distracted prayers

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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distracted prayers

1 Thessalonians 1:1-4 (JDV)

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the congregation of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Favor to you and peace.
1 Thessalonians 1:2 We are always thanking God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your achievement produced by faith, your labor motivated by care, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:4 You see, we know, brothers and sisters cared about by God, that he has chosen you,

distracted prayers

Does your mind wander as you pray? Of course, it does. Paul and his missionary team experienced that as they prayed for the Thessalonian Christians. When they gathered to pray for the mission work in Thessalonica, they remembered all the things that they had seen those wonderful people do, and they were convinced that God had chosen those believers to achieve great things for the Lord, to work hard, and to endure sufferings for God’s glory.

The result of these distracting moments in the missionary prayer meetings was praise to God and thanksgiving for what he is doing through his congregation.

Lord, distract our prayers more often with memories of what you are doing through your people.

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Joshua’s epitaph

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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Joshua’s epitaph

Joshua 24:29-33 (JDV)

Joshua 24:29 After these things, Yahveh’s servant, Joshua son of Nun, died at the age of 110.
Joshua 24:30 They buried him in his allotted territory at Timnath-Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.
Joshua 24:31 Israel worshiped Yahveh throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua and who had experienced all the works Yahveh had done for Israel.
Joshua 24:32 Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the parcel of land Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. It was an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.
Joshua 24:33 And Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.

Joshua’s epitaph

The book of Joshua ends with his death and a statement that those under his leadership continued to serve Yahveh during the lifetimes of the elders who survived him.

May our Lord give us such an epitaph.

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the stone that heard God

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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the stone that heard God

Joshua 24:22-28 (JDV)

Joshua 24:22 Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship Yahveh.” “We are witnesses,” they said.
Joshua 24:23 “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to Yahveh, the God of Israel.”
Joshua 24:24 So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship Yahveh our God and obey him.”
Joshua 24:25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them.
Joshua 24:26 Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God; he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak at the sanctuary of Yahveh.
Joshua 24:27 And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone – it will be a witness against us, because it has heard all the words Yahveh said to us, and it will be a witness against you so that you will not deny your God.”
Joshua 24:28 Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

the stone that heard God

Joshua set up a witness stone, and told the people that the stone “has heard all the words Yahveh said to us, and it will be a witness against you so that you will not deny your God.” Whenever the people went to worship, they would be reminded by the stone that God holds his people accountable for all the words he has said.

Do you know the words that God said? Get into your Bible, friend. We are responsible to live by that book. We ignore it to our peril.

Lord, help us to both know your word and live it.

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the holy God who destroys transgressors

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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the holy God who destroys transgressors

Joshua 24:19-21 (JDV)

Joshua 24:19 But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship Yahveh, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions and sins.
Joshua 24:20 If you abandon Yahveh and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you, after he has been good to you.”
Joshua 24:21 “No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship Yahveh.”

the holy God who destroys transgressors

Some people think that God is too good to destroy transgressors — that no matter what a person does, he or she will always live eternally because God cannot destroy his creation. But Joshua warned his people who intended to worship God that they had better be sincere, because our holy and jealous God destroys those who reject him.

Lord, make us a people who sincerely worship you, and stay faithful to you.

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choose for yourselves today

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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choose for yourselves today

Joshua 24:14-18 (JDV)

Joshua 24:14 “For this reason, fear Yahveh and worship him wholeheartedly and truthfully. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahveh.
Joshua 24:15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahveh, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship – the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship Yahveh.”
Joshua 24:16 The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon Yahveh to worship other gods!
Joshua 24:17 Because Yahveh our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through.
Joshua 24:18 Yahveh drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship Yahveh, because he is our God.”

choose for yourselves today

Joshua invited his people to choose for themselves, but he had already made the decision for himself and his family (house). Leadership involves setting the course, establishing the direction one will take, and inviting and encouraging others to follow. Joshua could not make all the Israelites choose the path he did, but he certainly could make the case for it, and he did.

You and I have both the personal responsibility to choose God’s kingdom, and the responsibility to lead others down the same path.

Lord, make us leaders that others want to follow — in your path.

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land you did not labor for

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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land you did not labor for

Joshua 24:11-13 (JDV)

Joshua 24:11 ” ‘You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. Jericho’s citizens – as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hethites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites – did battle with you, but I handed them over to you.
Joshua 24:12 I sent hornets ahead of you, and they drove out the two Amorite kings before you. It was not by your sword or bow.
Joshua 24:13 I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’

land you did not labor for

What Joshua said to his people about the promised land is also true about our inheritance. We gain our inheritance by faith in the God who has gone before us and will drive out evil. The coming kingdom we will inherit is fought for by us in this life, but in the end, we will discover that God had been fighting for us the whole time, driving out Satan’s kings, and making it possible for us to inherit the land.

Lord, thank you for giving us the land you promised.

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past opponents

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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past opponents

Joshua 24:5-10 (JDV)

Joshua 24:5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I defeated Egypt by what I did within it, and afterward, I brought you out.
Joshua 24:6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen as far as the sea.
Joshua 24:7 Your fathers cried out to Yahveh, so he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea over them, engulfing them. Your own eyes saw what I did to Egypt. After that, you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
Joshua 24:8 ” ‘Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan. They fought against you, but I handed them over to you. You possessed their land, and I annihilated them before you.
Joshua 24:9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you,
Joshua 24:10 but I would not listen to Balaam. Instead, he repeatedly blessed you, and I rescued you from him.

past opponents

Joshua reminded his people of numerous times when opponents came against them, but God rescued them. History reminds us of the wisdom of staying faithful to the one who stays faithful to us.

Lord, thank you for the lessons from past victories, giving us the courage to face today’s challenges.

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history lesson

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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history lesson

Joshua 24:1-4 (JDV)

Joshua 24:1 Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem and summoned Israel’s elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves before God.
Joshua 24:2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what Yahveh, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.
Joshua 24:3 But I took your father Abraham from the region beyond the Euphrates River, led him throughout the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,
Joshua 24:4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave the hill country of Seir to Esau as a possession. ” ‘Jacob and his sons, however, went down to Egypt.

history lesson

The Lord, through Joshua, is giving his people a history lesson. History is important — especially the history of what God is doing for his people. Every move, every experience, every lesson learned — it is all God revealing himself to his people. The past matters, because God was there.

Lord, thank you for being there in our history.
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faithfulness works both ways

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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faithfulness works both ways

Joshua 23:14-16 (JDV)

Joshua 23:14 “I am now going the way of the whole land, and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises Yahveh your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.
Joshua 23:15 Since every good thing Yahveh your God promised you has come about, likewise, he will bring on you every bad thing until he has annihilated you from this good land Yahveh your God has given you.
Joshua 23:16 If you break the covenant of Yahveh your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow in worship to them, Yahveh’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly disappear from this good land he has given you.”

faithfulness works both ways

Joshua reminded his people that God had been faithful to them. He kept all his promises. But he also reminded them that God’s faithfulness works both ways. If they turned to other gods, the One true God will faithfully destroy them.

Lord, thank you for your faithfulness. May we be just as faithful to you and your word.

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from dominating to disappearing

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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from dominating to disappearing

Joshua 23:7-13 (JDV)

Joshua 23:7 and so that you do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them; do not serve them or bow in worship to them.
Joshua 23:8 Instead, be loyal to Yahveh your God, as you have been to this day.
Joshua 23:9 “Yahveh has driven out great and powerful nations before you, and no one is able to stand against you to this day.
Joshua 23:10 One of you routed a thousand because Yahveh your God was fighting for you, as he promised.
Joshua 23:11 So diligently watch yourselves! Love Yahveh your God!
Joshua 23:12 If you ever turn away and become loyal to the remainder of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry or partner with them and they with you,
Joshua 23:13 know for certain that Yahveh your God will not continue to drive these nations out before you. They will become a snare and a trap for you, a sharp stick for your sides and thorns in your eyes until you disappear from this good land Yahveh your God has given you.

from dominating to disappearing

The condition for continuing as a dominant force in the land was simple: stay separate from the other nations — in terms of loyalty to God alone. If the Israelites begin to blend in with their foreign neighbors, they would begin to disappear.

Each of us is heading in the right direction or the wrong one. We are either staying loyal to God or fading away.

Lord, give us the wisdom to stay different from those who are not loyal to you.

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