One on One Spiritual Guidance Message titled, "Giants Among Us." How to develop the heart of Lion and destroying the cowardice of a Mental Grasshopper. The interview with Pastor Grady Powell is still pending as this is a Pilot Broadcast in the works.
Good day, good afternoon, good evening, as your driving the highways and by ways of life,
where ever you find yourself listening to this broadcast,
I’m your host Christian Life Coach Freddie Hernandez,
And Your listening to “True North” Broadcast
Charting lives towards the image of Christ
Need a little Biblical Build me up, Pick me up, word of encouragement
Well you’ve tuned in to the right frequency
Ephesians outlines God’s broader purposes for the gospel: that all spiritual resources given through Christ and his Spirit are for the purpose of building up believers in unity as his body and as his ambassadors.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
Once again, Welcome to “True North” Broadcast.
I’m your host: Christian Life Coach Freddie Hernandez
“Charting lives towards the image of Christ.”
On todays “True North Message:” “Giants Among Us,” Why do we have them? How do we overcome them? And a short anecdote about Road Markers.
Then we’re headed to the mission field, to an undisclosed location, a place currently under fire that will take you from comfort to conviction for the work the Lord is doing through “Frontier Ministries with Pastor Grady Powell, on our “Spotlight interview, “Testify.”
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Welcome back to “True North” Broadcast.
I’m your host: Christian Life Coach Freddie Hernandez
Charting lives towards the image of Christ.
As a Marine During Desert Shield Desert Storm – the Liberation of Kuwait, our Combat Service Support unit supplied replenishments to our brothers about five to ten miles North of our location. Our first run started at zero dark thirty ended on a moonlit night slightly zero visibility. It was time to depart the frontlines to our location.
We huddled, school circle, the lead set me apart, the guys were listening intently: then…he confessed he had no idea on how to get back. Without hesitation, all eyes on me, I said, “Don’t worry brother. We’re good.” I turned to the guys and said, “Saddle up. Follow me.”
Upon arrival, everyone celebrated, made light of the situation, hoorahs and high fives, I was rewinding the moment I said, “Saddle up. Follow me.” And I hopped on the truck.
I prayed, “Lord, please let those markers on the road guide us back to the land of milk and honey – well, more like pilled purified water and MRE’s, Meals Ready to Eat.” Not really the land of milk and honey, but, anyway, you know what I mean. At the moment in time. The giant among us was the deep concern of the enemy’s attacks on our way back as they were lurking about – but I held fast to my faith in Christ Jesus – who lead us back with no incidents, no causalities and no back biting.
But the story we’ll be looking at today in Numbers 13:1-33 didn’t turn out quite the same. As there were two mindsets at play, the bad propaganda filled with fear and lies and disobedience, and the promise made to Israel by the one true living God whom two men decided to follow. To grab a hold of and believe in.
The Lord tells Moses gather a leader from each tribe to spy the promise land. They head out, spy the land, 40 days after they’re before Moses and the congregation with giant grapes that took two people to carry on sticks because of they were so ginormous.
What followed after were these words, Numbers 13:verse 28:
“However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.”
But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”
Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So, they brought a bad report to the people of Israel.
“The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them[2]
Here’s what’s interesting, up to this point, they get tired of mana and want meat, the birds fill their entire camp site, water from a Rock, to quench their thirst, a Column of smoke by day, a column of fire by night – God with them, not to mention the parted red sea – which by the way, swallowed an entire Egyptian Army.
Let’s move on to chapter 14:
After the bad report Israel cried. Complained about Moses and Aaron, then wished they and their families died in Egypt or the wilderness and wanted to choose another leader. As Moses and Aaron fall on their faces and Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, tore their clothes and said:
“ The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
10 Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones.[3]
Two mindsets, fearful Grasshopper, fearless lion – the heart of the lion of Juda. Side note: Caleb was from the Tribe of Juda, David, Juda, Christ, Juda, and Joshua, the Tribe of Ephraim Son of Joseph Second in Command to Pharoah, Son of Jacob. That alone tells you why these men were fearless. Becuase they believed in the one true God.
“As a man thinketh in his heart so is he. The grasshoppers weren’t for the cause, they didn't want to die, they didn't believe, they didn't want to take their chances, it was disbelief, disobedience, the same people that got all those blessings, brought a bad report and lied on top of that.
Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” Proverbs 29:25
Luke 12:24 “I tell you my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
Revelation 21:8: But the cowardly, the unbelieving, will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur – the second death along with the murderers, liars, magicians etc., etc.,
The end of chapter 14 Israel decides to go to the land and attempt to take it. Against Moses instructions and their defeated. Well, can’t get any more stiff neck than that. There was no redemption there. None. None whatsoever.
Now fast forward 40 years and the land is being partitioned. Caleb then requests Hebron:
Joshua 14:6-14
6Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me. 7I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back to him an honest report.
8Although my brothers who went with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear,”
“LIFE AND DEATH ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE MY PEOPLE!!!” Caleb continues, “I remained loyal to the LORD my God. 9On that day Moses swore to me, saying, ‘Surely the land on which you have set foot will be an inheritance to you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’
10Now behold, as the LORD promised, He has kept me alive these forty-five years since He spoke this word to Moses, while Israel wandered in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old, 11still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. As my strength was then, so it is now for war, for going out, and for coming in.
12Now therefore give me this hill country that the LORD promised me on that day, for you yourself heard then that the Anakim were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps with the LORD’s help I will drive them out, as the LORD has spoken.”
13Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.14Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. 15(Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba, after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.)
Then the land had rest from war.
Fear is a real thing but Christ overcame the World, fear not he said for He has overcome the World.
40 years Israel spent in the desert and the Lord tested their hearts. To see if they were worthy of the promise land. You could see how unhappy the Lord was in Exodus 32:9,10, Numbers 14:11,12 the Lord wanted to consume them and start a new nation with Moses. But Moses interceded for them. By the way we have a mediator between us and God, Christ Himself, We also see the Pharasees, Saducees and Scribes whose hearts were hardened denying the Messiah just as Israel in the Desert denying the promises of the Father. They did not believe in the I AM ultimately their salvation.
But the hearts of Joshua and Caleb – were towards God, not seeing the giants, their height, the fortresses, or what the giants thought of them. But together, Joshua and Caleb, took a stand on the promises given to Israel through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that they were promised the land of milk and honey by God Himself who swore it.
Hebrew Chapter 11 the Hall of Faith there it is written of the men and women whose faith were demonstrated by their actions, that was counted unto them as righteousness. In addition follow that up with the letter of James Chapter 2: verse 18: But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
If we believe, we stand on the doctrines that are foundations to our belief in Him that gave us eternal salvation, if we have faith, we believe we are quite able. Being quite able we are able to act upon the word of God and fulfill the promises of Christ which are our inheritance.
We are tested by the giants among us, for our perfection, but know, that the markers on the road are there to guide us to all truths in Christ Jesus, and remember always, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our refuge and our fortress. Psalm 46:7,
We are strengthened by our unwavering faith on the one who overcame the World – fear not, for those who know their God shall do great exploits: Daniel 11:32.
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Romans 10:17,
We can go from a grasshopper mentality to tapping the heart of the lion of Juda, just as Joshua and Caleb have done trusting in the hope of glory that now abides in your heart and mine.
So, if you’re being tested, know that your hope in Christ is your salvation. It is through your prayers, your community of believers, your home church, your accountability partner – and we should all have an accountability partner in our lives, such as a friend, I’ve got my mom, my brother and some of my chaplain friends and mission brothers, doing the work of the Lord, and sisters that bring comfort and peace and counsel to me when I most need it.
May the Lord bless you, keep you, make His face shine upon you, and bring you peace, and a desire for His word – the root of our existence, a daily well structured routine of reading, studying, and journaling within the scope of scripture, can keep you well grounded in Christ. Communion within a community of believers I pray that for you in your life. It can enhance and even strengthen development in your relationship with Christ. Even listening to the word of God. Believe me, I’m no John Piper, John MaCarthur, David Platt, RC Sproul, Charles Spurgeon, Martin Lloyd, C.S. Lewis, but listen, reading their works or biographys these pilars in Christ, it is an inspiration to know that if we anchor ourselves in Christ we have that same hope, we have that same help.
If you’d like to listen to this message in its entirety or download our free brochure on how to receive the promises of God, visit us at www.9113bc.org peruse the site and take advantage of the free resources available for your growth in Christ Jesus.
I wanto to leave you with todays anchor scripture for today:
Psalms 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 27:1
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This has been a message from “True North” Broadcast,
“Charting lives towards the image of Christ.”