Passing a New Way

Yesterday was the last day of a thirteen and a half month Interim Pastorate. What I tried to say to the people about the future of their church, is a good thought today to individuals about their own future. Joshua was forty years old when the Israelites left Egypt. When Moses went up on Mt. Sinai, Joshua went part of the way with him. Later, Joshua was one of the spies who went to see Canaan. The other spies gave a bad report. But Joshua and Caleb said that the Israelites should trust God and move into Canaan. Forty years later, Joshua and Caleb were the only two Egypt-born Israelites to move into Canaan. Having heard from God, Joshua spoke to the people, “You have not passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). There was no attempt to move the people by things familiar to them. Just the opposite was true. This was a new way. It is so different for us. We try hard to assure people that the future will not change much. It will be comfortable, known. But the future will be different. So, Joshua says, “Sanctify yourselves” (Joshua 3:5). Sanctify means to set apart, in this case, for service to God. It is the only way to effectively serve God. God needed no half-hearted, wishy-washy, semi-committed followers. The same is true today. God needs totally committed, sold-out followers, separated from worldliness, and sanctified to Godliness. And the result? “The Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5). This was God’s promise delivered by God’s messenger to God’s people. Once sanctified, they would experience the “wonders” of God. And so it was: they wondrously overthrew powerful Jericho – and then they forgot and were defeated at tiny Ai. The “wonders” of God are done among us, not for us. How excited would you be over your future if you knew the Lord would do “wonders” with you? So, “sanctify yourself” and see.

Join me this week in praying for the following global concerns:
• Pray for Tricia as she trains 100 women in how to tell their story and a story from the Book in order to share their faith with others.
• Pray for Lynn and Sandra as they travel by car from Mexico City to Texas on Monday and return on August 22-23.
• Pray for Melinda as she works in an English Camp for Czech youth.
• Pray for the children’s day camp, Aug. 17 – 21 in Poroscovo, Moldova.
• Pray for preparation for the upcoming Vision Tour in Vancouver, Canada on Sept. 12 – 15.