Lena Journals to Joshua 23 (yesterday's passage)

What is life all about? Victory. God gets His through a people who want what He wants, they become one with Him and live for His will everyday of the rest of their lives.
I love how Joshua says, “I am now old…You’ve watched me live my life in “Christ””, all of my days!!!!
That is what life is about. Living everyday for God’s eternal plan. Growing up, and growing old as a person of faith in God. Then still have and leave some things for someone else to do, that you could never even take a whole lifetime of dedication to accomplish. Life is about having enough increase in Christ left after you, enough that you could not do it all, someone else who watched and followed you, just has to go for it, because they see too, what God had shown you, and want to also do His will, as well as, and even better than, you did His will!
To know there is victory for others also, after you, as they have had demonstrated before them a life of faith. A life they want and need to copy.
It’s kind of like WWJD, (What Would Jesus Do), we can also ask, WWWD (What would We – as sons and daughters and more than conquerors through Christ Jesus– Do?) We’ve seen, so we copy, what works. Joshua had worked the work of the ministry, he demonstrated his faith in God with an active life of progression in the spirit and of faith, and others were able to see and copy that if they so desired to. In their day Joshua was their living “savior” their “jesus”. WWJD applied to those who saw his life. Now we have the written word of God and the model of the son of God, who came to earth, we copy Him and others, as they follow Him now, and aim to do it well in our day. Of course if they trip or humanly fall, we don’t run over the embankment with them, we help them out that they may continue in faith once again. A trip or a fall, does not mean they can’t go on where they left off, necessarily.
How does one stay “on track”? Be very careful to follow all the instructions written in the Book
. Do not deviate from them in any way. 7Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or worship them. 8But be faithful to the LORD your God as you have done until now.
These are not nice suggestions. This is the way to walk in to have good success in the spirit, for we walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. These are the answers, not just good opinions to consider.
Association with people who are worldly will influence growth retardation to the spirit man. One who desires to walk in the ways of the spirit, must not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. One who desires to walk in the spirit, must train themselves to obey God.
Bad company corrupts good morals, is not a kind suggestion. It is a statement in the word of God, you can take it or leave it. If you decide to take God’s word you’ll live, if you reject it, you may die in your spiritual growth. Remember blessings upon growth in the spirit are based upon obedience.
We’d like to live as we live now, and just add a little of god or of good into the equation. This is not God’s way. God’s way is to change us from the inside out, but only if we are willing to submit to change. You either buy into the truth of the word of God or you don’t. The minute you consider God’s word a mere good suggestion, you’ve rejected it.
Whenever we hear the word, our posture within a heart of obedience should be, how do I begin to walk towards that and away from what I was doing, that really had no resemblance of that? Wow, I was so not living or thinking that way, I’m so glad I heard today how to live this way now. I really need to change. Thank you Lord for helping me to change.
be very careful to love the LORD your God
One must keep, as a keeper of a treasure, guards and keeps, his love for God. And for that matter, his love for anyone or anything, must be kept! Love is easily lost or given away or grows cold if not warmed by a passionate fire. That fire must be lit because you want it lit, or else it will automatically go out as elements work on the fuel of the fire. One must be careful, meaning count as valuable enough to keep, the love of God!
if you turn away from him and intermarry
what does that mean?
Marriage is a joining of two differences into one unit that works together, lives together, sleeps together, shares income, dreams, goals, eats food, has entertainment, rests, commits, etc….what or who are you intermarried to? Mixed up with? Joined to? Attached to? Committed too?
Just to give ya a heads up, not by option, but by principle. If you choose God’s words and commands as options, or just mere good opinions, this is what comes - the LORD your God will no longer drive them out from your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a pain in your side and a thorn in your eyes, and you will be wiped out from this good land the LORD your God has given you.
Ezekiel 18:20b- 24 Righteous people will be rewarded for their own goodness, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. 21But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my laws and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. 22All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.
23"Do you think, asks the Sovereign LORD, that I like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. 24However, if righteous people turn to sinful ways and start acting like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their previous goodness will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.
Our faith must be kept and must grow and never cease. We are not in a trial period of a faith walk to see if God will perform for us, we have given our lives to Him, no matter if He ever blesses us or not, ever.
We stand to lose all ground taken, if we ever let the enemy have a place. Give NO place to the d’evil (god of evil).
Say yes to God, no to the devil, and in this he will have to flee.
Don’t forget the “yes God” part 1st!