Getting The Lay of The Land “The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel…and the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, ‘Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.’ And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go” (Judges 1:22-25).   In the summer of 2002 the Lord called me into a TV ministry in the country of Mongolia. I had never been to Mongolia before. I didn’t know anything about it. In fact, Mongolia seemed to be so foreign to me that I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go. So, working with the organization that operated the ministry there, I set out on a week’s journey to visit Mongolia and get the lay of the land. I wanted to find out as much about Mongolia and the TV ministry as I could before I committed to moving my family to that far away country. The Lord rewarded my work and we spent ten years ministering in Mongolia.   The Lord was with the tribe of Joseph. He called them to conquer the land and settle it. But he didn’t’ call them to go in blindly. Joseph set off on a plan to scout out the land so he would know its weaknesses and strengths so he would know how to plan his conquest.   What has God called you to? What opportunities lay before you that you want to pursue? Instead of just going in blindly, take some time to scoot things out. When Jesus called his disciples he didn’t simply send them out in his name. He spent three years training them. When God called Paul to missionary service he spent years training him in the desert. Even today when God calls pastors, most of them go to seminary to be trained, and then visit the churches they are called to before making a commitment. Scouting things out is a wise practice, to see how God might use you.   Memory Verse   “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out” (Proverbs 25:2).   Application   Whatever your situation, don’t stumble into things blindly. Take time to research what you will do and the opportunities that lie before you. Then, make a careful, wise, and informed decision.

“Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants…Ephraim did not dive out the Canaanites…Zubulun did not drive out the inhabitants…Asher did not drive out the inhabitants…Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants…”(Judges 1:27,29,30,31,33).   What have you left undone in your life?   When God promised Israel the promised land he instructed them to drive out the inhabitants so that they would not be a snare to them in the future. They would plague Israel, causing them to worship other gods and adopted their evil practices. At first Israel was diligent to follow the command of the Lord, especially in the days of Joshua. But as time went by they grew lax and did not drive out the inhabitants as the Lord had commanded. The result was just what the Lord had said. “They shall become thorns in your sides and their gods shall be snare to you” (Judges 2:3).   Do you tolerate sin in your life? Maybe you don’t see it that way. Perhaps you violate your conscience from time to time or let something pass because your don’t want to deal with it at that moment. The book of Judges is not a book about Israel’s success in taking the land. It is a book about their failure, and God’s dealing with them as a result of that failure.   We all fail in what the Lord commands us. If a book could be written about us it would be about our failures and God’s faithfulness in dealing with our failures, leading us to repent—another key theme in the book of Judges.   Whatever you have left undone in your life is something to take control of, before it wrecks havoc.   Memory Verse   “If we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself” (II Timothy 2:13).   Application   Do a spiritual inventory of your life. Look for things in your life that you have left undone. Prioritize them so you identify which things are causing you the most trouble spiritually. Then resolves to repent and bring those to the Lord for solutions.

“Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years…and all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (Judges 2:8,10-11). Are you bewildered at what has happened to America? It seems that all of our values have turned upside down and people no longer believe in the principles that one made America a respected nation. People no longer believe the Bible or pass down its principles to the next generation. Many people have tried, but they have missed an important principles. Passing down are values can only do so much. What we must pass down, instead, is not principles, but a person.   Notice what the writer of Judges says. He doesn’t say people didn’t know the Bible or their history. He said they “Did not know the Lord.” It wasn’t the lack of heritage of principles that hurt the nation, it was that they didn’t know the God who loved them. King David recognized this in his own time. When he was dying he didn’t tell Solomon to know the law. Instead, he said, “Now as for you, my son, Solomon, know the God of your father” (I Chronicles 28:9).   What are you passing down to your children? Is it the principles in the Bible or the person of Christ. Consider that we get to Heaven not through what we know, but by who we know. Many people will try to live by the Bible but not make it to Heaven. We only get to Heaven by knowing the Lord. In the same way, America cannot be saved just by doing what the Bible says. But by knowing its central figure, Jesus. Only Jesus saves.   Memory’s Verse   “As for you, my son, Solomon, know the God of your father” (I Chronicles 28:9).   Application   Make it a point to encourage your children and grandchildren to know the Lord. Pray with them, addressing God personally and with tenderness of heart and expression. Make it clear to those after you that you know the Lord, and want them to know him too.

“The Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge…but whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers…” (Judges 2:16-19).   People need leaders. Leaders are an important part of society. It is through our leaders that we chart a direction, a course for our lives. Those leaders may be political or spiritual. They may be local or national. They may be personal or family. But we all need leaders who serve as an example and help steer us toward faithfulness to Christ. The problem is that when we lose our leaders we sometimes turn away and forget the Lord and what he has done for us. This is what happened to Israel and it happens to us as well.   Are you confident that after you have died your children and grandchildren will know the Lord and follow him? When your leadership passes, will they take up the mantle that you have laid down and bring Christ to their succeeding generations? If we want the generation after us to know the Lord, we must be sure that we are modeling that kind of relationship with God. It is through our words and our example that the next generation comes to know the Lord. Memory Verse   “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Application   Pray and ask the Lord to never let there be a generation of your family that doesn’t know the Lord. Then live that out in front of them. Be bold and take the initiative with those whom you love, that they will follow the Lord long after you are gone.

“The anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother” (Judges 3:8-9). Have you ever noticed that in the years following Moses, Israel was lead by a succession of leaders who knew each other? Joshua knew Moses. Caleb knew Joshua. And Othniel knew Caleb. After this point, Israel was led by a judges who, mostly, did not know one another. Leaders who love the Lord and are familiar with one another are an important part of passing on what we know from one generation to the next. It’s almost like a dynasty of people continuing godly leadership. But after a while, things begin to falter. Beginning with Othniel, things began to go sour, until he stepped up to save his people.   Can you trace a lineage of godliness in your heritage? Or perhaps you are the first of such a lineage. Your testimony in Christ may have a long impact, like Moses, whose testimony lasted four generations until Othniel.   Memory Verse   “He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children” (Psalm 78:5-6). Application   You can establish a lineage of family who know the Lord by passing on what you know to the next generation. Be intentional with your children and grandchildren that they might know the Lord and carry on your testimony to the generations after them.

Christians have been accused of being so heavenly minded that they're no earthly good. But I've found people who are so earthly minded that they're no heavenly good. So how do we strike the balance between being citizens of Earth, where we get our bills and mail, and citizens of heaven, our eternal home? Well, we must avoid emphasizing one address over the other. Some believers become so involved in this world that they neglect the heavenly part. Others get so theologically preoccupied that they forget about their responsibility here. That's the issue the disciples faced in Acts 1. They were expecting the coming kingdom, but they also had a kingdom task to complete on earth. They were neglecting their earthly address. "[Jesus] commanded [the disciples] not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, 'which,' He said, 'you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now'" (vv. 4-5) But they responded, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (v. 6). They were good at being distracted and getting off point, like at the transfiguration (see Luke 9:28-36). But Jesus was trying to shift their focus from being preoccupied with the future to being occupied in the present. As He said in a parable in Luke 19:13, "Occupy till I come" (KJV). We can get caught in the same dilemma. We get preoccupied with earthly things (perhaps even good things) when we should be focused on evangelism. We can also become theologically preoccupied, where our focus is only on the future and Bible prophecy. There's nothing wrong with that, but it can become imbalanced when we let the future distract us from the present. When the disciples asked, "Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus answered, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:7-8). He basically said, "Don't worry about the kingdom that is coming. Think about what you should be doing until the kingdom comes -- telling others about Me." Like the nobleman told his servants in Luke 19, Jesus told His followers, "Occupy until I come. Be about My business." That's the task we have at hand. Instead of being concerned about the when , we should be concerned about what we do until the when happens. So how can we be productive now? In the book of Acts, the disciples were all witnesses for Jesus, first locally and then globally -- in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, then to the ends of the earth (see 1:8). That's what we are to be: witnesses. And what happened then is still the pattern for today. So, you get saved, then you tell your family. That's the smallest, most intimate circle. After that, you tell your friends, extended relatives, coworkers, and then different people groups within your city. In this way, in each of our lives, the kingdom spreads throughout the world, in ever-widening circles. That's how we occupy until He comes.

One day, a squirrel dropped from a branch onto a leaf-cushioned woodland floor and hurried to gather as many acorns as possible before the settling-in of winter. Scampering over, he paused, quickly looked up, and ducked just in the nick of time as a swooping hawk's piercing talons scraped over his back, narrowly missing its prey. Rattled, he dashed back to protection. Now, with less certainty, he ventured back to the treasure. Hopeful, he sighed. However, no sooner had he approached his prize than he noticed a coiled snake making its final move for a strike. Ducking, the pointy fangs distributing paralyzing venom scarcely missed him, fastening on the earth just to his left. Ruffled, he scampered back to cover. Discouraged and wondering if a single acorn from this bounty-strewn supply would be his, he convinced himself to make one more attempt despite the risk. Taking a deep breath, he dashed toward this acorn reserve. Upon arrival, he felt his fur rise on his back, causing him to jerk and swirl about. Fortunately, his movement dodges the swipe of a sly bobcat's paw with razor-sharp claws in tow. Daunted but not defeated, he reached for just one acorn. Gripping it in his paw, he darted to cover. However, before arriving, it slipped out and rolled back down the hill, settling a hole near the bottom of the swale close to the other acorns. Breathing heavily, he paused to reflect on his plight. He has tried to recover something of value three times, and three times, he has been rejected. Lost in his thoughts, he fell asleep. Rising from what he thought a short respite, he looked outside his hole, and to his dismay, a thick blanket of snowfall had arrived, covering the entire forest floor. Frustrated that his slumber caused him to miss out on a harvest of acorns, he turned and applied himself to the other myriad tasks requiring his attention. Taking comfort, he entered the slumber of winter, sure that while his harvest did not meet expectations, it would nevertheless be there for him next year. No sooner had winter come than it went. He leaped onto the forest floor excitedly and more motivated now than ever to embrace the spring mood. Rushing quickly across the soft layer of leaves, he brushed against something that had not previously been there. Pausing for a moment, he shook his head and smiled. The acorn that he lost last year had become a sprout. Grinning and at ease, he knew that one day, that tree would house many in his squirrel family. What was a previous disappointment had now filled his heart with joy, knowing that what he had lost had become something he would gain. What's the moral of the story? God often allows things in our lives to end and turn in directions we frequently don't expect. However, because God is the Sovereign Lord, we can rest in real hope that what was previously an unmet expectation will, in time, prove to be an act of His sovereign grace. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24

If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? Most people want to change something about their physical appearance. Imagine having a body that doesn't wear out or ache, that doesn't require upkeep, that doesn't have a disability, that doesn't have a disease. For many of us, we had such carefree days in our youth. But imagine having a body that was like that eternally. That's what the Bible promises with the believer's resurrected body in the future. I once received a letter from someone asking, "Why does God want to resurrect our body if we will have a new body anyway?" This person believed that when you die, you get a new body. So why would God want to resurrect our current body? The short answer: the resurrection is what completes our salvation. God is interested in saving not just your soul, but also redeeming your body. It's a complete process. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they died spiritually—they were separated from God. But they also began to deteriorate, and eventually they died physically. And so has every generation since. So, to counteract the death principle that was instilled into God's creation at the fall, a resurrection is absolutely necessary. "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). So what kind of body will we have in the resurrection? Philippians 3:21 says that Jesus "will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body." Since Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection, our body is going to be very much like His: an earthly body glorified and limitless. I believe it will have advanced properties, just like Christ's when He was able to appear and vanish, transport to the shores of Galilee, and ascend into heaven. But I don't want to speculate too much because only certain things have been revealed to us. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul likened death and resurrection to sowing a seed: "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body" (v. 44). What comes up is vastly different and more beautiful. Now, the term "spiritual body" does not mean that our resurrected body will be nonmaterial or noncorporeal. It's going to be a real, physical body, but without any limitations. God is going to give you a body that is suited for the environment of heaven because you'll need a glorified body to enjoy a glorified state. It will be a physical body; you're just getting a makeover. So what will it look like? Well, God created Adam as a fully functioning adult with adult capabilities. Since peak human development is somewhere between ages twenty and thirty, I believe your resurrected body will have you looking in your twenties. Again, just my speculation. Back to 1 Corinthians 15: "As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man" (v. 49). Adam is our prototype in this life; his sin resulted in corruption, degradation, and decay. But Jesus is the prototype for our future resurrected body, bringing us full restoration. And what could be better than that? In His strong love, Skip Heitzig

The church at Corinth was very tolerant of certain kinds of evil behavior in their midst. And instead of being ashamed over this tolerance of evil, they were actually proud of it. They were "puffed up," as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:2. "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife. And you are puffed up"—that is, prideful—"and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you" (v. 1-2). The city of Corinth was a very permissive city in moral terms, and evidently, their culture was influencing the church, rather than the church influencing the community. Does this sound like today's world? After awhile, because the culture is so strong, you get used to it. Instead of being salt and light, instead of being a strong witness, it's just easier to go with the flow and accommodate to the thinking and values of the world around you. So the church ends up saying, "Well, you can't judge people. We're not supposed to do that. We can't police everybody. Let them do what they want. Just love on them." The Corinthian church patted themselves on the back for what is, I think, today considered to be the biggest, most important moral value in American culture—tolerance. But Paul didn't call it tolerance. He called it pride. Because when you tolerate immorality, essentially you're saying that you're smarter than God. Even though God forbade it in His Word, and even though pagans forbid it, you're above it all. You're puffed up. You're proud. In Revelation 2, Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for their works, their labor, and their patience, and for their resolve to not "bear those who are evil" (v. 2). He commended them not for their tolerance but for their intolerance, that they did not tolerate evil. When you confront something that is wrong or against Scripture, a moral stance that is against a biblical value, how many times have you heard people say, "Well, Jesus said, 'Judge not, lest you be judged'"? It's the only verse so many people know from the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 7:1). All it means to them is "I want to do whatever I want. Don't tell me I can't." First of all, Jesus was not saying you can't think, you can't discern, you can't discriminate, or you can't judge at all. He was talking about a spirit of censoriousness, playing God and excluding people from fellowship with Him. If "Judge not, lest you be judged" means to never speak up against evil or never use discernment, then Elijah the prophet was out of line when he confronted Ahab and Jezebel. Paul the apostle was out of line when he confronted the legalists in Jerusalem. And, for that matter, Jesus was out of line when he said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" (Matthew 23:27). In fact, Jesus gave His disciples a command to "judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24). But how is that done? Go back to Matthew 7. Jesus said that if you see a speck in your brother's eye, but you have a plank in your own, first remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye (vv. 3-5). Righteous judgment is rooted in humility. That should always be your position when making a judgment. And the idea, the hope, is that it would provoke real repentance that leads to restoration. In His strong love, www.connectwithskip.com .

Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King. "for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10 NIV Isaac Watts wrote “Joy to the World” in 1719. Since then, every Christmas season, carolers cast those words into the air like a lifeline out into the ocean of humanity. And every “fish” surely finds something inviting and worth nibbling at. The thrill of hope within the message spools out to touch a weary world with anticipation of tasting something really good! Joy came to the world because God our great Creator loved His creation so much that He sent His Son to reveal His story, and so that over time, His character and ultimate good will toward mankind would be recognized. The impact on earth of Christ’s birth will never diminish despite enemies’ attempts to stop it. John 21:25 says that the world would not be able to contain the books that could be written about what the Lord did while on earth. Since then many more testimonies of His transforming love have been and will be written. Nehemiah 8 records that Nehemiah, the leaders and the people celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with great joy, after sharing God’s Word. Rejoice in God’s Word and thoughts of the Savior’s birth, His purpose and His inheritance. Questions: What do you plan on rejoicing about during this Christmas season? Angels we have on heard high Sweetly singing ore the plains And the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains Gloria in Excelsis Deo Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14 KJV

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14 KJV Angels We Have Heard On High What gives you awe? What things cause you to become speechless when you see them? Is it the sight of a family member you haven’t seen in years? Is it visiting a majestic place like a mountain or a historical place like the ancient pyramids of Egypt? The night Christ was born was the most monumental and awe-inspiring event that as ever occurred in human history as God sent His one and only Son to earth so that we could ultimately have eternal life. There has not been an event in history before or after Christ’s birth that resulted in such celebration that the angels themselves made their physical presence known and their voices heard in song. Can you imagine how the shepherds’ jaws must have dropped at the site and sounds of the angels? That moment was so majestic that we probably cannot fully comprehend what it was like because honestly, none of us have encountered such a sight. It seems like people tend to have fewer experiences these days of complete awe. Technology has brought so much of the world to our living rooms and fingertips that we can see anything we want and feel like we are at anyplace we want to be. Unfortunately, most of us probably have fewer awe-inspiring moments with God like we should. Our relationship with Him often becomes too comfortable and even ordinary. This Christmas, make an attempt to regain those awe-inspiring moments with God. Strive to make your relationship with Him something so inspiring that it causes you to rejoice like the angels did. Don’t let your relationship with Him be ordinary, but rather make it extraordinary. Questions: Describe some of the awe-inspiring moments you’ve had with God. How have these moments impacted you? What changes do you need to make in your life so that you can start having more awe-inspiring moments with God?

"Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water? Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new? This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you." Luke 1:38 NLT This touching song has been played for well over three decades during the Christmas season. The lyrics are beautifully written and contain powerful phrases like Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand and that This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you. It’s a stirring line of questions by the songwriter that cause listeners to stand in amazement at the power of our God. We really don’t know much about Mary except that she was a virgin and probably in her early teens. According to Luke 1:28, we know that she was “highly favored” and that “the Lord was with her”. Even without a stunning resume, God used her. Sweet, little Mary who kept to herself and wasn’t a big “play maker” was invited by the Creator of the universe to change the world. Many think the reason He chose her is because of her willingness. Upon hearing how this would play out in her life, Mary’s response was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1:38) Mary simply said yes to her Lord with no conditions whatsoever. Where are you in your life right now? How much of “you” have you truly surrendered? Are you living the truth that “your life is not your own” and that you’ve been “brought with a price”? Is there something that you are missing out on because you won’t let Him lead? We have a Messiah. His name is Jesus. He is the Savior of the world. He walked on water without a single bit of effort. He came and died to make us new. He gave sight to a blind man with some dirt and saliva. He woke up from a deep sleep and calmed a raging storm with His human hand. He fed over 5,000 people with a tiny bit of bread and fish. He does the miraculous. Questions: What have you not surrendered to God? What is keeping you from doing so?