By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it”. But the men that went up with him said, “we are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we”. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel saying, “the land through which we have gone to search is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” Numbers 13:30-33.

Twelve men were sent out to spy out the Promised Land. Ten of those men returned with an evil report; a clear indication that they had accepted defeat even before trying. There defeat did not come from reality rather it came from their perception of the situation and their own identity versus the challenge they were facing. They had not even gone in but they had testified their defeat and inability to tackle what God gave them.

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THEIR (THE TEN) PERCEPTION OF THEIR CHALLENGE

• “The land eateth up the inhabitants thereof”. Which is not true because they still saw the inhabitants living there. This is a weapon of imagination that the devil uses to destroy people’s faith.
• They saw men of great stature. The giants, the Anaks.
• They saw themselves as grasshoppers when compared to the inhabitants.
• They were petrified by their imaginations to the point that they believed that the inhabitants saw them as grasshoppers too. Fear had taken over their minds totally. Defeat was all they saw.

HERE IS THEIR CONCLUSION

• Num 13:31 “But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” The ten men basically concluded that they wont be able to take what God had given them 

JOSHUA AND CALEB’S PERCEPTION: Joshua and Caleb had a different perception. They had God’s perspective and believed what God said. 

Num 13:30 “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”

Num 14:6 “And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.”

This is the report from Joshua and Caleb about the same land.

• Let us go up at once and possess it
• We are well able
• The Lord will bring us into this land and give it to us.
• This land flows with milk and honey as the Lord had said.
• Do not rebel against the word of God by being afraid of its inhabitants
• They are bread for us, let us eat them up right away.
• They have no defense, they are afraid of us now
• The Lord is with us so we must not be afraid

3. THE FEAR MONGERS DID NOT BELIEVE THEM.THEY WERE VIOLENT.FEAR HAD BLINDED THEM

• Numbers 14:10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.KJV

4,WE CAN ALSO SEE FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF ISRAEL WITH GOLIATH THAT THEY WERE DEFEATED EVEN BEFORE THE BATTLE STARTED BECAUSE THEY HAD A WRONG IDENTITY OF THEMSELVES AND ALSO OF A VERY WRONG PERCEPTION OF THEIR CHALLENGE

• 1 Sam 17:4 Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!….16 For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army…. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.24 As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. 25 “Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”….33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”NLT

ISRAEL ALSO HAD AN IDENTITY CRISIS BECAUSE OF FEAR OF THE CHALLENGE

1,In their eyes this giant was undefeatable and therefore they ran before him forty days morning and evening. They were terrified by this giant.He  touted them and ridiculed them and challenged them to dare show up for a fight.

2,In their own eyes they  saw themselves as another grasshopper so to say as compared to the gisnt

3,They were defeated even without a fight.Even their king saw defeat all around and was filled with fear .

5,DAVID HAD GOD’S PERSPECTIVE AND SAW VICTORY EVEN BEFORE THE BATTLE BEGAN.HE SAW THE CHALLENGE AS A REPROACH TO GOD’S PEOPLE AND THIS GOLIATH AS UNCIRCUMCISED MAN .HE A;LSO SAW ISRAEL AS THE ARMIES OF THE LIVING GOD.HE KNEW WHO HE WAS AND WHO ISRAEL WAS BUT THE REST WERE IGNORANT OF IT

• 1 Sam 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?KJV

THESE UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS NEVER GIVE UP .THEY WILL FIGHT YOU INSTEAD OF THE ENEMY.THEY WILL USE EMOTIONS TO DISCOURAGE YOU THEY GO TO ANY LENGTH TO PROVE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THOUGH THEY DON’T. THEY WILL SAY SOMETHING LIKE ..WE TOO HAVE FAITH!!!BUT YOU KNOW THEY HAVE FEAR!!! THEY SAY WE TOO ARE CHRISTIANS !! TRYING TO PRESENT THEIR CREDENTIALS TO CONVINCE YOU TO TOW THEIR LINE OF FEAR AND UNBELIEF

• 1 Sam 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.KJV

BUT DAVID WAS STRONGLY PERSUADED IN HIS FAITH IN THE WORD OF GOD..THAT IS HOW IT IS DONE. BE ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN THE TRUTH THAT IS IN CHRIST.

• 1 Sam 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.KJV

KING SAUL HIMSELF TRIED TO PERSUADE DAVID NOT TO GO .SUAL WHO WAS ALREADY DEFEATED WAS NOW TRYING TO POLLUTE DAVID WITH HIS UNBELIEF AND FEAR.BE CAREFUL WHO YOU LISTEN TO

• 1 Sam 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.KJV

DAVID WAS FULLY PERSUADED FROM HIS PAST EXPERIENCE WITH GOD .NOTHING COULD MOVE HIS FAITH IN GOD AND HIS WORD.HE HAD TASTED THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD FROM EXPEREINCE.HE TESTIFIED OF THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE LORD RIGHT IN THE FACE OF DISCOURAGEMENT AND THE KING POLITELY

• 1 Sam 17:37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.KJV

5,BOTH DAVID AND CALEB AND JOSHUA OVERCOME THEIR CHALLENGES BECAUSE THEY HAD GODS VIEW OF WHO THEY WERE AND WHO WAS WITH THEM!!!

6, THE DEVILS MAIN ATTACK LINE TO WIPE OUT YOUR FAITH IS TO BLIND YOU TO GOD’S WORD AND PERSPECTIVE WITH YOUR HUMAN PERSPECTIVE .JESUS CALLED IT A DANGEROUS TRAP!!

• Matthew 16:23“Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.””NLT

 

7,VICTORY IS WON OR LOST EVEN BEFORE THE BATTLE STARTS.IT DEPENDS ON YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE SITUATION AND WHO YOU ARE .IF YOU HAVE GOD’S PERSPECTIVE AS THE WORD OF GOD REVEALS YOU ARE ALREADY MORE THAN A CONQUEROR BUT IF YOU WALK BY SIGHT AND LISTEN TO MANY RELIGIOUS RITUAL  MINDED UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS AND OTHER PEOPLE YOU ARE TOAST ALREADY

 

8,,HAVE A BIBLE PERCEPTION OF WHO YOU ARE.HAVE A GOD PERSPECTIVE OF THE NEW YOU IN CHRIST JESUS AND NEVER NEVER FAIL TO SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU WITH ALL THE PRIVILEGES IT CONFERS ON YOU

8,1 YOU ARE A NEW CREATURE ..ALL THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY AND BEHOLD ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW..THIS IS YOU FOR REAL.

• 2 Cor 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!NLT

8.2,CREATED ANEW IN CHRIST JESUS.CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD WITH THE LIFE OF GOD SO YOU CAN MANIFEST THE LIFE OF GOD THAT IS IN YOU THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

• Eph 2: 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.NLT

9,,INSTEAD OF TRYING TO CHANGE YOURSELF JUST BELIEVE WHAT THE WORD SAYS ABOUT YOU AND LET THE HOLY SPIRIT RENEW YOUR MIND AND BRING THAT REALITY OF THE NEW MAN WHO YOU ARE INTO REAL LIFE MANIFESTATION

• Eph 4:23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.NLT

 

God created us  in His true image in Christ Jesus and so we can not see ourselves as anything less.We are not the  grasshoppers while sin and satan and the world and sickness etc are  the giants. Wrong identity will build weakness into your life and produce failure even before the fight.

Think of this Scripture

• 1 Cor 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.KJV

 

• 1 John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.NLT

 

10,LIKE DAVID NEVER FAIL TO CONFESS THE WORD OF GOD BEFORE ANY CHALLENGE.

• Rev 12:11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb And by their testimony.And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.NLT

10.1,LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO..LET THE OVERCOMERS SAY SO..LET THOSE SET FREE SAY I’M FREE ..LET THE NEW CREATURES DECLARE AM A NEW CREATURE AND I KNOW WHO AM. .LET THE HEALED OF THE LORD SAY SO

• Ps 107:2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;KJV

 

ONCE YOU START SAYING SO,YOUR FAITH WILL START RISING AND KEEPS ON  RISING AND RISING UNTIL YOU REALLY BELIEVE IT AND YOU WILL ACT LIKE IT IS TRUE WITHOUT EVEN THINKING AND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE ITS REALITY

WHAT YOU SAY BECOMES YOUR REALITY.BECAUSE WHAT YOU CONFESS IS WHAT YOU BELIEVE .

 

Your identity helps you realize that you can stand tall and be the  person that God made you to be. You can stand tall over the flesh. You no longer fear sin. You know that wherever you are, you have been handpicked for greatness. You are no longer mere flesh, but a spirit as the heavenly father is,born of the Spirit of God!!!.“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” Ephesians 1:22. You are in and reign with Christ, so all things are also under your authority in the Name Of Jesus!!!. Arise and shine

Show forth the glory of He who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light

Show forth His UNIQUE  life produced by His Spirit that lives in you. Stand out from the crowd as He displays the beauty and glory of His holy life!!!

• Galatians 5:22 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”NLT

 

Excerpts from PARTAKER THE DIVINE NATURE (PT 2) Click to listen to full message here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Uv0kVd7V1c&t=119s

 

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain Of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.