God will impart an anointing for us to lead, instruct and set an example; but we must be even more sensitive and submissive to the Holy Spirit, and fulfill our responsibilities with fear and trembling.
The book of Joshua shows the picture of a people that has stopped wandering, has come to know their God, embraced his promises, and is now ready to seize what God had promised him.
I think we are Joshua's generation.
We are the generation that is going to bomb the gates of hell, take the Promised Land, and bring the harvest of souls of the last days. All injustice will fall on our knees as we proclaim the Word of God.
But have we considered the cost?
Joshua led the people of Israel to take the Promised Land, but he also served Moses faithfully and patiently for forty years in the desert, knowing that they could have taken it just a few months after leaving Egypt.
Joshua was one of the twelve spies who returned with a good report after observing the land that flowed milk and honey. That was the report that Israel rejected, and because of that disbelief they wandered through the desert for forty years. Only Joshua and Caleb believed God.
The generation of Joshua will believe God and obey Him.
Joshua's generation will not murmur or complain.
The generation of Joshua will give his life for the Gospel.
The generation of Joshua will give his life for his brothers and sisters.
The generation of Joshua will not take the glory for himself.
If we are not willing to pay the price, we will not survive the time of Joshua's generation. We must be tenacious and immovable in our love for God and for our brothers and, in addition, we must know how to fight in the spirit.
To war in the spirit is to defeat all the little foxes that will spoil the vineyard, little foxes like greed, lust, jealousy, anger and fear.
War in the spirit is to get up an hour early or stay an hour later to have that time of intimacy with the Lord, hear his instructions for the day and know his mind and heart.
To war in the spirit is to defeat all the little foxes that will spoil the vineyard, little foxes like greed, lust, jealousy, anger and fear.
War in the spirit is to get up an hour early or stay an hour later to have that time of intimacy with the Lord, hear his instructions for the day and know his mind and heart.
To war in the spirit is to be filled with the power of its strength, and to be fully clothed in its armor so that the enemy has to retreat as we walk in this world.
To war in the spirit means to continuously recognize that we are not war against people, but against the devil and his demons working through them.
Finally, war in the spirit requires love, faith, patience, fidelity and courage. All these were characteristics of Joshua, warrior of God who by his faith and obedience took the Promised Land.
The Church is the warrior wife of Jesus, and when we believe and obey our Lord's battle cry, we will take the world!
And Joshua did as Moses told him. Exodus 17:10
I am sure that Moses was a great man, but do you really think that it would always be great to be working for him? He had a tremendous responsibility and carried the burden of guiding millions of people with a highly selfish and independent thought. And he had his temper himself.
This is the man who hit the rock and did not enter the Promised Land because of that. Do not you think that, perhaps, there were times when Joshua felt a little frustrated, irritated or exasperated with Moses? And yet, the Bible says that Joshua obeyed Moses without complaint.
Why? I believe that Joshua knew in his heart that one day he would lead the people of Israel to cross the Jordan to take the Promised Land. He knew that God was preparing him for war.
When God created the Church, he left a single vacancy for every member: slave. One epistle after another Paul declares that he was merely a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, but the word he used in Greek meant "slave." The type of slave we are talking about here is someone who is totally and completely dedicated to his master.
Even if he was offered his freedom, he refused to accept it because of his lifelong commitment to his beloved. In this same sense, we are called to be servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we truly want to be warriors for Christ, we have no excuse to say "that work is too little for me", nor can we think "I am too much for this work". The only job vacancy in the Kingdom of God is that of a slave!
There is an interesting verse from the Scriptures about Joshua:
And Jehovah spoke to Moses face to face, as anyone speaks to his companion. And he returned to the camp; but the young Joshua, son of Nun, his servant, never left the middle of the tabernacle (Exodus 33:11).
This Scripture tells us that Joshua served Moses, but that he sought God for mercy, justice, blessing and promotion. Often when we do things for men and women, we naturally expect our reward to come from them. But the Bible says that we should do all things as to the Lord and that our reward comes from Him.
It may be that no one is watching how much you rehearse for the choir, but Jesus knows it. It may be that no one has seen you when you study that financial report at 02:00 in the morning, but Jesus does. So, when you look for your reward, look at Jesus!
Receiving from the Lord
Joshua could easily have complained that he was being "used" by Moses. When Moses stayed on the mountain praying while Joshua was battling Amalek and fighting for his life, down there Joshua might have been tempted to shout, "Moses is using me!" But, Joshua submitted to Moses and received as a result a special recognition from the Lord:
God reveals that He is our banner of victory in war (Jehovah-nissi) and tells Moses to build an altar and "to mention it in the ears of Joshua." He declares that Joshua is the conquering hero of the day. So, if someone comes to you and tells you they're using you, say, "Yes, they're using me!" That's what they're supposed to do, I said, 'Lord, I'm available to you and I want to be used.' And the only way He can respond is by using me through someone, and I do it as for the Lord! "
This is not just a statement of faith, it's a battle cry!
The problem that many of us have is that when we do well to our "masters", whether that person is the employer, supervisor, or music minister - we want to harvest from the person in whom we have invested. If we do not feel affirmed, appreciated and rewarded by the person who has "used" us, then we get angry.
But the Bible says that our reward does not come from men: it comes from the Lord (Ephesians 6: 8).
Anyone who is intensely involved in the ministry must finally conclude that no person can ever return the sacrifices he makes. Only God can adequately reward him for the disinterested acts he can do for the benefit of another. And He will reward us!
The reward and recognition will come from the Father, and He will determine the appropriate reward for us to receive. Now, if the Father chooses to reward you richly, do not let anyone make you feel bad about that! Accept whatever the Lord gives you, big or small. Continue to give the same faithful, humble and excellent service regardless of how much He puts in your hand or how much praise you receive.
The more the Lord realizes that He can entrust you with blessings, the more He will bless you. And all the time, whether you have the minimum or abound, choose to be happy and serve joyfully. This is an act of faith in God and only in God.
When an army goes to battle, all lives are on the line.
Sergeants can earn more money than soldiers, even though soldiers may be exposed to greater risks. Not all military paychecks are the same. This is also true in the Kingdom of God. Some receive thirty, others sixty and still others receive a hundred (see Matthew 13: 3-8). The percentage depends on what the Father says.
Our part is to be grateful for whatever He gives us, to wait for His reward, to receive it gratefully, and to look at other people to see if they reward us for the sacrifices we make for them.
Our motivation to serve the Lord should never be for a material percentage. Our motivation must be love for the Lord. Any material return is an additional benefit He gives to our lives. The real value of what we give is measured for us in eternal things that can not be measured on this Earth.
Like Jesus
Just as soldiers have to obey their commander, each believer is called to obey the Lord, and not occasionally, but continuously. We do not obey only when the circumstances seem right or when we like the person in authority, but we obey all those in authority over us as if we were obeying the Lord Himself. Peter taught us a hard truth in his first epistle:
"For the sake of the Lord, submit yourselves to every human institution, whether to the king, to the superior, or to the governors, as for him sent for the punishment of the evildoers and praise of those who do good" (1 Peter 2: 13-14 ).
We must submit to the laws of men as if God himself had written them. We must submit to all those in authority over us, because God has placed them in those positions. To rebel against them is to rebel against God.
And if they require of us something that is not pious or according to the Scriptures, we must disobey externally, but remain internally submissive. In this way, our hearts remain pure before the Lord and our obedience to Him is complete.
Unfortunately, most of us probably rebel more for selfish reasons than for biblical convictions. We are in a hurry, and consequently, we exceed the speed limit. Our boss is insensitive, tyrant and does not pay us what we are worth, so we add an hour here and another there in an extra way.
We believe that the income tax is unconstitutional and oppressive, therefore, we do not report the cash we receive for doing various jobs.
This rebellion and anarchy is also common in the local church. We do not like the songs that the choir director chooses, so we quit the choir, even if God has called us there to learn submission with that choir director. So, we get involved in evangelism but, the leader is disorganized. We are so frustrated with the lack of administrative ability that we eventually leave that too.
The truth is that we will go from one responsibility to another until we learn to submit to authority. Let's stop complaining and do all things as for the Lord. We will never be happy until we master our selfish whims, let go of our personal agendas and simply obey God and serve those He has placed in authority over us.
When God places us under an authority that is not pleasant or does not operate as we would have operated, we know that He is working on our level of submission to authority. It is preparing us for battle! It is showing us how to give our lives! If we are going to be like Jesus on this Earth, we must learn obedience to the point of crucifying our self and our flesh.
Jesus poured out his life for us in obedience to the Father and his example is the model we have to follow. We must pour out our lives for others in obedience to God.
If we are established in authority over others, we must pour out our lives in obedience to God more than ever. God will impart an anointing for us to lead, instruct and set an example; but we must be even more sensitive and submissive to the Holy Spirit, and fulfill our responsibilities with fear and trembling.
Our leadership must carry these two marks: the confidence and humility of Christ.
Obedience allows us to be all that God designed us to be. Unleash our potential and unleash our ministries. But the most important thing: when we learn obedience, we learn the basis to declare war and win it.
The enemy will face a formidable fighting force when our army of Christian soldiers obey those in authority and our officers show the model of Jesus to those they lead. We will be of one mind, heart and spirit, and nothing will cause us to break ranks. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church.
