A Fresh Start with God - Joshua 1:1-9

By Kemi Olubiyi
Originally posted on sermon central.com
08/17/2008

At some point in time, most of us have been through one trial or the other in our lives and have been able to overcome them by the grace of God. However, there are some of us who are still passing through tough times and are wondering when it is going to end. I am here to tell you today that no matter what you may have gone through in the past, all you need to do is cry out to the Lord and believe that He can deliver you out of your situation. He is ready to do that by giving you a fresh start filled with His blessings. In Joshua 1:2, God was telling Joshua that it was time for him to take his position and look to new things ahead. He had to leave the past worries, sorrows and pain he may have been feeling probably over the death of his mentor and spiritual leader, Moses and whatever fear he might have had, behind and look ahead to the future. His word states in Joshua 1:5, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee meaning Joshua can completely trust in the Lord for his today, tomorrow and future.

Joshua needed a fresh start just like a lot of us do today. God was opening up a new chapter in his life, one of success and prosperity Joshua 1:8, but to tap into God’s blessings, he had to be obedient and allow God to lead him as well as believe that the Lord can make all things new. It is very easy to dwell on past failures, hurts, and disappointments but when God is done with your past, He is ready to give you a new start, you have to open your heart to receive the change God is making in your life.

We as believers need to trust the Lord to do a new thing in our lives. For according to His word in Isaiah 43:18-19, He is doing a new thing in your life, and it is currently springing forth, Can’t you perceive it? For you to recognize what He is doing in your life in the time of difficulties, you have to believe that God alone can deliver you from that situation. In verse18, He clearly states that we should not remember the former things nor consider the words of old for He knows that if you continually dwell on the past, it will surely hinder you from moving forward. As a result of dwelling on the former things, you are not in agreement with God for change in your lives, and this can delay Him from moving the way He wants to.

Some years ago, I was in a really bad place, I had just ended a 31/2 year relationship, and my finances were a mess during that same period. I was so sure there was no solution to my situation, and even though I was a believer, I had allowed doubt to come in. Despite the way I felt, it didn't stop me from earnestly crying out to God to deliver me from the heartache and the financial issues I was facing. The Lord hearkened unto to my prayers only after I had made up my mind to believe that He can do it. God finally spoke to me through the vision of the night (dream) and not only that He then confirmed it later through my pastor to prove that the message came from Him. I had never mentioned to my pastor about the dream until after he revealed to me what the Lord had spoken concerning me. The Lord had declared that my time of mourning was over, and He was opening up a whole new chapter in my life. It was going to be a modern-day filled with joy and happiness. True to His word, the vision manifested months later, it was awesome to see God move in my life. Not up to a year after that, I got married to an awesome man whom I had known most of my life. In a beautiful wedding ceremony surrounded by friends and family members was a dream come true and a year later we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. It was followed by a job promotion, a new house, and the list goes on .. I felt like I was dreaming up the whole thing, for it was indeed a period of joy and laughter in my life Psalm 126:1-2. Our God is indeed faithful, and there is no situation He cannot change, but you have to let Him by calling upon Him in prayer and believing by faith that it is done.

I have also seen how the Lord has moved in the lives of fellow believers, friends, relatives over the years. He has healed marriages that appeared to be hopeless, and He had blessed sisters with the fruit of the womb ( children), these are women that have been waiting for their miracle for several years. Even with the bad economy today, some people I know have been able to buy homes, start businesses so on and so forth, God is moving in the lives of so many of His children, and you need not to be left out. My prayer is that some of you still passing through one affliction or the other will open your hearts to receive what God has in store for you. Believe the Lord for a fresh start this year; it is not too late for Him to intervene in your situation for the year, 2008 has been labeled as a year of resurrection, regeneration and a new beginning. In the Old Testament, the Sabbath lasted for seven days and the 8th day was the Lord’s day, the modern day. The number 8, also represents Jesus Christ and the new covenant. It is time for you to cry out to God for a change for He wants to bring new things into your life that will cause you to shout for joy and glorify His name. Even though, you remember your past and all that you have endured, do not dwell on it, for it is not God’s will for you and it is not even healthy for your body and soul. Do not be afraid to release and walk away from what God is finished with for He is indeed faithful to bring you into a new day, starting anew with His goodness and mercy, following you every single day of your life. Trust God for a "fresh start" today and allow Him to transform your life.

Shalom

Forgiving Others

New Living Translation version (NLT) used for Bible Verses

By Kemi Olubiyi

Have you ever been hurt by a spouse, friend, colleague, family member etc ? If so, you are not alone. I believe most of us, believers and non-believers alike, can honestly say we have been victims of hurt, betrayal and also have been the wrong-doers too.  Regardless of what the situation may have been that created the pain, God wants us to forgive so that we will also be forgiven our sins.  Luke 6:37.

Forgiving others can be quite difficult to do because it goes against our sinful human nature, and the Lord knows this. However, because we are God's children and ambassadors of Jesus Christ on earth, we are to lead by example; and so He has provided directions in His word on how to forgive as well as why it is important to do so.

Below are 12 scripture verses I have put together to help you break the stronghold of unforgiveness over your life, opening your eyes to the truth and reasons why you should not harbor bitterness, in your hearts.

1).  Mark 11:24-25  - " I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. ²⁵ But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too"

The Lord is telling us to forgive others so that our sins will be forgiven and our prayers will not be hindered as a result of bearing a grudge.  (see vs 24).

2).  Colossians 3:13 -" Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

Let us be conscious of the fact that no one is perfect, we all have fallen short of His glory, thereby struggling with weaknesses every day.  The tendency to hurt one another whether intentionally or not, is great and so therefore, we must forgive others because God forgave us first.  It is not an option.


3). Matthew 6:12-15 -  "And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation,but rescue us from the evil one.¹⁴ “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

We can forgive others because forgiveness is a decision, it is an act of obedience unto God.   The Lord has also assured us that when we forgive others, our heavenly Father will also forgive us; but if we refuse to do so, our sins will not be forgiven and that will surely affect our relationship with Him.

4).  Matthew 18:21-22 - "Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” ²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!<sup>"

We should be ready to forgive others over and over again i.e continuously no matter the offense committed against us.</sup>

5)  Luke 6: 37 -  “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

Forgive others and you will be forgiven.  We have been commanded to do so.

6). Ephesians 4:32- " Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

God has forgiven us first through the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and so therefore we have to forgive others as well.

7). 1 John 1:9 - " But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."

When we confess our sins to God, He has assured us that He will not only forgive us our sins, but will also cleanse us from not some but all wickedness. It is like starting afresh on a clean slate with God.

8). Matthew 5: 23-24 -  “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴ leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation is so important to God that He is saying that before He can receive any kind of gift or offering from us, we need to make sure we make amends with anyone whom we have offended or vice versa and then with a clean heart, we can offer our gifts unto Him. Ofcourse, in some cases, we may not even know someone may be bearing a grudge against us, it is for us to now examine ourselves and ask the Holy Spirit through prayer  to reveal if there is anyone we may have offended, and then go make peace with the person..


9).  Isaiah 43:25  - “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

God chooses not to remember our sins. He has made the decision not to bring them up again even though He does not forget as it confirms in the latter part of the verse " and will never think of them again."  Why? Because of the blood of the Lamb that was shed to redeem us from our sins and His love which covers a multitude of sins.

10). Acts 7: 59-60 - " As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Regardless of the gravity of the offense committed against us, we must forgive those who hurt or harm us.  It is for the Lord to judge their actions. Stephen in this verses, displayed God's love even at the point of death by petitioning Him to forgive the sins of His persecutors and oppressors.  Whether God does or not, Stephen has obeyed the Lord's commandment to love and pray for our enemies.  "But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44.

11). Luke 23:33-34-  ^"When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”  

 Like Stephen, but in a greater capacity, even at the point of death, our Lord Jesus Christ petitioned God for mercy for those who had tortured Him to death.  This just showed how much God loved us that He gave His only begotten son to die for our sins. Without even waiting for repentance, Jesus beseeched His Father to forgive His persecutors.

12).  Romans 12:17-20-  "¹⁷ Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ¹⁸ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Instead “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

God is telling us to never retaliate against our offenders but instead, we should report the matter to Him and allow the Lord to handle it in His own way. Our God will always fight for us.
All we are required to do is obey His words i.e not harboring bitterness, grudge, malice against the individual.  He commands us to love our enemies and repay evil with good  for in doing that, we will cause them to feel shame for their actions which may eventually bring remorse, leading them to seek forgiveness. It is the Lord' plan that we try to live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18


Why should we forgive?

1.  We should forgive for Christ's sake:-   When we became born again, we became a new creation, a new person.  We are reconciled back to God through Jesus Christ.  II Corinthians 5:17-18

2. We should forgive for the sake of others :-  God proved His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.  He forgave and loved us first not because we repented or deserved it.   Sometimes God allows others to hurt or persecute us in order to create an opportunity to display His immeasurable grace in that situation.  The offender may actually refuse to repent  or apologize for his or her actions but it is then that the power of forgiveness through the Holy Spirit  becomes a reality in our lives, given us the ability to forgive that person and reconcile him or her back to God. So sometimes we may be used as a vessel in God's hands for the sake of  bringing restoration to a person's  life.

3). We should forgive for our own sakes :-  Forgiveness brings about liberty (freedom), which enables us to enjoy the peace of God. It liberates us from the stronghold of unforgiveness which is a sin. Romans 6:16.  Our prayers and blessings are not hindered because we have chosen to live a life of obedience Psalm 66:18.  Unforgiveness, just like any other sin is disobedience and can cause us to be separated from God forever if we refuse to repent, thereby missing heaven because He cannot behold iniquity(sin, evil). Habakkuk 1:13,  therefore beloved, we need to forgive and let go of the hurt and bitterness because being separated from God is not worth it at all.


 In conclusion, I just want to state that no matter who have caused you pain, heartache, sadness etc, be it your spouse, loved one, boss, colleague, pastor or the sister in the church etc, You must forgive because God has commanded us to do so over and over again in His word.  It will definitely be difficult to do, but with God all things by His Spirit is possible as long as you surrender all to Him.  It is a decision that you have to make whether you feel like it or not and it will be beneficial to your life as you have seen in His word and as it has been stated in the previous paragraph.

Sisters, Let His word encourage you and begin to heal your wounded heart today.  do not delay your blessings any longer. God wants you to live a victorious life and the only way to do that is to be totally obedient to His word and He will surely bless you richly.

Shalom.

Where the Wrath and Love of God Meet

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26, English Standard Version (ESV)

By Dr. Charles Stanley

In our culture, sin is no longer considered an issue.  Although some people might admit to making mistakes or being wrong, few will actually say, "I have sinned." The Lord, however, takes sin very seriously.  Until we learn to see transgression as He does, we will never understand what happened at Christ's crucifixion.

 The cross was God's perfect answer to a terrible dilemma.  Because the Lord is holy and just, He hates sin and must respond to it with punishment and wrath.  Yet He also loves sinners and wants to be reconciled with them.  The cross of Christ was the place where God's wrath and love collided. 
  The only way to rescue fallen mankind from eternal punishment was to devise a plan whereby the Lord could forgive sins without compromising His holiness.  There was no way to overlook transgressions; His wrath had to be poured out- either on us or a substitute. But there was only one possible substitute: the perfect Son of God.

  So Jesus came to earth as a man and suffered the Lord's wrath for us as He hung on the cross.  Sin was punished, divine justice was satisfied, and now God could forgive mankind without compromising His character.  His wrath was poured out on His Son so that His love and forgiveness could be lavished upon us.

Because of human limitations, we'll never grasp all that happened while Jesus hung on the cross.  We can begin to comprehend only the physical suffering He endured, but in the spiritual realm, Christ bore so much more - the  very wrath of God.  This costly redemption plan proves God's great love.

True Worship

" But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.    God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. "  John 4:23-24  ESV

By Kemi Olubiyi

For me, true worship indicates total surrender to the One who created me and has my life in His hands. The Source of all goodness and all things. The one true God! 

What does true worship mean to you? Before we go further, let us see what the world defines "worship" to be. 

Define "Worship"

According to the New Illustrated Webster's Dictionary, worship is defined as " The act or feeling of adoration or homage; the paying of religious reverence as in prayer, praise, etc. It is referred to as excessive or ardent admiration.

The highest purpose for which man was created was to worship the one true God who created us in His image and likeness. (friends we were created to worship God and find fulfillment in Him). However, when sin came into the world through our first parents, man's heart became corrupt; thereby, the strong desire to yearn for more caused human beings to seek other things to occupy the place in their hearts meant for the Almighty God alone. This eventually led man to begin to worship other gods, worship things & people, practice occultism, and directly or indirectly serving Satan, who desperately craves man's worship ( worshipping the creation instead of the Creator). 

As we can see throughout biblical history, the Children of Israel were chastised by Jehovah God often because of their worship of Idols, thereby disobeying God's commandments in Deuteronomy 5:7-9, which states " You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not bow down to them or serve: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God". Deuteronomy 5:8-9 ESV

Worship is a fundamental purpose of the Church of God because we are God's chosen people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood 1 Peter 2:5,9, and as a result, He demands true worship from His people. When you, as His child worships Him wholeheartedly, you are saying that He is the only one you look unto for your dependency because you know that apart from Him, you are nothing and can do absolutely nothing.

True worship begins in the heart of a believer for as we recognize His awesomeness in our lives; it brings us peace, which surpasses all understanding, rest, and joy that only He can give. True worship reveals how much we love the Father, and as a result of that, we see God's move in our lives. 

It is the ultimate intimate experience that is beyond human understanding because to worship the Father truly, the flesh has to be crucified, you can not genuinely worship Him with mere flesh, it is only through the spirit which you are also made up of that you and I can worship Him in the beauty of His Holiness. Psalm 29:2.

Worship changes the outcome of events in a believer's life quality time is spent in praise and adoration to Him. It becomes a lifestyle that everyone around you becomes quick to notice because you are often seen offering thanksgiving to the Lord, glorifying Him even in trials and difficulties. A True worshipper can effectively win souls for the kingdom merely through a lifestyle of worship and gratitude. Those around them see and recognize that indeed this is truly a son or daughter of the Almighty God. 1 Peter 3:1-2. Every believer should live a life of worship and thanksgiving, unto God for even in Heaven; He is continuously worshiped and adored by the Angels, etc. how much more we created for the sole purpose of worship. Rev 19:4-5, Isaiah 6:3-4.

True worship is about living a holy life, set apart for God alone. You cannot worship any other but the Father. It is alright to shower praises on Man for his good works and even give honor to whom honor is due, but as believers, "worship" belongs to the Almighty God alone. We are to worship the Creator and not the creation.

Satan, our adversary, knows the power of worship in a believer's life, and that is why he wages war against God's people day and night to destroy our relationship with the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. He seeks the worship and praise of man so much that we can see what he has done or brought about in the world, since the beginning of time to obtain it—i.e., false religion, murder, sexual perversion, deception, wars, etc.

Our genuine worship of God has the power to bring about tremendous changes in a believer's life. The deeper you worship, the greater the difference you encounter. I can testify of such changes at different periods in my life. When I spend quality time in His presence, at times, I all of a sudden feel the need to worship Him, ignoring the human desire to "ask" for something I want or need. I begin with songs of praises, which eventually lead to worship. Because praise produces worship, it automatically invokes God's presence, and you begin to feel the Holy Spirit taking over. At that point, I am usually helpless. By the time, I am back to myself; there is this assurance I get in my spirit that all is well, I feel this overwhelming peace and joy that comes over me, and it's like the Lord is telling me that He has taken care of everything and I should just say " Thank you." It does not happen to me all the time, but things begin to work for my good when it does. I begin to see prayers answered to situations that have been pending for a long while.

Even in a church gathering or fellowship, you will see God's hand at work, especially during times of praise and worship. I have witnessed and heard of many cases where instant healing and deliverance takes place once the congregation begins to worship the Lord. The pastors or speakers cannot preach anymore; it's like he or she becomes speechless. Friends that is the Holy Spirit at work is why it's essential to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's move because if you hinder Him, He will not be free to do what He wants to do at that moment in time. The Ministry of Music is also critical in the body of Christ. God's presence comes down so much during times of praise and worship, and so even without the laying of hands, you begin to see miracles taking place in the lives of people and many also giving their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ during times of worship and praise.

Just for clarification purposes, worship is not just about singing to God, and it is not about a public display of your affection for him; it goes deeper than that. True worship has to do with everything concerning your life. I mean by this that it involves the total surrender of all that you are and all that you have. Recognizing that everything you have, your children, spouses, material things, job, business, education, etc. all belong to Him. Surrendering all that you have and are to Him is the act of daily worship. The late Dr. Myles Munroe put it this way" true worship means to ascribe credit of all things to Him (GOD). That means your talents, gifts, skills, and everything else (as mentioned earlier) must be accredited to the One who gave it all to you. 

True worship has the power also to bring about victory in a believer's life. It brings about the victory from bondage, from the hands of their enemy, from sin. II Chronicles 20 is one of my favorite examples in scripture of how God works on His people's behalf when we worship and adore Him. King Jehoshaphat and all the people of Judah knew that they would not be able to defeat their enemies without God's intervention. The king cried out to Jehovah God for help, and He assured them that they would be victorious and instructed them accordingly.

In addition to obeying the Lord's instruction, King Jehoshaphat felt the desire to show gratitude to the Lord for what He was going to do and what the king did. Along with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, the king immediately bowed down and worshiped the Lord God and continue to do so even until the next day.  The Lord approved their praise and worship and instantly gave them victory over their enemies. It was recorded in biblical history that Jehoshaphat was a good king who did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight. How many Kings did the Lord give such a favorable report about? Very few! May the Lord remember us for good in Jesus' name.

Beloved, I admonish you today to worship the Lord with all your heart because He seeks true worshippers that will worship Him in spirit and truth. John 4:24. God wants us to live a life of holiness to enjoy being called His Sons and Daughters. The time will come when all the ends of the earth i.e, the whole world shall remember and turn back to the Lord, and all the families of nations shall worship before Him. Psalm 22:27-28. ESV

Why don't we, who are already chosen and called to be His children, show the world first that we are indeed true worshippers of God, fulfilling the purpose for which He created all humankind?

Let us, therefore, examine our hearts today. Are you worshiping the Lord like you are supposed to i.e., in spirit and truth? If your answer is no or I am not sure, it is time to repent and decide today to spend quality time in His presence, offering continuous thanksgiving and praises to Him. He will take you to a deeper level in your Christian walk when you do so.

Beloved, A heart of worship will surely transform your life!

Shalom.