7 Characteristics Of The Joshua Generation

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This past Friday on our Rich Thoughts For Breakfast phone call I taught “Moses is dead…but you’re not.”

Almost immediately after the call concluded . . .I knew God wanted me to expand and continue this teaching on SUNDAY NITE LIVE.

But truthfully, my first thought was “Lord, I just taught this.  What will be people think?”

I can just imagine God smiling, shaking His head and going “Really, Harold, is that what you’re thinking.”

I know there are times when we unknowingly and unintentionally cause our Heavenly Father to shake His head in amazement.

God is so good to me. . .He showed me exactly the direction He wanted this teaching to take.

Moses is dead. . .but you’re not.  That’s how I began the teaching Friday morning and I can’t think of a better way to begin tonight.

You are part of the Joshua Generation ready to claim your Promised Land. . .flowing with milk and honey. . .having every need met. . .with more than enough to share and bless others.

Joshua 1:1-8 fires me up and fills me with an incredible, never-ending expectation. 

I strongly encourage you to put these eight verses in your smart phone, iPad, tablet, note card or whatever tool is available to you.  Refer to these verses frequently. . .get them engrafted in your spirit.

On your outline. . .I’ve listed them in order. . .but I will refer to the various verses at different times during this teaching.

1Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

2Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

A new chapter is about to unfold in the lives of the children of Israel.  The leader they knew. . .the deliverer they followed … is dead. . .but the promise, the vision is not.

Never base your pursuit of a vision on the man or woman of God who taught it but on our great God who promised it.

The verse simply sees “arise.”  According to Strong’s Concordance the Hebrew word for arise is (ko mmm) quwm (H6965) and it means:

“to rise, to arise, become powerful, come on the scene”

When God says, “Arise”….it means start moving towards your goal…the thing you desire….the thing you’ve been believing for.

When you move forward in faith…you move with our great God Jehovah’s blessings.

In other words. . .get up and get going.  Do something. . .stop talking and start pursuing His promises.

Then the verse tells the children of Israel where to go to get the inheritance they’ve been promised

God’s Word reveals to us every day. . .where He wants us to go to manifest. . .the promises He has given to us.  He wants us to pursue with passion the inheritance He’s promised us as well.

If you have a pulse. . .you have a purpose. . .find it. . .live it.

There is also a very powerful transition in Joshua 1:2. 

Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan. . .”

There is more than a shift of leadership taking place here. . .the Children of Israel are about to move from the promises of God leaving the sin of the past behind. . .and move into possessing the Promised Land.

I believe that’s where you are. . .ready to move from the promises of God to manifesting and possessing the blessings of God.

Get ready. . .take a stand. . .move from the promises to the Promised Land.  It’s time to “go over” and take what God has given you.

It’s time to leave the past behind and move into the new things God has in store for you.

It’s time to leave behind the old way of thinking and doing things as you embrace the new thing God wants to do in your lives.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

God is telling Joshua it’s time to possess what He’s given to the children of Israel.

That’s where we are today.  God wants each of us to possess the good life He has planned for us.

We are to live as Jesus tells us to live in Mark 16:15-20 which says:

15) "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18) They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

19) So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20) And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

These are the works of JESUS that we are supposed to be about!

Before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land they were following miracles but now miracles are following them.

Let me say that again.

Before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land they were following miracles but now miracles are following them.

Even though. . .there are times when we need a miracle…the supernatural intervention of God in our lives. . .we live in a time. . .spiritually speaking. . .when miracles should be following us.

4From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

Our great God Jehovah is a God of specificity.  He gives very detailed instructions to the children of Israel.  He has a choice peace of real estate picked out for them.

“Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have given unto you. . .”

God has given you and I a dominion over every place our feet tread. 

When you walk into any environment. . .you are on holy ground.

Exodus 3:4-6 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I.

God said, Do not come near; put your shoes off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.

Also He said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

As we journey through this life. . .we need to fully understand that everywhere our feet tread is holy ground because of the God we serve.  This realization will bring a boldness in every situation you face and opportunity you receive.

The words of the Geron Davis’ song “Holy Ground” that Bill Gaither records and changes slightly to make his own says:

“We are standing on holy ground,

For I know that there are angels all around.

Let us praise Jesus now,

For we are standing in his presence on holy ground.

“In His presence I know there is joy beyond all measure

And at His feet sweet peace of mind can still be found

For when we have a need He is still the answer

Reach out and claim it for we are standing on holy ground”

It’s time to stake your claim. . .you’re on Holy Ground.

5There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

First,   in Gods eyes, He sees no one capable of having dominion over you.

Let that soak in for a minute. . .God does not see anyone who has the ability of having authority or dominion over you.

Second, this promise is not only good for the immediate future...but as far as God is concerned this promise is good for as long as you live.

Third,God backs up His statement by promising to always be there ... to back you up.

Psalm 139:1 in the Message Bible says:

“God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can't take it all in!”  

Do you remember something God delivered you from? Well…if He delivered you before… He can surely do it again.  He has a grip on you.

Isaiah 41:8 in the Message Bible says:

“Don't panic. I'm with you.  There's no need to fear for I'm your God.  I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you."

6 Be strong and of agood courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

According to Strong’s Concordance the Hebrew word for courage (H5530 means:

“to be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard; to be determined, to make oneself alert, strengthen oneself, confirm oneself, persist in, prove superior to”

It’s the exact same Hebrew word as found in Joshua 1:9 which says:

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

The Amplified Bible translation of Joshua 1:9 says:

“Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Strength is a component of courage but courage is not necessarily a part of strength.

Let me say it another way. . .courage means having the strength to do something despite being afraid.

How do you become courageous?  The same way you become strong. . .by reading, speaking and acting on the Word of God.

When you become totally committed to trusting and living God’s Word there won’t be anything or anyone who can keep you quiet about it.

People don’t lack strength so much as they lack the courage to do something with what they’ve got.

Moving into your Promised Land means you might have to fight some giants. . .but you are not alone.

Can somebody shout “Hallelujah?”

You may have to fight some battles as you take possession of your Promised Land. . .but you’re not fighting alone.

7Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

God wants our obedience to His divine instructions more than anything else.

1 Samuel 15:22 in the New Living Translation says:

“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

As we travel this journey called life. . .do we hesitate, question or worse. . .doubt the promises of God.

We must remember that God is not a man that He should lie.

Numbers 23:19 in the Amplified Bible says:

“God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?”

Our obedience to His instructions is proven when we move forward without fear or doubt.

One more thing. . .

Joshua 1:7 in the New Century Version says:

“Be strong and brave. Be sure to obey all the teachings my servant Moses gave you. If you follow them exactly, you will be successful in everything you do.”

God doesn’t want you successful in some things. . .He wants you successful in everything you do.

Personalize the last part of that verse.

“. . .If <<Your Name>> follows them exactly, <<Your Name>> will be successful in everything <<he/she>> does.”

8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

The New Living Translation says:

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. . .”

The Message Bible says:

“And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. . .”

The Contemporary English Version says:

“Never stop reading the Book of the Law he gave you. . .”

No matter what translation you use. . .it’s clear that we’re to be in the Word of God . . . not just on Sundays. . . or when times get tough. . .or when there’s trouble.  Putting the Word to action within us is a continual process.  It is to be an integral part of our talk and our walk.

The King James Version says: “. . .thou shalt meditate therein day and night. . .”

The Hebrew word for meditate is hagah (H1897) and it means:  “utter, muse, mutter, meditate, speak.”  It comes from a root word that means whisper

The general impression of the word meditate is that you just think about something by pondering it in your mind.  However, the Hebrew translation shows that we’re not to just ponder and think about the word but speak it out even in a whisper.

In Matthew 12:34 in the Amplified Bible says:

“. . .For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.”

As we continually read and study the Word of God. . .we’re programming the good stuff (the Word) into our mental hard drives (our brain). 

In the daily situations of life. . .our response in every circumstance will be determined by the superabundance of the Word that’s in our hearts that’s ready to flow out of our mouths.

Proverbs 22:17-18 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Listen (consent and submit) to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them in your mind [believing them]; your lips will be accustomed to [confessing] them.”

Now let’s move to Joshua 1:9 in the New International Version which says:

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Say it with me.

“Have not I commanded thee?. . .”(v9)

In other words, read your Bible…do what it says.

Psalm 119:60 in the New Living Translation which says:

“I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.”

The Hebrew word for commanded means:

“to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.”

Now I want to ask you three questions.

Are you following the directions given to help you in Joshua 1:8?

Simply … Are you doing what God instructed you to do?

Are you reading, speaking and doing the Word of God?

Before I move on. . .let me sum this up.

Joshua and his generation were allowed to enter, conquer and inhabit the Promised Land.

The generation of Joshua were those who would enter the Promised Land without the bondages of the past.

In many ways. . .the generation of Joshua was a type and shadow of the church today.  God is calling us to leave our traditions and move into the fullness and promises of His Word.

Let me share with you seven characteristics of the Joshua Generation.

First, an increase in boldness

Joshua 10:12-14 says:

“12 As the men of Israel were pursuing and harassing the foe, Joshua prayed aloud, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and let the moon stand in its place over the valley of Aijalon!”

“13 And the sun and the moon didn’t move until the Israeli army had finished the destruction of its enemies! This is described in greater detail in The Book of Jashar. So the sun stopped in the heavens and stayed there for almost twenty-four hours!

“14 There had never been such a day before, and there has never been another since, when the Lord stopped the sun and moon—all because of the prayer of one man. But the Lord was fighting for Israel.”

Second, an increase influence

Genesis 45:4-8

“And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

“5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

“6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

“7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

“8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Third, an increase in favor

1 Samuel 2:26 says:

“And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.”

Acts 2:47 says:

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

Fourth, exercising leadership that is duplicable

John 14:12-13 in The Living Bible says:

“In solemn truth I tell you, anyone believing in me shall do the same miracles I have done, and even greater ones, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask him for anything, using my name, and I will do it, for this will bring praise to the Father because of what I, the Son, will do for you.”

Fifth, fully equipped to complete your assignment

Philippians 4:13 in the Amplified Bible says:

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”

Sixth, do it now

Proverbs 6:4 in the New Living Translation says:

Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.”

The most difficult part of any assignment or journey is the first step.  Don’t let the enemy of your success keep you from organizing your priorities and your life.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 in The Living Bible says:

“If you wait for perfect conditions you’ll never get anything done.”

Seventh, become a money magnet

Deuteronomy 8:18 in the Amplified Bible says:

“But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Luke 6:38 in the New Living Translation says:

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

You have everything you need. . .to walk on your Holy Ground. . .being victorious in every battle. . .doing more than you have thought possible.

You hear people talk about the greatest generation, the silent generation, the baby boomers, generation X, Millennials, Generation Z and so on. . .none of those classifications interest me. . .but I do boldly proclaim that I’m a member of the Joshua Generation.

How about you?

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