United in the Same Mind

I am spending a great deal of time in 2 Corinthians these days (more on that later) and while doing some background study, I read 1 Corinthians 1:10.

"I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." (ESV)

This is a challenging thought for me, so I started digging. I read it to Suzanne, and she immediately thought of Philippians 2:2-5.

"complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus," (ESV)

In Ephesians 4:1-16, Paul reminds us that this unity is not devoid of diversity, but filled with it...diverse gifts, personalities, and roles. The unifying thing is that the Holy Spirit is the source of all this and all these things serve the same purpose in the Body of Christ..."to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," vs. 12-13 (ESV). So the more we get to know Jesus, the more unified we should become! This is totally contrary to the idea that in order to be united, we must be shallow and never go for the depths of the knowledge of Christ. The unity comes because of the same focus, Jesus. When two people are chasing Christ with all their might, they will have much in common because their passion will be the same.

Now, this is still a very difficult command to obey. I think it is a symptom of being a part of fallen humanity. I will say this, though. This idea of unity is very attractive and it is a great encouragement to know that what God commands, He gives us all we need to obey Him. Hallelujah! So, let's chase Him together and as a result, live (as best as we can) in unity of mind.

If you want to read more about unity, check out the links below.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1988/623_The_Nature_of_the_Unity_We_Seek/

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1988/624_Christian_Unity_and_the_Cross/

A Glorious Gospel

"Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit. But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah" - Psalm 49:7-9, 15 (ESV)

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it--the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

As I read this, this morning, I was amazed at God's plan. Those of us who have heard the gospel all our lives are in great danger of forgetting that it is not just a message for lost people. When we begin to look at it that way, we are missing a wonderful opportunity to worship and enjoy our God. God's good news is meant to inspire worship in the purest form. When we read passages like the ones above, we are called to remember that the gospel is for God's glory, not just for the sinner's salvation! God is "just and the justifier." Only He could have dreamed this dream of "passing over" sins for generations and generations before the cross, then paying the penalty for all sins of all time of all who would believe in Jesus. Thus, He is just because He punished sin and the justifier because Jesus died in our place. Hallelujah! We are justified!! What a glorious gospel provided by a glorious God!

Praise & Pride

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." - Psalm 8:1-2 (NIV)

The weather here in Tennessee has been incredible this week. Sunshine, with highs in the 60s and 70s! So yesterday, my family and I headed to a local park for a picnic and some "adventure." OK, so adventure to a 2 year old and a 6 year old may not be mountain climbing, but it is fun none the less. Anyway, at one point my 2 year old and my self were sitting under a tree looking at the beautiful blue sky and fluffy clouds and feeling the fresh fall breeze when I began to thank and praise God out loud for what we were looking at. It only took a minute for my little boy to jump in on the praise, too. It was amazing for me as a Dad to hear him praising God for the trees and the sky and basically everything he could see (including cars that were passing on a nearby street). Something in me was moved greatly. I don't think it was just that Daddy place that puts tears in my eyes when I realize how my boys are growing. I think it was Psalm 8:2 being brought to life in my spirit. God was ordaining praise through the lips of a two year old. It's in moments like that, that I realize how much we adults squelch the Spirit of God within us in the name of "maturity." We become too sophisticated, or something, so we don't respond to God in a truly self-forgetful way. Check out this command.

"Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth." - Psalm 47:1-2 (ESV)

Did you catch that? We are commanded to celebrate with outward evidences of clapping, shouting, and songs of joy because the Lord is to be feared! Isn't fear defined as reverential awe? You mean God expects me to be in awe and celebrate?!? This is part of what makes the God of the bible so different than any other so-called gods. He desires to be feared AND enjoyed! WOW!

So why don't we obey this, naturally? One word...PRIDE.

"As God's image bearers, we were made to revel in and reveal His glory. However, because of sin, we 'returned the favor' and remade God in our image, choosing to live for our glory rather than His. The only calling we care about is 'calling the shots.' How broken are we? Apart from God's intervention, we continually look to find our meaning, worth, and purpose anywhere, but in relationship with God. But God has intervened by sending Jesus into our broken world. He has come to restore the Father's image in us, and restore us to God's purposes. Therefore, we are broken to the degree we choose to live for our glory rather than God's glory." - from "Restoring Broken Things" by Steven Curtis Chapman & Scotty Smith, pg 104

So today, I want to repent of the sin that my two year old has no need to repent of...prideful self-awareness. Lord, I pray You grant me the grace to fear You today and enjoy You today. Help me follow the example of the two year old worship leader sleeping down the hall and openly, without reservation express praise and thanksgiving whenever and however You ordain it to come forth. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Habbakuk 2:2

Nancy Leigh DeMoss has a great message on the passage that I referenced to in the last post. Check it out at:

http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9665

Here goes...

Well, I have given in.

For a while now, I have toyed with the idea of starting a blog and the Lord said, today is the day. This morning, He took me to Habakkuk 2:2-3 and I knew this was the time.

"And the LORD answered me: 'Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.'" (ESV)

A few years ago, I asked the Lord who I was in His eyes. His response was clear. He said I was His Joshua, a liberator, leading people to their promised inheritance...freedom! So when I began thinking of what to call this blog, The Joshua Journal was the obvious choice.

I pray that God will encourage you on your journey with Him through the thoughts He leads me to share, here.