, Joshua said “Moses my lord, forbid them!” (v. 28) What did Joshua mean? I do not know if he understood that God was at work, yet what he saw was a threat to Moses’ authority and so he loyally stood by his master. Moses gently corrected him saying “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” (v.29) We can see that even now, Joshua still remains loyal. He knows Moses to be God’s chosen leader and so he immediately rises to defend Moses’ authority. Moses recognizes that Joshua’s heart is in the right place and does not rebuke him in anger.

Eventually, the Israelites arrive at the Promised Land in Numbers 13 and it is no surprise when Moses sends out his close friend and servant to be one of the twelve spies. I think many of us know this story. When the twelve return to Moses, ten of them give Moses a negative report. Yet Joshua and Caleb trusted the Lord and they alone survived out of that generation to see Canaan conquered. Indeed, Joshua led the way! Now I want to mention something here that we should know about Joshua. Joshua was not his real name. Nun named his son Hoshea (v. 16) Hoshea means “salvation” or “deliverer”. This sounds nice, but it doesn’t go beyond the scope of man. When Hoshea began his service to Moses, he changed Hoshea’s name to Joshua which means “the Lord saves”. Joshua and Jesus are two forms of the same name. See how Moses took Hoshea and gave him a heavenly purpose by changing his name? There are many instances in the Bible where a person is named according to what their purpose is. Well a Hoshea could not achieve God’s purpose because such a name was too man-centered. So Moses changed it to Joshua early on to show Hoshea that he was meant for great things and that God would use him mightily. Just a really cool side note about Joshua.

Now back to the story about the twelve spies. Caleb and Joshua stood before Moses in the presence of their ten comrades and told Moses clearly “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (v. 30)

And yet the other ten spies did not share Joshua and Caleb’s trust in God’s promise. And so the Lord was angered and led Israel away from Canaan and forced them to endure forty years in the wilderness until that whole generation (except Joshua and Caleb) died off. But here’s the thing: Joshua and Caleb did not just set up camp at the border of Canaan and wait for Israel to return. They participated in Israel’s punishment. Though they had the faith, they were forced to be patient and endure the sins of their fellow spies. Yet we do not read of any complaints. Joshua remains loyal to God and to Moses through it all.

Let’s fast-forward to Numbers 27 where God tells Moses to anoint Joshua as his successor. (v. 18) Joshua became a little more powerful after that and was given greater authority and was assured his position to lead after Moses was gone. Now we will see if Joshua truly endured serving Moses all those years just to get such a position. Yet Joshua continues to serve Moses as if nothing has changed. He continues to honor and respect his master and wait patiently for his turn to lead. He does not plot to undermine Moses’ authority or kill him to speed up his time of leadership. He allows the Lord to govern the timing of things and serves faithfully where he’s at for many years following being anointed. This is a true sign of his heart!

Deuteronomy 1:37-38 says “The Lord was also angry with me for your sakes, saying ‘Even you shall not go in there. Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.”

Here, God clearly tells Moses that he will not enter the Promised Land. The era of Moses shall stay in the wilderness and a new era of leadership will begin in Canaan. God tells Moses to encourage Joshua because he will be the one leading Israel into Canaan. The passage said “Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go there.” It is possible that Joshua was beside Moses when the Lord spoke this. Joshua clearly knew his purpose. He knew that Moses’ time was ending soon. And yet he remained patient still in serving Moses while he was still alive. Such loyalty!

In Deuteronomy 31, we see that Moses declares he is one hundred twenty years old (perhaps it was his birthday) and that he could no longer lead. In verse 23, we see Moses inaugurate Joshua. Moses is surrendering the last of his authority. When Joshua was anointed in Numbers 27, he was given a little more authority, but Moses was still in charge. This time is different. Moses has signed his will and Joshua gets everything. Joshua is now in charge. Listen to Moses’ final words to his most faithful servant:

“Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.” (v. 23)

It is likely that after all the years they have been together, Joshua sees Moses as he would see his father. He truly loved and respected Moses and I’m sure Moses treasured his loyal friend dearly. There are few bonds in the Bible that can compare to the bond between Moses and Joshua. And Moses’ last words are “be strong and of good courage…I will be with you.” Joshua’s time of waiting is over. He is now in the leader after so many long years of waiting and serving Moses. And yet, based off of the attitude of humility we’ve seen by Joshua, I do not think he looked forward to it. In fact, he was probably dreading being in charge. Which explains why Moses had to encourage him to be of good courage; Joshua was afraid.

Joshua was a still a man. He was just a person. He was not perfect and he felt the weight of leading a whole nation settle on his shoulders as Moses spoke his final words to him. And in that moment, we can remember that Joshua is human.

To conclude, let’s look at Deuteronomy 34. The next chapter is Joshua 1 and we will begin there in the next Note. But look at this with me:

“Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses has laid his hands on him; so that the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. But since then there has not arisen a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” (v. 9-12)

This simply says that Joshua was the new leader and his leadership was blessed because Moses had publically anointed him and the people respected Joshua as Moses asked of them. This is Joshua’s shining moment…his first moments of being the new leader. And look how God, in His sovereignty, chooses to conclude: “There has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses…” In the end, the Lord was pleased with His servant Moses. God knew Moses face to face and aside from Adam, I cannot think of any other person who had such a relationship Almighty God. Joshua could have been jealous that God would award such prestige to the old man when he was finally the leader. Yet…I think Joshua was well pleased to see his old friend so honored and lifted up. Deuteronomy concluded the era of Moses. I think Joshua was pleased in the way it was concluded. Loyal to his friend and master to the very end.

Introduction to the Book of Joshua Study

Welcome to this Book of Joshua Study! The book of Joshua is my favorite book in the Bible. Why? Simply because it is full of God’s people taking hold of God’s promises and charging ahead to claim the land that was theirs. Isn’t that what the Christians of this generation need? We need people who truly love and trust God whole-heartedly and are willing to charge into a foreign territory unafraid simply because God made a promise.

Joshua himself was the model leader. Though his leadership was different than that of Moses, the Lord blessed both of them. Moses was a diplomat and was more of a politician, but Joshua was a general. Moses waged war with words and Joshua with his hands. The Lord designed this for a specific reason. Out in the wilderness, the biggest enemy to the children of Israel was themselves; their negative attitude and lack of trust in God. Because of this, Moses was the ideal leader for them because his ministry was focused on the people under his charge. Moses cared for the people and saw to their needs and interceded on the people’s behalf before God.

However, when the forty years of wandering was up and God called His people into Canaan, Moses would not be fit to lead the people into the battles ahead. And so the Lord spent those forty years growing and raising up a military leader who could properly lead Israel when the time for conquest came. Joshua was ideally suited for his mission and properly equipped for his purpose. Our Father does that for all of us! Take a serious look at your talents and gifts…they are there as tools to help you achieve the great mission God has called you to!

I know that when I think of Joshua, I think of a young and strong man…a fresh face in contrast to the ancient Moses. Yet this is not correct. Thoughtful study into Joshua’s life shows that he was born in Egypt. He was around during the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. And when Israel got to Canaan the first time and sent out the twelve spies, Joshua was among them. And we know, that God did not allow the Israelites to enter Canaan for another forty years upon hearing the report of the ten unfaithful spies. So add another forty years to Joshua’s life before he ever becomes the leader. In truth, Joshua was around eighty years old when the conquest for the Promised Land began. That is not the strong young man I always imagined…yet he still achieved great military victories!

The Bible never speaks badly of Joshua. And when you consider the honesty of the Bible in correctly portraying its people, this is astounding! The Bible is full of jealous Sauls, traitorous Judas Iscariots, denying Peters, and yet Joshua stands in a spotlight that few others did. In fact, the only major mistake in leadership Joshua made was that he left no man to replace him as Moses had done. And so the era of judges began following his death in which “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25)

Joshua’s failure to produce a successor was a big one as it paved the way for Israel to desire a king…and they got Saul. Things after Joshua really went downhill until David entered the scene. But throughout Joshua’s life, he was faithful to the Lord and obeyed His every command. That was the secret to his success and his closeness to God has always been something I admire and long to imitate.

The book of Joshua is full of great victories and moves of God! It is eye-opening and encouraging to see the power that God will display in our lives when we lay our will down and serve Him completely.

I am looking forward to going through this study with you all! Now a final note before I close: I do not want this study to be me speaking, you all listening. Please read Joshua along with me, a chapter a day and let us study the book together! Please make comments on what you have been learning in your own personal study and let this study be an opportunity for us all to teach and encourage each other to trust in God and His promises. Every post I write, I write with the hope that it will spark something inside the readers to make them want to go and look for themselves. Please realize that my dearest hope behind this study is that I will not be the only one who opens and searches the Word of God through this time. If this study accomplishes nothing else, I hope it encourages you to truly read and search the Scriptures. This study is not about me, but what God is teaching me that I believe He wants to teach us all. I hope we are all able to study this great book of the Bible as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and teach and encourage each other.

As the John the Baptist said “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

A Discussion on the Inaccuracies and Focus of the Bible Miniseries

Now comes the more complicated part of having the Bible as a 5 week-long miniseries.  Obviously, the entire Bible could not be filmed and produced in this project.  That would literally be a year of hour-long episodes and even that may not be enough to cover every detail of Scripture.

So here is the ultimate dilemma: Which parts should be filmed and which parts should be left out?  I believe now is an appropriate time for me to address something that I read multiple times from various people in different discussion threads online.  This Bible series does not, nor was it intended to, replace the Word of God.  Therefore, it is not God-inspired.  To quote one of my father figures, David Cash, as we were watching the first episode together…“the book is always better.”  That is a truth when it comes to fiction novels, and it is a truth when it comes to the Bible also.  I can’t tell you how many people were complaining that the series was “inaccurate because they left so much out.”  I promise you, the plot is still the same and the stories are still the same, even if the series took some creative licensing in the process of telling the story.  Again, the series is not meant to be a word-for-word interpretation of the Bible.  It is designed to tell a story.  Simply, it is a re-telling of the Bible in visual form.  It is not God-inspired as the actual Word of God is.  So…don’t treat it like it’s the Word of God.  Enjoy it for what it is.

Now that being said, I agree with many people that some of that creative licensing was silly and unnecessary.  I will not spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t seen the first episode yet, but there were several details that were not difficult to get right that they chose to alter.  And there were slight additions that, while not in Scripture, added flair to the story, and helped you imagine the emotions and reactions of the people surrounding these stories we know so well. 

Returning to my original point (I love rabbit trails…), the producers had the difficult decisions of deciding what parts of Scripture they wanted to tell and what parts needed to be passed over.  This brings up the question “Well, what is the Bible about?”  The short answer would be that the Bible is about the fall of mankind and God’s plan of redemption for us.  According to the producers in the one of the interviews I watched, the focus behind this series became telling the story of God’s love and the hope of the Gospel.

So if their focus was to tell a story about God’s love and the hope of the Gospel, then that became the filter they used when considering the many stories of the Bible.  They would be the first to tell you that it wasn’t that the stories they skipped over weren’t important and there for a reason, they just had to stay focused with their theme. 

Trust me, I desperately wished they hadn’t skipped some stuff.  I was dying to see Jacob wrestle with God overnight.  That would have been better than any UFC fight I’ve ever seen.  I would have loved to see the battle where Gideon and his small force surround their enemies at night only to blow trumpets, shine lanterns, and watch the enemy kill themselves.  Watching a pile of bones become restored back into a man because they touched the bones of Elisha would have been pretty amazing too.  Or watching Elijah fly off in a chariot of fire.  The point is, there were many stories that could have been done that were skipped.  But there was a reason why and it wasn’t carelessness.  The producers simply didn’t have the time or funding to do every back story to every character mentioned in Scripture.  Mark Burnett, one of the producers, talks about having two choices: film most of the stories, but in little detail…or do less stories, but do them in an emotionally gripping way and use stories that bridge together nicely to tell one big story.  They chose to do less stories, but spend more time telling those stories.  And while not every single one of those stories was told with 100% accuracy according to Scripture, you can see God’s love for the people and His plan for them propelling the story onward. 

Telling a story was their goal.  Sharing the Gospel in a visually enticing way was the focus of the series, and that is what they accomplished.  God didn’t author this series, man did.  It is not the holy Word of God and it was not intended to be.  But the heart of the story was about God’s love for us.  And I am sure that there will be many people out there who aren’t comfortable stepping into a church, but would have no problem watching a series about the Bible on the History Channel. They have to open their Bibles and encounter God somehow and this creates a great opportunity.

I’ll leave you with this: what would happen to America if the Christian community became more united and started backing Christian things to see this world changed?  Instead of tearing down a product that was designed to glorify God and tell a story of His love in a fresh and relevant way, why don’t we support the efforts of Christians who are using their gifts for the Kingdom of God and not just warming a pew once a week like so many in the Christian community do?  

The Bible as a Miniseries? (Part 2)

To be honest, I have heard that the idea of Christians being active in Hollywood bothers some people…and well, that bothers me.­ Going along with what I said in Part 1, our entertainment industry is full of trash and I cheer for churches like Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia who produced solid Christian films like “Fireproof”, “Facing the Giants”, and “Courageous” (and intend to keep making more films like these).  These were films that were solidly based off of Christian values for the purpose of reaching and ministering to others for the glory of God.

My girlfriend and I had a conversation a few months ago about how we were both really passionate about reaching into an industry dominated by secular businesses and organizations and representing Christ in that by being professional and excellent where God puts us.  I admit, I am tired of seeing Christian products and thinking “Wow, that’s cheesy.”  I am tired of seeing Christians produce mediocre and tacky things, while everyone else can pull out big funding and professionalism to show off their garbage. 

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that the Christian community should neglect Truth to have a cooler presentation, but if the Christian community is going to be serious about impacting our culture, they need to be able to compete with the excellence that other industries have.  This miniseries does that in a way that few Christian products have had in Hollywood before.  I watched several interviews with the producers behind the series, Mark Burnett (“Survivor”) and his wife Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”), and they brought something HUGE to this project that doesn’t just compete with other films…it surpasses them. 

Burnett and Downey have spent almost 4 years on this project, filming in Morocco with a committed cast from around the world.  They bring an Oscar-winning editing studio to the table, not to mention part of the team from the fantastic film “Gladiator” (Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerard) to help make the film as authentic and excellent as possible.

I am very proud that a group of Christians committed themselves to present the Word of God in a visually stunning and masterful way.  There is nothing second-rate about this miniseries and I know that it is the producers’ hope that their work might cause people to go back and take another look at what the Bible says and the hope that it gives.  It is not a book full of children’s stories and fairytales.  In fact, the Bible is very dark in parts.  It is not PG, it is PG-13, even R sometimes.  The Word of God is not cheesy and the Gospel is not something to be taken lightly. And I think the way this miniseries was produced reflects those beliefs as well.

The producers behind this series made a big splash in the Hollywood pond and there is now a Christian product out there that was filmed with enough excellence and mastery to compete with other works.  It screams out to those who watch it “Give me another look, I am not as silly and childish and you may have thought” and if this miniseries causes others to reconsider their opinions on the Bible and make people go back to read it for themselves, then praise be to God.

In conclusion, the idea of making the Bible into a miniseries is not a bad idea or inherently evil.  With the generation of Christians today who read the Bible more on their iPads, and smartphones than in the book itself, this TV miniseries is a product that meets us where we are.  The real issue now is more about the content and accuracy within the miniseries itself.

The Bible as a Miniseries? (Part 1)

So in case you haven’t heard, there is a new Bible miniseries that is airing on the History Channel.  The series is 10 hours long (5 episodes, 2 hour long episodes) and features some of the more popular Bible stories such as: Creation, Noah and the flood, Moses and the parting of the Red Sea, Joshua and the fall of Jericho, the life of Samson, David and Goliath, Daniel and the lions’ den, the ministry of Jesus, the crucifixion, and the resurrection.

I have heard a lot of opinions about this series and have heard out both sides as well as seen the first Episode (Creation – Israelites enter into the Promised Land).  All this being said, I have made an opinion and would like to share my feelings about this highly controversial subject.  Not to say that my opinion is better or “more right” than another person’s, but I would like to speak to this because I see and agree with several points on both sides of the issue.  I have a lot to say and will more than likely create several blog posts about this subject to divide up my thoughts.  No need to make write up a 5,000 word post and expect everyone to read the whole thing. J

For this post, I want to focus on the very idea of making the Bible into a miniseries.  I have read and heard many opinions of people who are angry, even outraged, that the History Channel would be presenting something like this.  Now granted, I am very skeptical of anything that the History Channel produces in relation to the Word of God, but this series is different.  My question to the people who are angry about the Bible being filmed and presented in a miniseries is…why?

I look around at American culture and so much of what I see is secular garbage.  I am a 21 year old guy and everything my society is trying to feed me is poisonous nonsense.  The clothes I’m supposed to wear are silly, the “hip” music is toxic to my thoughts, and the idea of tolerance that is being forced upon me (quite intolerantly, I might add) would strip me of my convictions, my morals, and my love for justice.

According to American society, my life should revolve around having fun.  “Having fun” meaning all sorts of things whether it is partying, getting drunk, having sex, doing drugs, or whatever.  We are all bombarded with this trash that, at the very least, distracts us, and at the very most, does us harm that we have to live with the rest of our lives.

So when a series like this comes out, I am all for the idea.  In a culture where all we see on TV are lies, I welcome a miniseries on the very thing that I strive to center my life around.  In a very basic sense, this series combats all the other trash out there and gives me, not only a safe, but an encouraging outlet when it comes to entertainment.

I think that many people approach this subject, having already judged the miniseries in their hearts because it isn’t “the holy book”.  And if that is your attitude, please consider this: What other things are out there in the entertainment industry that affirm your faith and are meant to encourage you spiritually?

Loyalty to the End

I was recently reading in 2 Samuel 23 following along with a sermon I was listening to.  The chapter is all about King David's "mighty men", his 30 elite warriors that followed and served him.  The account starts off with some very outrageously unbelievable stories about a few of David's top warriors.  Josheb-Basshebeth, the commander of "the three" (who were the three greatest warriors among David's mighty men) was said to have once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle.  Honestly, this seems like something I'd see in a video game or a very intense action movie.  But in real life...800 enemy warriors?  Wow!

Another of "the three", this man named Eleazar, once stood with David against a force of Philistines after the entire Israelite army had already retreated.  Together, they slew the enemy until they were too tired to lift their swords....their allies returned only to help them gather the plunder because there were no warriors left to kill.

The last of "the three"...a man named Shammah who once held his position in a field while the Israelites fled the battlefield.  Alone, Shammah resisted and caused the Philistines to fall back after many of them had died.

There is yet another time when "the three" went down into Bethlehem to fetch water for David.  Only problem was Bethlehem was inhabited by a large number of Philistine warriors at the time.  So three men fought the whole force, beating them back long enough for water to be drawn from a well by the gate.  Yes, three men pushed back a small army so that their leader could have a drink of water.  Its crazy!

These are just some of the stories of the mightiest of David's closest warriors.  Others are listed for doing enormously brave things.  Men who killed hundreds of the enemy in a battle, men who willingly chased wild lions into pits and killed them, men who put their lives on the line for David and did so with incredible courage, boldness, and resolve.

Towards the end of the chapter, each of David's mighty men is named and given honor.  And in the very last verse, a man's name stands alone.  As I read it, I can tell you that it screamed at me.  And I had to scramble through my sources and Bible commentaries to see if I was really reading it right.

The last man listed as one of David's mighty men is Uriah the Hittite.

You see, we all know Uriah from 2 Samuel 11, where David sees a beautiful woman, sleeps with her, finds out her husband is Uriah, a soldier in the army, and then David eventually has Uriah killed so that he might take Uriah's wife as his own.

And as horrible as that is, it puts it in an even worse light when you realize that Uriah wasn't just "some soldier".  No, Uriah was a close friend.  A great warrior who had guarded David's back for years, possibly even before David was king and was running from King Saul.  Uriah was like a brother to David.  Not some common soldier that David did not know.

I doubt that David knew who Bathsheba was when he slept with her.  And after finding out that she was Uriah's wife, I imagine that he was greatly distressed.  This better explains why he calls Uriah from battle to visit him and he pleads with his friend to go home and be with his wife.  Uriah is important to David and despite his lust and lack of self-control, David doesn't want to destroy his ties of friendship and trust with Uriah.  He knows that if Uriah goes home to his wife and sleeps with her, then when Bathsheba becomes pregnant, Uriah could safely assume he was the father.

The problem was that Uriah was a man of honor and would not return home to enjoy the comfort of being with his wife when his brothers and fellow warriors were away at war.  David was trying to cover up his own failures and preserve his friendship with Uriah.  But Uriah's honor and his loyalty would be the death of him...

David, realizing that he could not persuade Uriah to go home, knew that when Bathsheba became pregnant, he would be found out.  Rather than face his mistakes, he horribly betrayed his dear friend, sending him back to the battlefield and ordering him into the most dangerous part of the battle while commanding that Uriah's allies and fellow warriors retreat and leave Uriah to be killed while fighting alone.

I knew that David was a man of many mistakes.  And I knew that adultery, lust, murder, and pride were among his sins.  But can I be honest? It really struck my heart hard to realize that David did not just take the wife of a random soldier who he didn't know...he stole away the most prized thing that his dear friend had and then took his friend's life because his integrity would expose David's sin.

And as horrible as it was, what David did...he is not the focus of my thoughts in this post.  Uriah is.  You gotta wonder; why would the king randomly send for Uriah to leave his post and pay him a visit?  And upon visiting his king and trusted friend of many years, do you not think that Uriah was suspicious of David's behavior?

Even more disturbing is the thought that maybe Uriah realized what was going on...it is possible that he knew David was deceiving him.  After all, they had known each other many years.  And despite these possible reservations, Scripture never records Uriah complaining or hesitating to serve his king and his country.

When Uriah returns to the army and hands his general (Joab, who happens to be David's nephew and was probably also a friend of Uriah) his new orders, written by King David himself, you have to wonder if Uriah knew his fate would be to die.  You have to wonder what Uriah thought as, in the midst of heated battle, he saw his companions and fellow warriors fall back, leaving him to fight alone.

I can't imagine what Uriah's final thoughts were...I'm sure he felt abandoned, but did he realize the depth of David's betrayal against him?  And if he did, how did he find it in himself to serve his king faithfully despite what David had done?

I wonder to myself what kind of character a man has to have that would possess him to cling to such loyalty. I am sure it was a brave and adventurous thing to do, following and protecting David in the earlier years of his life.  Running from the wrath of Saul, David already having been blessed as Israel's next king.  And in the wars and battles that followed David's rise to the throne, I can see Uriah taking pride in defending David from the many threats that arose.  But when the threat was David himself, Uriah remained steadfast and devoted.  And I do not believe a great warrior like that was blind to how David was playing him and was ignorant about the fate David had decreed for him.

Yet Uriah was loyal anyway.  He died anyway, surrendering his life in honor of the very king who ordered his death.  I cannot imagine being stabbed in the back by any of my close friends the way that David betrayed Uriah.  I cannot fathom Uriah's pain...and I certainly cannot understand Uriah's willingness to do the right thing anyway.  I mean, David messed up...Uriah would have been justified in going home, taking his wife, and leaving the country.  Or he could have fled from the battlefield when he learned where David had assigned him.  But no...I think that Uriah had decided that he would be righteous despite the sins of David.

I know that sometimes, in my own life, I feel justified in my disobedience to God because someone else wronged me.  I feel like I am owed something.  In the same way, David's sin effected Uriah greatly in a very unfair way.  And in our eyes, Uriah had a right to vengeance.  He had a right to defy David's orders and forsake their friendship because David had broken the trust between them.  David's mistake had the potential to ruin Uriah's life.  But even after David did wrong to Uriah, we do not see Uriah doing wrong in return.  Instead, he kept his innocence and his integrity, though it cost him his life and meant abandoning his wife to live under David's roof the rest of her days. Uriah's decision to keep his honor and remain loyal cost him everything.  Everything.

What would you risk for the sake of loyalty?  Do you hold that kind of devotion to Christ, the King of kings?  Think on it.  And when you feel like your loyalties are being stretched and trusting God is no longer an easy thing to do...remember Uriah the Hittite and take strength and courage from his example.

What is the Condition of Your Faith?

<sup>What does your faith look like?  I know what mine looks like, and I'm weary of seeing it and using it as a safety net to fall back on because I didn't allow faith to lead and direct my actions going into a situation.

Lately I have been pondering passages of Scripture like "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?' Then I will  tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Depart from Me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

I remember the words of James when he says "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:14-16)

When I examine myself and look at my thoughts, private actions, and motivations, do I measure up?  I may be able to keep those things private and locked away from the view of others, but not from God.  Not from the King of Truth.  

It is not enough that I own a multitude of Bibles and concordances and "Christian Living" books.  It is not enough that I call myself a Christian and wear Jesus T-shirts.  It is not enough that I play Christian radio stations and buy Christian CDs.  It is not enough that I attend church and associate myself with other Christians.  It is not even enough that I teach others on Sunday mornings and help out with the Youth Group on Wednesday nights.

It is not enough to create the perfect Christian image and hope that because I look like a Christian, I will secure salvation.  Such a display looks genuine on the outside, but inside it is hollow.  And the inside is what Christ is focused on.

It is easy to skim over the hard verses in Scripture that confront my passivity and call me to action.  It is simple to think back on a prayer prayed years back and feel secure in that, instead of allowing faith to grow me  and lead me forward in the way I ought to go.

Faith is our part of salvation.  God offers us something we cannot gain in our own power and we respond with faith that He is who He says He is and that He has done what He says He has done.

However, faith is also the fruit, or the proof of our salvation.  If we are not responding to life with a trust towards God, then do we have faith?  And if we lack faith, are we actually saved?  

The Bible doesn't say "Have faith that you're saved and you shall be saved."  It says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

True belief dictates action.  If I truly believe that a chair will hold me up, then I will not hesitate to sit in it.  If I truly believe that Jesus is King, the Author of my life, and the Provider of my salvation, then my lifestyle will show that.

More than just my lifestyle, my private actions, and the reflections of my heart will show that.  

I can evaluate myself more honestly, and more truly than the people around me.  And when I examine the deep parts of my heart, those parts that nobody else sees, I can see a lack of faith in some of those places.

To be content with an image of Christianity is to play with fire.  If you are comfortable with a passive faith, perhaps you never had faith at all.  Not a saving faith, anyway.

I have felt a burning conviction in my heart to let my faith burn hot in the areas of my life that I am comfortable being passive in.  It is dangerous and foolish to be comfortable with bad habits and thoughts that distance me from God.  It is dangerous and foolish to be content outside of intimacy with Christ.

I know better.  And my faith will not allow me to feel good about keeping those parts of my life holed up and away from God any longer.

This faith issue that I have been wrestling with for the past few weeks is a serious issue that demands your attention.  The condition of your soul is not something to put off being honest about.

In your heart and before God, can you say with truthfulness and complete honesty that you have a saving faith?  Outward actions are meaningless if you lack a heart that has been redeemed by God.  And a heart redeemed by God can only be shown through godly action.  Without one, the other collapses.

It is too easy and far too acceptable in our culture to play some fake Jesus game and wear a hollow Christian image and think that is enough.  But if that is as far as you go, you may be one of those false disciples to whom Jesus says "Depart from me, I never knew you."

Do not settle!  Are you chasing and pursuing Christ in your innermost thoughts as well as your public actions?  Be willing to ask yourself those tough questions, and be held accountable.  I beg this of you.

If I have stepped on toes, I do not apologize.  I had to stomp all over my own for quite some time before posting this.  I would rather make someone, or several someones uncomfortable than remain silent about something that matters more than anything else I can think of.

Are you saved?  That is not something anyone can answer for you.  It is a conversation you must have with God.  It is a serious question and it demands an answer.  Do not ignore this.  But once you have answered, examine your lifestyle and your private thoughts and actions.  Do they affirm your answer or do they contradict what you say?

I had a faith that was comfortable being put on display around people who would respect it and identify with it.  But in the privacy of my deepest thoughts, where was that faith?  It was behind a locked door, that's where.  And after sitting there long enough, its heat and passion began to burn through the door of my flesh.  The Spirit of God is a raging fire that cannot be contained.  If you try to resist it and lock it away, it will come for you.  It will smoke you out and you will never be rid of the conviction and the guilt until you yield to it and turn your heart's loyalty back to its King.

However, if you think you have resisted the Spirit of God and don't feel the heat of conviction, you probably never had the Holy Spirit to begin with.  Or you're in denial about your guilt.  

Once more, I will beg.  Because this is worthy of my begging.  What is the condition of your faith?  The truth of this question makes all the difference.  Ask yourself these hard questions.  You could have everything to gain.  You could have everything to lose.  I pray you find the answers and act on what you find as I have.  God is gracious in His gift of salvation.  But we are not promised tomorrow.</sup>