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.

Conquering Fear and Intimidation

No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things... (Joshua 2:11 NLT)

Psychological warfare is a proven age-old technique in wars. From the tactics of Alexander the Great to Hitler's propaganda machine to "Shock and Awe," opponents have tried to control the attitudes, emotions and beliefs of their enemies in other to ensure their defeat even before the battle.The object of psychological warfare is to condition the opponent for defeat through words, actions or other means. The technique is even employed in sports. Mohammad Ali, the legendary former heavy weight boxing champion was known to set up his opponents for defeat long before fights by boasting and taunting them, predicting the round he would knock them out. He boasted about his ability to " sting like a bee and flutter like a butterfly. " Most of the time, he did.

Satan uses this technique too to defeat believers. His method is to bombard you with words, thoughts or images that make you fearful, thus draining you of your courage. Words of fear deplete your courage. When you are discouraged you lose your ability to fight. You become incapacitated. Satan's psychological technique, unlike in our text from the book of Joshua, is based on lies. His method is propaganda through deceptions and lies. He exaggerates conditions, manipulates situations and circumstances, creates false evidences all with the aim of filling you with fear and thus stopping you in your tracks.

Someone has said FEAR is an acrostic for "False Evidences Appearing Real." The situation appears as an intimidating obstacle but when confronted by courageous action even in the face of fear, it turns out to be a smokescreen. Satan appears like a rearing lion but in truth is only a timid creature who would flee when resisted in faith ( I Peter 5:8,9).

Are you being intimidated and scared by something in your life now? Do you feel defeated already? If you do, you are probably listening to the wrong words, saying the wrong things, looking at the wrong pictures and thinking the wrong thoughts. Choose to change your word intake and focus. As Ulysses Grant said, "There are always more of the the enemy until they are counted." Face your fears and see them as the lies and scare tactics they are. What you face may seem intimidating but it isn't as big as your God. If fear words can melt the heart in fear, then the faith-filled words of God can solidify the heart in faith. It is your choice what you choose to hear and fear. Today, fill yourself with the word of God. Memorize the passages that speak to your fear. Encourage yourself in the Lord until you are like the persons spoken about in the psalms: "They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly." (Psalms 112:7, 8 NLT).

Decision of the Day

I refuse to be manipulated by the enemy's propaganda. I choose to fix my heart on God's word. I will be courageous.

The Winner Effect: Succeeding in Successive Successions

Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof and said, "I know that God has given you the land. We're all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless. We heard how God dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed. We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and God, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below. (Joshua 2:8-11 MSG)


There is a phenomenon in biology known as the winner effect. It describes how an animal such as a bull that has won a few fights against some weak opponents suddenly gets on a roll and becomes more likely to win future fights against stronger opponents. Scientists have found out that when the animal wins a fight, some hormonal changes (increase in testosterone levels) takes place within the animal making it more likely to win again and again. The reverse happens when an animal loses, it can get on a losing streak. Since human's are part biological animals, the same effect is present. Success changes the chemistry of the brain, increasing focus, smartness, confidence and aggressiveness, making it likely that the individual will succeed in successions.

The major takeaway from this biological phenomenon is that little successes breed greater ones. You are more likely to succeed again if you've succeeded before. You can become programmed for success or even get addicted to it. This is the reason why it is usually recommended that you confront your smallest obstacles first and win before taking on the bigger and most intimidating ones. It is also the reason why you should celebrate little successes everyday because they program you for more successes. On the other hand, your previous successes send jitters into upcoming challengers, getting them scared and thus programming them for failure. Fear is failure programming.

We see this effect in our text. Jericho, having heard of the previous successes of Joshua's army had become jittery. They were expecting to lose. Israel on the other hand was on a winning streak. They had confidence. They were sending spies out to infiltrate the enemy's camp while the enemy locked themselves within their walls in fear.

Here's today's lesson. Confront the obstacles on your path from the least to the greatest. For example, if you have several debts, start paying of the smaller ones first. As you eliminate one, you get a psychological boost and if you continue, you will get the snowball effect. When you have a task with several parts very intimidating, start where you can. If you need to write several chapters of a 300-page book, begin with one sentence, the sentence will become a page, one page will become a chapter and one chapter will become several. Bite little chunks and soon you would have bitten a big chunk. Win onetime over a habit, and focus on successive individual victories over it and soon it would lose its power over you. Successive victory starts with one victory and with every victory you become more conditioned for victory and cause jitters in upcoming challenges. Choose to activate the winner effect in your life today. Your destiny demands it.

Decision of the Day

I choose to activate the winner effect in my life today. To use little successes to snowball into greater ones.

A Faith Lesson from the Red Light District

...So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.” Rahab had hidden the two men ... Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.” “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men said ... Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.” (Joshua 2:1-16 NLT)

It has been said that there are two reasons people change-either they see the light or feel the heat. Change through seeing the light is inspired change. Change through heat is forced change. However change is good no matter how it comes to be. In our text today, a remarkable change both through light and heat took place. It was a change that eventually transformed the world.

It is an amazing text for various reasons. First, for its theme of change. Rahab's house had had no lack of visitors but that day it hosted visitors of a different sort. A whorehouse became a hallowed spot. A whore received a halo. A sinner became a saint. A Jericho madam became a Jerusalem matriarch. A flirty prostitute became a faith pioneer. A house where sex was traded for money became a place where faith was traded for redemption. A woman who allowed everyone to use her decided instead to let God use her. A death-doomed gentile became a live-giving covenant giant of faith.

Then it is also amazing because of its strange but significant scenery. The Redemption story finds its beginnings in the red light district. The bloodline of the Savior went through the brothel. Salvation story swings through a strip club. Only God, Rahab and the depraved men who were the regular visitors to Rahab's house knew what role the scarlet rope played in Rahab's brothel before this day . Maybe it was an escape tool for men who visited her and had to quickly escape because their significant others were banging in rage on the other side of the door or perhaps it was for other lewd sexual uses we dare not talk about. One can only wonder. However the real wonder is that on that night it became a tool of salvation - a symbol of life-preserving covenant that eventually spawned David the great king and his great Messiah offspring. The body abused by many men would eventually house in its womb the progenitor of kings. ( Rahab's was ancestress to King David, all the kings of Judah, and Jesus).

Then, it is also amazing because it illustrates God's compassion. A woman with a bad past became a significant part of the world's future. God did not consult her past to determine that future. A gentile was incorporated into the covenant long before Peter could be born to visit Cornelius. Her faith was satisfactory to God and sufficient for her salvation. She didn't have to undo her years of sinning, she only needed to look to a scarlet cord in faith and she and her family were saved.

This has much for you today. First, it shows there is no one past being used by God and that there is nothing in your story or existence that God cannot utilize for his purpose. Your past has not taken you past his pasture of divine purpose. There is nothing he cannot redeem. Your misses can become missiles of faith, your mess a message and your sin-ridden environment a hallowed ground of deliverance for others. Your distance from God can be bridged and kings can still come out of your loins even if you had messed with the vilest. The scarlet fountain flowing from Jesus' veins can be your own lifeline.

Then it shows the power of faith. Rahab acknowledged God as supreme and entrusted herself to him for her deliverance. He did not disappoint. If you will do the same today with your life, the world can start expecting the inevitable --the manifestation of one who has fully committed his or her life to God.


Decision of the Day

I see that God is the God of transformation. He is the God of mercy. He is not bothered about my past or the place I dwell now. If I can dare put my faith in him, he'll change everything and use me for his glory. I chose to entrust myself to him today.