You Are The Joshua Generation. Act Like It.
For some time now, there has been a spiritual cold war brewing within the church.
The battle lines have been drawn between the house of Saul and the house of David. During this time, the spiritually hot have been getting hotter and the spiritually cold have been getting colder. Can you feel it?
On one side, there is a creeping apathy that is trying to corrode your zeal and dull your passion; on the other side, there is a persistent hunger and a stirring in your heart for more of His presence. Which will you yield to?
This spiritual battle is not being drawn along denominational lines. I believe that in the coming days, we will find ourselves allied with the most unlikely candidates. This is a battle between those who are hungry for reformation and those who are satisfied with church as usual. There are individuals who believe that the church should influence culture, and there are others whose apathy will allow the culture to influence the church. There really is no middle ground—we must align ourselves with one side or the other. And once we do that, it will be time to choose a weapon.
A Burning Bush or a Gleaming Sword?
There are weapons, forged in the breath of God and tempered in the blood of His Son, that God wants to place in your hands. When God was leading His people into the Promised Land,
He used two incredibly similar leaders, Moses and Joshua. It is interesting to consider what these two men had in common:
They both had a dramatic encounter with the divine.
They both were commanded to remove their sandals because they were on holy ground.
They both saw waters part (the Red Sea and the Jordan River).
They both sent out spies.
They both preached lengthy sermons just before their death.
However, what they had in common is not nearly as interesting as what was different about them:
Moses led them out of bondage, while Joshua led them into the Promised Land.
Moses parted the Red Sea to escape their enemies, while Joshua parted the Jordan to attack their enemies.
Moses led them into deliverance, while Joshua led them into victory.
Moses never made it into the Promised Land, while Joshua eventually took possession of it.
As we enter a new era of church history, it is important for us to understand that we are a part of a Joshua generation. Both Moses and Joshua were launched into their destiny with a divine encounter. Moses had a burning bush; Joshua had a gleaming sword.
I know that it may seem like the enemy has unlimited resources and unfettered access into our lives. However, as the Son of God was kicked and prodded down the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, He was forging weapons. Jesus did not go to the cross to create blinders for us so we could ignore our enemy. Jesus suffered and rose from the dead to create armor with which we can overcome our enemy. He died so that you could wear His armor and wield the sword of the Spirit.
Moses was confronted with a burning bush, but Joshua encountered a gleaming sword.
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:13-15).
One of the characters created by the great playwright William Shakespeare said, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em” (Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare, 1623).
Although many of us would have loved being born in a time when we could have had the beauty of a burning bush experience, God has more for this generation. Here is the good news: you were not only born for the battle, but you were born again to win the battle!
When picking the name of the Messiah, it is fascinating that God did not choose the name of the great deliverer, Moses. Instead, He chose the name of the great conqueror, Joshua (Yeshua/Jesus). It is the spirit of this conqueror that dwells on the inside of you.
This is the season of the sword of the Lord and of His church. You are going to learn to wield His name and His word in such a way that your enemies will not be able to contend with or run from it. This is a season of battle, and this is the season of your victory.
There is a great shaking taking place right now. God is about to exalt those who are His and expose those who are His enemies. The Lord Almighty is pouring out His Spirit and equipping those who are His with weapons that have not been seen for generations. Will you be prepared to wield God’s end-time weaponry?
