"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to Yahweh your Elohim, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."
~Joel 2:13
I've been thinking about the term "dying daily" recently (1 Cor. 15:31). And I think it means something subtly different than what many Christians assume.
"But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation." ~Colossians 1:22
The truth in Messiah is that we've already died, once and for all. You died with Christ -- thus, there is no more dying to do! The Holy Spirit already cleansed you, sanctified you, and gave you the seal of Resurrection life (Ephesians 1:13). What Jesus did was enough. So I don't think Paul was talking about constantly spiritually 'killing' oneself, again and again and again. He wasn't saying that we must obsessively purge ourselves from each and every sin. No...Dying daily is about remembrance.
Martin Luther (supposedly?) said, "we need to hear the gospel everyday because we forget it everyday". And it's true! The good news is almost too good to be true. It's almost unbelievable, and it would be, without the power of the Spirit drawing us in (John 6:44). Even after belief, our minds must be continually renewed (Romans 12:2). The Gospel can be hard to get a grasp on!
If you're stressed out, if you are anxious, it's ultimately because you've had a short term crisis in faith. Perfect peace have they that love Yah's law (Psalm 119:165). That's the law of love, which you are currently living under (Romans 8:2)! If you are not being in peace, it's because of unbelief.
All it takes to get your peace back is to rest and remember. It's critical that we are always remembering the gospel. In the Old Testament, Yahweh commanded Joshua and fellow Israelites to set up memorial stones after having passed through the Jordan (Joshua 4). Symbolically speaking, they had just been baptized. They'd just entered into the Promise (Hebrews 4:8).
They had arrived. Yet the good news is -- so have you! And your conversion experience has been far more glorious (2 Cor. 4). Christ is the stone that commemorates your arrival into the Kingdom (Matthew 21:42). But to live in the bliss of this truth, belief and contemplation is required.
There is a violence that comes with believing (Matthew 11:12). There is a necessity to tear and to rend your heart; to return to the truth. There is a putting off of the old and a welcoming of the new. There is a dying to oneself -- but only in the sense of remembering that you've already been reborn and made new! Belief will always produce tangible results.
Showing posts with label Joshua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joshua. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Be Bold And Very Courageous...What's Next?
"And he said to the Israelites, When your children ask their fathers in time to come, What do these stones mean?
You shall let your children know, Israel came over this Jordan on dry ground.
For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up for us until we passed over,
That all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty and that you may reverence and fear the Lord your God forever."
Joshua 4:21-24
So, we've stepped over. We have seen God's promises, met the conditions, claimed them, and stepped out in faith. And then we've reached them, and they have become reality in our lives! What next?
Well, we cannot forget what God has done in the past. We can't forget the acts of His goodness. We need to diligently keep all of the testimony that He's given us (Deuteronomy 6:17). We need to remember, and not forget, so that our fear and reverence of the the Lord does not fade. Instead of letting the past grow dim, we need to meditate on it! (Psalms 105:5) We need to keep it in our awareness so that we can build upon our view of the character of God.
Now we can go into the future. Now we can walk in those things that God has already prepared for us. There is a pathway that leads to synchronicity in blessing, and all we need to do to shift onto it is step out in faith. There is a path through life that is full of hope. And all we need to do it hold on to the promises!
"And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed Him."
Luke 5:11
So, we cross the Jordan, and then we leave all else behind and walk by Jesus into the land our promises. We forsake all, and follow Him. That's what it takes. We have to walk by faith, not by sight, as the path we're on grows brighter and brighter. We have to patiently wait until God fulfills more and more promises. We have to wait until our reality is entirely His reality, and His Word fills all things in our lives. This is where He makes our way perfect (Psalms 18:32). This is where He perfects our surroundings (Psalms 138:8).
Now, I know that Luke 5:11 above is not in context related at all to the Jordan crossing seen in the book of Joshua. But I also know that God's Word is alive and dynamic and active. And I know that the Lord gave me Luke 5:11 as a way to demonstrate how to move forward even after the attainment of promises.
We need to attain the promises, and then go on to full devotion, full maturity. We need to be full of hope, boldness, and truth. And we can only have these things if we walk with Jesus. We can only have the fruit of the Spirit if we are drawing nearer to Him. Let's yield to the leading of God today.
Joshua 4:21-24
So, we've stepped over. We have seen God's promises, met the conditions, claimed them, and stepped out in faith. And then we've reached them, and they have become reality in our lives! What next?
Well, we cannot forget what God has done in the past. We can't forget the acts of His goodness. We need to diligently keep all of the testimony that He's given us (Deuteronomy 6:17). We need to remember, and not forget, so that our fear and reverence of the the Lord does not fade. Instead of letting the past grow dim, we need to meditate on it! (Psalms 105:5) We need to keep it in our awareness so that we can build upon our view of the character of God.
Now we can go into the future. Now we can walk in those things that God has already prepared for us. There is a pathway that leads to synchronicity in blessing, and all we need to do to shift onto it is step out in faith. There is a path through life that is full of hope. And all we need to do it hold on to the promises!
"And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed Him."
Luke 5:11
So, we cross the Jordan, and then we leave all else behind and walk by Jesus into the land our promises. We forsake all, and follow Him. That's what it takes. We have to walk by faith, not by sight, as the path we're on grows brighter and brighter. We have to patiently wait until God fulfills more and more promises. We have to wait until our reality is entirely His reality, and His Word fills all things in our lives. This is where He makes our way perfect (Psalms 18:32). This is where He perfects our surroundings (Psalms 138:8).
Now, I know that Luke 5:11 above is not in context related at all to the Jordan crossing seen in the book of Joshua. But I also know that God's Word is alive and dynamic and active. And I know that the Lord gave me Luke 5:11 as a way to demonstrate how to move forward even after the attainment of promises.
We need to attain the promises, and then go on to full devotion, full maturity. We need to be full of hope, boldness, and truth. And we can only have these things if we walk with Jesus. We can only have the fruit of the Spirit if we are drawing nearer to Him. Let's yield to the leading of God today.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Be Bold and Courageous: Crossing The Jordan, Revisited
In March of 2014, the Lord gave me a dream where I was crossing a modern-day Jordan river and going into the promised land. To paraphrase, I was on a boat with many people, who, although nice, seemed really unmotivated, and the boat was stuck. I decided to leave the boat, join an evacuation team that had come to rescue us, and then send off into the wilderness at the other side of the river.
God showed me that my experience in this dream strongly paralleled Joshua chapters 1-3. We need to be bold, motivated, and decisive. That's where the rewards are! That's where we put all our trust into Him. What it means to be bold for Jesus, and what can be lost, if we aren't bold! All in all, the Lord was showing me through this dream that I had already chosen to step out, and that it was now time to walk in that .You can read more about this whole message here: Entering The Promised Land.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
Since my initial experience, the Lord has revisited this "crossing the Jordan" theme several times. And this present season is one of them! In the last few days, I've been blessed with many, many things that have confirmed the message. Many of these confirmations are from scripture that the Lord has specifically led me to; others are through signs or the writings of others. Below are just a few of the scriptural ones:
BOLDNESS: Joshua 1:9
"Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be
dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
CROSSING THE JORDAN ON DRY LAND: Joshua 3:6-11
"Joshua said to the priests, Take up the ark of the covenant and pass over before the people. And they took it up and went on before the people.
The Lord said to Joshua, This day I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan. Joshua said to the Israelites, Come near, hear the words of the Lord your God...
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan!"
REMEMBRANCE: Joshua 4:21-24
"And he said to the Israelites, When your children ask their fathers in time to come, What do these stones mean?
You shall let your children know, Israel came over this Jordan on dry ground.
For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up for us until we passed over,
That all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty and that you may reverence and fear the Lord your God forever."
There is so much in these scriptures--the Holy Spirit has so much to say to us through them. This is what my dream relates to, and this is what we can all relate to everyday. We can take from the details of Joshua 1 through 4 many things:
God has commanded us to be bold and courageous. He has commanded us to step out in faith. He has commanded us to step out in faith, reaching the Promised Land by it. He has commanded us to arrive at and attain to every promise found in His Word. And the last step of attainment may just seem impossible. It probably will be, without the Lord and His wonder-working power. God alone can take us to the total fulfillment of our promises.
So let's be bold and step out. Let's be bold and lay hold of abundant life. Let's act into His Kingdom come--let's not wait for another person to stir us up or motivate us to get moving. Let's make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). Let's be strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10),
When we step out, let's reach for the Promised Land. If God has told you something, He is still telling you that something. The promises have not changed. Reach for them! Not by might, not by power, but by the Holy Spirit, step out in faith. (Zechariah 4:6) Step out, and watch as the Lord makes the waters part.
We can't be stagnant. We can't be easily satisfied. We can't be like the people in my dream--well meaning Christians, but more than content to watch as others play the forerunner. We all need to attain to the blessings of Christ! We all need to see Him as He really is, for ourselves (1 John 3:2). The veil has been torn for all of us. And all of us can, with boldness, in faith receive a blessing from God.
"So let no one boast about human beings, since everything belongs to you"
1 Corinthians 3:21
"So let no one boast about human beings, since everything belongs to you"
1 Corinthians 3:21
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Snapshot: Entering the Promised Land
A few days ago God spoke to me about my pathway through life. This was the same day He was telling me to ask for details. But in addition to this, we need to allow the Spirit to control our will and our dreams. We need to imagine God's Will, and walk into it. We need to see what He sees, feel what He feels, and follow His leadings step by step into the Promised Land.
I remember that a Christian figure from past times coined the term "Holy Imagination". And that's what we need to have. We need to have Holy thoughts and pure minds. Only then can we dream big.
And only then can God implant Himself into our visions and our dreams . Infact, this was the way that He called many old testament prophets. So many were called and received their calling from a Spirit filled, almost otherworldly dream.
This past Spring, I had a dream that I was crossing the Jordan river. The dream wasn't set in ancient times, though; instead, I was on a steamboat that was slowly being evacuated. Many passengers were on this boat, and many were scared about whatever might happen while they were stuck on this stalled boat. Other passengers, however, didn't seem to see any problem in their situation. I was left wondering what to do myself.
After some time, a militia-type group had also been sent onto the scene. These military leaders searched for passengers willing to be recruited into their evacuation team. Brave passengers became compelled to join this team, which was preparing to leave the ship and search for help on the mainland nearby. I remember that the ship was fairly close to the riverbank, although the evacuation team was facing a jungle once across the river. I listened as the military personnel spoke about the dangers of the mission ahead, and I felt more than slightly intimidated by my own prospects of joining this voluntary team. But the situation on the boat was boring and lifeless, and people were left to waste away through their own devices. So I decided I would go. I was going to join this team and cross the Jordan! I was told that the mission would be long and hard. I was told it would be dangerous. But I wanted to get off of that boat--it wasn't going anywhere and the people on board were not motivated to do much. This is where the dream ended.
When I woke up I felt it was a dream from the Lord. I felt His leading to be bold for Him and venture into uncharted territory. I felt His desire to take me into new places, and report back to those 'stuck' what I tasted and saw. Shortly after waking up that morning, God led me to the Joshua 1, 2 and 3, which strongly matched my dream. God was beginning a new season in my life, and I was being exhorted to enter into the promised land. Around the same time I had this dream, I started doing healing ministry on the street. I was just starting to be used by our Lord to pray for the afflicted. I was out of my comfort zone oftentimes. But I had made the choice; I had crossed the Jordan!
God's recently began speaking about this to me again. I believe that I'm in a new season now, and I've just crossed another river of roadblocks. In the life of a strong believer, there may well be many "Jordans" to cross. God wants His children to personally walk through the exploits in the Bible, and in that dream He gave me, I was shown that He wanted me to live out Jordan crossing of Joshua.
Confirmed 12/13: God showed me that I've crossed the Jordan, because His commandments were more important.
Confirmed 12/14: I was reading the book of Judges, and through 'quickened eye-glances' (see the Quickened Word for more on this), God revealed to me that I had been called out with Him. This is exactly what the military leaders were doing in my dream all those months ago. And He went on and showed me that I was to follow His lead. How critical! Just as the Israelites could not cross the Jordan without the Presence of God, in the Ark, guiding them, we cannot enter the Promised Land that He's called us to unless we follow Him into it.
Confirmed 12/15: Recent Themes have been: Lush, green gardens. Green trees. The Tree of Life. Milk and Honey. The finest of foods. Open Door to His Promises!
Confirmed 12/15: I was reading the Bible Commentary book again, and God really spoke through it. Random reading (search the 'labels' feature for this, if you're interested). I was led to the subtitles "Canaan" and "Canaan as a type of Heaven". God wants to lead us all into a land where the Promises He's given us become manifest. He wants to lead all those who will listen into a land of heaven on earth. The Promised Land symbolizes that our Lord has given us another chance to return to the Garden. The Promised Land symbolizes that our God has great things planned for us, even before we enter Heaven itself. Praise God!
I remember that a Christian figure from past times coined the term "Holy Imagination". And that's what we need to have. We need to have Holy thoughts and pure minds. Only then can we dream big.
And only then can God implant Himself into our visions and our dreams . Infact, this was the way that He called many old testament prophets. So many were called and received their calling from a Spirit filled, almost otherworldly dream.
This past Spring, I had a dream that I was crossing the Jordan river. The dream wasn't set in ancient times, though; instead, I was on a steamboat that was slowly being evacuated. Many passengers were on this boat, and many were scared about whatever might happen while they were stuck on this stalled boat. Other passengers, however, didn't seem to see any problem in their situation. I was left wondering what to do myself.
After some time, a militia-type group had also been sent onto the scene. These military leaders searched for passengers willing to be recruited into their evacuation team. Brave passengers became compelled to join this team, which was preparing to leave the ship and search for help on the mainland nearby. I remember that the ship was fairly close to the riverbank, although the evacuation team was facing a jungle once across the river. I listened as the military personnel spoke about the dangers of the mission ahead, and I felt more than slightly intimidated by my own prospects of joining this voluntary team. But the situation on the boat was boring and lifeless, and people were left to waste away through their own devices. So I decided I would go. I was going to join this team and cross the Jordan! I was told that the mission would be long and hard. I was told it would be dangerous. But I wanted to get off of that boat--it wasn't going anywhere and the people on board were not motivated to do much. This is where the dream ended.
When I woke up I felt it was a dream from the Lord. I felt His leading to be bold for Him and venture into uncharted territory. I felt His desire to take me into new places, and report back to those 'stuck' what I tasted and saw. Shortly after waking up that morning, God led me to the Joshua 1, 2 and 3, which strongly matched my dream. God was beginning a new season in my life, and I was being exhorted to enter into the promised land. Around the same time I had this dream, I started doing healing ministry on the street. I was just starting to be used by our Lord to pray for the afflicted. I was out of my comfort zone oftentimes. But I had made the choice; I had crossed the Jordan!
God's recently began speaking about this to me again. I believe that I'm in a new season now, and I've just crossed another river of roadblocks. In the life of a strong believer, there may well be many "Jordans" to cross. God wants His children to personally walk through the exploits in the Bible, and in that dream He gave me, I was shown that He wanted me to live out Jordan crossing of Joshua.
Confirmed 12/13: God showed me that I've crossed the Jordan, because His commandments were more important.
Confirmed 12/14: I was reading the book of Judges, and through 'quickened eye-glances' (see the Quickened Word for more on this), God revealed to me that I had been called out with Him. This is exactly what the military leaders were doing in my dream all those months ago. And He went on and showed me that I was to follow His lead. How critical! Just as the Israelites could not cross the Jordan without the Presence of God, in the Ark, guiding them, we cannot enter the Promised Land that He's called us to unless we follow Him into it.
Confirmed 12/15: Recent Themes have been: Lush, green gardens. Green trees. The Tree of Life. Milk and Honey. The finest of foods. Open Door to His Promises!
Confirmed 12/15: I was reading the Bible Commentary book again, and God really spoke through it. Random reading (search the 'labels' feature for this, if you're interested). I was led to the subtitles "Canaan" and "Canaan as a type of Heaven". God wants to lead us all into a land where the Promises He's given us become manifest. He wants to lead all those who will listen into a land of heaven on earth. The Promised Land symbolizes that our Lord has given us another chance to return to the Garden. The Promised Land symbolizes that our God has great things planned for us, even before we enter Heaven itself. Praise God!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)