THE SIGN OF JONAH

For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. —Luke 11:30-32

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. —Matthew 12:40

            Jesus referred to the historical record of Jonah’s ministry to draw a parallel to what would happen to Him. Here is a prophesy that Jesus mentioned that would be a sign to that present generation, as well as all others, by rising from the dead just as Jonah was released from the belly of the fish.

            The resurrection of Jesus is the declaration that Jesus is the Son of God (Romans 1:4). Without the resurrection then “we are to be pitied more than all men” (I Corinthians 15:19). We are to be pitied because if Jesus did not rise then “our hope in Christ is for this life alone” and how different is that than putting hope in any other man for this life only?” And “if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (I Corinthians 15:16-17). “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (I Corinthians 15:20) just as He said He would.

            Somebody mentioned yesterday that if there was a school shooting and a teacher huddled together hiding with students and said, “Let’s pray in Jesus Name!”   That teacher could be fired! But if that same teacher used Jesus’ Name as a filthy cuss Word, taking His Name in vain, that would be OK. What is that all about? Well, here is what it is all about— If Jesus did not rise from the dead then people would not use His Name as a filth world to punctuate there speech.   It is because He has risen from the dead and their speech spews forth their rebellion against Him. One of the Ten Commandments, the third one, says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).  It is because of rebellion against the Lord that they use His Name this way.

            You will not hear any other name profaned as the Name of Jesus is. Why is that? Because Jesus is Lord and He is alive and people do not want to bow the knee to Him, but have no problem blaspheming His glorious Name. Jesus gave this warning to those around Him then and to us now— “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). There are only two ways to die— 1- in your sins and wind up in Hell forever or 2- in Christ and be with Him in heaven forever. You have the choice to make if you are still in your sins. Turn from your own ways and call on the Name of Jesus to be saved and sure of heaven! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD6khv6pGkw&t=2s Live for Him now!

Dear Father, thank You for all Jesus has done for me. Oh, that many more people would see that they are in their sin and need to be in Christ Jesus to be forgiven. Please draw many others to Jesus by the power of Your Holy Spirit.   Yes, may this be so!  

LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD, NOT YOUR OWN!

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. —Judges 21:28

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” —Luke 11:28

            Here’s the whole crux of the matter! Who will you obey? Will you just heed to your own selfish thoughts or listen to what God says and obey Him? Do you seek to be guided by yourself who is so limited in knowledge? There are those who think they “know it all” and in reality you can take the smartest person on the planet and they know very little when it comes to all knowledge of all time everywhere.

            The problem we have today is no different from the one they had over 3,000 years ago or from the beginning of time. Everyone wants to do “what is right in their own eyes” or “as they saw fit.”   This is why we have conflict with individuals, conflict in families, conflict in tribes, conflict in towns, conflict in cities, conflict in states, conflict in nations and conflict in the world in general. Conflict comes because of selfishness unsuppressed.

            Right from the beginning Adam and Eve heard the Word of God, but did obey it. They listen to the selfish, satanic lie instead of God’s Word. From that point this disobedience to the Word of God has continued and it only brings destruction. But for the one who hears God’s Word and does it, that one is blessed!

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!” —Matthew 7:24-27

            So I have a choice to make. Will I listen to my own thoughts and promote my words and will? “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). This death is not just physical— “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death” (Revelation 20:14). This is what will happen if I listen to my own thoughts and do what I think is right in my own eyes. It is a fool, the verses above say, that hears the Word of God and does not do them.

            Or I can be blessed and be like the wise man who hears God’s Word and acts upon them. He lives by God’s Word and not his own. Which will you be— the blessed, wise man living for God now and be with Him forever?   Or, will you be like the fool mentioned above who lives according to what is right in your own eyes, having a disregard for God’s Word and living after your own selfish desires. Oh, may you and I be like the wise man! Yes, may this be so, Dear Father, in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son, Jesus. So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8cJQMU9Q-U

LOVE FOR GOD AND NEIGHBOR ARE INSEPERABLE!

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise. —Luke 10:25-37

            When Jesus was asked “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He answered saying, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus told him that he had “answered correctly.” Then He said to him, “do this, and you will live.”  The person who truly loves God will be loving his neighbor as well. And the person who is truly loving his neighbor truly loves God.   These two commands were tied together by Jesus in saying, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40). It is by these two commands together that all the Law and Prophets hang on.   Not just one of them, but both of them.   A person who loves like this has eternal life. Jesus did say, “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him” (John 14:21).

            Then the “expert in the Law” sought to justify himself (make himself, declare himself righteous) he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus made it very clear that the Samaritan was the one who truly loved God and his neighbor by putting his life at risk, by giving aid to the man’s wounds, by transporting him to an inn, by paying for his care and willing to pay any outstanding bill when he returned. He gave of his time and resources to help the needy man. At the end of the parable Jesus told the “expert in the Law” to go and show mercy to those in need and so will we if we truly love God—- yes, then we will truly extend mercy to those in need around us. May we do so.

Dear Father please help me to be sensitive to those around me that have needs. Please help me to help those people that You desire me to help. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus my Lord.   So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYV0ce3ybEA

YOUR NAME WRITTEN DOWN IN HEAVEN!

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” —Luke 10:20 

            Is your name written down in heaven?   “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels” (Revelation 3:5).  “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Revelation 12:11).

            Again, is your name written down in heaven? It is if you have called on the Name of the Lord to be saved! (Romans 10:13). Think about it— your name is already written down in heaven! One day your name will be recorded on earth as having died, but you will more alive than you have ever been in heaven. You will be with Jesus and with all who love Him. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Rejoice you whose name is written in heaven.

            But be warned if your name is not written down because “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).  And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). I do not understand this, but I accepted what God’s Word says and those who do not know Jesus better take this as the truth before it is too late and they die and end up there! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZw0dfLmLk

Dear Father I thank You for Your mercy and grace toward me and for Your compassion and patience with me. Oh, that I would be faithful to what You desire of me. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son, Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f2FXxDVO6w

FOCUS AHEAD!

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. —Luke 9:62

“Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32). She looked back and it cost her her life. “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:38).  

Consider those times you passed by a garden or a large field that was just planted.   What did the rows look like? More than likely they were straight rows. Now imagine going by a large field with most of the rows nice and straight and then this one row veering off and crossing all the other rows. Well, you would know something was wrong with the one who did that row and it affected the appearance of all the other rows!

Last year they were repainting the lines on the roads in the area where we live.   It must have been somebody new painting the lines. The middle double yellow lines on the road were crooked in many places, places where they should have been straight! It was the same with the white lines on the side of the road. They were not even. When somebody who has painted lines for some time does it, they look natural to the road design. These lines did not look natural to the road design and really caught your eye.

Just as it does not look right in fields where furrows are crooked or lines on the road are not straight where they are supposed to be, so it is not right when someone starts off serving our Lord and then “looks back.” The work is not what it is suppose to be and the service is not faithful and what is suppose to be accomplished is not being accomplished.   All because the focus of the person is not ahead on what the Lord desires, but looking back on what they desire.

Lot’s wife looked back to the things she was leaving behind in Sodom when told not to. Instead of looking ahead to the rescue our gracious Lord was giving her, she looked back in disobedience and it cost her her life. Destruction occurs when we do not “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us.” Instead, “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Keep our eyes ahead on Jesus and we will show by those actions we are “fit for the kingdom of God” by being and doing what He desires.   Our furrows will be straight, putting our hands to the plow and looking ahead, not behind!

Dear Father may I keep my eyes fix ahead on Jesus plowing, running, serving as You have set out the race before me. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus my Lord.   Yes, so be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLX83HbefrI&list=UUf1NPIFOBwzTLVQiEDnq4Cw&index=13

LISTEN AND OBEY!

Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. —Luke 9:12-17

 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. —Luke 9:23-26

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” —Luke 9:35

            Are we listening to what Jesus has to say to us in these verses above? As you read those verses, what was He saying to you? Here is what I am hearing from Him.

            See I can feed multitudes, starting with a little and multiplying it a great host! “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus did this with bread to show us His power and authority that He has given us that same power and authority to make disciples all over the world— “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 28:18-20; 4:19; Acts 1:8). As Jesus multiplied the bread to feed multitudes, He wants to multiply the seed of His Word in you to reach multitudes for Him and for His glory and their benefit!   Will we be obedient and multiply the seed of His Word that He has given us in the lives of others that they too could know Him? Or, will we keep the seed of His Word to ourselves?

            Also, if we are truly going to follow Jesus we are to: 1-deny our selves 2- take up His cross daily and 3-follow Jesus. We are not to be selfish, but seek to be sensitive to how His Holy Spirit is leading us and be obedient. Our natural selves want comfort and following Jesus means it will not be comfortable at times. We are to take up His cross daily. We are to be an acceptable, holy, living sacrifice, not conforming to this world and then we will know His will. Be about the work that He has for us (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14). Be holy and be working, have a godly character and be about our God-given commission and 3- Follow Jesus— “let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith “Hebrews 12:1-2).

            Now will we be obedient to His Word or be ashamed of His Word? Will we proclaim His Word or will we keep His Word quiet? Will we go in the self-denial Authority He has given us or live selfishly? Will we allow Him to multiply the bread of His Word through us or keep what we have to ourselves? Will we trust and obey? How will I do so today?

Dear Father be pleased to help me see how You want to multiply the bread of Your Word through me to multitudes of others. Oh that this would be done in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son. So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yBzIt_z8oY

GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL!

And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, —Judges 9:23

And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. —Judges 9:57

 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” —Luke 8:24-25

When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.  And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. —Luke 8:27-39

            You cannot read these verses above and not understand that our God is sovereign over all things. He is in total control of evil spirits, storms and all things. Nothing is outside His knowledge, His power, His goodness or His presence…nothing, not even the corona virus. God surely is testing the faith of the church, seeking to correct the church, wanting the church to focus on what is truly important— being like Him (I John 2:6) and to finish the work He gave us to do (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). Surely He is also using this corona virus for discipline and judgment. God works multifaceted purposes through what He does (Job 37:13).

            For the United States and the world— Do we think that God is going to be forever patient with the killing of multiple tens of millions of babies in the womb worldwide each year? Do you think He will be forever patient with the rampant sexual immorality world-wide every day of every year? Do you think He will be forever patient with the injustices all over this planet every year?   God is a God of love and He is also a God of wrath. Let this corona virus be a wake up call to the church— be His people and be about His business! Let this corona virus be a wake-up call to the lost. If you are afraid for your lives now in the present, you should be utterly fearful for what will happen after death is you do know call on Jesus (Romans 10:13; Revelation 20:15). Call on Him today, trust Him today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD6khv6pGkw&t=11s

Dear Father please help me to faithfully run the race You have marked out for me and to keep my eyes focused on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_Zep3-pOo4

OUR LORD GIVES THE VICTORY!

And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” —Judges 6:14-16

But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon… —Judges 6:34

            Gideon was in a winepress threshing wheat to hide it from the Midianites so they would not take it. It is here that our Lord called him to save Israel from their enemies. The Lord said to him, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”  Gideon asked how it was possible that he would save Israel since he was from the weakest clan in Manasseh and he himself was the least in his father’s house. Yeh, Gideon did not see himself up to the task! But here is the key for Gideon and for us today— the Lord is the Sender and the Lord’s Presence with us and the Lord enables victory. Even as our Lord encouraged Gideon, Gideon only saw the task before him. He needed to understand obedience to the One who is with us and gives victory— even in the most dire of circumstances from the human perspective. We need to see from His perspective and understand His Presence and Power.

“The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me” (Judges 7:2). God was going to show Gideon His power as “the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance” (Judges 7:12). Gideon started with 32,000 men and the Lord guided him to send the 22,000 fearful men home. That left him with 10,000 men, but the Lord said that was too many. Then our Lord told Gideon only to keep the ones that brought water to their mouths went they drank. He sent home the 9,700 that got down on their knees to drink. Gideon was left with 300 men to fight against the eastern horde of enemies. But he was now not fearful because “the Spirit of the LORD clothed” him.

Our Lord then had Gideon divide “the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars” (Judges 7:16). When they were positioned and given the signal by Gideon, they blew the trumpets and cried out “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:20). They broke the clay pots and with 300 men our Lord gave the victory. It is true what someone has said— “Little is much when God is in it.” Let us remember that in these days and for the rest of our lives. It is God’s power… not ours!

Dear Father we are also sent and You are also with us and we are temples of Your Holy Spirit. May we go forward in the battle call that You have given us and run the race You have marked out for us. May this be done in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xOCRYENXTk

JUDGMENT!

 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.— Judges 2:11; 3:7; 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. —Luke 7:30

            It is surely true that God is love (I John 4:8). God loves, but God also hates sin (Proverbs 6:16-19). God is also compassionate, merciful and patient (Psalm 86:15; II Peter 3:9). But God’s Holy Spirit “will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:  about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:8-11). Judgment is not only coming upon Satan, but also on all who follow him, doing his will (II Timothy 2:26).

            Warnings of judgment are clear in the Book of Judges. Again and again the people did evil in the sight of the Lord.   He was patient, but then His patience ran out and He brought judgment upon them. Did they learn their lesson? It appears just briefly. They called on the Lord for deliverance and the Lord was merciful and gracious to them and delivered them from their enemies. But it did not take long for the people to do “what was evil in the sight of the Lord” again. The Israelites wanted to do “as they saw fit” or “what was right in their own eyes.” They did not want the Lord to be their King (I Samuel 8:7).

            We need to heed the warnings today. This corona virus is being used by God to get the world’s attention.   Look how one little germ has impacted the world! God can bring one nation against another in judgment, but He can also work through a germ to bring judgment on the whole world. Some might ask if this is a judgment from God. Why wouldn’t it be? You don’t think each nation on this planet has done evil in the Lord’s sight again and again and again? Is there any nation on this planet that wants Jesus as King? No! Just like the Israelites did not want Him King over them, so the nations of the world do not want Him as King over them. They want to do what they see fit or what is right in their own eyes.

           May this be a wake-up call for many because there is coming a time when “the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:15-17). Nobody will be able to withstand His judgment and all who do not know Jesus will be “thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15). Those who do not know Jesus are in eternal danger right now—“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” and “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:18, 36). The call is to trust Jesus now! You do not know when you will draw your last breath. Today is the day of salvation.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZw0dfLmLk&t=37s 

Dear Father I am so grateful to know Jesus. Thank You for drawing me to Him. Now may I gratefully and thankfully live for Him in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. So be it!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QANH8MWuyaE

THE LACK OF WITNESS AND DISCIPLESHIP RESULTS

And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger. They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. —Judges 2:7-14

            So all the days that Joshua was alive the people serve the Lord. They did so until all the elders that outlived Joshua died as well. Then after all Joshua’s generation was gathered to the Lord “there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them.”

            How did that happen? What was missed that one generation served the Lord and then the next generation “did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.” Did not know the Lord! Did not know the work He had done for Israel! In one generation! Apparently what did not happen was that witnessing of our Lord and discipleship in the Lord did not take place with the next generation.

Have we learned our lesson from this in America as a nation?   I think not! As a nation we have forgotten— “My Country Tis of Thee” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_HXqetzyb4   We are not remembering— “America the Beautiful” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3SPjk1ktRQ  Oh, may we return and see!— “Battle Hymn of the Republic” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2LZ9cVRkDw  May we once again as a nation see His glory!   Oh, that this next generation would know Him! That means this present generation needs to be faithful in witnessing and discipling the next generation. Oh, may it be so!

Dear Father may You be pleased to once again have mercy on us and extend Your grace to us. We do not deserve your grace. We deserve judgment, but might You be please to extend grace and mercy to us that we would be a Lighthouse of Truth and show forth Your glory. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son, Jesus. Yes, may You be pleased to do a new thing in this nation and may I be and do my part for Your glory. So be it!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-1fwZtKJSM