I. Introduction
Good day to all. Today, I will share a truly enlightening story titled The Tragedy of the Ten Spies. This narrative falls under our series on foolishness, where we examine the imprudent figures in the Bible, one by one, to reveal the sheer extent of their folly. I have discovered that finding examples of foolish individuals in the Scripture is not a difficult task; they are abundant. Thus, we could potentially delve into this topic for ten, twenty, or even fifty sessions, though eventually, we may shift our focus. Today's discussion on The Tragedy of the Ten Spies primarily aims to instill confidence in everyone, so that we may enter the Promised Land. Through this tragedy, we can learn a valuable lesson: we must strive to be wise.
A great tragedy exists in the world: many Christians do not enter the Promised Land before their death. What are these Christians doing? After accepting the Lord, they wander in the wilderness, subsisting on manna. Though it comes from God, it lacks flavor. God intends to provide something akin to milk and honey, not a daily ration of manna, that small mushroom. Alas, one's burps smell of manna, one's flatulence smells of manna. The entire camp exudes the aroma of manna, a scent that induces weariness. Who can endure consuming the same thing for forty years? It is unbearable.
Many Christians persevere and endure this existence of not entering the Promised Land, aimlessly wandering in the wilderness. This is futile! This is a tragedy and a misconception in the world. Ah, waiting for God - He is waiting for him; he is waiting for God. Wait they must. God resides in the Promised Land, while they meander in the wilderness, becoming objects of God's displeasure. What is the point of such endurance? It is utterly meaningless. God desires that we enter a land flowing with milk and honey, where the fruits are of the highest quality. Have you tasted the fruits of Israel? After visiting Israel, I realized that the flavor of all the fruits differs from what we are accustomed to. Their fruits are not merely sweet, but imbued with a rich, natural fruity taste, devoid of artificial flavorings. Strawberries possess an intense strawberry flavor, while oranges exude a concentrated orange aroma. Once you have tasted the fruits of Israel, you may find it difficult to enjoy other fruits.
When I first embraced Christianity, I exclaimed, Wow, the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey! Today, I ponder what kind of life that entails. Let us contemplate together the life that God has prepared for us. Indeed, it is exceedingly good. God has not planned for us to wander in the wilderness; such a fate is a tragedy. The concept of the Promised Land has left a lasting impression on my heart. Ah, the Promised Land that God has prepared for me! However, upon observing the local church, I see no one who has entered the Promised Land. Even prayer seems ineffective.
Today, a check-up reveals a diagnosis of cancer, and the pastor announces, Brothers and sisters, let us visit Sister So-and-so, who has cancer. Later, another call: Let us visit an elderly brother who has cancer. After some time, another visit to someone with a broken leg. Ah, they are exceedingly busy, and I am perplexed. Is this the life of the Promised Land? It is not! I find it truly tragic. Wandering in the wilderness, fracturing limbs, they proclaim, Brother, endure! Afflicted with cancer, they say, Brother, sister, endure! I wonder, Endure what? I secretly chuckle. When I was young, I had a clear understanding of the Scripture. What is this talk? To endure cancer? A tragedy! Either extreme poverty or a multitude of troubles cause distress.
In Singapore, the most daunting role is that of a Chinese church pastor, facing dozens of funerals each year, even weekly, leading to exhaustion. It would be more fitting for them to operate a funeral service. Throughout my ministry, I have encountered a plethora of impoverished pastors. An elderly pastor, destitute, preached about his desire for sausages. The next day, upon opening his door, he found a string of the sausages he longed for, of the exact brand he craved. What message was he conveying? Do you comprehend? In the Promised Land, sausages are available, though certainly not of pork. Ah, I questioned, What kind of testimony is this? It sounds peculiar. Does it glorify God, or does it shame Him? It sounds as if it shames God.
I came to believe that the pastoral profession was undesirable. At that time, I was asked if I would become a pastor. I replied, No. How did I become one today? I realized that if one could enter the Promised Land, serving as a pastor, priest, or Christian would all be acceptable. The Tragedy of the Ten Spies we will discuss today involves those who stood at the very edge of the Promised Land, even venturing into it, only to return with a negative report, declaring that they could not enter. Consequently, God struck them down on the spot, a truly miserable end. Fortunately, the individuals I know have not been struck down by God; they are still alive.
On one occasion, I visited a local pastor who was extremely impoverished. I advised, Consider buying a house, now that the prices are affordable, a few thousand dollars per square meter. He replied, Pastor Liu, I am now so poor that all I have left is spirituality. I retorted, You do not even have that, for he was not in the Promised Land. Poverty is certainly not part of God's plan. Another pastor had endured twenty years of lumbar and cervical spine issues, while his wife suffered from depression. As a minister specializing in healing and deliverance, though leading a small, obscure church, I excelled in that ministry. As they happened to be with me, I quickly delivered the pastor from his spine problems and the pastor's wife from depression. The results were remarkable. Later, they told me, We used to cast out demons, and many people were healed. However, we grew weary of it.
Upon hearing this, I wondered what ailed them. They had experienced God, but when faced with giants and difficulties, did they choose to despise Him? They had experienced God, cast out demons; where did their faith go? Terrible! The faith of Chinese Mingding Destiny is unwavering. Through observation, I have concluded that the most foolish and unfortunate thing in the world is to lack faith after experiencing God, standing at the edge of the Promised Land, only to be killed by Him. Is this not tragic? Sorely! Seeing the Promised Land, they refuse to enter. My goodness, they simply lack faith, which is why I founded Chinese Mingding Destiny. The most crucial logic is to fight and triumph, obtaining the Promised Land. Victory and the attainment of the promise are the core values. No matter the magnitude of the challenges, one must resolve to overcome.
Some ask, Teacher, my difficulties are so great; how can I overcome them? It is easy for you to say. You speak without experiencing the pain. I do not speak without feeling. I do not have the pain, but I speak the truth. Resolve to overcome! Do you comprehend? It is all about faith: My God will surely grant me victory. This is a character trait that I wish to pass on to you today. Whether you can receive it depends on your predestination. This is the victorious character. To live without character is a tragedy. To resolve to overcome, how difficult can it be? I tell you that my logic is particularly simple; I have simplified the matter of living. I fear God and nothing else. Where can you find reason in that? I have seen many who fear everything except God. It is beyond me.
Many years ago, I realized a principle. You may have noticed that I rarely mention it, but I will share it with you today: have the faith to die, and still enter the Promised Land. God has chosen me correctly, for I am a Joshua and a Caleb; I am that Israel; I am that Joseph. Some may ask, How many Josephs are there? Well, there is one more. Deep within me is the faith to die, and if I am not afraid of death, what else should I fear? Then living becomes simple and free. Some argue with me, but they cannot prevail, for I am not afraid of death.
There is a saying in Northeastern China: The fierce fear the stubborn, and the stubborn fear the reckless. The idea is this: A very fierce person fears a stubborn person, and a stubborn person fears someone who is reckless. Once you encounter a reckless person, you can't win. I cannot take him down. When the demons see me, they exclaim, Do not mess with him. Many years ago, I realized that I need to have the faith to die, to see through life and death, and to persevere until I triumph. In those early days, though lacking full understanding, I would persist one minute longer than the devil. What is senile dementia? I will just pray in tongues. Even though I am praying in the spirit, my mind keeps thinking about this senile dementia. Aha, I understand, it is Old Horse. Later, He told me that it was Old Horse.
God does not want us to die, but to live. He does not want us to enter the wilderness, but the Promised Land. His plan for us is a good plan. I knew this truth when I first believed in the Lord, and I have been encouraging everyone to attain this faith and character, but few have. Over the past decade, I have ministered to numerous cancer patients and discovered that they possess a fear of death, a desire to live. Unlike me, I am not afraid of death and want to die; they are afraid of death, but I am afraid of living. Do such people exist?
Many of those we ministered to have experienced significant improvements in their conditions. However, when a small issue remains, they become apprehensive after serving others and seek to avoid future ministry assignments, offering excuses. I realized that they cherish themselves and eventually die. You may argue, Teacher, did you not say that they were healed? They do not count. Their experiences with God were extraordinary, lying bedridden, unable to walk, they could ascend and descend stairs after prayer, yet they would argue when asked to do something, like the Israelites in the tragedy of the ten spies.
I wondered what purpose such individuals served in the world, expressing cynical thoughts and complaints, only to die due to their character, their fear of death, and their love of life. At the slightest discomfort, they would seek medical attention. Did they experience God? Yes, not only did they experience Him, but they also witnessed earth-shattering miracles. However, they would retreat at the first sign of difficulty, becoming shrinking violets. They feared everything except God, lacking reverence for Him and often despising Him. I am filled with emotion as a result. I learned to be cunning and wise during my ministry. When ministering, I would first address their fear of death, and if I could not defeat it, I would simply give up.
There is a question that people often ask me. They will ask me, Should not God understand my weaknesses? Should not God know my inner thoughts? God does not understand. I respond, No, He shouldn’t. However, if your inner thoughts are like those of the ten spies, wouldn’t that be a tragedy? To experience God, then despise God and to report bad news. People believe that they can lower God's standards, when in fact they cannot. People think that God can understand their weaknesses, but He does not. The character of those who fail to overcome leads to death in the wilderness, and those Christians who fail to overcome inevitably lead a tragic life in the wilderness.
At times, I am helpless, questioning why entering the Promised Land is so challenging. Is it not like the Chinese Mingding Destiny says? It's about standing your ground and fighting to the finish! It really is not that difficult. It is strange that they would choose to die in the wilderness, fearing everything. I wonder why people are like this. This is what I want to discuss with you today, to see if we can explain the tragedy of the ten spies clearly. At times, I am at my wit's end and tell people, Do not become a believer. They ask, How can you say that? To which I respond, If you become a believer, you will only die in the wilderness. If you do not, you will not have to die in the wilderness. Is that the case? If you do not believe, residing in Egypt as a slave would be better. Why wander in the wilderness? What are we doing in the wilderness as Christians? Just go back!
II. Scripture
The men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— these men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived. (Numbers 14:36-38)
III. Prayer
O God! Grant us an alert mind today! O God! Give us spiritual eyes, so we can clearly see the truth within those Israelites, rejected and left to die in the wilderness, to learn from their mistakes, and to emulate Joshua and Caleb, that we may enter the Promised Land! O God! We desire to enter the Promised Land, to enter the land flowing with milk and honey! O God! We desire to draw on Your promises! O God! You are my God, and I will love You wholeheartedly and follow You wholeheartedly! I choose to revere You, and I no longer fear anything! O God! May Your good will be done in my life! O God! Bestow Your grace upon me, remember me, and lead me, that I may do what is right in Your eyes throughout my life! Deliver me from a heart that despises You, that I may know that You are an almighty God, a holy God, and a jealous God! I choose to follow You wholeheartedly, until I enter the Promised Land. Amen!
IV. Scriptural Background
You must understand the background of this passage to appreciate its true significance. The story of the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt is well-known, which I will briefly discuss. The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Then, at the age of eighty, after shepherding sheep in the wilderness for forty years, God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. They were slaves in Egypt, so wouldn't it require payment to release them? Moses had no money; he only had a staff. However, with the staff in hand, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. How exactly did he accomplish this deed? God said, Raise your staff! and Moses did so, and a plague fell upon Egypt. After a few days, the Egyptian Pharaoh regretted his decision and refused to let the Israelites leave, saying, That will not do. You must pay! God said again, Moses, raise your staff! and another plague struck Egypt. After a few more days, Moses once again raised his staff, resulting in yet another plague.
The Israelites were astonished and exclaimed, God is mighty! Yet, when it came time to enter the Promised Land, they forgot everything! They easily forgot, as if their brains were that of a fish's, with only a five-second memory, or maybe not even that of an amphibian. Moses raised his staff, resulting in ten plagues that devastated Egypt, far exceeding the severity of the floods in Mentougou, China. As a result, roughly twenty percent of the Egyptian population perished according to brief estimations. How was this calculated? On average, one out of every five members of a household died. As a result, the Egyptians urged them to leave quickly, giving the Israelites gold and silver treasures, and the Israelites departed from Egypt.
After the Israelites came out of Egypt and encountered a little difficulty, they complained. With such a group of people, how could they enter the Promised Land? God brought them out of Egypt, but they immediately said, Were there not enough graves in Egypt? What kind of talk is that? Does having a grave in Egypt mean you should live in Egypt? There are plenty of urns in funeral homes, are you going to hold an urn to sustain your life? What kind of mind is that? After leaving Egypt, they were crossing the Red Sea. Before crossing it, the Israelites were clamoring. Therefore, God divided the Red Sea, allowing them to cross on dry land. Do not say that God is greater than the Egyptian pharaoh; even Moses is greater than the Egyptian pharaoh. The Israelites that Moses brought were more powerful than the army of the Egyptian pharaoh. So what are you afraid of! If you are more powerful than the eleven aircraft carriers of the United States today, what are you still afraid of? The most powerful army in the world is the United States Army.
The Israelites complained at every little difficulty with water, and with no meat to eat. They even fashioned a golden calf at Mount Sinai. Despite witnessing God's miracles in Egypt and the wilderness, they still did not believe. Really? What kind of mind is that? God is patient, He is truly remarkable. I often sympathize with Him. God was patient many times, nearly squeezing them all to death, and almost squeezed them again next time. I suppose God's patience with me is similar. He was about to kill me, but He didn't, because Jesus interceded for me. Finally, they came to Kadesh, on the side of the Jordan River, opposite the land of Canaan. God had been training the Israelites for about a year and a half.
Who were the twelve spies that Moses dispatched? They were the leaders of each tribe, the chieftains who were each tribe's maximum authority to enter Canaan. They roamed Canaan for forty days, which was a miracle in itself. Why? Consider: if some foreigners were to enter your village, would you not notice? You would immediately recognize that they spoke with a foreign accent. The Israelites entered Canaan and remained there for forty days, but many Canaanites wanted to get rid of them. However, God secretly protected them, and they emerged with a large quantity of fruit.
What message were these twelve leaders supposed to bring back after spying on Canaan? They were to report, This place is good. Over the past forty days, God has protected us, and we have returned safely; we can both go and come back. Think about it: to cross the Jordan River and return, what do we need? There must be a boat. How did they cross? The Scriptures do not say. Anyway, they managed to cross and come back, but we do not know if the boatman was a Canaanite. You might say the Canaanite's provided the ferry service! Actually, everyone on the road to the wilderness knew the Israelite's very clearly and knew that the Israelites were going to Canaan. The Canaanites are scare!
The twelve spies returned, met Moses, and split into two factions. One faction, Joshua and Caleb, said, Yes, that place is good, and we shall certainly triumph. The other ten spies said, That place is very good, indeed a land that flows with milk and honey, but we cannot enter, for we shall surely die. But you entered and came back, did you not die? So if enter will surely does there. I must tell you, to this day, I can't understand such a mind. I have experienced similar situations in many of my ministries. I found this brain damage, in fact, I have seen this kind of situation not a few, or most.
What did they say? We saw the descendants of Anak there; they are descendants of giants. In our own eyes we seemed like grasshoppers, and we looked like grasshoppers to them. So where is God? There is no God. How about the Egyptian Pharaoh? Egypt was the most powerful nation, the most formidable nation in that era, because the Canaanites were not as powerful as the Egyptians. They came out of Egypt, but cannot enter Canaan? As a result, the Israelite community cried out loudly: We are doomed, we are going to die! I often hear people say that. Those people are not promising and are doomed. At the slightest difficulty, they will behave this way: finished, will die.
The Israelites were about to stone Joshua and Caleb to death. What kind of brain is that? Just a little bit more, and suddenly, God appeared in the sky. Following God's appearance, everything was destroyed, marking the beginning of forty years in the wilderness! Actually, it was not forty years, but thirty-eight and a half years, because they had already been roaming in the wilderness for a year and a half. I find it strange that, if the ten spies did not dare to enter Canaan, were they really afraid of being killed by God? God can easily crush you like an ant, you know? God can kill the pharaoh and his ministers, and their firstborn sons, you know? God kills many people, right? Indeed. They should have thought about it, God has killed so many people; I should avoid being killed by God. I should stand with Joshua and Caleb and use with Chinese Mingding Destiny. Even using your heel to think, that would lead to that conclusion. Even using your heel, they can understand how to do it. I hope there are no objections to that.
The Israelites forgot. Their minds are those of a fish. They probably had only a few hours to live, but they did not know. They did not realize that God can crush them as easily as an ant. I assure you, I understand that perfectly well, God can crush me like squeezing an ant to death. The same as an ant comes out of our kitchen, and suddenly, I am crushed it to death, and its life ends there. When it's crawling over the place it thinks that it can live a long time, and when sees me, crushed it to death, and finishes. Did people know that God would crush these ten spies to death? It seems like they did not. Did they not know that God had crushed so many people? Why did they not know? Can you comprehend this? I cannot. It is peculiar, very peculiar. Then they complained and at that moment God wanted to crush all of the Israelites. Oh, Moses desperately begged God: No, God, don’t!
The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” (Numbers 14:11-12)
Moses reflected: Alas, my sons—the less spoken of them, the better. My descendants are even less impressive than this lot! And indeed, that is the truth of the matter. Are you aware? Today, I speak of the ten spies, but before that, I had intended to address Micah's idol. Are you familiar with Micah? A Levite came to serve as a priest in Micah's household. This Levite, it later came to light, was a grandson of Moses himself. Such a revelation must have chilled Moses to the bone. Moses must have thought: God, never mind, my house is no better than this. For the sake of mercy towards me, let it be just me who suffers, while the rest are spared.
The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation. In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now. (Numbers 14:18-19)
Upon hearing this, God relented, granting them forgiveness as Moses had requested. But God declared: As surely as I live, the whole earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord!
The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live, and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth. (Numbers 14:20-21)
These words greatly inspired me. I prayed: Lord, may your glory be revealed through us, may we have a part in your glory. Then God began to pronounce that these people would not enter the promised land, not a single one, save only Joshua and Caleb, for they possessed a spirit of wholehearted devotion! Subsequently, God proclaimed a forty-year sojourn in the wilderness. One day for each year of disbelief. And so, they subsisted on manna for forty years in the wilderness. As soon as the pronouncement was made, the ten spies were instantly struck down by God! Alas, tribal chiefs, the foremost leaders of the tribes, could not prevent it!
I pondered, what sort of mentality is this? Can you comprehend their mindset? Even pigs would be more sensible. These ten spies who delivered the bad report were handpicked, what an honour, what a privilege! Yet, they returned saying: God, strike me down! They displayed contempt for God, delivering ill tidings – had they no fear? They cried: Strike me down, strike me down! Well, what did they expect? They were struck down, weren't they? They had but a few hours left to frolic around, what were they frolicking about, can you understand it? I am at a loss.
To this very day, having exhausted all my knowledge, I cannot grasp it. Was it their desire to perish, to avoid entering the promised land? I simply cannot comprehend their death wish. Ironically, they met their end swiftly, perhaps without even a hiccup, as God crushed them like ants! I, on the other hand, am filled with gratitude. How is it that God has not crushed me? I am thankful indeed, for at times I, too, act foolishly. Yet God has spared me, thus I see His grace abounding. I aspire to emulate Joshua and Caleb throughout my life. Such is the backdrop to this passage.
V. Reflect on the Tragedy of the Ten Spies
Indeed, in the New Testament, Jesus says: Remember Lot’s wife. Lot’s wife, too, was transformed into a pillar of salt.
Remember Lot’s wife! (Luke 17:32)
This world is full of intriguing phenomena, is it not? Do you desire a transformation? It can happen. Though the ten spies did not turn into pillars of salt, they may as well have become jerky. Thus, the tragedy of these ten spies is a matter deeply to be pondered. Why reflect so carefully? Consider that out of six hundred thousand Israelite soldiers, only two were able to enter the promised land, each receiving a double portion upon entry. I said: Lord, these odds are rather slim! If I am included, would you want the remaining slot? One must. If so, one must reflect upon the origins of the ten spies' tragedy. This is something I must address. One must possess a holistic perspective, a quality of utmost importance in life. When reading the Bible, adopt a comprehensive approach, do not fixate on trivial matters, for it is futile. Without a holistic view, everything collapses. Thus, in all endeavours, consider the broader context.
What then befell these ten spies? They served as tribal leaders, leading entire tribes, no small matter. Imagine, a tribe numbering hundreds of thousands of individuals. These leaders, responsible for guiding over two hundred thousand people, lacked a comprehensive outlook. What then did they see? Their minds were consumed with the Anakites. These men must have been terrified, upon entering Canaan, they were confronted by a towering policeman, bearing a firearm, standing over three meters tall, with a head resembling a lion's mane. He calls you over, demanding your identification. Is that the image? They lift their gaze, and terror grips them. At that moment, they think: God, protect me. And indeed, God did.
Once, I visited Las Vegas, and while riding a bus, I was surrounded by hulking figures, huge and black, which sent shivers down my spine. Their arms were thicker than my legs, their faces expressionless, their heads nearly touching the ceiling. Looking at myself next to them, I felt like a grasshopper. Oh dear, I was terrified. One wrong move, and they would squash me like an insect, leaving me lifeless, wouldn’t they? The Israelites saw something even more imposing than those hulking silhouettes; they saw beings compared to whom those silhouettes were as grasshoppers to them. It frightened them. I can truly empathize with the ten spies.
The ten spies returned, declaring: This is not a place to go, it is far too frightening! Can you understand this sentiment? The Israelites, never having seen giants, were terrified by the spies' descriptions. They had no global perspective and could not remember anything except the fear they felt. Have you noticed how some among us, upon encountering a single cause for anger, forget everything else and remember only that incident? Is it familiar? Certainly. This holds true for those with depressive tendencies or the traits of someone prone to cancer.
I once ministered to a cancer patient, who later passed away. Her mother had spent over a million on her care, and in an argument, the mother demanded the money back. It was spoken out of anger, but it sparked a conflict. The patient then recounted to me: My mother is demanding over a million from me. Later, I spoke with her mother, who denied the event. Her memory was clouded! Are there such individuals among us today? Minds capable of storing only one thing, oblivious to all else. They recall nothing of the Exodus, the Pharaoh of Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea. Ask them, and they will be ignorant, their faces marked by fear. Is it not a path to death?
Therefore, never forget the global picture. When ministering to people and correcting their flaws, sometimes they fail to remember anything I've done for them, forgetting the grace I've bestowed upon them, except for the one correction. It fatigues me! Imagine if one were to argue with me, then two, then ten – I pray they are not like the ten spies, those ten spies were doomed. They had witnessed God's glory; they had seen how God crushed a man. They had firsthand experience with the Almighty's power. There was no water, so He provided it; the water was bitter, so He sweetened it. These miracles were unparalleled, yet their minds fixated solely on the Anakites. This terror had seized them, and they trembled. They forgot how powerful God was, and they knew nothing. All their leadership was in vain. They had done nothing as tribal chief, and that's what we need to think about.
As a result of their forgetfulness, they disrespected God. They think that they can defeat God, and God can. During morning prayer, the same happened. We simply assume that if we can't win, our gods can't either, which is a flaw. This is the source of the ten spies terrible failures. First, there is no big picture, no experiences, and God isn't counting on anything in the past. I tell you, yesterday I ministered to people. If I bring it up to him today, he won't know about it. Its pure evil! Second, they were leaders and chieftains, and under those circumstances, they simply shared the difficulties and speak it out.
I simply want to give you a reminder: You've experienced God, just take a moment to write down what you've learned today. Remember to write down tomorrows experiences tomorrow. Why will you undoubtedly forget something? Because memory is a spiritual thing. Its quite frightening to remember something, but its horrifying that you didn't write it down or took a moment to look back at it and you don't know. I used to count Gods grace all the time, but I just gave up after I was done counting. The most important element of thinking about the tradgedy of the spies, is that they didn't know that God was tough. If you know that God is tough and have a plan, you need to know that, even in the face of thousands or tens of thousands difficulties, and He will take you into the promised land and how He did what he had to do, God can still do what He did earlier. It is what we want to learn.
VI. The Ten Spies Constantly Tested God
These ten spies and the Israelites were constantly testing God. What does the Bible say? The Bible says that they examined God ten times.
Even though they saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, they tested me these ten times and did not obey me. (Numbers 14:22)
All of you need to learn your lessons. You won't die if you take the test once. Are you not done, what if its fine when you take a test and complain, but you retake the test? Who knows when something will happen to you? Over the years I've been a believe, I always see that a pastor has been hit by a car, or they have cancer. What is the reason? The pastors did the same thing, trying to test God, so you eventually die. If the person is still living, you need to repent immediately, as you don't have a chance to repent once you've died.
So in the inner of a person, they don't want to test God. Its a common occurence that no one knows how to respect God. The Christians I meet would say 'Ah, God loves us'. Does God love you. And I thought to myself that God does not love you. I'll say something that is hard to hear, but its good for you. You are constantly testing God, and then you claim that God loves you, what sort of mind is that? You have the spies mind. Check you reaction incase you face some challenges, do you chose to beileve in God or complain and fall apart cause of one difficulty. Does God take over, or a demon take over? Someone would say a demon will take over. You face some difficulties and your temper rises up, and the bad guys will take over you? Repent well!
Once you begin to test God at the face of difficulties, I suggest you repent immediatedly once you experience Gods mercy, and never do it again. Know how tough God is, and understand that God can crush one person, 10 persons or 100,000 person just like crushing ants. We need to have a clear understand of our God, He just isn't love, He is an jealous God. The God who hates God will trace his crimes from his father, to his child, to the next three or four generations. You are just in your third of fourth generations, and do not joke around with God. I've been a believer for these years, there are times that I think about it and start regretting it. What is the reason? I may almost be crushed by God for dishonoring and despising God. Thanks God, he still had mercy, and gave me grace, and created Chinese Mingding Destiny. One would die based on his choice.
VII. God Can Kill the Body and the Soul
You'll be in difficult situations if you do not know that God can kill your body and soul. The giants are not be the ones who can defeat you, God, is also able to kill you. Are you killed by God, or killed by the giants? The giants are unable to kill you if God doesn't wish to, as He has mercy for you. I deeply know you can't do anything to me if I respect Him for my entire life, as long as I'm making God happy. I live a simple life, its simple to respect God for the rest of my life, and I do not need to fear for different people. Some people are just not fearing God, who ends up crushed, isn't that a tragedy!
God is able to defeat the Egyptians, the Canaanites and everyone! Today, we need to come out of our misunderstanding, that God is Santa who is filled with love, no, God is jealous God. You need to read the bible careflly, as God is pure, as clear, and a jealous God. If that's what you do, good luck! God can kill the body and the soul, and do not fear for someone who is able to kill your body, but fear the one who is able to destroy it. That is what Jesus has taught.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.(Matthew 10:28)
It'll be nice if people has any respect within him, that if they face difficulties, they don't fear the difficulties as they fear God. In one of the greatest shows, the dog would become hysterical if it doesn't know it's owner. And same with people that if they do not take God as their God, then they will turn hysterical as they can't be trusted. Therefore, they are often hysterical, it isn't good to say that the ten spies has turned hysterical and are having mental problems. They can't get better! And it is because a dog that does not trust it's owner, and it thinks because it's the owner, it will be ruined!
Therefore, these spies were killed by God. Except for Joshua and Caleb, the Israel congregation of about 600,000 are killed by God. The evil one doesn't want to kill you, and God will still send another evil to hurt you. Joshua and Caleb are able to come out on top of the Canaanites, and the Canaanites are able to overcome those Israelites. Its weird to experience that these Israelities don't wish to defeat the Canaanites, but attack Joshua and Caleb who can. If you put yourselves in their shoes, it does makes sense. They raise the stone but their arm muscle is diminishing, and a epidemic hits and crushes them to death even before they lift it . What's the reason? God will kill somebody with ease. Therefore, one need to fear God, that the Christians are a tradgedy if the fear does not exist. You were killed onsite just like that, and you didn't even had the time to take a break. Wow!
VIII. Do not be Greedy for Life and Fear Death, You Must Fear God
Don't be silly, if you know that I'm ministering some of my brothers and sisters that I served, I served untill what degree? Last year, someone had brought their relative to look for me, and three of his bones broke, and later got better, and they blocked me soon after. I also felt strange as I was questioning why would you do that. What I am saying are all hardcore that can't be understood by others. Never fear death, and respect God, do not be silly or despise God. Its not to say you fear the Anakites with no reason, there's reason for it. But are you not more afraid of God? Why are you underestimating Him? Will you belittle God upon seeing an Anakites? They didn't even do anything to you! Twelve individuals were carrying that much fruit, and they just swayed and returned. So the problem is, do not see the problem being above God, instead, you see God above the problem.
IX. Have a Focused Mindset and Receive Double the Inheritance
I truly think it is a true land of milk and honey. Recently, I had an incredibly great motivation within me, to experience Gods promise of milk and honey. There is excitement, as in the era of the Paul the Apostle, the Romans were extremely worried. So why were they worried? Is it so as Jesus was killed, that Gods promised has ended? Have you considered that fact that so many Israelis were killed in the wilderness, that God promise was never completed?. Is it so as there are so many Christians are hurt by God in the wilderness, so his promise has ended? Absolutely false! Paul's answers are incredible. Paul what? Those who are born from Israel are not Israelis Those are born from Avraham are not descendants, that are born from Isaac are his descendants, and that were born from Jacob are his descendants.
Those who has Avraham, Isaac Jacob's beliefs will be able to receive double of the inheritance! Will you chose to be a true Israeli today? Do you chose to imitate Avraham, Isaac, Jacob and Paul the Apostle? People like these will absolutely get their promises fulfilled! I'll boldly claim today that all of you will be able to reach the lands that flow with milk and honey if you are able to imitate Joshua and Caleb, and heartfully cherish God, and you will be following towards God if you have a passion! Those who are poor, has illness needs to change, scrape it, as one becomes a true Israeli, an Avraham, isac, Jacob and Joseph. A person will have to scrape it to have it turn into what is needed by God.
Nothing is is unable to be changed, faith has the oppurtunity to change everything, as faith can get Gods powers away from His throne. It doesn't matter if you are corrupt in your body, God can change it, I know you can't, but God has the ability, we aren't worth it, but God is willing to. We aren't up to to standard, long as we have that beilef, we won't underestimate God! The motivation inside me comes to fruition, since this Gods will, so all of us are able to move into the lands granted through promise, and can use him promise. Regardless that what promises God gave to us are true, and are found in Christ. These true Israelis will never belittle His standards, we never give up!
I'll be discussing becoming a disciple from Friday. The first explanation is about his standards. Don't make things up, as I'll do what God wants me to do, and I'll never belittle the standards, I will follow his lead, I can't, but His definitely make it happen for me. Always have a passionate heart, and do not be indecisive, as going to to paradise or Egypt, one would go to the wilderness. You are seeking paradise and want to return to Egypt, and you can go anywhere if you chose to not, as you are dying in the perfect area in the wilderness. Regarding you, you must get to paradise no matter what, and get to see God covering the entire earth with his glory. God has a very heavy heart if you want us to earn his promises. God has a deep longing heart, is for us, is so we can be recieving heavenly riches, God would want us to showcase His glory to reach the farthest parts of the earth. Do you believe in it? Sacrifice it, and thats a clever and awesome choice!
X. Summary
Regardless of what you see, the difficulties are very high, and may look like Mt. Tai or Mt. Hua or Mount Huang or even the Himalayan Mountains. It is still fine, because God is the of creation in my heart, and there won't be any difficulties that we have to face as all I have in my heart is God.
We will be singing to prepare to accept today's offering and contributions. Don't put in a contribution if you have no understandings. My brothers and sisters, please do not throw anything cheap to God, as the church doesn't need money, and we are the brothers and sisters that needs to contribute! If you have the chance to put in a contribution, and are filled with the mindset to do so. What is donation for? I encourge you, to not treat yourselves badly. Be filled with the mindset to use donations for God. How incredible the promises are, the promises God gives are true and are shown in us through Christ.
Today we haven't experienced it enough, and wish for more blessings to be seen. Do not feat as a challenge, the challenge is the reason that that we are able to become successful. It is a proof for to give you a receipt or report to God. You Chose to conquer the world today, regardless if you weak, and how many challenges you face, to take a look at your beliefs within you and chose to never back down, if you can survive a minute, make sure you follow it for two minutes, 2 minutes turns into 5 minutes, and keeping going untill you succeeded. Never give up! Lift you hands and lets pray together: In Jesus Christ name, I chose to conquer the world, and regardless of the challenge ahead, I chose to conquer the world God make it to be conquered, I will move into the promised lands with my God. We say In Jesus Christ name, Amen!
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.