Caleb's Still Needed Today

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

Caleb's Still Needed Today

Today's Text: And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. Numbers 13:30

The Message:      Calebs have been greatly needed in different periods of the history of our work. Today we need workers of thorough fidelity, workers who follow the Lord fully, workers who are not disposed to be silent when they ought to speak, who are as true as steel to principle, who do not seek to make a pretentious show, but who walk humbly with God-patient, kind, obliging, courteous workers, who understand that the science of prayer is to exercise faith and show works that will tell to the glory of God and the good of His people....      God will have no leaders in His work who offer divided service. His servants are to take the position that they will not sanction any evil work. To follow Jesus requires wholehearted conversion at the start, and a repetition of this conversion every day.      There have been times when a crisis has determined character.... There are workers who have put out their spiritual eyesight. They cannot distinguish between the sacred and the common. Their voice is the loudest when they are in the enemy's service. It will be greatly to their credit to keep still. This is their strength. Silence is their eloquence. It means very much to every person whether he or she is on the Lord's side of the question or on Satan's side.      God's people today have far greater light than had ancient Israel. They have not only the increased light that has been shining upon them, but the instruction given by God to Moses, to be given to the people. God specified the difference between the sacred and the common, and declared that this difference must be strictly observed....      The Lord has given His people great light and precious instruction. What sorrow, what shame, what agony of soul, has been felt by God's faithful servants who have stood, as did Joshua and Caleb, to hear Israel cast off their leader ... and choose one of their rebellious number to lead them back to Egypt. In their complaints the Israelites blasphemed God. God had signified that the defense of the land of Canaan had departed, and that now was the opportune time for them to enter it.      Caleb declared the truth for that and every time: "The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not."-Letter 39, 1899.

Commentary: My friend, to be a Caleb is to stand up for the truth no matter what the consequences.  God will have a people that have been sanctified by the truth and will declare it to the church and to the world.  They will set before the people right and wrong, good and evil, and will not waffle under the pressure of criticism, ridicule, nor rebuke.  The Caleb's of the last days will not be proud or boastful, but they will be meek and humble like Jesus, yet they will be as firm as a rock for the Lord. In the church today to proclaim the truth that Jesus is the true Son of God, both literally and naturally, brings upon the bearer of this truth, the condemnation of the church, for it is not in line with the doctrines of the church.  The belief in the trinity leads the believer to deny the literal sonship of the Son of God. The trinity claims that the Son is co-eternal and as such has always existed, and for this to be true He cannot be the literal Son of God, for to be a Son, He needed to have had a beginning.  That beginning was not creation, but was to have been begotten, to have been brought fourth from God.  Jesus under the title of wisdom was brought forth from the Father as described in Proverbs 8:22-30, and as such He is the only begotten Son of God, and as such is the Son of God.  In this is His claim to Divinity and is the basis of His authority. The Apostle John, in describing those who deny the witness of the Father that Jesus is His Son says this in 1 John 5:9-11 "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.  (10) He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.  (11) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."  He also says in 1 John 2:22 that to deny that Jesus is the Christ, which means Son of God, is the spirit of antichrist. In these last days we need to stand up for the truth that Jesus is the literal and natural Son of God.  To do this speaks directly against the trinity, and as such puts the bearer of this truth in direct opposition to the traditions of the church.  Jesus said of the Scribes and Pharisees who were putting their traditions and doctrines above the Word of God, saying "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 5:9).  This is what is happening in the church today. My friend, God is looking for Caleb's in these last days.  The question that you need to answer for yourself today is will I be a Caleb and stand for the truth, or will I give into the traditions of men.  How you answer that question will have a direct effect upon your eternal salvation.  "... choose you this day whom ye will serve; ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15). God bless,

Video of the Week Who or What is the Holy Spirit? New Gods - Nader Mansour New gods is a presentation that addresses the identity of God the Holy Spirit. Nader Mansour shares the biblical foundation as well as other historical examples that shed light on this question. It also deals with the question of "why is it important?". What does the Bible say about new gods? Have you accepted a new god? How many are ignorantly worshipping a new god? You will not want to miss this presentation! Are you an SDA who has fallen for the trinity? You have not fallen too far, there is hope yet! Presented at the Wenatchee 2013 Camp Meeting, USA.