Sermons.love Support us on Paypal
Contact Us
Watch 2022-2023 online sermons » Christine Caine » Christine Caine - Crossing the Red Sea

Christine Caine - Crossing the Red Sea



Hey, hey everyone. I am so glad excited to be with you today. I'm so glad that you tuned in today. You picked a great week to tune in. I know that God's got a word for you. We're talking today about what it takes to cross a Red Sea. I mean, who does not have a Red Sea? Some impenetrable force in front of you that you think nothing short of a miracle of God is going to move this thing? I can see no way around it, there's no way over it, there's no way under it, there's only one way that's through it, and only God can get me through it.

Well, if you've tuned in and you're facing an impossible situation, I want you to know that you've tuned in at the right time because God is the God of the impossible. What is impossible with man is possible with God. With God, all things are possible. Nothing is impossible with God. Impossible is where God starts, miracles are what God does. God is in the business of parting Red Seas and we are going to see how he has done that in scripture. We're going to the book of Exodus. We love that you know when you hear that word, Exodus, you know that somebody is gonna be liberated today. You know that somebody is gonna be set free today. Exodus is all about coming out.

All of Exodus is all about freedom. Exodus is all about liberation, and we're gonna focus this teaching in this series out of Exodus chapter 14, but I just wanna set a little bit of a picture of what's going on here in the Bible. Exodus chapter 12, it essentially tells the story how after 430 years of bondage and slavery, God miraculously sets the children of Israel free and brings them out of Egypt on the night of the passover, and that is huge 'cause for 430 years, they had been crying out to God for freedom. And then we see that God sends 10 plagues and we see a whole series of incidents happen that lead to them being delivered out of Egypt, and that's Exodus chapter 12. And then Exodus chapter 13, it basically maps out the journey of the children of Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness as they get ready to go in and possess the Promised Land at Canaan.

Now remember, freedom is actually in Canaan. It's actually in the Promised Land. And so a lot of times we get confused with what freedom really is. Now, the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they came out of slavery, so they were delivered from slavery. But then they still had a period of time in the wilderness where slavery would come out of them because although they had come out of Egypt, Egypt still needed to come out of them. So God was taking them through a wilderness so that they could then end up going in and taking the land of Canaan, which was their Promised Land, and freedom was in Canaan. Now, a lot of Christians settle for deliverance when God has freedom for them. Deliverance is when I'm no longer stuck in that bondage, I'm no longer in that lifestyle, I'm no longer in that slavery. I've been delivered from it, but you are delivered from, for, and to as a Christian.

And God wants to take us to freedom. It is for freedom that Jesus Christ set us free. You don't need to settle for deliverance, and that's a very limited Christianity. It's just like, you know, I'm a Christian now. I don't drink anymore, I don't smoke, I don't smile, I wear beige because I'm a Christian. I've had a personality bypass. But it's just I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't do that. And so many Christians just, I'm gonna spend all my life on the earth. Hurry up, rapture, because I don't do a whole lot of things that I really wanna do and so I just don't wanna do 'em till Jesus comes back. And so it's almost like we just kinda live delivered from something but we're not living for something, and we're not living in our purpose, and we're not living in the freedom of a flourishing life that Jesus Christ has for us.

And so they were delivered out of slavery and they were on their way to freedom in Canaan to possess the Promised Land and so Exodus chapter 13, it talks about that journey. Now we know that it ended up taking them 40 years to do that journey, and it wasn't meant to be 40 years. The Bible actually says at this point in the book of Deuteronomy, it says it's a three-day journey. Three days. I just want you to know that you can end up taking 40 years to go around a path that God only means to take three days. I wonder in your life what you've been just going round what mountain for 40 years. They did laps around mount Sinai for 40 years when it should've only taken three days. God definitely took them through the wilderness.

There is always a wilderness between slavery and freedom. There's always a wilderness where you come out of it, then it comes out of you, then you go in and possess the promise that God has for you. If you try to bypass that process, you're not going to become who you're meant to be to do what God has called you to do. A lot of us have our times spent in the wilderness, and in fact, in our Christian journey, we go in and out of the wilderness. There are different seasons, but before you go and you take more levels of land, before you go and you possess more of the promise that God has for you, there's always a wilderness between where you were and where you're going. That's the make-or-break time, and many Christians end up dying in that wilderness because they're murmuring, they're grumbling, they're complaining, they're full of fear, they're full of doubt, they're full of negativity instead of holding onto God in the midst of the wilderness so that he does the change in us so that he can then do a work through us. And so what happened to them at this point is they ended up taking 40 years. 40 years.

I wonder what you've been hanging onto for 40 years. What unforgiveness, what bitterness, what shame, what guilt, what condemnation, what heartache, what pain? Where is it that God wants to move you on from where you are to where you're going into freedom, and where are you taking 40 years for what should only take three days? There is always a process: there's no doubt about it. There's a process to get from where we were to where we're going, but you don't have to make that process more difficult than it needs to be. It doesn't have to take longer than it needs to be, but it's your choice, three days or 40 years. Well, what happened with this group of people is it ended up taking them 40 years. But we're right at the outset. We're just days out right here. In Exodus 13:7, I love this. The Bible says in verse 17, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them. God did not lead them.

Now, you need to understand. When God leads us, a lot of us think it's gonna be the easy way. God loves shortcuts, God loves the easy way. We actually have a whole generation that's tell me the quickest way to the top. How am I gonna get up there? How am I gonna get there really, really quick? But look what the scripture says. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines. That's up the coast, the quick way. Although that was near, although that was shorter, it says. For God said, "Lest the people change their minds "When they see the war and return to Egypt". But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward The Red Sea.

So, there was a shorter way and God actually put it in the Bible because he wants us to know that he knows that there was a shorter way. Because sometimes we get so frustrated and we've been working through something for years, and we're like, God, really? Really? Don't you know that there's an easier way? He's like, yes, I do know, I do know. But God didn't take them and he was protecting them because up along the coast, the Philistines had armies and they had different camps set up. The fact is that the Israelites were not an army unit. They were not a military unit, they were slaves. They just came out of slavery, so they had not yet formed as a strong military unit.

So as soon as they came up against these sort of enemies, the Bible says that they would've probably run back because they would've feared the enemies. God was actually protecting them. And that's if the Philistines didn't kill them and take them out. So you don't know what God is protecting you from when he takes you the long way around. You don't know. Sometimes you need to thank God for the long way. Sometimes you need to thank God that it wasn't easy because you don't know. Sometimes when something happens and you're frustrated on the road because you think you know, well, why is there detour, why has this road been shut down. You don't know what accident he has saved you from. You don't know what he has saved you from.

Sometimes when you think, wow, it took me so long to get here and everyone else just took the corporate career path, and I seem to have gone right around and around the world in 80 days, and back again, it just seems to be, but you don't know how much God has protected you from by taking you the long way around. By taking you the long way around. And not only that, it's by taking us the long way around is where God prepares us for what he has already prepared for us. You see, during that time, God was going to form them into a strong military unit. God was going to form them into a group of people that would be able to contend with the enemies that were in their future. It's about what God is doing in you, it's not about the route that you're taking externally. Some of us get so obsessed with how God has taken us on our route.

You don't know what God's preparing you, but you know what? If I didn't spend all of those years in anonymity and obscurity, if I didn't spend all of those years being prepared for what God had prepared for me, there would be no way that I could do what I'm doing today. There's always a long way round, but the long way around is not a punishment, it's a preparation. And if we understood the difference between punishment and preparation, then we would stop fighting against God and trying to make something happen in our own strength, and we would know that we are the beloved of God. God loves you, God knows you, God knows the plan, and the purpose, and the destiny that he has for you. He hasn't sidelined you, he hasn't marginalized you.

Someone on the other side of the screen, you need to know that God has not forgotten you. It's not too late for you. He hasn't overlooked you. He hasn't prophesied one thing over you and then just left it. If God said it, God would do it. He who promised is faithful, great is his faithfulness, and if God said it, he would do it. All the promises of God are in Christ Jesus. Yes, and in Christ Jesus, amen. It's been the long way around but it's not the end. You've just come to the beginning, and your destiny is about to open up for you in a whole new way. God takes the long way around. The frustration is that you know that he knows that there is a shortcut, that there is a shortcut. And if you can learn to navigate that, and you can learn to manage the tension of that, then you're gonna stay faithful and you're gonna be where you need to be to do what God has called you to do. I cannot begin to say to you how many people have forsaken their destiny because of a lack of patience.

See, faith is not enough to fulfill your destiny. The Bible says that if you have faith and patience, you will inherit the promise. And so we do a lot of teaching on faith, but we don't do all that much teaching on patience. And with this generation, that's a word that I think you all think has been removed from the dictionary. You all wonder, what is patience? Because we just live in the instant-click generation. That we're not patient about anything. We don't even have to look anything up anymore. Mr. Google is our favorite friend and he's just right there, and it's, like, just check on the Google. I don't want a car, oh, Uber. Uber was not even a word, it's now a verb, it's like something that happens. It didn't even exist five years ago.

I don't just have Amazon, you know, I've got Amazon prime. And as if Amazon prime is not fast enough, I've got Amazon now. I want it now, and that's how it kind of works. There is no such thing as patience because we just have everything now and so that's how we think our destiny's gonna be. But that's not how it is with God. It's not like you can walk into careers center and say, can you just track out my purpose for me, God? What is the best path to me fulfilling my destiny? God says, oh, no, it's not gonna be the best. It's actually gonna be the best, but not in the best the way that you think it's gonna be the best. It's like when your mother looks at you and says, this hurts me more than it hurts you, you know?

And we all know this is not true. This is not true. But the fact is that God is a loving Father and he's developing our character. And you don't want your character to or you know you don't want your gift, actually, to take you to a place that your character cannot keep you. And so God is forming our character, and it's in the wilderness where our character is formed. It's in the wilderness where we learn to trust God. When you don't learn, when you don't get what you want when you want it as quickly as you want, then that's when you really have to learn to trust the character and the nature of God. Is God who he says he is? Will God do what he says that he will do? And of course, he will. But you're never gonna find out whether you really believe it until you're in that place where it's only God.

So we are in Exodus chapter 13, God taking them the long way round to bring them. You've got to understand God, with intentionality, has led them to this place. When we're in a hard place, not all the hard places that we are in come from the devil. Not all the hard places we are in come because of our own mistakes. What you have to understand from scripture is God actually led them to The Red Sea. And not only did he lead them there, you've got to understand when they came in, they were totally trapped. There were mountain ranges on either side that they could not cross. There was The Red Sea in front of them that they could not go over, they could not go under, they couldn't go around, and that means that they were in a cul-de-sac. They were totally trapped because then the Egyptian army was right behind them.

So you have to understand God led them to that place, said that they would see the miraculous deliverance of the Lord. And some places that we get to where we think, how did I end up here, God led us there so that God can deliver us so that we will always know it was God. Because sometimes you can begin to think you did it in your own strength. You could begin to think that you were smart enough, you were talented enough, you were gifted enough, and isn't God lucky to have you on his side. And you know what? The Lord brought them out. It was a miracle, it was supernatural miracle that God brought them out of Egypt. It was on the night of the passover that God brought them out and that in itself was a miracle. It was a miracle that he was leading them and he led them in the wilderness. It was a pillar of fire by night. It was a cloud by day. That's how the presence of the Lord led them.

So that was supernatural. Everything about this is supernatural. But it's amazing how quickly you can forget the supernatural until you face another impossible situation and then you need the supernatural. See, had they thought about it, they would've realized how supernatural their exit out of Egypt was, and the fact that they were taking Jewelry from the Egyptians that were giving it to them as they walked out. I mean, they were slaves the day before. That would be like you were a slave and the next second you know, you're getting the, the people of Egypt are giving you all of their Jewelry and all of their goods, and then you're walking out of Egypt and nobody's killing you. That's a miracle, that's supernatural. And then God is leading you through his presence the long way round, but you've got to understand, the long way is the best way.

I want us to be a people that actually love the long way around, that don't run from the long way, but that embrace the long way knowing that God is forging his character in us. God is refining us, God is sanctifying us. We are being conformed and transformed to the image of God. That's what happens to us in the wilderness. It's a place where we get more frustrated, but it's where all the impurities come out of us, where the impatience, how do you develop the fruit of patience? By being in lots of impatient situations where you're going to have to develop it. How do you develop the fruit of kindness? When you don't feel like being kind. When you're stuck in a heat.

Nick and I were just in Dubai and there's a whole lot of desert. Do you know how hot it is in the desert? I had got a new respect for these people. I thought, oh, wow, okay, no air conditioning, that's awesome. And I mean, there's just sand, and there's just sun, and there's not trees to protect you. There is just lots of sand and lots of sun. And so you get cranky. You think about what you're like if your air conditioner doesn't work. You get cranky, so you wanna know how you begin to produce the fruit of kindness? After you've spent a lot of time being unkind or being on the receiving end of people being unkind to you. That's how you produce fruit. It comes out of a lot of pain. We don't like that. We have an aversion, not only to the long way around, we also have an aversion to pain.

We don't like pain. It's not normal to like pain. But there is no other way that refinement happens. And if you try to bypass that process, then you're not going to be who you need to be when you get to where God wants you to be to do what he wants to do in and through your life. Some of you, you are right in the middle of a refinement process right now, and you are feeling so frustrated. Everything in you wants to walk away because it's just so hard, and I'm telling you, I've been there. I would love to tell you that you won't be there again, but I couldn't because the truth is that you'll just keep coming round to these different places, but that's where the character of Christ is forged in you, and there is nothing greater than becoming more like him. The role of the whole Christian journey is that you and I are being conformed and transformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

So I wanna encourage you on the other side of this screen, don't pull back, don't hesitate, don't give up, don't quit, don't walk away because it's hard. I know it's painful, I know you think this thing is gonna kill you, and here's the truth. It is gonna kill the part of your flesh that needs to die so that the spirit of God can rise up on the other side of you. God is forging you into his image. You're gonna be a weapon in the hand of God and he's gonna be able to use you so much more powerfully in your future if you just don't quit, if you just don't stop. The refinement process is worth it. If you allow patience to have its perfect work in you, you will lack no good thing, and you will be so effective for the purposes of God in your generation.

What we need is a generation of people that say, God, I'm gonna stick it out. I'm gonna stick it out. I know it's the long way, this is taking a lot longer than I ever thought. That the truth is, people told me this when I graduated from Bible school, you know, it's gonna take you a lot longer than you imagine. It's gonna cost you a lot more than you ever think. It's gonna hurt a lot more than you ever, ever can imagine, but Christine, it's gonna be worth more than you ever, ever imagined. And you know what? It was true. I could not have dreamed this life. When scripture says in Ephesians 3:20 that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond anything that we could ever ask, hope, or think, that's so true. He is, I couldn't have imagined this.

When scripture says that no eye has not seen, our ear has not heard, nor has it entered into our heart the things that God has for those that love him, it's true. I couldn't have imagined this. I couldn't have imagined a21 around the world. I couldn't have imagined propel. I couldn't have imagined being on TV. I couldn't have imagined books going around the world. God has done exceedingly abundantly above and beyond, but it's cost more than I ever thought that it would. It's hurt a whole lot more than I could have ever conceived. And it's taken a heck of a lot longer than I ever imagined. But I'm not even the same person anymore. I'm not even the same person.

I think Nick is so blessed 'cause he's been married to me for 21 years and he's had at least 10 wives in that time. I have got this constant evolution. Not 10 different wives, okay, just the same woman. But I've become at least 10 different people. I remember when we got married, that was the only thing, I said, can we really make these vows? And he goes, what do you mean? And I said, well, the woman that's gonna make these vows today, the only thing I promise you is she's not gonna be the same woman as she keeps going, as she keeps growing. The only thing I promise you is I'm not gonna be who I am today.

I'm gonna be more like Jesus, and I have good days and bad days on that journey. But let's just say, 21 years on, I am more like him than I was when we started and that's because God continues to take us the long way around. Every now and again, he does a suddenly, but there's not that many suddenlys in the Bible. And every now and again, he does what, and this is what I have worked out. It takes at least 15 years for every suddenly to happen. I've had a few suddenlys as well, but those suddenlys normally take at least 15 to 20 years, so if you just stick it out for long enough, you too will get a suddenly and God will catapult to your destiny in Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Part 2
Hey, everyone. I'm so excited that you've joined us today. You've tuned in on a great week. We're in the middle of a series where we're talking about crossing your red sea. God is still in the miracle water-parting business. I don't know what impossible situation you are confronting, what miracle you need, what red sea you need to be parted in your life, but I'm here to tell you today that impossible is where God starts. Miracles are what God does. You are in the right place at the right time for a miracle from God. And we've talked about the fact that the children of Israel came out of Egypt, came out of bondage, came out of slavery, came out of captivity on their way through the wilderness in order to go into Canaan which was their promise land that they were to possess.

In Genesis chapter 12 God had promised to Abraham and all of his offspring that they would inherit the land. And so this is where the journey that they were on their way to. Now the fact is that God miraculously on the night of passover brought them out of Egypt, and now they're wandering in the wilderness, and instead of taking them up into the promise land by the shortest route, God took them the long way round. But we learned last week that the long way around is often the best way around. The long way with God is better than the short way by yourself. And so as long as the presence of God is with you then you are in the right place. It might be taking longer than you ever imagined to get to where you think that God is calling you to go but as long as the presence of God is with you you are in the right place at the right time, and you are poised for your suddenly. Just don't get off track as you go the long way around. And then we pick up the scripture in Exodus chapter 14. And this describes the Crossing of The Red Sea.

If you've seen any Cecil B. Demil movie, this is it. This is the big famous scene of the Crossing of The Red Sea. It's probably the most taught text in the old testament. And we're thinking wow, Christine, we're talking about parting The Red Sea. But yet, I think that God's gonna speak to you in a really powerful way out of this text. So in Exodus chapter 14, the Bible says then the Lord said to Moses, tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-Hahiroth, I don't know if that's how you say, but that's how I'm saying it, okay. Between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-Zephon, and you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, they are wandering in the land, the wilderness has shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so.

So we'll just pick it up there for a minute. So in those first couple of verses, we're gonna see something very very powerful. I want you to know what's gonna happen today. We're gonna go from fear to faith. We're gonna go from despair to hope. We're gonna go from sorrow to joy. We're gonna have a shift in this place today, and we're going to move. What you're gonna see here right at the outset, the Lord said to Moses, tell the people of Israel to turn back. Now you know when you're coming from somewhere, the last thing, when you're running away from somewhere, the last thing you wanna hear is, turn back. You wanna be getting as far away from your enemy as possible. But the Lord right now, he says, turn back. And if they would trust God enough to turn back, God knew that this is gonna look like they were confused to the enemy.

And this is what God wanted to happen. He wanted the Egyptian army to think that the Israelites were suddenly confused. Like these ex-slaves, they don't know what's going on. They tried to get out of here and now they're coming back. So God deliberately wanted this to happen. The Lord wanted to put the children of Israel in a naturally vulnerable position. It doesn't make sense to the natural mind, but God was getting ready to get himself some glory in all of this. God was getting ready to show the Egyptians who was really God. And he was showing his favor upon the Israelites. Sometimes you might feel like you're in a vulnerable situation. You might feel like you're exposed. And I want you to know that it is God getting ready to act on your behalf in a supernatural way.

Sometimes you're feeling, God, how are you gonna redeem this situation? I am so exposed. I am so vulnerable. But I want you to know that God will make a way where there is no way. And so he said that they will think. They will wonder and they'll say that they are wandering in the land, the wilderness has shut them in. And so God knew that Pharaoh would be assessing this whole situation. He would think that the Israelites have lost their mind that somehow they're confused out there in the wilderness. The hot sun got to them. And that he would come and attack them. God was setting all of this up, that Pharaoh was gonna come and attack the Israelite army. So here you go. Some of you are like, where am I going with all of this? You feel like I'm exposed. And that my enemies are coming after me. But I want you to know what the enemy meant for evil, God is gonna turn this thing around and work it together for good.

Sometimes God sets situations up so that your enemies will come after you so that God can take care of your enemies on your behalf. And some of you have got enemies and you feel like they're coming after me, and God, it seems like this situation in particular, somebody watching this. And you have a legal situation happening in your life. And it's like, the enemies, I feel like I'm exposed. I haven't done anything here but I feel like I've been set up. I want you to know you have been set up. You've been set up by God that so you can get your breakthrough. God is gonna vindicate you. God is gonna redeem you. The situation is gonna turn around. You're gonna get a breakthrough and you've had a Holy Ghost setup. It's not a setup from the enemy, it's a setup from God to take care of your enemy in Jesus' name. That is what has happened in your life. That God is gonna come through and he's gonna do it.

And so the Bible says that the mind of Pharaoh was changed. Well, I think part of Pharaoh's mind was changed and he decided that he was gonna come after the children of Israel. It was because he realized they took half of our Jewelry, they took half of our gold, they took so much of our stuff. But in that moment Pharaoh thought, I'm coming after them. So God was setting them up so that their enemies would be destRoyed. And this is the interesting time. Let me read this to you. We're in Exodus 14. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host. Let me just say, God will get his glory in your situation. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh, there it is, and his servants was changed toward the people. And they said, what is this that we have done, that we've let Israel go from serving us?

So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took 600 chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped by the sea, by Pi-Hahiroth, in front of Baal-Zephon. Let's just go. He took 600 chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt. Could you imagine what that would be like? He took all of, chariots were the most sophisticated military technology of the time. And the children of Israel, they had no way of defeating the Egyptian army. I mean, they were in slavery and had just escaped out.

And so Pharaoh sent all of the chariots, and 600 of his finest. There was no chance. The children of Israel had no hope. They were entirely trapped in this culdesac. But you have to understand that God was setting them up for a breakthrough. God was setting them up. You can feel that you are defeated sometimes. You can feel like there is no hope. Can you imagine what the sound of those chariots would have been like coming? You know what it's like to have escaped from something and then have that thing come after you? We've all experienced that. When you've broken free of something and then all of a sudden you think, that thing's coming back for me. The fear and the dread and the terror that puts in your life.

So what happened is, we'll keep reading. When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were Marching after them, and they greatly feared. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, is it because they are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt? Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians. It's interesting how you'll opt for slavery when there's fear in your life. Leave us alone. He says, for it would have better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people, fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never seen again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.

And that's a word for someone today. The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to be silent. Everything in you wants to vindicate yourself. You wanna get on Twitter, you wanna get on Facebook, you wanna write a blog. You want to explain to everyone what really happened because you have been so misrepresented, you have been so misconstrued. Your enemies have come after you. And everything in you wants to defend yourself but the word of the Lord will do this. The Lord will fight for you, you only have to be silent. And sometimes, silence is the hardest thing to do. Especially when you're a Greek woman like me with a big mouth. But to be able to trust God enough to say that he's gonna fight on my behalf, God is gonna vindicate me, God is gonna fight on my behalf, God's gonna make it happen. But the interesting thing happened here when it says, when the Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and beheld the Egyptians and they feared greatly.

See, they lifted up their eyes only high enough to see their enemies. They didn't lift up their eyes high enough to see their God. And sometimes you've just gotta lift your eyes up a little bit more. You are lifting your eye only up to the level of your enemy. And you keep looking and you keep scrolling and you keep looking at what it is that they're writing about me? What it is that they're saying about me? And then you're looking at different posts. And you're looking at, well look they're out with them friends and they're not with those friends, and I'm the one that's not invited, and I bet they're all talking about me.

And you're looking at your enemies. And then you're wondering why you're fearing greatly and you're wondering why you're carrying so much anxiety and so much stress. You've got to elevate your eyes to look unto Jesus. He is the author and he is the finisher. That we have to fix our eyes on Jesus, that's where we fix our eyes. If we're gonna run our race, if we're gonna finish our course, if we're gonna have victory in the midst of our battles, we gotta get our eyes off our enemies, we gotta get our eyes off each other, and we gotta get our eyes up onto Jesus. That is where our help comes from. It comes from Jesus, elevate your eyes.

Moses didn't know where he was going one day to the next either. He was following the cloud like everybody else. He was the guy that just had the stick. And God's like, great, I've chosen you. And he's like, who am i? And God's like, I don't care, it's not about who you are. It's about who I am. And so the issue is Moses wasn't pretending to be anything that he wasn't. But he was the leader. And sometimes we end up saying very irrational things when we are filled with fear and when we're filled with dread. And we end up blaming people that we shouldn't blame. And we end up saying things that we shouldn't say. Dare I say, we end up tweeting things we shouldn't tweet. And we should delete, that all rhymes. But we really should, because, now I know you're all perfect, but for everybody else watching this on the other side of the screen, how often have we blurted something out, then found out we had the wrong information and just felt foolish? Just felt foolish.

And we live in culture and an age where people are venting nonstop. It's kind of like there is no filter. And somehow we think that because we've got a keyboard that we can type or a phone that we can type, that God's not watching what we're typing. I'm thinking do you not know, God's omnipresent. He's right there when you're typing. He knows what you're typing, and he can see it. But it's like we lose our filter. And we say irrational things. So let's be mindful of what we say. Let's be mindful of what's coming out of our mouth. They were totally irrational. Well, we should have taken this as a good sign because you and I have read so much more of the Bible, and they were writing the Bible that we are now reading because this same group of people, this was a precedent for the next 40 years of their life. They just murmured and grumbled and complained.

So right when they came out of Egypt, this was the tenor of their whole life. God gave them so many chances to change, to trust him, to change their confession from one that was full of fear and doubt and negativity, and one that was full of murmuring, grumbling, and complaining, to a confession that would be full of faith, to a confession that would be full of victory. But right here we see from the outset that all they did was complain and blame, complain and blame. I'd rather go back to Egypt. I'd rather go back to bondage. I'd rather go back to how it was. So you take a step of faith, you see God do miracles, signs, and wonders on the night of passover to get you out and deliver you, and then you instantly forget the miracle of that same God just because you need another miracle. You're not supposed to forget the past miracles when you need another new miracle. You're supposed to remember what God has done before so that you can know he's gonna be faithful to do it again.

The reason why we remember the faithfulness of God in our past is to know that he is the same God that's with us in our present, and the same God that will take us in our future. But what happened with this generation is they had forgotten about what God had done just days before to bring them out on the night of passover. That was a miracle. And it was a miracle that this same God was leading them through the wilderness. And they quickly forgot the minute they got to a red sea and their enemies were coming after them, they forgot about the goodness of God. I wonder when you're facing a confronting situation, do you forget or do you remember the goodness of God? Because whichever one of those two you choose will determine your attitude when you're confronting an obstacle. You see, when I come up to a new obstacle, when we have a new challenge with a21 and something's happening with one of our countries, you know what? I just go, it's okay.

We might not have been in this exact situation before, it might not have been mountains and a red sea, but you know the same God that was with us in the other 10 offices, the same God that brought us through this situation and delivered us out of that situation, that same God, he's with us here. So I don't know how he's gonna do it now, but I didn't know how he was gonna do it then. And the same miracle power that did it then is the same miracle power that I need now. I couldn't do it myself then. I can't do it myself now. It is so crazy how often we forget how miraculous our life is. The fact that we are living and breathing, that God saved us and brought us from death to life. That in itself is a miracle. Listen, if I never see another sign or wonder in my life, the fact that I am here today is a sign, is a wonder. The same miracle-working God that did that will take us to our future. That's what God does. It's a time to remember, not forget. But they had obviously forgotten. And then when you forget, you just start blaming. You blame the closest thing to you.

So they started blaming Moses. Here's the deal. We're all drawn into battles we didn't ask for. We are all drawn into circumstances we did not pick. They didn't want to be there anymore than you might not wanna be in the situation you're in right now. But when you're in that situation, when it's a situation that you don't want to be in, you get to choose what your response is. I remember when I got the report from the doctor that I didn't wanna get. They called me and said, Christine, you have thyroid cancer. You know, I didn't want that report. I didn't want to go and have more doctors' tests. I didn't want to go and have surgery. I didn't want to have to then go and have regular appointments and different medication.

I didn't want, I didn't choose that battle, but I could have either chosen that I was gonna murmur, grumble, and complain, this isn't fair and why did this happen to me and I'm a woman of faith and what did I do to deserve this and I teach the word of God and I could have gone through all that because that's what we do and just wasted a whole lot of time, or gone you know what? I didn't pick this battle, but that's okay because the same God that has won every other battle in my life, he's the same God that's able to fight for me in this battle. I don't know what you are facing today. I don't know if you're facing an emotional battle, a relational challenge, a financial challenge, a physical challenge. Perhaps the doctor has said this disease is incurable. This is terminal.

I want you to know that nothing is impossible for God. And you might be facing what looks to you to be a red sea, an impenetrable wall of water where you think there is no way over this, no way around this, no way under this. I don't know how I'm gonna get through this. I want you to know that the same God that has been faithful to you this far is the same God that's gonna take you to the other side of this. He can still part red seas. He can still make a way where there is no way. He is still a miracle working God. We serve a God of miracles, it's what we do. It's what we do. And so you get to choose. Are you gonna murmur, grumble, and complain? And die in the wilderness? Or are you gonna trust the faithfulness and the goodness of God? He says fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord.

Now Moses was a great leader at this moment because he had to step up to the plate. Do you think he had a clue how God was gonna do this? But he had to stand firm and sometimes that's what you have to do as a leader. I can't say how many situations in what nick and I oversee where I'm half an inch in front of my team, and I'm like, we got this. I'm like, God, you better have this, you know? I've got no idea how this is gonna happen. But sometimes you just gotta back up. And sometimes you go, you know what? God is going to come through. I wonder whether Moses was really nervous when he said that. And the fact is, a leader's job is to trust God when your back is up against the wall. It's to go, look, I don't know how it's gonna happen, but we're gonna stand still. And no wonder he said to them be silent, because he was sick of their murmuring, grumbling, and complaining.

So he would have used it as a battle strategy. Just be quiet. Because Moses understood that doubt dies unborn if it's never spoken. So if I can make you be silent, then you will see the salvation of the Lord. But if you continue to murmur, grumble, and complain, then you are going to abort the purposes of God. You are going to abort the hand of God in the situation 'cause you're murmuring, you're grumbling, you're complaining, you're not even giving God a chance to move. Some of you, the Bible says in the book of proverbs that there's the power of life and death in our tongue. And you are speaking death over your situations. You're speaking death over your marriage. You're speaking death over your children. You're speaking death over your finances. You're speaking death over your future.

Because all you're talking about is the negative, victim-hood fear and doubt. And all you're talking about is what's not happening, what they're not doing, what you don't like about them, rather than speaking life into that situation. Find something great about your kids and speak life over them. Find something great about your spouse, even if it's the color of their eyes and speak about that if it's nothing else right now that you can find. You know what? Find something good and speak life. I know if something happens in our lives, I'm gonna look for the one good thing even if there's 100 bad things happening, I'm gonna look for the one good thing. I'm gonna speak that thing, and I'm gonna keep speaking life until the dead things come back to life.

There is power of life and death in your tongue. So what are you speaking? Are you speaking life? Or are you speaking death? We frame our world with the words that we speak. So what words are you speaking? What words are you speaking over your colleagues. What words are you speaking over your friends? What words are you speaking over yourself? I make my daughters look in the mirror and say, good morning, awesome, you're awesome. I know, you know why? Because I know that at least 4.000 messages that day that they're gonna encounter are not gonna tell them that they're awesome. At least 4.000 media messages are gonna tell them you're not skinny enough, you're not pretty enough, you're not tall enough, you're not good enough, so you know what?

I want them to know that in Christ and through Christ that he in them is more than enough and he made them in his image and they are filled with his potential and they are filled with his goodness and his grace and his mercy, and they can be anything he's called them to be and they can do anything that he's called them to do, so I'm gonna get them not to agree with the negative media. Not to agree with their negative friends. Not to agree with the destructive words of anyone else I'm gonna get them to agree with what God says about them. I'm gonna get them to speak life over their future and their destiny in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name. Amen!

Part 3
Hey everyone, I am so glad that you've joined us today. I am so grateful that you decided to tune in today. I know that God has got a powerful word for you. We are in the midst of a series talking about parting The Red Sea. Everyone of us has circumstances in our life where we are facing something and we think this thing is impenetrable. I don't know how I'm going to get through this. It seems impossible. I can't go over it, I can't go around it. I can't go under it. And it just seems like it's an immovable force, and there is no way that I can get through it.

Well I want you to know that if you're facing a circumstance like that today, you've tuned in to the right program. Because we serve the God of the impossible. What is impossible with man is possible with God. With God, nothing is impossible and all things are possible. God can make a way where there is no way. I wanna speak faith into your heart, and faith into your spirit today, and help you to believe that God is a God of miracles. Impossible is where God starts. Miracles are what God does, and we are a faith filled people that believe God to do what only he can do. And we're looking at the famous story of The Red Sea parting where the children of Israel have miraculously been brought out of Egypt, on the night of passover, after 430 years of slavery and bondage, God brings them out and then he takes them the long way around which we've decided that the long way with God is better than the short way by yourself. But he took them the long way around, and brought them into this place that seemed like a trap.

Sometimes you feel like you've been following the will of God and you've ended up trapped. Anyone ever felt like that before, you're like really God? This is where you brought me? You brought me to a place where in front of me is a Red Sea, on either side of me are impenetrable mountains, and behind me is the Egyptian army with 600 chariots, the most modern military arsenal that existed at the time. And now you've got us stuck here, God. We are totally exposed, we are totally unprotected, we are totally unprepared for this kind of battle. And God, you brought us here, we were following you. Well this is where we pick up the text in Exodus 14. And the Lord has said that you know what, I'm gonna do a miracle on your behalf. You're only to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. You're gonna be silent and you're gonna see the salvation of the Lord.

Now that's one of the hardest things for any of us to do, is to be quiet and to trust God with our situation. You know, the scripture says, I'll just pick it back up here at verse 13, and Moses said to the people fear not, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. Moses, the leader, even though he himself wasn't sure what God was going to do, he didn't know what God was gonna do, but he did know God, and so in this moment, he said we're gonna trust the character and nature of God. And some of you, you're confronting a very challenging situation right now. You don't know what you're gonna do. You don't know how you deliverance is gonna come, but the fact is you know the character and nature of God. And your God has been faithful to you this far, and the same God that has brought you this far will take you into your future. God will not leave you, God will not forsake you, he's not brought you here so that you will be defeated by your enemies, God will make a way.

And although Moses didn't know what the way was gonna be, he decided that we can trust the character of God. We are going to see the deliverance of God. And then I love it when he said to them only be silent, the Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. I think he was so sick of them murmuring, grumbling and complaining. He let you... It reminds me when Joshua was, in Joshua 6:10, and he said after God had given him the battle plan of how they were gonna take the city of Jericho, said you're gonna March around once a day for six days, and on the seventh day you're gonna March around these walls six times.

Now can you imagine how Joshua felt? Because these were the most fortified city walls in ancient history. They were 30 foot tall, thick impenetrable walls. Now, God said you're gonna just March around, I mean they were wearing their toga, their sandals, they had the shofar, that was it. There was no cruise missiles, no nuclear bombs, there was no AK-47s, there was no artillery, there was nothing, it was just shofar. And God's going this is how you're gonna do it, because God always give you really unusual battle plans. Really unusual battle plans, just like The Red Sea. He gives you really unusual battle plan. And can you imagine Joshua, when God gave him that battle plan, he's thinking I've gotta go back and tell them what God just said.

Well the last time that we were here, the people in the wilderness, they murmured, grumbled and complained, we ended up doing laps around Mount Sinai for 40 years because of their doubt and their fear and their unbelief. And I could imagine he was thinking I have got the DVD series, I've got the tee shirt, I've got the CDs, I am not gonna do laps around Mount Sinai for another 40 years, so he went back to them and he said thus sayeth the Lord, shutteth upeth. That being interpreted he actually said do not utter a word or make a sound until I tell you to shout, and then you shall shout. That's really what Moses is saying here. I think Joshua heard that instruction before. You need to only not say a word, just be silent. And let the Lord, which is what he did for them, all those years later when it was the walls of Jericho.

I wonder whether Joshua was getting an education right here, because he'd come out and he was already an aid to Moses. I wonder if he was already getting an education right now about right, the battle plan is get them to stop talking, because the more they talked, the more laps we do around the block. The more they talk the more fear takes hold. Some of you, that's a word for you right now, you need to stop talking about your situation. You need to stop talking about the circumstances. You need to stop picking up your phone and talking to everyone under the guise of I just need you to pray for me, it's just another way for you to rehash what's going on. You need to bring it to God, leave it with God, and see the salvation of God in your circumstance. That is what God is gonna do.

And so he says that's where it goes. And then I love... This has to be possibly in my top 10 verses in the Bible. And you're thinking what is this, get ready. This next verse, verse 15, it says the Lord said to Moses, why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. That might not mean much to you, obviously, but it does to me. God's going hey, why are you crying out to me, why are you complaining to me? I want you to go down there, and I want you to tell the people of Israel to go forward. Moses, I don't wanna hear your prayers anymore, I need some action. So any of you that know my... You know, I have got a strong bent towards action. In propel, we have these big events they call activate events because I want to activate you to action.

Well that's the same with this. Is sometimes you need to stop praying and start moving. Some of us use prayer as an excuse for procrastination. If you use prayer as an excuse for procrastination, it's called sin. Some of you need to get off your cute rusty-dusties and move, and take some action. And actually do something, and stop praying about it, and start doing something about it. And start... Imagine if I was still praying for those that are trapped in slavery around the world, I'm not saying we shouldn't pray, prayer is crucial. But I am saying faith without works is dead.

And there comes a point that you've gotta take some action. There came a point where you know what, I've prayed this about as much as I could, I've just gotta step out now and find out. I've gotta just take a risk, is this gonna work. Okay, we're gonna start in Thessaloníki, okay, that worked, okay we'll go to the Ukraine, uh well, okay kiev, that worked. Okay, we're gonna go to London, wow that worked. Then we'll go to Bulgaria, okay I don't know if this is gonna... Okay, wow, that worked okay. We're gonna go to cape town in south Africa. Okay that worked. We're gonna go to Sydney, Australia, okay that one worked. We're gonna go to bangkok, Thailand, okay that worked. We'll come to Costa Mesa in North America, okay that went okay.

Okay now we're gonna go over to Charlotte, North Carolina, okay that's gonna work. Alright, now we're gonna step out next and try in Washington, D.C., and that is going to work. And that's gonna work by faith, in the midst of all of the... And you go okay, I don't know, there's no guarantees, but at some point I've been praying about D.C. For the last five years. So then you go well okay, time to start advancing. Time to start moving. At some point, some of you are so crippled and paralyzed by fear and God's saying the same thing to you. Why do you cry out to me? Tell the people of Israel to advance. Get them to start moving.

If your Sunday doesn't affect your Monday, then honestly, there's something really wrong with your Christianity. And so we need to take steps of faith. We need to be stepping out. The number of people in my 31 years of ministry that are still praying about it. And I'm like your whole life's gonna go, and you're still praying. At some point, take a step somewhere. Serve somebody else's vision. Do something, get planted in a local church and begin to serve where you are. You're not gonna end up at the end, you're gonna start at the beginning, and you're never gonna get to the end if you don't start at the beginning. There are so many that just keep doing laps.

And for someone that's watching this today, that's the word for you today is just to start. Start serving, well Christine, I don't know where to serve, anywhere. I turned up, I remember the church, the youth pastor made an announcement for a church clean up day. That's how my ministry started. I turned up, and you know I had this awesome opportunity to go and work in the youth center. You know how I got that opportunity, because I was the only one that turned up to the clean up day. And so they needed volunteers for the youth center, there was no one else to volunteer, but me. And so, that's how most things have happened in my life. It's like tag, you're it, I've got no other choice. Go for it, Christine. If find that, you know what, the fact that I've just been there has opened up more doors for me than my ability ever has. My availability has opened up more doors than my ability every day of the week, hands down.

And you know, for a whole lot of us, we're just waiting for someone to discover our great gift, discover our great talent, discover how wonderful we are, and God is waiting for us just to advance and serve. And you can only start where you are. And then God is able to steer a moving ship, but not one that's just standing still. So being to... I could not have worked out that this is where my life would go in my 50s, because I couldn't even, I didn't even know in my 20s, I didn't know that human trafficking existed. When people say to me did you always know that you would be doing this, well no. No, because I didn't know it existed. But as I stayed faithful to God, and I just took one step after the other, God opened doors and opportunities came.

I wouldn't have even thought to pray to be on television ever and to teach the word of God on TV across the... It wouldn't have even crossed my mind, I didn't even really think that was in my gift mix. But God made it able, and God opened the door, and God directed me, but you know what, if I didn't turn up, to pick up four girls to go to youth group on Friday night back in Sydney, Australia 30 years ago, if I didn't start there, I wouldn't be standing here now. And that's what a lot of us don't understand. I didn't pray back then that I wanted to serve in youth ministry. I had never prayed in my life to serve young people, it's just that's where the need was. And I've just found that if you find a need and meet it, it's amazing how God will keep bringing more needs in front of you, and you'll keep meeting the needs, and God will keep bringing provision to meet the needs. But when you try to work it all out, how's this gonna fit, where does it fit with my gift mix, and what do I really like, and you know, what's the temperature today, and are the clouds aligned, and do the planets align, and is all this gonna come together.

You're not gonna end up doing anything significant for God in your life. But if you say I'm just gonna do the next thing, the next thing, that God puts in front of me, and I'm gonna be faithful with that, and I'm gonna keep moving, and at this point, this is why it's one of my favorite verses in the Bible. The Lord says Moses, why, why do you cry out to me, I'm sick of your voice, would you go and do something? There comes a point where I think he's saying would you get up and begin to do something. I love this, it goes on and he says lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. You gotta understand how crazy this instruction sounds. How crazy, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it, like you do this every day. That's just like, it's just normal.

And the people of Israel may go through the sea on the dry ground and I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory... God is very, very protective of his glory. I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots and his horsemen, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the angel of the Lord who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel, and there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind, all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued and went in after them, into the midst of the sea, all of Pharaoh, his horses, his chariots, his horsemen, and in the morning watched the Lord in the pillar of fire, and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that when they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians, and it goes on, I love this. I love this whole story. So God says to Moses, you're gonna lift up your hand, you're gonna spread it over the sea, you're gonna divide the sea. I mean these were very simple instructions. But they resulted in a mighty miracle. And the thing that I've discovered in is that God often gives us instructions that seem so simple, but it results in a mighty, mighty breakthrough.

I remember when we started A21, and I was thinking what can I do, God I don't have a degree in any of these fields, I don't even know very much about this issue, and Lord I, you know, really don't have any connections at all in this world. I don't know anything about it. And the only thing that I remember the Lord in my heart say well Christine, what have you got? And I couldn't think of the... Well, I know I could teach the Bible about an evangelist, I really didn't know what that could do, and then I remember I thought I've got a mouth. I've got a mouth. And so at least I can start and I thought that's all I knew that I had was my big mouth. And I thought, well okay, what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna start reading information about this, I'm gonna start talking to people, and then wherever I go, I'm gonna start talking about this issue.

And so I didn't realize that God would take such a simple thing and now that has resonated to millions around the world, but it started with a simple instruction. And now we have 12 offices around the world and we're seeing God do as people are set free, and as we are serious about abolishing slavery everywhere forever, but it started with God moving on my heart, and then me opening my mouth. Me opening my mouth would've seemed about as big a deal, my tiny one voice, one little voice, in a sea of nearly eight billion people. You would think what difference could that really make? And now 10 years later, we look at A21 and we look at what God's doing, and you think wow. Moses lifted up his hand, and a Red Sea parted. I opened my mouth, and look what has happened, and now there are multitudes opening their mouth, and look what God is doing.

But sometimes the most simple thing can have the most unbelievable ramifications. And oftentimes we don't do the simple thing because we devalue it. We just think, you know what, it's not a big deal. But what you have to understand it's got a whole lot less to do with my mouth and a whole lot more to do with the miracle working power of God. See, God was looking for Moses's obedience to lift up his hand. His hand had no power, God had the power. God is looking for your obedience, and your trust that you will trust God to do the supernatural, so you don't ever think your hand's got the power. I don't ever think I've got the power. God has got the power. He's just looking for vessels that he can use. So the power is not in our hand, the power is in his might.

And the fact is if you don't care if people laugh at you, if you don't care if you look like a fool, if you don't care what anybody thinks, but you just trust that God is who he says he is, that God's gonna do what he says he could do, God could do miraculous things through people that are willing to look like fools for him. And let me just say in the day and age in which we live, where there is just so much scientific rationalism, and everything has to be proven, and everyone, you know, wants things to make sense, those of us that are willing to say hey, I'm gonna be a fool for Christ, I don't know how God's gonna do it, but he's gonna do it. I believe that my God can make a way where there is no way. I believe that our God is able. If you are willing to look like a fool, you just have to lift up your hand, and God will do the miracle of parting The Red Sea. That is what God does. That's what God does.

And I think in our 21st century, he's just still looking. And you go Christine, why would he use you? I don't know, I just think 'cause I'm 51, and I don't care if I look like an idiot. I really don't care. And so I think because of that, God goes awesome. Because he knows that he's gonna look really good because it's evident that I don't. And so I think if you are willing to do that, it is amazing what God can do with a human being that is willing to say I don't care how I look before man, I just want to trust God, I wanna be found faithful, and I want God to do his signs and wonders and miracles on this earth. I believe that God is who is who he says he is. I believe that God will do what he says he will do, and I believe that God will use anybody that is willing to be used for his glory on the earth. I really do, I really do. And so, what you have to do is say okay, I'm willing to look ridiculous for Jesus.

I wonder what that might look like in your world. That might mean in your work place, making a stand for Jesus and having that conversation with a co-worker that you kind of know that you wanna have but you've been really nervous, and you're thinking what are they gonna think of me as a Christian? In fact, as I'm talking, I'm thinking there's somebody watching this, and you know, you're an academic, and you are a Christ follower, and you love Jesus with a passion. And you know, for all intents and purposes, in your work place, in your sphere of influence, you are a godly person, you emanate the light and the love and the life of Christ.

You're integrous in what you do. But you've got someone in your work place, and the fact is God's been prompting you to have a conversation with them, but you feel that they're gonna think that you're an idiot, and you're in the scientific realm, and you're gonna think they're gonna think that you are just a fool that you believe in this supernatural God, that you actually believe in an immaculate conception, that you believe in the resurrection, that you believe that the word of God is true, and your peers around you think those things are superstition and fairy tales, and they're not real, but I believe that God just had me stop in this moment to speak to you and say that if you would take a step of faith for him, and that if you would trust him, what just seems impossible, and it seems ridiculous.

And in fact in your case it might seem that this would put you back in your career, that if you trust God, and you take a step of faith, and you have that conversation, God is gonna move so supernaturally on your behalf, and you're not gonna go backwards, you'll actually going to be catapulted up to a level of influence that you couldn't believe if he was going to tell you. And God is on your side. Take a step of faith, dare to look like a fool, and you're gonna be the head and not the tail in your situation in Jesus name. In Jesus name, amen, amen.

Part 4
Hey everyone, I am so glad that you've joined us today. I'm so glad that you tuned in. You've come in on a great week. We are wrapping up our series on crossing The Red Sea, and I know that God has a word for you and I know that God has a miracle for you. Friend, I don't know what you are confronting today, what insurmountable wall seems to be in front of you. There seems to be something in your liking going on, surrounded by enemies behind me, I've got walls on either side of me, there's a Red Sea in front of me. I don't know how I'm going to get through this situation.

I want you to know you've tuned into the right program because God is a God of miracles. Impossible is where God starts. Miracles are what God does and I know that he's gonna make a way where there is no way. Now, we have been talking about the children of Israel being delivered out of slavery in Egypt on the night of the passover in Exodus chapter 12, and that in itself was a supernatural miracle that God brought them out of Egypt. And then he took them, in Exodus chapter 13, through the long way 'round and we have discovered, time and time again, that the long way with God is better than the short way on your own. And you just want the presence of God with you and during the long way 'round, that's where God does a deep work on the inside of us.

That's where our sanctification happens. That's where we are being conformed and transformed to the image of God. That's when the junk is being taken out of us. It's being squeezed out of us and it could only be squeezed out of you when you are in a situation you don't want to be in. So rather than getting out of that situation, we stay there and we allow the presence of God to purify us so that we can be conformed and transformed more to the image of God. Then we get to chapter 14, where the children of Israel, they have now come to this place where they're just on the edge of The Red Sea, and they've go the Egyptian army behind them and they just began to murmur, grumble and complain because it's like, Moses, why did you bring us here. As if he did. He was just following God. And they started to be negative and they started to be critical and so Moses came out with a fantastic battle plan. He said, "Be quiet and God will rescue you".

And sometimes I think that this is the best strategy that we can do. Instead of talking about our problems, instead of talking about our enemies, instead of talking about what's not happening, let's either be silent. If you can't say what God says, say nothing. That's what I've learned. Because our life will often align itself with our past. Our mouth will align itself with our circumstances. Our mouth will very often align itself with how we feel. Very rarely does our mouth straight away align itself with the truth of the word of God. And that's why it's so important to memorize and confess scripture, so that we can bring our mouth into alignment with God's word. Because there is the power of life and death in our tongue and you get to frame your world with the words that you speak.

So are you speaking words that bring life or are you speaking words that bring death? If you're a parent, you know in an instant, that one of your words could crush one of your kids. Sometimes I have to really remember this, because obviously, I talk for a living. It's what I do. And so, sometimes I'll say something and I don't realize that even though I haven't meant it how it's been interpreted, but their spirits are so tender and the kids are just so gentle, that one word can absolutely crush and quench and squash them. That has just made me, ever since I have had children, it has certainly made me so much more aware of the power of my words. And you can speak words of courage and words of strength into people or you can actually squash and deflate people with your words. So why don't we make a decision that we're gonna be people of God that put courage into people.

That's what encouragement is. It's you put courage in. And if you've got something good to say, say something good. People are starved for encouragement sometimes I travel and people say to me, "Oh, I was gonna send you this encouraging card "Or I was gonna write you this text, but you know, "You get 'em all the time". And I'm thinking, everyone thinks I get them, so I don't get them. And so you know, I could use encouragement like everybody else. And it like, all of us, it doesn't matter who you are, all of us, imagine how you'd feel and remember how you feel when someone encourages you. And think about the times you have felt the lowest in your life and it's often when someone has said something, even if it's offhand, and they don't even realize how much they matter to you. I know for me, words matter so much.

And so, I love my friends so dearly, and sometimes they'll say things that they don't even realize. They just roll their eyes and kind of go, that was a big deal? But you know what, to me, those words went in so deeply and sometimes they can cut you so deep that if you don't bring it before the Lord, they can quench you for weeks at a time. Somebody's actually watching this, on the other side of the screen, and I just felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to just speak courage and speak encouragement into your life. You being, I see the word discouragement just written over you, and you have been so discouraged. Words of negativity, words of doubt, and just condemnation and judgment have been spoken over you. And you've become, you've just like literally shriveled up, and just become a fragment of the person that you were.

I just wanna pray in the name of Jesus that the power of those words is broken over your life, in Jesus' name, right now. And you can tell, 'cause you're already starting to get up on your couch a little bit and put your shoulders up. But you've been hunched over, kind of like a hunchback, like Quasimodo, for weeks now. You've just been in, and the posture of your spirit, has been one that's been hunched over. And I wanna tell you that God wants you to lift your head up high, put your chin up, put your shoulders back. You are a son or daughter of the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. You are created in the image of God and you are worthy of the love and the grace and the mercy of God. And give this person's words no more power over your life, in Jesus' name. Believe what God has said about you above what that person said over you, in Jesus' name.

Here we are, that Moses said to them, "Be silent and watch the deliverance of God". We're gonna trust the character of God. There are circumstances where you don't know how deliverance is going to happen, but you're gonna have to trust the character and the nature of God and you're gonna have to trust that the same God that has brought you here is the same God that's gonna take you into your destiny. You don't know how. The odds seem impossible. There is not even like a 10% chance. There is a 0% chance if God does not turn up, you are toast. If God does not turn up, it's over. If God doesn't turn up, that business deal is just gonna go bankrupt. If God doesn't turn up, that court case is going to go negative. If God doesn't turn up, that marriage is gonna end up in divorce. If God doesn't turn up, that kid is gonna end up a drug addict for the next season of their life.

You need a divine intervention from a miracle working God, but I'm here to remind you today that God is a God of miracles. That's what God does. Miracles are the currency of heaven. It's what God does. In Jesus' name. And I believe for you, for a breakthrough, in the name of Jesus. So then, we pick it up and then the scripture tells us in verse 19, the angel of the Lord who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. I love that. Sometimes, you can't see God in front of you, because he's got your back. You see, that's what happened in this situation. The pillar of cloud moved behind them, so they could no longer even see the presence of God in front of them any more. Then they're like, where's he gone? He's got your back.

Some of you, you're wondering where God is. You're thinking, I can't see you God, where have you gone? He hasn't left you, he hasn't forsaken you, he's got your back. That's what happened in this. God will stand between us and our enemies. You will never, ever have to fight alone. He sends his angels to fight for us. He sends his angles to guide us. He loves us and you can know that your God will be with you in your battle. Your God will not leave you. Your God will not forsake you. He is with you and God protected Israel from an Egyptian attack. You know what? We have no idea how much God protects us from unseen enemies. And sometimes, when you're thinking I don't even know what to thank God for, thank God for the accidents that didn't happen. Thank God for the terror that didn't happen. Thank God for the thing that he saved you from that you don't even know that happened.

You don't know how much God is protecting you from. You might feel overwhelmed, but you don't want God to pull back his protection, trust me. Trust me. I pray that over my children, I pray that over our ministry, I pray that over our staff every single day. I want the hand of the protection of God over us and even on my worst day, I think, imagine if we didn't have it. If this is what it feels like and I've got it at times, I don't want God to lift it at all. I don't want him to lift his hand of favor over our life, I don't want him to lift his hand of favor of our ministry. I want him to keep it right there, but then the Bible says that, in verse 21, then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and he made the sea a dry land.

I love that. Can I just tell you, you know that when God sends a wind, something is about to happen. So God sent a strong, east wind here, and when you feel a sense of that wind, your soul can start getting happy. You know, I've been in circumstances where it seems nothing's shifting. Now remember, the water hasn't changed, yet God sent the wind. But when that wind comes, you just know something's about to shift. So you know, you go, I don't know and you see these kind of happy Christians and you go, what's going on? They're going, I don't know, I haven't got, did you get the promotion? No, I haven't got it yet, but I feel the wind. Something's about to happen. You mean, has your kid come to the Lord? No, they haven't come yet, but I'm telling you, I feel the wind. Something's about to happen.

Do you know, did you get that financial break? No, I haven't got it yet, but I feel the wind. Something's about to happen. Have you ever met those kind of Christians? They're like, I feel the wind. I'm that kind of person. I'm always looking for the wind. And people are like, what do you got a smile on your face for? Nothing's changed. I go, oh no, I feel the wind. It's gonna happen. I feel it man. When that wind is coming, it's about to, I'm always looking for the wind. Where is that wind coming and where is the flow of the Holy Ghost coming and that's where I want to be. You feel the wind? It's gonna happen. Your God is so awesome. I love this that the Bible says that they went through, it was dry ground.

So there was like no mud on their shoes. Isn't your God so good? Sometimes, he's gonna give you stuff you didn't even ask for. And they did not even have muddy feet when they came out the other side. They just walked through on dry ground. He could've made it soggy, like they could have had to go through, like so, but no, no, he makes it dry. Your God is always better than you even imagine. He will do for you the thing that you didn't even ask for. It's just like he ties a bow on it. He goes, hey, you don't even have to have muddy sandals. I'm gonna give you dry feet on the other side. It's gonna be absolutely awesome. So the Bible goes on and it says, this is the part, and the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Whoa!

Can you imagine walking in the middle of this? Have you ever seen that? Have you seen that in those cartoons, those great, what's the cartoon that all my kids watch and they do, like, it comes out and they walk through and the fact is, can you imagine how freaking out they were? There is these walls of sea that go up and that go up. And I imagine that they would've been almost terrified, more terrified of the wall being up. You ever been delivered by God in a way that's really uncomfortable, in a way that you think I didn't think it would be like this and you're so freaking out and you're so worried that that wall of water's gonna come back on you that you're missing the dry ground, 'cause you're in the middle of a miracle but you're freaking out and you're not even realizing it is a miracle, because you think that that miracle is gonna fall back on you and you're missing the beauty of the miracle in the midst of the miracle because you're freaking out so much.

Don't miss the beauty of what God is doing in your life because of the mess that is surrounding the beauty. Look for the miracle of God. Look for the dry ground. Look for the provision of God and stop staring at the way that he's doing it that makes you feel uncomfortable. Because the truth is, in order to get to our promise land, in order to get into our spiritual Canaan, we're gonna have to walk through a lot of uncomfortable parts. Things are gonna not be as smooth as we like. Things are not gonna be as predictable as we would wish them to be. If you are a control freak, this is particularly gonna mess with you, because God is not going to do it how you want to do it. If you want every I dotted and every t crossed, I'm telling you get ready to be sorely disappointed because God is not going to do it that way. He does them in a very messy way.

That's because he's God and we're not, and our comfort is not his priority. The miracle is his priority. His objective is his priority. His purpose is his priority. And so focus on the next step. I'll tell you what happens when you go through it and it's certainly true in my life. Out of every stage, when God brings you through, and you just get through the skin of your teeth, and it is messy and it is bloody and you look like you barely made it because you did barely make it, there is no room for arrogance when you come out that side. Because you know God just got me through. So when people say to me, every time we open a new office, or as propel continues to move forward, you know, Christine, are you feeling awesome? I'm like, no, God's awesome. Just go trough by the skin of my teeth. We just got another office, we just took another bit more, but you know what, every time we go through, it's like walking though that where I haven't known is that wall of water gonna fallback on me. It's been really messy. It hasn't looked pretty. I've freaked out.

There is no room for arrogance 'cause you know it's God. You know that it's God. It's a way that he keeps you utterly dependent upon him. So you and God, you know how close it was. You're the one that comes out, goes have mercy on me, Lord. How many times have I walked through things and I think, like I need mercy. I need mercy. People are like, a21, you're awesome. I'm like, oh God, mercy. Mercy, Lord, please. Please. It keeps you humble and it keeps you on your knees, because you're utterly dependent upon God. I don't know what your walls of water are. I don't know what Pharaoh might be chasing you, but the Lord says today, keep walking, keep walking. Don't stare at the walls of water on either side. Look at the dry ground that's in front of you and trust that the same God that let you take the last step is the same God that's gonna let you take the next step.

And if you're wondering how those waters are staying up, it was God from beginning to end. Could they fall on you? Absolutely, but the same hand that put them up in the first place is the only hand that can keep them up. You looking at them is not gonna keep them up. You trying to analyze it is not gonna keep them up. There is no other way but God's way. You are utterly, totally dependent on the hand of God. That's what this faith walk is all about. But your God is good, your God is gracious and he who promised is faithful. You will come through in Jesus' name. God will bring you through. And so, of course, the deliverance at The Red Sea became the turning point in Israel's history. We know that God delivered Israel in seemingly impossible circumstances. He demonstrated his faithfulness to Israel and to the people.

And the same God who parted The Red Sea, the same God who allowed the Israelites to walk on dry ground, the same God who covered up the enemy in the depths of that same sea, the same God who brought salvation to his people, is the same God that is with you and with me. That's the same God that is with us today. I know we've been focused on this text out of Exodus 14, but today, in the 21st century, he is the same miracle-working God. He is still the God that parts Red Seas and makes a miraculous way where there seems to be no way. Impossible is where God starts. Miracles are what God does and I am very passionate about this because I think there has been an attack in the body against believers believing for supernatural signs and wonders and miracles. I know I've been doing a whole lots of nights of fire across north America because I'm like, we need to see signs and wonders and miracles because God still dos do miracles today. God still heals bodies today. God still saves souls today. God still delivers people today. God still breaks strongholds today. God still reconciles today.

He is a miracle-working supernatural God and I think the enemy has come to try to undermine that, to try to put doubt and discouragement in us, to try to undermine the authority of the scripture, to try to undermine the miracles of the resurrection and the immaculate conception and trying to make us all think, well you know what, it kind of, might of, sort of be true and it really isn't, and it's a little bit fictional and it's a little bit this. Listen, if God said it, I believe it. That settles it. It's as simple as that. And I believe that we need to walk into a time where we believe for the miracle-working power of God in our lives and in our nations, in Jesus' name. Everything about our faith is supernatural. We believe in a God that we've not seen, but we've experienced. It's supernatural. Salvation is supernatural. It's all supernatural.

So here's the deal. This might be your Red Sea moment. Wherever you are and whoever you are, maybe the enemy is on your tail and he's been whispering lies and he's been whispering defeat to you and telling you it's all over and telling you God cannot use you and telling you God is finished with you. And in fact, lying to you and telling you that you may as well end it all now, because it's too late. But I'm here to tell you the devil is a liar. He's loud but he's a liar, and he's been lying to you. God still has a plan for you. God still has a purpose for you. God has a destiny for you. It is not too late. You are not finished. You have not committed an unforgivable sin. The grace of God, you've not gone so far that the grace of God cannot find you. There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Jesus loves you with a passion and a purpose. Maybe the obstacles that you're confronting just seem too big. God this is just too much.

I can't go on believing you. I'm here to speak courage and faith into you today, to keep believing. God there is not obstacle that is too big for God to remove. There's not Red Sea that is too deep for God not to be able to split that thing and to get you to walk through on dry ground. You know, maybe you want to give up. Maybe you're weary, or you're discouraged, or you're disappointed or you're disillusioned but I'm here to tell you, keep going. I'm speaking courage into you. The Lord said unto Joshua, only be strong and very courageous. We need to be a generation of courageous Christians, not a generation that is gonna pull back in faith or doubt or negativity or fear. We understand that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world and we're gonna continue to propel forward in faith. God is with you, God is for you, God is fighting for you, God's power means he can, God's promises mean he will.

Trust him always because there's not one need that God cannot meet, there's not one disease that God cannot heal, there's not one soul that God cannot mend, that cannot save, there's not one heart that God cannot mend, there's not a mountain that God cannot move, there is nothing that my God cannot do. Isiah 54:17 says that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. 1 John 4:4 says, greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Romans 8:31 says, if our God be for us, then who can be against us. Psalm 18:29 says, with God, we can crush an army and we can scale any wall. And Luke 1:37 says, nothing is impossible with God. What is impossible with man is possible with God and with God, all things are possible and nothing is impossible with God, in Jesus' name. Nothing is impossible with God. Hallelujah, amen, amen.
Comment
Are you Human?:*
  1. Terence Govender
    25 January 2019 11:53
    + 0 -
    please send notes on crossing the RED Sea