Bible Memorization Project - 2013

          “At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country; form Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel.  Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns.  No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.  So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions.  Then the land had rest from war.”   Joshua 11:21-23

Hello Everyone!

Are you ready for the launch of a new Bible Memorization Project?  Reading this passage yesterday morning reminded me how important committing scripture to memory can be?  Are you scratching your heads trying to relate one with the other?  Are you wondering what Anakem has to do with Bible Memorization?  Are you quietly thinking that your Bible Study leader has completely lost her mind?  Let me explain….

Let’s start with context shall we?  Joshua has just led the Israelite’s into the Promised Land of Canaan.  The conquest was complete but still there was more territory left to be conquered.  Apparently Joshua had subdued the major cities and enemy fortresses, but he left it to the individual tribes to complete the work of eradicating the enemy from the land.  Unfortunately most of the tribes failed to do this.  (Joshua 13:1-7)

One of the cities Joshua failed to capture was Gath.  This was where the legendary Anakim resided.  They were reportedly gigantic people that the Israelites met when they first spied out the land.  It appears that Joshua had defeated most of them but there were still some living in Gath.  Because the Israelites never finished the conquest within their own individual territories, Gath became a Philistine stronghold that brought tremendous grief to the Israelites for future generations.  It was an Anakim champion that arose and came to humiliate the Israelites.  Perhaps you know him, his name was Goliath. 

Because Joshua’s generation failed to completely remove the Canaanites from the land, the Israelites were soon tempted by the pagan practices and loose morals of their Canaanite neighbors, just as God had predicted.  They would bring them tremendous grief throughout their remaining years. 

Here is the point.  Just as Joshua brought the Israelites into the land of abundance and fought with them side by side to overcome, there came a time when the Israelites were meant to finish the battle on their own.  They didn’t and because of that they were overtaken. 

Application:  We come to church and we learn and battle together but at some point we are meant to do battle on our own.  We are meant to take possession of whatever spiritual territory God has given us within our own sphere of influence. 

How do we as New Testament Christians battle?  With the word of God. 

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”   2 Corinthians 10:3-5

As we memorize scripture we are developing an arsenal of weaponry against the enemy.  When he comes at us with lies we use our memorized scripture to demolish arguments and all pretending that is against the knowledge of God.  We are taking captive our thoughts and making them obedient to the mind of Christ.  Here are some examples of what might be an unconquered area in our thought life:

-        Unbelief

-        knowing who you are in Christ

-        pride

-        quilt

-        addictions

-        deceptions

-        insecurities

-        un-forgiveness

-        victory over the enemy

-        depression

-        rejection

-        despair

As we memorize our scriptures regarding our unclaimed territory, and align ourselves with what God says, the enemy has to tuck his tail and run.  It is really that simple.  But it is going to take work on your part.  You are going to need to engage your mind and your motivation to do it.  It is time for some hand to hand combat if you want to live in the abundance that God has promised.

This is our third year doing this project and each year has been a tremendous success and I need to tell you not one and I mean not a single person has ever voiced to me that they were sorry they did it.  If you have never participated or if you are new to this whole memorization thing, I urge you to give it a shot. 

So have I whetted your appetite?  Are you anxious to get started?  Then check back soon for the details of the what, the how, and the when. 

Love you all so much and I am excited to embark on this Bible Memorization Project – 2013!

Shalom!!