Spirit Inspired writing

Please join us as our church members share their hearts about God and the bible. 

  • The only perfecT LAMB

    Debborah Dale

    Here lies the weight of sins shadowed deed,

    A fleeting peace, flocks of lamb's bleed.

    A fragile veil, a whispered plea,

    To hide the stain, that we could never flee. 


    The silent bleating, soft and low,

    Could only mask, could never know.

    The darkest vast, the gulf so wide,

    Where guilt resides, and hope has died.


    The covering frail, a transient grace,

    Could not erase our fallen place.

    A constant need, a shadowed fear, 

    Of judgment's call, drawing ever near.

     

    Yet, Love descended, pure and bright, 

    The Lamb unblemished, bathed in light.

    No temporary cloak He wore,

    He took the darkness, evermore.


     "It is finished," echoes still,

    Across the years, upon the hill. 

    The risen Lord, in victory's might,

    Dispels the shadows, claimed the night.


    His grace, a boundless, endless sea,

    Surpasses sin's immensity.

    Not blind forgiveness, but a love

    That lifts the soul, to realms above. 


    So rest in hope, though shadows loom, 

    His light will pierce the deepest tomb.

    For in His death, and rising might,

    We find redemption, pure and bright.


    He wrote our names with tender grace.

    In the lambs Book of Life He will never erase.

    A promise sealed in perfect gold. 

    Our salvation the precious gift we hold.

  • Woman at the Well- John 4:4-42

    Jack tsushima

    John 4:4-42 The woman at the well


    1 John 2:25-29 Promise of Eternal Life

    Why did the Jews and Samaritans dislike

    each other. There are a lot of disagreements between the two. They range from spiritual, ancestry, they believe that they have the correct version of the Pentateuch, where to worship, etc. In fact in John 8:48 they accused Jesus of being a Samaritan. 

    Samaritans only use the first 5 books of the Bible the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) is called what the Samaritan Pentateuch. 

    Samaritan’s say Deuteronomy 27:4 was changed by the prophet Ezra so that it would be Mount Ebal to worship and not Mount Gerizim where the Samaritans worshipped.

    Sometimes we think that Jesus would not be like us. The approximate distance from Capernaum to Jacob’s well or Sychar is approximately 55 miles. Now Jesus travelled by walking. It probably would have taken about 3 days at best. Jesus could have travelled 20 miles a day. With all that walking I’m sure that He was in pretty good shape, but I am sure that He got tired. I think He would never get tired, but after all He was a man and would have. So when He got to Jacob’s Well He would have sat waiting for the Samaritan woman. He had an appointment with her not to her knowledge.

    The women from the village would get the water from the well in the cool of the day. She was there the sixth hour(noon). Also it was a social event for them to talk to other women of the village. She was an outcast with her own people. That was why she went in the afternoon when it was hot to get water. She had 5 husbands and was living with the sixth man who was not her husband. So she went to Jacob’s Well by herself. She was ostracized because she was breaking the law of Moses living with a man that was not her husband.

    Now Jesus was ostracized from the people of His time not because of sin but because He was the Messiah, the Son of God, He healed people on Shabbat, He done and said things that only the The Son of Man would say and told people that. On top that they thought that He was illegitimate. The religious community (Pharisees, rabbis, Sanhedrin, etc) thought He was breaking the religious law. They thought Jesus was a rebel and a heretic. The people from His own home town people shunned Him. So Jesus could relate to her because He was going through things that she was going through. She was rejected by everyone but not by the Messiah. Not only that but more. He had to be lonely beyond belief.

    She had excuses ready of what Jesus was going to tell her. John 4:17-19. She did not want to talk to Him about religion. So she changed the conversation from what Jesus was talking about living water to giving her water so she wouldn’t thirst again and carry water from the well. Isn’t it amazing how good we are at changing the subject from what makes us uncomfortable to something of our own choosing. But Jesus flipped it right back again to get back on point. He is absolutely brilliant how He went back to the subject He wanted to talk about. As Christians we sometimes lose track of where we left off. Consequently the maneuver pays off and the person we are talking to gets what they want and that’s not talking about what is uncomfortable to them. 

    The verses when the woman changed the conversation to avoid talking about the sin in her life, I don’t think she thought it would go there. But Jesus brought her back to God’s law and to live and worship Him in spirit and truth. The life of unrepentant sin kept her from living and worshiping God in her heart(her spirit). She also was not keeping her life in accordance with God’s law(the truth). God’s requirement for His people to worship Him and to do it in spirit and truth. We need to align ourselves with His truth and if sin goes unrepented it keeps us from worshipping with the spirit(the heart).

    In John 16:13 Jesus in short simply tells us that the Holy Spirit will guide us through all the truths. The Holy Spirit makes it uncomfortable for us not to talk about our sins to the Father. It is easy for us to change the subject and get away from talking to Him about our sins. We feel like we have gotten away from addressing our sins and diverting it to someone else’s sins. That is what we sometimes do. But our Father gave us an out clause a get out of jail free card and that is Jesus Christ. He died on the cross and took the punishment for our sins. All we need to do is to confess and repent of our sins and claim that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. The Son of the living God. We need to worship Him with

    God’s gift to us and that is we can repent of our sins. That is all because His Son died for our sins. In her case, Jesus confronted her with the truth of her lifestyle and the unrepentant sin that kept her from worshipping Him with her heart(her spirit). Spirit is “pneuma”

    it is breath it is air. Pneumatic tools powered by air.

    The Samaritans used the first 5 books of the Old Testament and nothing else. From Joshua to Malachi and all the New Testament they do not use. Deuteronomy 27:4 Samaritans claim that Ezra changed it so that the holy mountain would be Mount Ebal instead of Mount Gerizim. That is why the woman at the well had issues with Jesus. She said by the Jews that the only place you can worship was in Jerusalem. Jesus told her that it did not matter where you worship because there will be a time and that time was now that Samaritans, Jews, and Gentiles would all worship together. The Father is searching for those who worship Him in spirit and truth. All different people worshipping God as one church by the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.

    Living water is the Holy Spirit. 

    We need to do things with Spirit and Truth (our heart and soul).

    We often times find ourselves thinking or doing something not for the right reasons. We do it because it seems to be the right thing, getting out of doing something, or it’s easier, etc. It doesn’t make us happy. We do it without any conviction. We do it just to get by. If we have the Holy Spirit leading us and our heart is in it, we will do it with passion. It is hard to start but like they say anything worthwhile doing is difficult to start. Holy Spirit needs to guide us.

    As for truth, Jesus did not just teach truth and be an example of His teaching, but He was Truth. John 14:6 Jesus say “ I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 8:32 says “ and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free. 

    She said to Jesus that she knew the Messiah was coming and when He does He will tell us all things. Now these people have been waiting thousands of years for that to happen, so she was pretty confident that was as far as it was going to go. Then Jesus told her the thing that would clinch the deal saying “I who speak to you am Him.”

    We have all been the woman at the well at times. We have been alone, we have been without any hope, we have been lost, we have been overwhelmed with grief, we have had no

    one there for support. We forget that Jesus has always been there for us. We have never been alone. Just like the woman at the well. She was thought that she had no hope, but Jesus Christ came is and rescued her. The Son of the Living God, our Redeemer, our Savior, our God, and our Friend Jesus Christ will always be there whenever you are in need. Just remember that you will never be alone.

    One last point, the woman at the well. What was important to Jesus was the one. Like the one sheep, the little girl who died, the one man who gained his hearing and speaking, the woman who was bleeding, the one Pharisee(Nicodemus), raising Lazarus from the dead, each of the 12 apostles, and many others. The one was important. Just like you and me. You are very important to Jesus. He died on the cross and rose from the grave for you. You are special to Jesus.

  • Faith Like children- Matthew 18:1-5

    jack tsushima

    Matthew 18:1-5 Faith like little children


    The apostles like any other human being had faults. Whenever we work through the world and not through God we always sell ourselves short. One of the things that we as humans desire is acknowledgement, acceptance, respect, etc. With the 12 apostles the green eye jealousy reared its ugly head. We think that these 12 people would be above that, simply thinking that they were chosen by Jesus. They were just human beings and had faults. Later on James, John, sons of Zebedee known as the sons of thunder, and their mom asked Jesus if they could sit on the right and left of Him in Heaven. He told them and their mother they do not know what they are asking for. We often do not know what comes with asking for something. It comes with consequences. 

    Jesus in the following 4 verses talks about having faith as little child. I believe Jesus was not only chastising the apostles but warning all of mankind. The apostles happened to be the ones who were responsible at that time for the examples that He was trying to eliminate. He was trying set the example of the innocence of children and their view of life. As children, they hunger for God’s truth. They absorb every word that is said in the scripture and try to live it. Children are easily teachable. They rely, trust, and count on their parents for everything. That is what Jesus wanted from His disciples. And not only children, but baby Christians as well. Some of the things that they say are truly remarkable. Matthew 21:16 says, “ Out from the mouths of babes and nursing infants You have perfect praise.” As a child we don’t crave ambition. We kind of live for the moment. They want to know that they are loved, appreciated, and hunger for God’s word. He wants us to throw our selfish ideas, pride, covetousness, things of the world and get back to absorbing God’s word. He wanted us to get back to the basics. That was serving God and loving one another. John 12:43 says, “ for they love the praise of men more than the praise God.” It’s really easy to critique the apostles from here in Anza 2000 years ago. I am sure I would be in the middle with them back then. Jesus just wanted them to love, believe, trust, and have faith God and the Son. That would have been enough. Accolades is not what they needed. It was just like the Pharisees and the way they would pray. They made a spectacle of themselves. They put on a show to prove how religious they were. They were of the world in doing so. Jesus wanted the apostles to count on Him.

    Jesus came to the world to rescue us from sin. From the time of Adam to the point in time with the apostles and including the present time. Jesus came and died on the cross for all of mankind’s sin. Then rose from the grave to complete our salvation.



  • Lamb of god- john 1:29-34

    jack tsushima

    John 1:29-34 Lamb of God. 

    What comes to mind is, “Does John know that Jesus is the Messiah and when does he know it.” When I see these passages, I feel that he doesn’t know that Jesus is the Christ. It’s a little odd to me that John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of world” when he saw Jesus walking towards him. That was verse 29 and yet he said later in verse 32 that he saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove and He remained around Him. He says in verse 33,” I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ Verse 34 then John says that, “And I have seen and testify

    that this is the Son of God.’ It is not till then that John recognizes and acknowledges that Jesus is the Messiah. Going through this process I think that this was a confirmation for John that Jesus was the Messiah that he was waiting for after John baptized Jesus. 

    While looking up how John would be able to recognize Jesus as the Savior the term Coram Deo comes up. According to Got Questions, Coram Deo a Latin phrase coming for the Vulgate meaning “before the face of God”or “in the presence of God.” That verse is in the Latin Vulgate Psalms 55:13 (Psalms 56:13 modern translations.) It says, “For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God [Coram Deo] in the light of life.” Matthew 11:2-they 6 shows that someone was in doubt. John sent 2 of his followers to Jesus to see if He was the coming One or were they to look for another. Did John send the two followers because he was unsure or were the followers unsure? I guess we won’t know until we talk to Jesus.

    And what about the idea of baptizing with the Holy Spirit. John says only the Messiah would do that. Luke 3:15-16 says that he, John, will baptize with water but there will be One greater than John who he would be unworthy to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. In John 14:16-18 talks about the Father sending a Helper that will be with you forever, who is the Spirit of truth that the world will not receive because it does not see or know Him, but we as believers know that the Spirit will dwell with us and be in us. He will never abandon us.

    John recognized that there was one coming that he was preparing a way for. John was not the Christ, nor Elijah, not even a prophet. He was just making way for the Messiah. He was preparing those for the Messiah. One who they have been waiting thousands of years for. Jesus was there hope. He was not the conqueror of the Romans that they thought nor was He a warrior, but the conqueror over sin and death. He was going to die for our sins. He was not a warrior then, but in Revelation He becomes a Warrior.

    John shows great faith in God to help him acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord, the Savior, the he Son of the living God, part of the Trinity, and the One that the people of that time and we now know that He was and is the One that we have waited for.

  • Rise up- matthew 28:1-20

    Jack Tsushima

    Matthew 28:1-20

    Rise up

    There was a little discrepancy on the four Gospels concerning the women that were at the sepulcher. But it is as law enforcement says that if witnesses testimonies are exactly the same then the stories has been rehearsed. There needs to be some variances. That is why the credibility of this is so good. 

    Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (mother of James and Joseph in Matthew account) were there. In Mark’s writing he also added Salome (mother of James and John and the wife of Zebedee), Mary (wife of Clopas), and Joanna (wife of Chuza who was the household manager of King Herod Antipas) . All of which had a part in being at the tomb when the body of Jesus went missing. They were there with spices to anoint the body of Jesus. 

    Now in John 19:39 talks about Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were secret disciples of Jesus. Nicodemus and Joseph, with their importance in the Jewish faith, protected Jesus whenever they could. John 7:50-52. 

    Joseph was the one who went to Pilate to take His body to Joseph’s tomb. Along with Nicodemus they wrapped Jesus’s body

    with strips of linen and spices (about 100 pounds of myrrh and aloe mixture).

    Mary Magdalene (along with the other Mary) were the first ones to the tomb. Now when this event happened before or during when the two women were there, a great earthquake occurred. An angel clothed in white descended from Heaven and rolled away the stone from the opening. The angel told them that the body was not there and that Jesus was alive. There were guards that protected the opening who witnessed the event. Matthew 27:62-66. When the earthquake happened the guards were so terrified they could not move. Finally the guards recovered from shock and ran to the city to tell the chief priests what had happened. The chief priests bribed the guards and told them to say that they (the guards) fell asleep and that the disciples stoled Jesus’ body. Saying this would squash the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, giving the chief priests the false narrative that they needed. This shows man’s sinful nature to lie to keep power and to spread falsehoods to protect their religious standing and destroy the claim that Jesus was the Messiah and that the event did not fulfill prophesy. There are various scriptures talking about how the Pharisees envied and hated Jesus. Luke 19:36-40, John 12:19, Mark 14:10, and Matthew 23. In Matthew 23 it talks about how the chief priests wanted praise and glory among the people and how Jesus showed the hypocrisy of religious leaders. Jesus taught and showed the people the truth of God. The religious leaders wanted to be put on a pedestal, they didn’t want that position to be God’s, they didn’t want a Messiah. Just as long as the hope of the Messiah would come they would be content with that. It is not so different of what is happening in today’s churches. There are church leaders who believe the same as the leaders of old. They like being on the pedestal.

    In the mean time Mary Magdalene and the other Mary discovered the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. Mary Magdalene ran back to tell Peter and I presume John about what had happened and that someone had stolen the body. So they ran back to the tomb. Mary stayed behind crying. Two angels in white appeared and then Jesus appears next to her. One angel was sitting where Jesus’s head would have been and the other was sitting where His feet would have been. The significance of this detail goes back to Exodus 25:18-22 where cherubim of gold at each end of the mercy seat. The place where the angels are positioned at the tomb suggests the atonement for sin and that’s Jesus fulfilling the action by the resurrection and claiming our salvation. 

    Now the two angels ask why Mary is crying. She said that someone has taken the body and she doesn’t know where they have put Him. She turns around and sees who she thinks is a gardener. Jesus asks her why she is crying and who is she looking for. She said that if he has taken Him would he tell her where He is and she will go get Him. Jesus calls her by her name and then she recognizes Him and calls Him Rabboni (meaning teacher). She started hugging Him and Jesus told her not to cling to Him because she had things to do. He told her to go tell the brethren because He would be ascending to the Father soon. She went and did what He told her to do.

    How many people witnesses Jesus alive after the Crucifixion? There was Mary Magdalene John 20:10-18, the women who went to the tomb Matthew 28:1-10, Simon Peter Luke 24:34, Cleopas and another disciples on the road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-35, the disciples several times John 20: 19-23,20: 26-28, 21:1-14, James 1 Corinthian 15:7, 500 believers 1 Corinthian 15:6, the apostles two times Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:4-9 , and later Saul who was on his way to Damascus Acts 9:1-19. 

    The final three verses, (Matthew 28:18-20) known as the Great Commission, talks about what Jesus wants them ( not only them but us ) to do with what they have learned by being with Him by His ever presence in their lives. Philippians 2:7-11 is a great scripture to read talking about Jesus’ faith and how He earned the authority not only here on earth but in Heaven as well. Matthew 28:17 talks about when He appears to them on the mountain and some did not believe that it was Jesus. The apostle that is said to have doubted Jesus’s appearance is Thomas (Doubting Thomas John 20:24-29). Now some of the commentaries say that others may have doubted as well. 

    We sometimes forget that these apostles were just ordinary humans. Coming back from death just doesn’t happen. That’s the way we think. It would have been hard to understand that Jesus appeared to them alive. I know I have said that, it’s too good to be true and I need more proof. But this was Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the One Thomas witnessed miracles happening, the One he had been praying and waiting for thousands of years, the Son of the Living God. This is the One. Sometimes it is unfortunate that we waste time and energy in unbelief especially when we know the truth. Thomas knew the truth. Thomas traveled with the Truth and didn’t believe in it until he was shown.

    Matthew 28:18-20, talks about the Great Commission and what Jesus wanted them and us to do, but also to know. The authority that He was given was over Heaven and earth. This means that Jesus is in control over all. They were to go out and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord over all throughout the world. Making disciples of everyone and baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Teaching those who are believers old and new to obey the things that have been taught to the apostles. 

    And to know that Christ Jesus will be with them always. 

    Remember that this commission was not just for the apostles, but for everyone who is a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether you are a new or old believer, you are commissioned to obey Matthew 28:18-20. Whatever struggles we are going through, we have the assurance that He has dominion over all. Not only our faith in His teachings, but His divine authority as well. Jesus defeated sin and death and in doing so, we should have the confidence that He is sovereign over all. And do not think Thomas was the only one who had struggles with faith in Jesus. I think all of us have a little Thomas in us. I know I do unfortunately. Just think Thomas did not have all the information that we have now. We are living in a crucial time this very moment. With the Covid 19, perpetrators not being accountable for their actions, life is not sacred, and right is wrong and wrong is right, people no longer have any hope in anything. We as Christians have the hope and this great opportunity to reach out to those who are not believers and put them on the right course. There is a good chance someone reached out to you. It happened to me. Now is a great time to pass what happened to you forward. Jesus Christ is our Lord, Savior, Son of the Living God, and Friend who came to die for our sins and rise up from the grave on the third day to defeat death. Keep proclaiming God’s message that He has commanded us to give because we were put in these situations by Him. May God give you the boldness with this commission.

    Got Questions

    Studylight

    Bible Gateway

    Gospel Coalition

  • Faithful friends- Mark 2:1-12

    Jack tsushima


    Mark 2:1-12, Matthew 9:1-8, Luke 5:17-26

    I think it is important when studying the Bible, in a case like this, where there is more than one description of the same event. It is important to look at each account so that we can get a better understanding of what God is trying to tell us. 

    The story of the healing of the paralytic man, is one where not only Jesus’s miracle of healing, but the incredible faith of his four friends, scribes and Pharisees how Jesus addresses them, and the amount of people the who came to hear Him teach

    Mark 2 was the only account that named Capernaum the city that He was in. Matthew 9 calls it His own city and Luke 5 does not acknowledge the city at all. He just says that the Pharisees and teachers came from every town in Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem. One commentary (Renner Ministries) said that the house that they were in was Simon’s (Peter). Also John Hilton III thought it was at Peter’s home also.

    One of the great things about this account was that the four friends were very faithful to their friend. They had to carry him from wherever they came from and beings that the house was really crowded, they had to carry him upstairs. If that was not enough, they had to break through the roof and lower him down in his bed somehow so that he could see Jesus. Now I am not so sure what kind of roof that they had to break through, but I am sure it was not really paper thin. On top of that, how long did it take to break through. Biblical

    Hermeneutics Stack Exchange wrote the roofs during these times were made of a straw and mud mixture according to International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. The roof would have consisted of timbers, covered with thatching, topped with mud and straw. That would have been common during that period of time. So it would have made it easier to break through the ceiling. 

    Nevertheless it still would have taken some time to get through. It would have been easier to notice that someone was coming in through the roof. 

    The four men heard about Jesus and decided among themselves that they would take their friend to Him because Jesus could heal the paralyzed friend. These four men were great friends to do all that they would have to do to get him to see Jesus. After seeing what the paralytic man’s friends had done Jesus told him that his sins were forgiven. 

    The Pharisees got all upset thinking that the paralytic sins were forgiven. The Pharisees thought that Jesus was speaking blasphemy and only God could forgive sins. This was so great, because Jesus just looked at them and read their thoughts and told them Mark 2:9-11 “ Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you, ‘or to say, ‘Arise take your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,” I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” This was a little confusing, because both are easy to say, but I think that Jesus knew they (Pharisees) were going to try to trap Him. If He said your sins are forgiven they would call Him out for blasphemy. If He says basically get up, pick up your bed, and go home how could they deny what everyone just witnessed. Those who were there were amazed and all praised God.

    I think about what if I was a Pharisee there and I heard Him teach, see Him as the ceiling was torn apart and watching the bed with the paralytic in it come down, hear Him tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven, wondering how He knew what I was thinking, and watching the paralytic get up, pick up his bed and walk out of the house.

    What an amazing event to witness (for the people not the Pharisee’s)

  • Walls of jericho- joshua 6:1-21

    Jack tsushima

    Joshua 6:1-21

    Isn’t it crazy how people tell you to do something a certain way and you think why would I do it like that. It makes no rhyme or reason, but they tell you just do it that way. You humor them, and lo and behold it works. You still look at what you have accomplished and can’t believe it worked.

    In a way, you look at Joshua 6:1-21 and think how can that be. All the things that they had to do, which made no sense to me at all, and to have the walls of Jericho fall down and to defeat Jericho. Attacking the city straight on

    wasn’t a way to defeat them. The Lord said to Joshua that he and his men should walk around that city one time for six days straight. Not only that, seven priests are to carry seven rams’ horns before the ark. Then on the seventh day they were to walk around the city seven times while the priests blew their trumpets. When Joshua heard the trumpets, all the people shall shout a loud shout and the walls of Jericho will fall down.

    The walls of Jericho were from 12 to 15 feet on the retaining walls, with another wall that was 20 to 26 feet, which together combined to be 32 to 41 feet tall and 6 feet thick. With an upper wall of 46 feet above that stood the retaining wall. According to the website, History of Israel. What ever!! that wall was tall and thick. 

    The amazing thing was that Joshua, by doing what he was told by the Lord, Jericho was handed over to him and the Israeli’s. 

    After reading what had happened to Jericho, according to man’s reasoning, no way should it have happened. Reading how tall and thick the walls were this should not have happened to Jericho. The only conclusion is purely simple. The Lord made it happen. Because of Joshua’s trust in the Lord and his men and the people’s trust in his faith in God. All the things that they were to do goes against all reasoning. I heard some kids scream in restaurants and stores loudly, but never enough to do property damage. They have tried my patience, but nothing of the magnitude of what happened to Jericho. God knew that it would take incredible faith and trust by Joshua to proceed with what was told to him. It’s easy for me to look back at what happened and say I would trust God with what He commanded just like Joshua. Secondly Joshua’s integrity. In Joshua 3:1-17 he made a promise to a woman named Rahab for helping save the Israeli spies from the king of Jericho. She asked in return that she and her family would be spared from the inevitable war that would be waged against the people of Jericho. The spies agreed. Matthew 1:5-16 the importance of Rahab would later be seen when she married Salmon an Israeli man and she gave birth to a son who was named Boaz, the husband of Ruth. The importance of that was many generations later Joseph was Jesus’s legal father, who was the direct descendant of Rahab. Joshua could have easily forgotten about Rahab, killed her and her family as well. Who would have been the wiser.

    I am amazed with Joshua’s trust in the Lord. Just like many other people in the Bible. Trusting the Lord no matter what. God is testing us. Not to see what happens, He already knows what happens, but for us to realize what happens when we trust Him. 

    Hope, faith, prayer, ministry

  • armor of god prayer

    anonymis 

    Belt of Truth- Lord wrap me in Your truth, help me discern and speak truth in every situation. Let Your truth be the foundation for my Life. Guide me in all truth.

    Breastplate of Righteousness- Father protect my heart with Your Breastplate of Righteousness. Let my life reflect Your righteousness. Guard me from any attacks that seek to lead me to sin or despair.

    Shoes for the Gospel of Peace- Lord equipt me with the shoes of the gospel of peace, cause me to walk in Your peace wherever I go and use me to spread Your goodness to those who need Your saving grace.

    Shield of Faith- Father strengthen my faith, so that I can extinguish every fiery dart the enemy sends my way. Help me to trust in You completely, knowing my faith in You is my greatest defense.

    Helmet of Salvation- Lord protect my mind with the helmet of salvation. Keep my thoughts focused on You and remind me of the assurance of my salvation in Christ Jesus. Let Your saving grace guide my mind and decisions.

    Sword of the Spirit- Father, I take up the sword of the Spirit which is Your word. Teach me to wield it with wisdom and power against the enemy’s lies and attacks. Let Your word be alive and active in my life.