A Different Spirit - Charles D. Harris


"But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. - Num 14:24 NASB

Click here to listen to "A Different Spirit"

Have you ever had a dog?
What do you love about your dog?
They are referred to as “man’s best friend”.
Why do you think that is? What are some characteristics?

Loyal, Protector, playful, companion, assume positive intent (unless trained otherwise)

In Hebrew, the name for a dog is - כָּלֵב (Kaleb), with heart

When you read of Caleb in the bible what do you think about?
The story of the spies, right

Let's review the story here

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 2 "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them." 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel. 4 These then [were] their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. 17 When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, "Go up there into the Negev; then go up into the hill country. 18 "See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong [or] weak, whether they are few or many. 19 "How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are [they] like [open] camps or with fortifications? 20 "How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. 21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath. 22 When they had gone up into the Negev, they came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 Then they came to the valley of Eshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two [men,] with some of the pomegranates and the figs. 24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut down from there. 25 When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, 26 they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 Thus they told him, and said, "We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 "Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified [and] very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 "Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan." 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely 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 too strong for us." 32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of [great] size. 33 "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." - Num 13:1-33 NASB


There was a time when God was taking Israel from the desert (midbar, place where God speaks), where He was teaching them to their inheritance. So He instructed Moses to have the leaders check it out and bring back word.

What made this a bad or evil report? How it impacts the hearts of those who hear...causes them to lose heart. God has instructed them about listening to His voice. Painted the vision of the promised land which He gave them, Showed them actual fruit from the land yet the reports melted the heart of the people instead of inspiring them. But Caleb...let’s go at once because he remembered God’s hand with them, caught the vision, and was ready to take possession of the inheritance. He operated from a different spirit.

Think about today, where there are overwhelming amounts of reports through the news, Christians, atheists, family, friends...etc. What spirits are they operating from? What type of report is it really? One that melts hearts with fear or inspires to take possession of the inheritance.

We all produce reports with the words of our mouths. Are the reports just about facts and data? Good and evil? Am I causing the hearts of the people I influence to melt with fear or be inspired with hope in God? Do I spend most of my energy describing the problem or the situation I am up against?

See our battle is not in the natural, its spiritual. It's within our selves and outside of ourselves

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. - Eph 6:12 KJV
You are a 3 part being. spirit, soul, and body.  We are talking about your spirit here

The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the innermost parts of his being. - Pro 20:27 NASB

What spirit am I operating from? The spirit of the world clamoring over the knowledge of good and evil or the spirit of the living God...The Holy Spirit!


For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. - Rom 8:14 NASB

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. - Gal 5:18 NASB

We are talking about a different spirit that brings perspective and faith in God.

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." - Jhn 4:24 NASB
Mix with faith

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? - Gal 3:2 NASB
So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? - Gal 3:5 NASB


It's for Freedom! Know if you are walking by the spirit or the flesh. The fruit of the spirit or deeds of the flesh. Notice one is all about works. Christians are not exempt from this, actually are some of the biggest violators. Paul in these verses is speaking to believers.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. - Gal 5:1,16-25 NASB

Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to Freedom

Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in [our] speech, and [are] not like Moses, [who] used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, [there] is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. - 2Co 3:12-18 NASB

Activation -

1) If you are not born again first receive Christ as your Messiah!

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." ... Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. - Jhn 3:3, 5 NASB

2) Receive the Holy Spirit! Just ask God “Lord I want to receive the Holy Spirit as you promised”.

3) Meditate on Romans 8

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God [did:] sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and [as an offering] for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able [to do so,] and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.] - Rom 8:1-17 NASB

Comments

  1. Thank you Pastor Charles such a great timely message. Needs repeating we are of a different spirit Praise the Lord Jesus Christ..❤
    Janelle Gouras

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Pastor Charles such a great timely message. Needs repeating we are of a different spirit Praise the Lord Jesus Christ..❤
    Janelle Gouras

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Glory: Kavod - David Mitts

Dam, the Blood - David Mitts