CROSSING-OVER FROM GOOD TO BEST

We just crossed over from 2025 to 2026. Praise the Lord! A Crossover Moment is also called a Mountaintop Experience. This is a time of special revelations from God. Do you have moments that you wish could just last forever, a time that you never wanted to end, that things would stay the same and not change? Our mountaintop experiences are designed by God not just to give us warm feelings, but to fill us with the Holy Spirit, to have the courage and strength to do the work of God’s Kingdom. We may wish that these experiences last forever, but they are not meant for that. They are but glimpses of glory, to inspire and sustain us for the battle down in the valleys of everyday life. It is all too easy to look at the needs of the world, at all those whose lives have been wounded by demons of addiction, disease, sin and brokenness, disaster, pain and sorrow in the world, and lose hope. Even believers can lose sight of the Gospel vision and conclude that the world is beyond saving. That is why, from time to time, God gives us special holy moments of revival, to continue the race ahead! Selah!

We all have experienced crossover times. We had to move from our comfort zones to the unfamiliar, to new places we “have not passed this way before.” Times of transition are not easy. They need special Grace. The devil takes advantage of these difficult times and attacks with fear, confusion, or backsliding. We shall study the story of the Crossing over River Jordan (Joshua 1:1-18; 3:1-17; 4:14). This is the story: God promised Abraham that His people will live in a land of their own. More than 500 years have passed since the promise. Finally, led by Moses, the people leave Egypt, the land of slavery. God opens the Red Sea, and thru the desert, they finally arrive at the boundary of the Promised Land. Except for Joshua and Caleb, all the people doubt God’s power to lead them into Canaan. God is angry and punishes them for their unbelief and rebellion. For 40 years they walk in the desert until that whole generation dies. The people who lived and died in the wilderness are also children of God, but they could not inherit the promises. They are “barely saved”. Their children are adults now. Now, they are by the River Jordan, ready to cross over into the Promised Land. There is anxiety in their hearts. Change does not come easy to anyone. The Promised Land is a sign of fulfilled promises. Their story started with Exodus from Egypt. Now, this Crossover, is the entrance into their dreams come true. Moses climbs Mount Nebo just to see the Promised Land. He cannot enter. He dies there and God buries him. The mantle of leadership falls on Joshua, Moses’ assistant, who will lead the people across Jordan, into the Promised Land. Glory to God!

These are some examples of new beginnings that need a crossover mentality: should I marry? Whom shall I marry? I am divorced… I am sick with a chronic disease… I lost money and I am now poor… I am getting old… I am a widow or a widower… Death is a fearful crossover experience. But the greatest crossover experience known to man is to become born again. The sinner changes from death to life! Selah!

In Hebrew, the word translated “Crossover” is “abar”. It appears 21 times in this story. This word describes a transition, a time to let go of the past to enter the present, leading to the future. This word was never used to describe the crossing of the Red Sea. Other Hebrew words were used meaning “to enter, or to walk”. The word “abar” is extremely important. Abar times are crisis times, dangerous moments of death and new beginnings. The passing over the Red Sea is a form of escape from slavery to victory. Crossing over Jordan means passing from death to Live. Cross over means Resurrection Life. It was means becoming landlords and finding rest on earth. But the land was not free. God’s people needed to learn how to fight and drive away the present occupants and to take over their land. They also needed to farm the land to eat its produce. Lessons: God leads the way by His Word and by His Spirit! We are never alone. God’s presence is enough for us! We must be willing to grow through pains to inherit the promises given to us in the past. We are students of the Bible, Soldiers and Farmers! We plant and God gives us the harvest! Amen!

JOSHUA – JEHOVAH IS SALVATION

Joshua, the son of Nun, is one of the greatest leaders in the Bible. He was among the 12 men sent by Moses to spy the Promised Land.  Because of their faithfulness, Joshua and Caleb were the only adult Israelites of the generation that left Egypt to survive the wilderness years and enter Canaan. Moses was not allowed to lead Israel into the Promised Land because of his disobedience (Num 27:12-14). Selah!

At God’s command, Moses had already formally recognized Joshua as his successor to lead Israel (Num 27:18-23). Though Joshua was not of noble birth or a literal son of Moses, there were many things that qualified him to be the successor of Moses:

*Joshua had led the army of Israel against the Amalekites (Exo 17:8-16).

*Joshua was an assistant to Moses for 40 years (Exo 24:13; 33:7-11)

*Joshua was zealous to preserve the authority and leadership of Moses (Num 11:28).

*Joshua was one of the two faith-filled spies among the total of twelve who spied out the land of Canaan (Num 14:38).

*Joshua was a “man in whom is the Spirit” (Num27:18). This was the most important qualification. The Holy Spirit empowered him to fulfill the challenging role of the new leader of Isreal. God rewarded Joshua for his consistent faithfulness to Moses by giving him this great role of leading Israel into Canaan. Joshua was a brilliant soldier, one of the best military commanders of all time. It seems that he was not an exciting, handsome, “charismatic” person. He was probably just a simple straightforward man, chiefly concerned with obeying God’s orders to the letter. He had no great sins and made very few mistakes. He was not an entertainer. Yet, Joshua was God’s chosen man, and that is all that matter! Moses, the great man of God, has died. The people mourned for him but that the people did not despair. They knew that God is still with them. Lessons: God choses the leaders. God rewards faithfulness and submission. God uses men to lead His people, but no man is God. Each man does God’s work before going to heaven. All the glory belongs to God!

Moses’ mantle of leadership is now passed onto Joshua. When God says: “Moses, My servant is dead” is a sign that there is a transition, a time to move on. Joshua was not a young man. He was about 80 years at this time, assisting Moses for at least 40 years. To be able to lead the people, he must remove his attention from the past and accept the present challenge. Lessons: let go of past successes and failures, to be able to make progress. The memory of the past is a strong emotional bondage destroying the hope of seeing promises fulfilled. Paul said: “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13,14). Crossover means forgetting and pressing on!!! Joshua is the representative of the people. God’s promises to Joshua also apply to the people. God said that He will give them the Land, they will have rest, His presence will be with them, and they will always have the victory. But these great promises are conditional. They need to study, obey and apply God’s Word. They must be strong, courageous, full of faith, and persevere despite challenges. The people could not conquer it by their wisdom or power. To possess the Land, the people must follow their leader. God always uses a human leader. Obedience to the leader was vital to experience the victory. The people needed to do their own part. If they were passive, God will not destroy their enemies. The people had to step on the Land and say: “This land is mine. God gave it to me as a gift”. Once they did that, God moved and removed the opposition. All who were still dreaming about going back to Egypt, could not press ahead to take receive God’s gift. Selah!

God said to Joshua: “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life… As I was with Moses…” Moses was one of the great men of the Bible, but the work of Moses was finished, and now the work of Joshua begins. Moses, who represented the law, could not lead Israel into the Promised Land. Miriam, representing the prophets, could not do it. Aaron, representing the priesthood, could not lead Israel. Only Joshua, that is, JESUS, could lead them into the land of God’s promise! Lessons: All God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ alone to the glory of God thru us (2Cor 1:20). God’s presence is enough! “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5; NIV). Selah!

God said to Joshua: “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (Josh 1:6-7). Here we see the two conditions for success: Boldness and Bible! Be a soldier and a student! Be a warrior and a worshipper!!!

1-Personal Strength and Courage! Four times Joshua is commanded to be bold. It means that Joshua needed this strong encouragement to conquer Canaan as inheritance to Israel. We can’t blame Joshua. Steeping in Moses’ shoes to lead God’s people to victory, was not an easy task. It could not have been done by human power. Joshua obeyed God’s command. He immediately took charge and became confident as God’s man for the hour. Lessons: believers in Christ are strong “in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph 6:10).

2-Joshua and the people must study, meditate, speak and apply God’s Word. Joshua must be a Bible student and a soldier at the same time. The people did not have Bibles. Joshua must read and teach the people God’s Word. By obeying God’s Word, they will be successful. This is not just financial success. Fulfilling God’s plan for them is the greatest success. Joshua’s success does not depend only on his obedience to God’s Word. God’s presence with him was an even greater factor. Lessons: In Christ, obedience is not counted first. Faith in God is the key to progress, but because we love God, we obey His Word.

Joshua has heard from God. Filled with God’s Spirit, he has dealt with his internal fears and self-doubts. He immediately obeys God and commands the people to prepare to crossover. These days, too many leaders are behaving as managers. They do not hear from God but use only their own human wisdom to lead God’s people. Joshua is a genuine spiritual leader, one who is willing to stand for God and take tough decisions, not to please the crowd but please God alone. Joshua commands the people to prepare, confidently saying that in three days, they will crossover Jordan into the Promised Land. A true leader moves the people from preparation to action stage. That is the most difficult time, and the leader is most vulnerable. He must trust God with all his heart and tell people to follow him. People recognize God given confidence and faith, and they follow their leader in the unity of the Spirit. They were ready to give Joshua, what they refused to give to Moses, that is uncomplaining loyalty. Moses loved God’s people but suffered much rejection. This time, the people love Joshua and in one accord follow him. The world laughs at a divided church. But when the world sees a congregation made up of people of all ages, of different social status, and education levels, united in one Spirit, they can’t stop admiring such a church. A living church has qualified, and spiritually mature leadership, and selfless people united for the common good and to the glory of God. Selah!

Joshua sends two spies to Jericho. Once they come back with good report, Joshua commands everybody to get ready. Joshua speaks with strength, courage and authority. He sends officers/leaders to tell the people to get ready because in three days they will cross Jordan and enter Canaan. It was at this point that 40 years ago, the people drew back and refused to enter. At that time, only Joshua and Caleb had faith in entering the land. Now, Joshua leads the nation to take possession of the land by war and conquest. The tribes living in Canaan were very sinful people. God was patient with them. For 500 years, God warned them to repent but they refused (Gen 15:13-16). God is using His people to judge these nations. Finally, God’s people are ready to enter their Promised Land! Praise the Lord!

“They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go” (Josh 1:16). All people recognize and submit to Joshua, their new leader. This is a confirmation that God has called Joshua. The people are ready to cross over Jordan. The Ark of God will lead the way! Joshua didn’t first send the engineers and builders of Israel’s army. Instead, he sent the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, which was the visible sign of God’s presence with Israel. Joshua knew this was primarily a spiritual challenge, more than a test of man’s ability to plan and build. God required that His people keep some 1,000 yards (1km) behind the Ark for two reasons. First, to respect the holy nature of the ark of the covenant. Second, to make it possible for all Israel to see the ark leading the way. Israel would accomplish this impossible task as they set their eyes and follow God’s presence! “Look unto Jesus!” Selah!

Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves!” Because this would be a spiritual battle, Joshua tells Israel to make spiritual preparations. To “Sanctify” means to wash their clothes, take their baths, abstain from sexual relations, separate from common things and focus on the LORD. This is a call to repent of sins. Joshua tells them that “tomorrow is the day when the Lord will do wonders among you”. This is a prophetic statement trusting God for the power and timing of miracles. Lesson: Purity of heart is a basic attitude when expecting miracles. We deliberately separate ourselves from ordinary distractions so God can work freely through us. Identify and dethrone any idol stealing your affection: career, possessions, entertainment, even ministry. Joshua is a type of Christ, leading the believers into their inheritance.

The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred chest that held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod, and a pot of manna. It represented God’s presence and covenant with Israel. The Ark’s presence signified divine guidance and assurance of victory, as seen in other biblical events like the fall of Jericho. Joshua takes a step of bold faith and commands the priests to carry the Ark on their shoulders to enter the swollen Jordan. They were to cross before the people. The priests had faith in God and submitted to Joshua. Immediately, the Water stopped flowing. Lessons: God’s presence leads the way. You must seek divine wisdom and direction before acting. The instruction to the priests shows the importance of obedience to the leadership. As believers, we are called to follow The Holy Spirit’s guidance even when the path is unclear. Leaders today should seek to carry God’s presence and lead with integrity. This is faith in action and courage under pressure. Obedience and Faith here, prepared the people for the victory ahead, setting the pattern for Jericho’s fall. God moves when His people obey His word! God rarely moves until His people move in obedience to His revealed will. True leadership is measured by faith in God’s word, not by originality or charisma. When leaders and followers walk in step with God’s instructions, obstacles, no matter how formidable, become platforms for His power to be displayed. Selah!

“And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you” (Josh 3:7). Leadership is by God’s appointment. To exalt means promoting the humble to a high position of power, wealth and fame, elevating a prince to the throne. People see and respect a man whom God has exalted. The way God used to talk to Moses, God now talks directly to Joshua. It is proof that Joshua has received divine authority to lead God’s people, as the rightful successor of Moses. This exaltation is not for Joshua’s personal glory but to confirm his role as the leader. The public nature of Joshua’s exaltation is crucial for establishing his ministry. God wants the people to know that He is with Joshua. The people recognize and respect Joshua’s leadership, which is essential for the unity and success of the nation. The people to know that Joshua leads them as he is led by God. By comparing Joshua with Moses, God reminds them of His past faithfulness to them to be encouraged.

“On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life” (Josh4:14). Observe God’s timing! God declares His purpose to exalt Joshua just at the Crossover. It is a public, unmistaken promotion that was fulfilled immediately. Rebellion against Joshua was removed even before Moses died. Aaron and Miriam grumbled against Moses (Num 12). They died before Joshua takes over the leadership. God’s ways and timing are perfect. He confirms and honors His leaders before the people. God never leaves His work without a leader. This is the divine blueprint for a smooth transfer of leadership in the Church. By declaring and then swiftly fulfilling His word, God secures Joshua’s authority, revives Israel’s faith, and demonstrates a timeless pattern: when God exalts a man, He does so openly, convincingly, and for His glory among His people. Glory to God! Lessons: Leadership that mirrors Joshua’s example stays clear of self-promotion, is rooted in God’s calling, honors faithful predecessors, and radiates the unmistakable presence of the LORD. Therefore, let us walk humbly, obey promptly, serve God, and trust God to elevate us in His perfect time. Praise the Lord!

Finally, this story reminds us of the creative power of God. “Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so” (Gen 1:9). God speaks; creation obeys. It is immediate, effortless work. The water covered the earth. It represents death. Land and boundaries appear. Man was made to live on earth. The appearance of dry land is a preparatory act for the creation of life. Lessons: Have faith in God’s Word! God brings order into the chaos in our lives. God prepares the way for His purposes. Just as God had a plan for creation, He has a plan for our lives. Trust in His timing and purpose. Worship the Lord!