reach and teach devotions

[totallylovedbygod65]

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY DAUGHTER SHERRY AND SON IN LAW PETER WHO GET MARRIED ON TUESDAY AT 6PM CHINA TIME

JOSHUA 2

9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

WHAT HAS ALL THE FUSS BEEN ABOUT THEN?

Rahab had protected the spies, she had put her neck on the block so to speak. You remember her house was on the very outside of the city wall, I don't think this was the first time, she had let people down this way.. she was after all a women of ill repute.

Here she says some remarkable things, you remember the children of Israel had wandered the wilderness for 40 years because of their unbelief and sin.

After she had hid the men, I wonder what these men thought, after all they had been through, all the defeats, all the wandering and the people of the land had been terrified of them all that time. They had heard the reports of the ten spies, the ones that said they had no chance of defeating the people of the land and hear was Rahab, who probably had inside information from the other people of the Land.

You know we fear to do something, we fear to step out for God.. we don't believe what God has said. We are like the children of Israel, we waste time, we waste our lives because of fear and unbelief.

Indeed, Rahab had more faith than the children of Israel, this is why she is included in the chapter of faith in
Hebrews 11, look at verse 11

for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

What an acknowledgement of God's power, that is why she is called a woman of faith.

The children of Israel were shamed by a pagan prositute who had more faith than the rest of them put together.

The fears of the children of Israel were unfounded, all that unbelief and 40 years of wandering, were a complete waste.

Believer, Dont waste your life in unbelief and fear, say Like Rahab

for the Lord your (MY) God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Amen

God bless you

Keith

2 COR 4

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

HANDLING OUR MINISTRY WELL

Paul spends probably the whole of the book of 2 Corinthians defending himeslf against the accusation of false teachers. These false teachers are criticising Paul for a myriad of things, especially of using his ministry as a means to further his own ambitions.

So how do we know what a true ministry is, well Paul gives us some clues in these two verses.

Firstly, a true ministry faints not. It keeps going. Now Paul has had to put up with so much, every place he went, he suffered persecution and hardship, but this didn't stop him. One of the marks of a true ministry, is that nothing stops it. Satan can throw the kitchen sink at it, but the ministry will not faint.

Secondly, there is the renouncing of all hidden things. Every true ministry and every true person is honest. There is no hidden agenda with them. Paul had once walked in dishonesty, but he had renounced all these things to walk in the truth of the gospel.

Thirdly he didn't use the word of God deceitfully. You know some preachers use the bible to further their own ends. You know these prosperity preachers use the bible in a deceitful way to express their own agenda. Have you used the bible in a deceitful way?

Fourthly, it seeks to manifest the truth. The true ministry and the true minister, will speak truth. Have you spoken truth in your ministry? Paul had even though speaking the truth had got him into considerable trouble.

Lastly, they commend themselves to men in the sight of God. I love to know the results of how these devotions are received, and although I do receive feedback. I and every minister have to commend their ministry and service to God and let him do what he wants to do. We may never know what impact we are having this side of eternity.

These are the marks of a ministry that is completely dependent on God and him alone.. there are many more.

God bless you

keith