Gleanings in Joshua

On December 5, 2016December 6, 2016 By joshnnomiIn Gleanings in JoshuaLeave a comment

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Have you ever watched Star Wars? How about Return of the Jedi? Both movies are epic, but if those are the only two you have watched you are left wondering what you missed. We miss the regrouping of the empire, the training of Luke, the capture of Han and the biggests reveal of its time, when Darth Vader says those chilling words, “Luke, I am your father.” Someone needs to watch The Empire Strikes Back because it is the bridge between Star Wars and The Return of the Jedi.

The book of Joshua acts in the same way. Imagine if the Bible went from Deuteronomy to Judges or 1 and 2 Samuel. We would be left to wonder what happened from the wilderness to the taking of the land. Thankfully the Holy Spirit has chosen to leave us a written record in the book of Joshua. Joshua contains crucial lessons for the people of Israel and for us today. We learn of Rahab the prostitute who is grafted into the lineage of Christ, the fall of Jericho, the sin of Ai, the dividing of the land, Joshua getting tricked and an epic farewell address. But before we get into the book, let’s take a look at some important historical and Gospel bridges this book builds.

Historical Bridge

Joshua builds a historical bridge, in Deuteronomy we are left with the Israelites at the brink of the promise land and Moses climbing a mountain to die. What happens to the people of Israel? Who is gonna lead them now? Is the work of Yahweh going to continue through his chosen people? Joshua is the book of Acts of the Old Testament. When we close the Gospels we are left with the same questions, what is going to happen to the Apostles? Who is going to lead them now? How is the work of Jesus going to continue? Just like Acts, Joshua answers some very important question and gives us a written record of the continuing work of Yahweh through his chosen people.

Discipleship Bridge

In the book of Joshua we see the importance of a discipleship bridge. When we read Exodus – Deuteronomy we see the Lord’s working through the life of Moses. Many times lurking in the shadows and at times in the front lines we see Joshua. He is with Moses at Mount Sinai, at the door of the tent of meeting, fighting the battles and spying out the land. Joshua was being discipled , whether he realized it or not, discipled to lead the people of Israel. When the Lord came to Joshua with his mission, we see Joshua respond immediately and obediently, very different from Moses, Moses calling covers two chapters and full of excuses. When God calls Joshua, the scene is much shorter and Joshua responds with a yes sir. That is what successful discipleship looks like and successful discipleship is vital no matter what era of time you live in. Unfortunately, when we turn the chapter on this era of Joshua, we see a discipleship failure. The generation after Joshua is the time of the Judges, which is full of compromise, defeat and sin because “there arose a generation after them that did not know the Lord or the work he had done for Israel” (Jud. 2:10).

Obedience Bridge

Another important bridge we see is the obedience bridge. In Joshua we see the Lord tell him my presence will be with you as it was with Moses. The Lord tells Joshua to meditate on the law day and night and you will have success. The Lord gives Joshua a mission to complete. Joshua has the assurance of the Lord’s presence to accomplish the Lord’s mission with the power of the Lord’s word, all Joshua has to do is walk in faith and obey. Yet isn’t this the hardest thing to do in our lives? We too have the Lord’s presence, we too have a mission from the Lord, we too have the Lord’s word and just like Joshua we have to walk in faith and obey.

Gospel Bridge

Joshua shines forth the Gospel bridge. In Joshua we learn of an outcast, gentile, prostitute woman who is saved by faith in Yahweh and saved from the wrath of God coming to Jericho. Rahab is not only saved by faith and saved from God’s wrath, she is grafted into the people of God and grafted into the family tree of Christ. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. In Joshua we also see our need for a better victory, a better leader, a better life. If you have read from Genesis through Joshua, we have read about some great leaders. We read of Joseph, Moses and Joshua and their great stories. But we also read in Genesis Joseph dies, in Deuteronomy Moses dies and at the end of the book of Joshua, we read of his death. All of this leaves us longing for one who will come and live. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John we find one who is better in a man named Jesus. This Jesus dies in the Gospels, but finally we have one whose story ends not in death, but in life and life for all those who believe in Him

Until Next Time

Soli Deo Gloria

The Early Bird Gets The Link

On March 16, 2016 By joshnnomiIn Around the WebLeave a comment

Read One Page A Day

I love to read! I also realize others struggle with reading for various reasons. Here is a challenge for non-readers.

Follow Up Is Important

The church of 225 in attendance had a high attendance day of 360, with 75 guests attending that single day. How many of the 75
joined the church? Only two.

Continue reading “The Early Bird Gets The Link” →

The Early Bird Gets The Link

On March 14, 2016 By joshnnomiIn Around the WebLeave a comment

Here are some great deals in the area of apologetics. Check them out!

7 Lies We have Heard Concerning Church

Maybe you have heard or believed one of these.

“The church was never about us being good people, earning God’s favor, or being entertained. It was and is about the power and presence of Jesus Christ stirring up his gathered, chosen people to be amazed by his covering grace, comforted by his immoveable love, and guided by his infinite wisdom, all in worshipful response to his completed work on the cross for our sake and his glory.”

3 Ways The Gospel Changes Marriage

A Gospel worldview in life will change everything, because we are conforming to the image of Christ. Here are 3 ways the Gospel changes marriage.

Georgia Governor Invokes the Bible Against Christian Conscience

“The claim that we must violate our conscience because Jesus would not want us to “discriminate against anybody” is incoherent and unbiblical. But it’s Gov. Deal’s direct threat to the religious liberty of Christians that is most offensive.”

Taking The 9th Commandment Seriously

Short and to the point, but it packs a punch.

Insights from Mathew: Behold Immanuel

On March 2, 2016March 5, 2016 By joshnnomiIn Insights from MathewLeave a comment

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” Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

Christmas came and went but the miracle of Christmas, God with us, leaves an eternal impact. God, who is transcendent, the creator of time and space, invades time and space and he comes through a miraculous act of the Holy Spirit on a young lady named Mary, in the form of a baby named Jesus. WOW! Down through the centuries, we have attempted to make this look cute with our porcelain nativity scenes, children’s Christmas musicals and traditions, not that I don’t enjoy those things. But that first Christmas was scandalous. A young woman who was almost married, but not quite, pregnant without having sex, having to explain to her husband to be, she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Imagine being in Joseph’s shoes. To say Joseph is confused and hurt is an understatement. Joseph was planning to break it off quietly until we have divine intervention, grace. God sends an angel to tell Joseph it’s all true, get married and name Him Jesus. What does Joseph do? Exactly what God tells him to do. It could be said of Joseph what was said of Abraham, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3).

The scene of the first Christmas certainly appeared scandalous, but so was Jesus family tree. We see the good the bad and the ugly in Jesus’ lineage. There were some heroes of the faith like Abraham, David, and Boaz. There were evil kings like Abijah, Jehoram, and Ahaz. We have the heroes, the zeroes, but we also have 4 women mentioned, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Mary and 1 woman alluded to Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. The women mentioned are all involved in scandalous situations and 4 of the five are Gentiles. Gentiles in the line of the Messiah? A Gospel to the Gentiles? Scandalous indeed.

After Jesus is born, in Matthew 2, we don’t find the Jewish nation flood the town of Bethlehem searching for the Messiah, even though they know the situation and explain to Herod where the Messiah is to be born,

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, ” In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘ And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel. (Matt. 2:3-6)

We don’t see the Jewish leaders searching for the King. We find wise men from the East, Gentiles, searching for the King so they can worship Him. Scandalous!

Could this be? A Gospel that includes the Gentiles? There are certainly missional trails throughout the Old Testament,

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isa. 49:6)

And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. (Zech. 2:11)

There are numerous more, but not only do we find a Gospel for the world in the Old Testament. We also find clues, God is doing something among the Gentiles in Matthew chapters 1 and 2. Four Gentile women in the lineage of Christ, wise men from the East, full blown Gentiles, worshipping a Jewish Messiah. A salvation which reaches the ends of the earth, for all peoples, nations, tribes and tongues. God’s plan from the beginning was to send Jesus to save the nations, to save you. Scandalous Grace indeed.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you (I Peter 1:20)

Until Next Time

Soli Deo Gloria

Project 25:40

On June 24, 2014 By joshnnomiIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This week in Pine Bluff, AR. Watson Chapel Baptist Church is hosting a missional outreach to the city of Pine Bluff. We have partnered with churches from Tulsa, OK. and Republic, MO. to spread the love of Christ to young and old and everyone in between.

The name “Project 25:40” comes from the passage in Mathew 25:40,

And the King will answer them, ‘ Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. ’ (ESVST)

So this week in Pine Bluff we are spreading the love of Christ through backyard Bible clubs in apartments and parks, handing out waters, free car washes, visiting nursing homes. We are going to where the people live, spending time with them, and sharing the message of the Gospel, our only hope. Sounds like something Jesus did when he was walking the earth.

June 23rd, 2014 was our first day and we had just about 100 kids overall, at four different sites. One of the young kids from our church had the opportunity to lead a young boy named Fredrick to Christ.

In the evening we get together for worship and hear a report from each group. We hear about Bible clubs to nursing home visits. Great to hear the Lord working through the groups, but also working in them. My daughter shared last night about the Holy Spirit convicting her with question, why don’t I share the Gospel everyday? Great question to ponder on because us Christians sharing the Gospel is God’s answer for global lostness.

Until next time,
Soli Deo Gloria