Tag: grace

Gleanings in Joshua: Achan’s Scales

On By joshnnomiIn Gleanings in Joshua1 Comment

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Grandpa Tony  and Grandma Florence are my heroes. Whenever I could spend time with them I would and whenever they could spend time with me they would. I would spend days at their house, looking back they provided a safety and security I longed for. Their only flaw, in my childhood eyes, was they had a bad habit of smoking. When I would ask them why they wouldn’t quit they would say it isn’t hurting anyone. We know this isn’t true.

My grandparents lived into their mid 70’s, my grandmother passed first, among her various illnesses, one of them was lung cancer and it eventually took her life. Her passing had a profound impact in my life and one thing I learned in my preteen years is that her bad habit of smoking impacted more than just her. The ripple effects of her passing reverberated through my family like a loud boom in a cave.

Sin has that kind of effect in our lives and a great example of this is Joshua 7, where we learn of Achan’s treachery. In Joshua 6 we read of how God brought down the walls of Jericho and the command of the Lord was to destroy everything, except Rahab and those in her household. When Israel was done with Jericho everything appeared to be fine and they were ready to move on to the next battle.

What the Israelites didn’t know is that Achan took for himself some of the devoted things from Jericho and hid him in his tent, buried in the ground. Achan may have been thinking; Taking these things isn’t going to hurt anyone. No one will know. Who is gonna find out? If anyone does find out it will only affect me.

Sin is a sickness that has a profound impact not only on the one committing the act of disobedience but also to his family and the community he is involved with.

Sin Impacts The Community 

When Joshua sent his military strategist to Ai to develop a plan of war, the strategist returned saying they only needed 2-3 thousand men to take Ai. Joshua sends them out to take Ai and instead of the men returning in victory they return defeated by the hands of Ai and in fear.

Joshua tore his clothes and cried out before the Lord, let’s listen in to his cry,

Joshua 7:7-9 (ESV)
7  And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!
8  O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
9  For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

Joshua was confused, he knew the promises of God to provide for them the land and victory over his enemies. Joshua is dumb founded, a deer in the headlights not knowing which way to run. Listen to the Lord’s response,

Joshua 7:10-12

10 The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

I love the Lord’s response, get  up boy! It reminds me of the moment in Rocky 3 when Apollo Creed is attempting to train Rocky a new style of boxing. But Rocky appears unfocused, confused because of the fear he has of Clubber Lang, his opponent. In Apollo’s frustration he proclaims “what’s the matter with you?” This is God telling Joshua “what’s the matter with you?” Get up, you are in this situation because someone has sinned.

Sin impacts the community and yet many of us like Achan think, who’s it going to hurt?  When the questions we should ask are: How will this hurt my witness for the Lord? Who is going to stumble when they find out I am doing this? Who will doubt the Lord’s work because of my sin? How is this sin going to affect my church?

Achan’s desire for the material wealth of Jericho, his lust for stuff, his disobedience to God’s commands withdrew God’s presence, protection and power from the whole community. When Joshua discovers it was Achan he asks him, why did you bring this trouble on us (Josh. 7:25)?. What trouble is Joshua referring to? The trouble Achan’s sin caused was  36 men of war died by the hands of Ai (Josh. 7:5), the nation was confused and afraid and the Lord withdrew his presence, protection and power from Israel.

Sin Impacts Your Family

Achan’s secret sin comes to light and has tragic effects on his family. Take a look,

And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel…. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. Joshua 7:15, 24-26

Punishment for disobedience wasn’t new for Achan. He may have been young but he knew why the nation of Israel was wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, because of the unbelief and disobedience of the generation before. It isn’t like the wrath of God caught Achan by surprise, he lived through the warnings and punishments of the generation before him. Achan knew that the sin of one, a few or many can affect the whole group.

Achan knowing all this weighed the pleasures and desires of the lust for more against God’s commands and his wrath and decided the devoted things of Jericho were more glorious, more pleasurable and more satisfying than God. As a result, Achan’s lust for stuff, for material positions, for the idea of more, costed not only his life but the lives of his family. The impact of sin on his family was tragic.

Before we cast our stones upon Achan, let’s take a moment to examine our own hearts. How often do we choose to sin without thinking of the consequences it will have on our family? Which sin/sins captivate our hearts enough to bring out Achan’s measuring scale? Is it pornography, outburst of anger, sex, gossip, excessive spending?

We all have Achan moments, when we weigh the pleasures of sin and compare them to an ever satisfying glorious God and still choose to sin. Our families have had to deal with those decisions and the consequences they bring, just like Achan’s family. Your sin impacts your family.

The Lord Turns From His Burning Anger

It would be depressing to end this blog without talking about grace. On the cross, Christ absorbed the wrath of God for our sins (1 John 2:1). He paid the ultimate price, a sinless divine saviour for sinful man so that we can be made right with God (2 Cor. 5:21).In Christ we are forgiven and declared not guilty. When we turn to Christ, repent, believe and confess him as Lord, God’s wrath is turned away from us.

Does that mean we should sin more? Everytime I hear a question like that I reminded how truly sick our hearts are, after recieving a gift so glorious we would want to sin more not less.

Suppose you come home and just explode in a fit of rage on your spouse. You know you’re wrong, she knows you’re wrong and when you realize it you apologize and ask for forgiveness and your spouse forgives you. Does her forgiveness mean you can explode in fits of rage more often? Of course not! Her forgiveness means you should attempt to never do it again. How much more so with the Lord?

If God has forgiven our sin, and his wrath and anger our turned away, does that mean when we sin as believers there are no consequences? A great question and one I will tackle next week.

Until Next Time

Put the scales away and be satisfied by Christ

Driving It Home

On By joshnnomiIn christian livingLeave a comment

 Photo credit: http://www.mudpuddlestometeors.com/night-sky-watcher-giveaway/
My family and I are on the road, heading west to California from Arkansas. Around four in the morning it was my turn to take the wheel. My wife and kids resting, as well as they could in a Honda, I started admiring the night sky then I check my rear view mirror, which is facing east and I realize I am driving into the darkness of the night away from the light of the Eastern sunrise.

Driving through New Mexico into the night, the Lord was using this image to speak volumes into my life. The Lord was using His creation and Scripture, proclaiming His goodness and mercy to me, speaking into my heart. The Lord reminded me of the Continue reading “Driving It Home” →

Precious in the sight of the Lord

On By joshnnomiIn christian livingLeave a comment

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Tonight as my family and I sit at home, we recieved a message concering my Tio (uncle) Marin Cantu Jr, his battle with cancer came to an end. While he is in Fresno, CA and we are in Pine Bluff, AR, my wife and I are struggling with not being able to be there with our extended family to love and comfort them in this time of mourning. We love you all deeply and are mourning with you from afar.

As my wife recieved the latest update, we sit in tears.

But as we mourn, the Lord brought to mind a beautiful passage in Scripture,

Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints (Psalms 116:15 ESV)

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As Christians pass from this life into the next, to the Lord it is precious. As I sit and meditate on why it is precious, a few reasons flow through my mind at this time.

1. The curse of sin is finally defeated. As we pass from this life into the presence of the Lord the struggle between the Spirit and the flesh is over. The battle with our sinful passions is gone, victory over the flesh becomes an eternal reality. This is precious.

2. The good fight of faith is over, the race is completed. I have recently taken up jogging for excercise, each time I finish my regimen or complete a goal there is a part of me which celebrates. When the fight of faith is completed and the race of faith is over, when the believer crosses the finish line of mortality to immortality, there will be a celebration like never before. This is precious.

3. Reuniting with those who have gone before us. When we pass from this life into the next we will reunite with those believers which have died before us. My Tio Marin is wrapping his arms around his father, brother, sister, and the many other believers who have gone before him. This is precious.

4. Death is defeated, it is swallowed up in victory. The curse of death is upon us all. When we are born we begin to die. For many death is to be feared. But for the Christian, death is victory. God takes the curse of death and uses it as the avenue in which we close our eyes here and are ushered into the arms of our Savior for forever. O death where is your sting? O death where is your victory? This is precious.

5. When we close our eyes for the final time, the believer will finally see, what we have only seen through the eyes of faith, the welcoming nail pierced hands of Jesus. We will worship like never before. We will fall at the feet of our Savior and cry Holy Holy Holy is the lamb which was slain. Then he will pick us up, look right into our eyes, with a voice full of love and grace He will speak the words we’ve long to hear, “well done, good and faithful servant.” This is the most precious of all.

Tia Norma and family, our hearts mournfully celebrate with you. We love you very much.

In loving memory of Tio Marin Cantu Jr, Son, Husband, Father, Brother, Tio, Friend, Combat Vetern, Hard Worker, Bivocational Pastor.
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Until Next Time

Soli Deo Gloria

Meditation Monday: Jesus + ? =

On By joshnnomiIn UncategorizedLeave a comment


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Meditation Monday is where I share my ramblings and reflections from Sunday’s sermons from Watson Chapel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, AR, Pastor Todd Howard. We are currently going through Colossians, our passage this week is in Colossians 2:16-23.

When Paul penned the letter to the Ephesian church, he made a declaration of truth so simple, I don’t know how much simpler he could have put it. Paul explains,

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through ⌊His⌋ kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:4-9 (HCSB)

Salvation comes to us by grace through faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Nothing we do can save us, we do not bring anything to the table when it comes to salvation, it is all God. God, who is rich in mercy, replaces our lifeless heart with a heart which beats for HIm. Our identity is no longer found in a son of Adam, a son of sin. Our identity is now in Christ, a son of God, we are raised with Him and seated with Him. God  works in this manner so that His glory and His immeasurable riches of grace will be put on display for all to see.

Rejoice, you are saved by grace.

Grace is the awesome work of God in the lives of believers across the world, and yet, why are we tempted to add our own flavor to the Gospel? Why is it that when a new fad comes along that says you need Jesus +, we are so tempted to buy into it? The Barna Research Group draws our attention to something I find interesting concerning what Americans believe about Jesus,

Among adults who have made a personal commitment to Jesus, most also believe that Jesus is the way to heaven. When given several beliefs about the afterlife to choose from, nearly two-thirds of those who have made a personal commitment to Jesus say they believe that after they die they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior (63%).

The research points out 63% of Americans believe Jesus is sufficient for salvation. On the other hand it also tells us 37% of people who call themselves Christians believe in Jesus + something else will get them to heaven. Jesus + being good, Jesus + following the law, Jesus + you fill in the blank. The funny thing is, the Jesus +  gospel is nothing new, the church in Colosse was dealing with people coming along saying they needed Jesus +  the law, Jesus + visions and angels, Jesus + asceticism.

Paul’s message to them and to us is simple Jesus is enough,

For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 (HCSB)

Before Paul began dealing with all the false teachings which were floating around Colosse, he told them Christ is enough because Christ is God and every believer is filled by Him. Christ is sufficient to save you, sustain you, to supply for every situation which may arise in your life.  Jesus + anything else is a pseudo gospel, a false hope. Pastor Todd pointed out in his sermon,

If you are filled with Christ, who is God, what else is there room for? Jesus is enough!

Until next time

Soli Deo Gloria`

Meditation Monday: My Confession About Grace

On By joshnnomiIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.” CS Lewis

My grace is sufficient. Those words just astound me. Yesterday Pastor Todd was preaching from 2 Corinthians 12: 5-10. The well known passage, when Paul asks God to remove some sort of suffering he was dealing with and God answers by saying “My grace is sufficient”. Wow! Sit back and reflect on that statement.

Grace is God’s unmerited/undeserved favor in our lives. Something Pastor Todd said out right convicted me and it is so true of me, ” Grace shows up in many places in our lives and we don’t seem to recognize it. We have so much grace we take it for granted.” Is that true of you? Have we experienced so much of God’s grace that we fail to see the grace of God when we are suffering?

Reflect on the statement God told Paul, “My Grace is sufficient”.

God told Paul my grace is enough to get you through this suffering. So much is said in that one line I am astounded at the greatness of God. Paul refers to God’s grace as immeasurable riches (Eph. 2:6-7). You will suffer but my grace will carry you, sustain you, be a stronghold for you,  be a fortress of love for you, will comfort you, will strengthen you and on and on and on. God’s grace is everlasting and supplied in abundance.

I have discovered, ashamedly, that maybe my view of God’s grace isn’t big enough, limited, and short sighted. May God forgive me!

How about you?

Until next time
Soli Deo Gloria

Meditation Monday on Tuesday

On By joshnnomiIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Meditation Monday is where I share my reflections on Sunday’s sermons from my church, Watson Chapel Baptist Church, Pastor Todd Howard.
Currently we are going through 2 Corinthians and Genesis. Yesterday the passages we were in were 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 and Genesis 2:1-3. Took a break from writing for the holiday but I am back at it again.

Old Covenant Fulfilled By The New Covenant

In our Sunday morning service we learned the marks of a true minister and in our evening service our focus was on understanding the Sabbath. It is interesting to note, Paul’s major opposition to the Gospel were either those that followed Judaism or those who adopted parts of the Christian faith and mixed it with Judaism. The false teachers were spreading teaching that promoted Jesus and circumcision or Jesus and some of the ceremonial aspects of the law. Paul preached Jesus and nothing else.

One of the marks of a true minister is one who understands the New Covenant message. One who understands Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant and all its ceremonies, rituals and feasts. The Lord of the Sabbath has become our Sabbath rest. Which should bring great joy to the believer.

Why?

The law condemn us. The law points out our sin and screams at us “you are guilty”. But God through Christ says come drink of the well of grace and forgiveness. Christ life, death and resurrection freed us from the guilt of the law. Those that repent and believe are set free from the condemnation of the law. Not because of anything we have done but because Christ’s righteousness is applied to us. That is grace.

How does this apply to the Sabbath? Many ways but I will jot down a one. The Sabbath was a sign of the Old Covenant (Ezek. 20:12). Sabbath keeping was an outward sign of the Old Covenant. They were to live this sign out as a marker that God has set them apart. But also was a sign that something greater was coming and He will be your Sabbath rest.  Years later a man steps on the scene and says “I am Lord of the Sabbath” and through the Spirit brings life to hearts of stone.

Thank you Lord for grace and rest.

Until next week

Soli Deo Gloria/For His Glory Alone