Crossing Jordan

Josh 4:14  On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

Josh 4:15  And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
Josh 4:16  Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
Josh 4:17  Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
Josh 4:18  And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.

Josh 5:1 When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear. (NLT)

This was an important event for Israel, it showed that God was still with them and that they had a new commander to replace Moses, a commander who was a prophet who heard from God and who spoke for God and as an intermediary, he was able to plead for his  people when necessary. Only Moses had been spirit filled as the go between for God and Israel. Now God showed that he was still with Israel by parting the Jordan river as he had parted the Red Sea. Joshua was the new commander, the spokesman between God and man.

They had to obey the laws to be blessed. Always before it was Moses, the law and the prophets. Jesus said that it was from these two ways that God spoke to them.

Luke 16:16  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Luke 16:17  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

John 1:45  Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Jesus now is the intermediary between God and his people. When Jesus was raised from the dead and returned again to God the father, he left the Holy Spirit with his believers. Now each Spirit filled person has access to the throne room of God.

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21  And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Jesus intercedes for us concerning our failure to keep all the laws, for we are no longer under the penalty of the law, but we are given grace. Each man may pray to God and he forgives them through Jesus our Lord and savior.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

No longer is it a Moses or a Joshua or just one spirit filled man on earth who hears and speaks for God; all Spirit filled believers have this right. We are to fear and obey God and not fear what man can do to us. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.

Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are to hear from God and speak to him as the children of God interceding for others and our nation. We are God's miracle people filled with the power of God and when we pass the spiritual Jordan to the promised home of God we will not be alone. We will be with all those who are saved by the blood of the Lamb and who love and worship God.

Returning to God

Deu 4:25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: 

Deu 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
Deu 4:27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
Deu 4:28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
Deu 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Deu 4:30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
Deu 4:31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

God told his people as they were entering the promise land that their children's children would turn away from the One that chose and blessed them. They would get used to prosperity and turn away to worship the gods of the other nations. They would be destroyed and as Ezekiel spoke later only a third would be left and scattered among the nations.

Our nation is like the Israel of old. We have been blessed above all nations and have drifted away from the God that blessed America. Individuals who once served God have turned away from him chasing the lusts of the flesh. But, as God said to Israel, if you repent and turn back to God, seeking him with a whole heart, He will be found.

Last night a young prodigal son who had left God and was entangled in the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, came to me as I was on the Internet. He sent me an instant message wanting me to help him come back to God. I led him back again to the LORD in prayer. Jesus loves us and if we stray away from him, which is easy to do, he will receive us back. 

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

No one needs to hear your sins confessed but Jesus who is our mediator to God the Father. We all need to confess our sins and repent of them. Keep me Jesus as the apple of thine eye. Thank you Lord for your mercies.