A new breed of leadership will soon arise in the Body of Christ. The coming spiritual generation will not be content to wander in circles in the wilderness, and the coming leadership will be like Joshua and Caleb to lead them into the Promised Land.

Even though Joshua lead the new generation across the Jordan, and in the battles to possess the land, he was not a member of that generation. Joshua and Caleb were the lone survivors of the previous generation, which had left Egypt, but perished in the wilderness. It will likewise be those of the previous generation who have kept the faith who will lead the coming spiritual generation into its inheritance.

The first mention of Joshua in Scripture contains vital insights into his character, which we see in Exodus 17:9-16:

So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us, and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand."

And Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.

But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set.

So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial, and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

And Moses built an altar, and named it The LORD is My Banner; and he said, "The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation."

The basic traits of Joshua's character that we can see in this text are:

     1) He was able to mobilize the warriors of Israel (verse 9). The ability to mobilize others is a crucial gift for all who are called to leadership. You are not a leader unless someone will follow.

     2) In the next verse we see that "Joshua did as Moses told him." The greatest leaders have always been those who first learned to be the best followers.

     3) Joshua fought until he "overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." The coming leaders will not be fighting to just push the enemy--they are going to fight to win.

     4) It will have been recited to the generation of leaders to come that the Lord will have perpetual war against Amalek until even the memory of him is destroyed. In Scripture the Amalekites are a type of Satan and his hordes (They attacked at night, preferring darkness to daylight, and constantly harassed the rear of the camp of Israel, picking off the weak or stragglers who wandered from the camp).

The coming leadership will not tolerate the enemy's attacks on God's people, and their goal will be to see the works of the devil completely destroyed. They will not tolerate evil in their own lives, or in those who they have been made responsible for. It is written in the Book as a memorial for the Joshuas that the battle is not over until even the memory of the enemy is blotted out. Satan will be destroyed, and even the memory of him will one day be blotted out. This was the resolve that Jesus had who came "to destroy the works of the devil." It will be the resolve of all who become like Him.

 Victory Or Death

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in the heavenly places. In this struggle no quarter can be given. If we fail to drive the enemy completely out of our inheritance he will ultimately come back to drive us out.

The first king given to Israel, Saul, also fought against the Amalekites, as we see in I Samuel 15. He compromised and failed to completely destroy the Amalekites, and this failure brought the end to his own reign. This chapter quoted below reveals many of the important points that will separate the leaders of the past from the leaders of the future.

Then Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I will punish Amalek {for} what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.

'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley.

And Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not carried out My commands." And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night.

And Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal."

And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD."

But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed."

Then Samuel said to Saul, "Wait, and let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak!"

And Samuel said, "Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were {made} the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel, and the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.'

"Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?"

Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

"But the people took {some} of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, {And} to heed than the fat of rams.

"For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from {being} king."

Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

"Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the LORD."

But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from

being king over Israel."

And as Samuel turned to go, {Saul} seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.

So Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

"And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind."

Then he said, "I have sinned; {but} please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God."

So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites." And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

In I Corinthians 10:11 we are told that the things that were written were "...written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the ages have come." The points made in the chapter quoted above are so crucial that we must take the time to carefully examine them. They reveal both the characteristics and traps that will befall the leadership that will ultimately fail, which are:

     1) Saul fell to the trap of showing "unsanctified mercy," which is to show mercy to those that God has under judgement. God is love. Jesus came to save the world, but He is also coming back to judge it. As Paul exhorts us in Romans 11:22, "Behold now the kindness and the severity of God." If we cannot behold both together we will not perceive God as He is, and we will not be

able to walk in His appointed leadership.

2) Saul kept the best of the sheep and oxen alive "to sacrifice them to the Lord." This is the trap of presuming that the things of Satan could actually be used in worshiping the Lord. It does not matter how good the things of Satan appear, just as Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, we have been sent with the same purpose (John 17:18).

3) After the victory Saul set up a monument to himself. Throughout Scripture whenever a godly leader won a great victory they would build an altar to the Lord. Self-seeking is one of the most destructive motives that can befall one called to lead God's people. That Saul would build a monument to himself is a revelation that he had fallen to the trap of thinking more highly of himself than he should.

4) Saul fell to the delusion that he could substitute obedience for sacrifice. Samuel told him that "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft" because such manipulation is a subtle form of witchcraft. Trying to use sacrifices, or other forms of religious performance as a compensation for sin or disobedience, is an affront to the cross through which we can alone be forgiven. This delusion is also a root of the "religious spirit."

5) Saul admits that he sinned because he feared the people, but confessing sin is not always the same as repenting for the sin. To repent means both to turn away from the sin and turn to God. Even though Saul admitted that he sinned he did not turn from the sin or to God, which was evidenced by him then compelling Samuel to honor him before the people. It is also revealing that when Saul talked to Samuel he used the terms "my people" and "your God." When any leader fears the people more than they fear God they will depart from following the Lord, and succumb to counterfeit spiritual authority which the Bible calls "witchcraft."

6) Saul still insisted on worshiping the Lord, which he obviously did more for the sake of the people than for the Lord. To use worship of the Lord for the sake of influencing people must be one of the most profane acts of a perverted human soul. When those in spiritual leadership fall to this they have fallen to a depth of delusion that will ultimately lead to the same kind of doom that Saul suffered.

7) Such strong, but perverted, leaders will insist that the prophets honor them before the people. Do not do it. Even

     though Samuel did go and anoint David to replace Saul, we see that this was the beginning of the end of Samuel's ministry as well.

 Recovering All That Was Stolen

Presuming to use the things that are Satan's to worship the Lord is not the same as taking back that which Satan has stolen from us. King David is another biblical model of the leadership that will be used to lead God's people into the possession of their promises. David was actually the one who conquered all of the land which they had been promised, which was not completed by Joshua. It is a prophetic incident that when David was fighting with the Philistines the Amalekites raided his camp, kidnaping his family and the families of all of his men, along with their possessions. David pursued the Amalekites, and, as we read in I Samuel 30:18-19:

So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives.

But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought {it} all back.

It is for this reason that we feel compelled to take back such things as musical styles that were born in the church but stolen by the enemy. Satan is a thief and a counterfeiter. We must not abandon one thing to him that he has stolen, and we must not reject a single gift, ministry or experience of the Spirit just because he counterfeits them. Neither can we allow fearful or paranoid Christians to dictate what we do. We must be led by faith, not by fear, and resolutely commit ourselves to retaking everything that Satan has stolen from the church. However, we must be discerning of the practices and doctrines that have their origin in darkness, and not allow them to be used in worship of the Lord.

King David also continued fighting the Amalekites until they were completely destroyed. After his reign they are no longer mentioned in Scripture. The final blow that completed their destruction came by warriors from the Tribe of Simeon, as we see in I Chronicles 4:42-43:

And from them, from the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Sear, with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, as their leaders.

And they destroyed the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped,

and have lived there to this day.

Simeon means "hearing" and it will be through those who have ears to hear who will utterly destroy the works of the enemy.

Joshua and David had another remarkable characteristic that was common to both of them, which will also be found in the coming leadership of the church--they both had the patience and wisdom to wait for their appointed time before assuming leadership. Possibly the greatest trial of all is waiting. Possibly the greatest demonstration of faith is the ability to wait for God's perfect time.

Joshua and Caleb had been appointed with ten others to spy out the Promised Land before Israel was to go in to conquer it. The other ten spies came back with an evil report, saying that the giants and fortresses were too much for them. Joshua and Caleb reported seeing the same, but they so trusted the power of God to give them the victory that they were not concerned about the problems or the giants. Because Israel believed the evil emphasis of the ten fearful spies that generation was doomed to wander in circles in the wilderness until they all perished. Even though Joshua and Caleb had believed God they had to wander in circles with that generation until they all perished before they could go into possess their promises. This must have been a much greater test of their faith than seeing the giants or fortresses in the land.

The coming leadership of the church will have spent their time wandering in the wilderness with the faithless, but this will not have sapped their faith. They will have used this time to grow in faith. Joshua spent 40 years as a servant waiting for his time. Not one time do you read of his complaining about it. Such waiting will not erode true faith, but strengthen it. In Exodus 33: 9-11 we probably see the primary reason why Joshua was chosen to succeed Moses and lead God's people into the Promised Land:

And it came about, whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.

When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of

Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

What an awesome sight this must have been! Even though Joshua was a servant he was privileged to be a servant to one of the greatest men of God who ever lived. Moses had such a relationship to the Lord that whenever they met the Lord would come down to him and talk to him like a friend. Even so, we see here that being the closest associate of the greatest man alive at that time was not enough for Joshua. When Moses departed from the tent Joshua stayed there, developing his own relationship to the Lord. Joshua honored Moses all of his life, but he was not content to be the associate of someone who knew the Lord well--Joshua had to know the Lord for himself. Such will be the constitution of the coming leadership of the church.

David was also willing to patiently serve the house of Saul. David honored Saul all the days of his life even though Saul persecuted him and tried to kill him. David would not lift his hands against the leader who God had anointed before him, even though Saul became insane, killed the priests of the Lord, and even fell into witchcraft. Even though David had been anointed to replace Saul, the Lord had been the one to appoint Saul and the Lord would have to be the one to remove him. Even after Saul died David patiently waited for the Lord to establish him. It was that kind of respect for authority and the anointing that compelled God to remain faithful to David through his own tragic mistakes.

If David had killed Saul and taken the kingdom by his own hand, he would have had to reign in perpetual fear of someone doing the same to him. We will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). The coming leadership will not lift their hands against the present leaders of the church, even those who have become spiritually insane and begun to persecute the truly anointed. They will wait for the Lord to remove the ones that He previously chose, and then they will wait for the Lord to establish them. When you know that God has given you the authority that you have, and that you did not get it through your own self- promotion, you can rest in the invaluable peace that comes from this knowledge. If you strive to gain your position you will have to strive to keep it. Such striving is the root of counterfeit spiritual authority.

 No More Trench Warfare

General John J. Pershing, who commanded the U.S. Forces in World War I, is a modern example of the kind of leadership that is about to be raised up in the Body of Christ. When the Spanish American War broke out Pershing was 38 years old and still a 1st. Lieutenant. There

were generals younger than he was. Even so, he never complained, but determined to be the best 1st. Lieutenant in the army.

Pershing won a Silver Star for gallantry in the charge up San Juan Hill, and was promoted to captain. He remained a captain until he was 44. During this time he was shipped off to the Philippines. While the other officers spent their time studying the sunsets from their verandas, Pershing studied. A prominent factor in the life of every great leader is that during the lulls in the action, or during the long years of waiting until their time, THEY DID NOT WASTE THEIR TIME. Like Joshua and David, the long time that Pershing spent waiting did not sap his resolve, but galvanized it. Even if he remained a captain, he was determined to be the best captain in the army, prepared for whatever his country might need him for.

The incredible patience of Pershing finally paid off. President Teddy Roosevelt remembered him from San Juan Hill, and promoted him past a host of other officers all the way to Brigadier General. Just a little over a year later the United States entered World War I, and Pershing was promoted again, becoming the Supreme Commander of the U.S. Forces in Europe. The man who had just recently been a junior officer leading a single company was about to lead two million men into one of the most important battles in history.

It was written of General Pershing that even when he was a 1st. Lieutenant he carried himself like a general. Even though he always saw himself as a general, during the many years that could have been the supreme frustration of a man of his ability, he did not complain or waste away in bitterness--he just kept preparing for the day that he would be needed. Because of this when his time came he was ready, and would have to be included on the short list of the great generals in history.

When the Americans entered World War I the British and French Allies had been bogged down in a demoralizing and costly trench warfare for nearly 3 years. Millions had died in meaningless attacks to take a few hundred yards of ground, which would inevitably be given back again to a counter-attack. Is this not much like the present state of the Body of Christ? We have been stalemated by the enemy and confined to what amounts to trench warfare for centuries. It is big news when any ground is taken, but then we usually read a little later that it has been lost again to the enemy.

When you're in the trenches if you stick your head up a little higher than anyone else to try to see you will be shot at. If anyone today tries to rise above the confines that everyone else is wasting away in

they will quickly become the target of a multitude of accusers. The enemy is doing all that he can to keep us pinned down in the trenches. It is a victory for him to just keep us stalemated.

The British and French armies were near exhaustion when America entered the war. The entire strategy of the leadership of that time was to try to find replacements for the casualties, which were many. No one could see a way out. The only hope of the Allies was to outlast the Germans, to have a few men left when they ran out. This was not working as the Allies were running out of troops, and depleting their reserves to reinforce the front lines. Their strategy for using the fresh American troops was to use them as reinforcements in the trenches. Pershing was determined that his troops would not be wasted in such a meaningless stalemate.

Finally the British and French Prime Ministers called him to a conference to personally pressure him into accepting their plan. The General shocked the Prime Ministers when he stood up, declared that he had already considered their plan and rejected it, and then walked out of the room leaving two of the most powerful men in the world sitting in stunned silence.

Pershing came to Europe for one reason--if he was going to fight he was going to fight to win. He could not be budged from his position, and the Prime Ministers capitulated, agreeing to let the Americans fight together as a separate force. While the American troops were being mobilized and trained he did agree to use some of them as temporary reinforcements for the British and French, but demanded that they be returned as soon as he called for them. This not only helped hold the lines while the Americans were mobilizing, but it also gave many of them some badly needed battle experience.

When the Germans launched their long expected offensive in the Spring, Pershing called for his dispersed troops, and met it head on. The Americans quickly proved their metal in battle, winning a series of notable victories. Then Pershing stunned the Germans by meeting the offensive with an attack of his own, breaking through the enemy lines in just two days, and sending the entire German offensive reeling.

Pershing did not lose time celebrating such a great victory. He pressed the attack. He threw over a half million men at the very enemy positions which the British and French had considered impregnable, the Argonne Forest. The battle raged for 47 days at an intensity almost unprecedented even in this bloody war. Over 122,000 Americans fell, but Pershing continued to push his commanders forward, at times fighting from tree to tree. Finally the Americans broke through the most

strategic point of the German defenses, cutting their lines of supply and communication. The Kaiser fled to Holland, and Germany was forced to surrender. Pershing's refusal to fight trench warfare had broken the stalemate and won the war. Just weeks before there did not appear to be an end in sight, but the visionary Pershing saw one, and pressed the attack until he prevailed.

 We Must Fight To Win

The predicament of the Allies in World War I is a parallel of the present state of the church. We have been bogged down in trench warfare for so long that many of the present leaders can no longer see beyond just trying to get reinforcements so that they can hold on to their present positions a little longer. These gain encouragement for their position from Luke 19:13 (KJV), when the Lord said, ".... occupy til I come." This is an obvious misunderstanding of this verse, as the whole point of this parable is that the Lord is going to reward those who do the most with what they have been entrusted with, obviously trying to encourage aggressiveness. The word translated "occupy" here literally means "to do business with." To remain bogged down in trenches is a sure way to bury your talents, and a multitude of good soldiers with them!

Even so, to a great extent the victory in World War I must be attributed to the incredible endurance and sacrifice of the British and French forces. It should be likewise considered a great accomplishment for the church to have been able to hold as much ground as she has through the continual onslaughts of the evil one over the centuries. Just as the British and French were our allies in this war, all who have stood for truth and righteousness against the great darkness of our times are our allies, and are deserving of honor. But staying in the trenches is no way to win a war. For many years few of the reinforcements have been new converts, but are mostly borrowed or stolen from other parts of the army. This cannot go on much longer, and it won't. There are fresh troops coming from powerful new movements that are about to win a multitude of new believers. However, these fresh troops are not to be wasted in the present trench warfare.

Just as the British and French were near exhaustion when America entered the war, the present spiritual forces of the church are near exhaustion. Just when it may seem that the next great offensive of the enemy will be our doom, fresh new movements are now arising which will not only stop it, but go on the offensive.

The present, weary, leadership that has been embattled for so long, can hardly see beyond the trenches, which is understandable. Prime ministers will exert all of the pressure that they can to use these new converts for their own reinforcements, but this must not be done. Just as Pershing allowed a few of his troops to be used this way to meet emergencies, but demanded that they be returned to him as soon as he called for them, it is likewise right for us to use the new movements to help hold the lines in an emergency, but this must be temporary. The new movements are called to fight together as one force in a great coming offensive action that will bring a victory.

The seeming foolishness of the new breed of leaders to actually believe that the war can be won is going to bring about some considerable discord with the present leaders. Many of the Christians who are used to only fighting in the trenches are going to be discouraged when the new believers refuse to get in the trenches with them. However, the new movements which are being raised up are called to take the fight to the enemy. By being willing to suffer the ire of the present leaders by refusing to be pressured into doing things the same old way, these new movements will be positioned to break the stalemate and break through the enemy's battle lines. Also, many of the leaders of these new movements are going to be like General Pershing, having faithfully served as "junior officers" in the church for a very long time. Those who have served well, without giving into bitterness or self-pity, but have used their time waiting to grow in faith and wisdom, are about to be given authority. The greatest leaders for the new movements will come from the previous generation, but many of these old "junior officers" who are promoted will have the best new strategies. They will not be fighting just to win a few battles. They are going to fight to win the war.