"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD GIVING YOU STRENGTH TO MARCH FORWARD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD GIVING YOU STRENGTH TO MARCH FORWARD"

Judges 5:21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

This verse, was sung by a woman named Deborah, who was a judge in Israel. She sang this song after the Lord had delivered Jaban the King of the Cannan into their hands, and had also brought vengeance on a man named Sisera, another enemy of Israel. So, this verse is part of a victory song, sung after God had brought vengeance upon the enemies of Israel. God had saved them from terrible oppression. I'm certain God has given you victories in the past, and He has a will and a future for you now. May You also move forward in His strength and power just like Deborah was praying.

1. Please notice what Deborah said towards the end of this verse.
Judges 5:21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!

(1) "O My soul" Or "O my true inner self". 

(2) "March on" Or, let's move forward into God's will.

(3) "In strength" Or in power, might, boldness.

2. God has much to say about giving His people strength on the inside. He gives this strength for a variety of reasons. Let's look at just a few. Because Just as Deborah was proclaiming her being able to move forward in God's strength and power, so can you. God wants to give you His power. And, here are some examples of why He does. 

(1) It's so that you can have patience and endurance, and be filled with joy, even though things may be tough and difficult. 

Col 1:11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, NLT

(2) That you would have God's mighty inner strength.

Eph 3:16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. NLT

(3) That You might be a powerful witness for Christ. Telling others about Christ.

Acts 1:8 But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

(4) That You might be given Spiritual Wisdom.

Eph 1:16 I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,

Eph 1:17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

3 In summary.

The Lord wants to enable you to march on in His strength also. You have a future in front of you, and God has a will for that future, but, He wants you to march into it, in and with His power.

His power, The Holy Spirit, will give you patience, endurance, joy, strength and power on the inside, enabling you to tell others about Christ, along with giving you spiritual wisdom.

A prayer:

Father, You have given us victories in the past, but the battles we face and the opportunities we have in the future are many. Thank You that we can like Deborah, by Your power march forward in strength and courage.
We pray this day, that You would please fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit. You have promised to give that strength to us just for the asking. And, thus we ask for it today. In Jesus wonderful name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE KNOWING THE LORD PERSONALLY"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE KNOWING THE LORD PERSONALLY"

Judges 2:10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Judges 2:11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;

Judges 2:12 and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed
down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.

Judges 2:13 They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

These verses underscore the importance of knowing the Lord personally. It's one thing for your parents to know the Lord, but quite another for the children to know the Lord. It's so important that the knowledge of the Lord is passed down to our children, so that they might come into a personal knowledge of God. The blessings of that are great, and so are the consequences in the lives of those who do not know the Lord,

1. A generation arose that did not know the LORD, nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Judges 2:10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.

The generation before the one spoken of here, had two things in their lives. They knew the LORD, and they knew the work which He had done for His people. Their children however lacked both of these things. And, the consequences were tragic.

2. The generation that followed, did evil in the sight of the Lord. How different they were from their parents.
And, what made the difference? They did not know the Lord nor His work. They were without God. They did not share in what their parents had known. They simply did not know the Lord. Please notice what happened to them.

Judges 2:11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;

3. The lack of not knowing the Lord, as mentioned led to destructive behavior. Please notice what is said in the verses below.

Judges 2:12 and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed
down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.

Judges 2:13 They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

They forsook the LORD, and they followed other gods, and they bowed down to them, and they provoked the LORD to anger.

4. Some applicational thoughts.

(1) Knowing the Lord is not something that just happens. A person must come into a personal relationship with God. Perhaps Your parents knew the Lord, but do You? How about Your children? You may know the Lord, but do they?

(2) The blessings of knowing the Lord, and walking in an active and committed relationship with Him, is that He keeps us from evil and brings blessings into our lives. Not so, with those who do not know Him. They are without the wonderful grace and power of God. It's such a tragedy to see people perishing, and suffering, and all because they were without that personal relationship with God.

(3) Rather than abandoning God and chasing after other gods, we as Children of God, can draw close to God, and say no to the gods of this world. What a joy to be set free in Jesus Christ.

(4) God desires to bring His blessings into your life. He wants You to have the abundant life that He has promised. And, that is found as we abide in Him, and abide in His Word.

(5) God also wants us who know Him, to pass that knowledge on to others. We have a commission from the Lord to make disciples and be a light to those in darkness.

A prayer:

Father, Your Word lays it out plain and simple. You are the one that makes the difference in our lives. And, without You we are left to our own ways. We need You to keep us from evil. We desire to draw close to You, and we know that if we do, You will draw close to us. Please help us to keep You first, and to live with a sense of mission in this world. To know You, and to make You known. In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HELPING ONE ANOTHER RECEIVE WHAT GOD HAS FOR US"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HELPING ONE ANOTHER RECEIVE WHAT GOD HAS FOR US"

Judges 1:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”

Judges 1:2 And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”

Judges 1:3 So Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

This passage explains what happens after Joshua died, and how the children of Israel worked together to accomplish the will of God, and receive what God had willed for them to have and possess. There are several great Biblical principles that apply in our lives today. God has a will for each of us, and, He wants us to walk in it, and we can assist one another in this regard.

1. We start by praying and asking God for wisdom and direction.

Judges 1:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”

We see here that the children of Israel prayed, and asked the Lord to show them who would be the first to go in and begin fighting against the enemies of God and of the children of Israel. We can do the same thing, and are promised that God will hear us and answer our prayer for wisdom.

2. We can trust God to answer our prayers and give us wisdom.

Judges 1:2 And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”

As we can see, the LORD spoke to them, and gave them exact answers to their prayers. Along with the answer as to who would go in first, there was given a promise of victory. God was not only telling them who would go in and fight, but that they were going to win the battle, because, God Himself was going to deliver the land into the hands of the tribe of Judah.

Jas 1:5* If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

3. We are called by God to love and serve one another.

And, that is exactly what happened in this case. Judah asked his brother Simeon, if he and his tribe would come and help him in the battle. They would fight the enemy together. Judah then promised that he would then go and fight by Simeon's side when he went into gain his land. We see that Simeon agreed to the request. So, they teamed up, and went in to fight together. God has called us to this kind of teamwork.

Judges 1:3 So Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him.

Ga 5:13* For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

A prayer:

Father, You have adopted us and placed us into Your family as Your children, but then as being members of one another. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. You set the example by coming to earth not to be served, but to serve us. And, He has called us to serve one another. In fact, Jesus told us that the greatest in the kingdom, is the person who takes on the role of serving one another. Help us Lord to follow Your example. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE"

Joshua 24:23 “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”

Joshua 24:24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

These were some of Joshua's final words of exhortation and direction to the people on how to live their lives for the Lord. Let's take a look at several of the clear and encouraging direction that we can apply in our own lives.

1. Put away foreign God's which are among you. Or destroy the idols among you. The people has allowed themselves to compromise their lives with God, by allowing some of the pagan idols into their lives. They were now being told by Joshua, "put these things away" "Get rid of those things that don't belong in your life"
Joshua 24:23a “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you. This is tremendous counsel from God. Remove that which does not belong in your life.

2. Incline your heart to to the LORD God of Israel. Or turn your hearts to the LORD, who is the God of Israel.
This is the proverbial other side of the coin, put away sin, and pursue the Lord. It starts in our hearts. By His grace and power, we can turn our hearts towards Him, and draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us.
Joshua 24:23 “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”

3. Make a decision to serve God and to obey Him. That is what the children of Israel did in response to the words of God through Joshua. They were simply saying, “We will serve the LORD our God. We will obey him alone.”
These two things make for a wonderful life here on earth. Serving God and obeying God. Or trust and obey.
Give yourself to the Will of God, and then walk in obedience to what He says to You.
Joshua 24:24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”

4. In summary.

(1) Get rid of what does not belong in your life

(2) Put away sin, and pursue the Lord with all your heart.

(3) Decide today, "I'm going to serve God, and I'm going to obey God"

(4) Remember, You can't do these things on your own, but God will give you the grace and the power to do them, and He will bless You as You do them.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for the clarity of Your Word. It literally and simply makes things so clear, bringing into focus who You are, and who we are, and where we are going, and where You want us to go, and what will happen if we go our way, or Yours. We want to go Your way Lord.
Would You this day, please forgive us of our sins, and bring the power, strength and might of the Holy Spirit into our lives this day. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S PROMISE TO HELP HIS PEOPLE HAVE VICTORY"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S PROMISE TO HELP HIS PEOPLE HAVE VICTORY"

Joshua 23:5 “And the LORD your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you.

Joshua 23:6 “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,

Joshua 23:7 “and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,

Joshua 23:8 “but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

Joshua 23:9 “For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day.

A few explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

These were some of Joshua's last words to the children of Israel, and they include promises of what God would do for them, and they include encouragements, and instruction. All of these verses do indeed give sound direction for the Christian today, that when followed help us to live the Victorious Christian life.

1.  God promised to expel their enemies, so that the could possess the land God had promised to them.
Joshua 23:5 “And the LORD your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you.
In applying this to our lives, God promises to keep us from evil, He has provided spiritual armor, and we can possess the blessings of the abundant life He has promised.

2. Notice what God called His people to be. Very courageous, and to keep His Word, to keep them from straying off the path He had for them. The word courageous means to be strong, and the word keep, means to be careful to follow God's instructions.
Joshua 23:6 “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left.

3. Here God explains that obedience to His Word will keep them from living a compromised life with the pagan peoples around them. They were to live separate from the pagan people around them. That is, not to fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.
Joshua 23:7 “and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,

Another way of saying this is. Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or worship them. NLT.

4. God calls His people to hold fast to Him. And, He mentions that holding fast to Him, is what they had been doing right up to this moment of Joshua's speech to  them. The idea here is that of being faithful to God.
Joshua 23:8 “but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

5. God had done a great work for them, so much so, that no one was able to stand against them. We have this same promise in the NT, that God who is in us, is greater than he who is in the world.
Joshua 23:9 “For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. God had given them victory over their enemies.

6. In summary.

(1) God will expel your enemies, and allow you to enjoy the blessings He has for you.

(2) God call us to be strong and to carefully follow His instructions.

(3) God encourages a fully committed life to Him, and wants us to avoid any compromise. Compromise lead to defeat.

(4) God wants You to hold fast to Him. If you have been, then He wants you to just keep holding fast, If you have lost that hold, then you can regain it today by repenting, and turning to Christ once again, and then Hold fast till He comes for you.

(5) God has done a great work on Your behalf. He is greater than all your enemies. Be encouraged.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for all of Your Word. Both the Old and the New Testaments. The stories in them are true, and filled with teaching about who You are, and Your ways, and how we are to live our lives. Thank You also that You have a blessed life for us to live. Please help us to take heed to ourselves, and to take heed to Your Word. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD KEEPING HIS PROMISES"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD KEEPING HIS PROMISES"

Joshua 21:45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

1. This verse comes out towards the end of the book of Joshua, and has to do with the many things that God had promised His people, and which He then accomplished. Let's take a look at what is said here. 

(1) Jos 21:45a "Not a word failed" That is, all of God's promises came to pass. Not one of them failed. But, literally everyone one of them came to pass. 

(2) Jos 21:45b " of any good thing " All of God's promises to His people are good. His thoughts and plans for us are not evil but good. Jer 29:11 God is working all things together for our good. 

(3) Jos 21:45c "Any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel." God gave many, many promises to the children of Israel, just as He has to us in the New Testament. God speaks to us through His Word. These promises have come from none other than God almighty, He cannot lie. 

(4) Jos 21:45d "All came to pass." Or to say it another way, each and every promise has come to pass. And, it's no different today. All of God's promises to us are going to come true as well. 

2. May I encourage you this week as you read the Bible or listen to the Word being preached, to try and make note of the promises you read, or hear. And, please remember that He does not change, and thus every promise He makes will also come to pass. 

3. God calls us to believe Him. To trust Him. To rely on Him. He is reliable, and He is trustworthy. 

A prayer:

Father, thank You for Your care, and Your faithfulness to us. Would You help us this week to zero in on Your promises as we read Your word, and hear Your Word. And, as we do, please remind us that these are not empty words, but true words, because they are Your Words. we love You Lord. In Jesus name. 

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia