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A Joshua-Veneered Judges

Without challenge there will be no growth. Without expectation there will be no challenge. Why is it that we think if we expect "too much" out of people they will turn away? Didn't Jesus issue commands and ultimatums? Why should His Church not remind His people of these things?

I was challenged by a statement from someone in Sunday School that people "like" the way things are going. This "liking-ness" caused me to ponder the "state of the union" and internalize a "declaration of dependence" for the name of Christ. I repeat, Without challenge there will be no growth. Without expectation there will be no challenge. I do not want to bow down to "likingness" as the test for spiritual growth. What I see in fruitfulness is sporadic unquestionable commitment.An abandonment to the statements of Christ across the board. This is reflected in the hard work of hospitality we lack in our home-model of being the body of Christ.

What we lack is an embedded belief that transfers within us when we go home from church and vice-versa. That is because we are not challenged to change. We like things this way.

Joshua challenged his people to "choose you this day whom you will serve" and took his stand, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

After Joshua died, a generation grew up that did not know the LORD or the things he had done. And "everyone did was right in their own eyes" or as they "liked". Has this become the norm so much so that we are attractive to people to who do not want to be challenged but think they are...

"Choose you this day whom you will serve--wouldn't you like to think you are choosing the LORD in all of the choices you make? Whatever you like then...whatever you like, do that and know it is God's will for your life!" Serving self = serving God.  This is a Joshua-veneered Judges and it does nothing but make people numbed out thinking they are OK with God.

What we might need instead is some Temple "butt-kicking" table talk about God's house being a place of prayer and a "holy whipped up" crew of post-pain relieved (anti-anesthesia clinic?) suffers for the cause of Christ hospitality. In a nut-shell, some honest, authentic, sin confessing, courageous counter-cultural Christianity. Well, not so nut-shelled then.

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