Three Points To Ponder This Week!!!

1) Try To Save Yourself - & - You Will Lose Your Very Soul!!!

2) Relative Truth Will Lead You To A Very Real Death!!!

3) If You Are Truly Thirsty For God, Seek Out His Son, Confess Your Sin, Then Learn To Become A Clay Pot!!!

These Messages from my book, present you pleanty of room to both search and challenge your hearts!

God Will Be Praised and Glorified with you or without you - it is my prayer - it will be with You!

Just how far do we fall short?

He Is HOLY!

Do we need to say anymore?

Thank You R.C. Sproul for the wonderful illustration last Saturday!

Most people....

“Quite a few people, most of the time, will artificially elevate their menial successes to take the Light of Truth off of their miserable failures”… Alistair Begg

Enough Said! Dig in – Do your Job right the first time, and let your Family, Friends & those around you determine if you are successful or not…

Forgiveness, Mercy and Grace are all products of Righteous character, which you will find foreign to most men. These traits can be mimicked and duplicated, but are not sustainable by human will alone.

Discipline yourself to do the job right the first time, and then there will be no need to seek these traits in those that you serve.

RC Hall

'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:21

The Awaiting Bride

Hosea 2:

16 “And it shall be, in that day,” Says the LORD, “That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’

17 For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, and they shall be remembered by their name no more.

18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely.

19 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in loving kindness and mercy;

20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD.

The Awaiting Bride

The Church is hushed and quite, the music is still soft and is played with a sense of reverence. The groom has not yet appeared at the front of the Church. The mind of the Bride is rushing, making sure all the last details have been addressed and put in their proper place… Then, for a few moments she begins to think of her Groom, this One that she is about to take in marriage. They have been engaged or betrothed for quite some time now, and she remembers all the steps and phases of this relationship.

She remembers the promise she made her Father before he went on, to remain pure and reserved for the One that she will meet to commit her life to. She had become lost in the world, got involved with the wrong crowd, participated in activities that made her shutter as she thought about them. She had a run in with the LAW, and in her upcoming trial was more than likely going to face a hard judgment. Her life was a mess, and she was at the end of her rope when she met this One, He was different than all the rest.

She smiles when she remembers the wonderful and amazing moment that she met her betrothed. He was strong and kind, yet He was not over bearing, and He spoke with Authority and showed so much compassion and control. He told her, “I can take you from all this, show you joy beyond anything that you could possibly comprehend. I will pay the price for your offenses to the LAW; all I ask in return, is your Whole Heart! No more running with this old crowd, I want you to change your mind and heart. I will give you the strength you need through My Love and Devotion to you. I have already committed myself to you; I only ask the same in return.”

She agreed, and was swept off her feet. Tough times still came, but she relied on Him to get her through it. He carried her through many trials, and she called to Him in all types of temptations. He provided all that she needed; and nothing more. He met every need with a loving kind word of Truth, and deeds that showed the heart of a servant, not that of a man with such stature and high regard in the community. He showed her humility and meekness all the while providing for her and protecting her.

When He introduced her to His Father, He wrapped her in His fine white linens, and referred to her to His father as a white rose, that He presented to His Father in conversation and requests. His Father was Lord of all that there was throughout the entire Kingdom. On her own, she would dare not approach HIM, but through her Prince, she could enjoy HIS company and conversation.

The music is growing louder, the bridal party is making its way, and she is whisked back to the reality of this Great Wedding. She looks to her future Father, HIS Son she is about to take as her own through this formal Wedding procedure. He smiles, and says well done Child, as I promised you to My Son, the time is near. Have you the kept the promise of the ring?

Oh yes Father, while there were many that tried to prevent me from the Purity YOU require; I have kept the promise. Your Son gave me the strength to persevere, for as you know He brought my requests and desires before you’re thrown. It was your power and strength and righteousness that kept me Pure and Honorable.

Well done in deed, enter into this room now and offer yourself to the One in whom you have been promised!  My Beloved Son is anxiously awaiting, He is coming to gather you up child.  You shall join Him and reign over this Kingdom for ever more...

Folks how are you doing today… Are you ready for the Big Wedding Coming Soon??? Are you prepared??? Have you kept yourself pure and untouched by the world around you???

Abstinence, well, it’s a pretty important word and concept to the guy standing at the end of the isle on his wedding day wouldn’t you think? We must abstain from engaging in worldly activities that do NOT Glorify God.

PURE! Translates to White, clean, unblemished, promised, set aside, untouched, uncompromised, set apart, separated, righteous, sinless, committed, holy….

The boundaries in a Christian life are not to make life drab or boring, if that is the attitude, then Christian Liberty is not truly understood, nor is the Freedom that Liberty provides from SIN!

Those boundaries protect that which is betrothed to the Son of God as His rightful ransomed Bride, to be and to remain pure as the driven snow…

If we look at, listen to, speak of, or participate in un-righteous, un-holy activities we are cheapening and soiling that which is promised to the Prince of the universe. He is coming to claim His Bride; she is expected to have waited for Him and Him only. His word tells us that if our heart does not harbor the things of Purity, Righteousness and Cleanness, then we ARE NOT HIS! We are the bride of another, much darker groom.

Check your mind set! Check Your Heart! Does it truly belong to HIM, or are you sleeping around with the world and its offerings to the lusts of this flesh? You can’t have two grooms, you can’t serve two Masters. Which one is truly yours?

These are the Activities to purify and shield the Bride: Prayer, Biblical Study, Meditation, Guarded Friendships, Eye Filters, Ear Filters, Speech Filters, Proper Choices, Church Involvement, Mind Set, and Discipline…

II) Joshua Led Israel Out

The Expository Book Study of Joshua

II) Joshua Led Israel Out
Joshua 1   Verses 10 - 18          

Week # 02  of  This Series  02 June 2010          
Week # 23  of  Prayer Meeting Teaching Ministry

10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it. 12And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD's servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. 16And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

17According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

18Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

Israel has had a long eventful wandering episode in the wilderness. 40 Years, several generations have passed, and they could have made the journey in just 11 days… Forty years making their way through the miserable wilderness land, they were tired, and broken. Now – God could lead His people. God led them to the Promised Land via the wilderness all those years, knowing they would be discouraged if they would have immediately came in contact with their enemies.

Remember; God permitted Moses to send out spies in order to confirm or verify that God was as good as His Word!! God told them of the land of milk and honey, but the people requested Moses to send out spies to see what it actually was like. SO, Moses sent out 12 men that went throughout Palestine investigating. Do you remember their report when they returned? 10 of the men reported that the land was everything God said it was – BUT, “we will never be able to overcome the nations that dwell there. They are stronger than we; their cities are walled up to heaven; and there we saw the giants; and we were in their sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in our own sight. We are not able to go against them.”

Only two men of the 12 encouraged the people, Joshua and Caleb. They said, “let us go up at once and possess the land; for we are well able to overcome the foes.” BUT – The people would not believe them… SO, God turned them back and they wandered for 38 years. They refused to do what God commanded – they refused!!! Think about for a few seconds folks, they Refused to Obey!!! Yet, God did not destroy them, nor did He forsake them; instead – He watched over them and protected them, and fed them all the years they were in the wilderness… Sound familiar to the age of Grace?

Now in verses 10 thru 18, God is commanding them once again to march into Palestine. They were to go 3 days journey over the Jordan and into the Land towards Jericho, to “Possess” the land, which was “given” to them by the “Lord Your God”.

The land was typical of what we have in Christ. God “hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. But folks, we can possess our Spiritual Inheritance ONLY as we recognize our death and resurrection with our Lord Jesus Christ. God had told Israel long before when in Egypt that they were to go three days journey into the wilderness, which speaks of the death and resurrection. Now the people of Israel were to go over Jordan in three days.

REFER TO PAGES 21, 22 & 23 OF IRONSIDE’S BOOK ON JOSHUA…

Do we pine for God every day? Or are we content with where we are? Are we holding too so to the world, that our Spirit’s can’t hear the voice of GOD? I hope Joshua’s 1st chapter has given you insight to the God we serve, and has caused your heart to stir for Him.

I was always taught – salvation does not give you clear claim of Christ as Savior without “making Him Lord” of your life and will. Paul said we must crucify ourselves with Christ on that old Cross. Then we are to allow the new man / woman to create a NEW MIND. New desires, not of this world but of the world yet to come… New Life – New Master…

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Joshua 1:16

All that thou commandest us we will do—Here they acknowledge the Divine mission of Joshua, as they had done that of Moses, and consequently promise to follow his directions in all things.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Joshua 1:17

Only the Lord thy God be with thee—Provided God be with thee, as he was with Moses, we will implicitly obey thee. The words however may mean no more than an earnest prayer for Joshua’s prosperity: May God be with thee, as he was with Moses!

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Joshua 1:18

He shall be put to death—This was martial law; he who disobeyed the command of his general should be put to death. To this the people agreed, and it was essentially necessary in order that proper discipline should be kept up in this great army. By insubordination their fathers had suffered much in the wilderness; they rejected the authority of Moses, mutinied and made themselves a leader to conduct them back to Egypt. (See Numbers 14:4). And Joshua himself, for attempting to encourage them against their fears, was near being stoned to death. It was necessary, therefore, that they should give him the most positive assurance that they would not act as their fathers had done.

1. NOTWITHSTANDING the great honor God put on his servants Moses, Aaron, Phinehas, and Joshua, yet we find him using every means to induce the people to trust in himself alone. Hence he is ever showing them that even those great men had nothing but what they had received, and that they were as fully dependent upon himself as the meanest of the people. What was even Moses without his GOD?

2. Is it not strange that at the death of Moses utter despair had not overwhelmed the whole camp, as he whom they expected to give them rest had died before any conquest was made in Canaan? We find, however, that they are not discouraged; he who gave them Moses, has now given them Joshua in his place; and they had now fully learned that if God be for them, none could be successfully against them.

3. From all this we may learn, that when God has a great work to accomplish, he will provide himself suitable instruments; and though one which he has greatly honored, appear to fail, we should know that he is not confined to work by that one alone. He has way every where, and all things serve the purposes of his will. He will as surely support his Church on earth, as he will support the earth itself; and while the sun and moon endure, the Church shall flourish: this is for his own honor, and he certainly is more concerned for his own glory in the administration of justice, judgment, and salvation in the earth, than any of the children of men can possibly be.

4. Though God had so implicitly promised them his help, yet he strongly insists on their own co-operation. He requires the use of every power and talent he has given; even Joshua himself must be strong and very courageous, and the people must obey him in all things, in order that they may go over the Jordan to possess the good land; and without this they had never got into the promised rest.

Shall we suppose, then, that if we be not workers together with God we shall be saved? Vain expectation! He works in us to will and to do, i.e., he gives the principle of volition in things that are holy, and the principle of power to bring the acts of will into good practical effect; therefore, says the apostle, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Will, therefore, under the influence of the gracious principle of volition; act under the influence of the principle of power. Without the power you can neither will nor do; but having the power it is your duty to will and do. It is enough that God gives the power. It is our duty, when we receive these talents, to improve them. In a million of cases a man may be both able to will and to do, and yet do neither to the salvation of his soul.