Go, With Victory in Mind

Deuteronomy 20:1–4 NKJV

1 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. 2 So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. 3 And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; 4 for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

Deuteronomy

Exodus had devolved into, “How to take an 11 day journey in 40 years”

But Deuteronomy is God’s opportunity for second chances.

Moses wrote it for the benefit of the second generation.

This is our time.....

God is preparing a generation:

Confidence, poise,and passion.

Boldness....

We are uniquely placed to go before men and women and boldly declare the gospel.

This text speaks to us in a bold fashion. Because:

If you read the chapters prior to this. God is giving them orders through Moses about:

How they ought to conduct themselves when they get to the promised land.

He wants everything in place.

And he says to them in v1:

Deuteronomy 20:1 NKJV

1 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

When, not if

When, not maybe

You need to get your armor ready, because we are going out to war.

Conflict with the world is inevitable

Confrontation is necessary.

Everyone of us, blood-bought, born again believers.

We are not called to be conformist but transformers.

We are not called to acquiesce to the latest cultural demands!

Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Confrontation is necessary

I challenge you to give yourself and allow yourself to be used of God.

We are expected to fight for our God and all he has called us to do.

Matthew 11:12 NKJV

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Forcefully advancing

2 Corinthians 10:4–6 NKJV

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The Joshua/Second Generation

It’s important for us to not let what we see dictate what we do!

We need not be guided by our ledgers.

We need not be guided by conventional wisdom.

It’s a mindset...

This is the second generation

The first generation walked by sight.

You shall not be afraid of them....

Why?

The New King James Version Chapter 20

for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

The closer I get to the battle, the more Word I need!

He’s there to help you conquer whatever it is that your dealing with in your life.

He fixed it on a hill call Calvary....

When He got up on Sunday morning, we was able to inherit that power.

This Day!

Deuteronomy 1:5–8 NKJV

5 On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying, 6 “The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. 8 See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’

This Day!

Apostolic Study Bible: King James Version: Notes Notes

1:6 Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.

1:10 The phrase “this day” occurs seventy-one times in Deuteronomy, the most of any book in the Bible. One out of every five biblical occurrences of the phrase appears in Deuteronomy. Starting here and reading its four occurrences in chapter 2, the phrase is significant in marking a demarcation point between Israel’s past and future. “This day” is used to convey a sense of immediacy, urgency, and a genuine connection with both the past and the future. (See note for Deut. 3:14–4:7.)

Long Enough! (12 months)

A Handbook on Deuteronomy 1:6

You have stayed long enough at this mountain: they had been at Mount Sinai almost twelve months (see Exo 19:1 and Num 10:11–12). The verb translated stayed may carry the idea of lingering, resting, remaining inactive; it is related to the noun “sabbath” (day of rest). Instead of at this mountain the translation can be “at the foot of this mountain” (FRCL).

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

The following are:

Seven traits of the Joshua generation:

1-The Joshua Generation honors the previous generation

In spite of the previous generation wandering in the wilderness for forty years, Joshua still remained as a faithful servant of his leader, Moses (Exodus 33:11).

Joshua abided his time and served faithfully until Moses transitioned out, and God commissioned him as the new leader.

Young leaders that are impatient and want their mantle prematurely will find out the hard way that their gifts and abilities are not enough to take them into the promised land.

Consequently, young leaders who are critical and dishonoring of the previous generation will not be trusted by God to lead the next generation.

2-The Joshua generation is a people of great faith

While the majority of the people questioned the command of God to conquer the land of Canaan, Joshua and Caleb stood out as the only ones who said that God was well able to conquer the giants and give them the land (Numbers 13,14).

All believers will be tested regarding their faith in God. God is calling believers in this present time to stop circling the mountain (Deut.1: 6; 2:4) and to begin stepping into the land of their promise.

God says that wherever the Joshua generation puts the soles of their feet, He would give it unto them (Joshua 1:3). This means, we need to show up and participate in the life of our community as both citizens of the Kingdom and of Earth. God is calling for His people to arise, shine and let the nations see the glory of the Lord in the midst of gross darkness (Isaiah 60).

3-The Joshua generation has a conquering anointing

Every generation will have its battles. The past thirty to forty years, believers have been engaged in defensive battles.

I believe that God is calling the present-day Body of Christ to engage in battles that will recapture everything that was stolen by the enemy, both in the church and in culture.

4-The Joshua generation is a people of the Book

God told Joshua that the key to his success would be that the Book of the Law would not depart from his mouth but that he was to meditate upon it day and night so he would prosper and be successful (Joshua 1:8,9). I believe God is calling for a renewal of the Word of God as the focal point of every believer’s choice of study and meditation. While many, these past few decades, have been feasting on motivational and self-help books, only the bible has the faith filled words necessary to defeat every giant that opposes us.

5-The Joshua generation doesn’t tolerate ungodliness in the camp

When Israel lost a battle, immediately Joshua sought the Lord and found out that a man named Achan brought sin in the camp, which compromised the whole nation (Joshua 7). This present-day Joshua generation will have a renewed call to holiness along with a passion to walk in His presence. This renewed call to seek the Lord will result in more believers repudiating the ethical compromises that have weakened many in the Evangelical church.

6-The Joshua generation is a people of purpose

The Joshua generation will not have the grace to circle around the same mountain day after day and getting nowhere after years of journeying (Deut.2: 4).

Today, God is calling for believers to embrace the divine vision of fulfilling the Mandates of

Genesis 1:28 NKJV

28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Matthew 28:19 NKJV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

These mandates not only involve church related ministry but equipping believers to serve in every aspect of culture for the renewal of all things.

All creation is awaiting the manifestation of the mature sons of God to give direction to the created order (Romans 8:19-23) as the salt and light of the world.

Whenever this happens, the whole world is impacted, not just the body of Christ.

7-The Joshua generation is a generation of accomplishment

The present move of God is about action and accomplishment, not mere talk and fantasizing.

People are tired of the politicians and leaders who speak forth platitudes and promises they never intend to support. Similar to the Joshua generation that followed the death of Moses, (read the book of Joshua)

God is raising up in our midst, those who will be outcome based, results orientated and walk out Kingdom principles on earth as it is in heaven.

This present move of God is not satisfied with keeping the presence, power and activities of God within the four walls of a church building for two hours on a Sunday.

They will only be satisfied when the transforming glory of God is manifest from Monday to Saturday (as well as Sunday). They will only be satisfied when biblical principles are applied with success in the marketplace. Finally, they will only be satisfied when they see biblical principles ascend again as the cultural ethos of the land in which they live.

Joshua generation – it’s time to arise!