Straight From The Heart Radio

From one judge to another- Jephthah was a judge in Israel for a relatively short amount of time, but much is written about his life. In contrast, what we know of other judges like Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon is much more obscure. God was preparing Samson to be the next deliverer of Israel during this time.

Jephthah made a vow- Ever try to cut a deal or bargain with God? Wanting to see Israel victorious in battle, Jephthah made a strange vow to God that involved his daughter. God's love and generosity toward us is a gift that we could never earn or deserve.

Who will fight?- Israel was in search of a leader to fight against their enemies the Ammonites. God raised up Jephthah, the son of a harlot, to be a deliverer for Israel. Jephthah shows us that the sins of the past won't limit the good work God can do in a life that's surrendered to Him.

Real repentance- Abimelech reigned over Israel for three years and refused to turn from his evil ways. God allows us to live in our sin so that we might be led to repentance. Are you sowing to the Spirit or the flesh?

King Abimelech- Abimelech wanted to be made king of Israel, but he was just one of the seventy sons of Gideon. How could he set himself apart from the competition? There is a reason why it was not God's intention to have a king rule over them.

Gideon's legacy- The men of Israel wanted to make Gideon king after the Midianites were defeated, but Gideon resisted the temptation to take the glory for what God had done. Gideon's life and service to the Lord was far from perfect, but he walked with God by faith.

Tired but still in pursuit- As Gideon and his 300 men chased down the kings of Midian to complete their victory, they made a pit stop to request food from the men of Succoth. You can expect the enemy to bring doubt and discouragement along the path of service to the Lord.

But if you are afraid- God gave Gideon assurance that the battle against the Midianites was already won and challenged Gideon to confidently go into battle with only 300 men. It's hard to step out in faith sometimes, but God is faithful to give us confirmation that we can trust His word.

Taking God at His word- God promised Gideon victory over the Midianites, but Gideon wanted God to confirm His word through a sign. Have you ever "put out a fleece" when looking to hear from God? God wants us to learn to trust in His word above everything else.

Face to face with God- Gideon had no confidence in himself to deliver Israel, but his faith was strengthened when he realized that the one who stood before him and called him was God Himself. Acting in obedience will not make us very popular in a Godless culture.

Where is God?- Israel once again found themselves under the rule of their enemies because of their sinful ways. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and called him to deliver Israel, but Gideon had his doubts. What reason was there to trust God's love and faithfulness when there was so much despair around him?

At her feet he sank- As God had spoken through Deborah, Barak and the army of Israel were victorious over the enemy army of the Canaanites led by Sisera. Sisera thought he had fled to safety, but his security was short-lived. Is there sin dwelling in your heart that needs to be dealt with?

Deborah a prophetess- Deborah was raised up by God to be a judge and deliverer in Israel. What made Deborah special? She was chosen by God not necessarily because of her own great skills, but her greatest quality was her faith and trust in the Lord.

Ehud and Shamgar- God raised up Ehud the son of Gera to deliver Israel from Eglon the king of Moab. This account offers some needed comic relief in the book of Judges. Little is known about Shamgar, the next deliverer raised up by God after Ehud.

Failing the test- God allowed certain enemy nations to remain in the land to test Israel's faithfulness to Him. Othniel was the first of the judges raised up to be a deliverer for Israel.

The Lord raised up judges- A new generation in Israel "forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt." God graciously raised up judges to point His people back to Him. If we let sin linger in our lives God will give us up to the consequences of those decisions.

The book of Judges- The book of Judges documents a 450-year period in the history of Israel spanning from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the ministry of Samuel. Sadly, this was a time of continual rebellion against God where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

We will serve the Lord- Joshua made a covenant with the people of Israel to serve and obey the Lord before his death. The testimony of his life was that "Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua." Will you make a stand and serve the Lord in a wayward culture like Joshua?

A history lesson- God spoke through Joshua at Shechem with an exhortation after reflecting on the history of His faithfulness to Israel. What was the conclusion? Joshua said, "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served

Don't go back- God has given us great promises, but there's still the possibility of defeat, discomfort, and disgrace. How do we avoid defeat and walk in victory? Joshua exhorted Israel to obey God's word, remain separate from the world, and let God be the focus of your affection.

Two important lessons- The children of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh created an uproar in Israel when they built an altar of memorial. Although their intentions were misrepresented, this whole ordeal might have been avoided if they had refrained from participating in a religious act not instructed by God.

Be careful of hearsay- A civil war was ready to break out among the tribes of Israel because of a false report about the purpose of an altar that was built. We can easily get upset or jump to conclusions without taking time to verify whether we are receiving credible information.

God's promises fulfilled- Israel continued to establish themselves in the promised land with cities for the Levites, and cities of refuge. What purpose did God have in designating these cities, and what spiritual insights can we take away?

God's divine parameters- The children of Dan were not content with the inheritance allotted to them. The borders God has set up for us are meant for our own safety and well-being. Idolatry begins when we start looking beyond God's portion because of dissatisfaction and envy.

How long will you neglect?- Joshua challenged seven tribes of the children of Israel who were too comfortable to dwell in the land of promise without pursuing their promised inheritance. Are you pursuing and abiding in Christ, or is your faith just "fire insurance?"

Drive out the enemy- Is there some sin or fleshly indulgence in your life that you have given allowance to? Caleb did the work of driving out the inhabitants of the land promised to him by the Word of the Lord. We can't be comfortable with the enemy having any foothold in our lives.

Caleb wholly followed God- God said of Caleb, "he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully." Caleb waited for 45 years to see God's promise to him come to pass, and he was rewarded for his faithfulness when he received the land of Hebron as an inheritance.

What is your lot?- God instructed Joshua to divide the land of Canaan as an inheritance for the tribes of Israel by casting lots. Was God leaving the inheritance of the land up to chance? We need to be careful not to covet others and learn to be content with the "lot" handed to us by God.

Possessing the land- Joshua chapter 12 gives a record of 33 kings that Moses and Joshua defeated on their way to possessing the land of Canaan. What spiritual insights can be drawn from this long list of the names of defeated kings?

The Canaanite conquest- God promised Joshua victory over the inhabitants of Canaan, but it wasn't a cake walk. Joshua led Israel and took the land after seven years of war. We have great promises of blessing from God in the Christian life. Are you living a life that is blessable?

Bring out those five kings- Joshua did not let up in his pursuit of the enemies of Israel after their victory at Gibeon. Why did Joshua execute the five Amorite kings so ruthlessly? Was he too harsh in his treatment of them? Is there sin hiding in your life that you have yet to deal with?

The sun stood still- Joshua and the children of Israel marched all night long to fight at Gibeon and see the victory that God had already promised. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to arrive at a place of true repentance and see sin defeated in your life? If so, God is willing to do the impossible.

When self-righteousness is king- An enemy alliance led by Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, threatened Gibeon and Israel. When self-righteousness is on the throne of our hearts it leads to all kinds of problems in our lives.

Overcoming condemnation- Although it was a mistake, Joshua honored the covenant Israel made with the Gibeonites and gave them a place to serve. Has your sin left a cloud of condemnation hanging over you? Let God use your failure and turn it into a servant for His purposes.

When compromise comes- The people of Gibeon thought better than to engage with Israel in war, so they came disguised as travelers to try and make a treaty. God has given us discernment by His Spirit to recognize the strategies our enemy uses to tempt us.

Learning from mistakes- After their victory at Jericho, Joshua and the children of Israel became overconfident, and relied on their own human wisdom for the next battle. Learning from their mistake, Israel turned to the Lord and remembered His word after their victory at Ai.

Do it his way- Failure and discouragement can be hard to deal with, but God is able to bring good out of our disappointments. God graciously gave Joshua a plan of success to have victory over Ai after the sin of Achan. Do you trust that God's design and plan are what's best for you?

God can't bless sin- Achan took ownership of his actions, but still suffered the consequences for disobeying the word of the Lord given by Joshua. Although we still face the consequences of sin today, God has provided forgiveness through Jesus who took the penalty for all our sins.

The part affects the whole- Israel saw the walls of Jericho fall in victory because their leader, Joshua, faithfully sought after the Lord. Israel also experienced judgment because a man named Achan defied Joshua's orders to not to take from the spoils of the enemy. Our sins never just affect ourselves.

Faith to see victory- The Commander of the Lord's army visited Joshua and declared that victory over Jericho was a done deal. But the walls of the city were still standing. How could that be true? Sometimes it's hard to see past the walls of our challenges. That's where faith comes in.

A place of remembrance- After crossing the Jordan, the children of Israel camped at Gilgal and kept the Passover for the first time while in the promised land. Gilgal became a place for fresh consecration and surrender before the Lord, remembering God's goodness and faithfulness.

What are these stones?- Joshua instructed the children of Israel to set up stones as a memorial to what God had done when he miraculously parted the waters of the Jordan. Parents are still responsible today to communicate the truth of God's word, and all His mighty works to their children.

Stepping out in faith- God performed a miracle when He parted the waters of the Jordan River for the children of Israel to cross into the promised land. They had the ark of the covenant, God's presence, to go before them, but they still had to demonstrate faith by stepping into the water and trusting God's promise.

A scarlet cord- God "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." All Rahab wanted was to save her family from the destruction that was coming on Jericho. Her simple faith not only saved her family but led to the privilege of being grafted into the family tree of the Messiah.

An unlikely ally- Joshua sent two men on a mission to spy out the city of Jericho. The plan was jeopardized when the king of Jericho caught wind of their presence. With their lives in danger, the two spies found refuge with a harlot named Rahab, but why did she show such kindness toward them?

Crossing the Jordan- It is consistent with God's character to give His children peace and rest. God promised the children of Israel good things were to come in the promised land if they were faithful and obedient to His word. We can have courage in all circumstances, not because they are always easy, but because God is always good.

The book of Joshua- Joshua is the first of the twelve historical books in the old testament documenting the beginning of Israel's journey into Canaan, the land of promise. Joshua is the central figure, called and commissioned by God, to lead Israel after the death of Moses.

Bring back the wanderer- How can you tell if someone who has wandered from the Lord is a prodigal or never truly knew God in the first place? It's not our place to judge people's hearts, but we should be willing to speak the truth in love to those we care about.

Effective, fervent prayer- Do you have a trusted friend or pastor you feel comfortable going to for prayer? When it comes to confessing sin, we must be careful that the things we share don

Tongues and knees (Part 2)- Why does God heal some and not others? Some people falsely believe that sickness can be the result of sin or a lack of faith. This is a harmful false doctrine in the church. What exactly does it look like to pray in faith?

Tongues and knees- Job was an example of patience in suffering. This is the only reference to Job in the new testament. James once again exhorts Christians to be mindful of their speech as we wait for the return of Christ.