Exodus 15:9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation
We see throughout the scripture time and time again that God’s people often found themselves in precarious, impossible, odds stacked up against them positions. Enemies on one side and graves to be made on the other side. Out numbered and by all appearances their demise was coming soon.
No- they were not always the most skilled warriors, no they weren’t always the strongest men- no they weren’t even always the bravest men. It always seemed like God would take them to positions in their journey where it would seem to most that there was no way of escape.
We read the account of the Crossing of the Red Sea and often times lose the gravity of this event and how the odds are insurmountable. You have a mighty army of men covering the hillsides with swords, shields and chariots glistening in the Egyptian Sun. Closing in on a multitude of unarmed and untrained men, women and infant children. When Pharoah’s army captured them there was not going to be a friendly discussion encouraging the children of Israel to come back to Egypt and be our friends. No they would have been utterly slaughtered that day.
The children of Israel knew this because they even cried out to Moses “What since there were no graves in Egypt- you brought us out here to die??”
They were ready to surrender and give up-
YOU SEE THERE’S SOMETHING YOU CAN DO THAT GOD CANNOT DO-
YOU’VE BEEN TOLD ALL YOUR LIFE THAT GOD CAN DO ANYTHING – BUT THAT’S NOT TRUE.
WHAT CAN YOU DO THAT GOD CANNOT DO? - YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN!
YOU SEE SOMETIMES THE DR SAYS IVE DONE ALL CAN DO
SOMETIMES THE COUNSELOR SAYS I’VE DONE ALL I CAN DO
SOMETIMES THE ACCOUNTANT SAYS- IVE DONE ALL I CAN DO
BUT GOD CAN NEVER HAS NOR WILL HE EVER SAY- IVE DONE ALL I CAN EVER DO!
Habbakuk 3:3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
May I tell you when the heavens begin to shake and the earth tremble, lightning flashes- GOD IS HIDING HIS POWER
WHEN STORMS ARE CEASED, DEAD ARE RAISED, BLIND EYES ARE OPENED, CHAINS ARE LOOSED WALLS COME DOWN---GOD IS STILL HIDING IS POWER.
WHEN PARALYTIC LEGS BEGIN TO LEAP, MUTE MOUTHS BEGIN TO SPEAK, LEPERS ARE CLEANSED, DEMONIAC MEN ARE LIBERATED AND DEMONS FLEE---GOD IS STILL HIDING HIS POWER
WHEN CANCER IS CURED- PEOPLE ARE DELIVERED FROM ADDICTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS ARE INSTANTLY RESTORED- PEOPLE DANCE AND REJOICE WITH HIS PRESENCE---GOD IS STILL HIDING HIS POWER!!
“A HIDING OF HIS POWER…” IN OTHER WORDS GOD HAS HID MORE THAN HE HAS REVEALED TO US
It’s in life that many of us have found ourselves at one time or another
Annually in Europe they have a world-renowned chess tournament that has taken place for decades. People from around the world will come and display their brilliance in the game of chess. Hour after hour people move their pieces across arena of the chess table. One of the backdrops on display, at this tournament, is a painting dating back into the 1700’s.
Put Picture up- DESCRIBE
It is entitled Check Mate
During one of these tournaments a player found himself perplexed in a tense match, pushed himself away from the table, walking around the room, he stood gazing at this painting, studying and looking at every detail. With a voice that startled the quit room, racing with dull whispers, he cried out
“IT’S WRONG…IT’S WRONG…THE KING HAS ONE MORE MOVE!!”
That’s a word for somebody here---God is not finished!
You may have given up, thrown in the towel, surrendered, and heading for the hills. But there is a mighty God that is standing up from His throne proclaiming- YOU MIGHT BE DONE- BUT I’M NOT DONE
It reminds me of the woman “caught in the very act of adultery” this account has often amused me because I believe there are some glaring questions we have to ask ourself.
1. If she was caught in the act- why was she brought be herself
2. Why was it the religious, devout holy men were the ones snooping around enough to catch her IN THE ACT OF ADULTERY
3. These Pharisees run to Jesus with the law in one hand and stones in the other hand…Can I tell you if you ever want judgement, condemnation on a guilty person’s life- DON’T EVER THROW THEM AT THE FEET OF JESUS! YOU MIGHT WANT TO THROW THEM AT THE FEET OF A BUNCH RELIGIOUS, SELF-RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO THROW THEM AT THE FEET OF A BUNCH OF PIOUS PREACHERS WHO THINK THEY’VE NEVER MESSED UP- YOU MIGHT WANT TO THROW THEM AT THE FEET OF CRITICAL CHRISTIANS---BUT NOT AT THE FEET OF JESUS
4. THEY THREW HER AT THE FEET OF JESUS AND SAY “THE LAW SAYS…CHECKMATE”
THE TOLD JESUS- THE WORD SAYS---JESUS WAS THE WORD
WHEN THEY SAID CHECKMATE- JESUS STOOD UP WITH DIRT STILL ON HIS FINGER POINTED IT THEIR WAY AND SAID I DON’T THINK SO ---THE KING HAS ONE MORE MOVE---HE THAT IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE!!
You may feel like you have gone too far---BUT GONE HAS ANOTHER MOVE FOR YOU
I’ve messed up to big---I can never be restored---God is not over in your life
Life is too much for me to bear---God is getting ready to do a great thing in your life!
Looking at this picture- if I were to put a Biblical figure on the other side of the table from satan playing chess, one that comes to mind would certainly be Job.
Satan was testing him and trying him- took all his family, his wealth and prosperity, friends forsook him- his body was covered by blistering boils
TRULY SATAN MUST HAD LOOKED AT JOB IN HIS DEMISE, WITH A GRIN ON HIS FACE, HE NODDED WITH CONFIDENCE AND POINTED HIS FINGER DOWN AT JOB AND CRIED OUT CHECKMATE!
Job 42:16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.
17 So Job died, being old and full of days.
SOME OF YOU ARE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF AN AFTER THIS MOMENT
AFTER THE BANKRUPTCY
AFTER THE FORECLOSURE
AFTER THE DIVORCE
AFTER THE JAIL
AFTER THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE
AFTER THE DRUGS
AFTER THE SICKNESS
AFTER THE SURGERY
AFTER YOU LOST THE JOB
AFTER THE PAIN
AFTER THE HURT
AFTER THE DEPRESSION
WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT----BUT AFTER THIS---JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING!!
Genesis 9:28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
YOU MAY NOT SEE IT RIGHT NOW---BUT THERE IS LIFE AFTER THE FLOOD
THE KING HAS ONE MORE MOVE---HE IS NOT DONE IN YOUR LIFE!
WHEN YOU STUDY IT---NOAH LIVED MORE AFTER THE FLOOD THAN HE DID BEFORE THE FLOOD!!
CALVARY----THE KING HAS ONE MORE MOVE!!
DEATH MAY LOOK LIKE CHECKMATE
New Life Apostolic Church- Naples, FL
http://www.newlifegg.com
