Rahab and the Gibeonites

Rahab was a prostitute and the Gibeonites were liars but both had heard about the true and living God and came to Joshua for safety. Rahab came as an individual and God honoured her faith. She and her family became part of the nation of Israel. The Gibeonites came as a group and they too became part of the nation of Israelites. Rahab became an ancestor of Jesus Christ. The Gibeonites became caretakers for the tabernacle and worship of God. For both the cost was great. Rahab and her family could have lost their lives. The Gibeonites came under attack by their allies.
What abut us? We too are under the wrath of God. However, we can be assured that God will keep His promise to us. His command to Joshua was that they keep the oath that they had made to the Gibeonites, how much more will God keep His oath to us.

Deception and Friendship with the World

If Christians were not so anxious to be accepted by the world then they wouldn't be so susceptible to deception. The church needs to remember that the agenda for her is set by God and His Word and not by the world. When we lose sight of that then we are open to deception.

Breaking an Promise

Is there ever a time when one should break a promise? I believe that we have to answer "yes" because there are times we make promises that can have eternal consequences. If I attempt to break an oath or a promise for personal gain the answer would be "no" but if in keeping my promise or oath I would damn myself or another to hell then we must break that promise. It is sad though that many Christians think that it is okay to break a promise if we were deceived and in keeping that promise would cause us financial or other personal lose. Isn't it better to suffer the lose than to break one's vow?

4 - 14 Window

Yes it is the four-fourteen and not the ten forty window. Over 85% of the people who come to Christ do so between the ages of 4 and 14. That is why Tracy, our children's minster, is one of the most important people on our church staff as well as the importance of Christian moms and dads. Joshua tells us that the children were included in the reading of the Law. The Word of God is complex and difficult for the great minds to understand and yet simple so that even a child can understand the message of salvation. Only God's book could be simple enough for the youngest of readers yet complex so that even the most learned still have to dig deeper and study more. That is part of the power of the word.

The Bible League of Canada

Today my wife and I and a friend attended the annual conference of the Bible League of Canada. We all volunteer at the local Bibles for Missions thrift store that raises money for the Bible League. As we listened to ordinary men and women who were doing extraordinary things for the Gospel we were reminded of the power of the Word of God and the importance of having that Word available to everyone. As Joshua and the Israelites heard the Word of God they were aware of the power of that Word. The Bible itself tells us that it is powerful and it will fulfill its purpose. We cannot do extraordinary things for God if we ignore His Word. That is why we need to read the Word and hear the Word. It is not just an intellectual exercise but we are hearing the words of our great God.

Uncut Stones

Joshua commanded the leaders to make an altar of uncut stones. There was nothing about the altar that spoke of what man had done. God made the stones and man was not to change that. The people needed to be reminded that it was God who made them, it was God who redeemed them, it was God who gave them the Law and it was this God that they were called to obey.

Disobedience

God does not require our obedience to get His will done on earth. He can use our disobedience just as He can use our obedience. So then what is the purpose of obedience? Our obedience is not for God's benefit but for ours. We can receive the blessings of obedience if we would obey. God didn't need the Israelites obedience to capture Ai but the Israelites needed the obedience to be in the pathway of holiness. The old hymn told us, "Trust and obey/for there is no other way/to be happy in Jesus/but to trust and obey.