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In battle, do we lift up our eyes, or just charge blindly?

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord . Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my Lord say to his servant?”
Joshua 5:13-14 ESV
http://bible.com/59/jos.5.13-14.ESV

How often do we see the world as men and women of flesh and blood who are either for us or against us?  But the Bible tells us about our real enemies –

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
http://bible.com/59/eph.6.12.ESV

Joshua “lifted up his eyes and looked” and gained something very valuable for His battle. He didn’t charge blindly into battle because the enemy was nearby – he “lifted up his eyes and looked”.

This commander of heaven’s armies demonstrates to Joshua clearly that his loyalty is to God, not to a nation of people  – when Joshua asks a question expecting an A or B answer and instead gets a whole new answer outside his original frame of reference.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come? 
My help comes from the Lord ,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 ESV
http://bible.com/59/psa.121.1-2.ESV

You see,  sometimes our frame of reference reverts to this physical world and the ways that it operates and we don’t have the spiritual vision or awareness to understand what it means from that higher perspective. If this battle was just about one people against another, then men receive glory from each other for the victory. But Joshua was not called to receive glory for himself or even for Israel. He wasn’t called to be loyal to men but to God. The glory of the battle was meant to be for God.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:1-2 ESV
http://bible.com/59/col.3.1-2.ESV

When we lift our thoughts out of the distractions of this world and remember that we are not at battle against men of flesh and blood, but that we do battle against principalities and evil forces that work through those around us who are still in chains of bondage – we begin to realize that it’s about the Lord being glorified in our choices, our decisions,  our reactions.

Each moment of opposition felt from another person is actually an opportunity to show them love, mercy,  forgiveness, gentleness,  kindness, and self control in return. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that Christ has won yet another battle in our lives and that we are not simply walking in the flesh,  reacting the way that the world expects.

But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:12-13 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mat.9.12-13.ESV

When struck in the face by another, when accused unjustly, when shamed and spit upon by the world, the world reacts in kind – but Christ calls us out to be set apart as a peculiar people. He tells us to turn the other cheek. He tells us to give and love even to those who would steal from us. He tells us that lost souls in need of love are more valuable to win over as friends of Christ than to let die as enemies.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:4-7 ESV
http://bible.com/59/luk.15.4-7.ESV

Yes, He tells us to pick up our cross and bear it for one another. Not to bear it for those we think are deserving of His love and forgiveness,  because none of us, are deserving. Not me. Not you.

But we love because He first loved us.

Our battle is not against one another.

And our loyalty is not to self.

He is Lord, He is Savior, He is Redeemer, and He has won the victory!

To God be the Glory in our lives today.

hballingerLeave a comment

Who do I serve?

1JN 2:1-6 ESV
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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We know that we know Christ if we keep his commandments.

If we say we know him but do not keep his commandments, we are a liar and the truth is not in us.

But if we keep his word, His Love is perfected in us.

And if we do stumble and sin, we have an advocate.

We can know that He abides in us if we are walking like He walked.

So walking like He walked is our goal. Since we are imperfect and will stumble, this means that we should always be seeking God and growing and learning, because we are not yet perfected – we are still in the flesh.

This Grace is sufficient to cover any and all sins. But grace is not continuing to live in lawlessness without repentance – it is not a free ticket TO sin. Neither is grace a salvation by works or legalism without forgiveness – it is a gift freeing us FROM sin.

So the questions are:
1) Have I accepted and received this grace?
2) Have I experienced this Grace as a change in my life FROM sinning TO keeping his commandments?
3) Am I sharing this Grace with others through a fruitful life of serving God and serving and loving others?

We are not perfected. We are still in the flesh. And a battle rages on. But there should be a struggle. If we have Christ in us, He is stronger than the temptations and trials of this world, and He will win the battle. He will overcome. If there is no battle. If there is no light and life in us, if we are content living in our sinful ways, not being convicted to make any changes, not being corrected and disciplined when we are outside God’s will for our lives – shouldn’t we be sure that we have actually received this Grace and that we have Christ alive in us?

This morning, are you sure?
If not, He is only a prayer away, friend. He promises if you seek Him, you will find Him.

This morning, are you obeying his commandments?
If not, He is only a prayer away, friend. He promises that with Him, no weapon formed against you will prosper. He offers forgiveness, renewal, and healing. His mercy and peace is there for you to receive it.

Today, will your life reflect Christ’s love that lives inside you?
YES, IT WILL! Open fellowship with Christ this morning, and walk with Him today. Be mindful of Him, keep His Word close to your heart, keep your eyes open for the opportunities to love and help others, let His light shine, tell people that Jesus lives them – first with your actions and your example, and then even use words if necessary. I hope that I can do the same.

Joshua 24:15 NLT
But if you refuse to serve the lord , then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the lord .”

Whose will is apparent in my life today – my own sinful desires, or obedience to God’s commandments?

Who am I serving today?

God?

Satan?

Me?

Galatians 5:13-15 ESV
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

hballingerLeave a comment

His Protection

Joshua 1:5 NLT
No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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…

I look at today’s verse and honestly, it was a little scary when I first read it.

Yes, it is encouraging that God will not fail or abandon me.

But that part about “no one will be able to stand against you as long as you live” – if I just blindly apply this sentence to myself without any further examination and without any context, that isn’t very good study or application of the Word of God.

For example, I can’t just read that and decide that I’m justified doing anything that I want, sinful, wicked, or contrary to God’s will and still expect to be blessed and protected by God.

No. The children that are His and that He loves, He disciplines and corrects. If we have this gift of the Holy Spirit, it convicts us of those things in our lives that need to be changed. And there are always things that need to be changed in our lives.

And this talks about him being with Joshua like He was with Moses. And yes, that same Holy Spirit that was with both Moses and Joshua is with us, IF WE HAVE RECEIVED IT.

So the question we want to be sure of is, HAVE I RECEIVED IT?

And if we have, if we know this relationship with Christ daily guiding our lives and leading us, convicting and warning us against those things we used to long for, disciplining us when we don’t heed the warnings – that is very different than our old lives. It is even very different from our old lives when we acted religious, went to church and tried to reluctantly follow the rules, but found ourselves still chasing sin.

Once we have it, and once we are resting in this Grace, a grace that is along the narrow path, a grace that is neither lawlessness nor legalism – it is then that we know his protection. It is then that we see him turning even our mistakes into opportunities for learning and growth and change in our lives. It is then that our hope in God is proven true – that our faithfulness begins to reveal his faithfulness.

I pray that you either have and are aware of God’s Grace today in your life, friend – or that you seer it and find it right now, friend. We never know when or time will be up. I’m not telling you this to sell you my religion, I’m telling you this because He is a true and faithful friend, and I want you to know my friend as your friend as well.

May God bless you and protect you in your day ahead, friend. May no weapon of the enemy prosper against you, friend. May you know the presence and the glory and the wonder of God’s grace in your life today.