October 14, 2020
Joshua 6
I have a great book. It was written by a pastor and it used the story of the City of Jericho and the modern Church, it is titled “Faith is the Victory.” He explains how the modern Church, would have not done as Joshua but would have seen the value of such a great City of people who were so sophisticated and wealthy, and the Church could learn a lot from them. Pastor Kazee, was not only a Pastor, Bible Teacher, but also a Conference Speaker and Writer.
Let me share a little of the book. “The Israelites face Jericho, a city walled and fortified beyond all power of the chosen people to penetrate its walls. They are now at war with the enemies of God. I have seen many people who thought that when we surrender our lives to God our troubles will then be over, and we shall find calm, peaceful existence from thereon. By all means no! This is the day when we cease to be babes in Christ and become soldiers of the
Cross. Israel has been a babe in the wilderness; now the new era dawns: they become soldiers marching to conquer a land inhabited by the strongest and most warlike tribes on earth. The war has just begun for the believer who makes complete surrender.
But it is a new kind of fighting, with a different kind of result. In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul says: “Fight the good fight of faith.” The battle of faith is a struggle, not to do, but to believe that God will do; to gain the ground of faith when, from all earthly evidence, it looks impossible that a promise can be fulfilled. The battle is always pitched on the question, “Can I believe exactly what God says?”
Pastor Kazee, goes on to give an example of how the modern church of today might have done. “But I cannot help wondering what might have taken place here if Joshua had been a modern expert in plans and methods of church work. He might have said: “Well, indeed, I am glad you have come along; (speaking of the angel who is over God’s army) we shall need you. However, you are a little early. We have much to do before we are ready to attack.
“You see, Jericho is no mean city. Its citizens are modern in their life and customs. They are cultured and educated and very efficient in their way of life. Our people are just out of the wilderness, and they cannot, in their condition, hope to make any appeal to a city like Jericho. We must set up our tabernacle here, but we must make many changes. We must study the most modern ways of life as lived in Jericho and must revamp our whole system to meet their needs, so that we may not insult their intelligence. Our people are poorly prepared to do this. All they know of religion is the old out-molded system of sacrifices and offerings, and we have been over and over it again, doing the same things, saying the same things, singing the same old songs, until we are ourselves worn out with its monotony. Jericho is a city of great musical talent and art and culture. Our system would make no appeal to them. This keeps going with many great examples of the modern church, but I am so glad that Joshua was a man who believed in God, and did what God told him to do. If you are not in a church where the pastor is that kind of man, why are you there?
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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