Vol. 3/21 Graven images.

Throughout the books dealing with Moses, we see many references to "graven images."

It was very serious, in the sight of God, for HIS people to bow down to graven images.

Moses says:

Deuteronomy 4:9-10   Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear MY words, that they may learn to fear ME all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

The true religious experience is hearing the words of God, not seeing physical images.

Mostly today, when God speaks to us, it is in the form of a gentle thought brought to our minds by the Holy Spirit.

To hang anything physical on the wall and to try to make that stimulate you is to conjure religious sensations by religious devils.

We can see by the many scriptures forbidding the use of graven images throughout the Bible, that God despises graven images and so should we, HIS people.

Deuteronomy 4:11-19    And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.   And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

And HE declared unto you HIS covenant, which HE commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and HE wrote them upon two tables of stone.

And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.

Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:

And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

***

John 4:21; 23-24    Jesus says:  the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship HIM.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.

***

A man in our church group went to a religious retreat and when he returned he kept speaking of how wonderful it was at that meeting.

Finally I asked him what was so wonderful about it.

He replied,  "They had 3 large crosses at the head of the room and these crosses were covered with flowers."

In what way does this edify you and instruct you in God and in HIS ways?  It was all fleshly, devilish.  It is by the Word of God that we, the church, are refreshed in God and commune with God.

I Timothy 4:1-4    Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;  Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.  For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:  For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Some religious people practice a kind of "will" worship, worshipping the creation of their own will power by doing "penance" or by "refraining from eating some foods" to show they have will power and calling this religion.

Jesus paid for our sins.  By faith we accept this.  We do not do penance for our sins.  To do this denies the blood of Jesus WHO paid for our sins.  And by penance we are showing that we pay for our sins, not Jesus.

All these visual images in religion stir up fleshly emotions and are authored by religious devils and not by God.  To prove this, try to find such images in the Bible.  You will find there are none in Bible.  That is because they are of devils and not of God.  We should not do these things, worshipping devils.

Concerning will worship, the apostle Paul says:

Colossians 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in HIM:

Did you receive Christ Jesus by hearing a word or by seeing an image?  How did Paul receive Jesus?  On the road to Damascus Paul saw a great light from heaven and then he heard a voice speaking to him.  Acts 9   Moses saw a bush burning which was not consumed and then he heard a voice.  Exodus 3

It is the voice of God that turns us to God by the Word spoken through God.

When God created the heaven and the earth in the beginning, it was all created by the Word.  Genesis 1

Colossians 2:7-23    Rooted and built up in HIM (the Word), and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (the Word).

For in HIM (the Word) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

And ye are complete in HIM (the Word), which is the head of all principality and power:

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ (the Word):

Buried with HIM in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with HIM through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised HIM from the dead.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath HE (the Word) quickened together with HIM, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to HIS cross;

And having spoiled principalities and powers, HE made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

***

We hear the Word of God and we believe that Word we have heard is God speaking to us and by faith we enter in, clinging to that Word which we believe is God speaking to us.

We believe by the Spirit.  And God is a spirit, according to Jesus.  John 4

So why try to be religious and come to God through crosses and statues which are conjured by man and not the spirit.  

When something is spirit, you cannot see it by natural eyes, except when God sends an angel which looks like a man.  (Angels do not have wings.  Cherubs, a fictional object, have wings, but not angels.)

So if you can see it by natural eyes, it is not spirit but flesh.

Put away your graven images, crosses that hang on walls, statues which have been to you connected with religion in some form.  These are not of God but of flesh.  And such are forbidden by God as the scriptures show.

Exodus 20:4-5 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,

Leviticus 26:1   Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 4:23    Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee.

Deuteronomy 5:8   Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

Deuteronomy 7:5   But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

Deuteronomy 12:3   And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.

Deuteronomy 27:15   Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. 

Psalm 78:58    For they provoked HIM to anger with their high places, and moved HIM to jealousy with their graven images.

***

Any religious symbol you can see with your natural eye is fleshly and not spiritual.  crosses, medalions, statues, even church buildings

Those things made by the hands of men are secular and not spiritual.  

We, the people chosen by God, are the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

I Corinthians 6:19-20   What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

You don't have to say, "I am of God",  by wearing crosses of religious symbols.  In fact, some of the most vile men and women I've ever seen wear crosses around their necks, or through their ears.  I never understand why they do this.

And if you think it brings you luck to wear a cross or religious medallion, you are in serious trouble.  Hopefully these scriptures will show you what an abomination it is in the sight of God to make God into something man can see with natural eyes.

Therefore put away from you all your graven images and religious medallions and trust in the living God by HIS Word which HE speaks to you.

*****

Vol. 3/20 Moses dies. Joshua is to lead the people into the promised land.

Deuteronomy 31:1-3    And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.  And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.  The Lord thy God, HE will go over before thee, and HE will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said. 

6  Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, HE it is that doth go with thee; HE will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 

16  And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake ME, and break MY covenant which I have made with them. 

24-27  And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death? 

29-30  For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke HIM to anger through the work of your hands. 

30 And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.

***

Deuteronomy 34:1-5    And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. 

And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.  

So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.  

And HE (God) buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. 

And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

***

Deuteronomy 34:9-12    And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses. 

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, In all the signs and the wonders, which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.

***

What did Moses do?
Moses heard the Word of God and obeyed what God said to him. 

We are to do exactly the same thing.  We hear from God by HIS Spirit.  We know that by HIS Spirit we can know the will of God for us daily as we live on this present earth.  We obey what the Spirit of God shows us to do.  And we do the scriptures by the Spirit of God.

God has given us HIS Spirit. 

* The Holy Spirit teaches us all things.  John 14:26 

* The Holy Spirit reminds us of all Jesus has said to us.  John 14:26 

* The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.  John 16:13 

* The Holy Spirit shows us things to come.  John 16:13

*****

Vol. 3/19 Witchcraft, fortunetelling and superstitions of man.

I was watching television one day when they began to show The College World Series baseball game.  Almost immediately the fans of one of the teams was shown.  They were wearing bananas on their heads "for luck."  I could hardly believe what I was seeing them do!

They showed the dugout where the baseball players from this team were also wearing bananas on their heads for luck!  These were grown men, college level.

***

Several times, I have been at dinner with people when they began to click their drink glasses together, I think "for luck".  I just sit there and make no effort to join them as they do this.

***

On New Year's Day, in the United States, people often eat black eyed peas "for luck".

***

People often consider certain numbers to be "lucky" or "unlucky".

The 13th floor is often eliminated in certain elevators and buildings because of superstitions.

***

Superstitions are a type of witchcraft, thinking to bring luck, good or bad, upon a person.

I Corinthians 6:9-10   Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals), nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21   Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft (practicing superstitions), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

***

I see fans at football games on TV doing strange things with their fingers, thinking to curse the kicker on the opponent's team as he tries to make a field goal or touchdown.

Football players often cross themselves for "luck". When things go badly they don't seem to recall that crossing themselves didn't have any positive effect at all.  There is no power in making the sign of the cross on yourself, because God didn't tell us to do this thing in the Bible.  It is just a superstition some men added to the gathering of the church.  To practice such things not told us by God in the Bible is to practice a form of idolatry.  For that is what idolatry is:  To put things into the church which are not specified in the Bible and to cause church goers to do such things.

There are many superstitions in the churches today:  lighting of candles, setting up graven images, crossing yourself with "holy water"(not in New Testament), wearing of religious medallions and crosses 

***

I find it shocking to see Christians going to graveyards to decorate graves!

My cousin's husband died.  She told me she was going out to cemetery to decorate Thurman's grave.

I replied, "Why?  Who are you trying to impress?  Thurman is asleep and can't see you, so who is it you are trying to impress?"

She grew very quite as she thought about what I said. 

Then she said, "Then it doesn't matter where we are buried."

"That's right!"  I replied.

***

The pagans of today's world do many strange things.  We, as Christians, should think about that which we are doing, conforming ourselves to scripture.

The apostle Paul said:

I Thessalonians 4:13-18    But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 

Lazarus died.  Jesus told HIS disciples that Lazarus "sleepeth".  The disciples thought this meant Lazarus was taking his rest in sleep and they thought this was a good thing.  Then Jesus said plainly to them,  Lazarus is dead.  (John 11:14)

Death is simply a falling asleep.  And when Jesus returns, those in Christ will be awaken by HIS voice and by the trump of God, and they will arise from that sleep and be with Jesus.

We, who are of God, believe in the resurrection of the dead through Jesus.  Therefore we have no need to sorrow over death as the pagans of this world, who have no hope, sorrow.

We do not participate with them in their foolishness.

We have been freed by God from such things.

We do not cling to the past.  We do as Paul said to do.

Philippians 3:13-15   Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: 

***

My mother delighted in horoscope books.  Each month she purchased the new horoscope magazine and read my horoscope to me.

After I was born again, I visited her home and when I opened the cabinet in her kitchen, I saw a set of horoscope mugs that I had given her before I was born again.

I got a bag and began removing those mugs from the cabinet.

My mother saw me doing this and said, "Stop.  What are you doing?  I want to keep those.  You gave those to me."

I didn't say a word.  I just filled the garbage bag with the horoscope mugs.  Then I took them to the dumpster in the alley, broke the mugs, and left them in the dumpster.

I returned to the house and took a Bible and read the following scripture aloud to my mother.

Deuteronomy 18:9-14   When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

***

After I read this to my mother, she said, "Then I guess we'd better not do that anymore."

I'm certain my mother was born again when she accepted the truth of God's word in this matter.

After leaving for the city where I lived at that time, I received a letter from my uncle.  He said to me, "Your mother has changed.  She has really changed!"

That is what being born again is about.

II Corinthians 5:17   Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

*****

Vol. 3/18 Blessings and curses.

Choosing the blessings of God:

Deuteronomy 28:1-14    And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all HIS commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

New Testament church:  Doing the word of God, especially doing the scriptures in the New Testament

2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and HE shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

(God will bless us in the place HE has set us.)

The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto Himself, as HE hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in HIS ways.

And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.

And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

I read these scriptures concerning the "blessings" many times during the years I was a new Christian.  I believe these scriptures helped me to observe a "fear of the Lord."  (respect for the Word God spoke to me.)

Psalm 111:10   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do HIS commandments: HIS praise endureth for ever.

***

There are many scriptures we can follow and bless ourselves and others by doing this word.

Here is one of those scriptures:

Ephesians 4:29    Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

* a corrupt communication:

- something dishonest:  usually for personal gain.  To flatter a person by saying something you do not believe, would be an example of corrupt communication,

- something that is perverted from the truth of God:  to excuse sin to make a sinner to think will of himself in his sin would be corrupt communication.

- corrupt communication would be a worldly talk which would provoke the listeners to hatred. Political communications concerning governments of men often do this.  Taunting a person who supports another sports team would provoke evil.

*  that which is good to the use of edifying:  

Edify means:  to build in the faith in God

Correction in the way of God is certainly edifying for it has the power to turn a person to God when there is error in that person's way.

*  minister grace unto the hearer:  

If I say this, will it cause that person to think on God?

So if we set these as our goals and use such when speaking to another person, we will be doing Ephesians 4:29 which bears fruit to God.

This is very different from the worldly saying:  "If you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all."  For the people who go by this often end up being a friend to the evil by allowing the evil to surface without rebuke from the Word of God, and they often make themselves of great reputation because they please other people and people think them to be great.

Instead we are going to bring edification to build that other person in godliness.

Another scripture which bears fruit to do, if we do it, is as follows:

Philippians 2:5-8    Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

To make yourself of no reputation does not mean to go about in false humility but in modesty and truth of God.

* Women often try to make themselves of reputation by their dress and make up, their physical appearance.  Paul wanted godly women to dress modestly, not trying to draw attention to themselves.  (Titus 2)

*  People at work try to exalt themselves and show "their own wisdom" to gain position over others.  They try to be clever, drawing people to themselves.

Paul said: I Corinthians 2:1-5   And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

There are many scriptures for us to do.  

When a scripture is called to your attention, that is the time to focus on that scripture, thinking about it's application, and doing that scripture in a godly way, bringing blessings on yourself and on others.

***

The curses:

Deuteronomy 28:15-25     But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.

Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken ME.

The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.  The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

(There are many other curses listed in Deuteronomy 28.)

***

I know of a man who gloried in his own wisdom.  He frequently spoke of how brilliant he had been in dealing with opponents.  This man acquired the disease Alzheimer's in his 70's and became a fool.

Herod gloried in his own wisdom and the following was the result:

Acts 12:21-23    And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

***

Deuteronomy 30:19    I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 

*****

Vol. 3/17 Choosing the ways of life over the ways of death.

Critical choices come before us.

Proverbs 16:25   There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Sometimes the people closest to us recommend to us the way of death.  And our own flesh certainly enjoys the ways of death.

In 1980, after I went on radio, my pastor, Robert Tilton, Word of Faith church, came to me and said, "Joan ... you need to get Michael Ellison Advertising Agency to represent you.  They can do you a lot of good."

(At that time Ellison represented Kenneth Copeland, Marilyn Hickey, Robert Tilton, and had been representing Jimmy Swaggart.)

I didn't realize there were such agencies until Robert Tilton recommend them to me.  Then I found almost every "big-time" radio/TV minister was represented by an advertising agent.

So I became a client of Michael Ellison Advertising Agency.

It wasn't long before they, the agency, began telling me things to do which I felt were contrary to the things God had instructed me.

* Put "send me your prayer requests" on all my printed materials.

* Never say anything on your radio broadcasts which might offend anyone.

* Before sending any written materials, get our approval on that which you say.

* Change the name of your ministry from Jesus Ministries to Joan Boney Ministries.


That which God had instructed me:

* Concerning prayer:  The people pray directly to God through Jesus Christ.  When I said I wouldn't ask for "prayer requests", the advertising agent said:  "Well ... you're missing a good bet.  When people ask for prayer, they usually put some money in the envelope."  I knew I could never pray correctly over large numbers of prayer requests anyway.  I wouldn't even consider trying such a thing.  It was all fund raising.

* Concerning offending people by the Word I would speak:  Before I ever went on radio or spoke to church groups, God had taught me to speak what HE gave me to speak at the time I was speaking.  I didn't plan things in advance.  God taught me to spend my time reading Bible and doing things of the scriptures and when I got in front of people speak that which was called to my mind by the Holy Spirit.  That is what I continue to do.

And God had me spend a good deal of time in scriptures such as the following:

Ezekiel 2:3-8    And HE said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against ME: they and their fathers have transgressed against ME, even unto this very day.  For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.

And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

And thou shalt speak MY words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.

But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

Ezekiel 3:7-11    But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto ME: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.  As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

Moreover HE said unto me, Son of man, all MY words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.  And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

Ezekiel 3:17-21   Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at MY mouth, and give them warning from ME. 

When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 

Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 

Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

So I was very careful, and still am, to speak everything God gives me for the church.

The apostle Paul said:  I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, ... Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.  (Acts 20:20; 26-27)

*  Concerning gettting approval of man before I deliver a message:  

God had given me several judgment messages which I spoke on my radio broadcasts.  In Seattle, the radio station manager was waiting for me outside the room where I was meeting with radio audience.  He said to me,  "Joan, you have many good messages.  Just speak those messages.  If you continue to speak these judgment messages, I don't know what is going to happen to you.  We might have to put you off the air."

The Holy Spirit rose up inside me and I replied, "George ... if I don't speak the message I believe to be from God, then I don't have a message and I may as well be off the air."

*  Concerning changing the name of the ministry:  When we filed our federal papers with IRS, we had to have a name for the ministry.  I selected something like, "Word of Life Ministries", but this name was already taken by someone else.  We tried two or three other names but they, too, were taken.  So I prayed, asking God what to use for a name for this ministry, and I heard the following over and over:  "The name which is above all names ..."  I said to God, "Oh, no!  YOU are telling me to name this ministry by the name of Jesus?"  I knew the name of Jesus would be an offense to many. But I knew that was what God was telling me to name this ministry.  So we named it "Jesus Ministries", and when we filed papers in Texas, no one else had used that name for their ministry.

After approximately 4 months, the advertising agency threw me out.

I was devastated, thinking I had failed.

God gave me this scripture to show me what had really happened when I would not do any of those things the agency told me to do.

Matthew 4:8-10   Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM only shalt thou serve.

***

Moses charges the children of Israel:

Deuteronomy 4:1-14   Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you. 

But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord MY God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon HIM for?

And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather ME the people together, and I will make them hear MY words, that they may learn to fear ME all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

And HE declared unto you HIS covenant, which HE commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and HE wrote them upon two tables of stone.

And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.

***

Concerning graven images and other similitudes:

Deuteronomy 4:15-16   Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:  Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,


17-18    The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,  The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:

19   And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

***

Deuteronomy 4:23-24   Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which HE made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

***

Deuteronomy 4:25-28   When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke HIM to anger: 

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. 

And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you.

And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

***

Deuteronomy 4:29-31   But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 

When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto His voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) HE will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy

fathers which HE sware unto them.

***

New Testament concerning those who turn away after they have been enlightened to God's truth:

It is extremely serious.

Hebrews 6:4-8    For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put HIM to an open shame.

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Hebrews 10:26-31   For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

For we know HIM that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto ME, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge HIS people.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

II Peter 2:20-22    For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

So what hope is there for repeated offenders since there is no more offering for sin without crucifying afresh the Son of God?

It might be in I Corinthians 5,  where Paul tells them to turn them over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord.  I think you turn them over to Satan by putting them out of the church.  Here is what Paul says to do if any person who says he is a brother does sins of fornication, covetousness, idolatry, drunkenness, extortion, or railing.  You certainly must not allow them to sit there in the church with you if they turn their backs on the Word of God and do these sins after they are born again.

I Corinthians 5:1-13   It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:  Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.  11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

(We do not judge those without the church, those of the world.  But if they call themselves a Christian, we do judge, if they are committing these sins listed in verse 11.)

But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

***

Deuteronomy 4:35-36   Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside HIM.  Out of heaven HE made thee to hear HIS voice, that HE might instruct thee: and upon earth HE shewed thee HIS great fire; and thou heardest HIS words out of the midst of the fire.

We certainly hear HIS voice and HIS words today by HIS Spirit who brings to our mind the will of God in the matters at hand.

38-40   To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.

Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord HE is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

Thou shalt keep therefore HIS statutes, and HIS commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever.

*****

Vol. 3/16 God leads them to begin to take the lands HE has given them.

Deuteronomy 1:8   Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

***

In 1975, when I was born again, I looked at scripture, such as the above, and took it very personally.

I believe God has set the "land" to which HE has called us before us.  It is there.  We just have to enter in.

We wait until God speaks to us by HIS Spirit and we do that which HE says.  

One step leads to another.  

And I once heard this:  "One step at a time.  One step at a time.   It is enough."

We simply take that step.

And even at my current age, 82, the land is still set before me!

In November 2019, I heard:  "Read the Old Testament."

This was a very gentle thought that came into my mind.  Then the same thing came a few days later and even once again.  

When I began re-reading the Old Testament, I felt very happy and strengthened in faith.  Then I realized I should share it on our blog.  I began doing that.  Then I become more intense with that which I was reading and realized this should be offered to all people through books on Amazon.  It wasn't long before I saw this would not be one book or even two books but would be volumes of books using the examples of the Old Testament as a springboard to the New Testament and more insight for us in God and HIS ways.

So we simply begin today obeying that which we hear from God or focusing on that scripture that stands out to us as we read, and we obey that, and move on to the next step.

No matter how old we are, we go forward.

Our land is set before us.  We enter in by obedience and action.

***

Deuteronomy 1:17   ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: 

Do that which you hear from God, that which is right in the sight of God.

I Corinthians 2:9-13    But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

The Holy Spirit searches the heart of God to know the will of God for us.  And the Holy Spirit shows us the will of God for us.

So the key is to listen for that which the Holy Spirit speaks and do that.

You might wonder, "HOW"?

Everything is done by faith in God, in God's plan for us, as set forth in the Bible.

God showed me the Holy Spirit that is in me would do the following things for me.

John 14:26   But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

And I believed that.  

The Holy Spirit searches the heart of God and knows the will of God for me.  The Holy Spirit will teach me all things, secular and spiritual.  The Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth in all matters, one step at a time.  The Holy Spirit will remind me of that which Jesus says so I can know what to do or what to say at that specific time.  And the Holy Spirit shows me things to come.

And I began living by that when I was born again in 1975, and I continue to live by that by following the Holy Spirit to this day.

And I prayed for wisdom.

James 1:5   If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

I needed wisdom in all things.  I needed wisdom when I read Bible, so I wrote, "Pray for wisdom," on the title page of each chapter in my Bible, at that time, to help me to remember to do this.

I owned a small business, American Indian Arts.  I certainly needed wisdom for my business.  Before going out to the reservations on a buying trip, I prayed for God to have the Indian artist make the items I needed for my shop.  When I got to the reservations, I prayed for God to give me wisdom in that which I should buy.

I believed what God said in the Bible and I did that and I depended on God rather than depending on myself.

Here is an amazing story:

I went into business before I was born again, although looking back I do believe God was leading me even then, concerning my business.

A woman wanted to put money into my business and I allowed her to do this.  It was only about $6,000.

After I was born again, I read the following scripture:

II Corinthians 6:14   Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:

I wanted to get free from this business yoke with this unbeliever.

So I prayed, asking God to help me to get free.

I went on a buying trip.  I always paid cash for merchandise, never buying more items that I was able to pay for.  I felt God had shown me to get out of debt and to stay out of debt.  I had done that except for the money I owed to this one woman.

On this buying trip, I came across an old Navajo rug which intrigued me.

I knew nothing about rugs.  My knowledge was in jewelry and that is where we made our money at the business.

But I couldn't walk away from that rug.

So I bought it for $500.

I took it to a rug appraiser and she said to me:  "Joan ... hang onto this rug.  It is worth about $1500 now but it will be worth much more later.  So price it at a price where it will not sell."

The day after I got back from the buying trip, a man came to look at jewelry.  That rug was rolled up and at the side of the room.

The man said, "What is that?"

I explained that it was just an old Navajo rug which I had brought.

He said, "How much?"

I replied, "Five-thousand-dollars."

He said, "I'll take it."

I was very shocked and tried to talk him out of buying this for I had overpriced it.  He insisted and wrote out a check.  There was nothing I could do.  

But I said to him, "I'm going to keep your check for a week and if you change your mind and want your money back, I will give you your check back."

I never saw this man again.

I cashed his check at the end of the week and paid off the debt I had to  the woman who was an unbeliever and I operated the business debt free, buying only the merchandise I could afford to pay for in cash.  I operated the business for the next four years or so, until the time I closed the business to go into the ministry.

Then I sold all the merchandise and paid my apartment rent and other bills until God showed me to go on radio six-months after I closed my shop.

And today, I need wisdom from God before I write anything.  I am praying asking God to show me how to begin the writing and asking God to lead me in what to say.  I depend second by second on God as I am writing these exhortation.  Otherwise I couldn't do them.

***

Believe the Word of God and do that which is appropriate to believing.

Deuteronomy 1:21    Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

30   The Lord your God which goeth before you, HE shall fight for you, according to all that HE did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

***

35-36   God said:  Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers.

Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord.

I could see that is what we must do.  Follow each Word given to us by the Holy Spirit.

I really set my goal to do that.

It is still my goal and it is still what I check:  "What did God tell me about this?"

The faith I have is built on that which God has said to me.

***

Deuteronomy 1:38   God said to Moses:  But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

***

The children of Israel have been sentenced by God to wander in the wilderness for 40-years before going into that land which God has promised to them.

God is still leading them but they cannot go into the land until all of the men who were 20-years-old and upward have died.  This is because of the evil report returned by the 10 men who searched out the land.  Numbers 13 & 14

That which we choose to do can have serious consequences.

I realized this by these examples so I was careful in that which I allowed myself to believe and to speak to others.

We can control that which we believe by making ourselves focus on that which God has said, and also by prayer, asking God to help us.

***

Deuteronomy 2:1-5   Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the Lord spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days. 

And the Lord spake unto me, saying, Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

Esau was the brother of Jacob.  Genesis 25

Esau was the father of the nation of Edom, the Edomites. 

***

Deuteronomy 2:7   For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: HE knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing. 

They were in the wilderness where there was no food. Because they were following God to that place in the wilderness, God gave them manna to eat.

When there was no water, God caused water to come from a rock to give water to more than a million persons and to all their animals.

When they came upon bitter waters, God told Moses to throw a tree into the water and the water became drinkable again.

They lacked nothing, though they followed God into a wilderness.

We, who follow God today, are in the same position of lacking nothing.

(If you think yourself to "lack" ... begin praying, asking God to lead you and to restructure your thoughts if needed ... and follow that brought to your mind by God's spirit ... and follow scripture, especially in the New Testament, doing those scriptures in so much as you are able.)

The Lord is my shephard, I shall not want.  Psalm 23:1 

If you "want" something.  Perhaps you are wanting for the wrong thing.  If it is the will of God for you, it will happen as you follow the Word of God step by step, allowing God to recreate you into HIS image as you do the Word.

I can definitely say I have "no want" at this point in my life.  But I also know I've been carefully following that which God showed me along the way, even to this present point in time.

I did not compromise in fear, but held on to that which I believed to be right in the sight of God and right in my own heart, when there was no way visible to me, allowing God to bring it to pass.

I've found that most people follow their own thinking and wisdom of man. 

They say, "The Lord is my shepherd," while they are making someone else their "shepherd".  

***

Deuteronomy 2:8-9   And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab. 

And the Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.

***

Deuteronomy 2:14-19   And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord sware unto them.

For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.  So it came to pass, when all the men of war (those Isralites who rebelled against God) were consumed and dead from among the people, That the Lord spake unto me, saying, Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day: And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.

***

Deuteronomy 2:24-25   Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. 

This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

Many people who come across my path saying they are Christians, are afraid of me, for I speak to them what I hear from the Spirit of God at the time I am with them, and they are going another way by the flesh of man, and the conflict in the way they live frightens them when I speak to them.  They come around me but then avoid me, all because of the Word which I speak and the conflict of their flesh.  Most people who say they are Christian live in ways of this world.

***

At this point, the children of Israel have been in the wilderness for 38-years.  God begins to prepare them to take the land HE has given them.  They have to destroy the people living in those lands.

God did not allow them to take the lands of the descendants of Lot or Esau.

But the other nations, God destroyed through the children of Israel.

These nations had other gods and did abominations in the sight of God.  

(As we speak the Word of God, we shatter and destroy their idols.)

Moses was appointed to die before they entered that promised land.  He did not get to enter with the children of Israel because he had failed to sanctify God when God told Moses to smite the rock and give water to the children of Israel.  But God did let Moses see the promised land from the top of the mountain. 

3 of the tribes of Israel chose to take land on this side of Jordan because the land was good for cattle.  They would settle their wives and children who were under 20 and leave them on those lands while they crossed Jordan and fought and helped their brethren to take the lands they would inherit on the other side of Jordan.

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Deuteronomy 2:30-36    But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.

Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

And the Lord our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:  Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

36     there was not one city too strong for us: the Lord our God delivered all unto us: 

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Deuteronomy 3:1-5   Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

And the Lord said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.

So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.  And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

5 All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.

When they went in to search out the land which God would give them, the 10 men who rebelled saying they could not take the land said "there were high walls" about the cities.  We see by above that these high walls were no problem for God. 

Sometimes we think there is a problem but to God there is no problem and when we see through God's view, we can know that which we feared is not to be feared.

The Reubenites (the tribe of Reuben) and the Gadites (the tribe of Gad) and the 1/2 tribe of Manasseh chose lands on this side of Jordan so they left their wives, children and cattle to go fight on the other side of Jordan to help the other tribes to possess that land promised them by God.

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Joshua was the man chosen by God to lead the children of Israel into the lands given to them by God and to destroy those who currently lived on those lands.

Moses charges Joshua:

Moses says:

Deuteronomy 3:21-22   And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the Lord do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you.

The same is true for us today.  It is God who fights for us in our battles.

Hebrews 13:5-6   Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for HE hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.   So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

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Moses pleads with God, asking God to let him go in and see the land.

Deuteronomy 3:26-28    But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. 

But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

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Even if our sins are forgiven, sometimes there is a penalty for those sins.

Obedience to God is a building block for us.  As we obey and do that which is right in the sight of God, often other doors open as a result of that obedience.

Joshua and Caleb wholly followed the Lord and there was reward following.

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