Greetings in the precious, saving name of the lord Jesus Christ.
Spring has its luscious introductions. The birds begin to serenade the longer days. Bluer skies and warmer weather start to dominate the weeks. Flowers delight us with colors and shapes only God the Father could design. Spring represents newness of life. During this month we celebrate the tremendous life we have in Christ due to his death and resurrection. Another event the saints were blessed with last week was a day in God's Word on Joshua: God's strategies for victory. I would like to share with you both events.
A Real Celebration
Isn't it incredible that our new life in Christ has its beginnings with the greatest act of love and giving experienced in all of life's existence: The lord Jesus Christ giving his life to redeem mankind and God raising him from the dead.
The lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, fulfilled His Father's desire to redeem mankind. He gave his life as a payment for redemption for all mankind so that at some point in the future we could believe upon him and believe that His Father raised him from the dead. At that time we became filled with the spirit of Christ.
Romans 3:22-24:
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
All Christianity will celebrate its appreciation for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this month. Unfortunately many teachings will include inaccuracies according to the Word of God. Good Friday is not the day he died. He arose from the dead on Saturday afternoon, not Sunday morning. Passover did not happen before his death. He died exactly when the Passover lamb was being killed. As it says in I Corinthians 5:7: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:" Instead of dealing with errors, let's recognize the real celebration of what occurred during this time.
What happened was the realization of God's desire to redeem mankind by offering His son as a once and for all sacrifice for the sins of man. How any father would give up his son for the lives of others is a love beyond human understanding. But, God did "so love the world that He gave His only begotten son." (John 3:16).
I John 4:10:
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
No other means of redemption could legally buy mankind back to God. Our once and for all Passover lamb had to be a sheep from the flock. In other words our redemption rests on the vital reality that Jesus Christ was a man with the freedom of will to choose to lay his life down for all mankind. Thankfully he did.
I Peter 1:18 & 19:
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
How astounding is our God and Father, to allow His son to go through such an experience. Since Adam, God has been extending His love toward redeeming mankind for the purpose of fellowshipping with him. By the passionate act of God's son, you and I have benefitted beyond measure by this once and for all loving act.
Hebrews 9:14 & 15: (ESV Translation)
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
This once and for all redemption ushered in the new birth realities that includes an eternal inheritance and a calling for us to serve the living God. What a reality to celebrate in!
Joshua: God's Strategies for Victory
Last week we had a day in God's Word on Joshua. The presentation by Jan Magiera was very insightful on recognizing keys that we can use today in experiencing victory in our every day walk. The participants witnessed profound principles that they could incorporate in their every day living.
After smashing the large walled city of Jericho, Israel thought they would only need a few thousand men to overrun the puny town of Ai. Unfortunately for Israel they were routed by this small city. Distraught by this defeat Joshua went to God and found out that one family had lied and cheated God out of the first fruits of the spoils of Jericho. God had commanded them to bring all the valuables from the battle to the house of the Lord. The principle of bringing the first fruit to God becomes evident. In later victories God allowed them to keep the spoils, which would have been even more for this family than what they stole from God. We must honor God with our first fruits if we want to see the abundance of God's blessings. Even today believers lose out on much of God's blessings because they do not put God first in their giving.
One of the most profound, and yet most important key we recognized in the book of Joshua, was simply asking God. Whenever Joshua and his advisors came up with good ideas and did not ask God, they had failure. Whenever they went to God for His advice they were victorious. The one instance where they did not ask God, they were tricked by their neighbors as if they were people from a far nation. Joshua gave them his word not to kill them. Later, he found out they were neighbors and had been deceived, because they "did not ask counsel from the Lord." (Joshua 9:14 ESV Translation). In those days they had integrity in their words, so Joshua honored his word by not destroying them.
A number of other keys were shared that you could listen to by obtaining the teachings CDs when they are available. The character of Joshua opened up qualities that would be good for every son of God. They included, willing to be a servant, meekness and dedication to God and His Word. Joshua's life exemplified these wholesome characteristics. Joshua's last declaration to Israel was to get the people to commit themselves to only serve God. "...The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey." (Joshua 24:24).
Agape,
Bob
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