One Year Bible, April 20

JOSHUA 21:1-22:20                                                                                            

LIGHT & SALT: The 48 cities given to the Levites were sprinkled throughout the land like salt and light to be an influence against idolatry.  AND Josh 21:34, "There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass."   God watches over His Word to perform all He promised.

AN ALTAR NAMED "ED":   This altar, on the east banks of the Jordan, was erected by the 2-1/2 tribes who lived there because they were worried about appearances. They didn't want to look like they were outside the Church.  Really, it was an alternative to Shiloh, where the Ark was stationed.   They were warned: they could keep it, but they couldn't use it or call it an ALTAR because there is ONLY ONE WAY TO GOD. They could rename it a "WITNESS". ("Ed" means "witness")


RESPONSE: Here we are, just barely in the Kingdom of God and looking for substitutes already! We don't want to look bad. We especially don't want to look like an outsider.  We don't like to be inconvenienced either - it's too far to drive!  These are just excuses!   We inconvenience ourselves for other stuff - and church seems to be optional. Those Levites have their work cut out for them! They don't have to worry about the idolaters on the outside as much as the idolaters in the church!  Just because something or someone LOOKS good, doesn't mean it's God.   Always, always check things against the Word of God.  It must agree with what God ALREADY said.  We don't want to be fooled into going down the wrong road.

LUKE 20:1-26                                                                                                          
A MURDERING SPIRIT:   This is a spirit of self-preservation.  I'm not talking about demonic spirits, but about the human spirit.  Some people are so defensive and stubborn and rebellious that they fear and resist  "Lordship" of Jesus,  and don't want to be told what to do.   And so, they resist God and betray Him instead.  And when they REJECT Jesus in His Lordship, the "Rock falls on them" - they get ground to powder (No resistance now!). Come easy, or come hard, but Jesus is Lord.  Caesar may be Lord of Rome and the Roman SYSTEM, but make no mistake, Jesus is is Creator and Ruler of the Universe.

RESPONSE:   If we don't want to be counted with the Pharisees in resisting God, we MUST come to grips with surrender to Jesus as Lord of our lives.  Once we do that, anyone else that tells us what to do becomes a non-issue.  It isn't difficult to submit to Jesus because He can be trusted.  The difficult part comes because He isn't always GENTLE about it.  When we become difficult, He will show Himself equally difficult.   I know, too, that the ONLY way to be happy is to hear what God wants and then do it.   When we serve ourselves, we just get more and more miserable because nothing is ever enough.   Nothing will ever satisfy our hungers.   There isn't a person alive who can do that for us.  The only way up is down.   If the rock falls on you, the resistance will be broken down, that's for sure - but you will be totally useless until you submit and heal.

PSALM 89:1-13                                                                                                   
GOD'S FAITHFULNESS: The word "faithfulness" and "faithful" are used in this Psalm seven times.   God's role in the cosmic order is to be Absolute Ruler, holding Absolute Power and Ownership. The devil, on the other hand, is a liar and a usurper, with no rights except what we give him. 

PROVERBS 13:15-16                                                                                        
I can remember as a young person complaining that being a Christian was too hard. However, here it says, "The way of the transgressor is hard." This is because transgressors act out of self-interest and self-preservation without thought for anyone else. When God is for us, who can be against us?   But when God is against you, EVERYTHING is against you! (Isa 63:10; Jam 4:4; Jam 4:6; Gal 5:17).

RESPONSE:    I had some real trust issues when I was saved.  It took years for me to figure out why I was such a miserable Christian.  I was sitting on the fence and didn't know it!  It's "all or nothing" with God!  Jump off the fence and enjoy being saved!