388-Caleb's Another Heart#
388-Caleb's Another Heart
(JP Text Group - Shalom Compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival.
Numbers 14:1-9:
1 At that moment, the whole congregation raised their voices; that night the people wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt, or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt!”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us; do not be afraid of them!”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to come before you. We worship and praise you, and you also give us such revelation and vision, to live not with the eyes and mindset of the world, but with the victorious perspective of Christ and the heart of the Holy Spirit, to view each day. Christ has already won, and He has given us this victory. Through Jesus Christ, we see the world and all things with hope. Through today’s words, may every brother and sister receive words from you. We commit the following time to the Holy Spirit, to renew our thoughts and intentions. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
The topic of the sharing is: Caleb's Another Heart
The background of this scripture is that they had arrived at the edge of Canaan. At that time, Moses sent twelve men into Canaan, and after forty days they returned. These twelve men reported on the situation in Canaan, all saying that the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey, truly as beautiful as God had said! Among them, ten men said: Although the land is good, the enemies are tall, and the walls are strong; we cannot enter. The enemies are too fierce; we cannot overcome them. In their eyes, we seemed like grasshoppers, and in the eyes of the enemies, we were like grasshoppers too.
In fact, they wanted to express that the land was good, but they could not enter. Among them, these ten men reported bad news, negative news, and after the people heard this news, they collapsed. Imagine, when the Israelites left Egypt, they carried a complaining heart, and the road through the wilderness was not easy. After persevering for so long, they were about to enter Canaan, but unexpectedly this was the result; they could no longer bear it!
At that moment, the whole congregation raised their voices; that night the people wept aloud.
They could not sleep and did not know what to do! Brothers and sisters, have you ever thought that we have encountered similar situations in our lives? On one hand, there are God’s promises; reading the Bible, coming before God, all saying it is good, written so well. Can it be fulfilled in me? I believe it can be fulfilled in me, but I always feel something is missing, as if there is always a devil blocking it, and in the end, there is no way to receive the promise and blessing. So many people lose faith in God, saying the Bible is written well, and the preacher speaks well, but I can’t take it in because they all sound similar and are not very helpful for life. Thus, they become discouraged, just like the Israelites, the whole congregation suddenly collapsed, and everyone could not sleep at night, weeping loudly! In the process of crying, they did not remember God’s promises or declare God’s promises, but instead, they wanted to go home.
Numbers 14:2-4:
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt, or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt!”
What was the reaction of the Israelites when they encountered difficulties? It cannot be said that they did not pray; they prayed as well, but it seemed that God led them through here. Now facing the first enemy, the Jerichoites and the city of Jericho, it seemed there was no chance of victory at all. Many people, after encountering difficulties or when prayers seem unanswered, react similarly: they lose faith, stop gathering, stop listening to the word, and continuously complain.
Some say, after believing in the Lord for so many years, God has done nothing for me; why should I believe in Him! This way of complaining is exactly the same as the Israelites. They say, forget it, no need to pray, no need to rely on God anymore; I can rely on myself from now on. In fact, this is not a solution. When a person's heart is not placed in God and does not fully trust God, encountering such a dead end is just like the world.
How do unbelievers react in similar situations? They merely complain, become discouraged, and do nothing; their reactions are no different! But we believe in God. What promises did God give them? At this moment, when the Israelites encountered these difficulties, they should have thought of the promises God made with them, but the people did not think of these things at all. They found Moses and Aaron and complained to them: Who made you bring us out?
Brothers and sisters, many times discouragement and despair come from focusing only on these problems, which seem to have no solutions. But if we think from another angle, no matter how great the difficulty, the power of Jesus Christ surpasses this environment and difficulty! As long as we find the promises given to us in the Bible, grasping one or two of those promises is enough for you to use!
Let’s look at what God’s promise to the Israelites was at that time, Exodus 6:7-8:
7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
Brothers and sisters, do you see how clear this verse is? God said, I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord—your God. From the current perspective, the Israelites forgot that the Lord was their God. What does the Lord mean? The God of the covenant. There is a covenant with the Israelites, just like two people signing a contract, both must keep their promises and be responsible.
There is a covenant between God and the Israelites. That covenant is God remembering the covenant made with Abraham to save this group of Israelites from Egypt to the beautiful land of Canaan. God came to save them from the burdens of the Egyptians! Along the way, they experienced countless miracles, but now when they encounter difficulties, they still do not use God’s words.
Today, many people particularly like to pursue miracles, anointing, wonders, prophecies, etc. I do not oppose these, but if all attention is focused on pursuing these, when encountering difficulties, they still do not use God’s words, the result may be the same as that of these Israelites: discouraged, desperate, even saying they do not believe. It is important to know that the Lord is your God! The Israelites felt that God was far from them; He was Moses’ God, Aaron’s God.
Some people say that the pastor has a good relationship with God, but their relationship with God is distant, so their prayers may not be effective. Actually, these thoughts are all wrong. Each person should establish a good relationship with this God, Amen! The moment you accept Jesus, you must believe that the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all your sins, and the relationship with the Father has already been reconciled! In the kingdom of heaven, God can take care of each of His people; this is the difference between our God and man.
On earth, having a good relationship with those in power can take care of you, but in the kingdom of heaven, it is not like that. The characteristic of the kingdom of heaven is that you are God’s people. No matter what your requests, problems, or difficulties are, He can directly help you. It is not that the pastor helps you entirely; it is our Jesus who personally comes to help you!
Your life is not saved by the pastor, nor by the person who led you to believe; they are merely conduits. Your life is saved by Jesus Himself, which proves that He is your Lord, your God! When encountering any problem, do not think there is no way out; think that Jesus is your God, you are His people, He will protect you, and He will provide for you. Remember the words of Jesus, and hold on to His promises.
God said He promised the land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He will lead you in. If the Israelites thought about this promise: God wants to save us from Egypt, lead us into Canaan, and give us that land as an inheritance. Repeatedly thinking about this promise is enough! God wants to lead you in; He did not say you would not encounter enemies, nor did He say the journey would be smooth sailing, but God said one result: He will lead you in! Being led in means you are not fighting by yourself; it is not you who is battling; it is God leading you forward.
Let’s reflect: Is our life path not the same? It is not us doing it ourselves. From the moment we accept the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit is with us, walking with us at all times, leading us forward until the end of our lives. Our ultimate destination is the kingdom of heaven, the new heaven and new earth, Amen! Every day on this earth, God is leading you just like He led the Israelites, Hallelujah!
What should we do when encountering problems? It’s simple: pray to our Heavenly Father, hold on to His promises. This is the result I want to inherit; my Lord will surely fight for me, and I will definitely overcome this problem. My Lord will not let me suffer loss, will not let me die in the wilderness; His promises will surely be fulfilled in me! Although I do not see it now, I believe His words because He is the Lord, and the Lord means the God who made a covenant with me. This name represents a promise, Hallelujah! If when encountering problems, you forget God’s promises and God’s power, and only see the difficulties, you will definitely describe those difficulties and will surely be frightened by them; fear is contagious.
Numbers 13:32-33:
32 Some of the spies reported to the Israelites, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
When reading this, the message conveyed by these people is called by God as evil news. Were they right? From an objective standpoint, they were not wrong at all; they stated the facts. Indeed, the inhabitants of that land were of great size, often fighting and devouring others. Those Nephilim were very tall and strong, but why did God say you reported evil news to the Israelites? Brothers and sisters, do we often report evil news or good news to others? We are people who spread the gospel, and the Bible praises the beauty of the feet of those who bring good news: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news!”
As children of God, what message do we convey every day? This is something we need to think about. Therefore, we come not only to listen to a message but more importantly, to apply it in our lives, to think about what direct relationship this message has with ourselves, and whether it brings any renewal or better progress in our relationship with God. You see, what the people heard was not all lies! What those ten men reported was not a lie; they merely stated the real situation they saw!
Sometimes we might say: Are we supposed to lie? Clearly, there is illness, and you want me to say I am healthy; isn’t that lying? The doctor said I wouldn’t live for many days; you want me to say I will definitely be healed; isn’t that lying? Yes, you can repeat and think about what the doctor said every day, complain about the difficulties you encounter every day, but in God’s eyes, this is called evil news! Because you only see what your eyes see and do not look at the matter through the spiritual lens.
Although what those ten said was factual, their conclusions were wrong. Although they were of great size, descendants of giants, and the walls were strong, in their eyes, you were not grasshoppers; they did not see you as grasshoppers. Because the conclusion was wrong, brothers and sisters, focusing long-term on difficulties and problems will weaken your own strength. Why is it said that the best way to attack in battle is to attack the heart? If the opponent is terrified, there is no need to fight; you have already won, regardless of how advanced their weapons are. You do not need to see how powerful they are; as long as their confidence is gone, they cannot stand up.
So morale is actually very important, right? Where does the power of morale come from? Because the Israelites understood too little about this God. Their experiences over the past four hundred years mostly consisted of negative things, being oppressed by others, being seen as grasshoppers, like locusts, like bugs! People might often say, “I can squash you like a bug.”
Perhaps for so many years, the information received from their ancestors was like this, saying the Egyptians were very powerful, and they could squash us easily, just like squashing ants. They heard such information too much; now when they encounter difficulties, they instinctively describe these difficulties and imagine these problems to be particularly serious.
What is the fact? Later we also know that the people in Jericho had already lost heart. When you read the Bible, you will know that the ones who were truly like grasshoppers were the people in Jericho, not the Israelites! Because they had heard of God’s past deeds, they had no strength to fight! The Israelites, however, did not know this, and these ten spies were also unaware of these things; how unfortunate! It means that even an unbeliever, an outsider, understood God so well, having heard of God’s deeds, that they were terrified; the Israelites saw miracles every day but did not have such faith! This is the heart and mind! Although they lived under God’s protection, their hearts were not as strong as those of the world; this is truly unfortunate.
Numbers 14:22-24, let’s see how God evaluates those who reported evil news:
22 These men who have seen my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, but who disobeyed me ten times and did not listen to my voice, 23 will never see the land I swore to give their ancestors. Not one of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
Faced with the evil news reported by the ten spies, the people lost their faith, and as a result, God said to these people that they would not enter. It was not God who prevented them from entering; it was because they did not believe. Brothers and sisters, many people say, the things I worried about still happened; it seems that God really did nothing for them, and they begin to complain to God, saying, I relied on God in the past, but nothing happened. I have seen people die of illness, die of old age, die in car accidents; not a single miracle!
Those people believed in Jesus, but none had a good outcome; it is precisely because this person has such faith that they are destined not to see good results! It is not that God does not give to them; it is that they do not believe. The ten spies reported evil news, and as a result, most of the Israelites believed what they said. Although Joshua and Caleb strongly opposed and spoke positive words, they did not believe and even wanted to kill these two. In God’s view, it was these people who believed the wrong thing and refused to believe the right one.
Those ten who reported evil news merely spoke what they believed in their hearts. You can look back at the lives of the Israelites in the wilderness over these years; when encountering problems, they complained, and they often wanted to stone Moses; this was their specialty! They really did not believe in God’s promises; they saw more of the wilderness’s desolation, the heat, the lack, and did not see that God was with them every day! So God said to such people, you clearly know my miracles and have seen my glory, yet you still test me.
What does it mean to test? It means, “Lord, I do not believe you can lead me into Canaan!” It is saying the opposite. Are there many people who particularly like to say the opposite? I do not believe you can accomplish this! Brothers and sisters, do not say such words, especially towards children and loved ones; do not say such oppositional words. Saying such oppositional words too often will become a reality; do you understand?
The Israelites were in such a situation; they tested God, wanting to drink, they tested God; wanting to eat, they tested God. With this thought, they said, “Lord, I have this need; please help me, bless me, and that’s enough!” I do not believe you can make the animals in the sea come out and let us eat; can you give us meat to eat? This is testing, with a heart of disbelief. And the evil news reported by those ten spies made them firmly believe, so God finally said, you did not listen to my words, and you will never see the land I promised to their ancestors.
Why is it called despising God? It is because God’s promises say this, and they do not believe; they believe in the opposite, so they cannot see. I do not want you, who are listening to the sermon today, to have such an outcome because the results we see are related to our beliefs. What your heart is like will determine the effect you receive, so you must return your heart to God’s promises.
Look at Numbers 14:24: 24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly.
What is different about Caleb and Joshua’s hearts compared to the other Israelites? Brothers and sisters, we can imagine that they encountered the same problems, faced the same difficulties, and experienced the same things God did along the way, yet the results were different. This is equivalent to saying that they are all in the same church, listening to the same pastor’s preaching. Why do some people experience miracles, wonders, and beautiful things every day, while others have not experienced God for many years? Is it because of the person preaching? The answer is not necessarily that the preacher has a problem; it is definitely that the listeners have a problem.
In the New Testament, when the apostles preached, some immediately received and their lives were transformed; while some heard and opposed the apostles, even wanting to stone them! Isn’t this also two different results? This is related to their hearts. What does it mean to follow the Lord wholeheartedly? It means having difficulties and problems, but I only look at God’s deeds!
Caleb, although living under the law, always paid attention to God’s deeds, not looking at his terrible environment, always looking at what God had done, what God had done. His faith was also great; when encountering problems, he immediately thought that God could save him, could perform so many miracles, and that these enemies were nothing. God would definitely lead him in and let him inherit that land! He firmly grasped God’s promise, regardless of how the environment changed, regardless of whether there were achievements now, he still believed, did not complain, but often spoke of God’s promises. You will find that such people ultimately see the results they desire! Therefore, faith is also contagious.
Numbers 14:6-8:
6 Among those who explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
Brothers and sisters, what do you see? The twelve spies entered Canaan, and after returning, ten reported evil news, describing the problems they encountered and the strength of the enemies, ultimately causing everyone to lose faith completely. But among them, two experienced the same things and returned to say to the whole assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.” They intentionally described that the land was indeed too beautiful! Just as God had said, it was truly a very beautiful place. Did you notice what they lacked? Joshua and Caleb did not describe the enemies’ height or the strength of the walls; they ignored all these things and then immediately said, “If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land and give it to us! That land is indeed flowing with milk and honey.” They brought God into the picture.
I hope brothers and sisters will learn Caleb’s faith, to speak of the things he saw, which included God’s part, to keep God often on their lips; they did not mention how serious the difficulties and problems encountered were, but continuously spoke of God’s great deeds. Therefore, I hope brothers and sisters’ daily lives are filled with speaking of God’s great deeds! Why do the Psalms tell us so many times to praise the Lord! You must praise the Lord! Because when you praise, you must use God’s words; it is impossible to say the enemy wants to kill me, and I want to praise my God… You would not say, the more I say, the more discouraged I become. “Lord, I thank you because I am going to die!” No one praises like that, right?
When we praise, we will say, “Because of your faithfulness, because of your goodness, because your promises are for me, because you are the omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient God, and you delight in us. You created heaven and earth, and today you will bless me, provide for me…” So when you praise God, you will definitely mention God’s deeds. And when Caleb spoke of these things, he mentioned God’s promise: “If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land.”
We just read this passage; God said, “I will bring you out of Egypt and lead you into that beautiful land,” and Caleb merely stated another fact: God will lead us in! He hardly mentioned the enemies; Hallelujah! Therefore, in the path of life, what do your eyes see? If every day you feel disheartened, you may see too many ugly things in this world, things that make people discouraged. Those who like to watch negative reports post countless negative things every day; I do not know where they find this information! People’s hearts, if they always focus on the darkness, the dark things will increasingly manifest before them; but what do we see? God’s goodness, Jesus’ goodness, more testimonies, focusing on these beautiful things will lead to more and more beautiful things.
In the past, when I did not believe in Jesus, I felt there was no God. Later, after believing in Jesus, I found so many people around me believed in Jesus; how come I did not notice before? This is because your heart has changed, so the surrounding environment also has a different perspective; God has opened your eyes! In fact, the problems Joshua and Caleb faced were exactly the same as those faced by the other ten spies. It was just that their hearts were different, and the words that came out of their mouths were also different, leading to different results and different manifestations.
Joshua and Caleb were filled with faith and hope. Later, when Caleb was eighty-five years old, he actively requested to fight, saying to Joshua, “Give me that mountain; I will not let you go up to fight; I will lead people to conquer that land. Just give me that land as a promise; I am eighty-five years old now, and my strength is still the same as when I was young.” Do you see this? This is Caleb’s faith; this is his heart; he focuses on God’s goodness every day!
In my church, there is an old lady in her eighties, her eyesight is good, her hearing is good, and she walks with great energy, looking like she is in her sixties, filled with joy every day. Some people her age may already be bedridden and unable to move, and many have illnesses. Some ask her how she believes in the Lord! She says, “I think about the beautiful things God gives us in the Bible every day, believing that God no longer remembers my sins; what He gives me must be good!”
I do not look at the bad things in life; I believe my Lord is good to me. All things work together for my good; ultimately, it will benefit me. Every day I joyfully praise God. When encountering losses or bad things, I do not dwell on them because I know God will not let me suffer loss; I only focus on God’s grace! The eighty-five-year-old lady walks very quickly, smiling every day, and is in good health.
Brothers and sisters, many times we also want to have such a life; in fact, you can achieve it. Many people focus on the negative, on sin issues; many always talk about sin, sin, sin. In fact, we should focus more on Christ’s righteousness, righteousness, righteousness, God’s grace, grace, grace, Hallelujah! This will have an impact on your life, will change your heart, and will fill you with confidence and hope for your life! Even when difficulties come, you will be filled with faith and hope! Because you believe God is with you.
Numbers 14:9: 9 But do not rebel against the Lord, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, because they are our food, and their protection has departed from them. The Lord is with us; do not be afraid of them!
Why could they say such words? They did not describe the enemies as tall or the walls as strong; they did not say we are like grasshoppers before them… Joshua and Caleb did not mention this at all. They spoke of another fact: do not rebel against the Lord. What does it mean to rebel against God? It means that God’s words say this, and you choose to say the opposite; this is called rebelling against God. God said He would lead you into Canaan, and you insist on saying you will die in the wilderness; this is called rebelling against God.
Many people think that only doing something wrong against God is called rebelling against God. In fact, as long as what we think in our hearts is inconsistent with God’s promises, that is also called rebelling against God! When people rebel against God, their hearts will be filled with fear! But declaring God’s promises every day will fill you with faith, and faith will also infect others, Amen.
Being with someone who lives every day filled with faith and speaks words of blessing, a person who is sunny, when you are with them, you feel that the world is truly beautiful! Just like Joshua and Caleb, as long as you follow these two, nothing is a problem. Facing such a powerful enemy, Caleb and Joshua said, “They are our food, and their protection has departed from them.”
In fact, Caleb and Joshua have always emphasized God’s power, while also emphasizing that the Lord is with us, so there is no need to fear them; this is Caleb’s heart! Amen. It is important to be with what kind of people; if this person always posts negative, combative information, do not follow them anymore; they will definitely lead you into that situation.
Being with what kind of people will make your life different. In the Old Testament, there was a man named David. David’s life was quite bumpy. God gave him beautiful promises, making him the king of Israel, and indeed God let him sit on that throne. However, before that, David experienced many hardships, especially after God gave him promises, the hardships still persisted. But what was good about David? He always focused on God’s promises; he completely believed in God! When David was fleeing from King Saul’s pursuit, he once escaped to the cave of Adullam, where he received many outcasts. David influenced this group of people.
1 Samuel 22:1-2:
1 David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s whole family heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
You see what kind of people followed David: those in distress, who might be experiencing great difficulties in life and had lost faith; those in debt, being chased for debts, unable to pay; those who were troubled… Do you notice that they are somewhat similar to the Israelites we talked about today! The Israelites were actually a bit stronger than them. The people following David were all like this; if David did not give them proper guidance, this group would definitely complain every day because they encountered no good things. There were four hundred such people following David!
Later, when David went to battle, he had three hundred warriors, all coming from these four hundred! Isn’t it interesting? What were these people like before? They were looked down upon by society, being chased, in distress, losing faith, and often complaining. When they came to David, David became their commander, teaching this group to do one thing: to obey. Later, this group was trained by David to become warriors on the battlefield; what a wonderful thing!
If David could do such things, why can’t we? Our Lord is still Jesus Christ! The reason is that David passed on his faith to these people, and they gained David’s faith and were filled with strength! Simply put, those who follow someone will become like them. We are disciples of Christ and should become more like Christ, filled with faith, filled with sunshine, and have no doubts about God’s words; this is the image of Christ!
Romans 10:5-8:
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “Or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim).
Brothers and sisters, what kind of truth do you receive? Do you receive the law of Moses, which says you cannot do this or that, and if you do, you will die! Yes, if you receive Moses’ law, you will live in fear every day. But we are not to become disciples of Moses; we are to become disciples of Christ. What is Jesus Christ like? We should look more at what Jesus did and what Jesus said; the way of Jesus is not far from you.
What kind of word do you receive? What is in your mouth? What is in your heart? If you say what is in your mouth is the word of Christ, the way of faith, good, then from your mouth will surely come words of faith; what is in your heart? Is it Jesus Christ? Then good, what you think should be the words of Christ! Jesus never spoke negative words, for example, “I am so angry! This is hopeless! I can’t go to heaven; it’s uncertain!”
Jesus never spoke such words, so we should speak like Jesus. The Christian life begins with faith and ends with faith. How to understand this? It means you speak as Jesus speaks; you think as Jesus thinks. This is simple, right? The words of Jesus Christ are the foundation of our faith! Many people say we should understand how corrupt we are! Well, go ahead and understand; you will become more corrupt. In fact, you should understand the works of Jesus Christ! This way, faith will take root in you, and your faith will grow larger! God’s promises are our guarantee, and they are drawn by faith.
2 Corinthians 4:3: 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
What a person says is what they think in their heart; this is beyond doubt. If a person can often speak words of faith, it shows that their heart is filled with words of faith! How we believe is how we speak. I would rather brothers and sisters fill your hearts with the words of Christ, so that what comes out of your mouth will definitely be words of faith in Christ! You will see the effects of these words of faith because God’s words are powerful, Hallelujah! You should declare the righteousness in Christ, declare God’s blessings upon you, and God’s promises start from the mouth!
If you still have doubts, then speak words of faith! It is not about speaking only when you see; it is about speaking based on faith, and then you will see; this is a spiritual principle. The characteristic of the world is that they do not speak unless they see; they only speak what they see, which is just like the ten spies! Then what is the meaning of believing in the Lord? Believers believe in what Christ says; as Christ speaks, we speak, so let’s see how our God speaks.
Genesis 1:1-3:
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Brothers and sisters, this is how our God speaks. At the beginning, the surface was dark, formless, and empty; it was hard to distinguish light from darkness, right from wrong; everything seemed quite vague. God wanted light to come out, but at that time there was no light. God said, “Let there be light,” and the light came! How do we speak? “It’s so dark!” Then it is destined to get darker! How should we speak? When encountering difficulties, illness, or danger, do not describe the current situation; describe the results you want, Amen. Just like God, He wanted light to come out, saying, “Let there be light,” and the light came!
Didn’t Jesus also say this? “You are healed from this illness!” In Luke 17, there is a record of ten lepers coming toward Jesus, standing at a distance. They said, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” In fact, they wanted to receive healing from Jesus. Jesus said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” After Jesus said this to them, many would say, “Heal me first, then I will show my body to the priest! I am covered in leprosy; what can I show the priest?”
Many people always hope to see the results first, and then do things; this is not called faith. Faith is believing that something will surely be accomplished even before you see it; even if there are twists and turns, you believe the result will not change! The ten lepers heard Jesus say this and turned to find the priest to check their bodies, and as they went, they were cleansed. This is what the Bible says; as they went, their bodies were cleansed!
If you were there, you might say, “Why should I go find the priest? I am covered in leprosy; I will go when I am healed…” Then you will really not see your healing unless you believe in Jesus’ words. Jesus said this; no matter if you can understand it now, believe it and go; on the way, you will be healed, Hallelujah!
In Luke 17:19, all ten were healed, and among them was a Samaritan who, after being healed, returned to find Jesus to give glory to God. Jesus said to that person, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” This is true faith, brothers and sisters; you should believe like this. This is called another heart! Another heart means that at any time, according to what Jesus says and does, we speak and act accordingly! You will surely see the promises Jesus made to you fulfilled, Hallelujah!
Finally, let’s look at a passage from Ephesians 4:21-24:
21 When you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus, 22 you were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Have you heard the way of Jesus? Have you received His teachings? Have you learned His truth? Many people say I have listened to His way for a long time, received teachings for a long time, and learned God’s truth for a long time; I have heard the truth for many years. That’s good! What should you do? You must be made new in the attitude of your minds, which means to put down your previous thoughts! How did you view the world before? Now you should view the world through Jesus; how did you view people before? Now you should view people through Jesus; how did you not forgive before? Now you should forgive through Jesus. This is called renewing your mind! Previously, you spoke negative words; now you should speak like Jesus! This is putting off your old self, because why did you think and speak that way before? It was because of deceitful desires! It was because your heart was unwilling, feeling unbalanced, unfair, and feeling wronged!
But now, looking through Jesus, you will know that all of this is ultimately beneficial to you. And put on the new self; please remember, you are a new creation, created in the image of God, Hallelujah! You have the righteousness of Christ and the holiness of Christ, so let us learn to live like Jesus! This is Caleb’s another heart; he only focuses on God’s glory, God’s victory, God’s authority, and God’s power, and as a result, his life is like that.
I also wish that at the beginning of this new week, every brother and sister can change the way they live, change the way they think about problems, and see all things and all people through Jesus. You will see a different world, and you will be filled with the faith of Christ. This is Caleb’s another heart.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for renewing our thoughts and intentions through such words. In Christ, we are new creations, created in the image of God, like Jesus, filled with Jesus’ glory and authority. Jesus is victorious in this world; therefore, we are also victorious. As Jesus is, so are we in this world.
This is a week full of power. No matter where I go, the Holy Spirit will be with me; He will keep me and lead me on the path ahead. I am willing to guard my heart and my mouth; I will speak the words that Christ speaks. I meditate on Christ’s power, meditate on your promises, believing that your promises will surely be fulfilled in me, regardless of the environment I encounter now. I believe you are the victorious God, the glorious God, the God who blesses me! I will also be a channel of this blessing, bringing good news to those around me, sharing Christ’s power and beautiful testimonies through me! Thank you and praise you for loving us so much; all glory belongs to you. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Let us pray a blessing together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! You love us so much; in Christ, we are new creations. The old has passed away; all has become new! We also want to live with this heart. As the new week begins, I believe my life will no longer be the same!
In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, I am loved by God, filled with God’s blessings! No matter where I go, you are with me; you will bless what I do with my hands, and I will also become a blessing to others, influencing others like Abraham, like David, passing on faith to others. This week, I will see your glorious abundance in what I do! Thank you and praise the Lord; all glory belongs to you. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.