Jericho was a fortified city. There were two walls that surrounded the entire city. The outer wall was six feet thick, and the inner was twelve feet thick. As far as mere man was concerned the walls were impregnable! But, with God all things are possible! And, as we will see the walls fell flat before the children of Israel, and every man went straight in to conquer the inhabitants.

How was it that Israel experienced such victory? Well, it began as only it could have: with a God-given vision.

In Joshua 6:2 God said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, it’s king, and it’s mighty men of valor.”

The word "SEE" comes from the Hebrew word râw-âw, and it means to envision something: to see far beyond the physical realm of present reality to see something as it can, and will be.



God’s call for Joshua to envision the fall of Jericho was based not upon Israel’s power and might, but upon God Himself, as He declared unto Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand…”

Joshua knew what it meant to have vision of future things. He and Caleb were two of twelve spies sent in to spy out the promised land some forty years before. Like the others, Joshua and Caleb saw the inhabitants of the land; they had seen the fortified cities; but they also saw the blessings of God that lay before them, and while ten spies saw themselves as nothing more than grasshoppers in the eyes of their enemies, Joshua and Caleb were visionaries, and tried to encourage the people to move forward to receive God’s blessings.

Solomon, in his great wisdom, declared in Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

WISDOM is a Pathway, a Laneway, and a GATEWAY to an easier and more efficient way to building a life that bears good fruit (Greatness).

In Proverbs 4:5-7 it says:

“Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding."

Knowledge alone is impotent to change a life.

We learn and know, but if we do not act and make a habit of such inaction, we are doomed to discontentment and frustration.

We know, but others succeed.

The opening scene of Forrest Gump was lauded for its special effects wizardry.

A computer-generated feather was superimposed on the scene in such a way that the audience believed the camera had caught its long, haphazard and spasmodic movement as it journeyed on the wind to finally come to rest on Forest’s shoes.

The feather, of course, was a metaphor.

The winds of coincidence and the gusts of chance play a key role on who we are and what we do or don’t do in life.

However, unlike the feather we can choose how we react to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

We can use them to our advantage. In other words, we either use or are used.

The out of control life is the life that is responding rather that initiating.

It is a life that simply happens rather than is caused.

A life which gives in to the lie of fatalism and settles unquietly into the blame mentality.

The truth about Forest Gump was that he was in control.

Other characters in the film with so much more to live for were often not!

Get Wisdom!

Comments (29) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

We live in a society that has mixed views on work. Australia is a nation with many workaholics. People working 60, 70, 80 hours a week out of a driving compulsion to “get ahead.”  Being over worked can be unhealthy. 

On the other hand, we also live in a nation where people sometimes get obsessed with distracting pleasures and entertainment. Some people work their jobs only to get a paycheck. They completely distract themselves from the time they punch out till the time they punch back in again. There is no real plan behind their work – no plan for progress.

Let’s have a look at what God’s word has to say about work and the importance of dealing with wrong attitudes towards work.

1. LAZINESS

This is one of the most prevalent attitudes in our society. Laziness brings poverty & scarcity. Proverbs 6: 6-11 says Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?

Laziness brings disgrace. Proverbs 10: 4-5 says Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Lazy men irritate those whom they work for. Proverbs 10: 26 says: As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.

Laziness builds poor habits. Proverbs 12: 27 says the lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions.

Laziness ends up in unfulfilled desires. Proverbs 13: 4 says the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Those who are lazy normally get nothing they really want. They tell themselves they are happy, but they will not work, so they do not get what they really want.

Laziness leads to ruin. Proverbs 24: 30-34 says I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

2. DESIRE TO GET RICH QUICK

Another wrong attitude towards work is that you can strike it rich, win big, you don’t need to work, you just need a little luck.

Proverbs 12: 11 says He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

Proverbs 13: 11 says Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Remember the prodigal son - he didn’t want to wait until his father died for his inheritance, he wanted it then and there. And what happened? He wasted it all in escape filled living.

3. BIG TALK

Do you know anybody who is a self-proclaimed expert? Whatever needs to be done, they always know the best way. No matter what profession you do, they used to do that to. It seems they have worked just about every type of job imaginable. They talk a lot about work, but they never seem to get a lot of it done.

Proverbs 14: 23 says all hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

God's Plan for our Attitudes about Work 

When we work with a Godly attitude, God can use that work to be the channel of His blessing to us.

1. PROVISION

When we work as we ought, God supplies our needs.

2. PROSPERITY

Those willing to work God’s way will increase their holdings. God’s plan is not necessarily for us all to amass great fortunes, but God desires to meet our needs, and he desires for us to have something to give to those who have need.

3. HONOR

Those who work diligently bring honour to themselves

Proverbs 22:29 says do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.

4. SATISFACTION

When we work God’s way, we are content with what we have.

Proverbs 11:18 says the wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

A strong yet balanced WORK ETHIC is essential to building a Generational Blessing in our lives.

Be blessed!

Comments (90) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

We recently finished a teaching series titled - GENERATIONAL BLESSING: How to Establish the Touch of God on Your Life!

As a church we discovered that a little over a fourth of Genesis is dedicated to telling Abraham’s story. And much of the rest of the Old Testament testifies to his importance (it’s always Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because God was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – a God focused on Generations). And the reason Abraham is so important to the people of God is because God began His covenant with Israel through him.

God wanted to bless him and his Generational seed and made special promises to him in Genesis 12.

And what were those promises?

1. I will make you into a great nation.
2. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.
4. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
5. And - to your offspring I will give this land.

The challenge is for all of us to think Generationally … realizing that the revelation that we carry that God wants to bless us, realizing that our actions, our faith, our efforts – they all don't just go to work in our own lives, but get passed down to the next generation.

One key to successfully establishing a Generational Blessing on your life is making sure you are POSITIONED in the House of God. Where are you located?  

In Psalm 92 it encourages us that:

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.

Be deliberate in knowing where God wants you – because he wants to bless you!

There is a place God has designed where opportunities find you, a place where His blessings overtake you. God has a particular place for each one of us, a place where each one of us will find our highest purpose, where we will thrive and reflect God’s blessing and greatness. He has a specific job for you, in a specific community, where you are surrounded by specific people positioned to help you find fulfilment.

 


Fellowship comes from the Greek word Koinonia, which means “something in common”.   

 
There are four lessons learned from Geese about the power of being connected to a Church family.  
 
When Geese head south for the winter, flying along in V formation, you might be interested to know what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. (Christians who share a common direction and a sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are travelling on the thrust of one another.)
 
LESSON ONE: Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. (If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going.)
 
LESSON TWO: When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies at the point to share the workload. (It pays to receive  assistance and mentoring when building your life.)  
 
LESSON THREE: The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. (What do we say when we honk from behind?)

  
LESSON FOUR: Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by a shot and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follows him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly, or until he is dead, and then they catch up with their original group. (If people know we would stand by them like that in church, they would push down the walls to get in.) 

When you are in the right place, connected to the right people, that’s when God will release great things into your life. Look for the signs in your own life. Be determined to reach the highest place of blessings. Search your heart. Stay faithful. Be positioned to establish a Generational Blessing in your life.

Be blessed!

Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Notice below the number of times God brings the command to “be strong and courageous” before Joshua.

Joshua 1: 6 - 9

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

What is courage? There’s one very important thing we need to notice about courage. Courage is seen in the person whose back is against the wall, when the odds are against them, when the pressure is on, when the flaming arrows are close, when the pain is intense, when the attack is at hand. 

              

God had given Joshua a project to complete. His first task was to lead his army into Canaan and drive out the people who lived there. There were seven nations living in Canaan, all of them larger and stronger than Israel. By all human standards Joshua was facing an uphill battle. He had every reason to turn and run. That’s why God encourages him so many times: "Be strong and courageous".

Do you ever feel like you’re facing an uphill battle? Do you feel like the odds are against you? Honestly, there are hundreds of times in our lives with situations that, to our eyes, seem impossible!  There are many times in our lives when we need to hear God’s command to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.”

Real success is not a matter of strength and courage alone, but strength and courage that comes from the knowledge that God is walking with us.

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

• it empowers people to live a committed, consistent, faithful, persistent and undefeatable life 
• it equips people to move forward toward the realization of that vision 
• it enables people to discipline their thoughts, decisions and actions to fulfill the vision

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink