The Sword of the LORD

This fourth message in the series looks at God's rest as described in Hebrews 3 and 4 and how the Promised Land is a type and shadow of that rest.   We will also explore the contrast between faith and works in the light of God's sabbath. "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.   For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.   For we which have believed do enter into rest."   (Hebrews 4:1-3). There is a place of rest and peace that God has promised to His people today.   It is a glorious place where we can cease from our own works, and enter into the promises of God.   The Promised Land in the Old Testament was just a shadow of what God truly intended for His loved ones.   Just as Canaan flowed with all good things, so today does this place that God would have His people

This third message in the series continues to explores how Joshua is a picture of Jesus Christ our Savior.   Because Christ has fulfilled the promises, then "in Him" they are ours as well. "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.   From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.   There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."   (Joshua 1:3-5). God told Joshua that every place that the sole of his foot would fall would be his.   By association, therefore, all who followed him would gain the same ground that Joshua gained.   God further said that no man would be able to stand before Joshua in battle all the days of his life.   Again

This second message in the series explores how Joshua is a picture of Jesus Christ our Savior.   His ministry truly is a beautiful representation of Christ's ministry to the church.   It also addresses the importance of faith in securing God's promises, and the meaning of the Promised Land. Joshua is a picture of the Savior.   His name in the Greek is literally translated "Jesus," and means "Jehovah is salvation."   Joshua had actually been to the promised land and seen its beauty and riches.   He had returned and testified to his people of what he had seen saying, "If the LORD delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.   Only rebel not ye against the LORD."   (Numbers 14:8,9).   The Israelites would not believe Joshua's report, however, and were condemned to wandering for 40 years and dying in the desert rather than entering into the land immediately.     I hope th

"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."   (Hebrews 4:9). Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them , even to the children of Israel.   Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.   From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.   There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."   (Joshua 1:1-5). The Lord chose Joshua to lead the Israelites into the land of promise because Moses had lost patie

We have been exploring in Genesis the story of Noah, and finding many types and shadows that point to the ministry of our Lord.   Jesus made the connection when He said, "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."   (Matthew 24:37). Noah and the flood present a picture of Christian baptism or baptism into Christ.   The water represents death.   When a new Christian is lowered into the baptismal waters, he is buried with Christ and becomes dead to self.   When he is lifted back out of the water, he is raised with Christ to new life.   Christ is the One that guarantees us life.   It is because we are in Him that we can pass through death and yet know life.   "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.   For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of Hi

In many respects, Noah is a foreshadow of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Noah's name in the Hebrew language means "rest," and it was Jesus Who said, "Come unto Me...and I will give you rest."   The New Testament describes Noah as a preacher of righteousness.   Jesus said, "the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek."   Jesus made the correlation between Noah and Himself clear when He said, "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."   (Matthew 24:37). Just as Noah begged the people of his generation to trust in the work that God had called him to complete, we, too, are asked to trust in the finished work of Christ Jesus.   In both cases, the work that they were sent to do would mean salvation to the world.   Noah, with the help of his family, worked 100 years to complete the ark.   He did not expect any help from the world - God had given this task to him to do, and he did not resent th

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.   For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so also will be the coming of the son of man."   (Matthew 24:37-39). "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."   (1 Corinthians 15:22). The idea of being "in Him," that is "in Christ," is very powerful.   Because all fullness dwells in Him, then we must be "in Him" to be fulfilled.   Because all wholeness abides in Him, then we must be "in Him" to be complete.   Being outside of Christ means only death and destruction because "in Adam all die," but in Christ we find life and peace.   The story of Noah illustrates this principle of being in Christ quite dramatically.   In Noah's