“… the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the Israelites , and say to them: ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their figured stones, destroy all their cast images, and demolish all their high places. You shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. . . . But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they shall trouble you in the land where you are settling. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’” Numbers 33:50b-53, 55-56

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20

In our present day lives, there is always more land to inhabit, more idols to destroy, more false worship to destroy, and sin to be rid of. There is among us, close to me, close to you, a neighbor, who does not know Jesus, who does not know the love of God, nor loves God. By the grace of God, and with the love of Jesus we are to inhabit those places and drive out unbelief, destroy idols and demolish places of false worship. That all sounds harsh and hateful – but it is the mission of the church. With the love and authority of Christ, who is with us always, we are to go, share the love of God with others, introducing them to and inviting them to love God as He loves us/all; teaching about God, living as Jesus lived, baptizing them, beginning the transformation to Christlikeness or they will to the kingdom like barbs in our eyes and thorns in our sides. It’s the season of Lent, O that I recognize all sin that is in me, that I confess it, repent – turn away from it, and turn to God so that I not be a barb or thorn, a stumbling block to another. That I and all take possession of each and every situation with Jesus’s authority remembering He is present always. No compromises, teaching others (learning myself) to not only become disciples but be disciples, growing, learning, transforming into Christlikeness – blessings not barbs or thorns……