JOSHUA

I'm in Chico, CA this morning.  I enjoyed preaching at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church last night.  Their pastor, Dr. Tim Ruehl is doing a great job.  I'm looking forward to taking a tour of their new gymnasium and family life center.  I'm in Joshua today.  One of my very favorite books.  A book of faith and courage.  A book of decisions and taking stands for God.  I love it.  Here are just a few short thoughts for today: 1) MEMORIAL- In Joshua four, the children of Israel took stones from the bottom of the river Jordan as they crossed it.  These stones were put into the bottom of the River Jordan where they crossed (vs. 9), and they were put upon the shoulders of twelve men (one from each tribe) and carried to where they camped that night.  These stones were placed in a heap, and called a "memorial unto the children of Israel for ever."  Now, that doesn't mean that the stones are still there, it means that what it stood for still stand!  It stood for God meeting their needs.  God working a miracle to get them to where they needed to be.  God supplying for the journey, even passage into the promised land.  Friend, God still stand for all of these things, and the Memorial still stands in our hearts for all of these things and more! 2) THEY TOOK THE CITY- Joshua 6:20 ends with that phrase:  "they took the city."  It is talking about Jericho, that great walled city!  They took it doing things God's way.  It did not seem logical to anyone, but obedience seldom does.  God made it work!  He will also do so today IF we do things His way.  Keep your Church pleasing to the LORD and He will bless it.  Keep serving God and He will bless you.  Keep focused on the things of God and the trials and temptations will come and go without harming you and your testimony.  Remember it was with God's help alone that "they took the city." 3. WHAT A TESTIMONY- Caleb said in Joshua 14:8, "but I wholly followed the LORD my God."  Wow!  I wish that could be said of me, but far too often, I'm not been all God wants me to be.  I'm grateful that the Holy Spirit has always brought me back to where I should be, but I wish I had never wandered for one day, one hour, one minute.  Caleb's testimony ought to inspire us all to "wholly"  follow the LORD.  Well, so much for today.  May God richly bless you and yours!! Pastor Mike Mutchler