23 March 2014, Sunday Service
“Faith can remove mountains” Pastor N.T. Ramuhuyu
When the Egyptians were faced with the Red Sea they had a serious dilemma: and they realised that going backwards meant going back to slavery. The way forward was blocked by the Red Sea. They wanted to cross over into the Promised Land.
Then God intervened immediately and helped them and they crossed into the Promised Land. I can imagine the Israelites singing joyful and vibrant songs of celebration, saying My God is able.
Scripture reading: Numbers 13:30-31 NKJV
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." 31 But 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."
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV
11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What is faith? I want to demonstrate. I am holding a glass, an empty glass. I am also holding a bottle of Grapetiser Juice. I have poured the juice into an empty glass. Now I am drinking the juice, not the glass. If the glass is empty you can't say I am holding juice. Faith is the substance: the Grapetiser inside results in me being labelled as drinking juice, not drinking the glass. The evidence of things not seen. When I drink the juice I feel good.
11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Some people go to certain churches and are given water to drink or ropes or strings to tie around themselves. These people realise that you do not know what faith is but faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
There was this young man Joshua. He began his life in Egypt as a slave. He rose to leadership through faithful obedience to God. Joshua is not his original name; he was given this name by Moses, it means God is salvation. What Joshua did in the Old Testament and what Jesus Christ did in the New Testament are related.
When Moses sent the 12 spies to spy the Promised Land, Joshua was one of the 12. Joshua and Caleb believed that what God has spoken would come to pass just as He had said it. These two are the only ones who entered the Promised Land, because of their faith. The others who had crossed the Red Sea with them, because of disobedience and worshiping idols, made God angry. For 40 years, God delayed them in the wilderness and they ended up dying. The new generation and these two were the ones who entered into Promised Land.
Faith can make God add days to your life. Without faith and obedience God will delay you from entering your Promised Land and He will send you His sicknesses and diseases.
God said to Joshua, Now that my servant Moses has passed on, take these people over the Jordan River. It was summer and we know that the rivers would have been overflowing and that some of the people would have planted crops. Joshua never said God, can't we wait to first harvest what we have planted; God, can't we wait until the Jordan River is lower.
When most of us are given tasks to do, we start to question the work or purpose. Joshua didn’t do that, he instructed the Levites and the Israelites to get ready. He didn’t mind about what he had ploughed or that the Jordan River was full. He was sure of one thing: he had the ark of God with Him. God had given instructions and Joshua knew that if God has spoken, it will happen the way God said it. Nowadays we question too much, we don’t have faith. We like to go to other places to tie and bind ourselves with ropes etc. We only need faith.
Another miracle that happened: Once the priests and the Levites touched the waters of the Jordan River, the waters separated. If you have spoken to God, you only need faith.
When others are crossing the Jordan River others are just standing and watching them. Those crossing are going to the Promised Land. What are you waiting for?
Moses could not arrive to Canaan because when the elders of the Israelites mocked and scorned him, he said to God these people want water, what should I do? If I don’t provide water, they will stone me. God said use your staff, Moses struck that rock with power and that made God angry. Other bible scholars say, that rock was God. With God, you just need to tell him what you want and He will provide.
Some people will jump and sing and throw themselves down onto the floor; I don’t think that is what God wants. I doubt that Joshua was an angel but his character made God to smile and to look well upon him.
Moses believed that each Jew with him was a prophet of God but Joshua did not have this view. Moses scorned Joshua for this but Joshua was not angry about this since he knew that God needs a person who obeys. When some Christians are rebuked by their pastor, you become angry and stop going to church and stop all your participation in church. That is not what Joshua did. If you want God to add more days unto your life, increase the level of your faith and go to the level of Joshua and Caleb.
Numbers 13:30 NKJV
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."
It was not God’s intention that when the Israelites pass over the Red Sea, they would first have to go and spy the Promised Land. It was God’s intention that Moses would just have faith in what God had said to Him; Joshua and Caleb had faith in what God had said. That is why Joshua and Caleb were the two who eventually crossed over. These 12 spies, after spying the land and after being helped by the prostitute Harab and on coming back, gave a positive report. Caleb, whose level of faith was what God wanted, was also there. Caleb said to Moses, let us go up at once and occupy it for we will be able to overcome it.
Do you know what other people are saying?
Numbers 13:27-28 NKJV
27 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. 28 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.
The problem with Christians is that when we are faced with problems we look at the size of the problem, we don’t trust God or the power of God. The spies saw giants in Canaan, they could no longer see the promises of God about the Promised Land.
Numbers 13:31 NKJV
31 But 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."
Increase the level of your faith. I don’t know what trouble or sicknesses and diseases you are facing; but put your trust in God and He will show Himself.
The other situation with Joshua: God made the sun to stand still until all the enemies had been destroyed.
If you increase your faith in God, God will delay the enemies from attacking you.
Faith can remove mountains. Increase the level of your faith. Take the word of God as true.
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