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

Worship for Today: "You are not able to serve 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 24:19,

 

"Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins."

 

Here is an interesting statement Joshua declared to the Israelites. In the middle of extracting a commitment from the Israelites to not forsake the Lord for other so-called gods, Joshua points out that the Lord is a holy and jealous God - they would be unable to serve him.

 

Joshua lays it before the people, "If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15.

 

Serving the Lord is something not to be taken lightly. As Joshua says, "He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you." Verses 19-20.

 

This is where the need for salvation comes in. We have all sinned, we are all subject to the wrath of God for our sins. It is from the Lord's own justice we need to be saved. How I thank the Lord for his kindness and mercy to me that he has provided a way for me, through his Son, Jesus Christ! It is in him he asks I place my faith and trust. As Paul wrote Titus, "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-7.

 

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 is true to his promises!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 11:23,

 

"So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war."

 

The Lord gave the land he promised to Israel. The Israelites had to fight for it, but it was the Lord that gave them the victory and gave them the land. The Lord made a promised and he kept it.

 

The Lord has made a promise to us as well. We are told, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9. This is a promise! God makes good on his promises!

 

This is the very issue that brought Abraham a good standing with God. We are told that Abraham believed the Lord and it was credited to him as righteousness, Genesis 15:6. Paul says it was Abraham's belief in the Lord that God had the power to do what he had promised, that brought Abraham this good standing with God. Romans 4:21-22.

 

God makes promises. He has the power to follow through on his promises and, unlike so many others, he faithfully follows through on all his promises!

 

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: Cities of Refuge.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 16:1-3,

 

"Then the Lord said to Joshua: 'Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.'"

 

The fairness of the Lord's sense of justice is unmistakable in his accommodation of the circumstance of a person's accidental death. In the law, the Lord told Moses that cities of refuge were to be established when the Israelites occupied the promised land. Now that Israel has taken the land, the cities are to be set up. Three on the east side of the Jordan and three on the west.

 

If someone killed a person accidentally and unintentionally, they were to flee to one of these cities of refuge where they could state their case and escape the "avenger of blood". An avenger of blood was one who was designated to avenge the death of an Israelite. If found innocent of intentional murder, the accused was to stay in the city of refuge until the death of the current high priest, and then he was able to return to his home.

 

This accommodation speaks of two qualities of the Lord to me. The first is the fairness with which the Lord assigned justice. A distinction is made between the killing of someone accidentally on the one hand and malice with forethought on the other. The second quality of the Lord that this accommodation speaks of to me is the importance of the life of a person.

 

In the law, the Lord made clear there needed to be an accounting for any death of an innocent that took place. The sixth commandment is "You shall not murder." Exodus 20:13. Numbers 35:6-34 goes into detail regarding the punishment of murderers, the testimony required to convict the guilty and the purpose of the cities of refuge. The importance of accounting for a person's death is given at the end of that chapter, "Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites." Numbers 35:33-34.

 

The importance of this sentiment of the Lord is found in a truth given to Noah and his sons by the Lord, "For your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man." Genesis 9:5-6.

 

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: Fighting against 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 11:4-6,

 

"They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. The Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.'"

 

The kings in the northern territory of the land God promised Israel joined forces to fight against the people of God. We are told when they joined their forces, it created a huge army, "as numerous as the sand on the seashore."

 

In spite of the size of this formidable fighting force, Israel cut them to pieces. We read in verses 7-8, "So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left."

 

I am reminded of another vast army that will gather against God's people. In Revelation 16:14,16, "They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty... Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon."

 

How futile to fight against God! When Jabin gathered the armies together to fight against Israel, they found themselves fighting against God himself. In Revelation 19:13-21 we read, "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, 'Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.' Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh."

 

How frightful to find yourself fighting against the forces of the Lord!

 

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 Bible is real.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 15:1,

 

"The allotment for the tribe of Judah, clan by clan, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south."

 

In a section of this book, which can be daunting to follow with the tribal references and geographic specifics provided for the distribution of the promised land, I am reminded of something quite important about Scripture.

 

The Bible is different than all the other so-called religious books of the world. The Bible stands alone as a collection of volumes that contain factual information that reflect times and places. Real times and real places where real events occurred.

 

The Scriptures are not simply a collection of statements of wisdom and religious thought, ethical considerations, liturgies and theology. To be sure, the Bible is all of these things. But those who spend time in the Scriptures find themselves in the midst of God revealing himself, manifesting himself throughout its pages in the context of time and space. Real time and space.

 

Listed in Joshua are numerous geographical landmarks that provide boundary lines of how the land was distributed following Israel's possession of it. Real people in real places at specific times in world history. It is all recorded right here in its pages. We should expect no less from a body of literature that contains the accounts of God's activities and the revelation of himself.

 

Put very simply, the Bible is real. It is precisely in contexts such as we find in the book of Joshua, where dates and places can be documented and verified - demonstrating the veracity of the Scriptures.

 

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 has qualified us to share in his family!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Colossians 1:12,

 

"...giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."

 

Paul tells his readers he prays they will live their lives worthy of the Lord, to please him in every way, as the Lord has, among other things, "qualified" them to become members of "the kingdom of light". I love the way the NIV has translated this. It brings across an important truth in rich clarity. God is the one who has qualified us to become his own children!

 

How did he do this? A few verses later he says, "he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation..." Colossians 1:22. Here Paul proclaims the fulfillment of what was prophesied by Isaiah eight centuries earlier, "he [the Lord's servant, Jesus Christ]  was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. " Isaiah 53:5-6.

 

All people have sinned and are unfit for entry into God's family. We are all unable to qualify ourselves to live with God in his kingdom. In his own mercy and kindness to us, he has made it possible for all to enter his kingdom. He has qualified us for this by providing the payment for our sins through the substitutionary death of his Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Since he is the one who has qualified us, all he asks from us is to embrace him in faith, to trust in him!

 

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: Victory is found 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 11:6-8,

 

"The Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.' So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left."

 

The defeat of these northern kings was assured Israel by the Lord. In a masterful coordinated effort crafted by the Lord himself, Israel conquered her opponents. The comment catches my eye: "the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel."

 

This reminds me of a passage in Proverbs that speaks to the issue of where victory comes from. "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord." Two verses of Proverbs here that fit so well together. Nothing can succeed against the Lord and victory is found in him.

 

We are to make ready for the battle, prepare ourselves, and then rely on the Lord for victory: his strength, his power. Paul tells us to prepare for spiritual battle in Ephesians 6:10-18. There we are instructed to put on spiritual armament. But as in the case with Israel, when she took the promised land from the Canaanites, the ability to win the day is found in the Lord. Paul tells us to "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Victory comes through him.

 

How wonderful it is to dwell in the tent of the one who will always bring the victory!

 

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 sovereign control of 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 11:20,

 

"It was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses."

 

As we read of Israel taking possession of the land the Lord promised them, it is a sweeping account. Here we learn that the Lord hardened the hearts of the people he intended to have Israel annihilate. As Israel marched through the land the various kings came together in efforts to fight off the Israelites, all to no avail.

 

What I find interesting is the Lord's involvement in what he did through Israel. He wanted the wicked inhabitants of Canaan destroyed and so manipulated events that insured it would happen the way he wanted. We read that the Lord "hardened the hearts" of the Canaanites so they would wage war against Israel, war they had no possibility of winning. The Lord would see to that, accomplish what he desired and do it all through the nation of Israel, masking much of his own direct participation in his judgement of the Canaanite peoples.

 

Much of what the Lord has done throughout history, he has done in a way that his visibility has been carefully measured. I am certain he does it to maintain some equilibrium so that he can be embraced in faith. He has made clear he has chosen all who will embrace him in faith, and although he could step out on the stage of world events and bring about whatever it is he desires, he has chosen to mask himself for his own purposes. This is clearly seen in the actions of Jesus Christ as he allowed himself to be known to some and not others, how he would let himself be recognized in some circumstances, but not in others. The Lord appears to interact with the world in such a way that he maintains the opportunity for faith to exist.

 

What is striking here is the manipulation of the peoples of the world. Where mankind may feel he is entirely in control of his destiny, at times man is simply doing what he has been manipulated to do by our God who carries out his own agenda to perfection.

 

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: Believers are rewarded; the faithless are condemned.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 6:18-19, 7:20-21,

 

"Keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury."... "It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

 

Joshua tells his fighting men they are not to take silver and gold, articles of bronze and Iron for themselves when they sack Jericho. It is all to be "devoted" to the Lord and to his treasury. Only when Achan is caught does he confess to violating the Lord's command concerning the devoted things.

 

Of what value, of what good, was the beautiful Babalonian robe, the silver and gold to Achan when he was put to death? He had just been told, along with the other men, that he would bring about his own destruction if he took any of it - and yet he did. Why? Obviously, he didn't believe what the Lord said. It made no point for him to take these things to his own certain peril, he therefore didn't believe he would be in peril to take them.

 

Sounds a lot like Adam and Eve in the garden, doesn't it? When they succumbed to their temptation, I am quite certain they didn't realize the tragedy that would ensue when they did what God told them not to. Like Achan, their sin was a lack of belief, a failure to trust in God.

 

It is upon this very issue that God has determined who will be allowed into his family, who will be given eternal life. Those who embrace God in faith will inherit the certain promises of God. Those who reject God, who refuse to believe what he has to say will be condemned to an eternity in a fiery lake of burning sulfur. Over and over, throughout the Scriptures, God has made plain to us all that if we place our faith in him, he will forgive us our sins and provide us a place at his table.

 

Achan's actions revealed his heart toward God. This is true for all of us. What we do expresses what is in our hearts, no matter what our lips give service to. Achan may have been a pillar of the community, a man looked up to and revered by his countrymen. But even a pagan prostitute was held in higher esteem by God when she placed her faith in him. Rahab is mentioned by both the writer of Hebrews and the Lord's own brother in his letter as a hero of faith.

 

This is the message of James 2:25-26, "In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

 

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 comes!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 6:1a,

 

"Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites."

 

What a picture of the posture and attitude of the world today. Here comes the Lord, amongst his people. His presence is with them as they approach Jericho, carrying his word with them.

 

The Canaanites had fair warning forty years earlier, when the Lord first delivered Israel from Egypt and intended to bring them against the inhabitants of the promised land. Rather than heeding the events that attended the freeing of Israel from Egypt, clearly known to the inhabitants of Jericho, as confesses by Rahab, and repenting and seeking the Lord's mercy, they shut themselves up.

 

Given what the inhabitants knew about the miracles of the Lord, this was an act of insanity. Just how tightly can you shut up a city against the Lord and his people, given what took place forty years prior, and more recently with the two kings on the east side of the Jordan? When the Israeli spies went to Jericho, Rahab told them, "I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." Joshua 2:9-11.

 

And, yet, the inhabitants of Jericho "tightly shut" themselves before the advance of the Lord and his people! Rahab seems to be the only one from Jericho that made a wise choice.

This is exactly what the world does today. Given the world's history with the Lord, the visitation of God's Son to earth, his death, burial and resurrection, what kind of sense does it make that the world shuts itself up tightly against him? The Lord has clearly told us he is coming back, that he will visit his retribution on planet earth and all of its inhabitants for sin. About Jesus Christ, we read in Revelation 19:13-15, "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty."

 

While those who reject any acknowledgment of the Lord seem to abound today, while so many spurn his offer of forgiveness and  restoration with him, Jesus Christ is coming back. While many attempt to tightly shut their minds to their Creator, he is headed this way. Just like a massive freight train that has left the station and is unstoppable, the Lord is headed this way. Just as the walls of Jericho could not stand against the purposes and agenda of the Lord, nothing in this world will stop the Lord's purposes here on planet earth!

 

The Lord is coming!

 

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: It is God's choice!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 6:2,

 

"Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.'"

 

Now that Israel has crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord had promised them, the Lord tells Joshua he is handing their first conquest west of the Jordan to them, Jericho. To be sure, Israel will have to fight for it, but it is as good as done since the Lord has told Joshua it is theirs.

 

What right has God to give Jericho to Israel? What right has God to give any land over to a nation? Who is to decide who gets what? We live in a day where these are the questions that seem to perplex the bewildered international diplomatic community. Do the Palestinians have historical claim to Palestine? Does Israel? Should Israel be free to maintain control over the real estate it captured during the various wars she fought in the last half of the twentieth century?

 

Closer to home, what of the claim of "guilt-ridden white liberals" that the taking of North America and settling it was somehow an immoral thing relative to the natives living here at the time?

 

Paul provides an interesting observation relative to this kind of issue when he spoke to the folks at the Areopagus in Athens two millenia ago. He said, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:24-27.

 

The Creator decides. He created it and it is all his. He determines the eras for peoples and where they will live. His agenda is to provide all possible means that people may embrace him in faith. Here is where mankind's "rule" and "authority" comes to an end and where mankind must bow to supremacy of his creator. Those who feel they should be the arbiters of such things are mere pip-squeaks before our omnipotent creator. It is his to decide. Where man feels he is doing big things, he is merely doing the bidding of God.

 

This brings to my mind the great decision God made, one much more profound and important than who gets which real estate at what time. God decided before time began, knowing that man would fall from his lofty position of fellowship with him in the garden, that he would reserve for himself all who embrace him in faith. God paid the penalty of our sins himself, when he sent his Son to die a miserable death on that cross. God predetermined that payment for our sins would be credited to any individual who embraces him in faith. He didn't decide to credit that payment to us if we are good looking, if we succeed in the business world, if we behave ourselves or we join the right church. He decided that he would give us eternal life if we trust in him.

 

But some simply cannot find the faith to place in God. Is it fair of God that we must trust in him? Hear how Paul answers that, in the similar way he addresses who inhabits which real estate when. "One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?' But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?" ' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" Romans 9:19-21.

 

As Paul makes his point that eternal life will be given to the faithful as opposed to those who would rather earn it than trust in God, he says it is God's choice. He is the Creator and it is his to choose, it is his to give. We don't get to decide despite our efforts of theology to the contrary.

 

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