Pastor’s Blog (Page 21)

I was intrigued and blessed by Jerry DeRenzo’s message this past Sunday: Listening in on God. Jerry took us to four recorded conversations between the Father and the Son, or between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I asked his permission to restate them here for our review. The first conversation had to do with the Creation of Mankind in Genesis 1:26. The second…

Do not turn from it to the right or to the left…Joshua 1:7; 23:6 We find this figure of speech 16 times in the Old Testament. Twice in Joshua. It means, Stay on the path! Keep going straight! Don’t deviate to the right or to the left. And it’s often in reference to specific instructions the Lord has given: Don’t turn aside from the…

Be strong and courageous!Be strong and very courageous!Be strong and courageous!~ Joshua 1:6, 7, 9 Do you get the impression that the Lord wanted Joshua to be strong and courageous?That phrase is found throughout the Scriptures: Be strong and courageous! came from the lips of Moses three times.*  We find it five times in the book of Joshua.^  …

The visit has been great. Now it’s time to go. After all the hugs and goodbyes, we make our way to the door. And standing there with our hand on the doorknob, we often turn and say, “Oh, just one more thing…” And out of our mouths come the most poignant and powerful words of the entire evening. We’ve saved what’s been most on our…

“Wow, never done anything like that before!” you just said to yourself out-loud. Goose bumps are still on your forearms; your scalp is still tingling. Talk about surreal! Everyone is in a bit of a daze. “What just happened?” you say to the person next to you.“Well, we . . . just crossed the flooded Jordan River . . . on dry ground,” he…

Can you picture some two million Israelites with all their animals, possessions, and rolled up tents, standing next to the flooded Jordan River, wondering how they’ll get across to the Promised Land? Here comes Joshua with the answer: The Lord of all the earth is going to part the waters so you can walk across on dry ground! He says it twice (3:11, 13). You probably…