NO BOATS, NO BRIDGES

Joshua 1:1-9 is a passage of Scripture that has been foundational to my life and ministry.

Theses verses are the instructions of God to Joshua, the newly promoted leader of Israel on its way to the Promised Land. The instructions begin with the rather sobering statement, “Moses My servant is dead” (verse 2), and implied in that is “and you are now in charge.”

The next seven verses are rich with truth and instruction for all of us and are basic truths for success for every follower of Jesus Christ.

This passage is not only about Joshua assuming a new role of leadership, it is also about that moment in history when Israel was about to possess a promise God had made to them hundreds of years before (see Genesis 15:18).

After God spoke to Joshua and installed him as leader, His next words of instruction were, “Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them” (Joshua 1:2).

Now honestly, this doesn’t seem to be all that difficult—or does it?

Go with me as we visualize this scene. The children of Israel are on the eastern bank of the Jordan River. Looking across the river they can see the lush fields at harvest time. Years earlier Moses had sent twelve spies into the Promised Land and they had brought back a confusing report. Yes, the land was amazingly good, flowing with milk and honey, they said, and fruitful beyond belief. In fact, it took two men to carry one cluster of grapes. But they also said that the people who dwelt there were strong, the cities were fortified, and there were sons of giants living there. So ten of the twelve spies voted against going in and taking the land (see Numbers 13:25-33). 

For forty long years the children of Israel had choked on the unbelief of those men, unbelief that held them back and left them wandering in the wilderness. But those days were now over and God had given them clearance to go and take the land.

There was only one problem that had to be solved right away. How were they to get from the eastern bank of the Jordan to the western bank? There were no boats and there were no bridges! On top of that, it was harvesttime and the Jordan River was overflowing its banks. Harvesttime was the one time of the year that the river ran at flood stage.

So this is the scene confronting Joshua and the children of Israel. The promise is so close they can literally smell the lush fields and the fruitfulness of the land. Several million people were clamoring to get across the river and into their new homeland but what were they going to do?

Here are the instructions that God gave to Joshua to get across the river.

“When the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord . . . shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing” (Joshua 3:13).

In verses 15 and 16 of the same chapter, we read that as soon as the priests’ feet were in the water, the flow of the flooding river stopped close to the city of Zarethan, which is 15-20 miles upstream from where Joshua and the people were.

We don’t know how long it took for the miracle to fully manifest itself because unlike what happened at the Red Sea parting, the place where the waters of the Jordan stopped was miles away from where the crossing would take place. It would have taken time for the water to recede enough for the people to be able to cross.

No matter what your impossible situation is, go ahead and take your step of faith as God leads you to do so. Do not get discouraged, because it takes time for the fullness of the miracle answer to show itself. Sometimes the answers come immediately and sometimes they come over a period of time—but in both cases they will come!

“For you have need of endurance (patience), so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (Hebrews 10:36).

When God opened the Red Sea, He used a strong wind (Exodus 14:21-22). When Moses lifted his rod, the wind began to blow, and when he lowered the rod, the waters flowed back (14:26–28). When Joshua led Israel across the Jordan, it was not the obedient arm of a leader that brought the miracle but the obedient feet of the people. Unless we are willing to step out by faith and obey His Word,  God can never open the way for us.

No boats, no bridges—but we do have feet and we do have promises and we can be obedient. It’s time for us to get our feet wet!

RUNNING TO SAFETY

The words of a worship chorus ran through my mind for several days in a row: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe.” Over and over the words came. When I got up in the morning I was singing them in my mind; during the day when I paused, there they were.

Am I the only one this has ever happened to? Or perhaps it’s the uplifting words of Kanye West or Taylor Swift that occupy your mind! (I’m just kidding . . . it’s just a poor attempt at humor!)

The words of this worship chorus are taken from Proverbs 18:10 (ESV). To fully understand this verse we also need to look at the next two verses.

10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
       the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
       and like a high wall in his imagination

12 Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,

     but humility comes before honor.

The “name of the Lord” is speaking of God in His completeness. He is not just God the creator, or the provider, or the merciful, or the just. He is God and He is all those and much, much more. When I mention the name of a person you have known for years, as some of you have known me, what immediately springs to mind? A mental picture of that person and with it the memories, the knowledge of who that person is, and what kind of person he is. This is what “the name of the Lord” is meant to convey, as complete a picture of God as we are capable of having and then some. His strengths, His character, His mercy . . . all of Him!

To visualize the “strong tower,” think of the high walls of a fortified castle. If you were one of the few who saw the movie Troy, you know that the Greeks could not defeat the city of Troy because of its high and unassailable walls. The only way the Greek army could get into the city was to resort to trickery. Because they could not get through or over the walls, they devised the Trojan horse. And so it is with God’s people when we run to the strong tower; the only way the enemy can get in is to trick us into opening the door.

“The righteous man runs.” The word runs is self-explanatory; it means haste, don’t mess around, quickly get where the protection is. I struggle in this area because I am a negotiator. I like to work things out and instead of throwing myself into God’s arms, I try to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the pain, of the problem. The “righteous man runs” means we drop that pretense and throw ourselves into God’s protection. It’s tough for the John Wayne spirit to do this but this “John Wayne” has messed up enough times to finally begin to learn that his way is not God’s way.

“Is safe” means to be lifted up out of harm’s way. This is a powerful promise for God’s people.  The name of the Lord (all of God) is committed to keeping His children “safe.”

Verse 11 stands in contrast to verse 10 and as such sets the meaning of the verse into a more clearly defined image.

When we speak of “a rich man’s wealth,” we are not speaking only of financial fortune. We are also speaking of all those who are rich in many other ways: in success, in celebrity, in education, in intelligence. The wealth they have amassed in the area of their endeavors becomes, in their mind, their fortress. Their mind tells them to believe that in that wealth, they can find the security they are hungering for.

The wealthy imagine that their abundance is providing them a protection that is “unscaleable” (verse 11). In their minds they believe, “Nothing can get to me, nothing can overcome the richness of what I possess, I’m secure here!” Those rich in intelligence think they can find a solution by using their vast mental resources. The successful entrepreneur believes that with dogged determination and a few more dollars, he can press ahead and find a way.

But verse 12 sets the pride-filled thinking of those who believe their “richness” will insulate them in perspective: “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”

The majority of the American church in 2015 is a pride-filled church. There is no revival flowing in the land because of the failure of the Church to be obedient to 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

A great tragedy of the end-times Church is that it will not find the safety it seeks by trying to hide in its pride! We cannot hold on to pride and see the blessing of the Lord (see Isaiah 57:15).

THE HEAVENLY MAN

I have just finished reading the book The Heavenly Man, the amazing story of Brother Yun, one of the pioneers of the house church movement in China. Yun’s story is a glimpse inside one of the more incredible “book of Acts”-type stories taking place in today’s world.

By 1949 the Communist government had all but closed down the Christian Church in China.  Almost—but not quite! This book chronicles the life and exploits of one young Chinese Christian who refused to recant his faith. Persecution did not stop him; prison did not stop him; savage beatings and broken bones did not stop him; and threats of death did not cause his faith to waver.

Brother Yun tells of relentless persecution by the Communists. He tells of being warned and led by the Holy Spirit in his journey of faith to share the Good News with his countrymen. Reading how the Holy Spirit miraculously intervened for Yun reminds me of Peter’s deliverance from prison by the Holy Spirit in Acts 12, and Paul and Silas in Acts 16.

Yun’s stories are astonishing and at times somewhat difficult for me, a pampered Western Christian, to fully process. Some of our friends have read Yun’s book and when they found that Carol and I were reading it, they shared that they actually found parts of it difficult to read.

I believe the difficulty in reading a book like this is caused by a type of culture clash—a clash between the reality of life in other parts of the world and our Western-style Christianity. It’s a collision of the reality of life on the front edge of the spreading of the gospel and the pampered, babied, misled culture of contemporary Western Christianity.

I’m not going to say more about “Life is good—your best days are ahead” Christianity at this time except to state that a persecution storm of hellish proportions is coming. When the storm fully arrives, those who are not grounded in the Word, are not praying, and are not in step with the Spirit are going to struggle to keep their faith intact (see Thessalonians 2:3 and 1 Peter 1:10).

One of the questions that frequently arises when a book such as The Heavenly Man is read is, “Why does God allow situations like this to happen—doesn’t He care?”

The apostle Paul actually explains this type of situation for us. He was a true pioneer of the Church and his ministry constantly took him to the forefront of the spreading of the gospel. Out on the frontlines Paul was put through all kinds of persecution, threats, beatings and imprisonment and it happened more than once (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-24).

Paul helps us get an understanding of what his struggles and pain were all about when he writes in Philippians 1:12-13 (ESV): “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.”

The phrase “advance the gospel” really unlocks the meaning of what Paul wanted to say and gives us a very clear understanding of his pioneer spirit.

In the original, the word advance means “to cut before.” In ancient times warfare primarily consisted of thousands of foot soldiers on one side fighting with thousands of foot soldiers on the opposing side. As the armies marched out to the field of battle, a smaller army of pioneers went before them to scout out a path and clear obstacles from in front of the main force. If the pioneers came to a stand of trees that would slow down the main army, their responsibility was to cut a path through so that progress was not disrupted. This is the meaning of the word advance as Paul uses it. Paul was a Holy Ghost pioneer who has gone before us and cleared the way so that our progress is not unnecessarily impeded. Paul's letters to the churches are the path he has cleared for us to follow.

Or so it should be! Unfortunately, when the Word of God is taken lightly and even essentially ignored, the Church loses sight of the path. This is the case in segments of the Church of today, especially the Church in America.

And this is what pioneers such as Pastor Yun have done for the Church in China. By the grace of God they have forged a path of faith for the Church that is now experiencing an incredible harvest.

I began this article with the statement that by 1949 Christianity was all but wiped out in China. This morning I looked at one report that said there are now approximately one hundred and sixty million Christians in China and the house church movement continues to explode and is now sending missionaries throughout the world—thousands of them!

Can you shout, “Praise the Lord”?

IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT - PART 2

After the blog “In Step with the Spirit” was published a few weeks ago, I was asked the question, “What can I do to get in step with the Holy Spirit?”

The list below is only a partial answer to that question. It is not meant to be inclusive but is more of a conversation starter than anything. If you have an insight about this question, please send it to me and the next time I write on the Holy Spirit (and it won’t be that long) I’ll include your thought and give appropriate credit.

1. Ask yourself, “Do I really want to be in step with the Spirit?”

Many believers basically ignore the Holy Spirit. They acknowledge that the Bible mentions the Holy Spirit’s presence in their life. They read the Word, they listen to sermons, and once in a while they have a strong prayer time but that’s it. They tend to treat the Holy Spirit as if He is not a part of the Trinity and that whatever value He has to us is not that important. Those who have adopted this position will never enjoy the full presence of the Spirit or His leading until they change their attitude toward Him and toward His involvement in their life.

If this is you then let me encourage you to carefully study what Jesus said when He introduced the disciples to the Holy Spirit. Here are some scriptures to begin this study—John 14:15-31; John 15:26; John 16:5-15.

The primary key to being in step with the Spirit is, “Are you hungry for more of God in your life?” The key to all forward movement, spiritually, is hunger. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6; also see Proverbs 8:17 and Jeremiah 29:13).

2. Are you open to the Holy Spirit? Have you welcomed Him to lead and guide you? Do you talk to the Holy Spirit?

Many believers seem to have the mistaken idea that they are not to talk to the Holy Spirit. They know they are free to talk to God and to Jesus but for some reason they feel that the Holy Spirit is off limits—so they never do.

I know the Holy Spirit is in me (1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19). I have asked the Holy Spirit to fill me to overflowing with His power and His presence just like the Apostle Paul said: “I want to be being filled (continuously) with the Spirit.”

I have made it a practice in my personal prayer time to daily welcome the Holy Spirit to guide me, to correct me, to reveal (to open the Word) to me. In other words, I want the Holy Spirit to be fully active in me and through me. I put no prohibitions on Him—to do so would be an insult to the Godhead. I honor the Holy Spirit and I hunger for Him to be fully active in and through me.

3. Where are you in regard to the fruit of the Spirit?

If we are serious about being in step with the Spirit, we need to be actively cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in our life. No one can suggest that they are walking with the Spirit if there is no evidence of the fruit of the Spirit.

The development of the fruit of the Spirit is a progressive work. We may be further ahead in showing forth some of the fruit of the Spirit than we are in others, and while we wish we could be fully developed in all at the same time, it’s not a sin if some are showing stronger than others. But please don’t completely ignore the fruit of the Spirit and don’t bypass some and give precedence to others.

I think it’s valuable, from time to time, to take a personal inventory of the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). If you are weak in some then ask the Spirit to help you and make it a personal practice to work on those weak areas. You are going to be pleasantly surprised at what happens!

One more thing. I was raised in a classical Pentecostal church. Many of the people I went to church with believed that their initial “filling” with the Holy Spirit was the reception of the complete package and that there was nothing more to be added. Consequently, they sought nothing more and they got nothing more. I wonder, if that premise were true, why Paul would tell us that we should continually seek for more of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

I’m including a link to two short video interviews of John Piper talking about his desire to be filled with the Spirit. I have great respect for John Piper and I love to read his books and his sermons. For those who are interested, here’s the link:

http://www.cityofgodblog.com/2013/01/sorry-cessationists-john-piper-isnt-playing-for-your-team/#sthash.MBBWO2ts.dpbs