Today's Worship: The great divine collaboration.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 24:11b-13,

 

"The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I [the Lord] gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant."

 

The Lord tells the Israelites through Joshua that what he is giving them, the land of Canaan, although they had to fight for it, it was not won by Israel's hand but by the Lord, not by their sword and bow, but by the acts of the Lord. The Lord had told the Israelites to go into the land and take it from the Canaanites, and as they did, the Lord brought the victory.

 

It is a fascinating thing to see how the Lord operates when he pursues an agenda. Throughout the pages of Scripture we see the Lord has someone or a group pursue what he wants to happen, and then he insures the success of what he does through his own immediate efforts. It is truly a great divine collaboration: the Lord often accomplishes what he does through the agency of man while working on it himself directly in one fashion or another.

 

The whole of the gospel enterprise the church is engaged in is a great example of this. Just prior to his ascension to heaven the Lord told the church, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20.

 

As the Lord tells the church to make disciples, he does his part in this great divine collaboration. He draws all men to himself, John 12:32. He sent the Holy Spirit, "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." John 16:8-11. The Lord also equips certain individuals for the task, providing them the abilities to be particularly effective at it, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up... " Ephesians 4:11-12. 

 

How wonderful is this great divine collaboration the Lord has engaged us in!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: The Lord has given us the freedom to choose!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 24:15,

 

"...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

 

Possibly one of the most wonderful things about the Lord is the most frightening. As he did with Israel, the Lord gives us the freedom to choose whether we will serve him or not.

 

It is one of the most wonderful because the freedom to exercise my own choice to follow him provides me the opportunity to express my love and adoration of him. It makes worship possible and provides a truthful and abiding context in which I can experience his love, and he, mine.

 

On the other hand, it is the most frightening because it allows me to go my own way. What if I were to reject the Lord for my life? Where would that leave me? Revelation 21:8 makes clear: a fiery lake of burning sulfur!

 

It is the most grave, the most consequential decision any person must make in this life. Joshua's challenge is just as much a wonderful opportunity, as well as threatening potential today as it was in his day. The Lord has given us the freedom to choose!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: God responds to choices made.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 23:16,

 

"If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you."

 

As Joshua gives his farewell to the leaders of Israel, he tells them that, although the Lord has blessed them in fulfilling his promise to give them the land of Canaan, he will take it from them if they turn from him. Just as the Lord gave, he can just as easily take away, and take away he will if they turn to other gods. Unwisely, Israel will fail to heed Joshua's warning and in six to eight hundred years or so, this will be the very case of things.

 

What I am reminded of in this passage is something intrinsic to our Lord. He provides us the freedom to make our own choices and based on those choices he responds. Although there is much theology that fails to account for this and even denies this, it is nevertheless something true of the Lord, something he has made abundantly clear in his word to us.

 

Listen to what the Lord has to say through the prophet Jeremiah at the very time Joshua's warning to Israel becomes a frightful reality, "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

 

Here is a sobering truth about our Lord. He will even change his mind about the fortunes he intends for a nation based on choices a nation makes. I find nowhere in the new covenant where the Lord's interaction with nations has changed. This is just as true today as it was in Jeremiah's.

 

Our God is not to be trifled with - he responds to choices we make!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship (and prayer request): God brings victory!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 21:44b,

 

"Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them."

 

As the Lord fulfilled his promises to Israel, we read that the Lord "handed all their enemies over to them." God's people experienced victory that the Lord provided. Joshua told the Israelites, "You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you." Joshua 23:3. In their victorious campaigns against their enemies, Joshua wanted the people to know it was the Lord, not their efforts that brought their victories. To be sure, the Israelites did fight and followed what Joshua asked of them, but it was the Lord that provided the victories.

 

As believers we have our enemies to conquer as well. The world, the flesh and the devil are all arrayed before us as our enemies. As we live in this life, death itself awaits us as an enemy. But, just as the Lord brought victory to the Israelites, so he does for us as well.

 

Concerning death, as Paul discusses our resurrection as children of God, he says, "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

 

Concerning opposition from the world, John says, "Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5:4-5. Our key to understanding this victory over the world is found in the previous chapter, verse 4, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." Here is found, as well. our victory over the devil, the "one who is in the world".

 

Concerning that proclivity to sin, the sin nature that dwells within us, Paul tells where our victory comes from in regard to it, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." Romans 8:9.

 

Of all the multiplied gifts from our God, certain victory is ours! He has promised us, "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:8-9. What more could he do for us?!

 

Please pray for my friend Rod Cornelius. He is having serious medical issues. He is a man who has had an important impact on my life and I pray that he senses the Lords presence and his loving touch during this difficult time. Thank you.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's worship: We find rest in the Lord!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 21:44,

 

"The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them."

 

As I think of the rest the Lord provided Israel, following their possession of the promised land, it causes me to think of the rest the Lord has provided us today through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ.

 

To be sure, those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith are not without challenges. We are told our enemy, the devil, is on the prowl, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8. We are at odds with the world, "Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13. We struggle with that inner sinful nature, "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." Galatians 5:17. We need to take caution in the way we live our lives and the teachings we adhere to, "Watch your life and doctrine closely." 1 Timothy 4:16. We are to watch out for others who oppose us, "You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message." 2 Timothy 4:15.

 

On the other hand, we have a rest, just like the Lord provided rest for Israel against her enemies. Our greatest enemy was God himself - our sin brings judgment from God. When we were his enemies he provided us victory over his own judgment against us. "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5:8-10.

 

We rest from our own efforts at attempting to escape God's justice. Efforts at proving to God we don't deserve to be cast into a lake of burning sulfur in the resurrection can all be laid to rest. We never would have enjoyed success in the effort anyway, and now that he has made a way for us we can rest in it! As the writer of Hebrews tells us, "Now we who have believed enter that rest... anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his." Hebrews 4:3,10.

 

As far as the challenges we face, as God's children, he has made provision for each of us in those areas as well. How wonderful is our heavenly Father that he has done these things for us in the rest he brings us!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: God's promises are awesome and breathtaking!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 21:44,

 

"The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them."

 

The way the Lord fulfills his promises is like no other! As we read of the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, fulfilled in the book of Joshua, I am struck by the awesomeness of God's promises!

 

God has the power to fulfill all of his promises! This is specifically what Paul identified in Abraham's faith, the faith used as a model for the rest of us as to what God honors with righteousness (our "ticket" to eternal life). "He [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.'" Romans 4:20-22.

 

God's promise is unchanging! "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged." Hebrews 6:17-18.

 

God's promises are fully assured! Unlike so many promises made to us by others that go unfulfilled, God's promises are certain. Paul says, "But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not 'Yes' and 'No.' For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not 'Yes' and 'No,' but in him it has always been 'Yes'. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 2 Corinthians 1:18-22.

 

God is faithful in his promises! "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23. Although many may not remain faithful and cannot be counted on, God is faithful and can always, without fail, be counted on!

 

The promises of God are great and precious! "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3-4.

 

The Lord is patient, but not slow in keeping his promise! "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

 

The Lord has promised us eternal life! "This is what he promised us—even eternal life." 1 John 2:25.

 

What can I say of the promises of God?! They are simply awesome and breathtaking!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: The Lord makes and keeps promises!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 21:45,

 

"Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."

 

The Lord is our great God of promises. He makes promises and he keeps them. Some have been fulfilled and some are yet to come. The promises of God are an element of our relationship with him that brings tremendous anticipation and excitement.

 

Here are a few I dug up out of the New Testament:

 

God promised the Holy Spirit, which he gave the church, Acts 2:33; Ephesians 1:13.

God has promised to restore the earth which will come when Jesus Christ returns, Acts 3:21.

God promised to Abraham that his descendants would possess Canaan, which was fulfilled in the book of Joshua, Acts 7:5.

God promised to send the Savior to Israel, which he fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Acts 13:23, 32.

God has promised our resurrection, Acts 26:6.

God promised the gospel, or "good news" which has been proclaimed since the birth of the church on Pentecost, Romans 1:2.

God promised Abraham he would have offspring through Sarah. This was fulfilled when Isaac was born, Romans 4:18-21.

God has promised eternal life, Titus 1:2; 1 John 2:25.

God has promised an eternal inheritance, Hebrews 9:15.

God has promised judgment, Hebrews 12:26.

God has promised a kingdom, James 2:5.

God has promised a crown of life to those who love him, James 1:12.

God has promised a new heaven and a new earth, 2 Peter 3:13.

 

All exciting stuff!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com