When Jericho Stands in the Way

I had only been the pastor of a church for 3 months when the agent visited my office. There was an outstanding balance due the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, a substantial sum accumulated before I was called to the church. She served notice that the church had 5 business days to settle with the government. If we did not, our assets would be seized and our accounts frozen. After she left, I sat stunned. It was another problem among a dozen other crises of leadership. I knew the story of Joshua and Jericho.  He was charged with leading God’s people into the Promised Land but a fortified city stood in the way, one that the Israelites were unequipped to conquer. That day I felt a little like him, confronted with a problem for which I had no solution.

But God had a plan! It seemed like a silly one. "But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” (Joshua 6:2-5, NLT)  March around the city? Not once, but for 7 days?  I can only imagine the kind of faith it required in Joshua to issue that command.  I wonder if his generals laughed at him? 

Obedience brought victory, releasing the power of God!  Seven days later, after the seventh circuit of the city, the priests blew their trumpets. "When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it." (Joshua 6:20, NLT)

After prayer, long and earnest, I invited the IRS agent to return the following day and opened the church’s books to her, honestly explaining my dilemma. It seemed foolish to me to tell her that we had no money, no way to pay the thousands owed. Wouldn’t it better to stall, to try to find funds somewhere?  But, I felt the Spirit urging me to be transparent, to trust Him like a child.  That day, as we talked, God turned an IRS agent into our ally. A year later that church was solvent again and, in the faithfulness of the Lord, the IRS forgave thousands of dollars in penalties.  All these years later whenever I remember that miracle my faith is renewed for the challenges of the day.  It was a Jericho experience for me.

Are you facing an impossible situation?

Has your life stalled, a ‘Jericho’ standing in the way of forward progress?

Jesus reminded His disciples of a principle that all pilgrims on the heavenly way must not forget - “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”  The context of that statement regards salvation. “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Jesus told them that the only way to enter into the Kingdom of God was with complete dependence on faith. As long as a person holds onto an illusion of saving himself, he cannot fully experience the transforming work of the Spirit! 

Are you radically dependent on God’s Spirit, readily obedient to His directive?  That kind of life demands daily communication.  We are invited to counsel with Jesus! From His wisdom, we gain insight and are led to overcome our Jerichos.  He says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne." (Revelation 3:20-21, NIV)

Before you panic, before you do something stupid just because you think you have to act now, sit down with Jesus. Tell Him about that thing- whatever it is.  Does He already know? Of course He does, but He asks us to pray, to commune with Him.  Listen for His direction, then obey.

Here is a word from the Word, a song of David. 

Meditate and go march on your Jericho.

"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me;

you stoop down to make me great.

You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet."

(Psalm 18:25-39, NIV)

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By My Spirit

Is there a mountain in your way?

Do doubts and fears abound?

“Press on” Oh hear the Spirit say,

“This mountain shall come down.”

Is there a river in your path,

A river deep and wide?

Step in, the waters will roll back,

You'll reach the other side.

Is there a fiery furnace trial,

Far more than you can bear?

Behold the blessed Son of God

Is walking with you there.

Then trust alone the mighty God

He speaks the winds obey.

Take courage then, Oh fainting heart,

For you He'll make a way.

“Not by might, not by pow'r,

By My Spirit” saith the Lord of Hosts.

“Not by might, not by pow'r,

By My Spirit” saith the Lord.

This mountain shall be removed,

This mountain shall be removed,

This mountain shall be removed,

“By My Spirit,” saith the Lord.

Almeda Herrick | Cyril McLellan

© 1957. Renewed 1985 Gospel Publishing House (Admin. by Lorenz Corporation)

CCLI License # 810055

It’s too good to be true, except it is not!

Diane Staudte was quietly respectable; the organist for her church, a registered nurse – and she is a murderer!  First, she killed her husband, then her son, and finally attempted to murder her daughter.  The story is stunning, shocking, evil dressed in middle American clothing.  This woman’s self-professed motive left me amazed in the worse kind of way.  She just got tired of caring for those in her family that she felt were ‘pests.’  That is depravity. Even as we shake our heads at her sin, let remember that temptation is common to us all. I have heard all kinds of confessions over the years. And yes, I know the lure of temptation, too.  

Paul reminds us that "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.”  Tempted by doubt? Others have experienced it.  Feeling the grip of greed? That is as common as a cold.  Tugged toward selfishness?  Yes, that is an ordinary kind of temptation, too.  Some people conclude that since temptation is ‘normal,’ that is, a common human experience, we need not fight it, unless is one of the so-called ‘big sins.’  But, the passage I quoted a few lines ago completes the thought: “God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT)

Our natural response to temptation is usually two-fold – “I must be a terrible person,” and “I will redouble my efforts to resist this thing.”  Tell me, how is that working out for you?  Have you succeeded in eliminating temptation by focusing on it?  I doubt it. More likely, you have a track record of broken promises and prayers of remorse and repentance.  In the seventh chapter of Romans, Paul describes the frustration of knowing about a better way to live without being able to actually achieve it.  He writes "I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me." (Romans 7:21-23, NLT)  

Before we hasten justify ourselves and make peace with whatever it is that trips us up, let’s see the further wisdom here. "I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death." (Romans 7:24-8:2, The Message)

It sounds too good be true, doesn’t it? There is freedom from guilt. Condemnation need not overwhelm us. Temptation can be defeated. How? By the intervention of the Spirit who enters our lives through faith in Jesus Christ. The one thing that the devil does not want us to believe is that God loves us, right where we are.  Our natural mind is trained to think that only when we are “good enough” will we enjoy the love of our Father.  But the truth is that "God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8, NLT) If we really want to rob temptation of its power to control us, we will focus on His love, live authentically before Him and others, acknowledging our temptation and our sin as well as His amazing grace.

“Ah, come on, Jerry. You know that can’t be true. We need more rules. We need more accountability. We need to raise the stakes by heating up the fire of Hell.” No, friend, that is the natural mind speaking, not the wisdom of God! Sin cannot be regulated out of existence- not in society, not in you, nor in me.  When we write more laws, we create more offenders. "All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down." (Romans 5:20, The Message)

Here is the truth. Whether your struggle is with some ‘ordinary’ sin – selfishness, gossip, for example -  or much more dramatic – Christ Jesus is the answer. Of course, you will have to engage in the struggle. Understanding ourselves with the help of godly counsel is important.  Coming to grips with the ways of the mind and the lure of sin cannot be avoided. But, baseline, victory comes through the intervention of the Holy Spirit.

Meditate on this word from the Word.  The Truth will set you free! "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins." (Romans 8:1-3, NLT)

"So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." (Romans 8:6, NLT)

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And Can It Be?

And can it be that I should gain,

An interest in the Savior's blood?

Died He for me who caused His pain,

For me, who Him to death pursued.

Amazing love, how can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father's throne above,

So free, so infinite His grace.

Emptied Himself of all but love

And bled for Adam's helpless race.

'Tis mercy all immense and free,

For, O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay

Fast bound in sin and nature's night.

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.

My chains fell off my heart was free.

I rose went forth and followed Thee!

No condemnation now I dread,

Jesus, and all in Him is mine,

Alive in Him, my living Head

And clothed in righteousness divine.

Bold I approach th'eternal throne

And claim the crown through Christ my own!

Charles Wesley

© Words: Public Domain

Make it Memorable

We love to tell our stories, don’t we? Stories teach. They warn, encourage, enlighten, and entertain. Our stories reveal who we are and what we love. Stories connect us. When I take the time to listen to a conversation, a face becomes a person, an act finds a context.  Communities and nations unify around shared stories that shape understanding of identity.  Why is Facebook so popular? Because it is a forum where everyone can tell a story- with a few words, in pictures.  Everybody has a story, but is your story memorable?

What will your friends, your children; yes, even your grandchildren, remember about you? 
What stories will they tell about you? 
Will the things they remember inspire them to achieve, to live well?

I am inspired by the stories of my parents and grandparents. Were they perfect people? Not at all.  They did not lead armies, build great companies, or write bestsellers! They were ordinary people who worked hard, built families, knew some successes and some losses; and loved the Lord, one another, and all of us -  through it all. My paternal grandfather was a poor immigrant who found his way to the farm country of America where he became a prosperous man, found Christ as Savior, and planted the seeds that still bear fruit! When my wife stepped into eternity a few months ago and the last chapter of her earthly life was written, and yet I still hear stories from so many that she loved and served. Her life, while unremarkable in terms of human history, is a story with consequence.

Yesterday cannot be relived. But, when we write memorable stories they become a foundation of hope, a reason to reach higher.

Joshua, while leading God’s people into the Land of Promise, created memorials. As you read this passage, note why. "When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight … to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. … These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:1-7, NIV)

One of our core practices as Christians is the Lord’s Supper, Communion. Jesus told us to gather and to take the Cup and Bread. “Do this in remembrance of me,” He said. "What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt." (1 Corinthians 11:26, The Message)  In telling the story of the Cross, we are brought back to the grace and love of God, to the sacrifice that reconciles us, to the assurance of a Covenant that is written in blood!  And the story shapes us.

So, on this Monday morning, give some thought to the story you are writing. Perhaps you just headed off to another day at the office, in the classroom, or in the shop without much thought. It’s just another day, you think- “another day, another dollar,” as we say.  May I encourage you to take a longer view? It is another paragraph in a story that will be told by those who follow after you. So, make it memorable.

Here is a word from the Word. "I beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. … Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children,  … For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! … So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days." (Ephesians 4:1-4, 5:1,8, 15-16, NLT)

________

Thank You

I dreamed I went to HeavenYou were there with meWe walked upon the streets of goldBeside the crystal seaWe heard the angels singingThen someone called your nameYou turned and saw this young manHe was smiling as he came

 And he said friendYou may not know me nowThen he said but waitYou used to teach my Sunday SchoolWhen I was only eightAnd ev'ry week you would say a pray'rBefore the class would startAnd one day when you said that pray'rI asked Jesus in my heart

 Thank you for giving to the LordI am a life that was changedThank you for giving to the LordI am so glad you gave

 Then another man stood before youHe said remember the timeA missionary came to your churchHis pictures made you cryYou didn't have much moneyBut you gave it anywayJesus took the gift you gaveThat's why I'm here today

 One by one they cameFar as the eye could seeEach life somehow touchedBy your generosityLittle things that you had doneSacrifices madeUnnoticed on the earthIn Heaven now proclaimed

 I know up in HeavenYou're not supposed to cryBut I am almost sureThere were tears in your eyesAs Jesus took your handYou stood before the LordHe said My child look around youFor great is your reward

Ray Boltz © 1988 Gaither Music Company (Admin. by Gaither Copyright Management)
CCLI License # 810055

Jerry D. Scott, Pastor
Faith Discovery Church
Washington, NJ  07882

http://www.FaithDiscovery.com

I am POWERFUL!

Every time I see the concrete slabs of a sidewalk heaved by the roots of a growing tree, I am amazed.  When I pick up a rock worn smooth by water running over it, it is cause for wonder. Each illustrates a kind of ‘power’ to me. We can change our world!  God, the Holy Spirit, puts a dynamic in us that gives us the potential to change lives, to alter eternal destinies, to defeat evil.

Before you wonder if Jerry has fallen under the spell of the prosperity preachers who repackage and sell the old lie of human potential, please read on. The power of which I write is not about me, it is about the One who lives in me. When we are Christ’s, the Holy Spirit comes to set us from the chains of slavery that sin and natural thinking throws around us. Where He is allowed to work, God’s promise is that “through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)

The power that is at work in us is not to be used to impress or manipulate others!  The Holy Spirit is not to be used like a magician uses his tricks! Paul says that“The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, The Message) A Spirit-filled Christian is a living demonstration of Truth, who sees through the lies of Self and Satan, and into the reality that is God’s.

So, what is the secret to an empowered life?Where does one go to find the key that unlocks this potential?

God’s power is a gift, offered to those who will receive Him by faith and who are willing to live in daily intimacy with Him. To those who are submitted to Him, who live under His authority, who humbly acknowledge Him, He gives a commission to change the world quietly and with the irresistible power of the Spirit. Go before the Lord at the start of each day and invite His Spirit to fill you, then go out and live, by faith, in His strength. It is said so often as to be a cliché but there is truth in it – the real power of the Christian is found in the secret place of prayer. There the Spirit speaks to us – soul-deep – and we become confident people, carrying the commission of the King.

Meditate on this word from the Word. Then, grow into grace that releases the powerful life that is the birthright of the children of God.
“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us,his Spirit deeply and gently within us.Glory to God in the church!Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!Glory down all the generations!Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!”  (Ephesians 3:20-21, The Message)

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There’s a wind a-blowin’
All across the land
A fragrant breeze of heaven
Blowin’ once again
Don’t know where it comes from
Don’t know where it goes
But let it blow over me
Oh sweet wind
Come and blow over me

There’s a rain a-pourin’
Showers from above
Mercy drops are comin’
Mercy drops of love
Turn your face to heaven
Let the water pour
Well let it pour over me
Oh sweet rain
Come and pour over me

There’s a fire burnin’
Fallin’ from the sky
Awesome tongues of fire
Consuming you and I
Can you feel it burnin’
Burn the sacrifice
Well let it burn over me
Oh sweet fire
Come and burn over me

Sweet Wind
© 1994 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing
Vineyard Songs Canada
ION Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

David Ruis
CCLI License No. 810055

Do you exercise Authority?

The man stepped into the middle of the highway, held up his hand, and the flow of traffic stopped! How could one person have that kind of control?  Why not just drive around him? After all, he could not physically stop a truck. The drivers of the vehicles recognize a uniform and badge which gives that man authority.  He exercises a trust given to him by the people in whom the final authority rests in our nation.

Christian you have authority because of Christ and the Spirit Who lives in you. We need not walk around defeated, pushed around by evil, failing at every temptation.  The Scripture tells us "God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV) Jesus sent out His followers who were empowered by this declaration - "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (Luke 10:19, NIV) That is our promise, too!

Are you praying weak, whiny prayers that bemoan your fate or are you filled with the Spirit and the Truth of the Scripture so that you are empowered to overcome? 

Authority is a complicated issue. Some Christians go to extremes and try to control everything by ‘speaking in Jesus’ Name.’  Others think that shouting loud prayers or making grandiose statements are an exercise of their ‘spiritual’ authority.  Imagine a police officer trying to control traffic by taking out his sidearm and firing it wildly in the air, while screaming at the cars in front of him.  He would be removed from duty quickly!  His authority does not come from his ability to yell or from his own strength.

Christians enjoy authority that flows from a relationship with the Lord of Glory. The deeper our relationship with the Spirit, the greater our authority. Loving Him, living in implicit faith, we find ourselves vested with authority over Self, World Systems, and Devilish powers. Ours is a quiet strength.

Here is how Paul expresses the concept - "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NIV)

The Spirit residing in us keeps us strong. With steady endurance, we move against ‘strongholds,’ fortified positions that resist removal. Yes, old habits must yield to the authority of Christ. Entrenched attitudes and addictions fall before the strength of the Spirit.  The arguments that others throw at us are reduced to rubble by the reason and wisdom of God.  Our authority even extends to our inner thoughts. Those impulses and temptations are under arrest when we live in Christ.

Are you feeling besieged by the Devil? 
Does some old habit keep coming back to tempt you?
Are you harassed by thoughts that feel ‘out of control?’
Is fear your constant companion?

Find a place with God, quietly wait on Him. Enlist a trusted friend who has demonstrated a steady commitment to Christ to pray with you.  Pray to be empowered.  Take a lesson from those first disciples to whom Jesus gave this direction - “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. …  you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-5, 8 NIV)  Wait for the gift.  They were filled with the Spirit and those people turned the world upside down in a single generation.

We too must be filled with the Spirit, renewed in Him each day, so that we can live a life of quiet authority, doing the work of God, making a measurable difference for the Kingdom of heaven.

Here is a word from the Word. "I pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself." (Ephesians 1:19-23, NLT)

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Mighty To Save

Ev’ryone needs compassion
Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Ev’ryone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

Saviour He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Ev’rything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King
Jesus
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King

Ben Fielding | Reuben Morgan © 2006 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) CCLI License # 810055