The Daily Word of Righteousness

Crossing the Jordan, #2

On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. (Joshua 4:14)

In the present hour the teaching of the Kingdom of God is as a mother in the pains of childbirth. The "Moses" gospel, which includes salvation and the baptism with the Holy Spirit (deliverance from Egypt and the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai), is blessed of the Lord and anointed wherever it is preached. But the transition to preparation for war is new and is not, in the sight of the Lord's people, as obviously blessed. However the teaching of the Kingdom, the reviving of the original Gospel message, is the will of God and the day will arrive soon when God's people everywhere understand clearly that it is time for the Church to move forward to inherit the Kingdom of God.

Satan and his hordes realize that their end is near and they are terrified. There is no reason for the saints to fear the enemy. We must remain watchful because the deceiver will tear down as many as he can. But when we are walking in the will of God, practicing righteousness, holiness, and stern obedience to the Father, we have power over all the power of the enemy.

And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. (Joshua 5:1)

The circumcising of the new generation reminds us that the present generation of Christians have not, in numerous instances, made a covenant with God. They have been told that the Lord Jesus is their servant, standing ready to give them whatever they desire. It often is true that they have not been instructed that they are the Lord's bondservants, that they must always be prepared to do whatever He asks to the point of laying down their life in His service.

Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. (Joshua 5:5)

The giddiness, smugness, false sense of security, self-centeredness, softness of today's believers is hardly scriptural. They have been taught they never will suffer (even though Christians in many countries today are being tortured and martyred). Their pastors are pampering them instead of warning them of the severity of the Consuming Fire of Israel.

The doctrine that God does not see the sins of Christians is so obviously unscriptural that one wonders if the pastors and their congregations have ever read the Bible. The present theology concerning grace and the Judgment Seat of Christ is in error—very misleading and morally destructive.

It is time for today's believers, particularly the young people (it may be too late for most of the older generation!), to make a covenant with God. God did His part on the cross of Calvary. Now each Christian who would go forward with the Lord must present his body a living sacrifice as his part of the covenant. This is the circumcision required today.

To be continued.