The Importance of Connecting Memorials to History

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Joshua 4:1-10

Joshua 4:5-7

And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, ⁶ that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ ⁷ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.  So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

(ESV)

During the height of the Covid19 pandemic in Arizona, the state was under a shelter in place order from the governor.  However, this order did not forbid families from sheltering in their car and taking a drive.  During one weekend of the pandemic, my family and I took a drive to Wickenburg Arizona, my wife’s hometown.  We drove by many of the places that reminded my wife of her childhood like her schools, the old movie theater which is still there, and the burger joint she used to hang out at that is no longer a burger joint.  It was great to see my wife relive some of the nostalgia of her childhood but there was also a memorial we visited that taught me some history of the area that I was unaware of. 

The memorial we visited was a memorial to the Wickenburg Stagecoach Massacre (1).  This is a dark moment in Wickenburg’s history, and one could view the monument as racist towards Native Americans if not considered within the context of the time in history the event occurred.  When considered in context, the event occurred during a time in history where settlers from the eastern United States were moving west.  The Native Americans already living in the west saw these settlers as invaders.  In this context, the memorial serves as a reminder not to just move into someone else’s area but to instead work with them to peaceably settle together.  Memorials representing dark moments in history must maintain their connection to the historical event they represent, or the nation is destined to repeat their dark history once again.

Memorials serve to remind us of history, and serve the purpose of reminding us of,

1)      Momentous events in the formation of the nation (Joshua 4:1-10) – Joshua 4:1-10 describes how the Lord commanded the people of Israel who have just crossed the Jordan to construct a memorial of stones from the bottom of the river as a memorial to the miracle of God that allowed the people to cross on dry land.  In obedience to Deuteronomy 6:4-9, the people of Israel construct the memorial which is to serve as a sign to future generations of how God miraculously stopped the Jordan so their ancestors could cross on dry land (Joshua 4:5-7).    

2)      How mistaken intentions are clarified by the historical context (Joshua 22:10-34) – The Israelite tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had chosen to settle in the land east of the Jordan while the rest of the tribes settled west of the Jordan (Numbers 32).  However, this granting of land east of the Jordan came with the condition that the soldiers of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh would fight with their brothers settling west of the Jordan (Numbers 32:28-32).  After helping their brothers settle in the Land west of the Jordan, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed the Jordan to return to their families but after crossing, build an altar of imposing size (Joshua 22:10).  The Israelites living west of the Jordan view this as the other tribes intending to rebel against the Lord and follow other gods (Joshua 22:16).  However, this is a mistaken view of the purpose for the alter with the alter instead serving as a reminder to future generations of the connection between the Israelite tribes living on both sides of the Jordan (Joshua 22:21-29). 

3)      Dark times in the nation’s history that must be avoided (1 Kings 12:16-33) – Tourists traveling to Israel usually visit sites like the Western Wall which is the only standing structure remaining of the Temple, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or Garden Tomb where Jesus tomb may have been located, and Bethlehem, the city of Jesus’ birth.  However, there are other sites in Israel like the high place of Dan in northern Israel that remain as reminders of a dark time of division in Israel’s history referred to in 1 Kings 12:16-33.  The high place of Dan remains standing, not to offend anyone but to serve as a reminder to people living in Israel today not to return to a divided nation engaging in pagan worship. 

Memorials serve as reminders to future generations of historical events.  The stones in Joshua 4:1-10 are something the people could, and can still use to tell their children how the Lord stopped the flow of the Jordan so they could cross over into the Promised Land on dry ground.  Other memorials, like the high place of Dan in northern Israel, serve as reminders of dark moments in history, reminding future generations not to return to the practices of these dark moments.  However, memorials need to be kept in the context of the historical event they commemorate so they do not become issues of contention as occurred in Joshua 22. 

Memorials in nations today like the United States are not in the form of stones piled up or altars, but instead statues and monuments with the purpose of reminding the nation of its history.  Since nations of the world are made up of flawed people, that history will include dark moments like slavery in the United States.  Removing the statue or monument does not change the dark moment in history but only removes the reminder of it.  Without these reminders, the nation could revisit that dark historical moment instead of being reminded not to go there again. 

1. Hall, Allan. The Wickenburg Massacre Site - An Enduring Mystery. www.wickenburg-az.com. [Online] June 21, 2008. [Cited: June 26, 2020.] http://www.wickenburg-az.com/2008/06/the-wickenburg-massacre-site-an-enduring-mystery/.

The Church as a Community of Believers

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

(ESV)

After the addition of 3000 new followers, the church began to experience growth.  This growth could turn into various factions of people with their own agendas if there were not some unifying teaching, fellowship, and prayer (Acts 2:42).  Acts 2:42-47 provides a snapshot of the function of the early church as a community of believers that would have a unity of purpose that resulted in the world having initially having favor with them (Acts 2:47) but later viewing the church as a threat to their sinful lifestyles with rioting (Acts 19:21-41).  While it is great when the world accepts what the church does in its community, the church resides in a sinful and corrupt world and represents a threat when it speaks out against sin and corruption.  Unfortunately, many churches have become politically correct leading to conformity with the world including not speaking out against sin.  The R in the acronym R.E.S.T. is repentance which is not possible without first revealing sin in everyone’s life (Romans 3:23).  The calling of the Church is not to conform or be politically correct but to be a community of believers bringing transformation to the community by spreading the Gospel and making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 12:2). 

The pattern of the Church community in Acts 2:42-47 provides a stable community based upon truth, fellowship with other believers, and prayer (Acts 2:42).  The early church had a four D focus involving,

1)      Devotion (Acts 2:42) – The early church had a foundation of the spiritual disciplines of study of the Word of God, fellowship with fellow believers, and prayer.  While the early church did not have the New Testament, they had teaching coming directly from the men who would write most of the New Testament.  The breaking of bread indicates that food has always been part of church fellowship.  Prayer is a powerful part of devotion to God (James 5:13-20) for no relationship can thrive without regular communication.  With this devotion, the church would thrive and effectively turn its world upside down as it spread the Gospel and made disciples (Acts 17:6). 

2)      Demonstrations of the power of God (Acts 2:43) – It was a demonstration of power at Pentecost, the speaking in tongues, that created amazement and perplexity in those visiting Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost (Acts 2:10-12).  Acts 2:43 tells us that miraculous signs and wonders continued to create awe in nonbelievers creating curiosity to hear the message of the Gospel.  However, the greatest demonstration of power the world needs to see is a life transformed by the power of God.  When we become a believer and move from conformity to the sinful world in which we live to transformation by the Word of God that results in a fruitful and joy-filled life (Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 4:4-7) the world sees something it will want and need.  These are chaotic and troublesome times with individuals experiencing hopelessness and despair which is the opposite of joy.  For these hopeless and desperate people to have a restoration of joy, they must see it in the lives of believers in Christ that has been transformed by the renewal of their minds through the Word of God (Romans 12:2).  Believers devoted to studying, prayer, and fellowship can experience transformation in their lives and demonstrate to others the power of a life transformed by Christ that experiences joy in the Lord despite the chaos and trouble in the world. 

3)      Donations to help the poor (Acts 2:44-45) – Some erroneously interpret Acts 2:44-45 to mean that having earthly possessions is a sin.  This is erroneous for the context of these verses is attending to those in need.  Instead, these verses are stressing the importance of those in the church having possessions, having a willingness to sell them and donate to those in need within the congregation.  When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus stated that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all one’s heart or devotion to God with the second greatest to love our neighbors.  Donating to those in need within the congregation is a demonstration of love for neighbors and a selfless demonstration of the fruits of the Spirit. 

4)      Dedication to God and each other (Acts 2:46-47) – Believers in the early church did not just attend Church once a week and call it good, checking it off their to-do-list.  Instead attending the temple and being with each other was a day by day event.  For these believers, Church was not one more thing on the weekly to-do-list but a way of life.  They had a dedication to God with every other event in their life revolving around their dedication to God.  This dedication to God resulted in fruitful lives that also demonstrated dedication to each other. 

Many Churches of the 21^st century have lost their four D focus and instead resemble a consumer-driven church.  These consumer-driven Churches have a primary focus on satisfying the desires of their consumers, the congregation, instead of the spiritual growth of the congregation.  This is not making disciples and instead focuses on making satisfied customers that regularly attend services and give to the ministry.  The early Church was not interested in the numbers and dealt with numerical growth as it occurred and instead focused on the spiritual growth of the congregation.  The Church demonstrated this by their devotion to the study of the Word, demonstration of God’s power through signs and wonders, the greatest of which is transformed lives,  charitableness towards those in need, and daily dedication to God and each other.  For the Church to thrive in these chaotic and troublesome times it must return to its initial four D focus. 

God Establishes Joshua as Leader

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Joshua 3:1-17

 

Joshua 3:7

 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

(ESV)

Taking over as a leader after a great leader is difficult because those following the previous leader may place unrealistic expectations on their new leader.  As the nation of Israel is on the shores of the Jordan, their new Leader Joshua is poised and ready to lead them into the Promised Land.  Joshua has been there before and along with Caleb, was one of the only two to return with a good report (Numbers 14:6-9).  However, would the people believe Joshua had God on his side as a leader?  That question is about to be answered as God establishes the godly leadership of Joshua with a powerful sign, the stopping of the Jordan so the Israelites can cross on dry land similar to the parting of the Red Sea.  To establish his leadership God has Joshua,

1)      Command the people to rest and wait for God (Joshua 3:1-3) - Joshua is in command and after arriving at the shores of the Jordan has the people rest for three days and then sends his officers through the camp, commanding the people to follow the Ark of the Covenant as soon as they see it carried out by the Levitical priests (Joshua 3:1-3).  The Levitical priests were the ones with the closest connection to God with the Ark of the Covenant being where God dwelt among people at the time.  Therefore, this symbolizes the importance of resting and waiting on God to move. 

2)      Consecration (Joshua 3:5) – God’s people who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior have been consecrated or set apart through the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8; John 3:16).  This is the act of being consecrated by God or qadash.  However, the word translated consecrate in Joshua 3:5 is hitqaddasu meaning one preparing and dedicating themselves to God.  The people of Israel are already consecrated to God because God has delivered them from their Egyptian bondage out of his grace.  This a positional consecration that occurred through their obedience in offering the Passover lamb, symbolic of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God on Calvary (Exodus 12:1-13).  So powerful was this consecration that despite their rebellion for 40 years in the wilderness, the next generation of Israel sits on the shores of the Jordan, ready to cross over (Joshua 3:1).  The consecration spoken of by Joshua in Joshua 3:5 is not a positional consecration but an act of dedication to God in preparation for what is about to happen or consecration of commitment to God.  The Church has positional consecration to God through the blood of Jesus Christ but must not be complacent and must prepare and dedicate itself to fulfilling the mission of spreading the Gospel and making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  It is only as the church achieves this level of consecration that it will turn its world upside down (Acts 17:6).   A world in chaos needs to see this level of consecration in the Church. 

3)      Follow his instructions to allow God, and not man, to exalt his leadership (Joshua 3:7-13) – The people about to cross the Jordan are the children of the generation of Israel that were miraculously delivered from slavery in Egypt.  In obedience to Deuteronomy 6:6-7, this generation of Israel had likely heard of the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea and how God performed this miracle through Moses establishing Moses as the spiritual leader of God’s people.  What is about to occur with the stopping of the Jordan will likewise exalt Joshua as the spiritual leader of Israel as they drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land.   

4)      God exalts Joshua’s leadership and the people cross over the Jordan on dry land (Joshua 3:14-17) – While the stopping of the Jordan is similar to the parting of the Red Sea, it differs in that this time the river did not stop because Joshua raised his staff over the river but because God’s presence symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant went before them.  This parallels the establishment of the Church in that the followers of Christ did not immediately begin ministry after Jesus ascended but instead waited for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and followed the leading of the Holy Spirit as He opened a door to ministry (Acts 1:4,8; Acts 2).  The Church has the most powerful message in the world and is empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).  Armed with the staff of this powerful message, the Church could raise the staff, declaring the truth of the Gospel and miracles could happen that get attention.  However, the Church must follow the example of Acts 2, where the 120 sought the Lord in the upper room and received empowerment from the Holy Spirit that resulted in the miracle of speaking in tongues.  This miraculous demonstration of God’s power opened a door for sharing the Gospel as it created curiosity among the people.  While the Church needs to raise the staff of the Gospel message lifting up Christ (John 12:32), it is more effective if it is preceded by seeking God’s direction and waiting on God to open the door to share the message.  Instead of barging through the door, the Church must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as God opens doors for ministry. 

 

The stopping of the Jordan so the Israelites can cross over into the Promised Land has established Joshua as Israel’s leader and demonstrated to the next generation of Israelites that God is still with them despite the failings of their parents.  The land of Canon is a land full of evil and corruption not much different than the chaotic and evil world in which we live.  The Lord established the Church by dying for the sins of humanity and sending the Holy Spirit to empower and lead disciples of Christ so the Church can fulfill the mission of spreading the Gospel and making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  My prayer is that the Church would find rest in these chaotic times by,

·         Repenting of any sin

·         Empowerment of the Holy Spirit

·         Spirit-led ministry

·         Truth declared as God leads

May God bless everyone reading this post.  

God Establishes the Church

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Acts 2:14-41

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

(ESV)

Imagine standing up in front of a crowd of people consisting of people who just 50 days ago had the person you followed for three and one-half years murdered for no reason and declaring your leader was the promised Messiah.  You might think that you have gone crazy because these people do not want to hear what you have to say and may even put you on the cross next.  However, if you had also witnessed your Lord alive after His death and just experienced something miraculous from God according to prophecy and what your Lord taught during your time together, you may be emboldened to speak.  Such was the situation of Peter as he spoke to the crowd, establishing the Church as a powerful and transformative force.   

1)      God has gotten the people’s attention (Acts 2:5-13) – The crowd gathered wants to know what has happened and rightly so.  They have gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast of Pentecost but witness something miraculous from God.  God has gotten their attention, opening a door for Peter to stand before the crowd and make an explanation

2)      Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit, wastes no time in responding (Acts 2:14) – Peter, one of the 120 who received the Holy Spirit in the upper room does not hesitate to speak up.  This in itself is a miracle for just a few days earlier at Passover, he had denied Christ three times (Mark 14:66-72).  Something transformational has occurred in the life of Peter because,

a.       Peter has seen the risen Lord (John 21:1-14)

b.       Peter has experienced forgiveness and received his calling to feed Jesus’ followers with the truth in the Word of God (John 21:15-19). 

c.       Peter was obedient to the Lord by remaining in Jerusalem and waiting for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for ministry (Acts 1:4, 2:1-13). 

d.       Forgiven and empowered, Peter wastes no time in going out and declaring the Gospel to the curious crowd (Acts 2:14-41). 

3)      Peter answers the curious crowd with Scripture (Acts 2:15-21; Joel 2:28-32) – Those gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost were people with a strong devotion to God.  As such, any explanation of a miraculous event would require support from Scripture.  During Peter’s time with Jesus, he may have heard Jesus expound on the teaching of Joel 2:28-32.  After witnessing the events in the upper room, Peter now understood this prophecy and used it to explain what the crowd outside had just witnessed. 

4)      Peter declares Jesus as Messiah supported by Scripture (Acts 2:22-36; Psalm 16:8-11) – Once again, Peter uses scripture from Psalms 16:8-11 to explain that Jesus is Messiah.  While David appears to be speaking about himself, Peter points out that David’s tomb is in Jerusalem indicating that he had seen corruption and cannot be the subject of the psalm.  Instead, David knows God has promised that one of his descendants will be eternally on the throne of Israel (Psalm 89:4, 132:11).  Peter now understood that the descendant of David that did not see corruption was Jesus, the one they had crucified who did not remain in the grave but has risen (Acts 2:32). 

5)      The Holy Spirit convicts the crowd and 3000 are saved (Acts 2:37-41) – Peter is taking a risk by saying Jesus was the Messiah.  Peter who was once timid is now courageous in declaring the good news of the Gospel, even if it could mean his life.  However, rather than anger at the words of Peter, those hearing his words are cut to the heart and ask Peter what they need to do to be saved.  Peter's response is to repent and be baptized, establishing the church as the mission of making disciples by sharing the Gospel, making disciples, and baptizing them begins with 3000 saved (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). 

If you are reading this and have never made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

The good news for all that are reading this is that the Church in the Book of Acts did not sit back on its laurels at their instant success but continued taking the Gospel message to their world.  So effective was the Church in the Book of Acts that they were accused of turning their world upside down (Acts 17:6).  The events of 2020 have turned the world upside down with some telling us this is the new normal.  Once again, the Church is needed, not to turn the world upside down for the events of 2020 have already accomplished this.  Instead the Church has an opportunity to right a topsy-turvy world with the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The challenge facing the Church today is does the Church, meaning the people, not the building, have the courage to stand up and declare the Gospel message like Peter in front of a potentially hostile crowd.  To meet this challenge the Church must repent, establish a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and courageously go out into the world as lights living out and declaring the Gospel message.  The question is, are we as a Church up to the challenge. 

Fearing God Over Fearing Man

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Joshua 2:1-24

Joshua 2:8-9

Before the men^[b] lay down, she came up to them on the roof ⁹ and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

If we were to have a theme for the year 2020 so far, the theme would be fear.  While the year began like any other year with great expectations, it soon became fearful when the coronavirus caused fear of sickness and death.  This fear motivated governments around the world to implement drastic curtailments of personal liberty with individuals willing to give up these liberties out of fear.  Just when fear of the virus began to subside, along comes the criminal actions of a police officer, killing someone he had apprehended instead of arresting him and letting the justice system determine his guilt or innocence.  While the criminal justice system has now focused on the guilt or innocence of the officer, political opportunists with an agenda of transforming society into anarchy are using this event to commit criminal acts by rioting in the streets, creating more fear. 

Rahab, like the other citizens of Jericho, had fear, but her fear was not directed at the armies of Israel but instead a fear of God.  However, she did not fear destruction at the hand of God but instead used her fear of God to plead for mercy and risk being killed by the King of Jericho.  Rahab feared God over man and was able to view the situation from far off as demonstrated by,

1)      Rahab’s fear of God – As a prostitute, the normal course of action with two men entering her house would have been to engage in prostitution with them.  Rahab did not engage in prostitution with the two men because she knew where they came from and out of her fear of God hid them (Joshua 2:6-9).  While this exposed her to death at the hands of the King of Jericho should he discover she hid the spies, Rahab’s fear of God was greater than her fear of the king.  She understood that God was with the Israelites and that it was not the might of the army that split the Red Sea or the defeat of the kings of the Amorites but God who was with the armies of Israel (Joshua 2:10-11).  Her fear of God causes her to ignore death at the hands of the king and instead lie about hiding the spies in her house and plead for God’s mercy (Joshua 2:6, 12-13).   

2)      Rahab’s actions – Normally we would not condone lying and condemn Rahab lying about the men who entered her house.  However, Rahab was not lying to protect her interests but instead risked death for treason by lying to the officers of the king.  Rahab viewed the men entering her house as men of God from Israel and out of her fear of God, risked death to protect them so they could return to the armies of Israel and take possession of the land God had promised them (Genesis 13:14-14-18; Joshua 2:8).  Rahab’s actions demonstrate her fear of God over man and a willingness to risk harm, and even death at the hands of man to be obedient to God.  God’s people are to live in obedience to the laws of man for government is an institution ordained by God (Mark 12:13-14; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1-2).  However, governments and those in their employ are flawed humans.  The officer in Minneapolis had anger issues that will come out during his trial, resulting in the death of George Floyd.  Thankfully this officer is no longer on the streets of Minneapolis posing a risk to others but his actions are not an indication that all police officers are murderers and no reason to resort to violence and the overthrow of the civil society.  Instead, the attention should be on better training of police officers and regular psychological evaluations of officers to determine if they have anger issues posing a threat to citizens they have sworn to protect.     

3)      Rahab’s reward – The walls of Jericho fell flat (Joshua 6:20) but not all of the wall for God, as promised, spared Rahab from destruction for her fear of God over man, demonstrated by her risking her life to hide the Israelite spies (Hebrews 11:30-31; Joshua 6:17).  God will protect those that fear Him even when the odds are against them, as they were with Rahab should the King of Jericho have discovered her hiding of the Israelite spies.  Many in our society today are taking a knee to honor racial injustice or in support of other issues but God’s people are only to take a knee in worship and fear of God, trusting God to deal with any injustices in the world.   

Fear of anything other than God usually results in making wrong decisions.  Fear of massive death due to Covid19 from flawed computer models led to panicked decisions that needlessly shut down countries around the world, resulting in the needless loss of jobs and wealth people worked all of their lives to accumulate.  While any death is tragic, death for those believing in Jesus as their savior is not the end, but the beginning of eternity in the presence of God (2 Corinthians 5:1-10).  Fear should not be used to advance a political agenda condoning the destruction of property or the killing of others and instead directed at fearing God who forbids the destruction of property or killing others (Exodus 20:13, 22:1-15).  If we are to take a knee, may it be a knee before the presence of God in surrender to Him, allowing him to deal with any injustice in the world.  For those reading this who have not made a public profession of faith in Jesus as his or her savior, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

May God bless everyone reading this post and may we learn to fear God over the fear of man. 

Cleansed by the Blood, Empowered and Led by the Spirit, Living and Declaring God’s Truth.

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Acts 2:1-13

Acts 2:7

And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

(ESV)

As the world and the United States begin to come back from the shutdown brought on by the coronavirus, the church has an opportunity to do what the Church in the Book of Acts was able to do, turn its world upside down (Acts 17:6).  Sadly, the Church today is not turning its world upside down and, in many instances, tries to appear like the world as a means of being hip and attracting new members.  Many churches and ministries do not even preach about sin anymore because they may offend someone.  (1)  The biblical truth is that the Gospel message is designed to offend people as it brings them face-to-face with sin in their lives and their need for the blood of Christ to cleanse and forgive them of their sin (Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 9:14; Romans 3:23).   The Church is also powerless as it ministers with hip programs that make the church appear busy with ministry, but does not wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit as Jesus commanded His Disciples to do before His ascension (Acts 1:4).  The Church as a catalyst for revival is a four-layered process involving repentance, empowerment, Spirit-led ministry, and truth or resting in the Lord.

1)      Repentance (Mark 1:4) – Before the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus (Isaiah 40:3; Mark 1:2-3).  That path was a path of repentance.  The word repentance used in Mark 1:4 is mentanoia meaning a change of mind and a change in the inner man.  Revival will begin in our land as God’s people have a change of mind to commit to God’s will and not their self-interests.  The only way this can occur is for a change in the inner man something only possible as we accept Jesus as our savior and allow the Holy Spirit to change our lives through the study and meditation on God’s Word. 

2)      Empowerment (Acts 1:8) – Christ commanded the disciples, just before his ascension, to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4).  Jesus went on to teach the disciples that when they received the Holy Spirit they would receive power to be witnesses of the resurrected Lord beginning in Jerusalem then into Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).  Since that time, the Gospel has spread to almost every part on earth but in many Churches today, the preaching lacks power.  Jesus told the woman at the well that true worshippers worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).  The preaching of the Word of God is part of worship and must come from a foundation of truth but to be effective, the preacher must seek the empowerment of the Holy Spirit as he or she ministers to have effectiveness.  The Church has an abundance of truth available but lacks power. 

3)      Spirit-led ministry (Galatians 5:18; Romans 8:14) – Galatians 5:18 teaches that the people led by the Spirit are not under the law.  However, spirit-led ministry is not spiritual anarchy devoid of law, but ministry presented by one who is a son of God (Romans 8:14).  One led by the Spirit of God is not interested in their self-interests but one sensitive to What God wants them to do.  A minister friend of mine shared a story with me last week about an old-time evangelist he knew as a young man who was conducting a service.  Just before the preacher was to come to the pulpit to speak, a singer sang a very moving song.  As the preacher approached the pulpit,  he asked the singer to sing the song again.  The preacher ended up asking the singer to sing the song several times and after the last time noticed the alter at the front of the church was full of people praying and that no one was left in their seats.  After everyone finished praying and returned to their seats to hear the message, the preacher came up to the pulpit and dismissed everyone. Telling them to come back the next night.  This preacher knew that the Holy Spirit was leading the service at that point and that there was nothing more he could add.  The Holy Spirit is not a force or ghost but is God and when He moves, we must get out of the way and allow Him to lead.

4)      Truth (John 4:24, 8:32) – Truth is the component that brings stability to the ministry.  A ministry based solely on Spirit is a ministry designed to make people feel good as their spirits are lifted but once the euphoria of the emotions and good feeling runs out, one is left empty seeking more.  We are to seek God as a deer pants for water (Psalm 42:1) but the context of Psalm 42 is one seeking intimacy with God while downcast in his soul (Psalm 42:5) and not one seeking some emotional high or good feeling.  Seeking God for an emotional high or good feeling is comparable to using God as a drug to make us feel good.  We must not seek God for good feelings of euphoria but instead seek an intimate relationship with God through study and meditation on the truth contained in the Word of God. 

Let us take a moment and have everyone consider the components of a campfire.  The fire begins with piling up some wood, adding some smaller scraps of wood or kindling, adding some lighter fluid as a catalyst to help the fire get started, and a spark or match to ignite the fire.  The pile of wood is the truth or foundation that will keep the fire burning.  The kindling is the leadership of the Spirit which ignites the truth of the pile of wood.  The lighter fluid represents the empowerment of the Holy Spirit what will bring direct heat to the kindling and ignite the truth with repentance the spark that begins the process.  For revival to come to our land, the Church must repent, allow the Holy Spirit to empower every area of their lives, allow themselves to be led by the Spirit of God, and declare God’s truth whenever the Holy Spirit opens the door to do so.  My prayer is that as the world begins to open up after shutting down for covid19, the church will repent, receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and go and declare and live the truth of God’s truth in their lives.  May God bless everyone reading this post. 

1. Idleman, Shane. Joel Osteen: Preach God's Truth; Don't Avoid Sin, Repentance. www.christianpost.com. [Online] The Christian Post, May 29, 2016. [Cited: March 30, 2017.] http://www.christianpost.com/news/joel-osteen-truth-sin-repentance-160365/.

Preparation of the Heart

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Joshua 1:10-18

Joshua 1:10-11

And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, ¹¹ “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”

(ESV)

In a chaotic society with rapid change, it becomes difficult to prepare.  Most of us gave no thought to preparing for a pandemic and why there was a run in stores on cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer when the pandemic broke out, but I still don’t understand the run on toilet paper.  While there have been racial riots in the United States before, the tragic death of George Floyd shocked us but even more shocking were individuals taking advantage of a tragic death to further a political agenda.  The ensuing riots mean that many reading this, including me, now live under a curfew at a time when we were beginning to feel comfortable going out after a pandemic.  At times like these when changing events make planning and preparation difficult, it becomes even more important to prepare our hearts by spending time with the Lord for while events going on in the world may surprise us, God is not surprised and has plans for our good and not our destruction (Jeremiah 29:11).

Joshua has been to the Promised Land before and was one of two returning with a positive report believing God would help Israel defeat the giants in the land (Numbers 14:6-8).  However, Joshua and Caleb found themselves in the minority with the other 10 spies giving a negative report (Numbers 13:30-33).  It is not unusual for one believing in Jesus Christ as his or her savior to find themselves in the minority for we are foreigners living in a corrupt world but can have courage in knowing we will meet God and receive a new body from God (2 Corinthians 5:1-10).  Even though Joshua lived under the Old Covenant of the law, he had spent forty years with Moses in the wilderness (Exodus 24:12-14; 33:11) and during that time God prepared his heart for this moment when he would lead Israel into the Promised Land.  Followers of Jesus Christ can follow Joshua’s example of preparing our hearts by,

1)      Spending time with God (Exodus 33:11) – During the time of the Exodus, God spoke to Israel through Moses.  In Exodus 33:11, Scripture tells us that Joshua would not depart from the tent of meeting when Moses would enter the tent to hear from God.  I had a conversation this week with a pastor friend of mine who shared an incident that occurred when he was first starting in ministry.  He shared how he came into the Church early one day and heard the senior pastor speaking to someone in his office.  As he approached the office it became apparent the senior pastor was praying.  My friend, like Joshua, stood outside the door and heard the pastor fervently pouring his heart out to God.  This event left a lasting impression on my friend by stressing the importance of preparing our hearts by spending time with God. 

2)       Joshua remained true to his calling from God (Joshua 1:1-9) – Joshua has received a commission from God to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.  While Scripture is unclear as to what was going through the mind of Joshua after receiving this calling, he may have remembered the bad report of the 10 spies and feared a mass revolt as the people crossed the Jordan and saw the enemies they would face.  This could explain why God told Joshua three times to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6,7,9).  Hearing three times from God to be strong and courageous and forty years spent with Moses outside the tent in the wilderness in heart preparation converge at this point to empower Joshua to lead.  Joshua may have had doubts based upon what occurred after his first visit to the Promised Land, but after hearing from God himself, he has the courage to approach the officers of the people.  Even if it meant going in alone, Joshua was not about to abandon the calling God place on his life. 

3)      Steps out in faith (Joshua 1:16-18) – Joshua’s commitment to his calling is contagious with the officers of the people not cowering in fear like the 10 spies giving a bad report (Numbers 13:30-33) but instead vowing to go with Joshua (Joshua 1:16-18).  The officers of the people have caught a good contagion of faith that will lead to the occupation of the Promised Land. 

As the year 2020 began, we did not envision or prepare for a global pandemic that would shut down the country, including houses of worship.  We did not envision that after the pandemic went away and the country reopened, that we would face racial riots across the nation that led to many needing to shut down again under a curfew.  However, God’s people should never shut down but constantly prepare their hearts.  God’s people must spend time with God, not just on Sunday, but throughout the week through prayer, study, and meditation on God’s Word.  God’s people must not be fearful of fulfilling their calling from God for fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7) but remain strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9).  God’s people must then take the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) and step out knowing God is with them wherever they go (Joshua 1:9).  In a chaotic world, God’s people have a calling to take the Gospel to the nations (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  My prayer is that God’s people would courageously step out like Joshua and share the Gospel message with the lost in the land.  The question we all must ask is do we have the courage and faith to step out. 

Called by God

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Acts 1:12-26

Acts 1:21-22

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

(ESV)

This past weekend was one of great joy, accomplishment, and chaos in the United States.  The nation is experiencing great joy as things shut down begin to open up.  For me and my wife, this meant returning to Church and sitting down for breakfast at a restaurant for the first time in over two months.  The great accomplishment for the nation was the successful launch of two American astronauts from American soil in an American built rocket, potentially freeing the nation from the need to depend on the Russians to launch American astronauts to the International Space Station.  The chaos of riots indicates the nation needs revival as people believe they can end evil with evil (Romans 12:17-21). 

In obedience to the Lord (Acts 1:4), the disciples stay in Jerusalem and enter the upper room, devoting themselves to prayer (Acts 1:12-14).  While the primary reason for entering the upper room was to receive the promised Holy Spirit, the Disciples believe they have some unfinished business to tend to, replacing Judas.  The question is was Matthias God’s choice or the choice of the disciples.  While his choice came after prayer (Acts 1:14), the choice of Mattias came after they cast lots, or as we might say today, flipped a coin to determine which of the two men chosen would replace Judas.  This is unlike the selection of the Twelve by Jesus (Mark 3:13-14), as Matthias was the choice of the remaining eleven Disciples and with no mention of Matthias after his selection, indicating he was not God’s choice. 

God’s choice to replace Judas would come later on the road to Damascus when Saul had an encounter with Jesus (Acts 9:1-9).  Not only did Saul’s encounter with Jesus indicate He was the replacement of Judas, but it also illustrates the change one can experience in their lives when they encounter Jesus.  After the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54-60), Saul whose name would later become Paul was on a mission to bring Christians from Damascus to Jerusalem as prisoners (Acts 9:1-2).  However, after encountering Jesus, Paul went into the synagogues and proclaimed Jesus instead of gathering up Christians as prisoners (Acts 9:19-22).  Such is the change one experiences when they meet the Lord. 

The Apostle Paul also illustrates that one does not need to have a physical encounter with Christ to experience a life-changing experience in his or her life for Paul’s encounter occurred after Jesus had ascended to be with the Father.  This gives everyone hope for while we will not physically encounter Jesus and become one of the twelve Apostles because God has filled these positions, we can have a life-changing experience.  This is the mission of the Church and what a world in chaos from Covid19 and now riots and civil unrest needs but is the Church ready to courageously stand up for the truth of the Gospel.  Sadly, in many ways, the answer is no.  To prepare for revival, the church must do more than address administrative issues as the Disciples did when selecting Matthias and have a renewed encounter with God through the Holy Spirit, empowering the church to spread the Gospel to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). 

Jesus told the woman at the well that true worshippers worship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23).  While well-organized programs and operations can help the Church function more efficiently as an organization in declaring the truths contained in the Bible, it is powerless without the power of the Holy Spirit in each individual in the Church.  A Church declaring truth with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is a Church where people can experience a life-changing encounter with God. 

The Church must move beyond just a social club where people gather weekly, to a triage center where hurting people have an encounter with God.  While encountering God begins with one making a public declaration of their faith in Jesus as his or her savior, it continues as the church disciples them by equipping them with knowledge of the truth in the Bible, encouraging them to be courageous when facing adversity, and empowering them with the Holy Spirit to resist evil and declare the truth in an evil world.  The world must see the church combat evil with the truth of the Gospel.  Revival will occur in the world as the Church ministers with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in declaring the truth of the Gospel not through dependence on efficient and entertaining programs. 

I encourage everyone reading this to wear the belt of truth through diligent study and meditation on the Bible (Ephesians 6:14) and seek the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to skillfully and powerfully use the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).  For those reading this who may have never made a public declaration of faith in Jesus as his or her savior, I invite you to do so by praying with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

A world in chaos needs an encounter with Jesus but cannot have one unless the Church points them to Jesus.  When I speak of the Church, I am not speaking of a building pointing people to Jesus for the Church is not the building but the people in the building who follow Jesus.  The question all followers of Christ must ask is will they be active and Spirit-filled participants in spreading the Gospel or spectators.  The call of God in each believer's life is to be active participants (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20) so do not be a spectator but be active disciples of Christ.