Faith To Cross Impossibilities

Wilson Lim
2 days ago
12 min read

One day in 1860, a huge crowd were watching the world-famous tightrope walker, Charles Blondin, in his attempt to cross the Niagara Falls. Blondin crossed the rope numerous times. He even did it with a wheelbarrow! A 1000 foot trip, 160 feet above the raging water. A fall meant certain death. The story is told that he spoke to the crowd, asking if they believed he could take one of them across on a wheelbarrow. Of course, they all enthusiastically gave their agreement. Then he asked for one of them to volunteer. Dead silence. They gave their mental assent, but when it can to the crunch - they did not trust Blondin enough with their own life.

Those who truly trusted Charles Blondin could cross the seemingly impossible. But those who did not, never crossed the Niagara Falls. Their lacked faith.

Joshua 3:9-17 is a critical moment in Israel's history. The crossing of the Jordan River. A momentous occasion. A challenge of faith. A faith to cross a seemingly impossible situation. Just like the Israelites, there are times in our lives that God may stretch us in order that He may work miracles through us! He may desire for us to cross impossibilities in our lives, our ministries.

I believe it is important for us to understand how we can develop such faith! To cross challenging situations in our lives! From this passage we look at the faith of Israelites and the ingredients that enable this faith.

READY TO RECEIVE THE RHEMA

The starting point of crossing the impossibilities is hearing God. Now, God speaks to us His children all the time. Isaiah 30:21 (NIV) Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Rhema relates to the spoken word of God.

But the question is - are we ready to hear His voice? To help us, we pose a couple of questions.

Whose initiative is it?

Joshua 3:9 (NIV) Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.

Joshua encouraged the people to come and listen to what God had to say. It indicates to us that we must take responsibility to seek God and to hear Him. Psalms 81:13 (NIV) “If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways…” When we open our heart and spirit to listen to God, that is when we can begin to receive the rhema word. The key is to be ready to listen.

We should take the initiative to prepare ourselves to hear from God. When we purify our hearts - we are more ready to hear from God. Sometimes, God may take the initiative too - but we have to be ready to receive. Sometimes God may speak to us in the middle of the night. Are we ready to receive? Sometimes God speaks to Lai Ling in the night and she wakes up to pray. I turn over in my sleep. So God does not speak to me in my sleep - or rarely anyway.

Is your spiritual mobile phone turned on for God? Then you are more likely to hear God. Or is it in sleep mode.

How does it sound like?

How does the rhema word from God sound like? How do we know when God speaks to us? The key is to become acquainted with the tone of God's voice. Just like a baby learns to understand its natural parents. For example, Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 initially thought that God’s voice was Eli because he was unable to distinguish the difference.

We can hear God’s voice to us through many ways:

Through scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Through God's servants such as teachers, prophets or visions: Hosea 12:10 (NIV) I [the Lord] spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and taught parables through them."

God can speak to us directly as we pray, through burdens, impressions, visions and also through His voice. Acts 11:5-8 (NIV) 5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' 8 "I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'

Are you hearing God’s voice? Are your spiritual ears open?

What does it inspire?

God's voice inspires faith in those who listen. It energises for miracles!

Joshua assured that the people would know that has God spoke and was with them. How? Because God's voice inspires faith in those who listen. It energises for miracles! When God's word sinks into our hearts - it inspires faith to believe! Rom 10:17-18 (NIV) Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

This is one distinguishing mark of God's voice. Of course, at other times, other characteristics of God is revealed. So if you hear a voice in your heart that stirs fear and doubt - it is probably not God. Faith causes the impossible to happen! It is impossible to walk into a river at full flood and see it well up like a dam. But nothing is impossible with God! Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 (NIV) I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Faith can cause mountains to obey us! Faith has authority over physical limitations and impossibilities. Indeed, Jesus constantly demonstrated His authority over physical limitations. Mark 4:39-41 (NIV) 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41 They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Are you looking at your physical limitations, or do you believe God? Are you listening and believing for a miracle? Mark 10:27 (NIV) "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

RESPOND WITH REVERENT CHOICES

Joshua 3:14 (NIV) So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.

After God speaks to us, we are faced with a choice. How will we respond? We can respond reverently or ignore God. A reverent choice will move us one step closer to crossing impossibilities. We look at 2 characteristics of a reverent choice.

Respond with a desire to obey

Joshua 3:14a (NIV) "So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan…"

After Joshua explained to the people what God had told them to do, what did they do? Did they have a debate, a discussion, form a committee? And pondered over such question as: Did God really speak? Did Joshua hear everything right? Is Joshua theologically correct in his interpretation? Should we obey God?

Their very actions reveal to us their attitude. Immediately they broke camp. They got ready to cross the Jordan river. Their heart was to obey God! There is little point to ask God to speak if our attitude is that we are not going to obey. Or we are only 30% ready to obey. Jeremiah 7:13, 16 (NIV) 13While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer…. 16So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.

God is looking for those who are eager to obey God. Whose respond to God, is Yessir! Joshua was such a man. We never hear about him complaining to God or attempting to negotiate with God. Yet how many times have we tried to negotiate with God? With an attitude that reveals our less than complete trust in God. “God, don't ask this of me. It is too much.”

But with Joshua it is, "Right away Sir!" Because Joshua responded in such faith, full of desire to obey God - God was able to use him mightily to win over the Promised Land! Pastor Che An shared about a time when God told him to witness to the TV repair man who had turned up at his house. Turned out he was a backslidden Christian. It turned the man around! Ps. Che An just obeyed God and look at the outcome!

When God speaks, it is time to make the reverent choice! Will we trust God? Respond with a godly choice?

When God speaks, it is time to make the reverent choice! Will we trust God? Respond with a godly choice? By nature I am a cautious man. But when I hear God's rhema word - I get excited! Because I have learnt that obeying God's word always releases great blessings!

Has God spoken to you? Perhaps about giving for the church or for someone in need? Perhaps to take up a different job or even to relocate? To witness to a stranger? This is your demonstration of a reverent choice, because you desire to obey God!

Respond with action plans

Joshua 3:14b (NIV) "…the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them."

The priests did not just happen to be in front and happen to be carrying the ark. Imagine if Joshua only tried to find the priests to carry the ark on that very day. “We need 4 priests that usually carry the ark. Where are they?” Finally, after getting them ready, they discover the ark is 2 km away from Jordan River. So they weave their way through the entire camp of Israel, couple of millions of people. Remember no one else is to touch the ark of the covenant! Imagine the entire trip through the camp, with armed guards around the priests to protect the people. Slowly, painfully, they finally reach to the river. It would have taken a whole day or more if they lacked plans. Why were they able to just move forward? Because they had a good logistical plan.

Plan for the possible, leave the impossible to God. Our responsibility is for what we can do. God's responsibility is for what we cannot do.

Some people misunderstand about moving with God. They think that if God says so, it means God will do practically everything. That is not the case. Plan for the possible, leave the impossible to God. Our responsibility is for what we can do. God's responsibility is for what we cannot do. Prov 16:3 (NIV) Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

God wants us to learn how to work things out and to work it through.

God wants us to learn how to work things out and to work it through. God told Joshua to bring the priests with the ark in front of the people and into the river. Yet God did not tell him details. Why? God expected Joshua to work it out. For example, God may impress you with a certain amount to pledge in faith or challenge you in some way about your giving. Whatever it is, it is not the end of the matter to make a faith declaration. You have to work out as much as you can. You need to work out a basic plan on how you will give. Plan what is possible and the rest the leave to God. It is best to plan weekly and monthly to save certain amounts.

Whenever God told Reinhard Bonnke where to hold the next major crusades across Africa, Reinhard Bonnke goes! But before he goes, a lot of planning has to happen. Often it takes 1 to 2 years to plan. They scout out the city. Get to know the local churches and leaders. Find a suitable location to hold the open-air crusade. Obtain permits. Work out the dates and all the preparations, advertising, etc before hand. They even plan out the precise route where the huge container trucks will travel to get there. They even scout it out before hand. Because roads in Africa are notoriously unreliable. For what you see on the map may not be there.

When we were planning towards our community centre, the building committee did what we could in designing the building, preparing and coordinating reports, etc. What we could not do, such as the City Council decisions and timing - we left to God!

ACTIVATE BY ACTING UPON THE RHEMA

Joshua 3:15-16 (NIV) 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

Often taking the first steps can be challenging. This is where the rubber hits the road. The key in releasing God's blessings is usually our first steps of faith. Notice that the Jordan River was in full flood. The river starts at lake Huleh and runs 120 km through the sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. It runs along the lowest depression on earth to the Dead Sea that is 393m below sea level. The sides of the riverbanks are steep and deep. During floods the river rises quickly and is deep. Near Jericho the river current is usually swift, even more so during floods.

For 3 days the Israelites camped near the river and watched it in full flood. Raging and turbulent – over a km wide. Anyone attempting to cross it at this stage is likely to be swept to their death. Even when the priests came to the river's edge, nothing unusual was happening. The river still looked as imposing as before. Perhaps the greatest challenge for the priests was at that point of stepping into a raging river. They might be thinking, “If God does not turn up - I am dead!”

When we step into what is impossible by faith, God steps in.

But the moment the priests took the first steps into the river, God began to hold the river back. All the way back to town called Adam 26 km away, the river piled up! The further the priests stepped into the water, the more water receded until the river was dry. Sometimes, some Christians want God to open the doors before they act. But often God is wanting us to exercise our faith at the point where we step beyond what is possible for us. When we step into what is impossible by faith, God steps in. Prov 3:5-6 (NIV) "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

We had an older man called Allan who was healed when one of our leaders acted by faith to pray for him. 2 years ago, he could barely walk a short distance. After that, he walked for many kilometres!

As you believe even to cross impossibilities, start with the first step!

MAINTAIN FAITH UNTIL COMPLETION

Joshua 3:17 (NIV) The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

A very important part of obtaining what God has inspired us towards is to understand this principle. The principle of maintaining faith. In what way are we to maintain faith?

Maintaining the first steps

These priests stood firm in the middle of the river that they know are being held back by nothing more than the power of God! If the power of God lapsed for whatever reason, the river would come rushing in. Like a torrent and they would be dashed to their deaths. I might have been tempted to sprint across the entire river! Yet they stood firm.

Sometimes we can be quick to raise our hands at an altar call and say “yes! Please send me! I want to do it!” then just as quickly forget our commitment. Just like in Matthew 13:20-22 (NIV) The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

Often the Devil attacks us just as we begin to take the first few tentative steps of faith. He does not want to see us progressing in God. He will attempt to cause us to doubt. To be shaken. So that we might retreat! Imagine the priests running back from water's edge! Would that have undone the miracle in progress?

Your commitment will be tested. Be steady and continue in God to cross the impossibilities.

So don't be shaken. Your commitment will be tested. Be steady and continue in God to cross the impossibilities.

Maintaining until the task is complete

For the task to be completed, we must maintain our faith in God. It took a while for every Israelite to cross the river. During this whole time the priest had to maintain faith. At various points our faith may be tested. Unexpected situations may crop up. Things may take longer than expected. We get really tempted to give up or to settle for less. Let us have the attitude like Paul who refused to give up and pressed on until the end. Philippians 3:14 (NIV) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

We only obtain the goal of our faith when we reach the end. So do not give up half-way. We can cross the impossibilities in God!

CONCLUSION

When God has spoken, when we have received it and responded to it in the proper way, when we have acted upon it - the blessing of God will be released. Then we have to continue to maintain it before God!