Dive Into Life

I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. (Romans 1:13 NLT)

John Wesley, the great evangelist and founder of the Methodist church, in his lifetime, traveled over 250,000 miles on horseback preaching, an average of 20 miles a day for 40 years; preached 40,000 sermons ; produced 400 books; and understood 10 languages. At age 83, he was unhappy that he couldn't write more than 15 hours a day without hurting his eyes, and at age 86 he was ashamed he could not preach more than twice a day. He lamented in his journal that he had an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5:30 in the morning. Then, he had woken up four o'clock in the morning for the past 50 years and had preached at 5 o'clock in the morning for the past 60 years. He went about his work methodically, organizing his groups into societies, classes, connections and circuits etc. Wesley was a proactive hard worker. He did not stand at the edge of life looking in but he dived into it completely. No wonder he made so much difference in his lifetime and left a legacy that still endures today.

In our text today, Paul exemplifies similar proactivity in God's assignment. He spoke of his plans to see the Romans many times in the past and how he had been hindered but he never relented. He spoke of his desire to work among the Roman Christians in order to see spiritual fruit as he had seen everywhere. Paul did not give excuses saying he was waiting on God to lead him. From the time God opened his blinded eyes, he began to preach the gospel. This paints the picture of a man, who like Wesley, took his assignment from God seriously, throwing himself fully into it proactively. Paul also dived into life.

It has been said that there are three kinds of people: those who make things happen, those who watch what happens, and those who wonder what happened. The proactive person is in the first category, they make things happen. Proactivity is the character quality of controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than waiting to respond. This is what Paul and Wesley possessed and it is something everyone has the potential to demonstrate, including you.

Are you taking full possession of your days? Are you one of those Christians who procrastinate or laze around, giving the "waiting on God" excuse? Do you at least have some plans in place for your days (even if God might adjust, discard, replace or defer your plans)? Paul kept moving and sometimes God had to forbid him from going to certain places he had planned to go, readjusting his plans (see Acts 16:6). Someone has said that it is easier to steer a moving vehicle than a stationary one. When you become proactive, obeying God's written instructions to "go" he will guide you by his Spirit. Make up your mind today to become proactive. Take up those things you have delayed and procrastinated. Don't stand at the edge. Dive into life fully and maximize your it like Wesley and Paul did.


Decision of the Day

I will dive into life. I will not hedge or slumber. I am going to be proactive about God's assignment for my life.

Pictures: Hat tip to google images.

Windows of Opportunity

Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” (Joshua 6:10 NKJV)


There is a proper window of time to do certain things in order to get maximized results. If a farmer plants grains of corn and goes the third day looking for his harvest, he would only be met with disappointment. He has to wait a few months for the proper time of harvest. Now if the crop ripens and he delays to harvest them at the right time, they will be destroyed in the field and he would have wasted his effort at planting. Now imagine the same farmer, not planting during the planting season but waiting up until harvest season to plant. The same fate would befall the seeds as in the formal scenarios. This underscores the fact that some time calls for delayed action while others call for you to strike while the iron is hot. You have to be discerning to know which is which.

In the text, Joshua told the children of Israel to delay shouting until a particular time, the seventh day, after the seventh march round the walls, when the window of time for shouting will be ripe according to God's instruction. Shouting before or after this window of time would not bring the wall down.

There is a time for everything. Every purpose has a time when it must be carried out. For your life, there are steps to be taken now and others to be taken later. There is a divine sequence of things and there are windows of opportunity that open from time to time which when missed because of insensitivity can add complications and delays to life. You don't want to dig up your seed just after planting and you surely don't want to let them rot because you missed the harvest time.

It was said of the tribe of Issachar that they "... understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take." (1 Chronicles 12:32 NLT). This ability to discern the proper times for the steps you need to take in life is available to you too through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He has come to guide you into all truth for your life including the truth of times and seasons. He can help you know when you ought to move and when you ought to stay put; when you need to wait and when you need to act immediately; when you need to be quiet and when you need to shout. He can help you properly discern the timings of God for the needed steps and events of your life. He can order your steps.

Why not ask him today to teach you discernment, and when he leads, follow him. Don't run ahead or lag too far behind. Walk in tune with his timing. Shout when it's shouting time.

Decision of the day

I will pray to God constantly for discernment to know the proper time of things in my life. I will be accurate in timing.

Your Obstacles Aren't Dead-Ends

So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. (Joshua 6:14-16, 20 NIV)


Defensive walls were built around ancient cities to keep invading armies away, to regulate commerce and for other activities such as a meeting place city elders . The walls built by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks and even the famous Great Wall of China are examples of this. These walls are massive masonry structures. For example, the walls surrounding Jericho, one of the most ancient cities of the world, now part of the of West Bank area in Israel, was composed of two structures, an outer and inner wall. The outer wall was about 6ft thick and 20ft high while the inner wall about 12ft thick and 30ft high. A guarded walkway about 15 feet wide was between the walls. It is said that the walls were so thick that six chariots could race side-by -side on it. Homes were even built along the wall.

In other words, the walls of Jericho were towering intimidating obstacles. They were practically impenetrable by Israel. While Israel's dream, the promised land, lay on the other side of the walls, enclosed. It looked unreachable because of the daunting walls. It appeared that they had reached a dead-end.

However, with God, there are no dead-ends. If he has promised something, no towering obstacle can stop you from entering it when you act on his word. It doesn't matter if the obstacle is a Red Sea, an overflowing Jordan River, a towering wall, opposing giants or a huge mountain. God can make a way to the place he promised you even if it means tumbling down obstacles.

Are you facing an obstacle that looks like a dead-end right now on your path? Do you feel like your God-given vision is enclosed in thick insurmountable walls. A lost one you want God to deliver? A lost community you are burdened about? A mound of insurmountable debt? A sickness? A huge project that intimidates? An endeavor that makes you feel inadequate? The same God that crumbled Jericho's walls is your God and he hasn't changed bit. He's still the mountain-mover, the wall-breaker and the sea-parter. He is the way-maker. Your obstacles aren't dead- ends. There is a path forward in God. Obstacles are opportunities for miracles. Follow Joshua's example. Get an inspired instruction from him regarding the seeming dead-end, and if he tells you to do something foolish like marching, shouting or dancing. Better get cracking because that will be the only way to get the walls cracking.


Decision of the Day

God still brings down walls. I will not see the obstacle on my path as a dead-end but as an opportunity for God to work a way-making miracle

If God Tells You to Go Around in Boring Circles It is Never a Waste of Time

So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. (Joshua 6:14-16, 20 NIV)


A circle is a round, never-ending, no-edge, always-the-same-appearing-from-every- point, continuous geometrical shape. It is a perfect illustration of a repeated boring routine. It is so boring that "going around in circles" is a common idiom for expending plenty of time and effort trying to do something, without making any measurable progress; to have much activity without achievement. To "run around in circles" is to waste one's time in aimless activities. To "talk in circles" is to talk in a confusing manner, speaking without making a point. A "vicious circle" is a problem situation that leads to another problem which then leads to the first problem again and loops on an on without solution. Circling something over and over is illustrative of the height of aimless boredom.

Yet this was the victory strategy God gave Joshua for bringing down the massive walls of Jericho and taking the city. Isreal was to circle the wall for seven days and on the seventh day seven times. This could have even been a more interesting experience if they had been allowed to interact, maybe sing some songs or carry on conversations with fellow circlers those seven days. They were to do it silently without a sound until the last circle. It was boring routine. Yet it was the way God chose to show his power on their behalf.

Have you noticed that God does many miraculous things by giving people repetitive boring things to do. He told Naaman to dip in the Jordan seven times to be healed of his leprosy. Israel had to gather the manna day by day routinely for forty years. Leftovers were not allowed. Moses went about routinely in the Sinai wilderness for forty years keeping his father-in-laws sheep not knowing that the same routes and tracks he learned by routine would be the same he would take God's people through later. The widow woman was to borrow vessels from neighbors and fill each one one by one. When Jesus wanted to provide wine, the people had to pour water repeatedly into the jars to fill them. Even the bread and fishes had to be broken and shared to a multitude one by one, and in the process, they multiplied. It seems many times that the formula for miracles was, Boring Routine + God's Power = Miracles. Routine was repeatedly combined with God's power to produce amazing acts of God.

Are you currently doing something God instructed you to do that has become boring routine? Do you feel you are going in circles staying in obedience to God? Are you having to repeat the same boring things over and over everyday-praying everyday for a loved one without noticeable change; praising God incessantly day-by-day, while nothing bulges; going about your God-given assignment faithfully to the point of boredom? Do you have to write daily, preach weekly, study repeatedly, search for prospects, make calls, volunteer, practice your skills etc and yet it seems you are only making circles? Be encouraged. Always remember, if God tells you to go in circles, it is never a waste of time. It is preparation for something great about to happen in your life. Keep circling. The victory is coming. The boring will become the exciting. Though you may not see it, the wall is already cracking from within and soon the circle will become a straight line into your God-promised city.


Decision of the Day

I will do what God says to do even if it feels like going in circles. I will use routines to my advantage

Sometimes We All Need Cheerleaders

When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. (Romans 1:12 NLT)

A child was trapped in the fourth story of a burning house. The child came to the window and began to cry out for help as the flames engulfed the building. A fireman got on the fire escape ladder to climb to where the child was in order to rescue the child. As he climbed, the winds blew the flames to where it was making it unbearably hot and dangerous to keep climbing. He hesitated and thought of retreating from this dangerous mission.

Down below, a crowd of people had gathered. As they saw the fireman hesitating, their hearts melted at the thought of the child perishing in the fire if the fireman couldn't reach him. Then someone in the crowd began to cheer. Soon everyone in the crowd began cheering on the fireman. As cheer after cheer went up, the fireman suddenly gathered up courage, climbed through the dangerous fire, engulfed in smoke and got the child down to safety. In a situation that could have turned disastrous, cheers made a difference.

Sometimes the life of faith can seem like climbing a fire escape ladder while the house is burning. You have a worthy goal but the way up there is treacherous. So you hesitate and may even get discouraged to the point of despair. At such times when you are really tempted to quit and pack it all up, a little cheer can make a whole lot of difference. There is something about well-timed encouragement that can suddenly put the springs back to your steps and rearrange the stars that have fallen of your sky. A cheer can put you back in the game of faith.

No matter how self-motivated and independent we are, we all need the cheers of others sometimes. Even Jesus, at the Garden of Gethsemane needed his friends to stand with him at his darkest hour of trials. In our text, Paul shows us the fountain from which such encouragement of faith flows in the words: " When we get together..." Mutual encouragement takes place in fellowship with others. A great company of faith- filled friends is a necessity in the faith walk. Think of the following. Is it possible that the four Hebrew children thrown in the fiery furnace found it easier to stand their faith because they were four not just one? Would Esther have been able to confront the king had it not been for the encouragement of Mordecai? Peter and John went to their company after they had been beating for preaching the gospel. They joined hands to pray and everyone was cheered. Paul was despondent almost to the point of death until Titus arrived to cheer him up. How about the paralyzed man whose friends broke the roof down to get him to Jesus?

On and on we could go to demonstrate the power of mutual encouragement. As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:17 NLT). You need a cheering company too. You need to get together often with such friends. Sometimes at your most discouraging times, you are tempted to stay away from others but non- fellowship is like a poison that kills so slowly that you may not realize it. An animal out of the pack is easy prey for predators. Sometimes, it is strife and bitterness that keeps you isolated. Guard against that, bitterness makes your circle smaller and smaller until it be becomes a circle of one- you. That's dangerous. Find a company if you do not have one yet. If you do already, utilize it. Get together often even if it requires effort. Stay in touch with your company. Be a cheerleader of others and when its your turn, receive your own cheers gratefully.

Decision of the Day

I understand the power of mutual encouragement. I will utilize it in my faith walk. I will get together often with a company of people who I can cheer and whom can cheer me on in my walk of life.

A Faith Lesson from the African Impala

But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” (Joshua 6:2-5 NLT)


It is a fact that the African impala can jump over 10 feet and at a jump cover a distance of over 30 feet. How possible is it then that these extremely versatile animals can be kept in a zoo with only a 3-foot tall wall surrounding them? Here's the explanation. The impala will not jump if they are unable to see the spot where their feet will land. So, even though they can jump several feet higher than the wall surrounding them in the zoo, they do not jump because the 3-foot wall obstructs their sight of the outside where freedom waits. Because they cannot see, they do not jump, even though they could. Hence they remain limited.

What an illustration of the order of faith. It is a popular saying that "seeing is believing." This is the wrong order. When it comes to faith in God, the believing and action comes before the seeing. In our text, we see the order of faith clearly spelt out by God. First is the provision. God said " I have given you..." He did not say, " I will give you..." It was a done deal. It was an accomplished fact. So, faith begins with God's gift. It originates from God's promise. Faith takes its roots from an accomplished provision of Grace.

Second in order is the practice. What God promised and provided by grace must always be followed by believing action by the recipient of the grace. Israel had to march around the city of Jericho even though it was already theirs by grace. Grace demands and deserves believing action. This is the way grace is appropriated. After action then comes the possession, when the thing provided by grace becomes the experience of the recipient.

See this order in salvation( the full package of all Jesus brought to earth):

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God"— (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)

First Grace planned, appeared, died, rose again and provided. Then we believe and act through grace, then the promise of Grace becomes a living reality in our lives. This is the order of Grace. God gives, you march and shout, the walls fall and then the city is yours. Don't wait to experience with your physical senses before you act on the word of God. Practice the word of Grace and then you will see. You do not want to be locked up like the impala for not jumping because you cannot see the landing spot. Take your eyes of the limiting walls of circumstances surrounding you because you have the capacity to soar by grace. If Grace has promised in his word, He has provided. Act and the walls will either be scaled or they will crumble like Jericho's.

Decision of the Day

I walk by faith and not by sight. I have things in the correct order. I do not see to believe but believe and see. I will act in faith on the provisions of Grace. The walls will crumble and I will possess the promise.

Two Dogs, Two Owners

And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6 NLT)

A parable. Two dogs each owned by two different masters have unique stories. Dog #1 was owned by a merciless and cruel master who frequently abused the dog, depriving it of food, leaving it to sleep out in the cold, neglecting to walk it or taking it in to the vets when it was sick. Dog #1 lived a miserable life. Eventually it died.

Dog #2 was lucky to be owned by a loving and compassionate king, who lived in a mansion (much like the White House), with many servants and children. The King ,his children and servants saw to it Dog #2 was well fed, cared for and exercised. It lived a happy life.

What do you think made a difference in the lives of the dogs? If you said "ownership" or "who they belonged to" you are right. Whoever a thing belongs to makes a whole lot of difference. Ownership determines care, use (or abuse) and quality of life.

Paul says you are called to belong to Christ. Christ then becomes your owner, which makes all the difference. Your quality of life then is hinged on the character of Christ your owner. You should know you are in good hands. Christ is more like the second master in our parable. He is not an abuser like the first who delights in beating you up and teaching you lessons by depriving you of life's necessities and then strikes you with a cancer for extra credit as some unknowingly declare him to be. He is a benevolent owner. A compassionate master and a wonderful care-taker.

You can relax in his ownership, trust that he's perfecting everything that concerns you today. Nothing in your life escapes his notice and care. Even the very hairs of your head are numbered. You focus on loving and obediently serving your owner, surrendering to his will. He'll take care of the rest.

Decision of the Day

I belong to Christ. My owner is good. My quality of life is determined by him. I will love and serve him and enjoy his benevolence and protection.

Are You on Lockdown?

Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. (Joshua 6:1 NLT)

The website phobialist.com keeps a list of phobia extracted from multiple reference books and medical journals. As at the last count, there were at least 500 phobias on the list. While some of these phobias like the fear of fire, heights, enclosed spaces, crowds etc may be common knowledge, some interesting ones on the list include the fear of:

Anything new- Neophobia.
Air swallowing- Aerophobia.
The number 8 - Octophobia.
Beards- Pogonophobia
Bald people- Peladophobia.
Books- Bibliophobia
Church- Ecclesiophobia
Eating or food- Sitophobia or Sitiophobia.
Freedom- Eleutherophobia
Good news, hearing good news- Euphobia.

The effects of these 500 plus phobias vary. Some people throw up when faced with a phobia. Others faint or go bananas because of these fears. There are people who have lost opportunities for advancement in their careers because of phobias. There is the story of an individual who had a fear of public restrooms who gave up a promising career because his office transferred to a new building and he was afraid of the layout of the restroom. Some who are afraid of flying or speaking publicly have turned down important opportunities.
There is even a phobia called agoraphobia where the sufferers are trapped in their homes because they see other environments as unsafe.

Our text is not about phobias, but the word picture of Jericho's gates being "tightly shut because the people were afraid" so that "No one was allowed to go out or in" is very analogous to what fear or a phobia can do in the life of a person. It can create a self-imposed lockdown, literally paralyzing or trapping the individual. It is obvious that you cannot live the abundant life Christ brought when you are trapped in fear. When you are afraid of failure, you never act so you cut of your chance of success. When you are afraid of being hurt, you avoid relationships that could be God-ordained. Fear limits you.

While no one is immune from fear, being paralyzed by fear is certainly not God's will for you. Paul told Timothy, For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)

John adds, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18 NIV)

How do you deal with these immobilizing fears? John offered us a clue. Perfect Love, which is God's love revealed in his word casts out fear. God's word builds faith ( Rom 10:17) which the reciprocal of fear. Phobias can fall off your life as you start meditating on Love's presence, care and provisions in His Word. Remember that we were created to have dominion over everything including the creeps and not the other way round. If you have been put under lockdown by fear in any area of your life, today is the day to begin filling yourself with the statements of faith from the Word of love, thus freeing yourself gradually from fear's grip . It may take a while, but if you persist, God's word will break the shackles of fear holding you down.

Decision of the Day

Christ has set me free. I will not be bound by fear. I will open my gates, face my fears and conquer them through his love.


Image courtesy http://590kid.com

Too-Good-But-True News

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, (Romans 1:1-3 NLT)


How would you feel if someone credible came and told you that an uncle that just died left you several millions of dollars in his will? Or that someone made a deposit to your bank that wiped out all your debts worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars? You would probably break out in joy, praising God. You would call that good news.

There is a lot of bad news going around. Have you noticed that most of the news stories on TV are depressing? Crime, natural disasters, the financial meltdown, war, terrorist attacks, impending global natural catastrophes or some disease or epidemic- these are the headline makers. Sometimes they slot in a "feel-good" story, after a deluge of bad news, about a baby whale recently born or a dog that saved a cat. It bears no need to mention that if you are looking for good news, the daily news is not your best pick.

But we all need to hear something good. In the drowning negativity surrounding you, you need to hear something that communicates hope about your present circumstances and future. You need something that cheers your heart. You want to make meaning of your existence. You want to understand your destiny. So in this quest, you turn from the daily news and head off to church or you punch over your remote to "Christian" TV.

You then are bombarded with a different kind of negativity and bad news. You are a sinner and you are doomed. God is going to get you. God is teaching you a lesson with your sickness. God does not heal anymore. Your faith is weak and no matter how you try, if you don't live perfectly, Hell is your final destination. These are the sort of bad news you pick up in church that leave you mortally depressed and worse off that the dailies got you.

However, from our text, and from the commission Jesus gave his disciples, we are to proclaim good news to the world. We are to preach a message though it may cut at people's heart, gets them all excited and full of joy at God's amazing grace and mercy. We are to lift up people's hopes about their current circumstances and their future destinations. We are to tell people the delivering and transforming news of God's grace in Jesus and his great kingdom which has become ours through him.

Whenever this news was preached in the bible people were delivered from diseases and oppressions. Whole cities broke out in ecstatic joy. People ran to Jesus and surrendered their lives. People broke out in praises to God. This good news from God is power. It is the message of Jesus, the Christ and the kingdom he brought to us. It is about his death on the cross and his resurrection to restore humanity back to what they were created for, Edenic living. It is the news of the grace and mercy of God that has dealt a fatal blow to sin and its power. It is the good news of rescue from sin and its consequences available to all from now till eternity who will believe and accept its report. It is the good news of how we can become children of God, sharers of his righteousness and joint heirs with Christ of all that the Father has. It is the report of freedom, healing, redemption and blessings available to all who believe. It is the good news of the healing and restoration of the brokenness of the entire creation. Most importantly, it is the Report of a work that has already been accomplished.

What are you to do with this glad tiding ? Accept it. Believe it. Proclaim it. This is the most potent news item that has ever been shared. It sounds too- good-to- be-true but it is indeed too-good-but-true. It is yours to receive. Fill your mind with this Good News, and life, despite inevitable challenges, becomes an exhilarating experience.

Decision of the Day

I thank God for the Good News. I will fill my mind with its claims. I will believe and receive the Report of the Lord.

Friend or Foe?

When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord ’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” (Joshua 5:13, 14 NLT)


Is electricity for the ones who continually use it to make their lives more convenient or against those that abused it and got electrocuted ? Is rain for those who had umbrellas to keep themselves dry or against those who had none and got their business clothes wet before an important meeting? Is the fair judge on the side of the persecutor or the accused? The answer to all these question is neither. Some things are not designed to take sides but to maintain their own and then those who want their favorable disposition must get on their side. It's like the fair judge, he is only to stay on the law's side and be for or against those who comply or break the law respectively.

God is also like that. The bible tells us that God is no respecter of persons. He shows no favoritism. That is, God is on God's side alone. He is on the side of his word, his grace and his works in redemption. Anyone who wants to enjoy his favor must get on his side.

The angel appeared to Joshua and Joshua asked if he was a friend or foe. The angel answered, "neither." In other words, "the question is not whether I am on your side but whether you are on mine. I have not come to fight for a man but for God and his will and to stand beside those who stand for his will. I have no allegiance to you or any human but to God, his will and his pleasure. I am not here to carry out your agenda but his. If will you get behind his agenda, if you will get on his side, then we would be on the same side."

There is a great lesson in this. In fact, it simplifies life considerably. God has only one position, when you align with his position then his light of favor shines on you and what you do. He becomes part of your story when you become a part of his story. You receive his grace manifested in your life when you shift your position to be under its shinning beam in Christ.

If God is for you, who can be against you? He is for you as you align with his grace, revealed in his word. If you turn against his word , then you face his resistance. Don't ask God to bless your projects, instead find out what God has blessed or is blessing and make it your project. Start doing what God is blessing. This is faith. Practicing faith as a lifestyle is how to be on God's side. Faith is your response to what God says he has done. God is not the one that responds to you. He has acted in grace and is waiting for your response to his grace. Your alignment through faith guarantees the flow of grace in your direction. Your acceptance of his word as your own is humility. The bible tells us God gives grace to the humble while he is against the proud:

"But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world." (James 4:6-8 NLT)

Humility is compliance with God and his will. Get on the side of the word. Accept what it says about you and your situation. Find yourself in it and see the path God has blessed for you. Then dedicate yourself to it. Stay on God's side. Refuse to halter between opinions. If God says it, let that settle your commitment. Chose to align with his word at all times, you will see his power and favor working strongly on your behalf.


Decision of the day

I know that God has moved and revealed his side. I choose to align myself to be on his side. I choose to take side with the word of God and not against it. I choose to do what he is blessing and has ordained.

Picture from commons.wikimedia.org

When Slavery is the Wise Choice

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. (Romans 1:1 NLT)

Bill Bright, the founder of the missions organization Campus Crusade for Christ, now simply called Cru, in his book, My Life is Not My Own, published posthumously, writes about a decision he and his wife Vonette made while they were younger. They read in the New Testament how Apostle Paul and other disciples often describe themselves as slaves of Jesus Christ. So, they decided to sign a contract with God, voluntarily surrendering themselves to be his slaves all their lives. They chose to place everything they were and possessed under his ownership. They surrendered all their dreams and all that they had been trying hard to achieve in their own strength to God, laying it all down, trusting that He would bring his will to pass in their lives.

The Brights began to describe themselves as slaves of Jesus Christ everywhere. One day, a reporter from a Christian magazine interviewing Bright asked him to tell about problems he faced. Bill Bright replied that he did not have any problems. The young reporter was confused. Bill Bright then told him: " Young man, you need to understand something. I am a slave of Jesus Christ. It is not the slave's responsibility to be successful, but simply to do what the master asks. When you understand this, you will realize that you don't have problems. All that's left are the opportunity to see the Master work"

Campus Crusade for Christ has since grown from 6 staff members a year after this contract they signed with God to become one of the biggest missionary organizations in history with over 25,000 full-time missionary staff and over 225,000 volunteers worldwide. At Bill's death, he and his wife chose this inscription for his gravestone " A Slave of Jesus Christ by Choice"

People understandably bristle at using the word " slave" because of the negative connotations from the past act of cruelty and injustice committed against fellow humans when they were involuntarily forced into slavery and traded. However, the slavery Paul, Bill Bright and others speak about is voluntary slavery to a good Master, Jesus Christ. The word used in the Greek for "slave" in our text is "doulos." It is a word that paints a picture of voluntary and complete lifelong dedication to the will of another, a master. This is what Paul describes himself as in our text. The following are a few characteristics of such a slave:

1. The slave is owned exclusively by the master. The master paid a price for him. He is not hired. He is owned.
2. The slave is constantly and completely available to the master for anything. He is totally surrendered.
3. The slave is obedient exclusively to only one master. A slave does not have two masters. He is subject to only one will. His rewards and discipline comes from only one master.
4. The slave is completely dependent on the master for everything. All the needs of the slave are the responsibility of the master.
5. The status of a slave is related to who the master is. It was an honor to be a slave in the emperor or kings household.

So when Paul says he is a slave of Jesus Christ, he meant all these. He was bought and therefore exclusively owned by Christ. He was subject to only one will, that of Christ. He was completely dependent on Christ for his direction, instructions , provisions and all of life. It was a honor because he was slave to the King of kings, a loving master and a benevolent friend too. He looks to Christ alone for approval, rewards or censure. He was not the slave of any man. He had no ambition but Christ's vision for him. All his problems where Christ's problems and his glory was Christ's.

What a wonderful approach to life this is. When you become utterly dependent on and sold-out to Christ, letting go of your ambitions and struggles, letting him be the driver of your life. You will be amazed at what peace, joy and fulfillment that will attest your life and the amazing fruitfulness you will enter into when you choose to become a lifelong, voluntary royal slave of the King of kings.

Decision of the Day

I choose to become a slave of Christ today. I willingly sign over my life to him. I am no longer my own. Christ owns me exclusively.

Angel's at Your Service in God's Service

When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord ’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” (Joshua 5:13, 14 NLT)

A story in Moody's Today in the Word about John Paton, who was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands is very comforting and inspiring. One night their mission station was surrounded by hostile natives with the intention of burning it down and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed all night for God to deliver them. When it was morning, they were surprised to see that their attackers had left.

A year later, the tribal chief was converted to Christ. Paton then asked the chief what made them leave the other night. The chief asked in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton of course knew there were no men present --but the chief said they were afraid to attack because they had seen hundreds of hefty men wearing shiny garments holding drawn swords surrounding the mission station. Angels had protected the Patons that night.

The Scriptures give us an amazingly large amount of information about angels and their ministries. These amazing creatures of God are mentioned no less than 273 times in 34 of the 66 books of the bible. Despite this surprising number of mentions, many believers are still ignorant of the part angels play in the advancement of God's purpose on earth and in their lives. One of these mentions is our text today, where an Angel who introduced himself as the captain of the Lord's host visited Joshua. The Captain and his host had come to enforce the possession of the promised land, a task that required their supernatural aid.

Of all these references to Angels both in the Old and New Testaments, many of them showing how they carry out their ministries of deliverance, carrying messages, guarding, battling the forces of darkness and more , Hebrews 1:13-14 gives us the clearest declaration of their purpose:

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14 NIV)

This is the mission statement of the angels on earth. They are sent to serve, assist and support the heirs of salvation. This means you, if you have received Christ's work of salvation by faith. The assistance of the angels are part of your inheritance in Christ. You can expect angels to assist you in carrying out God's plan for your life like they helped the saints of old. They can open doors and deliver like they did for Peter when he was imprisoned to be killed. They can direct you in God's plans like they did with Daniel, Phillip and Cornelius. They can strengthen you when you are weak like they did for Elijah and Jesus. They can bring provisions like they did with Elijah and surround with chariots of fire to defend you like they did for Elisha. Psalm 91:11 says that God will give his angels charge over his people to keep them in all their ways.

How do you activate their ministry? Through obedient acting on God's word and word-based prayers to God(not angels) like the Patons did or as Jesus said " Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?" (Matthew 26:53 NLT). Always remember, you can take advantage of this blessing of grace today and always. Angels are on guard and at your service as long as you are in God's service.

Decision of the Day

I understand that assistance by angels are part of God's gift of grace to me as a heir of salvation. I choose to keep them activated by unceasing prayers in faith to God.

A Man Called Paul

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. (Romans 1:1 NLT)

The secret of great men are in their stories. Here's the story of one. He was a slave trader who plundered the African coasts. A self-proclaimed (and evidently from his chosen profession) wretched man. But on one of his voyages, returning home, steering through a violent storm, about to die, he cried to God for mercy. God showed him grace and saved him. John Newton later went on to pen the perennial hymn, Amazing Grace, believed to be from tunes he picked up from the slaves he formerly oppressed, but a true testimony of God's grace shown to him.

Here's the story of another. He began as a rigid, rabid nationalist. A dual citizen of Isreal and Rome. An accomplished scholar trained at the Ivy League of his day. Marvelous in mind. Nimble in the nuts and bolts of the most complicated legal system of his day- the Mosaic law. He was the know-it-all, the go-to-guy when it came to expounding and defending the law. A zealot to a fault, he single-handed took on the task of exterminating both the pioneers, followers and teachings of a new strain of thought began by an untrained, and eventually executed young man who called himself the Christ. In his passion, the went every where breathing out threats, leading mob executions and committing followers of this new way to prison. He was Paul the proud Pharisee.

Fast forward. Today, we consider Paul as one of the greatest men that has ever walked the face of the earth. He was used by God to write most of the New Testament, to bring clarity to the world of the meaning of Christ's death, burial, resurrection and ascension- the same Christ he hated murderously. He unveiled the essence of true Christianity and of Grace, and through his followers, the churches he planted, and the words he wrote, Christianity became the world-wide phenomenon it is now. Centuries after his death, men who changed the world like Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, John Wesley got their starts by reading the words he penned through the Spirit. Paul, the first word in the book of Romans, and the author of the book, has a biography that inspires and instructs.

What caused such a dramatic change? What turned this hunter to one of the haunted and chief herald for what he preciously opposed? What changed this man of works, who demanded perfection in the law into the man of grace who decried and railed against the simplest trace of dependence on man's effort in salvation ? What turned the worst of sinners the greatest apostle - though he called himself the least? What turned the proud, angry, hateful murderer into the humble, patient, weeping, praying, compassionate pastor and martyr? What was the secret of Paul's life?

It is simple. Apart from the two periods we already mentioned in Paul's life, there was a third period of his life. This period began with a mid-life encounter he had that he lived to refer to all his life. Like John Newton did centuries later, He met Christ. On the road to Damascus, he encountered Grace. Grace brought him to his knees, spoke to him, blinded him, then open his eyes and set him on his feet. Grace took him to the desert of Arabia, taught him how wretched a man he was depending on works and the law, and showed him the work Grace has accomplished and the secret of depending on Grace's work. Grace raised him, worked through him and carried him through distresses and sufferings until he completed his course. Grace changed his story.

Grace still changes stories. He still rewrite biographies. Would you let Grace do the same for you? In your own pride, passions and relentless pursuits would you let Grace blind you to your works and make you see His own Work? Would you let grace be all He can be in you so you can be all you should be? This same grace that made Paul is available to you now. He is Jesus Christ. Whatever the story of your life now. Turn to Grace. His pen is ready and his hand is willing. Let him rewrite and complete your story.


Decision of the Day

I am turning to Grace. Self-dependence is over. My story will be Grace alone

To Live Supernaturally, Live Well Naturally

The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan. (Joshua 5:11, 12 NLT)

Someone has said that even though God gives birds their food, He doesn't throw it into their nests. They still have to go out and look for it. If they don't, they die. A miracle is an act of God's mercy that temporarily suspends or augments the laws of nature in order for God to carry out his will on earth or in the lives of his people. God delights in doing miracles when it is needed but his preferred method is that we learn to live successfully cooperating with the laws that he established in nature from the beginning.

Although, he sustained Isreal miraculously for forty years in the wilderness by raining manna and quails from heaven, as soon as they got to Canaan and ate of the crops of the land, the manna ceased. From then on, Isreal had to farm their own food working the laws of seedtime and harvest that God established in nature from the beginning ( Gen 8:22). He provided daily bread for them for 40 years because that was the only way for the thousands of people to be fed for all those years in the wilderness. But immediately they got to the promised land where they could eat of the produce, God expected them to do their part.

It is foolishness to pray for a miracle when there are natural laws that you are yet to leverage. Don't pray for a miracle job, if you are unwilling to first go out and look for one, to put out your résumé, to volunteer,to prepare for your interview or to be better trained. Don't pray for miracle health when you willingly go on violating God's law of rest, nutrition, movement and healthy habits. God wants you to put your finances in order: earning, giving, saving ,investing, budgeting and planning. Yes, he will do miracles to get you out the hole or fix that you have gotten yourself into but after then, he wants you to start living by his laws in nature. Have you noticed that when Jesus would heal some people, he would tell them to go and sin no more, otherwise a worse thing would come on them. God's miracles are purposeful. They are either to deliver his people from things that are beyond them in order to give them a clean start or to show his power to those who don't know him. They are to augment our obedience of his principles in nature not to replace them.

Work hard. Don’t settle for a manna - dependent life. That is not God's ultimate will for you. Giants may be in the land but your greatest accomplishments will come through hard work and diligent effort. Learn the laws and principles God has packaged in his creation. Obey those laws. Exploit them. Do your part. When you've done your part and it is not enough, that's when a miracle is moral. It is when man has reached his limits that God takes over. God will not do for you what you can do for yourself. God takes over when you can't make it over. Don't expect the miracle until you have exhausted your natural resources. This is why you should be diligent. You should keep learning. You should creatively think and keep on improving yourself in the natural. You should learn to manage earth's resources because that is the way to live consistently supernaturally. God is not short on miracles. Are you short on milking - that is, of the natural resources around you?

Decision of the Day

I understand that miracles are real and God delights in performing them but his preference is that I live consistently in harmony with the natural laws. God will perform miracles for me when needed but I will harness the natural laws around me daily. I will do what I can do and let God do what I cannot do.

Pass It On

So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers’ places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land. (Joshua 5:7 NLT)


The European Commission regularly conducts public opinion studies aimed at gauging the perceptions of the citizens of member countries on various issues. In one of its studies, the Eurobarometer Survey for the year 2005, it found that though majority of Europeans profess belief in a higher power, fewer believe explicitly the Christian God. Also in many places in Europe, societal structures, buildings and Cathedrals that once epitomized the dominance of Christianity have being altered to accommodate other uses. Europe, especially the Western parts is often referred to as Post Christian - meaning that the values, worldviews and culture that dominate are not rooted in its historical Christian heritage. This is amazing because this was the same Europe that sent great Christian missionaries to various parts of the world in past generations and Christianized the world.

How did this happen? Somewhere along the line a generational chain was broken. A particular generation failed to pass its values to the upcoming one. They failed to transfer their covenant with God to the next one. Some believe that the same trend is going on in America now.

Joshua was generationally aware. In our text, we see a picture that speaks to this. Joshua, noting that a majority of the past generation that were circumcised by Moses had died off and a new generation had taken their place, immediately began to circumcise the males of the new generation. The circumcision was a sign of the covenant that they had with God- the one transferred to them from Abraham their forefather. The circumcision of a new generation marked the continuation of the same covenant and its benefits in that generation.

God works generationally. It has never been his choice to restart again in a new generation. Rather, he continues. That is why we have so many passages of the bible encouraging the discipleship and training of the next generation. God wants continuity. He wants to build on what he is doing in your life now in the lives and times of those succeeding you. He wants your faith to form the foundation of the faith of the upcoming ones. Paul told Timothy:

"I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. "(2 Timothy 1:5, 6 NLT)

Timothy was to fan into flame what he had received from both his natural and spiritual heritage- his grandmother and mother and then Paul. He was to build on legacy.

You need to leave a legacy too. You need to pour into your natural and spiritual children. You need to introduce the next generation to the covenant you have with God. Success without succession is failure. No matter what you accomplish, if there is no continuity after you are gone, it is a failure. Take the time today to think on this. Who is your successor? Who are your heirs? Who are your children and disciples? What is your legacy going to be? Who will take the baton from you? Are you pointing them to what you have learned in God? Are you investing in them? It is time for you to begin your own legacy project of "circumcising" hearts of the next generation. After you, your faith will blossom in many others.


Decision of the Day

I choose to begin my own legacy project today. I will pay more attention to proactively discipling the next generation. I will start making this worthy investment.

Face the Big Black Dog

When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them. (Joshua 5:1 NLT)


A children's book "Black Dog" written by Levi Pinfold tells the story of the Hope family. Mr Hope spotted a black dog in their yard and was struck by how large it was. Soon every member of the family saw the dog and each one began to describe it. With each one's description, the dog grew larger and larger. At first it was the size of a tiger, then someone said it was as huge as an elephant, on and on everyone described it until it was the size of a Big Jeffy. Everyone was scared of the black dog and would not go out into the yard. However, Small Hope, the baby of the family, who didn't understand what was going on, saw the dog and decided to go out and play chase with the dog. Small and the dog played together and by the time she returned to the house with the dog, everyone saw that it wasn't as big as they had thought. It was just a lovable little hound. They all now saw that all their 'big fears' were just silly. There was really nothing to be afraid of.

This story illustrates the power of confronting your fears. Fear is often caused by an over-exaggeration of the issue or thing feared. When fear is confronted you discover that the real issue was not what you feared but your fear of it itself. In a 1933 speech, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, addressing the nation during the Great Depression and the start of America's involvement in World War 2, made the famous statement "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Fear is the real enemy. Everyone faces fear regardless of background, race or status. Yet there are some who appear to be fearless, doing things that other people cower before. These people have learned the secret that fear is the real enemy and that the biggest battle they face is not what they fear but facing it and overcoming their fear of it.

To understand our text today, you need to think of it in context. All the Canaanite kings were paralyzed with fear as a result of what they heard about what God was doing with Joshua and his followers. Now go back a little bit in history and think of the time of Moses. In Numbers 13 and 14, Moses sent out spies to scout out the same lands and they came back with the following report.

This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! ...“We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” (Numbers 13:27, 28, 30-33 NLT)

Then the response of the people:

"Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!” (Numbers 14:1-4 NLT).

The people were paralyzed not because of the giants but because of their own perceptions of the giants. Similarly, most fear is not rooted in fact but in feelings and wrong perceptions. Majority of fear is unfounded. It is only the anticipation of evil which may never even happen.

Now fast forward to the Joshua generation. The previous generation was scared of the inhabitants of the land so they refused to go on in and possess it
them. But for the Joshua generation, things were reversed, it was the inhabitant of the land who were paralyzed with fear because of them . What made the difference? While the previous generation allowed their perceptions to immobilize and paralyzed them, the Joshua generation decided to act in spite of their fears. They stepped out in obedience to God. They faced their fears and as they put some wins under their belts, the table turned - what they were afraid of now was scared of them.

You can also turn the table on your fears if you would dare to confront them. Inaction breeds fear. Action breeds confidence. Get busy! Look that thing, task or person that has kept you paralyzed before in the face and deny them of the power to hold you down. Get out and play with the Big Black Dog in your yard. You will discover it is only a cute little hound.


Decision of the Day

I choose to confront my fears. I choose action over inaction, faith over fear.

Helped by the Mighty Hand of God

For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord ’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:23, 24 NLT)

The following poem written by an unknown author but loaded with truth captures the message of today. Here it is:

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19
A basketball in Michael Jordan’s hands is worth about $33 million
It depends whose hands it’s in

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6
A baseball in Mark McGuire’s hands is worth $19 million
It depends whose hands it’s in

A tennis racket is useless in my hands
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras’ hands is a Wimbledon Championship
It depends whose hands it’s in

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal
A rod in Moses’ hands will part the mighty sea
It depends whose hands it’s in

A sling shot in my hands is a kid’s toy
A sling shot in David’s hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it’s in

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God’s hands will feed thousands
It depends whose hands it’s in

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse
Nails in Jesus Christ’s hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it’s in

As you see now it depends whose hands it’s in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God’s hands
because it depends whose hands it’s in.

The hands are the most versatile part of the human external anatomy. With hands we get things done. We handle objects of various shapes and sizes with it. We write, fight, hug, warn, point, eat and do a variety of things with the hands. Scripture, to bring spiritual truths down to our level using what is called an anthropomorphism, speaks of God's hands, referring to the power of God. It is how he handles things.

As Joshua declared to Isreal in our text, after crossing the Jordan miraculously, since God has not changed, his desire is still to show how powerful his hands is in your life so the nations can glorify him through you. His hand is not shortened that he cannot save (Isaiah 59:1). It is revealed to those who believe his report in the word (Isaiah 53:1) . It exalts those who humble themselves under its might by casting all their cares and concerns on him. (I Peter 5:6,7). Let go of that thing your hand has been struggling to hold. Yours is too small and feeble. Roll your burden on the Lord. Let him carry it for you and see the mighty hand that holds the universe lift you up and fight on your behalf.

Decision of the Day

I know God's hand is powerful. I humble myself under his hands. I cast my cares, concerns and anxieties on the Lord. I believe his report and I am delivered.

Standing When It's Tough To Stand

The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the Lord ’s commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed. And when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the Lord as the people watched. (Joshua 4:10, 11 NLT)

Bill Hybels tells a story of an experience he had after a very exciting and joyful baptism service at Willow Creek. He bumped into a woman at the stairwell crying profusely. Concerned and wondering what could be causing her to cry on such a joyful day, he asked her if she was okay. Here's what she said according to Hybels: "My mom was baptized today. I prayed for her every day for almost 20 years. The reason I’m crying is because I came this close to giving up on her. At the 5-year mark I said, “Who needs this? God isn’t listening.” At the 10-year mark I said, “Why am I wasting my breath?” At the 15-year mark I said, “This is absurd.” At the 19-year mark I said, “I’m just a fool.” But I just kept trying, kept praying. Even with weak faith I kept praying. Then she gave her life to Christ, and she was baptized today. I will never doubt the power of prayer again.” 

Standing can be one the hardest parts of the faith walk. Praying, believing and standing while  watching the days, months and years go by while the answer to your prayers remains out of sight can be a severely faith-testing experience. The temptation to doubt God's faithfulness and to quit increases as the time rolls by and nothing seems to be happening. In fact, things might even be looking worse than when you weren't praying.  However, just as the woman's story illustrates, God's faithfulness always shines through if we continue to stand.

The priests in our text literally standing, for hours after hours in the middle of the Jordan, carrying the ark of the covenant,  until all of God's word to Joshua came to pass, paint a picture of the standing scenario of faith. It can be an encouragement to weary souls to stand there lifting up the covenant word of God until everything comes to pass as he promised. Don't drop the ark before everything is done. Don't quit until his word comes to pass. Stay there. Keep standing. As Paul said, 

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13 NIV)

George Mueller, the founder of the famous orphanage in Bristol England tells of how he prayed for the salvation of five friends.  He prayed everyday for them. In 18 months one got saved. He did not stop. The next one got saved after 5 years of daily praying. After 6 years of praying, the third got saved. After 52 years of praying daily for their souls, Mueller died and the remaining two were still not saved, but he died believing they would be saved.  And it happened as he believed. After his death, the two came to Christ. 

Is there a promise God has given you that seems delayed? Are you praying for a loved one but it seems they  keep getting worse? Is there an assignment God has given you that is taking so long to bear fruits ?When discouragement comes and the enemy tells you to quit, remember the picture of the priests standing with the ark uplifted unmoving until the people passed over the Jordan. Remember the woman in Hybels story. RememberGeorge Mueller, and be reminded of God's faithfulness. Be encouraged to  stand and to keep standing!

Decision of the Day

I will keep standing. I will not quit. 

Account and Record So You Can Recount and Repeat

So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord ’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.” Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day. (Joshua 4:4-7, 9 NLT)

Diane Latiker, a woman in the Roseland community of Chicago got tired of kids being killed in Chicago through gang violence and began to erect a stone for each child killed on a small tract of land across her house. She inscribed the name of each child killed on the stone. As the stones piled up, people began to pay attention. It caught the attention of the community, the government and even the world. She was one of the top ten 2011 CNN Heroes of the Year . The memorial she erected penetrated the conscience of people and several organizations and individuals got motivated to partner with her and her organization, Kids Off The Block to do something about violence in the community. She raised a memorial to tell a story that started a movement.

While memorials are useful in highlighting issues of justice and compassion as Diane did,they could also be used to tell stories of God's faithfulness over time. In fact, this is the more common use in the bible. The pictures of a missions trip, a daily journal of your walk with God, a prayer diary, a visual record of the timelines of a vision you are pursuing, a biography, a testimonial video, a souvenir, a memento or an inspiring mural of significant events are all examples of memorials.

A spiritual memorial is any writing, picture or other objects that communicates a message to the observer of something that has taken place for the purpose of drawing from the observer appreciation, reminiscence, action, questions or other responses. Memorials are also used to remember significant people and events.

In our text, Joshua set up piles of stones in the Jordan to serve as a reminder of God's faithfulness to Isreal as they crossed it and also to serve as a story prompt in the future to remind coming generations of the mighty acts of God. Joshua wasn't the only one who practiced this. We see memorials all over the bible from the rainbow of Noah and the altars of Abraham to the Communion Table. They are all to remind us of God's mighty acts of faithfulness.

The use of memorials can add a great deal to your spiritual walk. Your journals of God's faithfulness of today might be your encouragement in future years or the discipleship tool for others in future generations. Just as God's help in killing the bear and the lion in the past became encouragement to David when he faced Goliath, your photographs or videos today might become tools that God will use to strengthen your faith in times of doubts and greater challenges in the future. Apart from these, memorials cause praises to ascend to God as his faithfulness is traced over time.

So, why don't you start setting up your on memorials today. Start journaling your answered prayers, put up something to remind you and others of the manifestations of God's faithfulness in your life. Look out for God moments and keep a record of them. Count your blessings now and record the amount so that in the future as you recount, they become a fount of inspiration to you and others and a mount of praise to God.


Decision of the Day

I will start erecting memorials of God's faithfulness in my life.

Wade in the Water

So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho. (Joshua 3:14-16 NLT)

A little faith arithmetic for today. Three cats stood on tall tree branch. One decided to jump off the tree. How many cats are left? If you said two, you are wrong! You need a remedial in your faith mathematics. Ok. It's a trick question. The right answer is three. The cat only decided to jump off, it didn't actually take the leap . When it comes to walking by faith, making a decision is never enough, you have to follow through with your decision. You have to take the leap or you remain where you were.

Walking by faith is like playing the game of chess. It's played turn by turn. You cannot make two consecutive moves without passing the turn. Regarding faith, whenever it comes to your turn to move, expect God to obey the rules of faith chess. He will wait patently for you to make your move. If God is going to part the Red Sea, then you've go to stretch your rod. If he's to part the Jordan, you have to get your feet wet first. If you must see the promised land, you'll have to set out from home. If you would be healed of paralysis, you'll have to move your toes and pick up your bed. Many are praying for God to move when it's their turn to move.

In our text, the water of the Jordan did not recede until the feet of the priest got wet. To walk on water, you have to get out of the boat. Peter didn't only decide to walk on water, he backed his decision with action by putting both feet on water. Lack of faith keeps both feet in the boat. Doubt puts one foot in water and the other in the boat. Faith steps out of the boat- two feet and all.

It's your move! It's your turn. God has moved. God literally moved in the incarnation. He left his home and moved into our neighborhood. He also moved on Calvary. He saved you. He healed you. He broke your curse. He blessed you with all spiritual blessings in Christ. He took your shame. He moved again on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit made earth his home. He moved by compiling his written word and getting it across to you. It is now your turn.

If you would see God's supernatural and miraculous hand today, try making that long-delayed move. Go where you've been inspired to go. You may not know where you are going but you know who is leading. Give what you've been prompted to give. Say what you've been called to say. See who you've been procrastinating to see. Start what you've been delaying to start. A little step in faith can go a long way. Go beyond the decision. Get into action. Change the arithmetic of the status quo dwellers. Take that leap off the tree. If cats have nine lives, you have seven ( Proverbs 15:16). Deal with fear. You will neither know the thrill of leaping and landing right nor the thrill of being grabbed by the savior's upholding hand if you never take the leap. Get your feet wet. The water will part.

Decision of the Day

It's my move. I choose to act and then to follow through. I will see God's miraculous hand.

When Heaven Spills into You, You Start to Overflow

So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God says. Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you. Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.” (Joshua 3:9-13 NLT)


Someone said there are three kinds of people-- the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb. To get something out of the flint you hammer it. But then it gives you only chips and sparks. To get something from a sponge you squeeze it, and the more pressure applied , the more you get. But of the three, the honeycomb just overflows its sweetness all by itself. It has so much that it must give out without force. You definitely want to be a honeycomb. You want to live an overflowing life. One that is so filled that it constantly overflows with love, courage, boldness, faith and inspiration. This was the kind of life Joshua lived.

It wasn't just Jordan overflowing its bank when Isreal crossed it in our text, something else was- Joshua's heart. In fact, it was the overflowing heart of Joshua that facilitated the crossing of the overflowing Jordan. Read our text again and imagine Joshua's demeanor as he spoke. Can you see his boldness? Can you hear his courage and certainty about what God was going to do? Can you see his courage and faith spill on his followers and lit their hearts.

How did he go from a timid rookie leader that God was encouraging a few days before to be bold and courageous to one who was so faith-filled. Joshua learned the secret. To be bold and courageous, you must first have the courage of heaven spill over into your own soul. You must first have an encounter with the powerful God through his faith-filled words. God had spoken to Joshua first. No wonder he said, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God says..." God had lit his heart and all he needed to do what allow the sparks to light the others- to allow the spilling streams of heaven to overflow to the people around him.

Peter experienced the same infusion when the Holy Spirit came on them. He went from Simon, a denying and hiding reed, to Peter, a declaring and healing rock. It entered the soul of Paul and suffering and danger could not stop him. The apostles prayed for this overflow from heaven and the building shook , " And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:29, 31 NLT).

Only full vessels can fill other vessels. What you do not have you cannot share. What God has not done in you, he cannot do through you. Being a blessing, begins by being the blessed. It is when you overflow your cup, that you are setup to take others up. The word of heaven will fill you with boldness and courage. His Spirit will set you and fire. Start there. Stay there everyday. Read his word. Speak his word. Pray his word. Your vessel will be filled and everyone around you will drink from the overflow.


Decision of the Day

I understand the secret of courage and boldness, that faith is an overflow from heaven into my heart. I will allow God to fill my heart and let it overflow to those around me.

God's Help for Leaders

The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. (Joshua 3:7 NLT)


John Maxwell, in his book, the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You, writes that the foundation of leadership is trust. The leader's ability to lead is contingent on the trust followers have in them. He illustrates this dynamic using what he called a trust account. As leaders display competence, make good decisions, show character and accumulate results, the balance of the trust account grows but it declines when the opposites of these are displayed by the leader.

For most beginning leaders, the trust balance usually starts low. While the position of the leader might be respected, their influence and acceptance by followers might be limited. One of the gifts a leader in such a position could get is a crisis moment where they are forced to demonstrate leadership competence. Such a moment offers the new leader the opportunity to cross a threshold in the minds of their followers and thus increase their leadership clout. At such moments, leaders can rely on God to come to their aid and to confirm their leadership through supernatural grace for results.

In our text, Joshua was at such a seminal moment in his leadership. The people had accepted him as their leader but his leadership was yet unproven. His performance at the crossing of the Jordan would be the moment that would either begin to cement his greatness as a leader or start to erode it. His trust bank account would either get on the bankruptcy or overflow path. Good thing God was there to assist him. God promised him that he would confirm his leadership that day and he did. When Moses' and Aaron's leadership was challenged by rebels, God vouched for them by dealing with the rebels and causing Aaron's rod to bud (Numbers 16& 17).

If you are in any God-appointed leadership position (and most people are), you can rely on the same assistance that Joshua got from God to put in you in a position where your leadership is honored and respected, giving you momentum and thus making your work easier. Maybe you lead a family, an organization, a business or any other entity. God can make you a respected leader. If he called you to do it, he can vouch for you by bestowing on you his wisdom and grace. He can demonstrate his approval of your leadership by helping you to accomplish impossible results in crisis situations thus garnering the respect and cooperation you need for momentum and multiplied results. You can rely on God to help you in your leadership. He can help you overflow your leadership trust account. Solomon recognized this when he asked God for wisdom. Why don't you do the same? You can be a great God-made leader.


Decision of the Day

I understand that God can help me in my leadership. He can make me a great leader. I will depend on him in my leadership responsibility.

Stay Within the Fence

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” (Joshua 3:5 NIV)


The story is told about a man who bought a small flock of sheep and a few goats. He put the animals in a fenced lot with plenty of grass and water in the middle of a farmland he had acquired earlier. One morning, he found out that the animals had broken through the fence and were grazing beyond it but sill on his property. The man repaired the breach in the fence and got all the animals back inside. The next day, the same thing happened. They had broken the fence again and were grazing outside the perimeters. So the man decided to enlarge the fence to include the area where they were grazing, concluding that the animals would be happy now with the wider space.

He returned the following day to discover that they had broken and were outside the fence again. Obviously they were not satisfied with the increased perimeter he gave them by expanding the fenced area. So he herded then back in and enlarged the fence again to cover the new area they were grazing at. " They will be satisfied now" he thought to himself. However, as you may have guessed already, the fence was broken again. So he did the same thing. He repaired the fence and increased the perimeters. This trend continued on and on until one day the man decided to do away with the fence all together in order to give the animals a free range to roam to their satisfaction. He felt since they were accustomed to the farmland now, they would not roam beyond it.

Truly, the animals did not roam away but a few days later, he went in the morning to check the animals only to find them all dead with all their inner entrails spewed over the field and their throats spilt open. Apparently a pack of wild dogs had come in the night and killed them all. The man wept in regret. If only he had kept the fence, they would have been preserved. The moral of this story is that fences are not just to keep things in but also to keep certain things out.

Our text speaks of consecration. To sanctify or consecrate means to make holy or to set apart - to separate unto something. Whatever is consecrated is deliberately and willfully turned over to a particular use. For example, you might have a separate set of cutleries and plates for special uses such as the thanksgiving dinner, clothes for special occasions or a room in your house for a particular designated purpose. Those things are consecrated. To be consecrated is to live a separated life- a choice-driven life with certain boundaries, restrictions or fences, focused on God's purpose for you.


As a New Testament believer, you have been consecrated to God's use ( 1 Peter 2:9). You are holy in spirit and are to be holy in every facet of your life not by your strength but by recognizing God's boundaries in his word and relying on his abundant grace to live them out ( I Thess 5:23-24. Sanctification is a prerequisite for amazing. He has qualified you for it by setting you apart. Now your part is to stay within his holy boundaries, living a holy life and walking in obedience to his word and will for your life. Holiness is staying within God's designated parameters. It not only keeps you enjoying within God's blessed perimeters, it also keeps the enemy at bay from your life. As our story illustrates, such a life allows you to live at your best and also keeps certain things out of your life that could otherwise destroy you.


Decision of the Day

I am separated unto Christ and his purpose. Now I will stay within his perimeters in the way I live.

God Still Does Amazing

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” (Joshua 3:5 NIV)

In order to prevent disappointment, some psychologists now advice people to maintain low expectations for their lives. In a New York Times' article, a study found out that Denmark was the happiest nation in the world. More than two-third of Danes reported that the were very happy. Why? Because they expected little out of life so they hardly get disappointed. While this may be a good practice to curb unrealistic runaway expectation and fantasy, the danger of such an approach is that it leads to a life of little progress and accomplishment. It is often better to attempt and fail than to not attempt at all or to attempt too little. A better way to live is to live with high expectations anchored in God's love for you.

In our text, Joshua told the people to prepare because God was going to do amazing things among them. Imagine how the people felt when they went to bed that night and when they woke up the next day. Some might have been unable to sleep for excitement of what was going to happen the next day. One could imagine little children chattering excitedly through the night wondering about awesome things that would be happening the next day and everyone jumping out of bed with excitement the next morning. Joshua's declaration must have charged everyone with expectations.

God still does amazing things and he wants to do wonderfully, impossibly awesome things in your own life. Ephesians 3:20 says he is "...able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." God still springs surprises. He still performs miracles. He still makes a way where there seems to be none. He still parts Jordans and Red Seas because He is the same unchanging God. To have such a great and awesome God and live with low expectations is an injustice to his love and grace. Read through the bible, especially the gospels, God never castigated those who put high expectations in his abilities and love to do amazing things in their lives but he had strict words of disapproval for those who approached him with little faith.

Hope in God never disappoints. So, dust your "hoper" today and start expecting amazing from God. Don't let accumulated disappointments, the memories of being let down in the past, the crushed dreams of yesteryears, or the unfulfilled desires that have coagulated with the tick tock of time cause you to settle to a life that expects nothing good or nothing much. God still does amazing. He loves you and wants to do unbelievable, phenomenal, amazing, surprising things in your life, beyond your wildest dreams. Will you let him?


Decision of the Day

I will not live with low expectations. I will put my hope in God. I will expect amazing things from the awesome God who loves me.

Pick the Right Leader

Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.” (Joshua 3:2-4 NLT)


A woman was driving home one night in really bad weather. It was raining so hard that she could hardly see her way. All she could see were the taillights of cars in front of her. She decided to follow the car in front of her since it seemed it was heading in the same direction she was headed. After driving for a while behind this car, the car suddenly stopped. She wondered what was going on. Why did the car stop? She was concerned that stopping in the middle of the road in such poor visibility was dangerous. Other cars coming behind her might hit her. She became more alarmed when the lights of the car in front of her was turned off and a man got out of the car and headed toward her in the pouring rain. The man came to her window and signaled for her to lower her window. She didn't know what to do. So she lowered her window a bit and asked the man what was going on? Why had he stopped in the middle of the road? The man replied her, " We are not in the middle of the road. We are in my driveway. This is my house." Apparently, this woman had followed the man to his house. She thought she picked the right person to follow but she was wrong.

Much like our story. Everyone is following something or someone. It is a simple law that you are headed in the same destination that whatever you follow is headed. It is good to follow. The bible encourages us to. Just ensure that you are not headed toward a driveway but to your correct destination.

Our text, spoken to the Israelites, illustrates some principles you can adopt in following God's directions for your life. There were three instructions:

1. Look out for the priests and the Ark
2. Follow the priests carrying the ark
3. Move from your positions
4. Keep a clear distance between you and the ark

There is a lot to learn from these instructions. The ark of the covenant represented several things to the Israelites. It was where the presence of God dwelt among them. It also contained the word of God delivered to Moses. So lifting up the ark is exalting God's presence and his word. Following the ark is following the word and the Spirit of God. You are to keep your eyes constantly on the word of God, to search it for directions. You are also to be sensitive to the Spirit of God to move as He moves. They can never lead you In the wong direction. What about the priests? They are to be followed when they were carrying the ark not when they are moving without it. In other words, there are people worthy of being followed. Those who bear the word and the Spirit of God. Imitate those who follow Christ and who through faith and patience obtained the promise of God. A person following Christ and his word and exalting him is safe to follow.

Lastly, keep a safe distance. Of course, this was about the fact that the ark was consecrated and only those specially prepared could touch it or come near it and live. However for us, it means stay reverent as you follow. Watch your steps. Don't rush ahead. Don't be impatient if the ark stops. Don't stay in your position when it moves. Stay in tune with God. Stay aligned with His word. You have not been here before but he has. He is the right leader. He knows the way. He will guide you to the right place - your destination in him.

Decision of the Day

I will follow the word of God and his Spirit. I will get to my destination.

Starting Early

Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. (Joshua 3:1 NLT)


You are most likely familiar with the popular saying, The Early Bird Gets The Worm . In one of the many stories used to illustrate this adage for kids, a bird had played all night the previous day so the next morning, when all the other birds sang a wake up song and went out to look for food, it continued to sleep. At about noon, it woke up and went out to look for worms to eat. Soon it came back with nothing and starved all day because all the available worms had being eaten by the other birds. It learned its lesson and from the next day was the first bird to wake up to go in search of worms.

You have an advantage to be successful if you start early. In our text, the little phrase "Early the next morning" teaches something. It was not," late in the day" or "in the dead of night. " It illustrates the commitment of Joshua and his followers to success. It showed immediacy, earnestness and purposefulness. It was time to cross the Jordan, a step delayed for over 40 years, and they were committed to doing it so they started early. They weren't the only ones who took advantage of the early dawn. Look at the following passages of scripture:

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. (Mark 1:35 NLT)

The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. (Genesis 22:3 NLT)

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. (Psalms 63:1 NKJV)

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (Proverbs 8:17 KJV)

It does not matter what your endeavor is : student, professional worker, minister, business person, stay -at-home parent or otherwise, successful people in all professions have learned to do things at the proper time. They have learned to utilize the wee hours of the day to capture the rest. Those who are habitually late to start out lose the benefits of the early start. Fresh manna was gathered in the morning before the sun rose (Exo. 16:14-21). Dew from heaven falls on the grass in the early morning. Late risers and latecomers often start the day without fresh manna in their souls and it carries on through their day. Early risers that use the first minutes of the day to nourish their souls in God's presence face the day with fresh dew distilled on their hearts. They are inspired and energized.

Like all of God's word, this is a double-edged truth. While it teaches about the day, it also teaches about life. Delays can be costly in life. Procrastination steals life and throws the precious commodity of time into the dustbins of never-to-be-seen-again history. Start early on your course in life. Don't waste time. If you are still young, start saving early. Seek God while you are young. Don't waste your youth in ephemeral frivolities. Early gives you room to correct inevitable misses on the way. It allows you to go further before the weights and responsibilities of life increases. If you are older and have already wasted precious time, it is never too late to do right. Start now. Make "early" your friend.

Decision of the Day

I will take advantage of the early hours of the day. I will also do away with procrastination. I will not put a task that can be done now till later.