I am still reflecting upon our Men's Retreat and love the concept of the Band of Brothers. As Joshua and his band of brothers were told to not be afraid or discouraged but to stand and be courageous as they conquered (let's be honest and say ruthlessly destroyed) those who stood in their way. They charged into battle and took no prisoners as they did what God would have them do: taking the promised land where they would live.
The 72 Jesus sent out were told to deny themselves, take up the cross and follow Jesus as they went about healing the sick and proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was near. If they were welcomed they would stay. If they were rejected they would shake the dust from there feet and almost condemn the people of that town.
The Clint Eastwood in me likes the Joshua way. But I know that we are not called to be Joshua. There is no promised land for us to take. Our promised land is being held in trust for us and the Holy Spirit was given partially as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.
Until we received that inheritance, we need to live the Jesus' way. We must deny ourselves, being willing to give up our lives as a sacrifice for the Kingdom of God and follow the way of life Jesus has asked us to live. As we live that life, we need to be healers (physical, emotional, spiritual, etc) who proclaim the Kingdom of God. This may feel uncomfortable for some who think that God doesn't do certain things any more. But we must remember that we follow Jesus, he doesn't follow us. We put ourselves aside and follow whatever Jesus desires to do. This may be more difficult than picking up a sword and charging into the line of battle in a rush of adrenaline. Living for Jesus may be more difficult than dying for Jesus. We must be willing to do both.
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