There’s one thing that people don’t realise.
They always talk about the fear of God.
Now, it’s true.
Both Old Testament and New Testament uses it.
But it’s amazing that people don’t talk about following the Lord.
And yet, if I can choose one characteristic of Caleb,
the man who never grew old— remember the man, Caleb?
40 years old. He was among the spies that
God sent into the land, to spy out the land.
He came out, he was full of faith and he said:
“Let us go up at once and possess.” The people didn’t believe
and they had to wander for 40 years and Caleb
wandered with them for 40 years. But his heart is always in Canaan.
His heart is always in "beulah" land, the land flowing with milk and honey.
Though his body was in the wilderness
with all the people but his heart was in the land.
So even though we are on earth, our heart, our minds
are in heaven, where there is no lack,
where there is no fatigue, where there is no disease,
where there is no strife, where there is no bitterness,
where there is no unrest. My spirit must be in heaven.
“Those that are planted in the house of the Lord”
“shall flourish in the courts of God.”
“And they shall be fat and flourishing”
In the Hebrew, it means that you shall always be green.
Flourishing means they are green.
They are full of sap. Even though we live on earth—
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the”
“Most High." (in heaven). You live there, alright?
“shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
Your shadow is on your ground.
On earth, you’re under His shadow.
If you live there, you’re under His protection.
So learn—when you see all the strife around you,
learn to rise in the Spirit with eagle’s wings.
Go above and see and smell the fresh air in heaven
and see Jesus glorified, see Jesus calm,
all shall be well. Amen. See Jesus far above
all principality and power. If you have symptoms
in your body, look at Him and say:
“As You are free from every disease right now”
“at the Father’s right hand, so am I in this world.”
And see Him smile at you. Learn to rise.
And then you will be very effective on earth.
The number one characteristic of Caleb
is this, okay? Numbers.
God said: “All these men who have seen My glory”
“ten times, they have not heeded My voice.”
“They certainly will not see the land.”
Next verse.
“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit.”
And the word “different spirit” in the Hebrew is “following spirit.”
He has a “following spirit.” “And has followed Me fully!”
Do you see the word “followed me fully”?
We don’t even talk about following the Lord.
We talk about “fear of the Lord.” but we hardly even talk
about following the Lord. Sheep follow the Lord.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
Right? Sheep follow the Lord.
Are you listening, people?
When you follow Him, you will not want.
Jesus said “Follow Me” a lot.
He says: “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
“Take up your cross and follow Me.”
He told the rich young man: “Sell all you have and follow Me.”
He said: “Follow Me” to the fishermen.
Now, we don’t even say that. We don’t even teach that.
We say: “Fear the Lord.” But usually it’s the
wrong kind of fear. Well, following was Caleb’s secret.
He not only followed but he “followed fully.”
Alright, next. Look at the last part of verse 11:
“Because they have not fully followed Me,”
“except Caleb, Joshua, they have wholly followed the Lord.”
People, this emphasis I am showing you,
and then I’m going to dismiss you,
is to show you how God emphasises things that
we don’t even preach about. “Wholly followed.” Okay?
“Wholly followed.” Okay, next.
Many years came and gone. Alright? Many years.
This is now the book of Joshua. About 40 years,
39 years have come and gone, and Joshua and Caleb were
the only survivors. Those that came out of Egypt,
all the men died. None of them went through
the River Jordan, into the Promised Land
except Joshua and Caleb. Even Moses died.
Aaron died. Only Joshua and Caleb!
And finally, good old Caleb said this:
“You know, Joshua, 40 years old was I”
“when Moses sent me to spy out the land.”
“And 45 years have come and gone.” And he said this:
“I’m as strong this day as I was when Moses sent me.”
And he’s not lying.
Then he says: “Give me this mountain.” So do you see what he says here?
“My brethren, made the heart of the people melt but”
“I wholly followed the Lord.” Now he’s 85 years old, talking.
“Still strong,” he said. Drop down.
“Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb”
“the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day”
“because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.”
Did you see that? At 85, he drove out the
sons of Anak from that hill. That hill, by the way,
if you go to Israel, is near Machpelah.
You can still see the hill. That hill was where the giants were.
He drove them out at 85 years old. And the reason is because
he wholly followed the Lord. How many want to
wholly follow the Lord? John 21,
last passage and we'll close. After Jesus made breakfast,
Jesus has risen from the dead about two weeks now.
“Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
Who is that? John!
“Following.” What was John doing?
Following! John was already following.
“Who also had leaned on His breast at the supper”
“and said, 'Lord who is the one who betrays You?'”
Same John. Okay?
“Peter, seeing John, said to Jesus,”
“But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to Peter:
“If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"
“You follow Me. You follow Me.” John practiced the Lord’s love.
He was conscious of the Lord’s love for him.
He was conscious of the Lord’s love for him
therefore he was following. But he was following unconsciously.
One more time! When you’re conscious
of the Lord’s love for you, you are following already.
But Peter, who always boasts of his love for the Lord,
had to be told: “You follow Me.”
“Pastor Prince, why don’t you teach your church more”
“about some imperatives?” Because my people are following.
Maybe you have to do for yours, but my people are following.
You understand? The secret is that John
didn’t have to be told to follow Him.
In fact, the mood there is not imperative.
It’s implying that he is following.
He is already following. It’s a fact.
But when Peter says: “What about him?”
Jesus says: “What is that to you?” You follow Me.”
The mood there, in the Greek, is imperative.
It’s a command! “You follow Me.”
And friend, sometimes the Lord speaks to me.
I look at what this person is doing,
what this minister is saying, all those kinds of things
and God had to rebuke me with this verse many times.
Many times.
“What is that to you? You follow Me.”
Sometimes I forget how much the Lord loves me.
I have been told by the Lord: “You follow Me.”
“Don’t care about what this person is doing,”
“what that person is saying. You follow Me.”
Ministers and leaders,
stop looking horizontally and blaming people,
finding fault. “What about this person?”
It’s never about me. It’s always:
“What about this person?” You follow Jesus.
You follow Jesus. You do what He tells you to do.
But those who practice His love, they are always following.
May that be true for you as well.
That’s one reason why I don’t teach so much imperatives.
Why? Because our people are following.
You unveil the love of God
and they’re following and they will stay young
like Caleb. Amen.
Give praise to Him! Hallelujah!