How prepared are we for the second exodus? Our preparation begins with understanding the force that hindered our forefathers from entering the promised land. Instead, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. We certainly don’t want to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors, so we have to understand why they stumbled. What hindered their progress? Unbelief! In this blog, we will discuss how unbelief can prevent us from receiving the things that are rightfully ours from the kingdom of heaven. Most of us know the story of how the ten spies brought back an evil report when Moses sent them out to spy out the land of Canaan (found in Numbers 13). “We’re not able to go up against the people of Canaan for they are stronger than we. Giants are in the land and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers”, they reported. Their words caused the people to fear and the Most High called their words evil. The ten men saw something that caused them to forget the power they had just witnessed when they came out of Egypt. But most importantly, they forgot that it wasn’t their strength that brought Egypt to its knees. So why would they even say, “we are not able”? Hebrews 4 would later say they had hardened their hearts and did not enter because of unbelief. Only two men – Joshua and Caleb – chose to believe that they were able to defeat the giants.
We see that faith and unbelief are opposing forces. Messiah had to rebuke the disciples many times for their unbelief. You will find some examples in Mark 16:14 | Matthew 17:19-20 | Mark 6:1-6. We’re going to have to have a certain level of faith to overcome what’s coming on this earth. There’s a reason Messiah asked if He would find faith on the earth when He returns. Just imagine how crazy things are going to get for that question to even be asked. I think we have had a problem remembering. We failed to remember the miracles and promises. We kept going back into slavery because we didn’t remember the sins that got us there, so we need to learn how to remember. In Deuteronomy 6:12, Moses issued a final warning to the Israelites– our forefathers. He said, “Be careful that you do not forget the Most High who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” But we’ve forgotten.
Failing to remember can fuel our unbelief and prevent us from receiving from the kingdom. The most basic definition for unbelief is knowing or hearing the word of the Most High and refusing to believe. You prove that you believe when you do it. So, refusing to believe could be for various reasons: fear, rebellion, not wanting to be made ashamed. But the root of it is mistrust. You don’t trust the One that said it and the One able to perform it. In Exodus 12:12-14, the Most High says, “This day shall be to you a memorial and you shall keep it as a feast to YAHUAH throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.” This was not supposed to end. We were instructed to keep it as a memorial. Would we be in our current predicament if we would have continued to rehearse the mighty acts the Most High did for us? Because not only does it help us to increase in faith, but it also gives Him glory and honor.
I think the challenge for us right now is, are we ready to believe that we can do the greater works as spoken by Messiah in John 14:2? Would He say we will do it if it wasn’t possible? Are we willing to stand on the word, on the promises we’ve been given and not back down? In reading Luke 7:1-10, we see that gentiles are able to receive the things of the kingdom by faith. Who are we to say they can’t be partakers if the Father has granted benefits of the kingdom to them because they’re able to believe. Yes, salvation is of the Yahudims but the Most High is gracious to those who will come to Him and believe Him. His word and this centurion was able to do that. Are we willing to step up and have that same type of faith where we can say, “if the Word says it, it’s going to be done”? It’s not enough to know that we are the chosen people to receive the benefits of the kingdom. Unbelief will keep you from receiving what is rightfully yours because the currency of the kingdom of heaven is faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please our Elohim, our Sovereign, without faith and this is why we may see those of other nations receiving the benefits of the kingdom. Like Rahab (listed as one of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11), she was not an Israelite, but she believed in the God of Israel, and she proved it by her actions. She wanted to live, so she made the connection by helping His people. The centurion that we just read about (in Luke 7) could see that this God of the Israelites must be the true God because of the things he observed. They both saw the mighty acts and they believed. Why else would the centurion send his servants to Yahshua? How is it that strangers know how to receive the benefits of the kingdom when so many of the natural branches do not?
Remember, we are given power so that we can do something. In Mark 16:17-18, we see that it was given so you can operate in the signs because you believe the word that was spoken from the Sovereign. Just like Messiah was sent (He sent His word to heal us), we have also been sent and have been given the authority to act on everything He’s given us to do: to have dominion, to reign, to rule, to be the kings and priests in the earth, cast out demons, speak with new tongues, etc. We’re representatives here on earth of the kingdom of heaven. In reading John 14:12-14, we understand when you receive the Word you receive the Father also because the Word came out of the Father. Yahshua is the words that the Father speaks. He’s one with the Father. That’s why He says, “We will come and make Our home with him.” The Scripture tells us that the Father’s word is His power. So, in order for Yahshua to be manifested in this world or the word of the Father to be manifested in this world, the Father had to create a body for Him. If you can grasp that concept then you will understand this– to receive the power of the kingdom, you have to act on the authority of His word.
As ambassadors we have to be able to carry out our duties, that’s why we were sent. but you have to know how to receive the power from on high that will help you do what you were sent to do. The just will live by faith. Faith is not seeing it first; it’s believing it first. Unbelief can block or delay the things that we need to receive from our headquarters. In a lot of cases, we don’t respond in faith because of fear. There are times when we don’t want to be ashamed if the thing doesn’t manifest. When you operate in faith, you’re acting on the word of the One able to make the thing happen, but you have to have a relationship with Him. You learn about Him and His ways when you spend time in His word and in His presence. When you make time to fellowship with Him, He will reveal His will to you. We grow from faith to faith and when you have miraculous things happen for you, you need to share it with others so that their faith can increase and their faith can grow.
This is what Moses tried to tell our people (again, from Deut 6:12). You need to remember these things so that when you experience these tests and these trials, you know that, “Okay He did it for me then, He’ll do it for me now. He brought us out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, surely, He is able to deliver us now.” But we have to receive it by faith. Remember to create memorials. Write them down. Rehearse them. Have things that you can point to when the enemy starts whispering in your ear saying, “What if this doesn’t work, you’re going to look like a fool.” You can look back at the things the Most High did before and then say, “Look how He came through for me in that situation. He rescued me when I needed help in the other situation.” Those memories help you to respond in faith.
To walk by faith, we need a firm conviction of the character of the One who said it. So, in preparation for our transition, let’s grow from faith to faith. Continue to grow in the knowledge of the word and remember those victories you’ve had in the past. Rehearse them! Meditate on those victories and don’t forget the victories of our forefathers and our mothers. Those memories will help to increase our faith as well so that we can receive what belongs to us from the kingdom. Learn more when you view the accompanying video, Receiving From the Kingdom | You Will Do Great Exploits.
