Driving out

Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day. - Joshua 13:13
As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. - Joshua 15:63
And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers. - Joshua 16:10
Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.  And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out. - Joshua 17:12-13

Here lately, my main focus in reading has been in the book of Joshua.  I just finished up with chapter 17 today and noticed some interesting features.  Maybe you can spot them, too..

In each of these four Scriptures, Israel didn't or wasn't able to drive out the enemies that possessed their land.  Immediately after reading these in the past couple of days, I've wondered why.  Why were the children of Israel not able to fully take what God had given them?  After all, He was with Joshua as He was with Moses (Joshua 1) and every where Joshua went, Israel was able to conquer (Joshua 6, 8, 10, 11).  God even promised the children of Israel in the beginning of Joshua chapter 13 that He would drive them out.  This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites.. all the land of the Canaanites.. them I will drive out from before the children of Israel. - 13:2, 4, 6b.  Yet, they did not fully take the land God had promised their fathers.

Why?

Was God not true to His word?  Was He not strong enough to help Israel?  Was He too weak to do it?  Did He lie to His sons and daughters?  Did He fail to hold up His end of the promise?

Simply enough, the nation of Israel was satisfied with what they had, where they were at.  They were content in complacency.  They were content in compromising.  They were content in not having all that God said that they could have.  So what can be said about it?  He gave them instruction and they rejected it.  He was incredibly clear about what He said, too.  Do this, do this, do this, don't do that, and what'd Israel do?  The exact opposite.  Notice, even with that, what happened in the Scriptures above.  Israel did not drive out their enemy, then they could not drive out their enemy.  Intriguing, right?  It's like in Joshua 7 with Achan.  Israel couldn't conquer Ai because of sin in the camp.

Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them.  For they have ever taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived, and they have also put it among their own stuff.  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction.  Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. - Joshua 8:12-13

Sin keeps not only God's blessing from you, but it also allows your enemy to overtake you.  Sin, by the way, is complacency.  Don't let complacency rule your life because it only leads to sin.  God's called you to greater things!

Just like God told Cain before He killed Abel, If you do well, will you not be accepted?  But if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.  It's desire is for you, but you should rule over it. - Genesis 4:7.  Like Paul said in Romans 6:14, Sin shall have no more dominion over you: for you are under the law, but under grace.

You're more than a conqueror.  Be one today!  You've got the authority to drive out your enemies.  Do it today!

6-8-10

Something I've noticed in my ten years living for the Lord and my 3 and half years at The Regeneration, more and more the line between sin and well..  Not sin is becoming blurred.  Obviously the biggies like killing somebody, stealing, and worshiping other God are pretty open, but what about the things not necessarily black, white, or red in the Bible?

It seems like the biggest subject that has come into view currently is drinking.  "Jesus turned water into wine", "Jesus drank wine", "All things in moderation", and "The Bible says not to be drunk, but doesn't say anything about drinking" are a few of the arguments I've heard in favor for Christian drinking.  Following that, gambling seems to be an issue that's mentioned nowadays; smoking cigarettes, or doing drugs in general, since they're not mentioned in the Bible; using profanities, since they're just words; and I'm sure there are more, but I'll just stick with these for now.

Ronnie Hoover, Chi Alpha campus pastor at the University of Arkansas, introduced a principle to me once.  It's called the 6-8-10 Principal.
6, 8, and 10 are numbers that all come from Scripture, particularly 1 Corinthians.  It challenges activities by asking questions.  If we're honest with it, it can change how we're doing something or even cause us to stop doing something all together.  Here is the model:

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.. - 1 Corinthians 6:12a 

So with the first question we have to ask ourselves is, "Can I hurt myself doing this?"

All things are lawful for me, but I will not be under the power of any. - 1 Corinthians 6:12b

The second question we have to ask ourselves is, "Is what I'm doing habit forming?"

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. - 1 Corinthians 8:9

The third question we have to ask ourselves is, "Can what I'm doing cause someone to stumble?"

Therefore, wherefore you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31

The last and final question we have to ask ourselves is,  "Is what I'm doing God glorifying?"

So, whether it's with drinking, smoking, doing drugs, gambling, using profanities, watching movies, listening to music, etc., ask yourself these questions.  If you stay true to them, you'll grow in leaps and bounds more than you'll ever know!

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin. - James 4:17

Osama bin Laden

I haven't wrote anything in nearly a month and what a way to start back.

For the record, Brooke and I have both been insanely preoccupied with a junk load of stuff.  Mainly we're involved ministry, but other than that - finishing up credentials in the Assemblies of God, spending time with both of our families, and for Brooke, it's finals week this week.  Needless to say, I hope I can get back to writing and speaking out and what not.

There's a lot to say about a man who tortured and killed thousands, if not millions.  At least, a lot of my Facebook friends have shown that..

Since this is my blog, I shall giveth my thoughts.

Osama bin Laden was the leader of a feared terrorist group who utterly destroyed and obliterated American society in a matter of minutes.  He orchestrated one of the most gruesome mass murders in history.  He took an incredible amount of lives; some, 10 years later, even still unaccounted for.  It's scary to think that people like him exist.  He was a murderer, a thief, a complete tyrant to the public.

Today, I've heard more than one Christian say that they were glad bin Laden was dead.  And I wonder to myself, how Biblical is that?

I'm going to be honest.  When I first saw it on the news last night, I was apathetic and my first thought was, "This is going to look good on Barack Obama's resume".  Simply meaning, if he wants to be re-elected, he will be.  Nothing bad.  Nothing I wanted to argue about.  Nothing political.  I tend to try to stay out of the political game, though I still vote.  Regardless..

I was thinking about it today and I just realized how glad I am that a terrorist is out of the picture.  The militaries involved did a great job in completing their missions.  I'm pleased that justice was served because God is a just God.  He's faithful to His word and I'm glad.  But because God is faithful to His word, I immediately think of 2 Peter 3:9.  God is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is patient to us-ward; not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  Then I think of Ezekiel 18:23.  'Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says the Lord God, 'and not   that he should turn from his ways and live?'.  How can I say what I need to say without offending?

I suppose I can't.

Even though a terrorist is gone, another will rise up.  I'm so glad that the one who killed so many is gone.  At the same time, I'm moved.  O, if he had repented!  If he had turned away from his ungodliess and his unrighteousness, if he had turned from his wickedness and his idolatry, would could have happened?  Would the world have forgotten all that he had done?  Of course not.  And I would never expect them to.  Again, God is a just God and the spiritual principle of sowing and reaping is in affect whether you're saved or unsaved.  Yet, how do we answer the questions of salvation?

Are we pleased that a soul split hell wide open?  Are we pleased that a soul is burning uncontrollably in the fires of torment?  Are we pleased that One who loved unconditionally was rejected?  Osama bin Laden was no different than any other unsaved person.  Yet, if everyone got what they deserved, even the Christians would be in trouble.

So, in my inconsistency of words, I say that this ramble is just a wake up call.  There are people within our grasp who are falling further and further away from the Truth of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Every single day, people within our grasp are falling more and more in love with world and the Blinder of their eyes.  Every single day, we are becoming more and more complacent in our day-to-day living.  Every single day, we are becoming more and more silent in our day-to-day living.

A great man named Dane Hall once said to me, "Silence is consent".  If I am silent, I consent to their behavior.  If I am silent, I consent to Satan stealing them away.  If I am silent, I consent to being a fruitless Christian because the whole point of Christianity is to have a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5).

I cannot allow the devil to take away the promised land of this earth from me.  Promised land?  Jesus said in John 4, My food is to do the will of Him who sent me.  What is His will?  Go back 2 Peter 3.  God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  Our promised land is the same food of Jesus.  To do and be the will of God to this world!


Everywhere the sole of my foot shall tread, the Lord my God has given me, Joshua 1 says.  Ephesians 6 tells me that my feet are shod with preparation of the gospel of peace.  What does that mean?  Everywhere I go, I am prepared to share the peace I know.  Peace?  Yes!  In the Greek, the word literally means an absence of war.  What war?  The war between God and Satan.  Good and evil.  Light and darkness.  Hope and hopelessness.  Life and death.  Freedom and bondage.  We have the ability to be missionally militant even where we are!  Everywhere the sole of our feet tread, we are prepared to shall the gospel of peace.  We have got to win this world back to the One who gave up His life for us!  If we don't, we're selfish and don't deserve to be called Christ-like!  Jesus is the Savior of the world and if we don't tell them, their blood is on our hands!  Romans 10 says, how will they hear unless there's a preacher? 

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. - 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

But other save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. - Jude 1:23

If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies.  If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees.  Let no on go there unwarned and unprayed for. - C.H. Spurgeon