You Do It!

hen the LORD said to Moses. "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the people to get moving!" (Ex14:15) But Jesus said, "That isn't necessary - you feed them." "But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!" they answered. (Ma14:16,17)

The story of the Israelites being delivered out of Egypt and again at the Red Sea must be one of the most famous Bible stories. We are familiar with the people complaining and Moses getting the blame. Until this time the LORD God of the Israelites was not widely known throughout the earth. God's purpose in the miracles and the rescue of the people was that His great glory might be displayed and that all Egypt might know that I am the LORD! (Ex14:17,18) By the time that the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea not only all Egypt but the surrounding nations feared the LORD. The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia. The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble... terror and dread fall upon them. The power of Your arm makes them lifeless as stone...(Ex15:15-16)

This is more than just a story of the deliverance of one group of people, but of other nations as well coming to know about the LORD. There was much more going on at the Red Sea than the Israelites getting to the other side. And they said to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness?... Didn't we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt?...It's better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!" But Moses told the people, Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you...(Ex14:11-13)

But the LORD seemed to contradict what Moses had told the people by saying, ..."Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. (Ex14:15,16) This was one of those times when God seems to say, "Why are we even having this conversation? Don't you understand yet? You already have the staff and through that the power and authority to deal with this, so just do it! I am doing this thing with Pharoah, can't you at least use the power I have already given you to rescue these people while I get on with My task?"  "And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they will charge in after the Israelites." (Ex14:17)

This is not the only instance when God had already empowered people and yet they expected Him to do what they could do. Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:"...Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons..."(Ma10:7,8) Even before the Holy Spirit was in the apostles and before Jesus had gone to the Cross they had the power and authority to Raise the Dead! Some time after when Jesus was healing the sick, casting out demons and teaching the crowds, it was getting late and the people were getting hungry. That evening the disciples (Note that they are not called apostles) came to Him and said, "... Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said, "That isn't necessary - you feed them."  Jesus didn't say this to mock the disciples, He knew that they could do this but unfortunately they didn't. "But we only have five loaves of bread and two fish!" they answered. Bring them here, " He said. (Ma14:15-18)

Another time that the disciples didn't access the power that they had been given was in casting out a demon, something they had done before. The father of the demon possessed boy said to Jesus, "Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures...So I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn't heal him." Jesus said, "You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? ..Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy...Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, "Why couldn't we cast out that demon?" "You don't have enough faith, "Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed...Nothing would be impossible." (Ma17:15-21) Faith is given to us by God (Ro12:3) and it means believing Jesus when He said, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth." (Ma28:18) And "Look, I have given You authority over all the power of the enemy,..." (Lu10:19)

There are battles that we face that God has arranged so that those who are not in a relationship with Him might see His glory as we use the power and authority He gave us. But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses..(Ac1:8 the Amplified Bible) Our natural instinct is to cry out like babies and ask God to solve the problem when actually, He crafted the issue to minister to others and wants us to be His channel, to testify to the power of God in a believer's life. Jesus said, ...anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. (Jo14:12)

The issues we go through and not always about us. We are already safe in the fold, it is about the 99 who are not safe, those who are fighting God and resisting the Holy Spirit. How wonderful if we could start a war in heaven because we are praying for our nation and using our God-given authority like Daniel. (Da9:20-23//10:2-14) Using our spiritual muscles for the first time can be painful like going to the gym when you haven't been there before. You know that there are muscles that you have never used and others that you rarely use. But we can't glorify God if we never use what He has already given us.

As Christ's body, the Church, it is time that we stopped pleading with God and started using our God-given authority to push back the kingdom of darkness and claim the territory of our home, our city and out nation for Jesus. To allow others to see the glory of God as it is revealed through us.

Praise the Name of Jesus!