From Desert to Conquest

The conquest of Canaan is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is also God’s judgment for the iniquities of the Canaanites. With the conquest of Canaan God would fulfill His promise to provide Israel the Promised Land and destroy the pagan inhabitants of the land. The divine hand of God is evident through out the entire account of the conquest of Canaan. In Joshua 21:44 we read, “The Lord handed all their enemies over to them”. God worked through His people to fulfill His promise and carry out His judgment on pagan nations. The extent of the violence was utter destruction as God had commanded. A very important point not to overlook is God commanded and His people and they obeyed. God’s purpose was to cleanse the land and rid it of any pagan influences on the Israelite nation. From lessons in obedience, deliverance, and sanctification the conquest of Canaan relates in many ways to our Christian faith today.

The violence of Canaan according to Joshua 10:40 was utter destruction. “Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.” (Joshua 10:40) The destruction was total annihilation just as described in the Bible. In Joshua 6:21 in the conquest of Jericho we read that, “they utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.” The word used for destroyed in Josh. 6:21 and 10:40 is the Hebrew word charam, meaning to seclude, specifically; in its verb meaning to destroy, to doom, to devote.1 God secluded or set aside Canaan for destruction to fulfill His will. Initially I believe it can be difficult for a person to reconcile the violence of the conquest of Canaan. I believe it is important to remember three things about the Lord, God of Israel, in the conquest of Canaan. First He was patient with the pagan nations of Canaan as He is patient with all sinners today. Second, God has every right to judge and carry out punishment. Third, He is a God of His word, fulfilling the promises He has made to His children.

God’s patience with the Canaanites can not be ignored. In Genesis 15:16 while God is revealing to Abraham future events of his family He says, “Then in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” We can conclude God had patience on the pagan tribes of Canaan. He could have destroyed them and their pagan gods much earlier. The people of Canaan had over 400 years to turn from their pagan gods and accept the Lord, God of Israel, but they chose not too.2 So God chose the people of Israel as His instrument for final judgment.3 God had every right to judge and destroy the Canaanites just as He has every right to judge the people of today. If God, who holds all matters of judgment, mercy, life and death commanded the judgment on the Canaanites who are we to question? Albert Baylis, in his book From Creation to the Cross, states, “God Has always reserved this right to judgment. Those who object to it here would object, no doubt, to the Flood (Gen.6-7) and to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19). This judgment on the Canaanites continues the theme of God as Moral Governor of the universe.”4

The most important thing to know from the conquest of Canaan is God keeps His promises and protects His people. Without that we, as believers, really have nothing. In utterly destroying the Canaanites God is cleansing the land for His people. God prepares only His best for His people, second best is never good enough. For His best all pagan practices and their ways had to be wiped out to prepare the land for His chosen people. “…Gods purpose for this land was Bethlehem, Calvary, and Pentecost, and the iniquity of the inhabitants of the land was full. Nothing must be allowed to stand in the way of the complete purpose of God for victory…” Alan Redpath5 Pagan religions are derived from Satan and there is a larger battle in the conquest of Canaan then Canaanites versus Israelites. God is defeating and wiping Satan out of Canaan to prepare the land for His Son, Jesus, the savior to be born into. God is not only fulfilling the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is preparing the land for His son. The land in which His son would utterly defeat Satan once and for all. This is the true reconciliation of the conquest of Canaan and will be the place for fulfilling Gods ultimate promise to His people.

The lessons the conquest of Canaan can teach us about our faith today is God works in
the lives of His children today just as He did then. God can be seen at work very plainly in the
conquest of Canaan. From the crossing of the Jordan, to the walls of Jericho falling on the seventh day, to Amorites being defeated by hailstones.6 To claim God’s best for our lives we have to obey and know He is God and His best awaits. It is important to know that there will be strong opposition to your obedience. Just as Israel faced strong opposition coming up from the Jordan Satan stands ready to oppose the Christians today. What a blessing to know the victory is the Lords. In the Christian faith the blessings will follow the battles. We must be obedient before we can claim victories in the battles. Here was Israel after 40 years of wandering the desert ready to follow God and be obedient. They took the twelve stones from the Jordan as God commanded and they were circumcised as God commanded. They were obedient and God delivered. Their obedience was followed by faith. At Jericho they were commanded to circle the city 13 times, once for six days and seven times the seventh day. On the seventh day the walls fell and the victory was the Lords. How much faith it must have taken for such a large army to follow such a strange request. With a victory in such fashion God would leave no doubt that the victory at Jericho was His. In Joshua 7 we read the consequence of disobedience and a lack of consulting God to provide victory. Achan was disobedient and God became angry. The combination of Achan’s sin with Joshua’s failure to consult God before going into battle led to an embarrassing defeat at Ai. The Israelites learned an important lesson that we learn today, when we compromise our obedience to God it will cost us victories. Israel repented and again, under Gods direction, would ring up many victories in conquering the land.

God can bring us out of the desert, He can promise us victory, and He can prepare for us a perfect kingdom. The question would be to us in New Testament faith as it was to Israel in the promised land; Are we willing to die for him? The Israelites wondered the desert for 40 years because of the sins of their elders, they knew how the other side lived and wanted to claim their promise. They were willing to die in battle to claim the land. The father has prepared for us a place in the kingdom of heaven. Are we willing to die for it? Are we willing to search our souls and utterly destroy all sins that keep us from being in full fellowship with the Father. God commanded the pagans of Canaan to be utterly destroyed to cleanse the land, so his people could dwell in the land. He commands us to utterly destroy the sins in our lives, to die, so he can dwell within us in our hearts. As Paul writes, “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” (Romans 6:8) That is the very key to 'coming out of the desert and into the promised land'. Through Calvary God has already handed our enemies to us, will we claim the victory?



1 Francis Brown, S.R Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English lexicon. (Peabody, MA: Hendreckson Publishers, 2008), 355
2 John Calvin, The Book of Joshua. (Grand Rapids, MI: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1949.), 97
3 Albert H.Baylis, From Creation to the Cross. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.), 172
4 Albert H.Baylis, From Creation to the Cross. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.), 172
5 Alan Redpath, Victorious Christian Living. ( United States: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1955), 156
6 Albert H. Baylis, From Creation to the Cross. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.), 166-168

Given from Above

Life sometimes, if not all the time can be so overwhelming. The failures, the disappointments, everyday let downs add up. The team you didn't make, the college you didn't get into, the job you didn't get, the promotion passed by, the marriage that ends, The boss that told you you aren't much, the coach that told you you weren't good enough, the spouse that told you they didn't love you. Failures are every where we look. So much news surrounding a war in Iraq, Islamic extremist, the most pro-choice administration in history, gay marriage, a government more concerned about global warming then the absence of moral standards in our schools. Its almost humorous to think the belief that global warming will end our existence is so popular. Talk about missing the boat. Jesus knows my struggles and frustrations more then can be explained. One verse that has been so often on my mind is John 19:11. Jesus has come back before Pilate, after being beaten, flogged, tortured. A crown of thorns, ripped up skin, broken facial bones, beaten back and ribs. Jesus stands again before Pilate. Pilate asks " Where do you come from? " ( John 19:9) Jesus gives no answer. This has been some topic of debate I have found. Why didn't Jesus answer? My opinion for what it is worth is that Pilate had a pretty good idea of where Jesus came from. He was also in very strong denial, internally I think Pilate was struggling a spiritual war non of us could imagine. Ultimately Pilate could not justify risking his career, his lively hood to admit, confess the Son of God stood before him. Jesus stood still and silent and Let Pilate talk himself into an answer. Picture the frustration, confusion, stress on Pilate and he snaps hastily " Do you refuse to speak to me? Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" ( John 19:10). Jesus answered in ( John 19:11) "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." In the darkest of moments God was in control. I love the proclamation of Jesus in verse 11. The matter of fact, to the point. You Pilate only have power because it is allowed by the Father. It reassures God was in control in that moment and He always has been and always will be. The people in our lives that tell us we are not good enough, talented enough, loved enough, pretty enough, strong enough, smart enough have no power over us. Life's failures have no power over us. All power comes from our Father, his power heals, forgives, turns the failures and disappointments into great success. His power, His plan is PERFECT. Nothing more needs to be written about it. It is Perfect. No human, nor Satan has the authority to keep us from Gods perfect plan for our lives. Only God has the power to grant that authority and He doesn't grant it. My favorite Verses in the Bible is Ephesians 3:17-21

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measures of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

In todays world its easy for me to get frustrated, feel like things are out of control. I wonder why certain things happen, I wonder why certain people have power. God reminds me He is in control, He has ultimate authority, and His love surpasses knowledge, His plan is Perfect....no matter what the headlines might read.

Here lies a sinner

My mother and I took a trip to Higginsville, MO nearly a year ago I suppose. We had gone to visit the grave sites of my grandpa and grandma O'Dell. It was great trip. We found a very good Italian restaurant in Warrensburg, even caught a free Civil War enactment, ( Which of course was awesome), more importantly we spruced up grandpa and grandma's grave site along with other relatives. I am sure as they sing and dance on streets of gold and spend time with loved ones who have gone before or come after they couldn't care less about what their tombstones looked like, but it sure did make us feel better about ourselves. We spent time that afternoon walking the cemetery and Mom wanted me to see this tombstone so badly. Finally we found it. It astounded me and I have thought about that tombstone often the past year. The tombstone is turned to face east-west while all the other tombstones face north-south. The wording on the tombstone is, 'Here lies a sinner'. "Are you kidding me!, what in the world", was something to my reaction. What do you even do to get treatment like that after you die? Do we even want to know. Probably not. The man's name whose body lies their is William Holden. I do not know who William was or what he did with his life but I do know this, God loved him deeply. The Lord loved William Holden and seeked his heart just as he does mine and yours daily, by the hour, by the minute. Whither We choose to answer and walk and talk with him is entirely up to us. Just like it was up to William. God never quits seeking We just quit answering. I know sometimes I can be so selfish and let my sin be an excuse. I think my sin is embarrassing or I convince myself due to my sin I am not good enough. Well, that is a very self-centered and selfish thought compared to what is good for the kingdom of God. Nothing I do or you do will ever make us 'good enough'. God asks for obedience not perfection. The perfection issue was taken care of at the cross. Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate the apple, God still loved and blessed them. Moses disobeyed and struck the rock, God still loved and blessed him. David, 'A man after Gods own heart', committed adultery and murder, God still loved and blessed him. Out of 12 disciples one betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, one denied Him three times under pressure, one doughted Him. Out of the 11 disciples at the crucifixion only John stayed by Jesus at the cross. None of these men were perfect, they were sinners, when God called they were obedient. Adam and Eve were blessed and started humanity, Moses led his people out of Egypt and was a great leader for his people while they were in the wilderness. David brought back the Arc of the covenant. The disciples spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. God accomplishes pretty amazing work through obedient sinners. My challenge to myself is to be still in the presence of God and obey. Jesus took care of the perfection part. As for my tombstone just engrave ' Here lies a sinner...sanctified by Jesus'.

The day we don't deserve

Yesterday had a very sweet feel. One of the sweetest Easters I can remember. Could have been the great church service, the awesome food, the very peaceful nap afterward. It was a joy spending the day with my wife and little girl. I had a very somber moment at the beginning of the service and the thought crossed my mind. " I don't deserve this day...none of us do." I owe everything to Jesus and pay so little. I just can't seem to get over the fact lately how God's love comes to life. I've read John 20 several times the last couple of days and something just catches my spirit. Mary Magdalene.....Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene first. It never really struck me until lately. Not His mother Mary, not John, not Peter, or James. He appeared to Mary Magdalene. I think Mary Magdalene's faith can be described best in Luke when Jesus speaks to Simon about the sinful women who anoints His feet. Is the sinful women Mary? Couldn't tell you...some think it is some think not. I do think it explains the deep love Mary Magdalene had for Jesus.

" There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most.
( Luke 7:41-43)

I do know Mary's love for Jesus was pure, genuine, and very strong. Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary and she became a follower from that moment on. She was from the city of Magdala, a city known for prostitution, this has led scholars to believe she was a prostitute, which would make sense. What I do know is Jesus freed a woman possessed by seven demons and possibly living a life of prostitution and broke the chains, washed her white as snow. She was probably not too far from being dead when Jesus cast out the demons and freed her from her life of bondage. I wonder what her demons were? Demons of lust, drugs, idolatry, greed, murder lies...who knows. But our Jesus did what He does, He saved. Mary knew a life she had never imagined. I bet Mary Magdalene knew and understood the love of Jesus better then any of the disciples. Her debt was greater and in turn her love was deeper. We see proof of Mary's genuine love, she stays by the cross of Jesus when all the disciples with the exception of John hide. Can you imagine how sweet her name must have sounded coming off the lips of the risen Savior in John 20:16 "Mary." I bet her eyes filled with joyful tears and her heart skipped a few beats as she gave him that same huge hug when he cast out the demons, shouting ..." Rabboni!". I am sure smarter people then me have a reason why Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first. My opinion, Mary 'got it', she knew what it was to be truly sanctified by Christ. Mary teaches me a lesson I needed to learn. Through her faithfulness I see Mary didn't allow Satan to convince her that her scars were guilt that would never go away, She looked at her scars as a reminder of what Jesus had washed away. She spent the rest of her life serving Christ for that grace. I pray I do the same. As the old hymnal praises, ' All to Him I owe'

The Centurion

The man rarely mentioned in any Easter Sunday sermons may have had the most profound revelation of any on that dark Friday. The Roman centurion soldier was a career officer. You had to be at least 30 years old to be a centurion. The centurion got the title because they over saw 100 men. They were the outstanding soldiers, probably joined the army at 16, had high accolades, maybe knew the right people. Through the years of a military career, carrying out the orders from ruthless Roman emperors one thing is for sure, not much probably bothered this centurion. He was huge, strong, prime fit, 'all man' you can guarantee that. He wore the heavy armor and could sling a spear hundreds of feet through the chest of an enemy in battle. He been doing this job for along time. He's been through battles, probably cut the heads off of men. A crucifixion sure didn't bother this guy he'd probably carried out quite a few. It was his job, he was following orders. I am sure he probably couldn't have cared less who this Jesus was. But things that happened that day took a heart as hardened as you would be pressed to find and broke it.

"And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God." Mark 16:39

"Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man." Luke 23:47

After reading these two passages all I can say is, 'Absolutely Amazing!', not only how powerful but how loving our Savior truly is. Can you just picture this? I find myself closing my eyes and picturing the centurion strait faced all business while he oversees the crucifixion of these men. But this one Jesus starts to catch hold of him. He begins to look over this body so bloodied and beaten, he doesn't even recognize it. he wonders to himself, how is this man still alive....after all we have done to him today, how is he alive? He had heard Jesus say earlier on his horrid path to Calvary "...Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children." (Luke 23:28). He begins to wonder what kind of man suffering such horrible death says something like that? He watches as the men he oversees muck Jesus....maybe then his eyes get a little glassy. He hears Jesus cry ..."My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
The centurion's heart begins to pound, the tears a little bit more full...he looks down so no one notices, a quick wipe. He hears Jesus prayer. "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) He watches and listens as Jesus accepts and saves the criminal. His heart pounding ...Oh he wants to cry out to Jesus...but he can't...not in front of these men. What would they do? They would kill me, he thinks. Then with tears streaming down his face he looks up at the broken body of Jesus. He hears the final cry. 'And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.' (Luke 23:46) ....."It is finished"... ( John 19:30).
At that moment I imagine the spirit of this centurion was overcome. His body covered in sweat, dirt, the blood of Jesus on his clothes, streaked on his forearms. He hits his knees at the feet of Jesus. The feet with nails in the heels dripping his Saviors blood and water. Knowing the man he just crucified is the Son of God. His hands gripping a hand full of dirt and rock, scratching his fingernails in the ground out of anguish, his face in the ground. He leans up with tears streaming down his face and Yells...."Truly this man was the Son of God!!" The centurion glorified God and God forgave. How did God forgive? The same way He forgives us. How truly awesome is a God that reveals himself to a centurion that just oversaw the crucifixion of His only Son? I think we can rest assured there is nothing we can do that would make God love us less. Amen

Falling Forward

This might be the shortest post in history, sometimes I don't think I have the ability to think too deeply. I can't get out of my mind something I heard on the radio this week. A woman called in to the Spirit radio station in my town talking about a huge mistake she had made in her life. The host of the station said something to the likes of " a crucial part of living a successful christian life is learning to fall forward". That was exactly what I needed to hear that day. How often do we get ourselves in the right direction( or so we thought) and here comes temptation soon followed by failure and sin. Too often we sin and use that as an excuse to fall backward and in turn stay in the desert. Its not always Satan can truly win until we fall backward, that is what his true agenda is for our sin, To make us fall backwards. When we choose to fall forward, repent and learn from that failure Satan's agenda has failed. When I started this blog Satan hit me with temptation from all directions...I fell, thought to myself ' I have no business posting blogs about Christianity or my faith'. I then chose to fall forward, I repented....I learned. My savior reminds me no one is good enough without the sanctity of his blood. Thank You God for your love.

My testimony and purpose for this blog

I received Christ as my personal savior October 12, 1993 at the age of 16. I was attending a revival at Eagle Heights Baptist Church in Harrison, AR. Like so many I was raised in church baptized at a young age but not ever really understanding what the decision meant for me as a believer. Sitting in that pew at the invitation that night I knew the Holy Spirit Was calling me, I knew if I didn't go forward and I died that night I would spend my eternal life in Hell. I also knew at 16 my life was empty for something it was born to have. I went forward and accepted Christ as my personal savior. Here is where my testimony gets pretty common.....too common in our culture. The rest of my high school days I pretty much lived a hot again, cold again christian life and carried this trend much thru college. I lost a whole lot of more battles with Satan then I ever won. I eventually settled into a mediocre Christian lifestyle....went to church on Sundays mornings, prayed the occasional prayer, asked for forgiveness when I figured I had compiled enough sins it was time to get a clean slate. Sadly I have been a born again Christian for 15 years and had missed the boat...I have resided in what I refer to as the Christian desert and I had a whole lot of company with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Thankfully I have been brought out of the desert. Almost a year and half ago I moved to Lebanon, MO. My wife and I were unhappy at our current location in south Arkansas. I made a decision to actually take a demotion at my work to get away from where we were living. We didn't pray much about the decision and quite frankly I didn't much consider what God thought about the move. We were miserable...It wasn't a smart career move, We didn't really pray about it, It was really for selfish reasons alone but we moved....moved to a town I had never seen, didn't really know where it was. All I knew it was in south central Missouri and It was spelled like a foreign country. What I didn't know was that God took my decision that was made for selfish purpose and He changed my whole perspective of who He is, and He changed my life. He met me where I was. He has came and brought me out of the desert where I lived with Christian mediocrity for nearly 15 years. He has sanctified me of all my sins and continues to do so daily. I am not a minister, a Christian psychologist, never been to seminary. I am however a sinner sanctified by the blood of Jesus. I have a heart for all Christians living in the desert, living in mediocrity, living a hot cold Christian faith. My prayer is maybe this blog would touch someone who reads it some night. I also pray this blog will be accountability for me as I have an open diary documenting some of my walk as Jesus leads me out of the desert to become a Jesus freak. Jesus came out of the desert after being tempted by Satan for 40 days to change the world and save our lives. Just think if all the born again Christians in the world came out of their personal desert they lived in and got thirsty for God. Became Jesus Freaks! WOW how the world would be different