Victory’s Battle Cry- A Study in Joshua Part 6—

Once more, God demonstrates to His people the majesty of His power and His Glory. He halts the raging river while all the people cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. The priests were in the midst of the River with the Ark of the Covenant—a symbol of God’s presence and strength.

photo courtesy of istockphoto.com

Once everyone had safely crossed over, God tells Joshua to have one man from each tribe to go back, pick up a stone from where the priests are standing and bring it to the place they will camp that night to build a memorial shrine as a reminder of what God did for them and a reminder as of the perfect sovereignty, righteousness, justice, Mercy and grace that is God.

God had remained faithful to redeem Himself a people in spite of all their failures in the past and He is about to prove to the entire world that He is the Victory in every trial or battle of life.

Continue reading Build An Everlasting Memorial to God With Your Life →

Some of you may have remembered this poem, since I did write it a while back. Yet, I felt it fitting to bring it out as a reminder of the lesson we just learned about trusting God and waiting on Him to work things out.  He has been steadily working out my dilemmas one at a time. He is so graciously willing to take care of even the tiniest details.  For a while I have been wondering about changing my hair; but, either the timing didn’t work or I wasn’t certain where to go.  Well, today things seemed to fall into place and I headed out to go to a salon I found on line that took walk ins.  I went to the bank to withdraw some money for the Farmer’s Market and to have a tip.  As I pulled through the bank, I saw the name of a salon and felt drawn to it instead.  So, I whispered a prayer and called the place I had intended to go only to have them say they couldn’t take me today.  I turned around and went back to the one I felt drawn to and this very happy, cheerful lady said, “If you can come back at 4, I can”.  What a blessing she proved to be as we talked about God.  Her faith shone from her eyes and I had to smile; even when it comes to a hairstylist, God has a gift of joy when He asks us to wait.  So, I pulled up this poem and made some minor changes from the original; maybe, you can tell me which was better—as it is now or how it was when I posted it in January as He Asked Me to Wait.

GOD ASKED ME TO WAIT

BY Effie Darlene Barba

God asked me to wait and I wanted to try

Yet, trembling within I then asked Him “Why?”

Have you not seen the pain  I am in

I need an answer and  I need to know when

 

Calmly, He sat and silence ensued

While anxiously I, my own will pursued

So many thoughts encircling my head

Unable to sleep, no rest in my bed

 

I know Your desires for me are the best

Yet, how do I get my mind now to rest

I don’t know the answer nor understand why

“Where have you gone?” I asked with a sigh

 

A soft, gentle voice whispered my name

Trust me, dear Child, for I am the same

The one who has loved you before time was born

I AM still here, don’t look so forlorn

 

I need you to see that I am your true joy

Not money, not things, nor a fancy new toy

I love you too much to let you run wild

Your safety, your hope is in me, my dear Child.

 

I want for you more than your eyes can see

Wait, I will show you my victory

Trust in my love and I’ll give you rest

Then you will see, my plan is the best

 

Oh Lord, forgive me; I must have forgot

Twas you, who died; my salvation was bought

At such a high price, to prove me your love

How could I e’er doubt your plan from above

 

Let me now wait, until Lord You Speak

Patiently, calmly, humble and meek

Cradled within yours arms held so tight

Resting in you until darkness is light.

© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any brands, products or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Victory’s Battle Cry-A Study in Joshua—Part 5; Wait upon the Lord

Isaiah 40: ^“31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

 

photo courtesy of istockphoto.com

Waiting, patience sound so simple; yet, the performance is so much harder. How often have I heard God’s promises or heard Him command me to obey with the promise that He has everything worked? Then, I obey and things appear to get worse for a while. What do I do then? Do I keep on believing or do I throw in the towel because of my inability to wait and stand firm on God’s plan? True faith is demonstrated best when I am willing to wait, standing firm upon the truth of who God is and not waiver because of the way things look at this moment. It is also important to learn how to patiently, calmly wait for God to clear the path ahead before running ahead. I have often taken off running when I heard God say go only to fall deep in the river in front of me because I did not wait for

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Victory’s Battle Cry-A Study in Joshua-Part 4-From Gentile Harlot to Faith’s Hall of Fame

So, under the leadership of Joshua the people are preparing to cross over Jordan into the land that God had promised them. Their fathers had stood here once before; but, the people didn’t trust God and became afraid when the “spies” had returned with a fear filled report about the giants—that is all the spies except Caleb and Joshua. Caleb and Joshua had said, the land is good let’s go, God will give us the land as He promised. Because of the lack of faith of the majority, God’s judgment was that they would spend 40  more years wandering in the desert until that generation of faithless people would die and Joshua is now to lead the next generation into the land. In Joshua 2, he sends out two spies to view the land—particularly he sends them to Jericho. He knew and had been a part of the history, so why would he risk a repeat of the previous story?  Why would he send out spies?  Now, I wonder if he really sent the men to check out the land or if at God’s command he sent out the men, not even knowing that God’s plan was to find and save Rahab. Precisely it was her home where they ended up at and where they were hidden by her. Rahab was a harlot in Jericho; but, Rahab had heard the stories of this God of Israel and she believed with all her heart that He was the one true God over heaven and earth.

photo courtesy of istockphoto.com

She had heard of His miracles and she believed that God would lead His people into the land and to be victorious in taking that land. She believed that God was the one and true God who would deliver this land into the hands of His chosen. Rahab had seen God as Glorious and so worthy of her humble adoration, fear and awe. So when Rahab saw the men, she ushered them onto her rooftop where she hid them.

Listen to the conversation that followed.

Continue reading From Gentile Harlot to Faith’s Hall of Fame →

Victory’s Battle Cry-A Study in the book of Joshua-Part 3: Leaving All to Lead the Way

As we saw in the first two lessons from Joshua, Moses has died and Joshua has been chosen by God to lead the people into the Promised Land. So, He now prepares the people. Among the Israeli nation, there were two and a half tribes that had been given the land east of Jordan because they were the tribes that raised the livestock. They had large herds of livestock including cattle and sheep. This land had been appointed to the descendants of Reuben, Gad and half-tribe of Manasseh (descendants of Joseph) by God through Moses. This we can find by reading Deuteronomy 3: 12-22. These tribes had already been established along with their wives, their families and their herds in the land God had given them east of the Jordan River.  They have known peace, prosperity and have rested from their wandering.  They had no need to go across the Jordan River with the remaining tribes to claim any land. They had already arrived to their destination.  Yet, Joshua has now commanded all their men that could fight  to cross over to the west side of the Jordan River ahead of the remaining tribes who would enter the Promised Land west of the Jordan.  Imagine this, they now must leave their wives, their children and all of their possessions behind to go in front of the remaining tribes and to lead them in battle and they are not going to possess any of that land.  Once the remaining tribes have secured their land and position, these men will cross back over the Jordan to rejoin their families.

photo courtesy of istockphoto.com

Along this Christian journey, we must not become so comfortable in our current situation that we are not willing to go forward in the frontline to assist other Christians. We must not become too comfortable during our moments of great blessings that we forget our brothers and sisters in Christ who are struggling. We must not get so comfortable that we forget those Christians and missionaries who must risk their life everyday for the gospel. We cannot become so complacent that we do not speak up for the truth of the gospel when it is not “politically correct” to stand for Christ.

Indeed, when Joshua called these men out to go ahead of the fellow Israelites, they essentially said; “here we are—send us. Only be strong and Courageous!”

Continue reading Leaving All to Lead the Way →