The book of Joshua is an exciting book that is full of stories about war. Reading this book can be similar to watching a movie like Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers or Pearl Harbor or even the Lord of the Rings.
Continue readingAuthor: joemarino (Page 23 of 52)
The passage in front of us today has often been referred to as the Christmas story. Many Christians over the years have made a tradition out of reading this story on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. It’s a beautiful story of the birth of Jesus. But let’s not forget that Jesus wasn’t born into an American cultural context.
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The Christmas season is a beautiful time of the year. It’s probably my favorite season of the entire year. All of the lights, laughter, joy, Christmas movies, family get-togethers, food and gift giving… Christmas really is a beautiful season. But it’s also a season where some of our deepest unmet desires and struggles are brought to the surface.
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My heart is like a magnifying glass. There are many small things that have a tendency to consume the attention of my heart.
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The Christian life is about spiritual advancement in a physical reality. One author says that, “there are no spiritual advances, personally or corporately, (that will happen) without challenge and conflict” (Jackman 2014: 104). In other words, if you want to follow Jesus in this world then you should expect to face opposition and deception.
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A lot of things have happened in the first eight chapters of Joshua that make these verses feel like a lull in the action. Looking back we remember God’s commissioning of Joshua to lead his people into the Promised Land.
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Joshua chapter 8 is a great comeback story. Most of us enjoy a great comeback story. The pain and agony of defeat can be absolutely demoralizing. Defeat leaves you feeling numb, broken and confused. Who in their right mind likes to live in defeat?
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Last week I asked the question “what area of your life are you seeking victory in right now?” I don’t doubt that many of you immediately thought about some relational, physical or spiritual barrier that you have been fighting with for a long time. The reality is that every one of us has major areas of struggle in our lives. It probably isn’t too hard to identify some areas of your life where you are waiting for God to show up and give you the victory.
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The prerequisite for spiritual victory is renewed trust in and obedience to the Lord. The Lord has just done a really miraculous thing in bringing the Israelites across the flooded Jordan River. If you put yourself in the shoes of the Israelites it would make total sense to storm the gates of the city of Jericho right now since the hearts of the kings of their enemies were melting like butter under a hot knife (5:1).
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Joshua chapter four is a slightly confusing chapter at first glance. It’s confusing because of its repetition and it’s non-linier narrative fashion. The language is just sometimes confusing.
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