The Triumphs Of Faith

 

The Triumphs Of Faith

Numbers Chpt’s 13 & 14

   As Christians we have a universal tool at our disposal, that is, Gods written word, which He and His son have spoken. So, if we believe that God has actually spoken all that has been recorded then we need to believe all He & son sons. But alas that is so not the case these days. Many Christians, and gentiles alike, believe that the Bible is all it ‘pretends to be, and yet so few of its offers are accepted, and how few of its promises believed. “. .I will show you my faith by my works. .”
    You do know that without faith it is impossible to please God? Why we because God asks for your faithfulness than all your works. “. .This is the work of God that you believe. .”

So to the first of the 7 of Faith . . 

  1)It..Confirms the promises of God

chpt 13 v27  “. .Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit..”
   But this is for sure God had told them, faith set to it’s seal that God, is true, because those who prove to His word will for sure find be found faithful. Gods word is His promise of peace for believing and in that peace ‘rest’ can also be found.

“If you can’t say that you found either of these you

cannot say you believe in God”

   Like I just said that if you cannot answer ‘Yes’ to either, you are only playing lip service. It’s like saying you’re a butcher and only selling flowers. The submissive will, and Gods will can never can never differ, as He is always and together at one. Although our experience has not yet attained faith, though must never keep far ahead of experience. For when Christ is believed, God is honoured, for the soul being justifies to God.

 

  2) It . .Exhibits the proof of Gods faithfulness
13 v28  “..Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are
strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there..” 
   They brought into the wilderness that which could not produce. Every believer ought to manifest to the world fruits that are contrary to it. It’s like when they saw the boldness of Peter & John they acknowledged they had been with Jesus.
   Every believer’s life ought to be a tribute to the truth of God’s word. We must all be vigilant so that God’s grace can turn baroness into marvellous faithfulness. For every Christians life that manifests the fruits of God’s promises, condemns the unbelievers. Gal 6 v22  “.. The fruit of the spirit is Love; Joy; Peace; Longsuffering; Gentleness; Faith; Meekness & Temperance..”  These make a wonderful cluster from the Heavenly Eshol, but, alas how few carry them.

   3) It . .Advocate present Possession
13 v30 "..Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said,“Let us go up at once and take possession.."
   I truly love the wording here, there is no room for ambiguity. Accept, that is, for unbelief, it will always put off for a more convenient time/season, that will never come.
OK let me ask this of you ….

“If God has made a promise, why then, do we not make it ourpromise, at the moment of hearing?”

   It’s God’s desire that we should possess it, this can be seen in ‘the promises He makes. This is because it’s a promise which He has made. ‘Eternal Life’ & ‘Present possession’. Such is the enormity of His gift to us, He tells us ‘lay hold of it at once’. Our God also tells us that, Math 11 v 28\9 ‘rest from our labour and rest in our labour’.  Then He goes on to tell us, ‘not only in Heaven but now’.

Are you enjoying it?

   If not then you should go up and lay hold of it at once and posses it. The land of promise is right there in front of you. So long as you have faith you will posses it. Faith values the present, because it knows all the ‘future’, blessedness depends on it.

4)It.. Laments the folly of unbelief
14 v6  "..Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes.."
   Jesus Christ with all His infinite power to save, yet he wept after impenitent Jerusalem. Surely He must have felt as if like crying a river. Then to see that a man may have discovered the infinite grace of God, though the unbelief of others seem awful madness.
   I wonder how many of us, who out of their families are the only ones saved? Thus so, with now our eyes fully opened to all the spiritual & eternal things, are those whose eyes must weep for those whose eyes & heart remain closed and hard. To the point we find ourselves at war with those tears that were shed.
   Those whose hearts have been broken by the love of god will have their heart often pierced by those who despises Him. Only those who believe God can know the folly and sin of doubting Him. When Faith is low then sin will be shallow, whether in the Church or an individual. If we had the faith of Christ, then we would have somewhat of a symphony.

   5) It. . Rests Exclusively In The Lord
14 v8/9  "..If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us
Into the land, and the Lord is with us fear them not.."
   Faith does not overlook the difficulties (13 v28), but contrasts them with the promise of Jehovah.

“Unbelief excludes God in its reasoning”

   Whilst ‘unbelief’ can spread like cancer, infecting and killing off any good cells, faith instead must be a reminder to us, telling us in faith nothing is too hard for Him.
Those who trust in Him surly success for they have …

1. His pleasure : “delight in us” 
2. His presence : “with us” 
3. His promise : “He will bring us”
4. His power : “He is able"

...we are shown how the bewildered sinner may have deliverance, this will be done not by not focusing on the past sins, or, by the terror inflicted upon others, and not by all the obstacles continually placed in the way. But by the sure fire promise and by believing. Also in faith and belief all will be resolved by leaving his troubles at the Masters Holy feet, just as did ..

• By faith Abraham obeyed
• By faith Peter walked on the sea

.. So by grace we are saved through faith.

   6)It. . Follows God always and Every where
14 v24  “..Caleb has followed me full..”
   It’s simple really, stop questioning, for God ever justifies ‘all’ fully, and always everywhere for those who will continually trust in Him. So why then don’t we? May be you doubt He will furnish us with His promises, as He has done for others. As faith in God is an act, it is the act of a once sealed fountain broken open and flowing on continually rejoicing to flow, and reckoning this the work of its existence.

Over time Caleb built up his trust in God by faith. As Caleb had such faith & trust in Gods promises, that no matter the giants placed in his path, and no matter the fortifications..

#Caleb’s heart was stayed on God#

..No matter what evil falls before us, fear not, if we can mean it when we in faith say..”He lives in me”.. Those who follow fully will suffer persecution .. “Stone them” (v10), “Burn them” this was said by 3 Hebrew youths .. “Crucify Him”.

#Greater is He that is for us#

   7)It . .Inherits the promise
v24  “Him will I bring into the land” 
   This is the victory that overcomes the World and even our faith. “..Today thou shalt be with me in paradise..” and “..he that honoureth I will honour..” Faith accepts the promises which are the title deeds of Heaven offered by God to bankrupt sinners.

   There is still much land to be possessed .. “High Land” .. “Sunny Lands” .. “Believe and thou shall see”. Here is a sunny slop on the hillside of spiritual privilege. “..Thou shall keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee..”

   In psalm 37 v5 Camaans happy fields are promised to the faithful followers. Also in V3, 5, 7, 11 & 34

God is ever Faithful

We thank you Lord Jesus for your word and instruction, that from this, moment your word be a seed unto our hearts, that will grow beyond measure.

The New Covenant

52:100218

The New Covenant

& what it meant

Genesis 14^:18/20  ^"Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. .”

(I feel that before I start I need to clarify the

term ‘priest most high’)

   It talks of the one whom there is NO one higher than them. Example:- In the Catholic faith – the Pope – is ‘the most high’ for them. In the Muslim faith it would be – Allah – (Allah is the Arabic word for God in Abrahamic religions. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from al-ilāh, which means "the god", and is related to El and Elah, the Hebrew and Aramaic words for God).

   Jesus was a High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek. Where there were no curses, and so there were only blessings after blessings, as did Abram who gave a blessing in a ‘tenth’ of all his spoils. It was also a thanks giving response under the ‘New Covenant’ which was a blessing upon blessings upon blessings.

   The ‘Old Testament’ was discarded, as God had released all believers, because it was man’s ineptitude to follow it let alone being able to keep the entire ‘Commandments’. Once man was released from the binds of the ‘Old Testament’, it seemed they did not have those roles any more to follow.

#A better New Testament brought new promises#

   Tithing should be done with a thanks giving heart. Today all too many Christians feel like they have turn up to Church to say/do, out thanks for all He has done for them, tithing out of thanks and not just the big things, like saving/healing someone, but, also the smaller everyday things. For example:- Green traffic lights making our journey’s quicker and stress free. When you think of it like this our Lord does a lot, that’s why we have so much to be thankful for.

Heb 7-11  “. .Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?..”

   Surely if everything was working just fine, as the ‘Law’ was being kept, and as a result it brought about perfection, why change? So why on Earth would up set the apple cart? Even just by talking about the new ‘Priesthood’ of Melchizedek and stay under that of Aaron. Imagine in today's world going to Church with a sheep or goat of other livestock, under you arm to be slaughter in a way of repentance or Worship, it would be brutal.

   I do need to tell you that this ‘Perfection’, that is being talked of is NOT actually ‘perfection’ it’s a different meaning. When we look at ‘Perfection’ today, it is completely different, in what we look for today. Perfection/flawless i.e where sin is concerned today.

Heb 9-9   “. .It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience. .”

   In Hebrews 7:7, we can see what is the message here, “. .Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. .” …is that under the Law, they found, that they were unable to obtain this ‘Perfect-Conscience’. This was because a ‘P-C’ would mean a Mind/Conscience, that would become a non-sin Conscience’* see below’. The trouble was that they could not achieve this under the then ‘Levitical Priesthood’.

*this saying I once heard Creflo Dollar call it.

   It could no longer work under the old Priesthood, Hence why the change had to happen, even to Aaron.

Please Pay Close Attention To The Following

   # If you are conscience of sin, but stop your conscience can be perfected. There is only one option open to you, that is through the Blood of Jesus. Then and only then can we stand a chance.

Please stay with me, as the next part

Is major importance.

   If our [mindful] sin is left to creep back into our lives, and do not deal with it swiftly, your Faith is going to be slowly eroded away. So all the sweet tender mercies will be of no use to us any more, especially those of the ‘New Covenant’, the devil be very aware of this, read to pounce, at the earliest chance.#

Heb 10-22  “. .let us draw near with a true heart in full

assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. .”

   Pure:- Then, would mean the water to … be without blemish … Clean … Undefiled. ‘Sin’ defiles and pollutes, this is why the blood of Jesus is the only thing to wash ALL ‘Sin-stains’ away , to make you as white as fresh-fallen-snow.

   Every time you come before God, the only thing that holds you back is an ‘evil-conscience’. Every time we come forth to be … Healed … Delivered … Prayers Answered. The thing that finds its way back into our lives, sometimes without even realising. This will happen when accepting Christ into our lives, only half-heartedly, because of this attitude you cannot have received fully the blood of Christ, thus it would be like buying a 2ltr of milk and half of it is made up of water, you will never feel the full benefits of the milk. That is what you do to the blood of Christ every time you ‘Sin’, it’s why you will never be healed … Cleaned … Purged, if you will, all because of Sin. Our Bible tells that ‘Cleansed/Purged’, there shall be NO conscience of us committing sin anymore as the yoke of bondage has been broken.

   But, if you would like to keep some of those sins, then good luck in being cleansed/purged fully. This kind of folly is always going to S T O P your faith and more importantly, Gods tender mercies.

1 Tim 4-22  “. .speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. .”

   The easiest way to put this is that because of the ‘Blood-of-Christ’, no longer has dominion over you, despite all the devils attempts. If I miss the (and not cling onto, also continue) I’m not going to worry, why because I have been cleaned by Jesus blood.

Part 2

   Knowing our Earthly law is to know what is acceptable and what is not. So to drive your car through a town centre at over 80mph/Kmh is just so wrong, as we know it is only 30mph/Kmh at the most.

Gen 2-9  “..The tree of life was also in the midst of the

garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil..”

   God made all the things in the ‘Garden of Eden’, and it was all so good. Even the tree of ‘knowledge’ was there and was good, with no-thing bad about it. As time was to prove, the law was not good for man, because of man’s inability to keep the simple law. Some people believe as Christians must have Holy lives, thus being able to teach about the tree of ‘Knowledge’, of good and evil.

Gen 3:7  “..Then the eyes of both of them were opened,

and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings..”

   Now, God had told them that they were not to eat from the tree of ‘Knowledge’. They could have fruit from all the other tree’s in the Garden, as it was good. This lye’s to the start of man’s consciousness and disobedience. How easy was the command from God, how easy are we influenced to do wrong.

   Because of A&E’s (Adam & Eve’s) disobedience they were embarrassed about being naked. Before A&E left on their sinful ways, as they could see sin now, that the tree of Knowledge, taught them right from wrong, they now knew good from evil. They did not have all these worries, because before they were blind to all sin, they only ever saw God’s majestic beauty, how wonderful this must have been.

OK

   I want you want you to think of this before answering ….

Do you want your mind to be ruled by the law?

OR

Do you want your mind to be ruled by Christ Jesus?

   For me, it has be ruled be Christ Jesus, as it gain for more than ever conceived possible before. A perfect conscience would be to know we have been delivered from the law; this has to now make us more confident as we go to stand before God.

1 John 3-21  “..Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us,

we have confidence toward God..”

#To keep our hearts from all sin, we must always be quick to confess#

   When after confessing these sins, we have to remind ourselves that …

     I.            When I miss the mark, remember, I am righteousness of God.

 II.            Remember my sins have been purged.

III.            I am not a sinner, because I have been made right by God.

   Make your life one of Holy living something you do, so you’re your heart is not able to condemn you. The thing is you should not be trying to live Holy just to impress God. Once you are saved, you were washed clean, and made Holy, thus being saved is now to made whole. Thus this has now brought about all God’s riches and graces of … Righteous … Interest in Heaven … Prosperous … and Healed.

   Now we are saved and made whole, it’s time to let Christ Jesus be our guiding morale compass, and we can’t go far wrong. One way is read Proverbs, last thing at night, and then be it the first thing you read in the morning over breakfast. Suddenly you will find your helping people with wisdom.

W A R N I N G

   Always be aware, the more you try and live Holy. Watch out, you will receive a very angry devils wrath, he will spit ~ bang around ~ hiss and more besides. Now the devil will use all his under handed tricks, he wants your conscience, then beat you down till your faith is in tatters. The devil just loves it whenever we flick that switch marked ‘self-destruction, now you are open for the devil to start making you think it’s all Gods fault.

Part 3

Heb 7:17   “..For He testifies: You are a priest forever

according to the order of Melchizedek..”

   During this time of Jesus being alive, it was told He would be a High-Priest, with no curses only blessings.

V18 … Tells how and why the ‘Old Testament’s Commandments, I mean just 10 rules, how inept we must/are have been, in not keeping & living by them. Because of this, God surely must have been beside Himself. Hence why when God sent His son Jesus, God tore up the old 10 rules, then told His Son to show a new way to live and worship God. Even in these simple ways, we show God how weak and pathetic we are.

Heb 8: 6   “..But now He has obtained a more excellent

ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises..”

   This verse makes this whole situation, as clear as crystal, also these promises become only better and better every time.

  

   At this juncture there is a big point worth of note, that is the New Covenant, is that it does not talk about ‘balance’. It has to be sais that we must be guarded that we we’re not fooled by someone saying ‘falsely’ about ‘balance’, and no curses.   

V19

Heb 9:19   “..For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people..”

   With the arrival of Christ Jesus, so for all the sacrifices of animals are now made obsolete, under the New Covenant. It was Jesus who said ….

Luke 22: 20  Like “..wise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you..”       

 V20  - Heb 9 20  “..saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you..”

   Jesus made an oath to Melchizedek that He (Jesus) was going to be the ‘High-Priest’, and just for then, but forever. Remember, that when God makes an oath with you, it will come to pass. Now as it after Melchizedek, now will come blessings upon blessings, remembering also there are going to be no curses.

V22

Heb 9: 22:  “..And according to the law almost all

things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission..”

   God & Jesus must burnt the mid-night oil with this ‘New Covenant’, it has been set as ‘fool-proof’. For it truly does what it says on the tin. Such is the simplicity that even today it is as they intended it, still fool-proof.

    The new covenant was made this simple, so it would transcend down the ages, and you don’t have to be a High-Priest, to understand it. It was if God had stamped an ‘Eternity-Guarantee’ upon it. Because of Man’s ineptitude & weakness of the flesh God & Jesus let’s take this out of Man’s hands, as only I can up hold the New Covenant.

   Under the old Covenant who was found to react to what man did, but today it is now man that who reacts. This is a real revelation, we have missed out on so much because of how we started out in ‘The garden of Eden’. Man can’t be left alone to his own devices, now we now we have a real relationship & balance, who would not want this? God has told us that we need no longer slaughter animals in His house, in fact we don’t have to bring anything, accept ourselves.

# It’s all about God now #

   When someone gives you something for ‘free’, you would smile (because let’s be honest we all like getting something for free) and with that say thank you. Whilst growing, up our parents would tell us to mind our ‘Ps’ & ‘Qs’, in other words to say ‘Please & Thank you’. This has to be the very least would say for being healed, or all those green light making you journey an easy one.

Heb 8: 6   “..But now He has obtained a more excellent

ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises..”

   With the removal of the 10 Commandments, has been the cause of many a argument down the ages. Many have said man found them hard to keep, that’s why they were done away with. This should be of no surprise, for all the way back to the Garden of Eden we have shown great distain to following God’s Laws, be it 1 law or 10.

  

   God had made them simple, or so He thought anyways. He should have known what would happen, despite in His view of them being easy to follow. Hence forth there is no longer going to have no more outward showing people that knowing God is simply the best way to live your life. This is because God’s will from that point forth, is going to make His word known to everyman woman & child.

    No books/Covenants is going to tell us what we are going to do, instead , God will direct us, and teach us. As God is the only one who will inform us, in what we are going to do next.

   God must have sat in Heaven and wondered to Himself how more simpler He make it for us to abide ….

… The law in the Garden of Eden was the simplest of

all  “..but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

you shall not eat..” Gen 2: 17  

…. Adam and Eve had the whole garden to eat from and God’s blessings would flow freely.

   So let’s have a recap as to where we are so far…

-        Having brought His people, out from Pharaoh’s slavery, to freedom, they had become unruly and shown that they needed ‘new’ guide lines, with which to live. Just in case they can’t follow these simple rules, they must make a sacrifice, of an animal, and all will be forgiven.

-        Once again it was man’s pathetic ineptitude to follow 10 simple Commandments/rules, another new covenant was made, God sat down and once again had a rethink. So He tore up His ‘simple’ covenant. Now all we have to do in order for God’s blessings, it’s as simple as have Faith & Believe.

   It’s as easy as 1 2 3, what we all have to do is, think about God during our day, say a prayer, and stop sinning, even though He will no longer remember them because His only begotten blood has washed them away.

   We tend to be too flippant about God’s gifts, when they are all ready for us to have, listed below are just some of the common ones ….

Ø When you’re sick, “know I’m your God, so believe and be healed” I have seen this for sure. I saw a girl be healed at a Christian gathering, north Wales.

Ø When the rent money is due, have faith and believe. He will provide for you.

   Having ‘Faith & belief’ is what I did after being saved. My rent was due, I had a 600 mile round trip in bringing my parents to witness my baptism, and that is not counting buying food for month, as well as fuel for the car to get to work. So with the last pound I had and put it into the offering. I said “it’s over to you Lord, you said it would be multiplied by x10. God asks that we believe in Him, and provisions in my store house will come unto you.

Here’s a tip :- ‘righteousness will help/cause us, to know our Lord more closely .’ As we have seen, and learnt, at hoe powerful was that of an animal sacrifice which ceremonial cleansing. But now, the son of God has been offered as a sacrifice, ‘His own blood’. How much more will the spiritual sacrifice of Christ will now cleanse the soul?

   When God said “I’ll be you God”, and also, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

   This has become part of the essence of our faith. We mere humans, tend NOT to believe something that which we cannot see – touch – smell. So to go against this can take doing, for me again it comes back to my saying “have faith & believe”.

   Again I will ask  … ‘Do you believe?’ … Do you believe in God’s word?’

   God needs us to trust in Him, far more than we could ever trust ourselves. I will finish my message, and leave it summed up in Gods words ….

Jeremiah 31:34  “..No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more..”