KEEP THE ARK OF GOD IN FRONT OF YOU - IN THE NEW YEAR
The New Year is upon us and we have crossed into a new season in our lives. Whether it be in our personal lives, our community, our nation or in the bigger sphere of relationships - we have crossed our "Jordans" - into a new time, a new place, a new season. There's no turning back - even if we want to. It's a new day and a new future.
The story of the crossing of the Jordan river in the days of Joshua helps to point us to a new appreciation that the Lord God of heaven holds our tomorrows - our whole future. He assures us that He Himself will Shepherd us into our tomorrows and we can trust Him fully.
Here's a few thoughts from the Book of Joshua:
"Consecrate[sanctify, commit, rededicate] yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing [miraculous, supernatural] things among you." Joshua 3:5 NIV
KEEP THE ARK AHEAD OF YOU
"See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD-the Lord of all the earth-set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap." Joshua 3:11-13 NIV
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrew 12:1-3 NIV
"When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. Joshua 3:3-4 NIV
"So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." Joshua 4:1-7 NIV
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message-which is also what they were destined for."
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:7-10 NIV
Let's pray and seek God and believe Him to fulfill His promise for a fresh outpouring of His Holy Spirit in this new season - hearing His voice and obeying Him.
The story of the crossing of the Jordan river in the days of Joshua helps to point us to a new appreciation that the Lord God of heaven holds our tomorrows - our whole future. He assures us that He Himself will Shepherd us into our tomorrows and we can trust Him fully.
Here's a few thoughts from the Book of Joshua:
"Consecrate[sanctify, commit, rededicate] yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing [miraculous, supernatural] things among you." Joshua 3:5 NIV
KEEP THE ARK AHEAD OF YOU
"See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD-the Lord of all the earth-set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap." Joshua 3:11-13 NIV
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrew 12:1-3 NIV
- Keep your eyes of faith riveted on the Person of Jesus Christ. Don't be distracted by people circumstances, situations, conditions, events or any temporary happenings...
"When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. Joshua 3:3-4 NIV
- He will give you direction. He will lead and guide you all the way.
TAKE UP "A STONE" - THE STONE IS PRECIOUS
"So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." Joshua 4:1-7 NIV
- The future is determined by what you do "with the Stone" - accept or reject the Stone.
"Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:
"'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Matthew 21:42 NIV
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message-which is also what they were destined for."
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:7-10 NIV
Let's pray and seek God and believe Him to fulfill His promise for a fresh outpouring of His Holy Spirit in this new season - hearing His voice and obeying Him.
posted by Pastor Jose @ 7:40 PM
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