Stand in the Jordan

 God calls His people to live by faith. That necessitates some faith steps from time to time. That is something Brenda and I know about. We have repeatedly felt called to take faith steps that did not make sense to onlookers our whole marriage. We have stood on the edge of reality and taken steps of faith into the unknown repeatedly. Those steps have been both frightening and exhilarating. 

In the third chapter of Joshua God called His people to take such a faith step. He called them to go in and possess the long-anticipated promised land. In order to do this, they had to cross the Jordan River. About a million people had to forge the 100 feet wide Jordan River that ranges from three to ten feet deep. 

The promise from God was that He would stop the flow of the water and heap them in a wall so Israel could cross on dry ground. Few of these people had lived to see the miracle of the Red Sea. They heard about it but had not experienced God in such a powerful way themselves. 

I think that describes many followers of Jesus. People grow up in church and hear the Bible stories from VBS, to small groups, to Sunday sermons. Intellectually they know all about God. How many have experienced His mighty power personally? How many have stepped out in obedience when it looked irrational and illogical? Like stepping into a 100-foot-wide river with family, possessions, and livestock. It did not make sense. Especially if you were one of the priests carrying the ark. They were to be the first ones to step. For those who were at the back of the million people mob they had a safety net. They could watch safely from the shore to see what happened to those who stepped out first. 

God does not want us to watch safely from the shore all of our days. He wants us to step into the miraculous. To be a part of His story. To behold His faithfulness. To encounter Him in ways we have never done before. To do that we have to be willing to step into the Jordan when He calls us to do so. 

That first step might be scary. It can be a little intimidating. Fears rise tempting us to stand safely on the shore. God prompts us to stand in the Jordan. To step from the shore into the water. Do we really believe God is faithful to do what He promises. We may say we do intellectually but experientially our actions indicate we do not believe. 

Maybe that is part of the reason why we live in a day of miracle famine. God's people do not trust Him enough to step into the Jordan. 

I refuse to live the rest of my life that way. Over and over again in scripture I read about God calling people to risky adventures. Impossible situations. Improbable causes. When people trusted and obeyed God a miracle happened. Please do not miss this. The miracles happened on the backside of faith steps of obedience not before. 

For three decades Brenda and I have committed ourselves to following God and leaping in faith when He called us to do so. We have testimonies that some find hard to believe. I assure you the stories are true. The testimonies are real. Enough to fill pages of books and hundreds of blogs. Almost every time we had to take a faith step and obediently stand in the Jordan before we saw the faithfulness of God. 

I faced another such step yesterday. God presented an opportunity to me. An opportunity that would stretch me physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. In an already jam-packed schedule, God nudged me to add something else. Another time of teaching the Bible. This time off campus to broken and needy people. I already teach 4 times a week. That means studying for four different messages. To add a fifth teaching each week is not something I took lightly. I was a little hesitant. Reluctant to overcommit myself. God nudged me to step and stand in the Jordan.

My flesh wanted to remain safely on the shore. To watch from the sidelines while other movers and shakers in the kingdom of God did the work and saw the power of God. I prayed and solicited others to pray with me about this opportunity. I set up a meeting with a key leader. It became clearly obvious that God was in it. I could not sit on the shore. I had to step into the Jordan. 

Starting on October 16th, on Sunday afternoon, I will begin teaching the Bible in a substance abuse detox center. I will also recruit a team who are willing to go with me to love on these clients. Clients from all over the nation. Broken people with messy lives. Just the kind of people Jesus loves to transform. Attendance will be strictly voluntary. People from all faiths, socio-economic backgrounds check in this place. Many of them do know the Savior. Many probably seldom darken the door of a house of worship. Jesus is calling me to take Him to them. The word I keep thinking about is REDEMPTION. God wants to redeem people and send them back home transformed and as missionaries. He is calling me to step into the Jordan like the priests carrying the ark. I may go alone in the beginning. 

For weeks I have been asking God to show me what He wanted me to do. Where I was to minister outside the walls of the church. Like some are doing at McGratton Park with skaters every Monday night. God heard and laid this in my lap. I did not go looking for it. He brought it to me. Once again God used His faithful servant Connie Wright to make it happen. That is her story to tell. 

So yesterday in my meeting with the key leader, I committed to step into the Jordan. That will mean teaching and preaching four times every Sunday. Only God can strengthen me. This is not a short time commitment. It is a long-term commitment. Consistency is critical. I trust God will call other people to come along beside me in the Jordan. It is exciting and sobering. 

Exciting because it is another opportunity to see God do something miraculous. Sobering because I know that I do not have the power to change anyone's life. Only Jesus can do that. 

So, I step and stand in the Jordan. There is no turning back. Just like the priests stepping in faith from the shore into the Jordan, they did not see the waters stop flowing and heap in a wall until they fully committed to take that faith step. Here I go again. A step of faith to stand in the Jordan. Is God calling any of you to step and stand with me?