Another Spirit

Num 14:24 “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit...”

Here is a man that we can learn a lot from, as my brother so aptly put it last night whilst ministering, he said the other tens spies saw how big the giants were in the land, all they saw were obstacles, the cares of their life overshadowed them, forcing them to cry out, “the land, through which we have gone to spy it out, it is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are of great height. They could be referred to as men with their glasses half empty. But Caleb on the other hand brought back a different report of the same land. This is what he said, "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it." You could say he was the guy with his glass half full. But, bought analogies would be wrong. Sure Caleb’s outlook was the right one, of course it was, But not because he in himself was a positive outgoing go getter. That has nothing to do with God’s Sovereignty, he had a different spirit, that is all, and because of his different spirit he perceived things differently, he saw how small he was, how small the giants were and yet he saw how big his God is. You see not for even a second did Caleb doubt his God’s ability. I mean, not even a thought of doubt I believe entered his mind. Now we as believers have also received this same spirit, (Romans 8:9) “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit...”We see that it is God through His spirit that empowers a person to believe that his God is able. Let me explain this a little, we either have the spirit of God that indwells us or if not we do not belong to His family. The text is clear on that; “anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” So without Christ’s spirit we are like the ten spies and we see our problems and difficulties as grand and impossible to conquer. Yet, with the gift through regeneration (born again) we receive His spirit whereby we cry abba Father. We are now a part of God’s family. So why not sit back in an “Easy Boy Rocker” and wait for things to happen. NO! Have we understood nothing? As children and those who have received Christ’s spirit, we still have enemies that want us to walk in unbelief. We are given clear instruction that we still need to conquer the land, it will be ours, heaven will be ours, and the Lord Jesus will be our reward. Last night Gerhard fittingly divided the word of true and highlighted a few points that hit home. Faith in God really has nothing to do with our abilities, how we love to live here, we either excuse our actions or we accuse them, I am not sure we will ever; in this life at least, conquer this evil. Once again this has all to do with us and nothing to do with God. The more we dwell on our weakness the greater unbelief begins to grip our hearts, this in turn causes us to walk in disobedience. Our faith then shifts from God and His ability to our failures or our lack of ability. We now think like the ten spies even though we have the spirit of Christ. Wake up you who slumber, our God reigns, if indeed you have the spirit of Christ. So then it is not on your ability to accomplish, you should not have faith in faith, but our faith must reside with God and his ability. Get the point, it beautiful when we see this. We may change from day to day, but God never changes, once He has settled something in His mind it will be done. You may say look how I struggle over and over with the same trials, and this has been going on for a lifetime. Just remember you were not able to pay the price for sin, it was our great Lord, and He alone has overcome. It is now time to cast your eyes upon Him and his finished work. He will come again, so believe it, do not let the giants in your life obscure your vision, for He will come again and this time with a reward in his hand. May God have mercy on all of us so that we may like Joshua and Caleb embrace and follow God Fully, as partial obedience will have consequences?

Signing off

Tyrone