God's Holy Hand Grenade

 Click here to read Joshua 6

We are in a battle. It is around us, it concerns us, it involves us, and it impacts us. The Church is in the midst of that battle and every follower of Christ is being attacked on a daily basis. Our souls are the prize being fought for. It is an external battle but it is an internal one, and eternal one, as well. Some days we serve on one side and other days we may find ourselves serving on the other. We can, at times, be our own worst enemy!

Sounds a tad confusing, I admit; a little disturbing, for sure; and very frustrating, without a doubt.

You know what I mean, don't you, this battle that is going on and that involves you and me? It's the one where you feel pulled in directions that you know you should not go. It's over your thoughts and desires and attitudes and possessions. It includes your family, your friends, your job, even your church - most definitely your church. The world is both the battle ground and part of the army that is against us. Certainly it is a physical battle but it is also political, social, emotional, and psychological; and you can probably add a few more "...al's" into the mix. But above all, this warfare is against enemies in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:10-18). The weapons we use need to be, first and foremost, spiritual in nature (also see 2 Corinthians 10:3-6). And as Paul alludes to in both these passages, we need to be aware of and unitize these weapons in the battles we face in our lives. If we do not, we lose the battle.

But here is an important truth to keep in mind: even though we have these weapons at our disposal, and we are to equip ourselves and use these spiritual weapons, we also have need to have the confidence (trust/faith) that, because we are in Christ, we fight a battle that  has already been won! Christ has already been victorious, and he fights along with us in the battles we face. We are never alone!

I was reminded of this fact as I read Joshua 6. The process involved for victory by Israel was a convoluted one, bizarre by military standards. No leader of an army would go about preparing and approaching battle in this way! Which just goes to show, again, that God's ways are not our ways, and that we need to trust God in the battles and situations in our lives. We prepare ourselves, as the Israelites did, by listening to God's "word" and commands, and through obedience to God. Any other way brings failure, even if we make it through our "battle" on our own, because we have been disobedient, have been selfish, have placed ourselves in the role of God, and that, in a nutshell, is sin.  

Another thing that strikes me in this story that I need to remember is that, just as victory comes through the Lord, all glory must also go to the Lord. It's easy to take credit for something that I had little to do with, even though I may think that I gave a whole lot of effort in the task. When I start thinking, "I got through this," or "I pulled this thing off," then I have lost focus on the Author and Perfector of my faith and have placed myself above my Lord and Savior. Once I start doing that, my fall can be pretty hard! Truth is, I've fallen hard too many times because I kept looking at the wrong thing, myself.

Having faith in the victory that Christ has secured, being obedient to God's Word and Christ's commands, being equipped for "battle" with the weapons God has provided us, keeping our focus on God, and giving God the glory, are all key to experiencing the victory in our lives that God has made available to us through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 1:17-23)

On a side note, and a slightly skewed one at that, as I read the instructions given to Joshua in this passage, who, in turn reiterated those instructions to the army and the people, I couldn't help but be reminded of a scene in the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Read through those instructions again, then, for your viewing pleasure, give this a watch.

Be Strong and Courageous

I've been doing a reflective reading of the book of Joshua over the last several weeks. Not a daily thing but at least weekly. Not an in-depth study of text structures and historical comparison and such, just a reflective reading. Hears what I do: I sit down, open my Bible to the chapter that is up next (or I use eSword on my computer), and ask God to speak to me through what I am about to read. Then I read through the chapter, sometimes envisioning in my mind what is playing out before me on the page - kind of a move in the mind - followed by a second reading, maybe even a third. What I try to do is put myself in the place of each of the character's in the chapter, participating in the conversation. Then I try to shift the story to my situation, 21st century experience, my place of faith.

So what follows, and what I am sharing with you, are those "thoughts" that I had. I have made some adjustments, applying it to "we" and "us" instead of just "me" and "I". Hopefully there will be something you can connect with, get insight on, be encouraged about, pushed further along in your walk of faith.

And I also hope that I can keep posting my discoveries and questions from this journey through Joshua at least once a week.

Click here to read Joshua 1

"Be strong and courageous"

These words are mentioned several times in this first chapter of Joshua (1:6, 7, 9). As I read this chapter and especially these verses, I couldn't help but wonder what "land" God is calling each of us to posses. Is it a spiritual land, a level of maturinty that we have yet to achieve? Is it a battle with sin that has kept us from moving forward in our growth with God? Could it be concerning our relationships - with a spouse or family member, with friends, with our church - moving with them into new territory and change? The easy answer would be, yes to all of the above. The hard answer would be, yes to all of the above.

"Be strong and courageous"

I don't know about you but I have to admit that I feel I am neither of these in any of those "lands" I find myself traveling through or that I see coming before me, I'm afraid. Like Moses, I often feel ill equipped to lead God's people or to speak to them on His behalf. Like Timothy, I sometimes doubt my gifts and can struggle with feelings of insecurity. Like Paul, I have my own thorns that irritates and distracts me. Like John Mark, when I get overwhelmed and stressed and frustrated, I want to retreat, to run away. And I'm no different than Demas, who sees life on the other side of the fence a whole lot greener and wonders why I can't have that like everyone else.

"Be strong and courageous"

How do we get ourselves to that place? How do we build strength and courageousness into our character, our spiritual DNA? Could the following verses from Joshua be an important step in the process?

"Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." (Joshua 1:7-8)

God's Word, coupled with the Holy Spirit within us, along with our committment to allow God to control and leader in our life, helps build these characteristics (the fruit of the Spirit, transformation, holiness) that are necessary for our maturity and growth.

"Be strong and courageous...

for the Lord your God is with you..." (1:9)

I don't think it's because we forget that the Lord our God is with us, though that happens sometimes. I think it has more to do with the fact that we often ignore that truth, or we resist that truth, or we don't rely on that truth. God has promised that He will be with us (through His Holy Spirit), to transform us, to mold us, to lead and guide us, to serve as an "umpire" in our lives. But here is a cool thing: God is quick to forgive us for not listening, for not responding, for not trusting, for not opening ourselves up to Him. He forgives us for settling for mediocrity in our lives.

Here's what I have to ask myself a lot of the times, and maybe you need to start asking these questions, as well: Do I really want to be strong and courageous? Do I want to overtake the land God has promised for me? I don't think God forces us to take something we don't want. And I don't think God can give us what we need until we are willing to put ourselves in the place to receive what He has to offer us. God provides, God leads, God strengthens and encourages, but we have to trust... and posses the land.

Can There Be Such a Thing as a Pessimistic Christian?

My wife says that I am a Pessimist. What she said to me was, "Jim, you can be rather pessimistic sometimes." See what I mean, she did call me a Pessimist. OK, that isn't what she called me but that is what I heard.

Had she called me a Pessimist, she probably would've been right, I guess, but she didn't call me that, just that I can me pessimistic at times. She says I watch too much news on TV. If I am a TV addict at all it is in watching too much news and it does make be a little, ah, negative about life, at times. But how can you not feel that way when that seems to be all you hear and read about concerning the state of affairs we find ourselves in in the good ol' US of A?

Here's what I think, and understand that it is only my opinion based on the news I have read and heard and watched over the last several weeks, months, even the last few years. Take it or leave it, add your own two cents to mine and we still couldn't afford a piece of gum but here it is:

I don't believe that we will ever see gas go down below $3 again, and probably never below $3.50, except for a "false" blip in the ever increasing cost of oil. If we were to drill tomorrow in the Rocky Mountains, where they say there is three times the amount of oil that is in Saudi Arabia, and drilled off shore and in Alaska, I don't believe that gas would decrease much and wouldn't stay there for long. We Americans have proven that, despite the ever increasing cost, we still will spend our money on gas and drive like bats out of hell. And most of us would never consider mass transit, especially since so many of our cities aren't equipped for such. Unfortunately, as the price of oil continues to climb (from $11 eight years ago to $141 as of today), everything else increases in price (my favorite sub place increased their subs about 50 cents about two weeks ago, oh my), which continues to have a ripple affect on everything else.

I watched about five minutes of news this morning and there they were, people lined up out side banks in California to take out their money for fear of the collapse of their bank. Now, if my bank closed I'd lose about $10 but I wondered: is their fear warranted or is it simply a response to rumors? The "expert" they were interviewing said it was from fear based on rumor and that their money was guaranteed up to $100,000 so there was really nothing to worry about. And yet, I heard that there could be close to 100 bank closings within the year because of poor financial management. All that to say this: I don't think we Americans will learn from this financial and credit mismanagement because we went through something similar in the 80's and, guess what? We're here again.

Again, the affect of the financial crises is having its ripple affect on other areas. Combine that with the oil crises and what you have is a financial catastrophe waiting to fall out of the closet. Already you have GM laying off people and discontinuing people's retirement benefits. There have been airlines and banks already laying off hundreds, even thousands, of people, from fear that they may become insolvant and exposed to buyouts or takeovers. I have someone in my church who works in a bank in Charlotte, a bank that has been in the news a lot lately, whose stock is so low that the company fears a takeover. He's working on his resume.

Another area that I have grown pessimistic about is the war on terror. No matter who gets elected, I don't believe that we will see much improvement. If Obama is elected and he withdrawls the troops, Iran will be overtaken by terrorists and civil war. We are seeing similar happenings in Afganastan. If McCain is elected, the idea that we will somehow be able to end terrorism and its growth is a fairy tale.

Speaking of Obama and McCain, I believe our government, if not broken, is at least no longer functioning in reality. That happens when you spend so much of your time in a cave like Washington, DC that causes you to lose perspective and become selfish, possesive and materialistic. Of course, there is a good chance that Congress will become even more controlled by Democrats, who, by the way, haven't done much to change the status of Congress any more than the Republicans did when they were in control. I've come to believe in term limits for those who serve in Congress - let's say it should be 12 years then they have to sit out for 4 years. Make them go back into the real world and live with their constituents - preferably having to eat at the local fast food restaurant at least several times of week so they can rub elbows with the "real" people, whoever we really are.

I could go on but I find my blood pressure is rising and my lip is starting to bleed, so I should stop. But all this causes me to wonder, is it possible to be a Christian, a true Christ follower, and be pessimistic?

I recall that there were several discourses that Christ had where His outlook about life was a lot less than rosey, about the present and about the future. In fact, His discription about the future was rather bleak. One might say it was almost pessimistic. Read Matthew 24 to see what I mean.

But in the midst of my pessimism I still have a Hope. Although I am pessimistic about what will unfold, what is unfolding, in what I believe are the last days, I am not pessimistic about the outcome. I know that my God is real and active and is working in the world. Though most of what is going on is caused by us - our selfishness, our abuse of the world's resources, our materialistic culture, etc. - I know that God is using it all to work out His will, which is to draw all people to Him, although some will choose to draw futher away from Him. But God does not give up on us.

I am filled with hope about Christ's Church, His Body of followers. Though we have much to apologize for, and though we have driven some people away by our "holier than thou" attitudes and confrontational approach, God still chooses to use us in the world, and His Church will prevail, even in the midst of persucution and an ever growing hostile world - hostile in part because we have presented not a Gospel of Love but, at times, just the opposite.

Yes, I am pessimistic. But I am a pessimist filled with a Holy Hope. If that's possible.

Flesh verses the Spirit in Spiritual Growth (2nd addition)

I have been reading, as part of my devotions, a book that is part of the "Rekindling the Inner Fire" series by David Hazard. It's entitled, "You Set My Spirit Free." He has written a number of books in this series. They are arranged and paraphrased devotional readings based on the works of many early Christian writers. This book is based on the writings of St. John of the Cross.

In the chapter titled "Stillness," St. John of the Cross makes this observation:
"Our first joy, excitement, and love for God generally springs from our fleshly nature (our thoughts and emotions, italics mine). We may feel, with senses tingling, the lift and the wonder of His presence. Because these feelings are aroused in the presence of God we can mistake them as the quickening of the Spirit (the complete movement and work of the Spirit, italics mine). In fact, they are sensual and come from the lower nature (our thoughts and emotions, italics mine). What is born of this nature is doomed to die. Only what is born of the Spirit can lead us into greater growth in the nature of Christ..."

"This kind of growth comes only as we learn to...be still and walk free from all the fleshly feelings, perceptions, will, and our faulty ways of imagining what God is like. For we must silence the lowly human senses of the flesh that lead us to false conclusions about God, and keep us blind to His constant work and movement all around us."

As I have looked back on my walk in the Lord, I certainly find that what St. John of the Cross wrote is true. How often have I taken my "feelings" of God's presence as His complete work in my life. Then, a few months, weeks, or even days later I begin to wonder where God is in my life because the feelings aren't there like they were. It's not that I loose faith in God but my faith does become shaky, it grows weak, and I give in to my emotions and thoughts which are not pure and under God's control.

St. John of the Cross picks up on this. He writes:
"Unfortunately, there are many believers who never learn how to move beyond this state - it is a kind of 'spiritual lust,' because it enslaves them to the senses that demand to be gratified. When their sense of delight with spiritual things dries up, they are full of grumbling, discontent, and even bitterness toward God for 'abandoning' them."

How often do we struggle and even fail in our walk with Christ because we have based our faith and trust in Him on our emotions, our feelings, on the good things that come our way? Almost every time, when I look how I have taken one step forward and then gone two steps back, I can see how I have been living by the flesh and not in the Spirit.

"Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don't enter the danger zone without even knowing it. Don't be naive. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."

Mark 14:38 (The Message)

The problem is, it's easier to live by the flesh, or at least, that is what we think. Our thinking goes something like this: it doesn't cost me deeply, I am trying to do "good things" that will please God, and, as long as I "believe," I'm saved, so at least I have this eternal security blanket; and, of course, there is God's grace, so I can always go back and ask forgiveness when things get too out of hand.

This thinking is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer referred to as "cheap grace" and I can't help but wonder how thin cheap grace really is, especially when it comes to our faith and God's ability to really work in our lives.

"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives."

Romans 6:1-4 (New Living Translation)

The truth is, a faith under the work of the Holy Spirit costs us everything. It involves work and pain for us. And, to be honest, I don't like pain. But without pain, and work, and commitment, I remain weak and inconsistent. And, as powerful as God's grace is, I wonder just how much I limit God's ability to truly transform me into the person He has created me to be when I'm not totally committed to Him?

John of the Cross writes:
"At first...the flame of purging will feel painful to the soul. And your fleshly nature will wring and struggle and complain and demand that God 'prove' His presence with consoling sweetness. Would you forever give in to a child's whining and demands for sweet treats? Do not give in to your soul's demands of 'sweet blessings' from God either. For that will only make it weak and sick."

As we decide to walk under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit, and I admit that it is easier to say than to do because we can be rather stubborn in giving up our rights and control to anyone, including God, but when we do submit to Him, we will experience more of His presence and control in our lives, a freedom and peace, a quenching of our spiritual and emotional thirsts. Jesus said that he came to give us Life and Life more abundantly. The things that aid us in this experience and growth are prayer, Bible study, worship, participating in the receiving of the Lord's Supper, remembering our baptism, fellowship with other Christians, fasting - John Wesley referred to these as means or channels in which God's grace can work through - and there are others; these things help strengthen us, even in the midst of the bleak times, to stay focused on Christ and not ourselves.

"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"

Hebrews 12:1-3 (The Message)