Moses sent out spies, but so did Joshua.
Here's the difference:
Moses sent out spies out of a lack of faith - they did it out of curiosity to see what the land looked like.
They were putting their toes in the water to see if they wanted to jump in.
They weren't in a battle-ready mindset.
Joshua sent out spies based upon faith - He was getting ready to attack Jericho and he was mapping out his attack.
They were going to jump into the water, even though they didn't know how yet (Joshua 1:2).
He wasn't going to wait for steps B-Z before he moved - he already had step A, and that was to simply GO!
Joshua was battle-ready.
This is how you can have two Christians "doing" the same thing, but one of them being motivated by fear and the other motivated by faith. You won't be able to tell the difference between the two until conflict arises. Only then will you be able to distinguish the warrior from the wimp.
This is why he only sent 2 spies - he learned that the more that went the more likely they were to fear the people of Jericho.
Joshua was going to take the place God had granted him - they were just spying out their route.
Joshua 5:15 - God shows up to Joshua and says the same thing He said to Moses - "Take your shoes off."
Essentially He was saying, "You wanna lead my people? Treat Me as Holy. Be reverent toward Me."
Good leadership is good followship - Who are you following and how are you following Him?
The test of Joshua's leadership came when God gave Him a "crazy" plan, just like He did Noah.
He told him to march around Jericho with the priests in worship to the Lord.
Out of reverence Joshua obeyed His leader and he became a great leader - the people followed.
Reverent Leadership
A lesson from Joshua
April 2, 2015 • Benham Brothers
GOALS 101
January 2, 2019 • Benham Brothers
A dream written down is a goal. A goal broken down is a plan. A plan acted upon leads to profit (Proverbs 16:9). You cannot accomplish your goals apart from discipline and diligence. You cannot maintain discipline without knowing WHY you have the goal in the first place. Seven Keys to creating goals: 1) Establish Long Term and Short Term Goals - a long term goal is what you want to accomplish or become in 5 years, 10 years, lifetime. Short term goals are the ones that are measurable and include more of your day-to-day activities. 2) KISS - keep it simple stupid! When you start thinking of all the things you want to accomplish you'll end up writing a book. Refine this down to one or two points for each category. 3) Categorize - you can split them up however you want. Financial, Personal, Business, Spiritual, etc (you can have one or two sub-categories under these as well). It doesn't matter what categories you use - just do something that helps you keep track. 4) Write them down - that's what your Memo App is for! Put it on your PDA and carry them with you everywhere. 5) Measure them - every quarter take inventory and then write a date beside the ones you've accomplished. You have to put goals that can be measured - don't just put "Become a better husband." Instead, put "One date night a week" or something like that. 6) Refine - take inventory to see if you need to change a goal. There's nothing wrong with that. We plan our way but God determines our course, so sometimes you'll end up on a different course which makes your previous goal moot. 7) Pray over them daily - at the bottom of my goals list I put Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit your way to the Lord and your plans will succeed." The beauty of this is that when you're walking with the Lord He will give you the plans He wants you to follow - so just make a plan and stick to it. He'll change them when/if He sees fit. Either way, your/His plans will succeed.
A Selfish Leader
January 18, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* These leaders show us what the phrase “blinded by selfishness” is all about. * They show us how stupid people can be when they’re led by selfish desires. * They were leaders, which meant they were considered wise by the people. * The minute they thought about what they wanted to “get” instead of “give” guess who it affected? * The whole city!!!!! All the men died. * Pay attention to the first thought that crosses your mind when you have to make a decision. * This will show you if you’re a selfish leader. * When you’re a selfish leader: * Opportunities become threats. * Teammates become competitors. * Employees become servants. * Money becomes security. * Your job becomes your identity. * Family becomes a nuisance. * Stuff becomes status. * You ultimately become your own god.