Okay, I have never really loved the book of Joshua. All that land allotment stuff. And I've always loved Judges. As a bit of legal fun -- to see how the people mess up when they start occupying the land and doing that which they thought was good in their hearts.
But now I've finished Joshua and I'm thinking of that spiritual kingdom we Christians should have conquered. Healing of the sick, casting out of demons, cleansing the lepers -- such giants! I'm sad, I'll admit it. The Church has cast aside so much of its glories. St Paul said we should preach the word with power, that God wants to prove the sonship and glory of Jesus through great works done in Christ's name.
I look at Joshua and it reminds me of the Book of Acts. The land still unconquered, the captain of the people's salvation...and the conqueror/deliverer now gone...and trusting the people to occupy the land. And I get so sad that in the geographical case and in the spiritual/literal case, the people of God have compromised with the giants.
I'm mad at the early church for losing the way under Constantine, at other parasitic religions that fed off Christianity (and further confused the issue) and at modern human laziness and sin. I want to believe that at least in this life -- in MY life-- the glories of Christ's great salvation can be revealed. So upsetting, though.
I have several atheist and moslem friends who walk about sneering at Christ. Philosophical ideas are not what God told us to use. We are to use God-with-us, the power of Jesus' blood, the power of God's living word, the name to which all names must bow. I could argue til I'm blue in my black face that Jesus is Lord and that he had to shed his perfect and righteous blood for the remission of the sins of the whole world -- of whom I am chief sinner. But let God heal my son! Let God's people rise up against giants such as cancer and schizophrenia and autism and AIDS with only the name of Jesus...and let the giants tumble.... then my friends will shut their mouths and magnify our God! -C
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