Shedding Former Things

But after the men were healed, God told Joshua, 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you'" (Josh 5:9).

God is calling thousands of people out of Egypt, out of their old lives of bondage. He's calling them to become new people, living out His plan for their lives in the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 

God wants Christians to take their places in the financial marketplace, the corridors of commerce, the capitals of information and entertainment, and the halls of government.

When the people of Israel crossed over the Jordan River and set foot upon the land of promise, God told Joshua to make flint knives and revive a ritual that had fallen into disuse: circumcision.

Get a Move On!

JOYCE MEYER

We keep going around the same mountains instead of making progress. The Israelites wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years making what was actually an 11-day journey. Why? Was it their enemies, their circumstances, the trials along the way, or something else that prevented them from arriving at their destination?

Defining Success The Measure of Success God Uses is Faithfulness

Nevin Bass

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Josh 1:8

Defining success is extremely important in any endeavor. It is the end product one is attempting to achieve that determines what objectives or goals are set to achieve “success.” Then objectives or goals determine methods and shape tasks. Right down the line to the smallest of processes and procedures, everything that is attempted finds its genesis in the definition of success. If one does not know what success is, one will not know when it is achieved. Many wander aimlessly through life, never reaching fulfillment or finding satisfaction because they have no goal. In this sense, our view of success is integrally associated with what we see as our purpose.

I believe that defining success is an essential element of a life of faith. To fail to allow God to define success in our life is to allow something or someone other than God to set our goals for us. If we do not surrender this task to God, we will begin a journey without direction. Every journey acquires a direction at some point even if it is uncertain or tentative. If God does not define success for us, somewhere along life’s path, either circumstances or others, or a combination of these will fix this target for us.

BREAD OF HEAVEN

John 6:34, "Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread."

JOHN 6:31-35

It is probable that these Jews were expecting Jesus to rain down manna on them the way God did before in the wilderness. After all, anyone who could feed five thousand men with one small lunch should be able to produce manna. They were still thinking of physical food.

The word "manna" means literally "what is it?" The children of Israel said, "It is manna: for they wist (or knew) not what it was." (Ex. 16:15) Manna was a nutritious food which appeared on the ground every morning shortly after the children of Israel left Egypt and began their 40-year wandering in the wilderness. Moses called it "bread which the Lord hath given you to eat."

The Lord, in speaking to Moses, called it "bread from heaven." It was small and round, like coriander seed, and was white in color or yellowish, like bdellium. The people, after gathering it, ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar, baked it in pans and made cakes of it. It tasted like wafers made with honey or fresh oil. It was gathered every morning and had to be used up that day or it would stink and have worms. An exception was on the sixth day. It could be gathered for the Sabbath and wouldn't spoil (Ex. 16:22-26).

Guiding Stepfamilies Through Wilderness Wanderings

Stepfamily ministry is about preventing the pressures and pecularities of the stepfamily home from holding people back from their Lord.


by Ron L. Deal


"I'm sorry. Your background and past might infect everyone else so we can't have you at our church."

How defeating! But that's exactly what the preacher said once he discovered John and Diane were remarried. Apparently the church they had been attending didn't have room for persons in need of healing, persons with a less-than-perfect history. And John and Diane were, indeed, less than perfect. Each had experienced the devastation of divorce and for a while turned their backs on the Lord. But now, while attempting to combine a new stepfamily, they were once again trying to accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Only their church wouldn't accept them.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could help. Why don't you try Southwest?"

So they did. But this time, they found a church ready to serve. They discovered a stepfamily ministry that taught them how to deal with their unique day-to-day struggles, and a body of believers willing to extend hands of mercy and forgiveness. Today, John and Diane are faithful followers of Jesus Christ and leaders in a dynamic stepfamily support group that is touching lives every day. "The Step-by-Step group has meant a great deal to my family and me," says John, "more than I could ever describe to you in words."

"We don't want you here."

For nearly three decades America has suffered under a plague of divorce and out-of-wedlock births. Later, when these same individuals marry and bring children with them, a stepfamily is born. Currently, one out of every three Americans is a stepparent, stepchild, a stepsibling, or some other member of a stepfamily.¹ And while soon there will be more stepfamilies in America than any other family type,² it's not uncommon to find local churches with a population of just 6 percent or less.³