CAN HE COUNT ON YOU?

Can He Count on You?
"And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?"
(Luke 12:42)
We often praise God for His faithfulness. We're thankful that we can always count on Him to be there for us. But we rarely consider the fact that He needs us to be faithful too.

It's true. God needs people He can count on. He needs faithful and wise stewards He can trust over His household. In this final hour, He needs faithful believers to team up with, to manifest Himself in the earth more than ever before.

"Oh Dave, God doesn't need me!"

Yes, He does. Ever since the Creation, when He gave man dominion over the earth, He's needed people to work with Him to get His will done here. You can see that all through the Bible. When the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt and He wanted to lead them out, He teamed up with a man, Moses, to get the job done. Moses' responsibility was to stretch out his hand in the earth and command the will of God to be done.

Why did He choose Moses? Because He needed someone who was faithful and would dare to act on His Word. He needed someone He could count on, and He knew Moses was that kind of man.

Psalm 103:7 says, "He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel." If Moses hadn't been faithful to know God's ways, the children of Israel would never have seen God's acts!

God needs you just as He needed Moses. He needs you to be faithful and alert to spiritual things. He needs you to be someone He can trust to know His Word and be obedient to it. He needs you to be a steward who will stretch out his hand like Moses did so that He can perform signs and wonders before the people.

Will you be faithful? It's a decision you have to make. No one can do it for you. Right now, commit yourself to be that wise and faithful servant. Say in your heart and with your mouth, "God, You can count on me."

THE GRACE OF GIVING

The Grace of Giving
"Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also."
(2 Corinthians 8:7)
How do you give to the Lord?

Do you just drop some money in the plate at church without much thought? Or do you just write a check to God at the first of every month and pay Him like you pay all your other bills?

You need to think about that because how you give is a matter of deep concern to God. He's particular about how offerings are given. He won't receive just any old thing however you feel like giving it.

In Malachi, for example, God refused to receive Israel's offerings. They were bringing Him their defective animals, their blind calves, and the injured ones they couldn't do anything else with--and God said it offended Him. He told them, "You don't have any reverence or honor for Me, and I'm not going to accept your offering."

That kind of thing didn't die out after the book of Malachi. Many today don't have any reverence for God at offering time. People wait for the preacher to beat them over the head until they feel so guilty they have to reach down in their pocketbooks and get some money out.

But I want you to know, that's offensive to God. In fact, He spoke directly to a friend of mine about it. The statement He made to her so impressed me, I wrote it down word for word.

"It grieves Me when the Church takes offerings," He told her. "I said to worship Me. Don't take from the people, but let them bring their gifts and worship Me. Then they will see the fruits of their giving."

If you and I want God to be pleased with our offerings, we're going to have to do what the Apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 8:7. We're going to have to learn to "excel in this grace of giving." We're going to have to quit being casual about it and to learn to give with faith and reverence in worship.

Next time the offering plate is passed, don't just drop your gift carelessly in the plate. Get serious. Determine to obey God. Worship Him with your money and be thankful. He'll do more than simply receive it, He'll open the windows of blessing for you.

TRAIN YOUR SPIRIT

Train Your Spirit
"It [grace] has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world."
(Titus 2:12)
When an athlete goes into training, he practices to improve his skills. He works hard, repeating the same motions over and over until they become what we'd call "second nature" to him.

Most of us understand how crucial that kind of training is in the physical realm. We know that you simply can't be a winner without it. But did you know we can train ourselves that same way where spiritual things are concerned?

That's right! Hebrews 5:14 says we can train our senses to discern between good and evil. When you train, or practice, for something you expose yourself daily to whatever it is you want to become. You practice it over and over until it becomes second nature to you. People who are lazy have practiced being lazy. People who are disciplined have practiced being disciplined.

Spending time with God is "spirit" practice. As you do it diligently, your spirit will grow stronger and will start to overcome the habits of the flesh.

If, for example, you have trouble getting up in the morning to spend time with God before the busyness of the day begins, if you've been giving in to your flesh and staying in bed, then you'll have to start practicing getting up. The more you practice it, the easier it will be.

Don't expect yourself to do it perfectly right from the beginning. Don't get discouraged when you stumble and fail. You're just out of practice. Get back on your feet and go at it again!

Become a spiritual athlete. Put yourself in training by practicing the things of God. Build your spirit muscles through fellowship with Him. You will be surprised to find just how much of a winner you can be.

VISION, VALLEY, FULFILLMENT

   VISION, VALLEY, FULFILLMENT   
 
Everything starts with vision! Somebody, somewhere, saw something and pursued that vision. Now we all see the fulfillment of what they saw because they did not give up while in the valley phase of the process. Before anything is seen with the natural eye, it is first seen with the eye of faith.   
God gives vision. Every great move of God had its beginning in the heart of some child of God intent upon hearing from God and doing his will. It came into the heart of MOSES to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage. JOSEPH, in his youth, had dreams of being used of God as a deliverer. DAVID was anointed to be king of all Israel when he was just a shepherd boy. ABRAHAM heard the voice of God giving promise of a son through whom a nation would come forth when he and Sarah were too old to have children.   
In all four lives mentioned above there was a fulfillment of the vision, BUT. . . there was a big, long, dark, ugly valley between the vision and the fulfillment. Abraham was in the valley for 25 years before Isaac, the son of promise, arrived. David waited 13 years to see his prophecy fulfilled to be King of Israel. Joseph walked through a 17 year valley before he saw fulfillment, and Moses had endured forty years on the back side of the desert when he experienced the burning bush visitation from God.  
All of these men had a vision as to how God was going to use them in life and they kept that vision alive in their hearts through a long and painful trial of their faith.   
Has God spoken a word of promise to you about how he wants to use you? Have the years come and gone without any sign of fulfillment? Have you been sorely tempted to give it all up as a silly, selfish dream or an "off the wall" prophecy? DON'T GIVE UP TOO SOON! Your might be in the valley right where God has placed you . . . the valley where He prepares the man and purifies the vision.
What do you do while in the valley? Don't doubt in the dark what God gave you in the light. In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Obey God and know that he is working. He is always on time. He who gave you the vision will also bring the fulfillment when he is through forming you in the valley. 
 
Robert & Joni Fitts


Where it all Starts
Out of the womb of prayer, praise and worship all things in the kingdom of God are conceived, nurtured, and brought to birth to the glory of God and for the good of mankind.

 A Declaration of Unity
I belong to everything that belongs to Jesus and everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to me! It's not us and them. It's just us! There's only one Body of Christ, and the problems of the church, the whole church, are our problems, for we are the church and we can do more united than we can do divided! So let's unify, simplify, and multiply!
 
Divine Appointment Prayer
Father, give me a divine appointment today with someone who is hungry for God, or sick, or in need, and give me grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
A Prayer for More Workers and More Miracles
Father, send more laborers into this harvest and grant us boldness to speak your word, by stretching forth your hand to heal and that signs and wonders be done in the name of Jesus. 

Winning the War on Terrorism Through Prayer
"Father, give every terrorist in the world an encounter with Jesus like Saul of Tarsus had on the road to Damascus."

Living to Give
Father, make me a generous giver today! Show me where to give, what to give, how much to give, and let all my giving bring glory to the name of Jesus.

LAW, NO! GRACE, YES!
The law demands, demands, demands, but gives me neither feet nor hands.
Now Grace and Truth are better things, they bid me fly and give me wings!

FINDING TRUTH

Finding Truth
Most of us don't journey more than a block or so without some sort of an emotional struggle. Some of our most difficult times are about silly things, like upcoming visits to the dentist or the doctor. Once not too long ago, I began to imagine a bad news verdict... it was even difficult to sleep without fear rising up.
Inside my consciousness, I heard the gentle nudging, "Is that the truth? Think only about truth."
The fact was, I had absolutely no reason to fear bad news. It was all imaginations.
Acutally, our choices are still between the two trees in the garden - choosing God's life or the world's ways. I'm given a choice in my reactions -- between staying in a no-man's land or decisively moving into the place truth.
"I'm going to learn about truth," I said to myself.
"What you'll learn, is 'pie in the sky' denial," my doubting heart replied -- knowing well that much of the world no longer values truth. Besides, many philosophers say there's no such thing.
Pontius Pilate asked the same question, "What is truth?" (Jn. 18:38). His words sent endless sound waves throughout the universe, still reverberating to this day. Is truth only an evasive goal of our productive imagination? So how can anyone find Truth?
Pilate's question continues to demand an answer.
Jesus said that He was Truth, and that He spoke truth.
Protests from His own people ultimately crucified Him. Caiaphas the high priest over the Jewish people led the jealous multitudes that ruled that day. Betrayal came from a kiss. Accusations flared. The incessant and unruly mob clamored for Him to die, while Pilot washed his hands of guilt (Mt. 27:24). Truth died unjustly. But Truth totally won that day, and emerged from the dead in victory over our sin.
Now, the TRUTH can be embraced. We can behold the Man (Jn. 19: 5) who is the Truth (Jn. 14:6). So, I choose to believe in this Jesus and the things that He says. And oh, the peace that spreads its blanket when my racing fears aligned with the Word of God.
In His urgent High Priestly prayer, Jesus intercedes (Jn. 17:16-17), "For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (make them holy) by your truth. Your word is truth."
No longer is it what we think. Truth, we rediscover, is in Jesus, who is the Word. As we travel beyond our self-deception, we find the Truth that transcends our doctrines. We no longer belong to ourselves, but have learned that loving the truth is an essential process of sanctification. WE are made holy by truth. Truth and mercy purge our rebellious ways (Pr. 16:6). Truth is not just a word, it's not a formula, but a Person and a Force that changes us.
You'll find the desire for sanctification when you incorporate truth into your actions. Like the discerning Psalmist said, "The sum of Thy word is truth" (Ps. 119:160). It's not enough to know what the Bible says (mental assent), you have to fit it together, put it inside, and then act upon it. That you might be one who comes to a knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 3:7). Nothing in your past prepares you for the unlimited exploration ahead. Like we said, initial salvation isn't the end of the road, only the great beginning of finding Truth. Keep these principles in mind:
1.       God has already made His choice about eternal life for you. "He gave His only begotten Son."
2.       The remaining choices are yours.
3.       God's choice was not based on your merit, but on the fact that He loves you.
4.       Your choosing to believe in His love is the deciding factor in your eternal life.
5.       Right choices result in you causing that eternal life to operate in this lifetime.
6.       If you should choose to respond to His love, then the Holy Spirit comes to teach you TRUTH.
Beloved, we must not waiver in this time of change. Be ever ready to STAND firm in the Truth.
Dr. Kluane Spake

THE ENEMY IS AFTER OUR FAITH 2

The Enemy is After Our Faith: Part Two
by Victoria Boyson www.speakinglife.net
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If you have not read part one from last week click here
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
One of my favorite movies is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. It is an old western with John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart. Wayne plays a tough gun fighter with a good heart. Stewart plays a lawyer who recently moved out west from the east coast. He is not yet familiar with the rough ways of the West. Wayne continually tries to help Stewart learn about the West, and he often defends him against the unscrupulous outlaw Liberty Valance.
Stewart eventually faces off with Valance in a shootout, and Valance is killed. He and everyone else believes that it is he who killed Valance. However, during the notorious shootout, Wayne hid in the shadows and secretly shot Valance to save his friend's life.
Jimmy Stewart was terribly out-gunned when he went out to fight Valance, but he was sick and tired of Valance getting away with terrorizing everyone. He knew there was a very good chance he would be killed by Valance, but he also knew he had to stand up to him. Just as Wayne was there to cover Stewart, we can trust our God to assist us as we stand up to the enemy.
Take a Stand
So often we are afraid to stand up to our enemy. The devil terrorizes us and we let him get away with it. The children of Israel were afraid of Goliath until the Lord raised up David, who simply trusted in God.
Knowing something had to be done with the arrogant Philistine, he asked, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26b NIV) David knew that "The Lord who delivered [him] from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear [would] deliver [him] from the hand of [the] Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:37 NIV).
He trusted that if he went up against Goliath he would beat him, not because of who he was but because God was on his side backing him up. He knew he had only to step out and fight against his enemy, and God would give him the victory.
"As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him" (v 48). He ran quickly toward the battle because his faith in God was strong. The victory had nothing to do with David, but it had everything to do with his God. David threw the stone, but God killed the giant. After Goliath was killed, the Philistines ran away - not because they feared David but because they feared David's God.
We, too, can go boldly into battle, because we have a great God who loves us and who will defend us. We can, like David, face the things we fear, and God will be standing by our side ready to defeat our enemies, if only we will step out in faith and stand up to them.
Fear No Evil
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).
If you entered into a war in the natural realm with vastly greater weapons than your enemy, you would have no fear. If you had a missile and they had only a pistol, you would not fear your enemy. You would be assured of an overwhelming victory before you even engaged them in battle.
So it is with us as the children of God. When we stand in battle, we can be assured of victory, because we have a powerful weapon: God. When God is on our side, however great the odds against us are in the natural, we need not fear our enemy. God is our defender, and no matter how our enemy may boast, we can have peace. We will not fear, because HE is with us, and we can find comfort in His kindness and safety in His strength.
God is on our side; therefore, we have no reason to fear evil. All we need to do is stand strong in faith against our adversary and God will give us the victory. If we simply "throw the stone," God will take care of the giant! The enemy knows we have all the power we need to defeat him through the authority of Christ, and he's terrified that we will walk in it. He will do anything to try and keep us believing his lies of defeat and inability.
It is not about us, the enemy or the battle, but it is all about the God who loves us. He wants to see His children stand strong, not because they are confident in themselves, but Him.
Our Great Big God
If, in every situation we entered, we were confident God was there with us, we would not fear anything. Again, in Psalm 23:4 it says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." Our bravery is based on His power and strength. We are strengthened by the Creator of the universe standing by our side, and nothing shall by any means harm us.
No one is more powerful than God, and He is always with us, ready to defend. We have nothing to fear because, even in the face of death, our almighty Father will devour our enemies. There is NO power greater than our God; He is our strength and shield. Our enemies tremble in fear before us as they see the power of God radiating out from inside us.
Knowing God
When David went up against Goliath, he was offended by the insults Goliath hurled at Israel. He asked, "Who is the uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26). He could not understand why they were fearing Goliath. It wasn't presumption that made David speak out; it was his knowledge of the power of his God. He knew God was with him and with Israel, and he was confident in that fact.
He knew if God were with him, no matter how tall Goliath stood, he stood taller. Why did he have such confidence but others did not? Because he knew God! While David was out defending his sheep, the Lord proved His power to him as he fought against lions and bears. He had developed a relationship with God in the wilderness and had experienced His faithfulness.
God brought him out into the fields where they could be alone together. During the time He spent with David, God was able to convince him he was a giant killer! He convinced David that he was special to Him and, because of their relationship, he would be blessed.
Beloved, you don't need to fear anything, with God on your side. Stand guard over your heart to keep fear from entering in and destroying your faith in Him, for fear is the enemy of faith.
Fearing the Wind
More than any other enemy the Lord fought, He fought fear in the hearts and minds of those He chose to raise up. The same is true for us. Fear is the enemy of faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God (see Hebrews 11:6). He said repeatedly to His disciples, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31). The enemy tries to sow fear in our hearts because he knows without faith we are powerless. Fear is our enemy, not our friend, we must fight against it with all our might!
It pleases God when we trust in Him and it hurts Him when we don't! In Matthew 14, Jesus' disciples were out late at night in a boat when Jesus appeared to them, walking on water. His disciples assumed He was a ghost and were terrified. "But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid' " (v 27).
Peter was so amazed at the sight of his friend Jesus doing the impossible that he decided he wanted to join Him. Jesus beckoned him to come: "And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him and said to him, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?' " (Matthew 14:29-31).
Peter was actually walking on the water! He was doing the impossible! I feel certain he would have made it all the way to Jesus, had fear not entered his heart. Seeing the wind made his faith give way to fear, and fear robbed him of his ability to do the impossible. He was doing what was impossible in the natural, but when the waves rose up against him and he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to fear. The wind was sent to cause him to fear, and the minute he let fear into his heart, he sank. The fear he felt killed his faith, for it was his faith in Jesus that kept him on the water.
The minute they stepped back into the boat, the wind died down, much like the lies of the enemy fade when they lose their effectiveness. As we endeavor to do the impossible, our faith will be tested by the winds and storms of life - we can surely count on it.
Yet, when we walk in faith, even for a short while as Peter did, we learn more about the enemies of our faith. And we learn more about faith and trusting in God. Every time we step out of the boat and walk even just a few steps, our faith increases.
Every test of faith will increase the resolve in our hearts to fear nothing but God. We learn that in every set of circumstances we face . . . God is bigger! We learn again and again not to fear our enemy and say, "Greater is He who is in [me] than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
Committed to Victory
Once we see God as our Father who loves us and is able and willing to do anything to deliver us, there will be no end to our faith in Him. No storm in this life will be able to detour us from following Christ in faith. Fear will have no effect on us.
Likewise, when we trust God with our own physical well-being, we will not even fear death. For when we remove the fear of death, we become fearless. Like the Word says in Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear NO evil, [Why?] for You are with me" (question and emphasis mine).
We are fearless because our great big enormous Daddy God is standing right next to us and saying to the enemy, "You just go ahead and try to touch my kid and I'll stomp you like a bug!" We should not fear the enemy. But, believe me, the enemy should and does fear us - because God is making us His unstoppable FEARLESS warriors.
If a soldier enters a battle afraid to die, then he will be ineffective on the battlefield. He will continually be focused on saving his own life and not on winning the battle. He will not be fighting with his whole heart. He must love the cause he is fighting for more than his own life. "They did not love their life even when faced with death" (Revelation 12:11).
When a soldier goes to battle, he expects to find fearful events happening, but he learns to charge toward the fighting because he knows that is where the victory lies. He becomes an unstoppable force, a fearless warrior. He becomes victorious before he even fights a battle, because he has committed himself to victory.
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it" (Luke 9:23-24). We must throw our whole self into the battle, being ready to die if need be. We must not fear death, or we will lose our lives and be consumed by death even while we live. A FEARLESS warrior is unstoppable! The areas in our hearts where we harbor fear of any kind will continue to keep us vulnerable to the enemy.
Fear God, Not Satan
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).
It is more important that we obey God than fear the enemy. What will we gain by fearing our enemy? God is the One in control, and He gives us His authority through prayer. So if God asks us to take a stand against the realms of darkness, then we can know we have nothing to fear. We should not become presumptuous or arrogant, but we should never fear the enemy, only believe in God.
If we see fear as our enemy, we will fight against it by trusting in God. Our faith in God, even in its smallest measure, will move mountains! And whether we like it or not, we are a target of the enemy; our only hope is to operate in the authority God has given us through Jesus. We have authority over the powers of darkness - the devil already knows it and it is time we believed it!
The Lord cares for you and even "the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear" (Matthew 10:30-31).
Your Heavenly Father will stop at nothing to save you and help you. You have only to trust Him! Do not lose faith in Him . . . He will save you.

Pray this with me:
Dear Father,
Though I walk through the very shadow of death, I will NOT fear, because You, oh Lord, are with me. With Your help, I will be Your fearless warrior! I will not fear anything but You. I pray that You would manifest Your power through me so that others might trust in You!
In Jesus' name, amen.

THE ENEMY IS AFTER OUR FAITH 1

The Enemy is After Our Faith: Part One
by Victoria Boyson www.speakinglife.net
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I truly believe one of the greatest thieves in our walk with God is unbelief! When the spirit of unbelief rules our hearts and minds, God is unable to give us the wondrous, supernatural blessings He so desires. His incredible blessings and miracles are stolen away from us by this deceitful spirit.In Jesus' name, Amen!
God is looking for believers who will look at their circumstances with eyes of faith - people who will, despite all odds, believe for what God can do in any situation. He is also looking for people who will encourage the body of Christ by reminding them of His great power.
Will you be one of those who bring God's viewpoint to His people?
A Different Kind of Spirit
A person of true faith is a rare commodity. There always seems to be five negative people to every one positive person. Have you ever noticed how it is much easier to see the negative? It seems to be the obvious choice, at times. The circumstances that surround us often scream our defeat. But if we take the time to look into God's heart on the matter, we will see it differently. We will see that all is not lost and He has a plan for our good (see Jeremiah 29:11).
Two positive reporters in the Bible were Caleb and Joshua. In Numbers 13 and14, Moses sent twelve men into the Promised Land to see what it was like and to bring back a report to him and the people of Israel. Twelve spies went in, but only two viewing the situation saw things from God's perspective. Caleb and his friend Joshua saw the land was good, and wanted to go get it! Indeed, there were giants in the land, but they knew their God was bigger than any giant. Unfortunately, their reports were contradicted by the negative reports of the other spies.
The ten negative spies saw only the barriers that stood between them and their promised land. They did not believe God was bigger than their circumstances. They said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us" (Numbers 13:31). But "Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, 'We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it' " (v 30).
However, Caleb, try as he might, could not turn the people away from the bad report of the other spies; they refused to believe him. They continued to spread a bad report among the Israelites about the land they explored, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants" (Numbers13:32).
That night all the people wept and complained about their situation. They grumbled against Moses and were ready to give up, even to the point of death. They cried out, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword?" (Numbers 14:2-3).
Of course, we know that God did not bring them to the wilderness to die, but rather to give them a great victory. But their hope in God had been deferred by the many bad reports they heard. Their faith had been stolen from them! Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." A spirit of unbelief had robbed the people of their faith in God and caused them to stumble and rebel against Him.
We see the same struggle today with the negative and positive people pitted against one another, fighting for the hearts and minds of God's people. Those with the positive reports, the ones who fight to declare God's goodness, are terribly outnumbered. But, oh, what a wonderful message they have to bring to God's people! They are the ones who bring the true GOSPEL, which is the good news.
Whether our situation is good or bad, we must have faith in God and know He is in control. Any obstacle that lies in our path is really just another opportunity for God to show us how much He loves us and what He can do. We can trust Him! No matter how bad a situation is, He is bigger. Tell Him it's impossible and He grins from ear to ear, because He devours the impossible and leaves us amazed. How could we even think for a moment the situation was impossible? "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26b).
Caleb wasn't stupid. He could see the battle against the inhabitants of the land would not be easy. He saw the giants, but he also had a revelation of how BIG his God was. He said, "Do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them" (Numbers 14:9).
Pious Deception
Even some Christians can come to us seeming to be very righteous, when in reality they have been sent by the enemy to discourage the people of God. They feel as though they have been given special insight as to just how bad the situation is. But it is not God's way to show us the negative circumstance without giving us an equal or greater revelation as to how He will redeem it.
Divine reporters view difficulty from God's point of view. They see the light of Christ even in the difficulties surrounding them, and know the favor of the Lord is with them. Refusing to be misled by fear, they allow faith to lead them.
We don't realize what affect our negative words have on God - how hurt He is by our disbelief in Him. He is not a bad God; He is very good and kind. And He wants us to believe and trust in His goodness. When we lead others to view God as "bad" or not in control, we cause them to lose heart and stumble. In doing so, we come under God's judgment, just like the ten spies who caused the Israelite people to rebel against Him.
God judged the Israelites for their rebellion, but His judgment against the ten "bad reporters" was much more severe. "As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the Lord. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land" (Numbers 14:36-38).
Thousands of people died in the desert because of the negative influence of ten men.
When God saw He was treated with contempt (see Numbers 14:22-23) He became very angry with the Israelites. Their disbelief in Him and their focus on their circumstances had caused them to offend God.
Caleb, on the other hand, had pleased God. "But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it" (Numbers14:24).
God is pleased with those who trust in Him. If He has shown you your promised land, then believe He will lead you into that promise. We need to take captive any thought, word or report that would raise itself above what the Lord has declared to be true. If God says you can do it, then you will!
Warning Against Unbelief
God equals the sin of unbelief to that of rebellion (see Hebrews 3). I have never been sorry that I have trusted in God, even if what I have believed for has not happened. However, I have regretted not trusting in Him. Our unbelief hurts God, so much so that He refers to it as a hardened heart (see Hebrews 3:15).
"For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:16-19 emphasis mine).
Many of the children of Israel were unable to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. They saw the miracles God had previously performed, and heard the word of God He spoke through His prophets. "But the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard" (Hebrews 4:2b). Their unbelief led to their disobedience to God; it caused them to sin.
God is honored by our faith in Him. He takes it very personally, and rightly so. If we truly have a personal relationship with Him, we would know Him as faithful and true (see Revelation19:11). Indeed, our faith in God is an element of our worship to Him. Do not let unbelief keep you from giving Him your heart completely and receiving ALL that He has for you.
Pray this with me:
Dear Father,
Forgive me for not trusting in You completely, and forgive me for my lack of faith and any discouraging words I have spoken. Help me to be an encouragement to Your people. I want You to be pleased with me, so help me to follow You with my whole heart.