SETTLERS
Today’s Reading: Joshua 16-17
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).
Just east of Jericho, beside the Jordan River, is a church that commemorates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. This is also the area where the Children of Israel crossed into the Promised Land.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Joshua 17:13
And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.
In the worship of their gods, the Canaanites followed evil practices such as killing their children and offering them as sacrifices. In their temples, as an act of worship, they committed fornication, adultery, pedophilia, perverted sexual acts. God knew, as history will prove to us over our readings of the next seven books, that such corruption would soon influence His people. The “forced labour” would soon become “spiritual and moral saboteurs!”
We may want to ask ourselves, “How are we being influenced by the culture in which we live?” Do we tolerate more easily practices that violate God’s laws for sexual behaviour? Does pedophilia produce a revulsion as it once did? Are we as horrified as we once were at the slaughter of the innocent little lives in abortion? Should these precious lives not have the protection of the state? Is there a general decline in personal and public moral standards? If we answer “Yes,” then we are following the path of Israel. The stories of the moral decline of Israel every three or four generations should be a dire warning to us. Jesus repeated the words twice, “Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I repent for willingly tolerating moral rot in my generation. You are the Judge in the final analysis, and I must “hold the truth in love.” However, I pray that I will, by Your grace, hold Your standard for human behaviour high, loving people unconditionally, and hating the sin that Your Word declares will ultimately destroy the people You and I love! I weep as I pray for my 10 great-grandchildren in the face of the destruction of the values which sustained my parents in wars, financial collapse, and in family life. God, please help us to be loving and strong in our convictions on right and wrong. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
In some of the recent pictures my son David Reynold has taken for us, they show layer upon layer of City Centres which have been built and destroyed by wars. In our next book to read, we’ll find that Israel’s cities were destroyed by surrounding armies and then rebuilt seven times. Of course the rebuilding did not occur until they had repented of taking on the sinful practices of the people around them. I want to learn from history. It may have been the historian Will Durant who said, “The one thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.” I believe that in my own life I can prove that statement wrong. When I took a strong stand in support of the word “marriage” to be for man/woman unions only, the Lord clearly said to me, “David, don’t speak out on this issue unless you have the same attitude Abraham had toward Sodom.” Abraham prayed fervently for their protection. He risked his life for them in war. He introduced them to the King of Righteousness, Melchizedek, a man who represented God (Genesis 14). I cried out to God for Abraham’s attitude, and I believe I received this grace. It was a losing cause, but the struggle for God’s standards will not end until God says, “The End.”
Yours for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven,
David
Yours, oh Lord, for all that is good and honourable and righteous,
Yours, oh Lord, for the love of Christ that is everlasting.
Yours, oh Lord, for the gift of your Holy Spirit breathing through us,
Yours, oh Lord, for the blessings of eternal life, enduring.
Beverlee Kay, Jan 2015
We so love You, Lord, and live for Your goodness and glory! Amen!
Blessings dear saints!
As the Deer Pants for the Water by Robin Mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBppKZ0eJlQ
Very beautiful Beverlee. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Beverlee. My daughter choreographed a ballet solo to this years ago and it was very beautiful. It brought back memories.
Thank you David for being a voice and an example for many to follow. You are a barnabas (son of encouragement) and your voice is being heard and has impact over our nation. Thank you for your faithfulness. You are making a difference in our land for good.
Blessings
Bernard
Thank u for being steadfast in your beliefs Rev. and trying so faithfully to learn from history. I like what Churchill said about history. Don’t think I can quote it here but my husband keeps quoting it. It probably can be “googled”.
Am reading a good book about The Huguenots as my husband is of that decent. What a steadfast Christian group that suffered horrible persecution all in the name of our Lord.
Great pic of church where Jesus was baptized near the Jordan River. To think that Jesus and John were there!
Great study!! Thanks so much Rev. et al.
Blessings fellow saints.
Amen, David. I honor you and support you in your stand and prayed your prayer. Blessings on all today.
Felt this prayer was for you, today, Ger, from Streams in the Desert:
“They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.” There is a quaint old Scottish version that puts iron into our blood:
‘Who sticketh to God in stable trust
As Zion’s mount he stands full just,
Which moveth no whit, nor yet doth reel,
But standeth forever as stiff as steel!”
Bravo!!
Thank you for being so faithful every morning. What an encouragement to all. Our world is changing and we must be in the word and listen for his leading.
yes, thank you Rev. David for your constant encouragement, I pray the Lord encourage and strengthen you and your loved ones as you minister to others.
Especially thank you for sharing your word received from the Lord; to have the same attitude Abraham’s had towards Sodom. My prayer is for that kind of attitude too.
Its not an easy thing to do in ones own strength, except through prayer to receive it.
Thank you Beverlee for the link “As the deer pants for the water”. and I agree with your prayer for Ger.
May your mind be stayed on the Lord, Ger; the His Peace that passes all understanding to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus Our Lord.
Being able to Stand Firm in The Lord’s strength can only happen as we meet daily withHim through this blog, sharing with others and prayer.
We are truly blessed each morning Pastor David et al.
David, you have been such a blessing to me. God is using you to bless many others. I too am appaled at the way our morality is going down. The abortions that are going on make me weep. I try to love the sinner and not the sin. I also am so very concerned about what our grandchildren will have to face. May God give us wisdom in teaching them God’s Truth.
Amen lLiese, my thoughts also. Icy and snowy here tonight , glad and thankful for our warm home. Blessings to all.
Thank you all for adding in those inspiring songs , they are always so up lifting
I always sing along with them. I’m alone in my house since my husband passed
last year. He played the piano for and other do’es and qf course at home too.
I miss it , Please keep up the music and song ….R……
Lord we need You to lead our governments! Lord we need people to pray for one another! You taught us to pray! Prayer can change a life! In Jesus Name AMEN