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The Obstacle Can Become the Blessing – Karen Austin

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We know the story of Moses in Exodus where he was given the assignment to set God’s people free. He was well aware of his shortcomings and bravely stated them to God, as if God didn’t already know. Moses was given an assignment that was so big, that it would have to take the supernatural to fulfill it. Time after time, God showed Himself greater than any acts the magicians of Pharaoh could perform. He allowed calamity and even death upon the Egyptian’s first born, yet all the while keeping His people safe. He even caused the Egyptians to give them gold, silver and clothing as they exited that place of slavery. All was looking good to the Israelites. After over 400 years, they were finally being set free from slavery.

We read that Moses and his people set out from Egypt and came to the place where they knew they had to cross. All they saw was an obstacle in front of them…the Red Sea. I would say that is quite the obstacle. Then they heard the hoof beats of the Egyptian army horses coming up behind them! Six hundred of the finest warriors were now coming in from behind. Once again, the Israelites forgot the bigness of their God.

Exodus 14:21 “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,”

That body of water was holding them back from crossing over into what God had promised them. But God dried up what was holding them back. The Israelites had to make a decision to cross over as Moses held his staff over the sea. God made a way where there was absolutely no way, but it took faith for them to make the step.

Another place we read of water being an obstacle is in 1 Kings 17. Ahab was the most evil of the kings of the land. Elijah was told by God to flee after he pronounced a drought in Israel until the Lord instructed him to decree the drought be lifted. He was instructed to go and remain by the Brook Cherith. At this place the ravens would feed him and he was to drink water from the brook. But after a while, the brook dried up.

God told Elijah to camp there. The ravens were feeding him, but the brook dried up. Elijah had not been disobedient. But God had a purpose in drying up the brook. He had another assignment for him. Elijah was told to go to the home of a widow in Zarephath. There the widow had food. Elijah had a roof over his head.

Some of you may have recently experienced that which was going well in your life or ministry just dry up. You were obeying God and kept your heart pure. It could very well be that God is drying up that which is holding you back. There may be something even better that before you, a Zarephath, but you have to release that which was and step out into that which will be.

All of us will face obstacles before us as the Israelite’s and Elijah. But as we put our faith in the One who knows our destiny, we will be given a way to cross over and enter in, regardless of what we are facing. The Father knows how to dry up that which is holding you bank and He knows when to dry up that which has been your sustenance so you will go on to your next place of assignment

We Are Not Alone – Frank Work

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Alright, let me be the first one to say that I have not always been one who enjoys fellowship. In fact, I could say, besides being around my wife, children, and grandchildren, I was pretty much a loner. Sure, I had people I was acquainted with and sometimes hung out with, but really other than that, I was a lone wolf. Now I am sure some of you are quoting this scripture out loud or in your head, Hebrews 10:24-25;

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Let’s look at verse 24 for a moment. I love “And let us STIR up one another to LOVE and good works.” One of the reasons we are to come together is not just for church on Sunday morning, but also because we need to be stirred up during the week. We need our fellow brothers and sisters to STIR us so that we know what the love and heart of Jesus is. He shows us through His bride, and His bride is US! Some of you who may read this have that lone-wolf mentality. You may really believe that you can only accomplish the works of God on your own. No one else understands you, right? Only God really gets you, am I right? I am going to say this as nicely as I can, and with as much love as I can put into words..ready? You are allowing yourself to be deceived by the enemy and allowing yourself to succumb to his lies if you believe for one minute that anyone is a one-man army. You cannot, and will not, accomplish your true destiny in the Lord unless you come alongside other believers to accomplish the will of the Father. Those of us who do this have an Old Testament mentality, while prostituting New Testament grace. What does that mean?

In the Old Testament God would use individual men and women to accomplish whatever mission He had. The people were scattered and prone to the worship of idols on their own. God was distant from them because of the sin in their lives, and because of that sin God could not see them, it was only by His divine and Holy Spirit could He see man in the Old Testament. There were times when God would, through the power of the Holy Spirit, meet face to face with man, i.e. Moses. Or God would communicate through His angelic messengers much like He did with Daniel. God would choose men and women whose hearts were turned towards His, and their desires were His desires, even from their birth. Joseph, Samuel, and Daniel are a few examples. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention David, who had a heart after God’s own. That isn’t to say that they were “prepared” when called, for God knows the heart of men, and sees the wickedness it could achieve. So God has to teach us and fill us with His wisdom, so that when we turn, much like King Saul, we have a new heart.

1 Sam 13:14 “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Now though we have the gift of salvation and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is only because of that shed blood, that now, the Father can look upon His people, and gather them to Himself. It’s the only way God can see us, is by the very blood that Jesus shed upon the cross. Without the blood of Jesus, we are far from God because God cannot look upon sin. It is because we are covered in the blood of He who is without sin, that the Father can now look upon us. Acceptance of Jesus as our Savior is more than just entering into the kingdom of Heaven, it’s also about being in a relationship with our heavenly Father and acknowledging that Jesus is Lord over all. See though here is the kicker in all this, Jesus came and is now, preparing His bride for His coming, the bride being the body of believers who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. Romans 10:8-9

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

We are all joined by the blood, therefore we are joined together as the bride. We cannot possibly function effectively apart from the rest of the bride, since we are joined in the spirit by the blood of Jesus. We are not to be alone in this fight, we are not be subject to the trials of this world as individuals, but as joint heirs, Romans 8:17 speaks specifically on this,

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

The enemy wants you to believe that you can do this on your own. You can’t. The enemy wants you to isolate yourself from the body, you should not. The enemy wants you to be ineffective in your calling, I beg you not to listen. Trust me from one who knows, has been there, and has bought the t-shirt. Being alone in the body of Christ is a surefire way of allowing the enemy a foothold in your life. You have no accountability, you have no support system and you have no one to encourage you. Yes, you can say Jesus can do all that, and He can. He does it through His bride; when you separate yourself from the bride, you separate yourself from Him. We are not to walk this earthly world alone, I am learning this anew every day.

Life Flow (Part 1) – Karen Austin

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How many of you have come into a church service tired, discouraged and just beat down by life? Then as you worshiped, the heaviness began to lift. You connected with heaven and were revived.

Once the Lord asked me, “Why do you think that you feel so good, so strengthened, after being in My Presence?” I know the Word says in His Presence is fullness of joy, but what I was feeling went beyond joy. He then answered His question. “There is a life flow in My Presence.” “For whoever finds Me, finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 8:35. We may read this scripture and think it means whoever finds Him finds salvation, eternal life. While this is true, the word “life” here means alive, live prosperously, be quickened, and revived from sickness, discouragement or even death! It means refreshment. Life to the Hebrews was associated with health, prosperity and vitality. They view man as a whole being – spirit, soul and body. So whoever finds Him, finds healing, hope and prosperity.

Psalm 36:9 says “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”God is the source of life. The book of Genesis tells us that God took the dust of the earth and formed a man and then He breathed into man’s nostrils and man became a living being. Intimacy with man began in one breath – when His breath became ours.

One thing I believe Holy Spirit is doing right now is inviting us to allow His Kingdom rule to grow, mature and consume us. It is then His Kingdom will reach beyond us to touch other people. The Presence of God should radiate from within us to touch those in whom we come in contact with. We are to release the fragrance of Heaven where ever we go. Remember Moses who spent much time with the Father, and when he left that place, his appearance was changed…His face shone, reflecting the glory of God.

David is one of my favorite Bible characters. He was a man of one thing. Even though he became king, had political authority and power, met with important people from other nations, his heart was still to worship God. It was during the time that he spent out on a hillside in worship, he found his life source.

“They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house. and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life, in your light we see light.” PSALMS 36:8, 9.

I invite you to drink from the river of His pleasures where I have discovered peace and rest…where I have found answers when I didn’t know where to turn. Drink from His river of life, for in His Presence is light and His light brings revelation which we need so desperately in these days and the days that lie ahead.

~~to be continued