Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

Jos 11:18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

Good day friends, what a battle that has been taking place since the nation of Israel has entered into the promised land. We see in the few previous chapters the conquest of the south, and the taking shape of the promise of God, "Jos 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. " The theme for today is fighting on, as we can see from today's verse he made war a long time. I am not saying just because he had mighty men, and support from them that it was easy. If we look backwards it prepared them for what was coming towards them. They had to learn to rely on a sovereign God who was going to be against their enemy no matter how big they thought they were. They had to learn that the spoils of war is not what it's all about in this life. They learned courage, contentment, and commitment. The kings of the north in Chapter 11 here are now assembled against them. They and all their armies and chariots. Again we see the compassion, and concern of God for His people. Encouragement to keep at the battle for its not over yet is given to Joshua, the same goes in our life, the battle about the goofy things, the wood, hay, and stubble if you will is over. What we must now be battling is that spiritual battle against our adversary the devil. Get ready Christian, just when you think that it is all over then the devil may just pitch his tent before your camp. Just as the days of Israel, we too have a God in heaven who cares for us if we are His through His Son Jesus Christ. From faith to faith the just shall live by faith, depend on Jesus to see you through your trials and tribulations, knowing that He has secured the victory. Don't get me wrong here, just as was in the case of Achan if we disobey God, then we will surely pay for it. We must depend on Jesus to carry us through in the spiritual battle, as most days we aren't prepared to even open our eyes and face the things that are in this world, much less dealing with things of an eternal nature. At the very end of this chapter we see that God had provided the way to go, provided the land to inherit, and provided the means to do it. After all these battles, and after all the traveling we see , Jos 11:23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. The land rested from war, after the battle it was time fro rest, time to worship God and glorify Him for what He's provided. the same thing needs to be done in our lives, when we are brought through the valley and placed on the mountain top for a little while we need to just rest, and remember who did this for us. Give God the glory friend and I guarantee you that you'll never go wrong. Just in case we need to remember where our help comes from we can learn from David as he spoke in the Psalms..
Psa 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Slack Not Thy Hand From Thy Servants

Jos 10:6 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

As I read throughthis chapter I noticed a lot of conquering going on, not to mention the the miracle of the Sun and Moon holding place as Joshua petitioned God. What really brought me back was the fact that in the very beginning we see those Gibeonites about to have a mighty enemy come up against them. As in yesterdays post I mentioned that they probably wore off some of their false religion onto the Israelites, however I also do believe after they lived amongst them for a while some of them had to come to the knowledge of Jehovah God. I believe these are the ones who knew where to turn to for help, Joshua and the God he served. If the children of Israel could march through the land, then surely the Gibeonites could trust in Israels God. You see they really didn't understand in the beginning who the Israelites God was, it took a crises to bring them towards Him. It goes the same in some peoples lives today, they reject the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross up until a point of where they are in trouble then they come running towards Him, only to get out of that one little situation most of the time. I would pray rather that they would accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, and have Him to be in their lives leading them. A lot of times we are put into the situation like Joshua and the Israelites, there are those that take advantage of us, revile us, and down right persecute us. As with Joshua we must stand strong, he could have just let those Gibeonites die right then and there friend and not even have to worry about them anymore, just let them be wiped out from his presence and he wouldn't be held accountable because he didn't break his promise. Ah, but not so, this is not the way to deal with those that don't know the Lord God. 2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ...remember that verse? Instead Joshua remembered his promise that he had made, and even though it was for their safety from the hands of the Israelite's, what a shame it would've been for Joshua to not show mercy and help another in need, and assist with delivering them from the hands of their enemies.What if we were in that same situation today, watching as one of our enemies were about to be bullied upon and trod down in our presence, and they asked for help? Would we show compassion and assist them, or would we join the rank and file and destroy them because of the things that they done to us, or said to us? Friend let their blood not be on our hands, but stand ready to assist them, as you just may win over one for the Lord! Joshua was encouraged..And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. So we too can stand strong in the presence of those that need help, we can stand ready with an answer for eternity, of the grace and mercy of God in heaven, and give them the glorious gospel message that Jesus saves. Let us be a help to those that know no better, let our witness in character stand strong in the face of opposition, and let us fight the good fight of faith. Until tomorrow may God bless.

We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

Jos 9:6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

If I haven't made it known in the past posts, I am walking along through the book of Joshua, one chapter a day minus Sunday. Please feel free to follow along and may these posts be a blessing, an encouragement, and a challenge.

It is amazing at what the devil will go through to beguile us into believing something that is not true. Here the children of Israel have now walked even further into the promised land and doing the will of God. In previous chapters they have battled Jericho (the world), Ai (the flesh), and now they come up against the Gibeonites (the devil). We see that they (Gibeonites) had premeditated a lie by coming into the camp with moldy bread and old wine skins, they even wore the tattered clothes to make it look like they had traveled from afar off. You would have thought after loosing to Ai, that the nation of Israel would've been a little more on guard, or perhaps they were and this is the only way the devil could get a foothold into their lives. The same goes for us in our lives if we are not careful friend, if we allow those little things that look harmless to creep in. Then after those little things creep in and tarry amongst us for a while they get a foothold, that is when the devil has beguiled us. We must not do like the children of Israel. No we must most go to the Lord in prayer and seek wisdom in decisions, and be on the lookout for those wiles of the devil. Unfortunately once the Gibeonites were in they were in, don't think for a moment that because Joshua made them to be servants that they didn't effect the nation. It is just like when we allow those things into our lives, it affects not only us, but those that are in our life also. They asked for a league (a pact) to be made with them that they shouldn't be harmed, they lied about their home, and ultimately they lied about the reason they were afraid. Friend if they were truly afraid of God they would've left their wicked ways and rejoiced and came to worship the only true and Living God. Be careful for your life in this world because as the Bible says Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The Bible admonishes us to look out and look up to Christ our Savior that he may deliver us from the devil and his wicked ways. Daily we should be walking with Jesus in prayer and meditation and above all else....Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Don't be fooled into decisions, or friendships of this world, for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and loose his own soul? There is a message in the book of Genesis of Lot and his decisions but I will reserve that for a later date. Friend I can only encourage you today to think before you make decisions, be on guard. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. The devil is not your friend, but how many times does he make you seem like he is? How has he gotten into your life and made you make a league with somebody or something you should have never entered into? How does he blind you into believing something that is not totally true? How does he keep you from doing the things you ought to?

Fear not, neither be thou dismayed:

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

On many occasions in our Christian lives after we sin we feel so defeated that we can't go forward, however in the case of Israel from the previous post they had repented of their sin. We see that it was the nation of Israel that allowed sin to enter the camp, but it was the sin of one person that ruined it for all. Achan had been defeated by his flesh, and with the pride of Israel by not sending their whole army forward they fled before the men of Ai. Well now things are different they had cleansed the camp in the sight of the Lord, and He now says to go defeat Ai, that is in representation the flesh. If you'll notice after they had repented God did not bring that before their face, it was forgiven, they could go forward, no looking at the ground and sulking in defeat. We see here that they sent all the army out this time, because folks we have to bring all that we got against the flesh. We cannot just rely on ourselves to defeat this awful flesh, no we must bring God with us into the battle. We see that once Israel defeated Ai, they read the whole law, not just a part, they read it all to remind them of what they were to be doing. We should also take this as an example and daily be reading the Bible, and spend time in prayer. There's only one way to defeat the flesh and that's to stay humble and walking with Christ in an ever growing relationship. If for some reason you say Brother all this happened in the old testament, don't be fooled by such an admonition for here is Paul warning us in the new...
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Put away those things which you ought not be doing and trust the Lord Jesus Christ to help you to wash away your sins and never bring them before you.

Hide It Not From Me

And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me।

There was no way that the Lord was going to allow Israel to enter into the promise land on the wrong foot. Miracle after miracle was accomplished in sight of the children, no other thing was needed in their lives, all things were provided for without fail. On that fatal day with pride in their hearts the fall was coming. Because they were prideful, the battle of Ai was a complete failure in and of themselves. We see the beginnings of the relationship that Israel would carry with them from the wilderness. They still had not figured out that God was for them, not against them. They totally disregarded Gods command and left back a portion in the battle. Yet there was according to the truths of the Bible..sin in the camp. Because of Achan's desire he looked upon the accursed thing, which I would have recommended not to look upon. It is at this point that the sin started to take shape, as he looked, he coveted, then he took, and hid it among the things of the congregation. Sometimes I look back on this piece of history and start to think about my own life. My walk with the Lord Jesus is affected the same way because of my flesh. If I were to keep my eyes on Jesus, not look at the things that this world has to offer then I can keep a true relationship with Him. When we look upon the things of this world and begin to desire, we automatically have a heart change this is where we must be on guard. In the beginning of recordable history the devil used this same tactic, ever able to be consistent with his ways for there is "nothing new under the sun". It was the ever consuming beguiling of the devil "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. In this case of Joshua and the nation there was one who desired because he took his eyes off of the task at hand, he desired, he took, and worse of all he hid it among themselves. There was no way for complete victory in the lives of the people, or in our lives unless we confess of the problem, then we must purge it from our lives. I praise God in heaven for sending His Son to die for my sins, Achan was brought out of the camp and stoned to death, this is what we deserve. With the grace and mercy of God, and because of the vicarious death of Christ our Savior we are kept from this act that is only befitting us. The accursed thing that Achan had, along with the sin of hiding it away nearly destroyed the camp. If there is hidden sin our our lives that goes unexposed (be warned..your sin will find you out) then it will destroy our relationship with Christ. He is ever ready to forgive us being the atoning sacrifice for our sins, we must however come boldly before the throne of grace and ask for the forgiveness. Friend I encourage you today to examine yourselves as the Bible commands, then after careful examining, if there is anything, even the littlest thing that is holding you back in your Christian walk, I beg you to confess it to the Lord and ask for forgiveness that you can make it right with Him and continue going forward.

Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.

As we leave Gilgal and walk further into the land we see a great city and the supposed strength because of the massiveness of its size. The gates are shut that none may enter, or leave. Joshua and the nation now have to be patient the first test of real obedience for them as they are instructed to march round bout the city. I look back on my life and remember when I was first saved, I took those steps forward rejoicing in what Jesus Christ did in my life. When I left the church house on Sunday after preaching then there was the ever present "world", those that once knew me before I was saved, they were ever like the city of Jericho. They were a challenge because of the mockery, the looks, and the whisperings. However, they also shut up their gates, that they wouldn't talk with me, or let me talk to them, they were shut up. This didn't offend me because its not what they were doing that I was interested in, it's because I wanted to share the gospel with them. They were filled with pride, and rested in the comforts of their sins, they were fearful because of the change in my life, that they might, just like me really be tired of living in sin. Like the children of Israel I had to learn patience and the leading of the Lord. I continued in my Christian walk, and then one day one of them opened up, his walls came tumbling down, he wanted to know more. That is the glorious feeling I believe the children of Israel felt when they shouted and those massive walls came tumbling down. They were able to defeat that reality that was right in front of them, however at this time it wasn't with weapons, but with patience and the direction of the Lord. Friend I hope that this is an encouragement today, just be still and wait on the Lord, whatever temptation there is, God has made a way of escape. Whatever problem may arise there is a God in heaven that knows your need. If there is an issue of the heart, then let your walls fall, and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins that you may have eternal life.

Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

Joshua the commissioned soldier/leader of the nation of Israel, encounters one the most interesting scenes. A man standing solitary with his sword drawn, what a sight that must have been to first see. Ever the leader, Joshua did not back down from his responsibility as a leader, he could have called and told another to go forward to see this person and challenge him. Joshua could have ran backwards and sheltered himself within the nation of Israel and had others to investigate. Not Joshua, he had a mission, and a God that would enable him. There was the promise, and if that wasn't enough God had already brought them through too much in the last 40 years.

Joshua's challenge: Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? What a question to ask. Most people would've already assumed in today's time that this was clearly the enemy, they would've launched a barrage of attacks because of distrust and ignorance. Instead of looking out and seeing that this person just might be an advantage, or a help. How many times in our lives do we just see somebody and assume that they are the enemy, because of what we might have heard about them. Maybe it is because they hang out with people that we might not particularly like, or they dress different. Because we are such a jumpy nation of people, I believe sometimes we just need to evaluate the situation, and just sometimes ask the question...Art thou for us, or our adversaries.

In the end Joshua receives the answer he is looking for, and then the most humbling thing happens...as the leader of the nation of Israel he understands that he is not the most important guy around, he bows in the presence of the Lord and submits to His commands. What if we were to submit to the commands given in the Word of God. God's Word is not our enemy, neither is the man of God, or those that God puts into our lives to give us direction and help. We must be willing to first access the situation, then if they are for us, submit to listening to the conditions of the command.

What mean ye by these stones

That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Stones, pieces of rock able to endure the test of time, these stones were set up as a memorial to the mighty works of Jehovah God, that all may know he is the Lord. The children of Israel being constantly in an on again, off again relationship with their God could look back to this day and remember by physical sight what had been done. Because of their obedience they were able to tell their children about the passing of the Jordan, for without their obedience I believe that they would have left that very spot and never gave God the glory. The rocks each picked up by a man out of the twelve tribes were set up in my opinion that not just one group of people could talk about it (i.e. the priests), but that every tribe should remember it and pass it down through the generations.

Christ told Peter "Upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" Can we stand as firm as Peter in our faith as a memorial to the greatness of God in heaven who sent His Son to die for our sins? Remember our lives before salvation were a stony situation, always stumbling around in sin. Then as we called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins, he delivered us out of the gross darkness that kept us fumbling around. We were able to start our christian walk and great things were done in our lives. Let us not forget to look back on moments in our lives and tell our children of the things God did for us, as was the case with the children of Israel being given occasion by their parents "what mean ye by these stones"

Let God and GO!

And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

Many times in our lives we do things our way, walking into decisions without consulting good counsel, or just being stubborn because we know it all. We find excuses as to why we can't persevere through difficult times, or we plainly come up with excuses as to why we shouldn't do things. Unlike the the children of Israel in Joshua Chapter 3, they however came nigh unto the banks of the Jordan and camped, why? Well they had never been this way before. Their leader Joshua had enough spiritual sense to listen to God and look unto Him for their help. With the direction of God to put the ark first and the host behind they were able to follow the Lord and cross over the Jordan on dry ground, again God did a miracle in the sight of the people to allow them to know that He was with them and Joshua, like he was with them and Moses. It allowed them to see that instead of them wasting time, or getting discouraged by coming up against a problem that God had it worked out for them, all they had to do was wait, watch, and willfully follow. With the same admonition today we should be waiting, watching, and willfully following with the cross before us and the world behind us, we too can have victory in Jesus if we listen and obey.

In The Night

And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land,

I remember what it was like to to be a foreigner in a strange land, walking through the night knowing that we had a mission to accomplish. Where would we go, what would we run into, and if we did were we prepared to handle it? I would assume these same thoughts must have crossed the mind of the two spies that were sent into Jericho, however it was in that night that all fears were taken away. Assuredly they knew after listening to the testimony of Rahab that their God was greater than any could know, because he had already gave them protection in the land, and they were able to hear the report of the town. I think they did all they could do to wait the three days before running back to Joshua and the nation of Israel to declare what God has promised..the land was theirs for the taking, and a victory was just around the corner.

Sometimes if we would just take a break and listen to the things going on in our life, and what others are saying it would be more of an encouragement instead of a beating. When all is hopeless just survive the night because that still small voice may let you hear something that would bring joy to your heart and help you to fight for your possession of the land.

Mine Ebenezer

Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

After listening to some great preaching last night by Pastor Tony Ayers (Calvary Baptist Church) I meditated all night on how quickly we write off a church or a ministry because we believe that it has had the name Ichabod written all over it. we see in Chapter 4 that the Glory of the Lord has departed, which I do believe has happened in some ministries, and peoples Christian lives. We are all to often quick to shun or run away from these areas in which they grow desolate and die, what if everybody just stayed downtrodden and totally refused to serve God. We see that there was one who was still there in that time enduring the atrocities going on in that land, Samuel the prophet. As the Philistines couldn't handle the Glory or power of God in their presence they took two milk cows and returned it to the Israelites where it rightfully belonged. Friend, the Glory of the Lord belongs in your life if you are saved and redeemed, let no man steal that from you, and especially don't let your adversary (the devil) get a foothold. Get back in the fight, claim your Canaan, and don't fear what God may be bringing you through. It took twenty years, and three chapters before the people figured it out, that the Lord was on their side, only then can raise up up your rock and cry Mine Ebenezer, and as the prophet set his stone, you to can say "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us." If your not saved then I encourage you by the grace of God, put your foot forward and cross the Jordan wide, for it was for you that Christ died. Claim your victory in Jesus for the remission of sins and accept Him as your personal Savior if you haven't already and you to can share in Glorifying God for all that He has done and will do.

Success--It all depends on how you read it.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.



It is quite amazing on how so many of today's people are constantly trying to teach and preach a success story, about how well off we could be, or how great we could be. Never do they share the way of success in light of Biblical principle. The only verse I could find with this word comes from the book of Joshua. As I am convinced it is not by my merits that I am successful, but that I honor the Lord by obeying the Bible in all that I do. The versus that mention success or prosperity are formed from a relationship with God that in it He allows us to glean from His word on how we should treat others, treat situations, and ourselves. They guide us with infinite wisdom in all matters concerning our business, and personal endeavours. I am so glad that we can go to the Bible and get direction on correcting a situation, or ourselves in that we might glorify God through our actions after allowing His word to pierce our hearts.

Who Am I

Moses and David both asked during their lifetime "Who am I"? I hear and have a burden for a lot of young men and young ladies today that seem to be going through an identity crises because of this world's requirements to be something they are not. When they come to the realization that in order to be accepted then they must conform to something that they truly aren't, only to be frustrated and destroyed because of it. I thought to myself a lot when I was a teenager who am I, unfortunately I was not raised in church, nor knew the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I was saved when I was 23 years old, only then did I earnestly know who I was. Today I can say without a doubt that I am accepted, loved and redeemed. I wanted to share a few thoughts of who I am just in case anybody might have been blinded as to what has taken place in their life. The question today is not how to confront conformity, but just accepting who you are and how you can be transformed.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

In order to have the desire to do the will of God, you must first know the Son....

1. I am Redeemed of the Lord

• I have a father in heaven who accepts me because of the Lord Jesus Christ
• I have a friend in Jesus
• I have a family of believers

2. A new Creature in Christ Jesus

• Renewed in mind
• Renewed in motive
• Renewed in my soul

3. A servant to the Lord

• For the propagation of the Gospel
• For the purpose of seeing sinners saved
• For the price that was paid--my reasonable service

The Test

After reading and being challenged to keep up with a daily post from some caring folks I have decided to commit and start one of my own. When Joshua was a little hesitant in his pursuit for the Promised Land there was an encouragement that only the Lord could provide...

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

So for those like me whose "Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak", I will try to stay faithful to posting at least once a day and of course would like feedback.