Hello FCCB family…
I send greetings from Pittsburgh! I am currently in Pittsburgh for the CCCC Conference (our church’s denomination). It is a great joy to be here. I have had the privilege of hearing what God is doing all around the nation in the denomination- very exciting! There are about 400 attendees. The theme of the conference is “Prayer”.  I am gleaning a lot of wisdom on this vital topic. I look forward to seeing our church’s ‘heartbeat’ for prayer continue to grow in many ways. Also, Paul and Marcia Sidmore are here representing FCCB which is great, and Mike Haddad! Mike and I got the chance to reconnect – it’s been a blessing. He is doing well in Derby, VT and misses all of you. He says hello! I was also able to have dinner with my cousin Bill last night and am looking forward to  seeing my grandfather and my aunt Debbie tomorrow. Debbie is the widow of my uncle Tom who passed last year, so please pray for her if you are able. My folks are in Boxford with Becky and the kiddos and they’re having a nice time! I will be back tomorrow.
This Sunday I will be preaching on Joshua 3.

The passage starts with with Joshua and the Israelites setting out to the banks of the Jordan River to prepare to cross over (v. 1). The officers went through the camp and gave orders to the people to get ready to launch out once they saw the ark of the covenant. By following the ark the people will know which way to go, because they had never been that way before (v. 4). This is a fascinating statement. When we have never been to a place, we need to follow those who know the way (literally and metaphorically). This was certainly the case for the Israelites. They needed to trust the leadership to show the way. They needed to trust that this was the way to go. I believe that this is such a symbol of our journey in following the Lord. So many times God takes us to places that we have never been in our journey with Him. And in these moments the natural desire is to want to know exactly what things are going to look like……show us Lord! 

 
And yet, the Lord asks us to simply follow and trust. We want to look around the bend…..we want to know….and He says walk by faith. It will be in His way and His timing. Is the Lord taking you to a place in your walk with Him that you have never been before? Maybe it is a literal season in your life that you have never been or maybe it is step of faith He is asking you to take. How are we to prepare for these huge steps of faith before our individual “Jordan’s?” 
 
Well, hear the words of Joshua to the people: 
Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” (v. 5). 
“To consecrate” literally means to be “set apart” or to “be holy.” God is asking the Israelites (as He asks us) to be ready spiritually for what He wants to do in and through us. He wants us to be in a “posture” of spiritual readiness for His amazing work. Joshua was speaking to the Israelites to be in a place to enter all He has prepared for them. Otherwise, they would not be able to handle all that He was going to do in their lives. The time was now to live the life pleasing and prepared by God. The verse that comes to mind here is Ephesians 3:20 
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” Amen!

In verse 7 the Lord states to Joshua,

“Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all of Israel so that they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.” 
Joshua is about to move to a very unique and exalted stage of leadership – only Moses in the nation of Israel had come to this stage. But interestingly, this verse refers to the fact that Joshua will be exalted not for his own glory, but for the glory of God! God exalts people to certain places so that His name may be lifted high (so that they may know that I am with you.) The Lord may take us at different points to what seems like a more exalted place in leadership and our walk with Him. And in these moments, we can think ‘why me Lord, there must be someone else you can use in this way….” But as it was with Joshua, we may not understand it all, but we can trust that for His purposes He has prepared us for a mighty impact for His Kingdom. May you have Your way in us Lord, so that people may see You! Amen.

 

The next few verses speak to listening to the Lord and selecting leaders for the tribes as they prepare for entrance into the land. This process is clearly thought through and prayed through. They finally come to the Jordan River and it is in a flood stage….v. 15…..great! All this for nothing, they must have thought! This can happen in our lives as we prepare for things that we think are going to happen and are ready to come into the land and we then face a detour or need to wait for His direction. This can be frustrating and disorienting. But then God provides a way through as the ark touches the water’s edge. God provides a way for us too. Let’s keep trusting, walking and seeking the Lord our God as we see Him do amazing things, just like the Israelites saw from long ago!!

Please pray for my safe travel and time with my grandpa and aunt and I look forward to seeing all of you on Sunday!!

Blessings,

Pastor Andrew