“Promises Good and Bad”

June 12, 2024

June 12, 2024

Read Joshua 23, Ecclesiastes 7, 2 Corinthians 6-7

Consider a time when someone made a promise to you? What was it? Did they keep it? Most of the time we think about good promises that we make to others or that someone might make to us. We might not even consider that a promise would be something bad. We could easily call that a threat.

In the last couple of chapters in Joshua there is a reminder of the promises that God gave toward Israel. Joshua calls all the elders and family leaders together as he prepares to die, and he reminds them of the promises that God made to them as a people. “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed” v. 14. It’s comforting to know that God keeps al his promises and that not one of them has failed to come to pass.

But when God makes a promise that He will deal with Israel if they violate the covenant that they made with him this changes our outlook. “But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. 16 If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you” vv. 15-16. Just as assured that God keeps his good promises, we better understand that He will also keep the ones we wish He wouldn’t keep. What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Reconciliation”

June 11, 2024

June 11, 2024

Read Joshua 22, Ecclesiastes 6, 2 Corinthians 5

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Reconciliation?” Do you think about balancing your checkbook? Do you think about the bills passed by the United States House in budget matters? Do you think about working something out with a friend or family member?

In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul tells us that first, we have been reconciled to God through Christ. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ” v. 18. In what way were we reconciled to God? In some sense several of the examples above are useful. Jesus balanced the ledger for us by paying the price for our sins on the cross. He also resolved the conflict between God and us enabling us to be in a right relationship with Him.

The second half of the verse Paul then explains our role as the ones who would help others be reconciled to God. “…and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” vv. 18-19. We have a responsibility to help others find peace with God by being reconciled to God from our sins. Paul illustrates this through the idea of an ambassador. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” v. 20.

The story is told of when Ronald Reagan became the President. He called all his ambassadors together for a time of instruction and greeting. He asked them to come to the podium one at a time and tell the audience which country they represented. One by one they came and announced the countries that they were going to travel to. After several people came to the microphone and shared President Reagan stopped them, He said, they had gotten it wrong. They all represented the United States, not the countries they were assigned to travel to. May we never forget as Christians who we represent, the Lord Jesus Christ. May we take our role as ambassadors serious and point as many people as possible to what Jesus stands for and help them understand the need for a walk with the Lord.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes do find as you read?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Let My Words Be Few”

June 10, 2024

June 10, 2024

Read Joshua 21, Ecclesiastes 5, 2 Corinthians 4

Are you a person of many words or a few words? For me, it depends on who I am around as to how much I open my mouth. If I’m around people that I do not know I tend to be more quiet. I am reserved but when I’m with friends or family I usually pretty chatty.

In Ecclesiastes 5 we find some advice from Solomon about our words when we are around God. “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few” vv. 2-3.

Our mouth’s can get us into trouble when we speak uninformed or in ignorance. Sometimes we can embarrass ourselves when we speak about things we do not have any clue about. This is always the case when it comes to our understanding and the Lord’s understanding. Solomon’s advice, let our words be few. God is God and we are not. We must guard against allowing our pride, education, or experience make us feel as if we understand everything and then we start to question God and his motives in our lives. What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“One Body, Many Parts”

June 2, 2024

June 2, 2024

Read Joshua 13, Proverbs 28, 1 Corinthians 12

I remember being fascinated with the human body growing up. In school we would learn about various different systems in the body. The circulatory system, the digestive tract, the endocrine system, the nervous system, and on and on. There were all the muscles in the body, all the bones we had to memorize and name, and all the organs that made up the body. The body is truly amazing. It gets even more amazing when we look at the body under a microscope. The individual cells and our DNA that is far more complex than most computer programs today.

In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul uses the body analogy to describe the church. “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” vv. 12-13.

Paul distinguished between the parts of the body that are seen and the parts of the body that are unseen. “But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it” v. 24

Finally, Paul says that no one part of the body is any more important to the whole than any other. Paul was not making a medical observation here, we know that we need our brains and hearts more than we need a little toe. But he was saying that the body needs to be whole so it is functioning at its best. “25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” vv. 25-26.

Do you know your role in the body of Christ? More importantly do you submit to the head, which is Christ?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Don’t Forget to Pray”

May 29, 2024

May 29, 2024

Read Joshua 9, Proverbs 24, 1 Corinthians 8

What’s something that you have neglected to pray about in your past? How did it turnout? Last year my son needed a vehicle and we knew we had to have it. So we went about looking for one, thought we had a great deal and bought it. But I forgot to pray about it. I took for granted that I needed to take this “trivial matter” to the Lord to see if that was the right vehicle for my son. You can guess the rest of the story I bet. We had problem after problem with it from the day we drove it off the car lot. Note to self, Don’t forget to pray.

The same thing happen to Israel in Joshua 9. No, they didn’t a lemon of a car, but they made a decision without seeking the Lord first. A group called the Gibeonites tricked Israel into thinking that they were from a far away land and not on the list of nations that God told them to wipe out. The deception was good, they pulled out all the stops and made food that seemed to be foreign and misled Israel. Verse 15 says, “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not enquire of the LORD.”

This put Israel in a bad place. God had told them to wipe out the Gibeonites with all the other nations, but now they had made a vow to the Lord not to kill them and treat them as subjects.  These subjects would be a thorn in their side and bring temptation from other gods to Israel. It amazes me that how serious Israel took keeping their own vow to the Gibeonites. What if we acted this way today. Whatever we do and vow, don’t forget to pray!

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes do you notice?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Devoted to the Lord”

May 28, 2024

May 28, 2024

Read Joshua 8, Proverbs 23, 1 Corinthians 7

What’s something you are devoted to? I know the “Sunday school” answer if you grew up in a church, it’s probably “Jesus.” But what other things are you devoted to? Family, a spouse, a job, a hobby? The list could go on and on. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul addresses the church at Corinth about a new problem they were having because of their new faith in Christ. They had some questions about what to do in their marriage relationships when one person in the family became a believer and the other spouse was not. In summary, Paul encouraged them to first devote everything they did to the Lord and His will for their lives, not acting in their own interests. “I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord” v. 35. He discussed that in either way a husband or wife should not leave their spouse just because they were not both Christians. “To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” vv. 12-16.  Paul’s advice was to stay married or stay single and allow God to use them as they were, married or single.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“The Effects of Sin”

May 27, 2024

May 27, 2024

Read Joshua 7, Proverbs 22, 1 Corinthians 6

Sin is destructive. Unfortunately, sin can affect more than just ourselves. In Joshua 7 we see some different ways in which sin spills over from our lives to the lives of others.

First and foremost, sin is an affront against God. It is missing the mark of how God intended us to live. “But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel” v. 1. God saw and knew about it before anybody else did.

Second, our sin affects the nation in which we live as a whole. Joshua had sent a small army to take care of the city of Ai, a much smaller city than Jericho. But because of Achin’s sin they faced defeat. “So about three thousand men went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, 5 who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water” vv. 4-5. When the individuals in a nation sin, it affects their nation altogether. When multiple people continue to sin in the same manner it becomes a corporate sin of the nation. In America today we might say that her corporate sins would be materialism, greed, the destruction of the family, and other sins that we are committing in large scale amounts.

Finally, our sin affects those closest to us, and the ones we love. Achin’s sin not only got himself killed but his family as well. “Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them” vv. 24-25. This might come across as very strict to us today, but we should remember that the same thing happens to us today. We might not face a family stoning like Achin’s family did, but the decisions and choices we make as parents will either led our family away from God or bring them to Him. If we hold no regard for the Lord, it’s likely that our influence will have a similar affect on our family as well.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Various Proverbs”

May 23, 2024

May 23, 2024

Read Joshua 3, Proverbs 18, 1 Corinthians 2

The proverbs in the Bible are wise sayings from Solomon. The word proverb means “probability.” We should realize that the sayings of Solomon are not promises, but rather wisdom that will probably come to pass. There are always exceptions of course, but in general we can take these statements to the bank.

Many of the proverbs in chapter 18 talk about a fool’s mouth and his behavior. A fool is an amoral person. “A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul” v. 6-7. And then sometimes, not listening to someone will get us played as a fool too. “He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame” v. 13.

This next proverb is one I think the 24/7 mews media and everyone on social media should read… twice! “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him” v. 17. There is always this rush to get the story out or to be the first one to break a story, perhaps to put a certain spin on it. Culture loves it when we rush to judgment and say things that society agrees with even if it’s not true. We need to be careful and think through things before we teach, share, or even discuss them with others.  

This last proverb is one from a recent sermon I used. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” v. 21. We have the power of life or death in our tongues. The choice is up to us as to which way we will use it.  Remember this doesn’t mean always saying nice things to people or never making them mad. Sometimes we have to speak the truth in love to people so that we can try to warn them of going the wrong direction. What else do you see in these chapters? Do you have a favorite proverb that speaks to you most?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Is Christ Divided?”

May 22, 2024

May 22, 2024

Read Joshua 2, Proverbs 17, 1 Corinthians 1

My wife and I are “a house divided.” She grew up about 30 minutes from Auburn, Alabama and is a die-hard Auburn fan. I grew up about 45 minutes from Athens, Georgia and am an equally loyal Georgia fan. What are some ways that you might be divided in your house? Is it over schools, sports teams, movies and music, or something else?

The one thing that we want to avoid dividing over most as Christians is in our faith. The letter to the church at Corinth starts out with a short greeting and then Paul gets right into the first problem they faced, a divided church. “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” v. 10. What were they divided over? We might not know everything but apparently Paul calls them out for which one of their teachers and leaders was their favorite to follow. Paul even mentions that he was glad they he had not baptized only a few so that they could not fight over that too. Paul boldly asks, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” v. 13. Paul was telling them they had their eyes on the wrong person. It wasn’t supposed to be on Paul, Apollos, or Cephas. They were only to have their eyes of Jesus Christ.

We might laugh at this and say, “how silly they are,” but we must be careful not to fall into the same trap today. We might have our favorite podcasts, preachers, or teachers but these need to come secondary to our Savior. Do we favor a book over “the book?” Do we prefer to listen to an eloquent speaker over listening to the Word of God? Do we prefer “a new word” from some contemporary Christian over the old Word of God that never changes? What else do you see in these three chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Strong and Courageous”

May 21, 2024

May 20, 2024

Read Joshua 1, Proverbs 16, Romans 16

What would you do if you had more courage? Would you go sky diving? Would you drive a race car? Would you take more chances in business ventures or in talking to more people with the gospel?

The opening chapter of the book of Joshua has the command for Joshua to be “strong and courageous” repeated four times in Joshua 1. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” v. 9. Why was God telling Joshua to be “strong and courageous?” The opening verses tell us why, “Moses my servant is dead” v. 2. Israel’s greatest leader had passed away and God had chosen Joshua to take his place. Can you imagine following someone so big and influential? You would probably need a little encouragement from the Lord as well.

Not only was God encouraging Joshua to be strong and courageous, but God also promises Joshua that “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses” v. 3. God keeps his promises and that is comforting to know. Is there anything that you believe God has called you to do and you need a reminder of God’s promises in your life? Do you need a challenge to be “strong and courageous” just as Joshua did?

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you as you read?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

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