Month: August 2022

Gideon Pt 1: Mighty Man of Valor!

by

Disciple Up # 273
Gideon, Part One: “Mighty Man of Valor:
By Louie Marsh, 8-31-2022

Intro.

We’re taking four weeks to read through six I wrote on the life of Gideon for my radio show, Tales From the Scrypt.  Let me know what you think of this short form podcasting ok? Would you like more? Would you like another podcast called Tales from the Scrypt? Or change Disciple Up into this short form scripted format?

Let me know, I’m waiting!

louie@discipleup.org

facebook.com/discipleup

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 272-War Stories – Whos In Charge Here

by

Disciple Up #272
War Stories Pt. 5: Who’s In Charge Here? – 2 Chron 20:1-30
By Louie Marsh, 8-24-2022

Intro – Tales From the Scrypt on tap during my trip to Malawi IF I can get it done in time!

2  Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). 2 Chronicles 20:2 (ESV)

To Keep Christ 1st in My Life I need too…

 1) Go to God and..

4  And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. 5  And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 2 Chronicles 20:4-5 (ESV)

  • REMEMBER who God is!

6  and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 2 Chronicles 20:6 (ESV)

24  And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, Acts 4:24 (ESV)

  •  REVIEW my spiritual history.

7  Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8  And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 2 Chronicles 20:7-8 (ESV)

25  who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? Acts 4:25 (ESV)

  • RENEW my commitment to Christ!

9  ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 2 Chronicles 20:9 (ESV)

Has the heaviness of your old-fashioned church got you weighted down? Try us! We are the New and Improved Lite Church on the River. We feature a 7.5% tithe, a 35-minute worship service with 7 minute sermons. Next Sunday’s sermon is on the Feeding of 500.

29  And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, Acts 4:29 (ESV)

2) ASK & CONFESS at the same time

12  O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 (ESV)

3) HEAR & RESPOND to God’s Word.

14  And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15  And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16  Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17  You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:14-17 (ESV)

4) When the going gets tough, the tough WORSHIP!

18  Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19  And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice… 21  And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 22  And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 2 Chronicles 20:18-22 (ESV)

We were gathered at a little Pentecostal-style church where the preacher had had a difficult time getting the congregation involved…. i.e…amens, etc.  This particular Sunday he was preaching on praise and worship.  He never noticed his mistake.   It was hilarious (but embarrassing we thought) as he yelled out “let everything that hath breasts praise the Lord!”

5) UNDERSTAND that God blesses UNITY.

3  Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4  And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. 5  And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 2 Chronicles 20:3-5 (ESV)

This lyrics to this hymn were written by Isaac Watts in 1777. Robert Lowery wrote the music that we now use in 1867. Watts wrote this hymn as an answer to his critics who had actually split from churches who sang his “human composed” hymns. Prior to this time, churches only sang hymns from the Psalms.

Because of the controversy between singing of Psalms and the singing of hymns, the church decided to sing Psalms at the beginning of their service and then after the preaching, they would sing hymns. Many people who were still against the hymns would get up and leave the service at this time

Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

 

Episode 271-War Stories – Follow Faith Not Fear

by

Disciple Up # 271
War Stories # 4, Follow Faith Not Fear – Judges 6-7
By Louie Marsh, 8-17-2022

11  Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites…27  So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. Judges 6:11,27 (ESV)

7  for we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)

 18  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 (ESV)

How God Wants Me to Deal with Fear

 1) RECOGNIZE who God wants me to be.

12  And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Judges 6:12 (ESV)

19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19 (ESV)

2) REFUSE to get sidetracked.

13  And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Judges 6:13 (ESV)

2  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)

3) REMEMBER three powerful truths.

  • I ALREADY have all the strength I need!

14  The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14 (NIV)

14  And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian…” Judges 6:14 (ESV)

37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37 (ESV)

  •  I really am on a MISSION FROM GOD.

do not I send you?” Judges 6:14 (ESV)

  • God is with me ALL THE WAY!

 16  And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” Judges 6:16 (ESV)

…“And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:20 (GW)

4) RID myself of the causes of fear.

 3  Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. Judges 7:3 (ESV)

 5) REALIZE when & where God is moving.

 9  That same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10  But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. 11  And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp…. 14  And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.” 15  As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.” Judges 7:9-11; 14-15 (ESV)

 6) RUN with the ridiculous!

 16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’” Judges 7:16-18 (ESV)

 7) GIVE God ALL the credit.

 2  The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Judges 7:2 (ESV)

 

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 270: War Stories -Failure Isn’t Fatal

by

Disciple Up #270
War Stories
Part 3: Failure Isn’t Fatal – Joshua 7-8
By Louie Marsh, 8-3-2022

Intro.

So about 3,000 men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. Joshua 7:4-5 (ESV)

Four Common Causes of Failure

  1. I have HIDDEN SIN in my life.

 1  But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. Joshua 7:1 (ESV)

 I quit TRUSTING GOD because things are going well.

 2  Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3  And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” Joshua 7:2-3 (ESV)

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody. – Herbert B. Swope

  1. I divide my FOCUS AND ENERGY

 4  So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, Joshua 7:4 (ESV)

 Then I BLAME GOD for my failures & problems.

7  And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8  O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9  For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?” Joshua 7:7-9 (ESV)

God’s Reaction to My Failure:

  1. He JERKS THE SLACK out of me!

The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face. Joshua 7:10 (NIV)

10  But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up off your face! Joshua 7:10 (TLB)

  1. He commands me to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for my actions.

11  Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Joshua 7:11 (ESV)

  1. He commands me to FORSAKE MY SIN

13  Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” Joshua 7:13 (ESV)

My Necessary Response to God:

  1. I must TURN BACK to God.

 6  Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. Joshua 7:6 (ESV)

  1. I must TURN AWAY from my sins and distractions

“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow…Joshua 7:13a (NLT)

  1. I must be willing to do some PAINFUL CLEANSING of my heart.

“First thing in the morning you will be called up by tribes. The tribe God names will come up clan by clan; the clan God names will come up family by family; and the family God names will come up man by man. The person found with the cursed things will be burned, he and everything he has, because he broke God’s covenant and did this despicable thing in Israel.” Joshua 7:14-15 (MSG)

“19Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”” (Joshua 7:19–21, ESV)

The best way out is always through. – Robert Frost

4 Ways to Move past My Failures:

  1. ACCEPT Christ’s encouragement

1  And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. Joshua 8:1 (ESV)

  1. Follow HIS LEADING

 2  And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.” Joshua 8:2 (ESV)

  1. Be willing to TRY IT AGAIN

So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai,,, Joshua 8:3a (NIV)

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. – Robert F. Kennedy

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.  – Sir Winston Churchill

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Sir Winston Churchill

“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” – Sir Winston Churchill

  1. LEARN from my mistakes and do things DIFFERENTLY!

3  So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night. 4  And he commanded them, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. Joshua 8:3-4 (ESV)

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books –