SHADOWS IN JERICHO

  Standing Firm   (The Roman Caligae)   The caligae, the iconic footwear of ancient Roman soldiers, served as more than mere shoes; they were a critical component of a soldier's equipment, enabling mobility, stability, and resilience on the battlefield. These thicksoled sandals were designed for the rigors of military life, embodying practicality and strength. In Ephesians 6:15, the Apostle Paul draws a powerful metaphor, urging believers to be "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." This call to spiritual readiness resonates deeply with the characteristics of the caligae, as they symbolize the believer's preparedness to stand firm in faith amidst life's challenges. By exploring the terminology, structure, and function of the caligae, we can enrich our understanding of this metaphor and its implications for spiritual warfare.  The Roman Soldier’s Shoes (Caligae) The caligae were not just a piece of military attire; they were an essential part of...

Spiritual Nuggets   Standing Firm in Faith  Antihistemi  (Ephesians 6:13)   Monday, September 30, 2024   (Word Study) Antihistemi (ἀνθίστημι) To Stand "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."   Ephesians 6:13 (NASB) A Poetic Reflection In the face of storms, we hold our ground,   With faith as our anchor, in Christ we're found.   Though trials may rise and fears may call,   We stand in His strength, refusing to fall.   —Anonymous  Linguistic and Theological Context   (Understanding Antihistemi) The Greek word antihistemi (ἀνθίστημι) means "to stand against" or "to resist." Central to this word is the command to “stand,” emphasizing resilience and preparation against spiritual opposition. The repetition of the word "stand" throughout Ephesians 6 underscores its significance in the believe...

Spiritual Nuggets   Sorrow May Endure for a Night, but Joy Comes in the Morning   (Psalm 30:5) (Thursday, September 26, 2024 )   Daily Devotional "For His anger is but for a moment,   His favor is for a lifetime;   Weeping may last for the night,   But a shout of joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5 (NASB) "Night gives way to morning bright,   The stars bow to the sun's warm light.   In darkest hours, hope may wane,   Yet joy comes dancing through the pain."   —Anonymous Modern Christian Poet (Historical Context)   The Psalm of Deliverance and David’s Praise Psalm 30 is traditionally attributed to David and is believed to have been composed during the dedication of the Temple or David’s palace. The psalm expresses gratitude to God for delivering David from dire circumstances, possibly referring to personal illness, enemy attack, or divine judgment. David reflects on God's merci...

Spiritual Nuggets   Endure Hardship as a Good Soldier of Christ   (2 Timothy 2:14)   Daily Devotional for Thursday, September 19, 2024  In life, we all face challenges and hardships. Paul’s words to Timothy remind us that, just like soldiers, we must stay strong and focused. We are called to endure difficulties for the sake of Christ, keeping our eyes on Him and not getting sidetracked by the worries of the world. In 2 Timothy 2:14, Paul writes "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." — 2 Timothy 2:14 (NASB) Practical Takeaway: Stay Strong in God's Grace   Paul encourages ...

  Spiritual Nuggets   Hypocrites: Actors in a Religious Drama   Matthew 23:27-28   (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)   Daily Devotional “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” —Matthew 23:27-28 (NASB) (Historical Context)   Hypocrites in Greek Drama   The word hypocrite (Greek: ὑποκριτής, hypokritēs, Strong’s G5273) originally referred to an actor in ancient Greek theater—someone who performed by wearing a mask to play a role. In the theater, an actor (hypokritēs) would switch masks to portray different characters, concealing their true identity. The focus was on the external performance, not the actor’s real self. When Jesus called the Pharisees “hypocrites,” He was pointing...

The Attributes of God - God's Immanence (Pt 1) A Journey into the Father's Heart A.W. Tozer (Pg 152-155) A Sense of God's Nearness   I once knelt under an apple tree in a field, along with several other preachers and a Salvation Army man, Captain Ireland. As Captain Ireland began to pray, I suddenly sensed a nearness—there was another presence. Though unseen, He had been there all along. "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?" – Jeremiah 23:23 The Challenge of Fellowship with God   How can God continually manifest His presence to the proud and arrogant when He is so humble and lowly? How can He reveal Himself to the lukewarm and careless when He is so zealous, or to the hardened and vengeful when He is so forgiving? How can the harsh and severe experience the God who is so kind, or the calculating receive grace from the One whose love led Him to die for us?

 Spiritual Nuggets   Clothed in Righteousness: Putting on the New Self   Colossians 3:9-10   (Thursday, September 12, 2024)   Daily Devotional “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” —Colossians 3:9-10 (NASB)  (Historical Context)   Transformation through Clothing in Ancient Cultures In ancient times, clothing carried deep symbolic meaning, signifying one’s identity, social status, and purity. In Jewish culture, priests would put on sacred garments before entering the Temple, symbolizing their holiness and readiness to serve God (Exodus 28:2-4). Similarly, in Roman society, clothing often marked a person's status or office, such as a soldier’s armor, which represented strength and readiness for battle. Paul draws from this familiar symbolism to describe the tran...

  Spiritual Nuggets Disarming the Powers: Christ’s Triumph Over Evil Colossians 2:13-15 (Wednesday, September 11, 2024) Daily Devotional  “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt (cheirographon) consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed (apekdyomai) the rulers and authorities, He made a public display (deigmatizo) of them, having triumphed (thriambeuo) over them through Him.” —Colossians 2:13-15 (NASB) (Historical Context)  The Roman Triumph and Disarmament In ancient Rome, a “triumph” (Greek: thriambeuo, θριαμβεύω, Strong’s G2358) was a grand parade in which a victorious general marched through the streets, leading captive enemies in chains as spoils of war. This public display symbolized their total disarm...

Spiritual Nuggets  Paid in Full: The Certificate of Debt   Daily Devotional  (Tuesday, September 10, 2024) “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt (cheirographon) consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” —Colossians 2:13-15 (NASB) (Historical Context: The Cheirographon in Roman Society)   In Roman society, the (cheirographon) (Greek: χειρόγραφον, Strong’s G5498) was a legal document that recorded a debtor’s obligation. This written record, signed by the debtor, was binding and stood as evidence of the debt owed. If the debtor failed to repay, the consequences could include imprisonment or e...

Spiritual Nuggets Momentary Light Suffering Daily Devotional (Monday, September 9, 2024) "For we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."   —2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NASB) (Historical Context) When Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthians, he was addressing a church that had experienced both internal division and external persecution. Paul had endured great suffering for the sake of the gospel—imprisonment, beatings, and shipwrecks. Despite all of this, he encouraged believers to "not lose heart" because the challenges they faced were temporary and would ultimately give way to eternal glory.

Spiritual Nuggets   God’s Unshakable Love Daily Devotional   (Friday, September 6, 2024) "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."   —Romans 8:38-39 (NASB) (Historical Context) When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans around 57 AD, the Christian community was facing severe persecution under Roman rule. Christians were marginalized, imprisoned, and sometimes executed simply for their faith. Paul’s words in Romans 8:38-39 were a message of hope and assurance for these early believers. He reminded them that no matter what external threats they faced, God’s love for them in Christ could never be broken. In our modern world, we may face different kinds of challenges—chaos, noise, uncertainty—but the truth of God's unshakable love remains the same. ...

  The Attributes of God - God's Grace (Part Two)   A Journey into the Father's Heart, Volume 1   By A.W. Tozer   (Pages 103-106) Grace Is What God Is Like Grace is what God is like. Grace is God's goodness, the kindness of God's heart, the goodwill, the cordial benevolence—this is what God is like. God is like that all the time. You’ll never encounter a part of God that is hard; you will always find God gracious, at all times and toward all people, forever. You’ll never find any meanness in God, no resentment, no rancor, or ill will, for there is none there. God has no ill will toward any being. God is a God of utter kindness, cordiality, goodwill, and benevolence. And yet, all of these work in perfect harmony with God's justice and God's judgment. I believe in hell and I believe in judgment, but I also believe that there are those who God must reject because of their impenitence. Yet there will still be grace. God will still feel gracious toward all of His univ...

The Attributes of God - God's Grace (Part 1) A Journey into the Father's Heart, Volume 1 By A.W. Tozer Pg 100-103 (Grace: The Only Means of Salvation) Here are two important truths, and I want you to take them to heart. The first truth is that no one ever was saved, no one is now saved, and no one ever will be saved except by grace. Before Moses, nobody was ever saved except by grace. During Moses's time, nobody was ever saved except by grace. After Moses, before the cross, and after the cross—during any dispensation, anywhere, anytime—nobody was ever saved in any other way than by grace. The second truth is that grace always comes by Jesus Christ. The law was given by Moses, but grace came by Jesus Christ. This does not mean that before Jesus was born of Mary, there was no grace. God dealt in grace with mankind, looking forward to the incarnation and death of Jesus before Christ came. Now that He has come and gone to the Father's right hand, God looks back upon the cro...

The Attributes of God - God's Justice (PT 1) A Journey into the Father's Heart   A.W. Tozer  (Pt 1 - Volume 1- Pg 67-68)  The Passion of Christ The second answer comes from the effect of Christ's passion. The word "passion" now often refers to sex or lust, but in earlier times, it meant deep, terrible suffering. That is why we refer to Good Friday as (Passion Tide) and speak of The Passion of Christ. It is the suffering Jesus endured as He made His priestly offering with His own blood for us. Jesus Christ is God, and all that has been said about God applies to Christ. He is a unitary being who has taken on the nature of man—that God, the eternal Word who existed before man and who created man, is a unitary being without division of substance.

The Attributes of God  God's Mercy (Pt 1) A Journey into the Father's Heart   A.W. Tozer   (Pt 1 - Volume 1 - Pg 81-82)   God's Mercy One fact about the mercy of God is that it never began to be. I've heard of men who were hard-hearted or careless, but they began to get stirred up, and mercy blossomed forth. But it never was so with God. God never lay in lethargy without His compassion. God's mercy is simply what God is—uncreated and eternal—and never began to be. It always was.