We Need More Joshuas

By Jack Chui

This is a post of my notes from Imsoon's talk on Friday night 7th Sept. Imsoon is the spiritual director for THS - a catholic charismatic youth group which I am part of in Sydney. Some of the content here is quite advanced and so challenging at the same time. Its also mostly a transcript of notes, so there are some bits I've missed and some parts might not make much sense...

This talk was based on the Scripture passage Joshua 1:1-8. Be good to read it first but I'll reference it where I can.

Context - Moses before he died prayed for all the people that they would make it to the promised land. He led them there but never reached or saw it. God then gave the people the book/law of Deuteronomy (Deut:34). Moses then chose Joshua and anointed him with oil. He had picked him among 2 million people.
What type of person was Joshua to be chosen? We need more of these people in our world today.

Six characteristics of Joshua

1. Joshua had parents that believed in God
   Joshua in Hebrew means to lead the people to heaven. Joshua's father Nun had a real faith in God that his son would lead Israel to the promised land if Moses died. That's why he named him Joshua. According to the bible, Joshua's parents didn't make it to the promised land, but his parents prayed for everyone to reach the promised land.
2. Man of prayer
   There was a lot of blame put on Moses when the people complained through their journey to the promised land. But joshua kept praying and didn't take notice of the others complaints. Joshua stayed by Moses.
3. Led/inspired by the Holy SpiritThe people couldn't see God working through all the calamity/complaints. Joshua didn't go by his own thoughts. He drew his thoughts from the Holy Spirit. Numbers 27.
4. Man of mighty power - anointed by God. Miracle workerMoses parted the Red Sea. Joshua dealt with the River Jordan. He exercised the power given to him by God.
   The incident of Jericho. Joshua got the instructions from God. He must have been praying to God very fervently. He carried the instructions out. There was a big battle. But he carefully prayed. He was praying and experienced God's providence. By experiencing God he could win the battle (provide)
   We must be like Joshua to work miracles. We must out ourselves into neutral and pray. It is by the Spirit, not by power and might. He knew how to exercise the power of God accordingly.
5. Obeyed God's wordHe was never disobedient. That's why he was successful. Take in all God's instructions without mixing and matching, picking or choosing and no compromise. It is a leaders duty to obey - then lead the group to the promised land.
6. He was with God and God was always with him until the last day (Josh 1:8)
   Read laws day and night. Obey and you will succeed . If you commit yourself to the Word of God then you cannot disobey. Word of God is God.
   John 8:29 - The one who sent me is with me. he has not left me alone, because I do what is pleasing to him.

Other Characteristics

1. Missed first 
2. two....
3. Romans 14:8-18?
   Who worships God in truth and in spirit. Are you offering mass with a passion for God? We want to offer it up so that God can receive.
4. Faith in God - comes from God as a gift.
   Its not my own belief system. Not what we want to believe. We presume what we want God to be and so create our own gospel. We must have faith else you can't please God. But it has to come from God. Your own belief system has nothing to do with God's way.

We would like to become like Joshua.

God promises 5 blessings to Joshua

1. No one can withstand you while you live (Joshua 1:5)
   Joshua had to face a lot of difficulties. God has a hidden agenda behind your problem. God never allows us to be buried under. As soon as you say yes - God gives you wings to fly and you can not get buried.
   That's why Joshua was always successful. We must never be buried and be like Joshua and become men and women of victory.
2. God is always with you  (Joshua 1:5)
   You will become a people of blessing. Also a blesser - Joshua was a blesser. Because God was with him always he could do so much. We don't have so much power but with God there is power.
3. God will never leave you  (Joshua 1:5)
   God promised Joshua this - guaranteed. Joshua was special. Others in the bible experienced God leaving them. Usually because of sin or the sin of the people. Pray to God and ask why did you promise Joshua and not me! Please give me that too!
4. I will never forsake you (Joshua 1:5)
   This means that salvation is guaranteed. Two people in the bible were forsaken by God - King Saul and Judas. God used them and forsake them. we must remember what happened to those people. We must pray that God will never forsake me - please!
5. Wherever you go you will succeed. You will obtain all the goals in your life (Joshua 1:7-8)
   Two things we want to achieve in our lifetime.
   1- That God gives us a desire in our heart to do something with our life. Family, Professional, Evangelist, Holiness are some examples. This desire is given by God.
   2 - Opposite direction? The things God wants to achieve through us. Do we want to say yes to this? Perseverance to achieve for God.
   Either way you will be successful - you can't get rid of success.

God chose, promised and blessed Joshua. But He asked Joshua to do this/be like this (5)

1. Be firm and steadfast (Joshua 1:6)
2. Fulfil the whole law (Joshua 1:7)
   Jesus did not abolish the law, He came to fulfil it/complete it. Deuteronomy was the most important chapter. Keep the law and do it as it says.
   We don't need the power of the Holy Spirit to keep the 10 commandments. But if Christians can't keep the law then non-Christians point fingers.
   Law vs Grace. Keeping the is not that hard.
   OT - if you get hit on the cheek you fight back - even non-believers are trying to keep this.
   NT - if you get hit on the cheek, offer the other one - Grace is a lot harder!
3. Don't serve to the right or left (Joshua 1:7)
   Means you walk the very narrow path which leads you to the narrow gate of heaven. We might think that's very difficult. But if you start to enjoy God's law then you can dance on that strip of a line. If you see a wide road, better avoid it.
4. Don't be afraid (Joshua 1:7)
   Fear comes, and then you know  you are going to fail. When in fear, then pray a lot. Must pray first, then put the effort into it! Fear can grip our heart.
   We must see the circumstances through God, not see God through the circumstances.
   Need to set aside your circumstances then try and see God. Then see the circumstances through God. Seek God first. Ask God - what do you want me to learn from this, not why are you putting me through these circumstances. What kind of thing do you want to show me through the circumstances?
   Try and see the cross in front of your circumstances. This can give you more courage. See the circumstances through the cross. The circumstances are still there, but look for the victory then all the fear is gone. In His strength we can deal with the situation.
5. Do not be dismayed
   God gave you domain. In God you can have a domain over your circumstances. You are the one God is with, God is not in the circumstances. Se we can conquer our circumstances.
   Don't be a slave to money or knowledge. Don't become a slave to your circumstances. God gave you the domain, not the circumstance.

What kind of faith did Joshua have?

Joshua sent 2 spies to Jericho. Moses sent 12 before. Joshua sent them secretly.

Rahab hid the spies from the soldiers so well. Rahab told the spies about what God told Abraham - that all of Canaan would be Israel's (850 years ago). Joshua listened to what God told Abraham through Rahab - and took it in.

Everyone looked down on Rahab. But Joshua was able to see through Rahab. She's a prostitute but she knows the word of God. This woman has faith in God. She believes it and expects it to be fulfilled.

Rahab risked her own life to be a traitor to her own nation. Because she believed/had faith in the Word of God. And it had to be fulfilled.

We want to become like Joshua