This is my first attempt at posting a weekly synopsis of the sermon preached at our church(should I submit "praught" to the dictionary as being the past tense of preach?). I'd like to keep current information flowing through my blog instead of posting revelations as they come. We don't have internet at home yet because technology and Internet companies stink sometimes for people who live in the boonies so I will try my very hardest to post weekly based on our visits to town.
This week my husband *praught* on Joshua 5. We have been working our way through the book of Joshua and Joshua's journey to the Promised Land. My husband has an unusual connection to Joshua and the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua, so it's been really interesting to listen to him and my dad and Pastor Jim preach their way through this book. (If you want more on this, please email my husband at gfcstephenville@gmail.com) Their knowledge and wisdom of this book and the connection they have with these men of the Bible is astounding and kind of...AWEsome. I love watching these preachers in our church take turns preaching based on their spiritual strengths and their hearts.
All that aside, back to Joshua 5. This is the chapter where the Lord asks Joshua to circumcise the men that have crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, when they had their first Passover meal, and manna stopped appearing daily. It was also in this chapter that Joshua approached a man holding a sword in hand and asked him if he was friend or foe. To which the man replied, "Neither one, I am the commander of the Lord's army." Joshua fell to his face on the ground and said, "I am at your command."
I think it's fascinating that sometimes when we think we need a yes or no answer, we hear "neither one" or "just be". Instead of arguing or questioning, Joshua fell to his face and professed his loyalty to the Lord's army. For me it's confusing because I like to have a clear word and direction and "neither one" seems like He is evading the question. In reality, it IS the answer. In Joshua's case, the man isn't "friend or foe", the man is on his own side and Joshua chose to be on his side. When Jesus answers in this way, he's asking us if we want to be on his side. If we want to trust him and walk beside him instead of making our own path or leading our own army into our calling.
All this "Jesus said" business leads some people to question what that means. How we HEAR him if he's not here. Which leads me to the next point I got from the sermon: the separate or not-so-separate realms we live in. I used to think of Heaven and Earth as two different realms. Two realms separated by life and death. After listening to my brother, Jared, and my husband, Jarrod, talk over breakfast before church I realized that these two realms are actually very closely connected. Our realm, Earth, and the other realm, Heaven, are connected by the voice of God, the Holy Spirit. What happens in Heaven affects what happens here and I'm starting to think that our obedience to His voice affects some things that happen in Heaven. All God's children are connected by the Spirit and he speaks to us all to fulfill his purpose. The question is whether you're willing or not to listen and obey. If you're willing to take time out of your busy life to spend time with Him, to listen, relate, pray, study, and obey Him. (This concept of two realms is a little bigger than a one paragraph summary, so if you want more information let me know.)
Please join me in my attempt to spend more time with God and to hear more from him. I'll be back next week with, hopefully, more wisdom and another synopsis of the next sermon, Joshua 6. Read it ahead of time so you can have a better understanding of my summaries.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
This week my husband *praught* on Joshua 5. We have been working our way through the book of Joshua and Joshua's journey to the Promised Land. My husband has an unusual connection to Joshua and the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua, so it's been really interesting to listen to him and my dad and Pastor Jim preach their way through this book. (If you want more on this, please email my husband at gfcstephenville@gmail.com) Their knowledge and wisdom of this book and the connection they have with these men of the Bible is astounding and kind of...AWEsome. I love watching these preachers in our church take turns preaching based on their spiritual strengths and their hearts.
All that aside, back to Joshua 5. This is the chapter where the Lord asks Joshua to circumcise the men that have crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, when they had their first Passover meal, and manna stopped appearing daily. It was also in this chapter that Joshua approached a man holding a sword in hand and asked him if he was friend or foe. To which the man replied, "Neither one, I am the commander of the Lord's army." Joshua fell to his face on the ground and said, "I am at your command."
I think it's fascinating that sometimes when we think we need a yes or no answer, we hear "neither one" or "just be". Instead of arguing or questioning, Joshua fell to his face and professed his loyalty to the Lord's army. For me it's confusing because I like to have a clear word and direction and "neither one" seems like He is evading the question. In reality, it IS the answer. In Joshua's case, the man isn't "friend or foe", the man is on his own side and Joshua chose to be on his side. When Jesus answers in this way, he's asking us if we want to be on his side. If we want to trust him and walk beside him instead of making our own path or leading our own army into our calling.
All this "Jesus said" business leads some people to question what that means. How we HEAR him if he's not here. Which leads me to the next point I got from the sermon: the separate or not-so-separate realms we live in. I used to think of Heaven and Earth as two different realms. Two realms separated by life and death. After listening to my brother, Jared, and my husband, Jarrod, talk over breakfast before church I realized that these two realms are actually very closely connected. Our realm, Earth, and the other realm, Heaven, are connected by the voice of God, the Holy Spirit. What happens in Heaven affects what happens here and I'm starting to think that our obedience to His voice affects some things that happen in Heaven. All God's children are connected by the Spirit and he speaks to us all to fulfill his purpose. The question is whether you're willing or not to listen and obey. If you're willing to take time out of your busy life to spend time with Him, to listen, relate, pray, study, and obey Him. (This concept of two realms is a little bigger than a one paragraph summary, so if you want more information let me know.)
Please join me in my attempt to spend more time with God and to hear more from him. I'll be back next week with, hopefully, more wisdom and another synopsis of the next sermon, Joshua 6. Read it ahead of time so you can have a better understanding of my summaries.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Comments
Post a Comment