Acts 11:3 “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

There are many churches I would love to visit, and observe the work God is doing. The church in Jerusalem was one of those churches. In the early chapters of Acts, we read about this church that began as a work of the Spirit, was birthed in revival, emphasized outreach, focused on discipleship, and even sent out saints to impact the world. We read that they gathered at Solomon’s Porch (an area adjacent to the Temple), to worship, pray and preach. No building in the city was large enough to house the multitudes who were coming to Christ, so the believers met together in homes throughout the city for prayer, study, fellowship and communion. What a thrilling time it must have been to be a part of that work of God. Sadly, by the end of the book…

Joshua 14:14
“Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.”

After successfully leading military campaigns throughout Canaan, Joshua distributes the land to each of the tribes. It became their responsibility to establish the land as their own. Time and time again, we read how the tribes failed to take possession of all of the land for one reason or another. When we come to Caleb, we find that although he was an elderly man, he occupied the possession that had been allotted to him. I notice four ingredients that led to his success.

First, we read he “. . . wholly followed the Lord . . .” That means he lived in complete submission to the will and Word of God. Way back in the wilderness, Israel was commanded to enter Canaan and…

Joshua 13:1

“​ Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: ‘You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.’”

As the sun begins to set on Joshua’s life, he has yet, another encounter with the Lord. This time God refers to the age of his servant and to the work he is doing. Joshua is reminded that while he is old and has accomplished much for the kingdom, there still remains very much land to conquer and possess. The application of this truth for Joshua was that he needed to gather the tribes together and exhort them to get busy, finishing the work he had started. The application for you and me is that there is a lot God still wants to do in our lives, no matter how long we have walked with Him, or…

Acts 10:5
“Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.”

Joppa was a port city in Israel with a wealth of history. It serves as a powerful illustration of the heart of God for the world at large. Over 700 years before Peter slept on the rooftop of the tanner’s house, another famous character passed through Joppa. His name was Jonah, and he is infamous as Israel’s most reluctant prophet. Most of us are familiar with his story of disobedience. We read, he was commissioned by God to preach a message of mercy to Nineveh, but instead, he traveled to Joppa, boarded a ship, and attempted to run from God. His story is a fascinating one, as God goes to great lengths to win the heart of this wandering servant. One of the key lessons in Jonah is, God loves the world even when His people don’t.

Over…

Joshua 12:1

​ “These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain:”

 

This chapter recounts the kingdoms that Joshua and the children of Israel overthrew. In a few cases, there are some minor details recorded, but in most, a simple list of victories is given. All in all, thirty-one kings were conquered by Joshua and the armies of Israel. Each one of these victories represents a great obstacle for Joshua, as well as a giant leap of faith, and his finding God to be forever faithful. 

 

I wonder what we might discover if we took time to recall the victories we have seen in our walk with God. All of us should be able to…

Joshua 11:4-5
“So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.”

As Joshua and the armies of Israel began to have success in battle, it was not long before they are ganged up on. At least fifteen kingdoms, from throughout northern Canaan, joined forces to attack Israel. These combined forces, no doubt, greatly outnumber Israel; they are described as being like the sand on the sea shore in number (Joshua 11:4). Not only were Joshua’s forces outnumbered, but the Canaanites also had the advantage of knowing the terrain. All seemed hopeless for Israel, until they clung to the promises of God. As this chapter unfolds, we read of…

Acts 9:10

“Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.'” A disciple named Ananias is a somewhat obscure character in the narrative of Acts. We do not know how he first heard about Christ, what his occupation was, or his role in the local church. All we know is, when he was called to service, he rose to the occasion, and became an influential player in the life and ministry of Paul, the Apostle.

We read that Ananias had a vision. A vision is much like a dream, but happens while a person is awake, instead of when they are sleeping. There are many cases in Scripture of God speaking to His people through visions.

We are not told what Ananias was doing when God interrupted and commissioned him. We…

Joshua 10:5

“Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.”

 

Joshua Chapter 10 describes a great battle, where five nations join ranks to come against the Gibeonites, who had made an allegiance with the people of God. The battle that rages is driven by a group of people who are outraged against those who have chosen to ally themselves with Israel, and be a part of the furtherance of the kingdom of God. While there may be political applications from this story, I think we would benefit greatly from some of the personal ones. 

 

First off, there was great cost involved with becoming a follower of God. Sadly,we find today, like…

Joshua 9:14
“Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.”

The men of Gibeon pulled off quite a scam. They went to great lengths to look like something they were not, in order to fool Israel into making a treaty with them. Old clothes, worn out shoes, moldy bread, all made it appear they had traveled a great distance. In reality, they lived within the borders of Israel’s land. Joshua and the other leaders of the nation were duped by the Gideonite’s ruse because when faced with this dilemma, they used their senses, rather than the Word of God. Had they taken the time to pray, God would have revealed to them the true nature of the Gibeonites. His Word already spoke regarding the inhabitants of the Land; Israel was to drive them out.

The reason for removing the…

Acts 8:5

“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.”

 

Philip was one of the men selected to serve tables at the church in Jerusalem. Now we find him heading out to Samaria as a missionary and winning many souls to the Kingdom. His ministry became so effective, it drew the attention of the apostles, who came to aid him in discipling those who had been saved. As quickly as he arrived in Samaria, Philip leaves.  God calls him away from the masses, to reach an individual with the message of salvation through faith in Christ. After a muddy baptism in the desert, he headed out once again, this time making his way to Caesarea, where he settled down and raised a family of followers of Jesus. 

 

Philip’s story is a fascinating one filled with application for our daily lives. One of…