Finding Jesus in the Book of Joshua: Faith & Victory
God, in the book of Joshua, showed the Israelites their victory before they received it. Their faith and obedience determined their victory.
Walk By Faith Not By Sight
Faith compels you to act in ways that you never would have expected like building a boat to save yourself from a flood when it has never even rained, or fighting a giant that everyone is too scared to fight, or believing a promise that in the natural, just doesn’t make sense.
Jesus in Genesis: How Christ Was Present at Creation
Genesis is the book of beginnings. It provides the foundation on which the Bible is built. Genesis was written by Moses around 1300 B.C. and is quoted or referred to more than 165 times in the New Testament. We often don’t associate Jesus with Genesis because Jesus was born 2,000 years after the events described there. But Jesus permeates its pages; He was there from before the beginning of time. We find Jesus in the Book of Genesis.
Finding Jesus in Genesis: The Last Adam
In Genesis, you will find similarities between Adam and Jesus. Adam is considered a “type of Jesus,” a shadow of things to come.
WHITEWASHED TOMBS
Image is important, right? So much time is spent trying to project the perfect image to garner more likes, followers, and friends. Photos are edited, scenes are staged, and stories are embellished, all in the name of image. Image may be important to people, but image isn’t important to God. God doesn’t look at the things people look at. “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”( 1st Samuel 16:7 ). The Pharisees, a religious sect of Jews prominent during Jesus’s time, were notorious for trying to create the perfect image so that others would believe they were the “real deal.” Jesus called them whitewashed tombs because, like tombs, they looked good on the outside, but on the inside, they were full of rot (Matt 23:27). Sometimes we focus so much on the outside, we forget about what really matters, the inside. We whitewash our lives, all the while not realizing that we can’t hide our rotting insides from God. He is not concerned with image; He is concerned with the real us; our character. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. – John Wooten What is Character? Character is the way we think, feel, and behave. A person with good character is often described as honest, honorable, and compassionate. A person with bad character is often described as dishonest, selfish, and uncaring. “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.“ H. Jackson Brown Our Choices Determine our Character Our character is determined by our choices, whether good or bad. No matter how important the choice we make seems, that choice affects our next choice. If we make good choices, then making a good choice the next time, and then the next, becomes easier for us. However, if we compromise and make a poor choice, we are more likely to make similar mistakes in the future. Our choices determine our character. Daniel – A Man of Character Daniel, an Israelite living as a captive in Babylon, was offered the finest of foods from the king’s court. Daniel, however, refused to eat this food because it had been ritually sacrificed to false gods. Daniel 1:8 He knew that by eating it, he would dishonor God and violate the Jewish law on unclean food. Although it would have been easy for Daniel to give in and enjoy this fine food, he declined to compromise his beliefs for a fleeting pleasure. Daniel’s choice not to eat the king’s food was one step of many towards building his character, which would eventually lead the King of Babylon to fear and revere God (Daniel 6:26-27). Our Character Determines Our Choices Good character guides us into good choices, while bad character guides us into disaster. This truth is clearly illustrated in the lives of Joseph and Lot. Joseph – A Man of Character Joseph, son of Jacob, was sold into slavery by his brothers and bought by Potiphar, one of the Egyptian Pharaoh’s officials. Joseph found favor in Potiphar’s house and was put in charge of Potiphar’s entire household. Joseph’s good character guided him to refuse to succumb to the temptation of Potiphar’s wife ( Genesis 39:6-12). Although the immediate result of Joseph’s choice landed him in hot water, God recognized Joseph’s good character and eventually positioned him as second in charge of Egypt (Genesis 39:13-23 and 41: 39-40). His position enabled him to save many lives, including his brothers. Lot – A Man of Questionable Character Lot, the nephew of Abraham, embarked on a journey with his uncle to the good land God had promised Abraham. On the way, Lot and Abraham’s men began quarreling over land for their animals. Abraham and Lot decided to part company, and Abraham let Lot choose which land he and his men would inhabit. Lot’s selfishness guided him to choose the lush land, and he eventually settled his family near the sinful city of Sodom (Genesis 13). Lot’s choice set Lot up for all kinds of disaster. First, he was attacked by neighboring kings and taken captive (Genesis 14:1-16). Then after Abraham rescued Lot from captivity, Lot and his family had no choice but to flee their home when God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the inhabitants’ sinfulness. Lot’s wife did not want to leave, and because of this, she died. As a result of Lot’s selfish character, Lot and his daughters ended up living in a cave in the mountains with nothing (Genesis 19). Christian Character Christians and non-Christians alike strive for good character. However, there are differences between Christian character and worldly character. Jesus is the foundation of Christian character Christian character is defined by the teachings of Jesus, which remain unchanged. Worldly character defines itself based on morals, which change depending on what society accepts at any given point in time. Jesus tells us that if we apply his teachings to our lives, we will be able to stand firm no matter what challenges we face because we have chosen to build our lives on a firm foundation (Matthew 7:24-25 TPT). However, we will be unable to stand firm when challenges arise if we have built our lives on a foundation that is constantly changing. Motives, not just actions, matter Christian character focuses not only on what we do, but also on the reason we do what we do. Worldly character focuses on what we do, but not necessarily the motive behind our actions. Did we do what we did out of love for God, or did we expect something in return? We should examine our motives behind our actions because God does (Proverbs 16:2). God Pleaser or People Pleaser? Christian character desires to please God above all else. Worldly character focuses on pleasing oneself or pleasing others. Do you pray in public or drop money in the offering bucket because you want to please God or because you want to please people? Galatians 1:10 NIV Power to Change the Character of People Christian character depends on the Holy Spirit to change hearts (Romans 5:5), develop godly characteristics in
EFFECTIVE PRAYER: 5 WAYS TO SETTLE THE WORD IN YOUR HEART
Effective prayer requires you to settle God’s Word in your heart. You must believe the Bible more than you believe the news, your bank account, and the symptoms in your body. The Word of God must be more than head knowledge it must be heart knowledge. There are five keys to settling God’s Word in your heart. You must believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. All scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Although penned by man, the Bible is inspired by God. Sometimes God told the writers precisely what to say; other times He used their minds, their vocabularies, and their life-experiences to reveal His true nature and character. If you don’t believe that the Bible is God speaking to you, then you will struggle to trust that the Bible’s promises are from God and not man and this unbelief will limit the power of the life-giving Word you breathe-in. You must believe that the Bible is true and not just made up stories to teach us valuable “life lessons”. You make your own reality. You limit God by how you see God. If you find it impossible to believe that God rescued the Israelites from their enemies by parting the Red Sea, then you will struggle to believe that He is your rescuer. If you find it hard to believe that Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, then you will struggle to believe that He is your provider. God is the God of creation; if He is powerful enough to speak the universe into existence, then He is powerful enough to part the seas and multiply food. Don’t limit God to what you see in the natural but instead choose to see Him through the lens of the supernatural. You must believe that God said what He meant and meant what He said. God is not a man; He will never lie. God is reliable; He does not change His mind. Therefore, His Word will always come to pass (Numbers 23:19). Unless you trust God, you won’t approach Him with confidence; you may not even approach Him at all. Choose to take God at His Word; let His Word take shape in your heart so that you will not be what James called double-minded, and waver back and forth in your belief. You must believe the Word of God is the final authority. Jesus has the ultimate victory. His Word, the truth wins. Nothing can shake His Kingdom; His Word is unmovable. (Matthew 24:35). No matter how hopeless your circumstances appear, no matter what others tell you to believe, you must consider the Bible as the final authority on the issue, and trust that what is written there will prevail. You must nourish yourself with God’s Word daily. God’s Word is like an all-day buffet laid out in front of you: whatever sustenance you need, you can find it there. Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). What better way to savor His truth than through His life-giving Word! Settle God’s Word in your heart and see your prayers come to life. Don’t limit the power of God’s Word by limiting God. Choose to expand your reality to the supernatural. Resolve to trust God and to stand firm in His truth and you will begin to believe the Bible more than you believe the news, your bank account or the symptoms in your body. His Word will begin to gravitate from your head to your heart and your heart will cry out “all things are possible for those who believe and I believe!”