Swimming Upstream

Ray Pritchard
Keep Believing Ministries
Shawnee, Kansas

 Swimming Upstream
Romans 12:2

 There are times when we need a new look at a familiar verse. The ESV translates the first part of Romans 12:2 this way: “Do not be conformed to this world.” Simple, clear, and concise. But what exactly does Paul mean? Other translations bring out various shades of meaning:

“Do not act like the sinful people of the world” (New Life).

“Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs]”(Amplified).

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world” (New Living Translation).

And then there is the famous rendering by J. B. Phillips:

“Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.”

In this message I want to do two things:

First, I want to examine that little phrase to see what it means.
Second, I want us to think together about how it applies to us today. 

The general meaning is clear if we take all the different translations and paraphrases together. We are not like the people around us, and we shouldn't act like them. We must not try so hard to fit in that we no longer think and act like Christians. This verse reminds us the world is not morally neutral. It actively works against our Christian faith. Christians are constantly swimming upstream with the current of the world rushing against us. Don't be surprised, don't give in, and don't get swept away.

Two Wrong Inferences

Perhaps our greatest danger is to look at this command (which is entirely negative) and draw wrong inferences from it.

1) We might end up thinking Paul means to warn us only against the external marks of the world. In another generation, preachers applied this verse to the “big four” sins:

Drinking.
Smoking.
Dancing.
Card Playing.

Or it might have been applied to women wearing lipstick or men with long hair or listening to certain kinds of music or going to the movie theater. Sometimes the list of “Don'ts” became so long that a Christian was defined by what you didn't do. While Christianity cannot be reduced to a set of rules, in most cases the warnings had some basis in fact. Although we don't hear that sort of preaching nowadays, I am not sure that dropping the rules we used to follow has produced a new wave of holiness.

2) We might think Christians should withdraw from the world around us and have nothing to do with it at all. This might lead us into a monastery or to some isolated place in the wilderness or into a cave in the desert where we will not be tempted by the bright lights of the big city. But that cannot be what Paul meant because he ministered in all the big cities of his day. Whatever not being conformed to the world means, it can't be a call to run and hide.

Two Key Words

If this verse is not giving rules about outward behavior, and if it is not calling us to retreat from the world, what exactly is Paul warning us against? Two words unlock this text:

1) World

The word “world” does not refer to the ball of dirt we call earth, as if Paul means to say, “Don't enjoy the creation God has made.” He's not talking about physical things, such as the beauty of a sunset, the grandeur of Lake Tahoe, the intricate design of a single human cell, or the vastness of the universe. Still less is he speaking of enjoying a concert or a conversation with a friend or playing peek-a-boo with a two-year-old or riding a bicycle across America. Paul does not mean to say, “Don't enjoy life.” He's not an ascetic who bids us to reject all the beauty and goodness we see around us. Nor is he calling us to move away from the troubles of this world, hole up in a compound, build a fence, buy a shotgun, and dare anyone to bother us.

To the contrary, Paul plunged into the heart of the culture of his day. He focused on the major cities of the first century—Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Athens, Rome—and fearlessly entered the synagogues, the marketplace, the lecture halls—with the express purpose of proclaiming Christ where he was not yet known. In his first letter to Timothy, he said, “Everything created by God is good,” (1 Timothy 4:4). Then he added that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). Paul evidently knew Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic. He read the secular poets and quoted them in his sermons and his letters. He knew the culture of his day so well that he could debate the pagan philosophers on Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34).

Sometimes we like to sing, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.” That’s true, but it’s not the totality what the Bible teaches. I think Paul would agree with these lines by Maltbie Babcock:

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

So what “world” is Paul warning us against? The New Testament uses two different words when it talks about the world. One is the word kosmos, from which we get the word “cosmetic.” That's the word John uses in 1 John 2:15-17 to warn us against loving the world. Dr. Ryrie defined the world as the “organized system headed by Satan that leaves God out.” Sometimes a radio announcer will say, “Here’s the news from the world of sports.” He’s not talking about a planet where all they do is play baseball, football and basketball. The “world of sports” refers to the organized system of athletic endeavor. Or people may say, “Here’s the news from the world of business.” Again, that’s not a planet where all they do is buy and sell and invest. The “world of business” is the organized financial system of buying and selling and investing. There is an organized system headed by Satan that deliberately leaves God out. Christians must not love that evil world system.

That’s very helpful, but Paul didn’t use the Greek word kosmos in Romans 12:2. He uses a different word—aion, usually translated as “age.” In the New Testament, there are two main “ages”—this present age of sinful darkness (Ephesians 2:2, Galatians 1:4), from which we have been rescued by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the age to come when Jesus will reign on the earth (Revelation 11:15). The text literally reads, “Don't be conformed to this age.” Why?  Because this “age” is coming to an end soon, and when it does, everything about this age will crumble to dust.

Five weeks after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, I stood with a group of four men at Ground Zero in Manhattan, our eyes fixed on the twisted, smoking ruins of the World Trade Center. As I looked at the rubble, I felt the Lord speaking to me: “Ray, pay attention. This is what the world is coming to.” I realized how true it was. This is what happens to everything man builds. Only God is eternal. The twin towers seemed invincible, but they weren’t because anything built by man can be destroyed by man. More than that, anything built by man can be destroyed by the hand of God. Read the book of Revelation. In the end, everything comes crumbling down.

Here is the paradox and challenge of Romans 12:2.

We live in this present age.
But this present age will not last forever.
We know there is a better age to come when Christ will reign on the earth.
We must live today by the values of tomorrow.
We must live in this present age, but this present age must not live in us.

2) Conform

The word “conform” translates a complex Greek word from which we get the English word “scheme,” which in its negative sense has the idea of a trap, like those email scams from someone in Nigeria promising you $10,000 if you will just send them your bank account number. Since the devil is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), we should expect him to attack from every angle. Most of the traps he sets are meant to seduce us into the world's way of thinking.

The word also means “to fashion.” A.T. Robertson offers this version, “Do not take the world as your fashion plate.” Why does Paul say we are not to follow the fashions of this world? Is he talking about how we dress? Well, that’s included, but he’s thinking much broader than that. We are not to think or act or otherwise fashion ourselves after the schemes of this age. Why did he say that? The answer is simple.

This world is dying.

The essence of worldliness, then, is to live as if this age will last forever. True worldliness buys into the notion that this world is the only world there is or ever will be. Years ago a certain beer advertised, “You only go around in life once. Grab all the gusto you can.” On one level, that happens to be good advice. Life isn't a dress rehearsal. You won't get a second chance or a “do-over” if you mess up your short time on planet earth. But underlying the commercial was the unstated premise: “This life is the only life there is so do whatever you want, indulge yourself, throw aside the restraints.”

My wife and I flew through Las Vegas on our way to Reno for a Bible conference. As the plane descended into Las Vegas, we could see the famous “strip” with all the casinos lined up next to each other: the Luxor, the MGM Grand, the Mirage (an apt name for a casino), the Wynn, Caesars Palace, and the Stratosphere with its tower rising 1000 feet above the desert floor. When we got off the plane and walked through the terminal, we saw slot machines everywhere. There were huge signs advertising the big stars who were coming to Las Vegas. Other signs invited us to go to this club or that club. Las Vegas is built on the premise that you can do whatever you want, any time you want, with whomever you want because “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” You can eat more than you should, drink until you are drunk, gamble until you are broke, and you can indulge your flesh in every way your mind can imagine. Evidently business is good because the plane was filled with people coming to “sin city” to have some fun and maybe “get lucky” one way or the other.

I do not mention that to condemn anyone, not even the people who own those large casinos. They couldn’t stay in business if people didn't want what they offer. Las Vegas simply provides an extreme example of what “this age” is all about. It's the ultimate, unvarnished appeal to live as if there were no tomorrow.

That's worldliness. Living today as if tomorrow will never come.

The Paths of Glory

If you think this world will last forever, then live by the world's rules. But if you think there is a better world coming, then live today in light of tomorrow. Your friends probably won't understand you, and it won't always be easy, and you'll often feel squeezed, but at least you won't wake up with a hangover that comes from getting drunk on the ways of the world.

Some people get drunk on alcohol.
Others get drunk on sexual pleasure.
Others get drunk on building an empire.
Others get drunk on fame.
Others get drunk on money.
Others get drunk on power.
Others get drunk on ambition.
Others get drunk on revenge.

That's okay if this age lasts forever. Living like that makes sense if tomorrow never comes. Why not grab all the gusto, indulge your passions, and trample on others if you really think this present age will never end?

In the end everything man builds collapses before his eyes. A friend sent me an email containing these lines from a poem called “Gray’s Elegy” written in a country churchyard in England:

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power
And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave
Awaits alike the inevitable hour
The paths of glory lead but to the grave. 

According to 1 John 2:17, “The world is passing away along with its desires.” Indeed, the best and brightest of us will someday die. All that we do will eventually be forgotten.  Consider these next two sentences carefully:

Those who look to the world for approval will be disappointed because the best things of this world must one day disappear. 

Those who look to the God who created the world will find safety and security that will last forever. 

Alice Cooper

I will leave you with this final thought. Christians don't fit in, and we never will. We are fools if we make conformity the goal of our lives. I ran across a fascinating quote from legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper. Though you may not have heard the news, he became a Christian some years ago. Here's the quote I found:

Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy.
But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's rebellion.

He's right on all counts. It's a lot easier to get drunk and fool around than it is to follow Jesus Christ. You want to be a true rebel against the status quo? Become a disciple of Christ. Make him the Lord of your life. You'll be going against the flow every single day.

Let me say it another way. The world has no quarrel with a compromising Christian. The world loves believers who “go along to get along.” It rewards Christians who look like everyone else, talk like everyone else, and live like everyone else. If you keep quiet about your faith, you can get along just fine because the world loves a compromising Christian. But if you dare to stand up for what you believe, you’ll end up like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. You’ll be standing while everyone else is kneeling. Nebuchadnezzar won’t like you very much. Soon enough, you’ll discover how hot the fiery furnace can be. But the good news is, Jesus is with you in the fiery furnace. That’s where he makes himself known.

You’ll never regret standing up for Jesus, but it won’t be easy.

Who wants to be a renegade for the Lord?
Who wants to swim upstream?
Who wants to go against the flow?

The True “Alternative Lifestyle”

 Do you know the name David Wise? At the Winter Olympics in 2014, he won the gold medal for freestyle skiing in the halfpipe competition. He earned a second gold medal in the same event in 2018. He’s 29 years old, married, and has a daughter and a son. He’s also a Christian.

After winning his first gold medal in 2014, NBC reporter Skyler Wilder wrote:

David Wise is at the top of his sport. He’s always smiling among his friends and competitors. However, he’s not like the rest of the field. He is mature.

The profile describes him this way:

At such a young age, Wise has the lifestyle of an adult. He wears a Baby Bjorn baby carrier around the house. He also attends church regularly and says he could see himself becoming a pastor a little later down the road.

NBC posted the article with this headline: “David Wise’s Alternative Lifestyle Leads to Olympic Gold.” Did you get that? “Alternative lifestyle.” Today that usually refers to something else, but it perfectly fits Romans 12:2. Following Christ is the ultimate “alternative lifestyle.”

We’re not like the world.
We never were.
We never will be.

Some of us need to get our priorities straight because we’re fitting in when we need to stand out. We’re going with the flow when we ought to be swimming upstream.

How will we overcome our addiction to this dying world? In 1918 Helen Howarth Lemmel wrote these words:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of his glory and grace.

There’s the answer. We need a new vision of Christ to set us free from the love of the world.

Our evangelical ancestors understood this truth very well. They boiled it down to two simple sentences. Here’s my whole message in a simple couplet:

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

This world is passing away. Don't be swept away with it. Keep swimming upstream with Jesus.

Father, sometimes we get weary swimming against the tide. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the power of the world around us. We’re seduced, we’re squeezed, and sometimes we give in. Open our eyes, Lord. Do whatever it takes to break our addiction to this dying world and replace it with fervent love for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Until next time,
Ted

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!

Dr. Dobson's July Newsletter

Dear Friends,
Several weeks ago, I was invited by White House staff to visit our southern border at McAllen, Texas, where federal agents are struggling to deal with a massive influx of poor and destitute human beings. They come in never-ending waves. Please believe me when I tell you that the media and leftist politicians have not been truthful about what is going on there. It is a human tragedy.

I promised the exhausted U.S. Custom and Border Patrol agents that I would go home and tell as many people as possible what I had seen "up close and personal." Today, I am attempting to fulfill that commitment.

Approximately 5,500 people show up every day in districts organized along our southern U.S. border. McAllen is the site of only one of them, but it is the busiest and most besieged. The "refugees" arrive exhausted and ragged from walking hundreds of miles. Among them are large numbers of children, many of whom are unaccompanied by a caring adult. Last year, 382,000 aliens were apprehended for illegally crossing into this country and almost 100,000 of them were minors. Some of the kids have been abused along the way. Many of them carry lice, scabies or other diseases. Currently, the facility I visited is experiencing a flu epidemic, and there are no additional beds on which to lie. Some of the women have been raped. More than 70 people of all ages are sent to local hospitals daily along the southern border. Doctors and medical staff are overwhelmed by their patient load. Remember that word, "overwhelmed." It describes every aspect of the effort to deal with the situation there.

The most heart-wrenching experience occurred during our tour of the holding area. It is a huge gym-like building consisting of dozens of fenced-in areas. Each one is crowded with detainees standing or sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on benches. They stared out at us with plaintive eyes.

I noticed that almost none of them were talking to each other. The children looked traumatized and frightened. Tears flooded my eyes as I stood before them. They had no toys or dolls, except for a few items bought by compassionate border patrol agents. One tiny little girl clutched something that resembled a doll bought for her by an agent. There are few provisions made to accommodate the children. The week before we were there, a delegation of agents went to meet with members of Congress, and begged them for additional money to buy Pampers, toothbrushes, and other necessities. They were turned down flat. These meager supplies have to be purchased with the border patrol budget, which is stretched to the limit.

I then walked up to a fenced area holding many skinny young men. An agent standing beside me asked if I would like to speak to them. He offered to translate for me, to which I replied, "Please tell them that God loves them." Then I said, "Now tell them that I love them, too." They smiled and waved timidly.

My heart aches for these poor people. Lest I be misunderstood, let me make clear that I am among the majority of Americans who want the border to be closed to those who attempt to enter illegally. There has to be a better solution than this. I have wondered, with you, why the authorities don't just deny these refugees access to this nation. Can't we just send them back to their places of origin? The answer I received was "No," for reasons I will explain.

Only 10 percent of the detainees are Mexicans. This year alone, people have come to our southern border from 127 countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, India, China, Palestine, Albania, San Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and other nations around the world. They speak their native tongues, which means they can't be understood by each other or the staff. What are we to do with them? The Mexican government will not take them back, and there is no place to send them. Our current laws do not permit us to repatriate them to their country of origin. This is a disaster with no solution or projected conclusion.

Let me tell you how these desperate people come to be our responsibility. They are the lowest rung of many societies. They sell their shanties and any other possessions to scrape together $3,500 to $10,000 to pay "coyotes" to guide them. I don't know what happens to those who can't meet this demand. Apparently, most manage to pay the fee, and arrive penniless and profoundly needy. I was told that some of the vulnerable children are "recycled" repeatedly to help men gain entry to this country. An unknown number of these men are hardened criminals and drug runners, and they are difficult to identify. Most make their way across the border.

Here's something else you should know. I have been under the impression that these would-be immigrants try to cross the Rio Grande River and outrun or evade the agents. That is not true of most. They come in large groups, from 100 to 400 people at a time. As I write this letter, a record 1,200 people arrived together at El Paso. The refugees quickly give themselves up to agents. That is why they have made this journey. They know they will be fed, medicated, and treated humanely, even if they are in holding areas while they are in our custody. Then they will be released on American soil. This is the system set up by a liberal Congress and judges. It is a well-known fact that President Obama's administration established many of these unworkable policies, and Congress is steadfastly unwilling to change them. Every effort at reform has been overridden or ignored. It is set in stone. Democrats want massive numbers of immigrants who will someday become voters. Some Republicans support the policies because they want cheap labor for agricultural purposes. The border could be fixed, but there are very few in authority who seem to care.

Getting back to my story, our group of national faith leaders and humanitarian organizations was taken to a grassy park underneath the international bridges where the "coyotes" bring the refugees. We stood 50 feet away from them and watched as about 200 people sat on the ground. Then buses arrived to transport them to Border Control. Agents have to work fast because another group will be showing up soon, and then another and another. The would-be immigrants are taken to the center and given cursory medical exams. Then they are segregated by sex and age and placed in the fenced-in areas to be held for the next 20 days until they are processed and given a Notice to Appear. If that sounds inhumane, what would you or I do? There is simply no other place to "house" them.

Mismanagement of the border has a long history. A federal judge years ago issued a ruling called the Flores Settlement Agreement. It is still the source of many problems. It requires that any unaccompanied alien child must be released within 72 hours. This is now the law of the land, and poor people around the world know it. A single male typically seeks to find a child and a woman to help him "game the system." Clearly, many of these are "fake families," but there is no documentation in Pakistani or Bangladesh to challenge their claims. Lawyers at home have told them to claim that they are fleeing from oppression or seeking asylum. They are allowed to plead their cases to judges, but there are too few of them to keep up with the volume. These people are given a court case and released. The vast majority are never seen again. Most then become "anchor babies" who are citizens with rights to bring members of their families. Others are given transportation to an American city where they disappear into the culture.

In addition to this influx of people from places around the world steeped in poverty and despair, Senator Chuck Schumer authored and helped pass a "lottery" system, whereby winners are brought to the United States. They become permanent residents, who then begin bringing their families to our shores. Thank you, Senator.

Ten years ago, 90 percent of illegals apprehended at the border were single males, mainly from Mexico. Now, more than 50 percent show up with babies and children, and 90 percent of them are from countries other than Mexico with 64 percent being family units or unaccompanied alien children. Together, they claim to be "families" and within three weeks, they will be home free in America. Is there any doubt why there have been more than half a million illegal immigrants this year alone?

Before I conclude, I must tell you about the agents who have to deal with this chaos. They are compassionate men and women, sworn to uphold federal law and protect our borders.

They obviously care about the detainees, and I respect them highly. They work tirelessly feeding people three times a day and providing clean clothing. They must also maintain the portable toilets in the cells. It is a never-ending task. There are only two large showers in the facility, one for males, the other for females. Their capacity is for only 20 people at a time, which is insufficient.

The border patrol agents administer this program, but most of them didn't sign up to be caregivers. Agents were trained to patrol the border and apprehend drug runners, traffickers, smugglers, murderers, and every kind of lawbreaker. This is very dangerous work. But, please understand this: the border patrol agents are so busy caring for refugees seeking entry to the United States that they have very little time to police the borders. It is so porous that huge quantities of contraband, including all kinds of narcotics, flow into this country every day. Then it is transported northward to America's cities to be consumed by adolescents and millennials. Lawless gangs, such as MS-13, are also pouring into the culture, making violence for inner cities a way of life.

There is one more aspect to the work of the agents that you should know. They are openly hated by citizens who resent the work they do. They are routinely vilified and mocked and demonized. Their families are also subjected to ridicule. These agents need our appreciation and prayers. They have one of the most thankless jobs in America.

The situation I have described is the reason President Donald Trump's border wall is so urgently needed. He seems to be the only leader in America who comprehends this tragedy and is willing to address it. Those who oppose him do everything they can to impede his effort. That is why I went to the border to see the situation for myself. I came away with an array of intense emotions. First, I was profoundly grieved over the misery of thousands of people. Second, I felt a deep appreciation for those who are doing their best to help in an impossible circumstance. Third, and frankly, I was angry at the political fat cats who have deliberately allowed this chaos to occur for political or financial gain. They, and their friends in the fake media, have told the American people that there is no crisis at the border! Shame on them all.

What I've told you is only a glimpse of what is occurring on the nation's border. I don't know what it will take to change the circumstances. I can only report that without an overhaul of the law and the allocation of resources, millions of illegal immigrants will continue flooding to this great land from around the world. Many of them have no marketable skills. They are illiterate and unhealthy. Some are violent criminals. Their numbers will soon overwhelm the culture as we have known it, and it could bankrupt the nation. America has been a wonderfully generous and caring country since its founding. That is our Christian nature. But in this instance, we have met a worldwide wave of poverty that will take us down if we don't deal with it. And it won't take long for the inevitable consequences to happen.

Thanks for letting me set the record straight.

P.S. I want to conclude this disturbing account of the border situation with a suggested "action item" for the reader. There is one solution as I see it, which is for people of faith to pray for our President as he seeks to deal with this humanitarian crisis. He is facing enormous opposition from both political parties, the mainstream media, the entertainment industry, the judiciary, portions of agriculture, powerful lobbies, and virtually every dimension of the culture. I know of no one with political influence besides the President who seems to care about the crisis at the border. Will you join us in making it a matter for concerted prayer?

Those of us in Texas are aware of what kind of job our incredible Border Agents are doing! They have been saying for a number of years that they are overwhelmed. We must fix the system and once again encourage only those that come in through the front door!

Ted

This was too good not to post. It speaks to men in marriage...

3 Points of Conflict in Marriage

By Dr. James Dobson

If I had one evening I could spend with any person, no one in the world would outrank my wife. We have grown in mutual understanding so that it is rarely necessary to quarrel and argue. Nevertheless, Shirley and I once had a dandy fight and three distinct concepts emerged which may assist you in your marriage.

1. Miscommunication results from differing assumptions.

I had assumed that my responsibilities as husband and father would not resume until I had been given a chance to rest and recuperate (after an extended work trip that took its toll on me). That was a reasonable expectation, but it happened to differ with Shirley's assumption. She felt that her duty at home was to end with my return, and that I would accept the burden from her weary shoulders with the rise of the Saturday sun. It was a reasonable supposition, but not in harmony with mine.

I should have said, "Shirley, I know you've had it rough here at home these past six weeks, and I intend to help you pull things together. But I'm going to ask you to understand me for a few more days. I'm more tired than I ever remember being, and I find it difficult to even engage in conversation. If you'll let me hole up for a few days...watch some football games and sleep...I'll pick up my domestic responsibilities the first part of next week."

Shirley would have understood this request and honored it. Likewise, if she had said to me, "Jim, these past six weeks have been extremely hectic here at home. I know you couldn't help it, but we've missed your presence here. Just as soon as possible, I need you to get involved with the kids, and for that matter, I want to be with you, too. And besides, there's one task I can't do that I would appreciate your handling Saturday morning. You see, the umbrella is dirty and--"

The brief explanation would have helped me understand Shirley's situation. But we allowed our differing assumptions to remain unspoken.

Bad marriages are saturated with differing assumptions between husbands and wives. Friction occurs where those diverse views collide. One of the purposes of marriage counseling is to work through differing points of view in search of compromise and harmony.

2. The hostility in many marriages is a direct expression of deep hurt. 

Returning to my conflict with Shirley, remember that neither of us sought to hurt the other person. Our initial anger was not motivated by malice or vindictiveness, but by a sense of having been wronged. That situation often underlies marital conflict. Being wounded in spirit gives birth to anger and resentment, leading to destructive words between husbands and wives.

Let's visit a couple in the midst of a terrible battle. She is screaming insults at him and he hurls the meanest concoctions back at her. Observers might be surprised to learn that their basic problem is not one of anger. They both have been hurt by the behavior of the other. The accusations they sling back and forth are merely reactions to the pain inside. Nevertheless, their words serve to deepen the original wounds and intensify the pain. It becomes a vicious cycle.

That cycle could be broken if one of the combatants could muster the courage to talk about his own pain, rather than increasing the discomfort of his partner.

"John, I cooked this delicious meal...spent three hours in the kitchen...Then you didn't even call to say you'd be late. It hurt my feelings and made me feel that you don't respect me."

John can receive that message without having to say hurtful things in response. But if Mary calls him "irresponsible, uncaring, heartless and just like your mother," then the battle lines are drawn. Understanding the dynamics of conflict can help lessen the hostility when disagreements occur.

3. Overcommitment is the Number One Marriage Killer.

Fatigue and time pressure undermine even the healthiest of marriages. How can a man and woman communicate with each other when they're too worn out even to talk? How can they enjoy sex when they are exhausted at the end of every day? How can they "date" one another or take walks or sit by a fire when they face the tyranny of an unfinished "to do" list?

From this vantage point, I have to admit that my fight with Shirley was primarily my fault. Not that I was wrong in wanting to rest after arriving home. But I was to blame for foolishly overcommitting my time during that period. The conflict would never have occurred if I had not scheduled myself wall to wall for six weeks. My lack of discipline in my work caused Shirley and me to become exhausted, which brought a chain reaction of negative emotions: irritability, self-pity, petulance, selfishness, and withdrawal. Few marriages can survive a long-term dose of that bitter medicine.

From Dr. Dobson's book, Straight Talk To Men.

5 Steps to a Miracle

5 Steps to a Miracle
Joshua 5-6

There are many times I have preached and taught against steps to a miracle by the "Name It Claim It" bunch, but this is very realistic in that it takes into account a real biblical situation. Pastor Ray has put all of this in perspective as well. Folks, we are in the hands of God for our very breath while we are on this earth if we are believers. He has the day in mind when we will depart this earth. He is just and He has proven He loves His people with His whole being. He provided the way to be with Him through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son. Do you need a miracle? We are not guaranteed a miracle by following steps but we are guaranteed God will hear us and His answer is TRUST that He knows best!

In Christ,

Ted

Pastor Ray Pritchard

Keep Believing Ministries

Few stories in the Bible are better known than Joshua and the battle of Jericho. We learned to sing this song in Sunday School:

Joshua fit the battle of Jericho,
           Jericho, Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho,
           And the walls come tumbling down.

And then comes this verse:

You may talk about your men of Gideon
           You may brag about your men of Saul
There's none like good old Joshua
           At the battle of Jericho.

We only need to know one crucial fact: It was totally impossible to bring down those walls.

Totally, absolutely, completely and utterly impossible.
Jericho stood between them and all God had promised.
A smart man would walk away.
Sometimes you must "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em."

Yet God’s people won a great victory that day. How did it happen? Hebrews 11:30 answers with two words. "By faith." That's all it says. But the story seems so incredible that we need to investigate further.

As we study Joshua 5-6, we discover five steps to a miracle. In putting the matter that way, I’m not suggesting that if we take these steps, God will work a miracle for us. But these steps are principles that reveal how God works with his people in every generation. They are as true today as they were in Joshua’s day.
 

Step #1: Yield Your Right to be in Charge

In order to understand this story, we need to start with a strange encounter recorded at the end of Joshua 5:
 

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” (Joshua 5:13)

 
This seems like a natural question. “Whose side are you on, anyway?” It reminds me of the time when someone asked President Lincoln if he thought God was on the Union side in the Civil War. Lincoln wisely replied, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”
 
Here is the rest of the story:
 

“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” 

The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:14-15).
 

We tend to think in terms of us vs. them. Are you Republican or Democrat? Are you on my team or the other team? Are you for us or against us? We all like to think we are on the “right” team, but God doesn’t join human teams. In this case, Joshua met the commander of the army of the Lord (probably a preincarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ).

Note how Joshua responds. He falls on his face and asks what message the Lord has for him. He doesn’t ask, “How can we win this battle?” or “Can you help me bring down the walls?” All those human considerations go out the door when you come face to face with the Lord of the universe.
 
This brings us to a key message of the book of Joshua: God’s work must be done God’s way in order to receive God’s blessing. Every Christian would agree with that, but when facing a crisis, we want to tell God how to answer our prayers.
 
It doesn’t work that way.
 
At some point we must yield to the Lord. I say “at some point” because yielding doesn’t come easily to most of us. We often sing these words in church:
 
Have Thine own way Lord
Have Thine own way
Thou art the potter I am the clay
Mold me and make me after Thy will
While I am waiting yielded and still

It’s one thing to sing it.
It’s another thing to mean it.
 
There is a place for the sword and the spear, and there is a time when we must advance against the enemy. But first, we must learn this lesson:
 

“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31).
 

We can make all the plans in the world, but if God doesn’t bless our efforts, it will come to nothing. We don’t need God on our side; we need to make sure we are on God’s side before the battle begins.
 

Step# 2: Face the Challenge

If you ever travel to the Holy Land, you will no doubt visit the remains of the ancient city of Jericho. To get there you either travel down through the mountains from Jerusalem or you take the River Road coming south from the Sea of Galilee, running parallel to the Jordan River. The city itself is located not far from the river, an important point to keep in mind when you read the story of Joshua’s amazing conquest. The Canaanites built Jericho as a kind of “gateway fortress” to their land. Any invading enemy would have to deal with the walled city of Jericho. You couldn’t bypass it. Jericho was too large and too strong to be ignored.

What was Jericho to Joshua and the people of God?

A city of pagan unbelief.
A city of strategic importance.
A city of human impossibility.

When we say that the people of Jericho were pagans, that’s an understatement. The Canaanite religion included child sacrifice and gross sexual immorality. It could never coexist with the true worship of God. It must be confronted and defeated. Because the walls were so high they seemed to reach to the sky (Deuteronomy 9:1), the city must be completely defeated, or the Jews would never be safe.

In the last 140 years archaeologists have done an enormous amount of research on the ruins of ancient Jericho. We now know that the city had two walls—an inner wall and an outer wall, both built on a slope, making it virtually impregnable to any attacking army.

The road to the Promised Land ran through Jericho. Stamp over it one word: Impossible!
 

#3: Follow the Plan

At first glance God’s instructions seem very odd:

March around the town once a day for six days (v. 3).
March with the ark of the covenant in the front (v. 4).
Put seven priests in front of the ark (v. 4).
On the seventh day, march around Jericho seven times (v. 5).
Have the priests blow rams’ horns as they march (v. 5).
On the seventh time around on the seventh day, have the people shout (v. 5).
When the people shout, the walls will come down (v. 5).
When the walls come down, enter the city and conquer it (v. 5).

All of that seems strange enough, but Joshua added a few refining details to the plan:

1) He instructed the people to be silent as they marched around the city (v. 10).
2) He put soldiers in front of the priests and behind the ark (v. 13).
3) He had the priests blow the ram’s horn (the shofar) continually (v. 13).

At this point, the people of God face a clear choice. Either they attempt to take the city by following God’s instructions, or they come up with their own plan and suffer overwhelming defeat. It’s all to their credit that they did what God asked them to do.

For six days they marched one time around the city and then returned to their camp. On the seventh day, at the end of the seventh time around the city, the priests sounded a long blast, and the people shouted as loud as they could.

What are the chances of this working? Here’s the whole plan:

            Marching.
            Blowing horns.
            Shouting.

That sounds like something you’d see at a football game. From a human perspective, the “Joshua Plan” doesn’t seem very promising:
 

Marching + Trumpets + Shouting=???? 
 

How exactly will that bring the walls down? Years ago I visited the Great Wall of China, a fantastic wall that stretches for hundreds of miles in northern China. What would happen if you marched up to the wall and began blowing horns and shouting? Not a single stone would move.

So far what we’ve got is a History Channel special called “Greatest Military Blunders.”

But the story isn’t over yet.
 

# 4: Remember the Promise

What gave the people any hope of taking Jericho? The answer is simple. They only had to remember the promise of God. We get two hints of this in the story. First, God said he was going to give them the city. This is what God said to Joshua before he gave him the plan:
 

See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men (Joshua 6:2).
 

Notice the past tense. When God gets involved, it’s as good as done. When God speaks, you can take it to the bank. That’s what gave Joshua the confidence to follow God’s plan. He knew God had guaranteed victory. All he had to do was obey what God told him to do.

Second, God put himself in the middle of the battle plan. By placing the ark of the covenant in front of the people, God was saying, “I’m going to lead this parade.”

I wonder what the people of Jericho were thinking. We already know (from Rahab’s testimony in Joshua 2) that they knew about the miracle at the Red Sea, and they knew about the defeat of Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings. Furthermore, they could see for themselves that God had miraculously heaped up the water of the Jordan River, allowing the Jews to walk across on dry ground. The daily march around the city was a kind of divine psychological warfare to unnerve the citizens of Jericho. They knew an attack was coming, but they didn’t know when. It must have been terrifying to watch the Jews march around the city day after day and then return to their camp. But then you wonder, did the fear begin to wear after the third day? Did the Canaanites start laughing at those “crazy Jews” and their silent march around the city? Or was it a kind of nervous laughter, wondering what would happen next?

Although the people of Jericho did not know it, they were defeated before the walls ever fell. They lost the battle when God got involved. Let’s redo that equation one more time:
 

March + Trumpets + Shouting + God = “The walls came a-tumblin’ down!”

God made all the difference! Those high walls couldn’t keep him out. The God who created those stones could easily blow them over. We don’t know exactly how he did it, only that he did it, and the city was then taken by Joshua and his people.

There was a day when Robert Morrison was a passenger on a ship to China. History records that he was the first Protestant missionary to China. One day the captain of the ship asked a rather disparaging question. "What do you think you're going to do? Convert China?" "No," came the quiet reply. "I don't think I'll ever convert China. I think God will." That’s the same faith that brought down the walls of Jericho.
 

#5: Never Give Up

Why march around the walls six days in a row? Why march seven times on the seventh day? Couldn’t the walls have fallen on the first day or the third or the fifth? The answer is yes, the walls could have fallen any time God desired. So why all the marching? The answer is clear. This is how God ordinarily works. The Lord could have said, “Sit tight! Let me handle this.” But his normal plan is to use people to accomplish his purposes. So even though God caused the walls to fall down, the people still had to march, they still had to shout, and when the walls fell down, they still had to take the city, fighting door to door.

When James Montgomery Boice preached on this passage, he noted that the Lord gave the instructions to Joshua personally, and not to the people. That means the people only learned about the plan one day at a time. All he told them on Day 1 was, “March around the city and keep your mouth shut.” There must have been some perplexed Jews after the first day. I imagine them saying, “General, what’s the plan?” And Joshua said, “Tomorrow we’re going to do it again.”

In this case, faith meant marching in total silence around the city day after day. Imagine the scene. It’s the longest parade you’ve ever seen. First the soldiers, then the priests blowing the trumpets, then the priests with the ark, then more soldiers, then thousands of armed men marching in total silence.

This strange procession circles once around the city on the first day and then retires to their camp.

           Next day the same.
           Next day the same.
           Next day the same.
           Next day the same.
           Next day the same.

Dr. Boice remarked that partial obedience is never enough. What if the Jews had stopped marching after the first day? Or the fourth day? Or the sixth day? Or on the fifth time around on the seventh day? The walls would not have fallen because the miracle would not have happened. Here’s how Dr. Boice applies this truth:
 

Not only is there no substitute for obedience to God, there is no substitute for obedience in all particulars—to the very end. And when God does not act as quickly as we think he should or in precisely the way we are convinced he should act, we are still not justified in pulling back or adopting an alternative procedure.…It was only when the people had obeyed God faithfully that victory came and the walls tumbled (Boice, “Joshua,” Loc. 1027).

On the seventh day, the army marched around Jericho seven times. This is what happened next:
 

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city (v. 20).

That's how faith works.
Don't you think there were some doubters?
Don't you think there were some critics?

Don't you think there was some grousing in the ranks? Probably. Complaining seems to be part of human nature. These are real people who are tramping around in the heat day after day. It's hot and dusty and extremely frustrating.

But they did it. When they took the step of faith, God honored it, and the walls of Jericho fell to the ground.

I ran across a quote from J. Hudson Taylor, a man of dynamic faith whose missionary efforts helped open China to the gospel. Time and again he saw God do amazing things in the face of hopeless circumstances. Reflecting on his experiences, he remarked that "there are three stages in any great task undertaken for God: Impossible . . . Difficult . . . Done." Here's one thing you learn whenever you start to do anything for the Lord: It won't be as easy as you think. It's not hard to see why we have unrealistic expectations. After all, when we work for God, our motives are lifted to a higher plane. We search the Scriptures, we seek godly counsel, we pray for guidance, and we believe God is pleased with our efforts. But things move slowly. What we thought would take weeks takes months. And sometimes months turn into years. Enthusiasm lags, we feel stuck in the mud, the curious become skeptical, and doubt takes dead aim at our faith.

Why should it be so? Couldn't the Lord set it up another way? Yes, he could—and sometimes he does. But often God lets us struggle and sweat so that we learn to trust him at a deeper level than ever before.

Sooner or later we all end up facing a wall of impossibility. The bad news is that it really is impossible. The good news is that God loves to start with an impossibility.

When God wants to do something big, he starts with something very small.
When he wants to do the miraculous, he starts with the impossible.

We'd rather start big and go from there. Not so with our Heavenly Father. He starts with the impossible and then turns it into reality.
 

Joshua and Jesus

And that brings me to my final point. The real battle of Jericho was not with the Canaanites. The real battle was in the hearts of the people of God. Would they believe what God had said? Would they risk public humiliation if the walls didn’t come down? Would they do what seemed absurd (from a human point of view) in order to see God do the impossible?

I love the little chorus that goes like this:

Faith, mighty faith
The promise sees
And looks to God alone,
Laughs at impossibilities
And cries, "It shall be done." 

Hebrews 11:30 says the walls fell "by faith." How will we face and conquer our own walls of impossibility? Where do we find the faith? If we move on to Hebrews 12, we find the answer. "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" (v. 2).

He is the author and finisher of our faith.
He starts it and he finishes it.
He's the Captain of our salvation. Keep your eyes on him.

Do you know the Old Testament name for Jesus? It's Joshua! That's right. The name Joshua means "God saves" in Hebrew. In Greek it was shortened to "Jesus" or "Savior." The Old Testament Joshua points us to the Lord Jesus Christ who leads his people to victory.

Keep your eyes on him.
Look to Jesus.
Follow him wherever he leads.

When King Jesus leads the way, the walls must come tumbling down. This is the word of the Lord.

Dads–Kids Will Treat Mom Based On Your Actions

By Dr. James Dobson

Where do children learn to think highly of their mothers? Who sets the pattern for their young minds, positioning Mom as a much-loved and respected member of the family—instead of being chief cook and scrub lady?

The best public-relations agent for Mom—is Dad. Fathers can wield tremendous influence over what children think of their mothers, or of women in general. Early in my marriage to Shirley, I learned that occasional irritation between us quickly reflected itself in the behavior of our children. They seemed to feel, “If Dad can argue with Mom, then we can, too.” I learned how important it was to express love and admiration for my wife, even when there were issues that we needed to iron out beyond their gaze. In short, my attitudes became the attitudes of my children, which I now know to be typical.

In a world that often discounts the contribution of women, especially homemakers, it’s up to us as husbands to say in a dozen ways, “Your mother is a wonderful woman! She works hard and she deserves tremendous credit for what she gives to us all. As far as I’m concerned, she’s number one!”

Kids will quickly recognize the respect shown by a father and reflect it in their attitudes and behavior. It is a public-relations assignment that only they can perform. 

Crossing Jordan

Crossing Jordan
Joshua 3

The Jordan River occupies a unique place in Christian music. For centuries poets and musicians have used the river to represent great spiritual truth. For instance, we have this Welsh hymn written by William Williams in 1771:

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s Destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.

Samuel Stennett of England penned these familiar words:

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan’s fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.

Then there are the spirituals:

Deep river,
My home is over Jordan.
Deep river, Lord.
I want to cross over into campground.

And this one:

I looked over Jordan, and what did I see
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.

Johnny Cash made this song famous:

When I come to the river at the ending of day
When the last winds of sorrow have blown
There'll be somebody waiting to show me the way
I won't have to cross Jordan alone

I won't have to cross Jordan alone
Jesus died all my sins to atone
In the darkness I see he'll be waiting for me
I won't have to cross Jordan alone

Finally, we have these familiar words:

And when my task on earth is done,
When, by thy grace, the victory's won,
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me. 

Joshua 3 tells the story of the crossing of the Jordan River. We can begin by asking an important question: Why does this particular river matter so much? The answer is that the Jordan River serves as a boundary marker. The people of God had to cross that river to enter the Promised Land. In fact, that’s the very first thing God said to Joshua:

“Moses my servant is dead. 
           Now then, you and all these people, 
get ready to cross the Jordan River 
           into the land I am about to give to them” (Joshua 1:2).

Joshua 3 emphasizes a great truth: God’s work must be done God’s way in order to receive God’s blessing. It’s not just getting across the river that matters. It must be done in such a way that God receives the glory. God will bless anyone who does his work his way. And that blessing will be withheld from those who think they have a better idea.

Joshua records the miracle of the crossing in seven steps. Let’s see how the story unfolds.

1) They waited three days.       

Early in the morning Joshua 
           and all the Israelites set out from Shittim 
and went to the Jordan, 
           where they camped before crossing over.
After three days the officers went throughout the camp (vv. 1-2).

Waiting may be the hardest discipline of the Christian life.
Most of us would rather do anything than wait.
Some of us would rather do the wrong thing than wait.

God makes his people wait in order to teach them that if he doesn’t’ come through for them, they will never make it on their own. We need to remember that truth. What would have happened on Day 1 or Day 2 if Joshua had decided to go ahead on his own? It would have been a total disaster.

Waiting time is never wasted time if you are waiting on the Lord.

2)  Joshua put the ark in front of the people.

“When you see the ark of the covenant 
           of the Lord your God, 
           and the Levitical priests carrying it, 
you are to move out from your positions and follow it.
⁴ Then you will know which way to go, 
           since you have never been this way before. 
But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits 
           between you and the ark; do not go near it” (vv. 3-4).

Joshua 3 mentions the ark of the covenant nine times. That means the ark is more important than anything else in the story. It was a chest with a gold top called the Mercy Seat. The ark contained the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded, and a pot of manna. It represented the gracious presence of God with his people.

The Lord instructed Joshua to keep a distance of 2000 cubits (about a half-mile) between the people and the ark. This emphasizes the holiness of God. If Israel truly wanted God’s guidance, the people must learn to treat the Lord with respect.

Note the reason given in the text: “Since you have not been this way before.” Let’s be clear on the main point: Only God knows where we should go. We make our plans, but God determines our steps. Everyone reading this message has some idea about the future. We have our hopes and dreams and our big ideas. But when all is said and done, only God knows which way we should go. That’s a crucial point because, like the ancient Israelites, we have not been this way before.

It is a great advance spiritually to come to the place where you admit how little you know about the future. You’re not as smart as you think you are, and neither am I. But that’s okay because Jesus knows where we are, and he knows where we need to be tomorrow and the next day and the next, all the way to the end.

3) The people consecrated themselves. 

“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you’” (v. 5).

To consecrate means to set apart as holy. In the Old Testament, it often involved external cleansing. The Jews were to remove dirty garments and replace them with clean ones. Why does that matter? Why should God care what the people wear? Outward consecration pictures the need for inner cleansing. You clean up on the outside because you need to clean up on the inside.

God is telling the Jews they aren’t ready for the miracle yet. God has work to do in them before he can do work for them. Is this the reason we don’t see more “amazing things” from the Lord? Are you ready for God to do “amazing things” in your life? Consecrate yourself by confessing your sins and rededicating your life to the Lord.

4) They crossed when the river was at flood stage. 

“So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest” (vv. 14-15).

This miracle happened during the spring when the snowmelt from Mount Hermon and other mountains raises the level of the river. If you’ve ever been to the Holy Land, you know the Jordan River is not particularly impressive. During most of the year, it is only 100 feet wide and 5-10 feet deep. But during harvest season in ancient times, the water stretched perhaps a mile across and 40 feet deep in places. When Jeremiah wrote about the Jordan River, he mentions the “thickets of Jordan” (Jeremiah 12:5), referring to the tangled growth of the willow and the tamarisk that formed an almost impenetrable barrier. During harvest season, the river plain became a vast marsh. You’ve got a raging current in the middle of the river, and then you have water that spreads out for nearly a mile, encompassing the thickets and creating an impassable barrier.

That’s the situation Joshua faced as he contemplated the crossing. There was no human strategy that would get the people to the western side of the river. But if they did not cross somehow, the Promised Land would forever remain out of their reach.

Joshua had no secret plan in his back pocket. The Jews didn’t know how to navigate the dangerous waters of the Jordan. They only had God’s promise, and they had the memory of what the Lord did at the Red Sea. But that happened 40 years ago. Could they trust God in this situation, as their ancestors had trusted when the Egyptian army had them cut off, and the Red Sea stood between them and their deliverance?

What does faith look like when we can’t find a way forward? Faith means trusting God when your circumstances make no sense to you. We all come to crisis moments sooner or later. The “how” is none of our business. God is not obligated to explain himself to you. He arranges life that way on purpose. What do you do when God hems you in? Keep your eyes on him!

5) The priests entered the water before the miracle took place.

“Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river’” (v. 8).

Suppose you are one the priests appointed to carry the ark of the covenant. That’s a high privilege and the greatest honor you can receive. You feel great about it until you hear the Lord wants you to go and stand in the river.

The raging river.
The overflowing river.
The river bounded by thickets.

That makes no sense. Why stand in the river? Why not stand near the river? What if the water washes you away? What if you can’t swim?

But there will be no miracle until the priests enter the water carrying the ark of the covenant. God arranged it that way so that their faith would move them from safety to danger. It was a test: “Anyone can trust me on dry ground. Will you trust me enough to stand in the water?”

It is the same for us today. There will be no miracle until we move. My favorite definition of faith goes like this: Faith is belief plus unbelief and acting on the belief part. Sure, we all have doubts. Who doesn’t? Nothing in life is certain. We pray and pray, but we’re not sure how things will turn out. If you wait for 100% certainty, you will wait forever. So how does faith work? God responds to those who partly believe, partly doubt, but take their heart in their hands and act on the belief part.

Why go into the water? If God wants to work a miracle, he can do it just as well when we are standing on dry ground. That’s true, of course, but God often asks us to do the impossible. When Jesus worked the miracle of feeding the 5000, he began by telling his disciples, “Give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). That was impossible. They found a lad with five loaves and two fish. That’s all they had, but that was enough. Jesus took the little they had and multiplied it until they fed everyone and had 12 basketfuls left over.

God routinely asks us to do the impossible, so that when it is done, he alone gets the credit. That’s what is happening here.

“You want a miracle? Go stand in the water!”
“That’s crazy, Lord.”
“Just do it.”

Remember, they don’t know what’s about to happen. When we read the story, we know how it ends so this may not seem like a big deal. But it’s all to their credit that the priests did not hesitate to obey the Lord.

6) The water stood in a heap.

“The water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off” (v. 16).

It’s early in the morning. Light streaming from the east fills the sky. The vast waters of the Jordan roll onward, the river standing between God’s people and the Promised Land. Two million Jews prepare to cross the river, not knowing how they will do it. Silence settles on the people as they consider the mile-wide river. The walls of Jericho shimmer in the distance.

A little group emerges and begins to march toward the river. The priests in white robes carry the ark of the covenant on poles resting on their shoulders. Everyone watches as the men come closer and closer to the water.

They march in a straight line. Down the bank they go, with the water flowing before them. As their feet enter the water, the river stops flowing from the north. It is as if the Lord reached down and turned off the spigot. It was a pure miracle of God. The water stopped flowing because it was heaped up at a place called Adam, approximately 17 miles north of the crossing. Meanwhile, the water to the south continues to flow into the Dead Sea.

This miracle happened after they obeyed, not before. If the priests had not stepped into the raging torrent, no one would have crossed that day. Only after they obeyed did the water back up in a heap.

How exactly did this happen? Perhaps the best explanation comes in Joshua 3:11 where Joshua calls God “the Lord of all the earth.” That’s the first time this phrase is used in the Bible. It’s a statement of God’s absolute sovereignty. When the Creator speaks, the Jordan River obediently rolls up in a heap. It’s as simple as that.

7) The entire nation crossed on dry ground.

 

“While all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground” (v. 17b).

If there were over 2 million people, it would take hours to get everyone across. But no matter. The miracle lasted until every single Jew crossed the river. No one was left behind.

We come to the end of the story in Joshua 4:17-18:

“So Joshua commanded the priests, 
           “Come up out of the Jordan.”
And the priests came up out of the river 
           carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 
No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground 
           than the waters of the Jordan 
returned to their place and 
           ran at flood stage as before.”

The miracle lasted as long as it was needed, and not one second longer. If a visitor happened to pass that spot the next day, he would see footprints stretching down to the river, but the river would once again be a mile wide. That visitor would have no idea what had happened the day before.

God had two specific purposes for this miracle. First, he wanted to exalt Joshua as his appointed leader (Joshua 3:7). Just as Moses led his people across the Red Sea, now Joshua leads their descendants across the Jordan. Just as God had been with Moses, he would now be with Joshua.

But there is a second reason for this miracle. It prepared the Jews for the battles to come. Very soon the people would embark on seven years of warfare as they conquered the Promised Land. When Joshua explained the miracle to the people, he gave this reason: “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites” (Joshua 3:10). If God can roll up the Jordan like a heap, the Hivites are a piece of cake.

Got Any Rivers

Let me suggest one final thought from this story. Until we yield ourselves to God, we are not ready for the miracle we need. Joshua had to give up any plans of his own. The priests had to have the courage to step into the rushing water. The people had to walk across the riverbed to get to the Promised Land.

Yielding means giving up our right to give God advice. It means when the time comes to move, we step out in faith, leaving the results in his hands.

When we dare to follow God, we will often find ourselves walking new paths. What God said to the Jews, he still says to us: “You have not passed this way before.” God’s command to his people is always, “Forward!” There will be new service, new songs, new ministry, new land to conquer, new people to reach, new prayers to pray, and new challenges to face.

Following God always leads us out of our comfort zone.

If you want some good news, here it is. When God calls us to move forward into the unknown, we need not fear because he is already there. God never asks us to go anywhere without going before us as we travel by faith. When we say, “God, I’m afraid of the future,” the Lord replies, “Afraid of the future? My child, I invented the future!”

Why be afraid of crossing Jordan when Jesus has crossed it already for us? He went into the dark waters of death and came out victorious on the other side. And that’s why “We won’t have to cross Jordan alone.”

There are moments when we may feel alone, but there is never a moment when we are truly alone. Just as the ark led the people of God into the river and protected them while they crossed over to the Promised Land, Jesus our Savior will lead through the darkest moments and bring us safely to the other side. When the time comes to die, he will not abandon us. Jesus will lead us home to heaven.

I began by talking about the Jordan River and the music associated with it. In 1940 Oscar Eliason wrote a song based on this story called Got Any Rivers. It goes like this:

“Be of good courage," God spake unto Joshua,
When o'er the river God pointed the way;
Jordan uncrossable! things seemed impossible,
Waters divide as they march and obey.

Chorus
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible
He does the things others cannot do. 

You may find yourself in a difficult place right now. You aren’t there by accident. The God who brought you to this place won’t leave you now. You don’t need to know what tomorrow holds as long as you know who holds tomorrow.

What should we do when we face one of those uncrossable rivers? Let’s do what the people did in Joshua 3:

Wait.
Trust.
Obey.

We wait because he’s God and we are not.
We trust because Joshua’s God is our God too.
We obey because God’s plan is always best.

If you’re backed into a corner, don’t give up.
Don’t run away.

Let’s go down to the river and see what God will do.

In Christ Our Lord,

Ted

Don't forget to order your copy of Keep Believing: Finding God in Your Deepest Struggles. It's available now from Amazon.
This week's special podcast is called Pastor Ray, I Have a Question, Part 2.
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Have a great week!

Ray Pritchard
Keep Believing Ministries
Shawnee, Kansas