In Joshua 9 & 10, the Israelite leaders fail to consult God on an important decision and end up making a treaty with the Gibeonites. Because they made an oath under God, they had to honor the oath and the newly formed treaty. God reminds His people to not be afraid and continues to fight their battles and defeat their enemies. God sent hail and even held the sun and the moon still in the sky until their enemies were defeated. They claimed victory over the southern regions but only by the alm...
Mar 21, 2023•14 min
In Acts 7, Stephen - filled with the Holy Spirit - addresses the Jewish leaders that do not believe Jesus is the Messiah. He boldly speaks of the glory of God with grace and power. He gazed at the heavens and saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. This is the only place in Scripture I've found where it says Jesus was standing rather than sitting in His place of honor. Scripture doesn't say why He is standing. It could be that He's applauding Stephen for standing up for God...
Mar 18, 2023•5 min
In Joshua 7 & 8, the Israelites lost their first battle and 36 men. God promised them this land, but they had sin in the camp. We cannot be victorious in God and entertain sin at the same time. God gives us victory over our enemy, but we first have to turn, repent, and let Jesus cleanse us and purify us. Sin is not an individual affair - it affects families, friends, and even nations. God tells His people to "Get up", cleanse themselves, and go. He still wants them to move into His will for ...
Mar 17, 2023•15 min
We are in a daily battle. One of the biggest battles, I believe, that many of us face is negative self-talk or self-doubts. We are made righteous by Jesus. Anything not supported by Scripture is a lie. It's time we rise up and conquer this battle. It's time we rise up, unite, and fight the enemy with all we've got. God already won, so it's time to stop living defeated. See who God says you are. See who God made you to be. We need to stop beating ourselves up with lies and stop letting our loved ...
Mar 16, 2023•11 min
In Joshua 5 & 6, the generation coming into the promised land of God enter into their part of God's covenant with them. When they do, God rolled away the shame of their slavery. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and enter into His covenant, our shame is also rolled away. Whatever sins we've done or have been done to us is cleansed and cleared by the blood of Jesus. Any and all shame and guilt is also rolled away in that cleansing. We don't have to hang on to it. We can let it go. Jesus alre...
Mar 15, 2023•10 min
In Joshua 3 & 4, God raises Joshua up as a leader of the Israelites and God successfully leads them into their very first steps into their promised land. The Ark of the Covenant leads God's people. God is with them and goes before them, after them, and with them in every single step. God is with us in every step of our days the exact same way. God tells Joshua that the Israelites will know that God is with him as He raises Joshua up as their leader. People around us should be able to see and...
Mar 14, 2023•9 min
In Joshua 1 & 2, the Israelites are ready to go and enter into God's promises for their lives and God is ready to send them. God tells Joshua three times in a row to be strong and courageous, know that God is going to be with him every step of the way, and to rest assured that God will not fail or abandon him. We will face battles and struggles in life. Psalm 23 says that we pass through the valleys of the shadows of death, we don't stay in them. God is with us through it all. It's a promise...
Mar 13, 2023•12 min
In Deuteronomy 33 & 34, Moses is preparing for his departure into eternity with God. He gives each of the 12 tribes of Israel his final blessings before he goes. God knows they will turn from Him, but He is still going to pass the baton to Joshua to lead His people to their promised land. We break God's Word, but God does not break His. When Moses takes his final look at the land of God's promise, he passes from this earthly life and goes into eternity with God. God buries Moses Himself show...
Mar 11, 2023•14 min
In Deuteronomy 31 & 32, God's people are reminded repeatedly to not be afraid, to be strong and courageous, and to not panic before our enemies. He reminds us that God will personally go ahead of us and will not fail or abandon us. He reminds God's people of the importance of fearing God and remaining in awe and reverence of Him and who He is. God knows Israel will turn their backs on Him and still leads them into the land He promised them. God knows everything we will ever do, and still des...
Mar 11, 2023•15 min
In Deuteronomy 29 & 30, the covenant they are about to enter into with God is reviewed. Moses encourages them again to choose God, to choose obedience. Today, we get the opportunity to choose Jesus. God will not force us to choose Him, it's our choice. He desperately wants all His children to choose Him, but the choice is ultimately up to us. God is never far from us, we just have to cry out to Him and He is there. Chapter 30 vs. 20a says "You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God...
Mar 10, 2023•12 min
In Deuteronomy 28, the blessings are given. If the Israelites choose to follow God, His blessings will be poured out on their lives. The chapter very quickly turns back to the curses they will endure if they do not choose God. Moses is doing all he can to warn them of what disobedience and rejecting God will bring in their lives. He knows these people quite well and knows they need all the warnings. Jesus took sin and defeated death on the cross so we don't have to live in these curses. If we ch...
Mar 08, 2023•14 min
In Deuteronomy 26 & 27, God's people are told how to respond when they enter into God's promise for their lives. Their first and foremost priority is to worship God. God wants an intimate relationship with us. The best gift we could ever give to God is our heart and soul wholeheartedly. We are God's special treasure, He delights over each and every one of us. The covenant the Israelites are about to enter into in the promised land is a bilateral covenant. They have a choice to follow God and...
Mar 07, 2023•11 min
In Deuteronomy 23 - 25, Moses reminds God's people that God loves them and has turned curses into blessings in our lives. What the enemy meant for evil, God turns to good for His glory. Jesus conquered sin and death on the cross and took the wrath of God's punishment for our sin onto Himself in our place. We are not to live trapped by sins, we are free. God hates sin and gives us His strength to run far from it. The same power that raised Jesus from death, resides in us when we accept Him as our...
Mar 06, 2023•11 min
In Deuteronomy 20 - 22, Moses reminds God's people that we are not to be afraid or live in fear. We can rest assured and know that God is with us in every step of everything we face. We will have battles, but we also have God and He is mightier than anything we will face. God places high value on life, respect for life, and the dignity of others. God cares so much for His creation, He makes sure it is understood we are to respect the life of trees and birds as well. He reminds God's people to do...
Mar 02, 2023•14 min
In Deuteronomy 18 & 19, Moses reminds God's people that the Levites are missionaries and will receive God as their portion. God is their land. They get to reside wholly with God and serve His people. He calls God's people to not live like any of the people in the land they are about to enter or take part in any of their evil practices. They are to live set apart as God's holy, chosen people. He tells them a Prophet is coming - and He did. Jesus is our perfect prophet. Moses reviews the citie...
Mar 01, 2023•8 min
In Deuteronomy 16 & 17, God's people are again reminded to remember. To never forget the bondage God freed them from. Moses reminds them to celebrate the annual feasts, celebrations, sacrifices and offerings. He urges God's people to keep God at the center of all rhythms of life. He reviews the rules for justice and the importance of keeping justice pure, not twisted and to "Let true justice prevail". God is a just God and evil will be judged and sin will be accounted for. If Jesus is our Lo...
Feb 28, 2023•11 min
In Deuteronomy 14 & 15, Moses calls God's people to remember that God has chosen them. They are to remember that God rescued them. Remembering God's grace leads to loving God, and loving God leads to obeying God. Israel was to be holy and set apart because Israel is holy to God and must be distinct, set apart, and different from any of the people around them. They were to eat different, live different lives, and worship God in all they did and said. They didn't have Jesus yet. We have Jesus ...
Feb 27, 2023•11 min
In Deuteronomy 12 & 13, Moses is not messing around. They are about to enter into some very pagan nations full of false idols and false gods. They even had a god they would burn their children for. God is not okay with this. He reminds God's people to keep God and the very core and center of our souls and lives. Who we worship and how we worship means everything in our lives. He reminds the Israelites to not eat any of the blood in any of the meats they consume. The life blood is set apart a...
Feb 25, 2023•11 min
In Deuteronomy 10 & 11, Moses answers the question "what does God require of you?" He says in vs. 12b "He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases Him, and love Him and serve Him with all your heart and soul." Moses reminds God's people that God chooses us. God wants us, He desires us, He sings over and delights in us. He so desperately wants an intimate relationship with us. Moses reminds God's people to fix their eyes on God and God alone and He in turn...
Feb 24, 2023•13 min
In Deuteronomy 8 & 9, Moses tells God's people to remember. Remember all that God has done, is doing, and all He is bringing you to. God is all powerful and bigger than any giant we may face in our lives. No matter what we are facing, God is bigger. We can trust Him. He calls us to remain in constant gratitude to God so we remain humble and avoid pride. Gratitude saves you from idolatry and pride makes you forget God. God is bringing His will forth for His people. Not because they are "good"...
Feb 23, 2023•12 min
In Deuteronomy 6 & 7, God calls us to listen, hear, and love which in turns brings us into obedience. God wants us to love Him with everything in us. He loves us for no other reason than He chose to love us. Love is the center of the law. Love is the only force that leads us to obedience. The love Jesus has for us is a love in action. He chose to die on the cross so we would not have to suffer in sin. He chose to free us from the bondage and eternal consequence of sins. We have God's grace a...
Feb 22, 2023•11 min
In Deuteronomy 5, Moses reminds the new generation of the 10 Commandments. This generation will be entering a pagan land full of idolatry. He wants to ensure God's laws are written on the hearts of God's people. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus sums up the commandments by saying First and foremost "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind". Secondly and "equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself." The commandments follow this exactly. The first set ...
Feb 21, 2023•10 min
In Deuteronomy 3 & 4, Moses reminds God's people that God has given them the victory over their enemies. God has been the One fighting for them and leading them into victories. God has all power and all authority. The enemy might be ruling the earth for right now, but God has the final victory and He is fighting on our behalf. We don't have to be subject to the enemy - God wins. God has already conquered death when Jesus died on the cross for us. The power of sin and death in our lives was d...
Feb 18, 2023•16 min
In Deuteronomy 2, Moses continues his plea to Israel to stay close to God and choose life as he continues to remember what God has brought them through and where they are going. He reminds them of when God told them "You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough". (vs 2) He repeatedly reminds them of times God has told them to "Get moving". He reminds them that God has been with them in every step as they have wandered through this wilderness. Wherever we are at in life and wha...
Feb 17, 2023•8 min
In Deuteronomy 1, Moses starts his final plea to God's people encouraging them to choose God and choose life. He gives a final call to covenant faithfulness for the new generation that will be moving forward into the Promised Land. He recounts the day God told them "You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It is time to break camp and move on." There have been countless times when I've wandered into the "wilderness" and God has brought me to this verse. He whispers out - okay, enough now, "...
Feb 16, 2023•13 min
In Numbers 34-36, the Israelites are still east of the Jordan River preparing to cross into the Promised Land. God gives clear instruction to Moses on how to divide the land without leaving out the Levites. God Himself is the portion for the Levites, but they still need somewhere to live. Cities of refuge are put in place so people who accidentally take someone's life can stay safe until they are given a fair trial. Despite their bitter attitudes and disobedience, God is honoring His covenant to...
Feb 15, 2023•16 min
In Numbers 32 & 33, compromise enters. Two of the tribes of Israel decide they have followed God "far enough" and they no longer want to follow Him all the way to the land that was promised to them. They will fight for God with their brothers for the land, but they ultimately decide they only want to follow God "some of the way" and want to come back to the land they are in now. Moses is not happy with this proposal. This journey is about following God wholeheartedly and ALL the way - not ju...
Feb 14, 2023•15 min
In Numbers 30 & 31, we see that God is the first to outline the integrity and value of our words and vows. To make sure we truly mean what we say, say what we mean, and say it nicely. The weight of vows is shown as well as the respect and responsibility needed to maintain a household with character and integrity. God takes vengeance on the Midianites for turning God's people away from Him. He takes sin seriously and there is a price to pay for all sin. There is a lot of evil in our world and...
Feb 13, 2023•12 min
In Hebrews 10:1-18, the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross was the final sacrifice for us - the once and for all - ultimate sacrifice. We are cleansed completely from any and all sins if we believe in Jesus. If we believe and have faith in Jesus, God "will never again remember our sins and lawless deeds." We are made holy because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross when He suffered, died, and rose from the grave. We are forever made holy because of Jesus. Jesus offered Himself to God ...
Feb 12, 2023•4 min
In Numbers 29, the Fall feasts are reviewed. The first is the Festival of Trumpets. Trumpets were used to gather people, move people, and sound a battle alarm. The two times trumpets are used directly in connection to God are when the laws were given at Mt Sinai and the day Jesus will return for His people. The trumpets will sound and Jesus will come again. It's a promise. We don't know the time or the hour, but He's coming. The Day of Atonement is soul searching and confession. During the tribu...
Feb 11, 2023•12 min
