Me and my house

Friday, 03 April 2009 16:42

Reflecting on the electronic correspondence that I receive daily through the Internet, I noticed something quite alarming. As you know, our ministry on the Internet is popular. Every day we received a huge number of visits, and prayer requests we receive daily, and as you all know, before the end of the service, here we all unite in prayer to the Father, through his beloved son, and our King and Savior Jesus Christ , begging him to be glorified in the lives of all our brothers who ask us to pray. I can pray for our brothers is a great blessing, and something that we make with our whole heart and faith. But, like I said, reflecting on the requests we receive, I realized that a large percentage of believers do not see their homes in the same way they see the church. In other words they see their homes as a holy place. What happens is that most believers are undervalued and underestimated God's purpose for the home and family. I say this because a large percentage of Christian families spirituality exercise only in church. A large percentage of Christian families exercise the power of prayer in the church only.

Brothers, sad to say, but a huge number of Christian families who are Christians only once or twice a week when they reach the temple, and then not remember any more of God until the next day of service. This is the point I wish that we study in today. Today I want to examine our home and our family. We now turn to the Word of God.

Joshua 24:14-15 - Now therefore fear the Lord and serve with integrity and truth, and you put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord . 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: but me and my house serve the Lord.

As I always say, to have a better understanding of the message God has for His people, we will require a brief account of history. When we study Jewish history, we find that God chose Moses to free them from slavery in Egypt, and guide them toward the promised land, and after the death of Moses, God chose this young man named Joshua as the new leader of Her town. God did not do this lightly, God chose him because he always stayed true to his word. God chose him because he fully trusted Joshua (Numbers 14:6-8.) This trust and this loyalty was rewarded by God, and Joshua led the people to conquer the promised land (Joshua 11:23.) Thirty-one king and its cities were defeated, Israel conquered all the land east and west of the Jordan River (Joshua 12:1-24.) All this could be done because Joshua was faithful to God and trust his word. This all leads us more or less at this point in history.

These verses that we are using today in part of Joshua's final speech. At this point in history was Joshua and older and was close to death (Joshua 23:1.) But before he died Joshua had a last warning to this people, and is a warning that serves us very well at all . With this in mind now continue our study today.

In the first verse we are studying in this day we see that Joshua said, "Now therefore fear the Lord and serve with integrity and truth, and you put away the gods which your fathers served on the other Across the river, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. "Joshua spoke these words to the people because he knew very well his weaknesses and he knew what they were idolatrous, and he knew what had been rebel, and he wanted that these errors do not happen again. Take heed as he said here, "Now therefore fear the Lord and serve with integrity and truth." When I read this quickly many think that Joshua is saying that we are afraid of God, but this is not the case. The word "fear" comes from the Hebrew word "yare 'which means reverence, honor, and respect. So Joshua did not say that we are afraid of God but we honor him, and that we respect his commandments and teachings.

But this is something that it seems they forget many believers. This is something that is not shown in the home, family, and the daily lives of many who claim to live in the kingdom of God. As I told the Christian home has declined greatly, and that is why it is not unusual to see as some who profess to be Christians still hold traditions, images, idols and other things that you know they are an abomination to God (Exodus 20:3-5.)

Joshua said, "and serve him in truth." But this is something that many fail to do. Brothers can not consider ourselves part of the body of Christ if we are not serving in this way. We can not consider ourselves Christians if we pray only when we reached the church. We can not consider ourselves Christians if only praise and bless his holy name to enter the gates of the temple. Of course this is very good at it in communion with our brothers in faith, and that we are called (Acts 2:41-42, 1 Corinthians 1:9-10.) But this is not the only time. In the church we share with our brothers in the church entered into communion with the rest of the body of Christ, but our fellowship with God must be constant (Hebrews 10:22-24, 1 Corinthians 15:58.)

If in our home we are not teaching our children, family and relatives, to pray, and lead lives of holiness, we are not serving God with integrity and truth. If we are allowing the things of this world if we are allowing what they may say, if we are allowing what they might think, if we are allowing what they can do to stop us from what we have to do, then we are not serving God with integrity and truth. Take heed and said the second part of this verse, here we say "and you put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord." Here he was referring to Joshua the gods who once served the people, the gods made of wood or stone, man-made gods powerless (Deuteronomy 4:12, 28.) But I say in this day that still exist many gods in the homes for many believers. Some may say "good shepherd that's not me, I have none of that in my home." He may not have any of that at home, but let's stop here for a brief moment to find out if we serve the gods of this world.

We ask ourselves, Do we serve the God stuff? Materialism is a problem that prevails in a country like ours, because instead of putting our trust in the Lord, we trust our bank account our savings, our education and our possessions. This leads us to spend a lifetime chasing the material, and it seems we never have enough. We ask ourselves, "serve the god of ambition? The reality is that many allow their careers and their ambitions to become their god. Many are those who are more concerned in getting success in your career, who live lives according to God.

Many are thus compromising their Christian principles and foundations for the love of money. In other words, they care little or nothing for the Lord's work and spend most of their efforts for economic prosperity and the satisfaction of their ambitions (Colossians 3:2.)

I wonder now, when was the last time you summon your house to a prayer? When was the last time you devote time to God with your family to share His Word? These are not questions for me the answer, but if they make us think, right? Perhaps some attempt to justify his misdeeds in his mind saying "I do not have time." But if you say so, then the god you serve is time. If your home does not pray often, if your family is not bound to praise God, if not teach your children to live in holiness and righteous lives, then in your house there is only one god of this world, your home is full of gods and tell you today in that it is time to choose.

Take heed as Joshua said, he said, "And if you think ill serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. "In other words, Joshua said, the decision is yours and nobody can do for you. But Joshua had already made a determination, and determination that we all must take. Joshua said, "but me and my house will serve the Lord." We must accept the responsibility involved in being Christian. In the church we meet in the church share, but the commitment to God, and holiness begins at home. The church is a holy place, and your house so must be (Deuteronomy 6:4-9.)

Joshua said: "I and my house." In other words what we are seeing on the part of Joshua is a genuine commitment to God. As leader of your home, as head of his family, he declared that anyone in your family would compromise their faith for anything or anyone. He declared that his home, his family, continue to be a holy place. This is something that many must learn to do. This is something that many have to start doing. We have to take the place of authority God has given us, and we must make a commitment to God. We have to take our homes, we must cast out of our homes, every work of the enemy. We have to destroy these works of the enemy that we depart from our God (3 John 11;) those works that lead us away from the divine presence of our heavenly Father. We have to destroy these works that disrupt the flow of the Holy Spirit in us (Ephesians 4:30-31.) We need to make a total commitment to teaching the Word of God. We have to study and live His Word at all times.

To conclude. As I said at the beginning, many believers do not see their homes as a holy place, I do not see it the same way they see the church, and this is a very wrong way of thinking. Remember that everything takes home in the home, the example that we give our children, this will be the one to follow. Joshua was greatly blessed because he was a man of conviction, was a man who made a genuine commitment to God.

Do you have that belief? It is time to stop playing church. It's time to stop being Christians only on special occasions or part time. It's time to serve our heavenly Father at all times. It's time to let the Holy Spirit is reflected in everything we do (Matthew 5:14.) Brethren, if we have not made a genuine commitment to Christ, if we have not taken the time to know him more closely, then we are serving the gods of this world. We are participating at the table of the devil because we let the enemy deceive us, we let the enemy we reap the things of this world (1 Corinthians 10:21.)

The proclaim the truth of God will bring hardship to our daily lives, but we must remain steadfast in the Word.

The true believer will go through persecution touch, we will be hated because of Jesus' name. The true believer will have to swallow bitter mouthfuls of our friends, families and colleagues, but remember that much Christ suffered for you. Recall that we are called to be simple believers. When we make a genuine commitment to Christ, we are called to be disciples. Always remember that Christ is our livelihood, our food is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:3-4.) Examinémonos, well let's review where we are today in our commitment to God. Leave It to justify evil deeds, quit to justify sin. Make a genuine commitment to God, and say today, "but me and my house will serve the Lord."

Amen.

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