Date: 
09-05-2017
Reading: 
JOSHUA 6:1-8

Tuesday 9th May 2017

JUBILATE - NEW LIFE IN CHRIST: THERE IS A PRICE TO PAY

JOSHUA 6:1-8

1Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them.

Most good things in life come with a cost. Many children of God may find it hard to accept the truth, but it does not change the reality. The reason why some may not want to accept this reality, is that our salvation is freely given to us. They forget that the free salvation they receive came at the expense of the blood of Jesus, shed through His gruesome death on the cross.

Their eyes and expectations were focused on reaching the promised land of milk and honey, but Jericho was in the way, it just had to give way. If you had audience with the Israelites after they set Jericho on fire, most would gloat that it was a walk in the park. But just imagine the task Joshua had to convince his army on the tactics they were to take in conquering Jericho. I think when he introduced the matter to his generals, they thought he was mad. The desert has affected his thinking. Remember at 5:13-15, when he met the angel from God he was alone, there were no witnesses, there was no way to prove his position to the generals, that no firepower shall be used against Jericho for the first seven days. But he believed and his conviction won the day. But at what cost, 

  • the silent procession around the city led by the priests must have met ridicule and insults from the soldiers guarding the wall, Israelites were under instructions not to respond by any means.
  • In the successive days it must also have attracted the Jericho multitudes on the wall and just imagine insults from an enemy who is afraid of you, but has no understanding to your tactics, he would want to distract you by any means.
  • I believe even some must have been hurling whatever dirty refuse on the army marching around the city, but the order was "be silent and not respond ".
  • These are soldiers used to retaliation when confronted, but they were obedient, and of belief that what God has promised shall come to pass.

What a cost to the promised land.

Reading the scripture at Mathew 17:19-21, we read about Jesus healing the sick and delivering those that were oppressed by demons during his early ministries. His disciples wanted to perform the same feat. They were however disappointed when they discovered that they could not do what the Master was doing. They therefore asked Him why they could not cast the demons out! He replied and said to them, "..because of your unbelief ".

From this response we can surmise that one cannot be eating three square meals a day, plus snack in between and expect the demons to obey His every command. He admonished them and added that "...however this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting"

Beloved, you are born again, you are a child of God, what is it in the kingdom that you need to have Jesus do for you? There is a price to pay. Are you ready? 

God bless you!

SHANGILIA - MAISHA MAPYA KATIKA KRISTO: KUNA GHARAMA

YOSHUA 6:1-8

1 Basi Yeriko ulikuwa umefungwa kabisa kwa sababu ya wana wa Israeli; hapana mtu aliyetoka wala hapana mtu aliyeingia. 
2 Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, Tazama, nimeutia Yeriko katika mkono wako, na mfalme wake, na mashujaa wake. 
3 Nanyi mtauzunguka mji huu, watu wote wa vita, mkiuzunguka mji mara moja. Fanya hivi siku sita. 
4 Na makuhani saba watachukua tarumbeta saba za pembe za kondoo waume, mbele ya hilo sanduku; na siku ya saba mtauzunguka mji mara saba, nao makuhani watapiga tarumbeta zao. 
5 Kisha itakuwa watakapopiga hizo pembe za kondoo waume kwa nguvu, nanyi mtakaposikia sauti ya tarumbeta, watu wote watapiga kelele kwa sauti kuu; na ukuta wa mji utaanguka chini pale pale, na hao watu watapanda, kila mtu akiendelea mbele kukabili. 
6 Bali Yoshua, mwana wa Nuni, akawaita makuhani, akawaambia, Lichukueni sanduku la agano, tena makuhani saba na wachukue tarumbeta saba za pembe za kondoo waume mbele ya sanduku la Bwana. 
7 Naye akawaambia watu, Piteni mbele, mkauzunguke mji, na hao watu wenye silaha na watangulie mbele ya sanduku la Bwana. 
8 Basi ikawa Yoshua alipokwisha kusema na watu, wale makuhani saba, wenye kuzichukua tarumbeta saba za pembe za kondoo waume mbele za Bwana, wakatangulia, wakazipiga hizo tarumbeta; nalo sanduku la agano la Bwana likawafuata.
 

Mambo mengi mazuri katika maisha huja na gharama, si bure kama wengi wanavyofikiri. Na wapendwa wengi huna wanapata taabu kuukubali ukweli huu, ingawa hilo halibadilishi ukweli ulivyo. Na sababu kubwa kwa nini wengi hung'ang'ania dhana hiyo potofu kuwa wokovu huja bure bila gharama, ni kwamba, hawalipi chochote ili kuokoka, na kwamba tumepewa bure hivyo tutoe bure. wanachosahau ni kwamba huo wokovu wa bure ulikuja kwa gharama ya damu ya Yesu, aliyoimwaga kupitia kifo kigumu na cha kutisha pale msalabani.

Macho na mawazo yao yalielekea kufika nchi ya ahadi, nchi ya maziwa na asali, na Jeriko ilikuwa ikiwazuia! Hasira zote zilielekezwa huko, na jeshi lilikuwa likitayarisha silaha tayari kwa uvamizi. Pengine ungepata wasaa wa kuzungumza na wale askari baada ya kuuteketeza Jeriko, wangekuambia ilikuwa kazi nyepesi, kwa kuwa walipewa ushindi bila gharama ya hasara kwa jeshi lao. Ni ushindi wa kupewa! Lakini tafakari kazi aliyukuwa nayo Joshua kulishawishi jeshi la Wana-Israeli kuwa hawatashambulia bali watauzunguka mji kibubububu kwa siku saba, siku ya saba, baada ya kuuzunguka mara saba ukuta utaanguka wenyewe! Walifikiri Jemadari, jua la jangwani limemharibu akili. Kumbuka ukisoma sura ya 5:13-15, Yoshua alikuwa peke yake, bila shahidi yeyote, alipokutana na mjumbe wa mbinguni na kumpa maagizo ya kuuteka Jeriko. Lakini kwa kuwa walitii, ushindi waliupata bila kupoteza hata Askari mmoja. Ila walikula gharama ambayo askari yeyote asingependa imkute huko ana silaha.

  • Yale maandamano ya kimya kuzunguka ukuta wa mji, yakiongozwa na makuhani lazima yalikutana na matusi mazito toka kwa walinzi ukutani. Lakini amri ni kuwa wasijibu kitu, japo wana silaha
  • Kwa siku zilizofuata, hata raia wa mjini walipata ujasiri wa kupanda ukutani na kujionea kioja cha jeshi lililokuwa likiuzunguka mji wao kila siku, halafu linaondoka. Nao pia walimwaga matusi yao, na hata pengine kuwarushia uchafu wa kila aina, na pengine mawe. Fikiria adui anayekuogopa, halafu anaona unafanya kitu kinachomtatiza, atatafuta kila njia akuvuruge akili na kukutoa katika mpango wako. Lakini amri ni kwamba wasijibu neno 
  • Hata ni askari ambao wamefundishwa kujibu mapigo, lakini kwa kuwa walimwamini Mungu wakitarajia Mungu atakuwa mwaminifu katika ahadi zake, walitii.

Ni gharama kubwa iliyoje ili kuipata nchi ya ahadi.

Ukisoma Mathayo 17:19-21 unakutana na habari kuwa Yesu alikuwa akiponya wagonjwa, na kuwafungua waliofungwa na mwovu, na wanafunzi wake nao wakataka kufanya hivyo. Ila walishindwa, na kumuuliza mwalimu wao Yesu, kwa nini hawakuweza kumtoa pepo! Akawajibu kuwa ni kwa sababu ya upungufu wa imani yao, na imani ya kufikia kufanya hivyo haiji bila kusali na kufunga. Kumbe huwezi kupiga milo mitatu kwa siku, na kutumbukiza vionjo vingine katikati na kutarajia mapepo yakutii. Kuna kusali na kufunga, kunakungojea.

Mpendwa, sasa umeokoka, uko na Yesu, una mahitaji gani kwa Yesu katika ufalme wake? Uko tayari kukubali gharama ya wokovu ili uingie rahani mwake?

Mungu akubariki sana.