Joshua 1:6-9 – “Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them. ⁷ Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep. Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do. ⁸ This law scroll must not leave your lips. You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful. ⁹ I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the thought of the power of obedience to produce courage and dispel fear flooded my heart.  Obedience is either rooted in love or fear. One flows from a transformed heart, and the other is a flawed attempt at self-preservation.

One acts because of love, rooted in trust, and the other out of selfishness and avoidance of pain.  In Joshua 1, God issued the call to Joshua. He began by forcing Joshua to face life. Moses is dead. In v.6, 7, and 9, He said, “Be strong and very courageous. He gave Joshua assurance of the presence!

The command could be embraced by each of us. God had an assignment for Joshua that required confidence (faith) in God. It would require courage to withstand the opposition from without and from within. The outside is readily apparent, but the within is not always easily recognized.

We tend to shape our path of life based on ease and preference. We even convince ourselves that God has instructed or promised us things that would make those desires a reality. We fantasize about what we will do when it happens. But God’s assignment is not based on our ease or preference but His eternal purpose. Jesus did not prefer the Cross; it was certainly not easy or painless, but it was the eternal purpose of God. His desire was obedience because of love, and that gave Him the courage and strength to do it.

Our assignment is to love God with our all. Out of that condition, we discover our position of being seated with Jesus in heavenly places and possessors of all spiritual blessings, armed with mighty weapons and overcomers. Out of that love, we die to self and seek Him. Out of that love, our lives are no longer our lives but channels through which His love touches the world. It was for the JOY set before Jesus that He went to the Cross. What Joy? Our Redemption and the Love of God.

God desires willing obedience out of love, not forced compliance out of fear or self-preservation. Be strong and very courageous! The life we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God. In Him, we live and move and have our being. He is our life. Loving Him costs nothing but costs everything! Serving Him is the source of life’s greatest joy!

Lord, enable us to be obedient and from that obedience have the courage to stand!

Deuteronomy 30:5 – “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, some verses filled my thoughts.   In Deuteronomy 30:6, Moses spoke of having circumcised hearts, enabling them to love God with their entire person.  They knew the commandments, but Moses knew that unless their hearts were changed, they would not successfully follow the commandments. Heart vs. Mind.

In Acts 11:17, we find the revelation that God is not bound by man’s traditions, doctrines, ideology, or philosophy. The question is, “What do we do when God dismantles our doctrinal positions and invalidates our traditions?”   We can be like the Pharisees and seek to destroy what we disagree with, or follow God’s move and modify our minds to fit His purposes.

Paul made an interesting statement in Acts 14:22 about entering the kingdom by tribulation. I do not discount persecution, but suggest that this could be viewed as overcoming difficulty and pressing in with unrelenting persistence. Only those unwilling to quit short of having God’s presence will enter in. Living with the kingdom fully manifest in our hearts enables us, like Paul and Silas, to praise in prison.

It is one thing to know about the material, but another to be transformed by the Truth. Knowing it intellectually is only step one, not the destination. Embracing it in the heart transforms and transformed lives and changes cultures.

Lord, help us to be one with Your Word, not simply know the language. Let our walk be greater than our talk.

Deuteronomy 4:9 – “Again, however, pay very careful attention, lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, forgetting became the focus of my heart.   Forgetting?  We know God is the creator.  We know He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent.  We know that our salvation comes through Him. We know the great truth.

That makes the directive of Deuteronomy 4:9 very interesting. “Only take heed for yourselves, and keep your soul diligently, LEST you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and LEST they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but declare them to your children and your children’s children.”

The danger is that, as God brings us into His purposes and blessings, we fail to remind ourselves and express our appreciation, which leads to self-reliance and our hearts turning from God. 

Deuteronomy 8:11-14 is germane.“Take heed LEST you forget (fail to hold in the forefront of your mind) the LORD your God, in (by) not keeping His judgments and His statutes, which I commanded you this day…”

Failure to continue doing what God commanded opens the door to self-reliance and drifting from God.  Deuteronomy 11:20 gives a plan to keep God and God’s work before us. “And you shall write (inscribe) them (God’s commandments and provisions) on the doorposts of your houses (hearts), and upon your gates (eyes, ears, minds).”

Jesus said we are to be careful what and how we hear.  The Bible teaches that what we focus on, we become, and it controls us.  Are we forgetful? Has forgetfulness been seeded in our hearts?  If we keep God’s promises and provisions before us, we become grateful in our surrender and commitment.  He says we are – OVERCOMERS!

We need to remember not forget! Daily rehearse Who God is and What God has done for us personally. Victory is ours!

Lord, help us to remember not to forget!

John 21:15-17 – “Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these do?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ Jesus said a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd my sheep.” ¹⁷ Jesus said a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep.

As I prayed, read, and pondered the Word of God today, the exchange between Jesus and Peter in John 21 filled my thoughts.   I wonder how Peter felt when Jesus asked him basically the same question three times.  I thought about the times the Holy Spirit has brought the same thought or question to my heart and my responses to it.

Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21:15–17). As I reflect on the manner in which Jesus dealt with people, I realize that He was laying a foundation for life. He was reminding Peter of his own inadequacy and the need to have the adequacy of Jesus filling his heart and mind daily.

By asking Peter, “Do you love me?” three times, Jesus emphasized the importance of Peter’s love and unswerving obedience to his Lord as necessary for Peter’s future ministry.

Jesus asked Peter about His love for Him, and each time Peter answered affirmatively.  Jesus did not simply ask a question and let it go; He added instructions for life and ministry that flowed from Love! I believe that Jesus was revealing to Peter and to us that “if” we truly love Jesus, we will desire to care for His followers.

It is possible that by His repeated question, Jesus was subtly reminding Peter of his three denials.  Peter’s confidence had to be at an all-time low after his failure! I am convinced that Peter wondered if the LORD asking him three times was a reminder of his failure. After the third question, Peter was totally emptied of all self-confidence. It was there that Jesus could renew and restore him.

There is also an interesting contrast when you look at the Greek words for “love” used in John 21:15–17.  When Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” in John 21:15–16, He used the Greek word agape, which refers to unconditional love. Both times, Peter responded with “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you,” using the Greek word Philéo, which refers more to a brotherly/friendship type of love.

I believe that Jesus was trying to get Peter to understand that he must love Jesus unconditionally in order to fulfill his purpose and live the Christian life. The third time Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” in John 21:17, He used the word Philéo, and Peter again responds with “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you,” again using Philéo. The point in the different Greek words for “love” seems to be that Jesus was stretching Peter to move him from Philéo love to agape love.

Whatever the reason for the three-fold “do you love me?” question, Jesus was impressing on Peter how important his new role of tending the flock of Christ’s followers would be. When someone repeats instructions to us over and over, we quickly understand that it’s extremely important for us to heed them. Jesus wanted to make sure Peter understood this vital charge He was giving him and the ultimate reason for it: to follow Him and glorify God (John 21:19).

The question for us is, “Do we Agape or Phileo Jesus?”   If we Phileo Him, we will be in danger of crumbling in trouble, but if we Agape Him, nothing can move us because we have Him in us, with us, and living through us. We know (yada) Him and have become One with Him, and in that condition of being one with Him, we draw from His strength.

If we Agape Jesus, we will Agape His followers too! If we Agape others, we will not seek to expose, harm, or destroy them, but see them restored, renewed, and regenerated. We will be willing to die for them, even when we disagree with them. We will empty ourselves of self and fill our hearts with Him!

Do you Agape Me? That is the question I hear the Holy Spirit asking. If you Agape Me, then why? Why? Why are we not showing it consistently, and why do we let other people get under our skin? Why not give them to Jesus and love them in intercession?    Do You Love Me? God loves you, and so do I!

Lord, help us to love You and love others as You love them!

Joel 2:28-29 – “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. 29 “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

As I prayed, read, and pondered the Word of God today, I heard, “The Outpouring that is needed.” Then the Holy Spirit directed my heart to the Book of Joel 2:18-29

Let me take an approach that hopefully you can agree with, regardless of your particular theology regarding the ministry and manifestation of the Holy Spirit in this hour. Maybe you do not believe our world is in moral decline, but I do believe you realize that an infusion of God’s love, presence, and power would not be a bad thing, right? I hope so!

Regardless of your views on the timeline of this passage or when or if this has transpired in human history, we need an infusion of God’s Spirit in the hearts and lives of people today. That would be true of any generation, but as I see it, it is especially true of this generation. This passage is reflective of God’s Redemptive Heart and Nature. He wants mankind to be restored to right relationship with Him.

What would our world be like if there were a spontaneous and widespread outpouring of God’s Spirit into the hearts and lives of people everywhere? What was it like in your life when you first came to Christ? Some have told me that they came to Christ so young in life that they have never really known anything but being a Christian.

That was not the case for me. I went to Vietnam believing in God (not a Christian but believed God existed), but now I am walking with God (born-again). I had observed people in church doing and saying things that were so out of character with what I understood God to be that I allowed the deception of the devil to prevail, and my attitude was, “If those people are going to heaven, God cannot send me to hell.” That is a very wrong philosophy! But then that was a judgment that came out of youthful observation of people attending church regularly and professing to be Christians.

When the Holy Spirit arrested my heart and brought me to the conclusion that I was lost and headed to Hell, I was mortified, and depression became the norm of my thought processes. I was convinced I had broken too many commandments and done too much to be forgiven. I was lost and knew it, but I was convinced I had no hope.

Thankfully, there were those who knew better, engaged in intercession, and continued to chip away at the hard outer layer I had developed. God used them to break the granite of my heart, and through a simple passage of Scripture and the outpouring of God’s Spirit and Love, I was brought to the place of repentance and reception of Christ.

The moment I received Christ, I felt a weight of epic proportions lifted off my shoulders, and I felt lighter than air. Some testified that hearing my testimony made them feel the same way. It was not me; it was the Spirit of God! Things dropped out of my life and out of my language that I gave no thought to or effort to remove, but the Holy Spirit took them away.

I know what it is to have the Holy Spirit poured out into my life and the immediate and long-lasting impact that it has. So, I cry out for God to pour out His Spirit upon All Flesh! I pray for a revival and renewal to transpire in this world. I long for GOD!

Lord help us to receive what we need!