Three Kings not to mention all their armies, and animals found themselves in a desperate situation (they had went seven days in the wilderness and they had no water).
This is a dilemma: water is a necessity of life, it’s not an extra or luxury it’s necessary to sustain life. Without it you die.
*The King of Israel starts blaming God for their dilemma. (it was his fault not God's).
This King was a bad influence.
Sometimes the biggest problem we have is our friendship circle, (wrong associations).
You need to refine your friendship circle and eliminate all the whiners and complainers, sift out all the doubters and pouters.
Have a deliverance service and deliver yourself from people with no vision, and no passion, who spend all their time wallowing in self-pity.
*Wrong associations will kill you, they will kill your joy, kill your vision, kill your passion, and kill your faith.
*If it hadn’t been for King Jehoshaphat who knew the power of a word from God they would have all died in the wilderness.
He asked, is there not a prophet here that we may inquire of the Lord?
*Jehoshaphat knew: one word from God can change everything.
Now I have preached on this subject before, but I’m getting some more light on the subject that I feel the Holy Spirit wants us to know.
Make this valley full of ditches, not exactly the word you want to hear when you're in the middle of a desert dying of thirst.
Make this valley full of ditches. If you have ever dug ditches then you know it’s hard work. And it’s especially difficult when the ground is hard and dry.
Here they were in a wilderness, a dry, desert valley place, a low place. And in this place, this low, dry, desert place, the word of the Lord says dig ditches.
It was hard slow and difficult work, no doubt their hands were bleeding, their backs were sore, their arms were aching, their shoulders were aching, and to top it all off, their thirst was becoming unbearable.
Maybe that describes what you're feeling right now.
-You have to force yourself to praise the Lord.
-You have to force yourself to pray.
-You have to force yourself to read the Bible.
-You have to force yourself to go to church.
I think if we’re honest about it, we have all experienced that at one time or another. But the important thing to understand is this…
It’s not supposed to be a permanent condition. Yes we may pass through the wilderness, but it’s supposed to be a temporary inconvenience, not a life time condition.
*David said yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He didn't say he was going to build his house there and retire there.
But the only way to get through these dry times is to keep on moving, keep on digging, keep on praying, keep on praising, keep on sowing, keep on coming to church.
What do you do when you’re going through the fire? You keep on walking.
What do you do when you’re going through the Red Sea and the Egyptian army is closing in on you? You keep on walking.
What do you do when you find yourself in the Valley of the shadow of death? You keep on walking.
So these kings got a word from God. But what is so amazing to me is that when God gave them the word, he gave them extra. Why? Because he’s the God of the extra.
Extra means… more than what is usual, more than necessary, more than what is expected.
They just came for water. They were fearful for their lives. They thought they were going to die. They didn't come to the prophet with great faith expecting great miracles.
Their greatest hope or expectation was that somehow and someway, God could get enough water to them to survive, and crawl their way out of the desert.
*So all that was on their minds was survival. If I can just get through this sickness, if I can just get through this divorce, if I can just get through this financial problem. If I can just get a drink. I’m not asking for much Lord… I just want a drink. Just enough to get me through this.
We deal with the very same thing today.
So many in the body of Christ have come out of the Egypt of never enough, but they got stuck in the wilderness of just enough.
And the sad thing is that so many of God's children are satisfied to remain in the wilderness of just enough, when the Spirit of God is beckoning them to push through to the land of more than enough.
*The very reason God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt was to take them to the promise land, the land of abundance, the land of more than enough... the land flowing with milk and honey, overflow.
But so many in the body of Christ are just like these three Kings and all their people, just looking for a drink of water. If I could just get a drink that would tide me over.
But I'm hearing the Lord say no. No! What are you talking about? You mean you’re not even going to give me a drink, give me a break, cut me a little slack?
Do you mean you’re just going to let me sink, you’re just going to let me die in the desert?
Then the Lord says No! Well which is it, no to a drink, or no to letting me die in the desert?
And I hear the Lord saying…
No to both. I hear him saying, you’re not going to die in the desert, and I'm not just going to give you a drink so you can survive.
Here's what God wants us to understand.
That’s entirely against his nature, he is not the God of just enough, he’s the God of too much. He’s the God of the Extra.
Some of you have been telling God, Lord, if you’ll just get me out of this jam, and Lord if you’ll just get me over this hump. And Lord if you’ll just get me through this fire, if you’ll just get this thing off my back...
Lord if you’ll just deliver me from this nicotine, if you’ll just break this habit, and this addiction off of me. Lord if I could just get a drink of water, I’d be satisfied.
But I hear the Lord saying… No! that’s not going to happen.
*Now hold on, you've got to listen to what I'm saying… I'm not saying that healing, or deliverance and break through isn't coming. And I'm not saying that you’re not going to get out of debt. I'm not saying God is not going to deliver you, but I hear the Lord saying, I can’t do just that.
—I hear the Lord saying, I can’t stop there. Once the well is open It has to flow. He’s the God of the extra. He’s the God of too much. He’s the God of more than usual, and more than expected.
Eph 3:20 Says he is able to do exceeding and abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Our problem is, we live in such a stingy world that it's almost impossible for us to process the excessive generosity of our God.
So when we're confronted with the extravagant, excessive, abundant generosity of God, we almost go into melt down.
And this excessive, abundantly extravagant generosity is so un natural to this world that some Christians rather than accept it, and embrace it, they start attacking it like it's something evil. Like prosperity and abundance are the devil's secret weapons.
3rd Jn 1:2 says... Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth.
In Psalms he said... Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. Psalms 35:27
And again in Ps 118:25 he prayed... I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
To boil it down, what God is saying to you and me today is, quit limiting me. You’re thinking too small. Your faithing too small.
Your believing, and asking too small. I’m the God of the overflow, and abundance. I’m the God of the extravagant, and it pains me to try and restrict the flow of my goodness, and my grace and mercy to you.
Tell your neighbor: Turn him loose. Turn God loose.
Do you see what I’m saying? Take the limits off God.
The Bible says that the children of Israel limited God, and God was not just disappointed, he got angry.
Psalm 78:40-41 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! [41] Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
One definition of the word limit is... to pain, wound, trouble, cause pain.
When the prodigal son returned home, he really only had one expectation or hope, and that was to be accepted by his father. He didn't expect to be given any special treatment, but instead he was welcomed by his father running to him, and falling on him. He gave to him The ring representing fellowship and authority. The robe representing acceptance, and the shoes representing his right to walk as a son. And he came home to a great welcome feast.
I said all of that to say this, the prodigal son was hoping just to be allowed to stay in his father's house.
But the extravagant excessively overflowing abundant heart of the father, couldn't stop there. He didn't just take him back, he demonstrated his acceptance, and then he restored him to a relationship as his son, and authority in his house.
God is a big God, and he wants us to believe him for big things.
When Jesus fed the 5'000 people not including the women and children, the Bible says... they ate till they were filled, and then they gathered up 12 baskets of leftovers.
In Lu 5:5-7 Simon Peter and the disciples had toiled all night, and caught nothing. Then Jesus said launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
After a short argument, Peter said nevertheless I will let down the net.
And the Bible says...when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net started breaking. They called for their partners to come and help them, and they filled both their boats with fishes, and both boats were so heavy they started to sink.
They went from nothing to too much.
They went from empty nets to breaking nets.
They went from empty boats to sinking boats.
Why? Because that's who God is. He is the God of the extra. He is the God of the overflow.
Listen, you can’t ask too big for God to do it. You can’t think or imagine beyond his ability and his willingness to bless you, to heal you, to deliver you, and to use you.
If you will turn God loose, he will blow your mind.
If you will turn God loose, he will not only give you a drink, he will give you rivers of living waters flowing out of your innermost being.
—If you will turn God loose, he will bless you so much, you won’t be able to handle it all.
—He will bless you so much you’ll have to call for people to come and take it off your hands.
—He will open the windows of heaven and pour you out blessings that won’t fit in your barns.
—He won’t just heal you, he’ll give you a testimony that will take Goliaths head right off of his shoulders.
—He won’t just deliver you from drugs, he will put you in a deliverance ministry setting captives free.
—If you turn God loose he will open doors no man could open.
—If you will turn God loose, he will anoint your life and make you a blessing to generations.
I’m trying to tell you, you’re thinking too small, you’re faithing too small, you’re expecting too small. God is into abundance. God is into the extravagant, the extra. He's all about generosity and overflow, that's just who he is.
It’s the thief who comes to steal to kill and to destroy, but Jesus said I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Jn10:10
No wonder the devil has fought you so hard, no wonder he's tried to kill you in the wilderness. He's afraid you'll tap into the goodness and the abundant nature of God.
You see the devil knows the extravagant, excessively, abundant nature of God, he just doesn’t want you to know it.
If the devil can’t kill you in the wilderness, his next best effort is to keep you ignorant of the extravagant, abundant, generosity of God. So you’ll go through life just begging for crumbs, like the syrophenician woman. Or just a drink of water to get you through the wilderness.
I know some of you aren’t quite ready for this, but I've got to expose you to this truth about God... He has a hard time just meeting a need.
Let me say that again… God has a hard time just meeting a need.
He is absolutely full of goodness, and mercy, and grace, and healing, and joy, and peace, and prosperity, and he’s always looking for a place to pour it out.
Let me tell you something… God is into the ridiculous. You say what do you mean pastor?
The word ridiculous means absurd, outrageous, ludicrous, unbelievable, and laughable.
Are you ready for this? Tell your neighbor get ready this is big.
Now tell your neighbor, I hope you can handle this.
You see a lot of people can’t handle this.
Ok, I’m going to prophesy this, and this is an open prophecy, which means anybody who has faith for it can grab it.
Here we go… God is getting ready to bless you in such a ridiculous way that if I told you right now, it would sound so crazy, and so outrageous and so unbelievable to you that you would probably fall out in the floor laughing.
I know some of you can’t handle this because your God is real small,...
*And he can do just enough to get you by. *And just enough to keep your nose above water.
*And just enough to keep you from dying of thirst in the wilderness.
*And just big enough to pull you out of the pit.
But I have to believe at least a few of you, maybe at least 5 or 7 of us can actually believe that our God is bigger than that.
I’m telling you that our God can bless you in such a ridiculous manner that you’ll be crying and laughing at the same time.
Can you handle that? Where are you at? I need you to make some noise if you believe can bless you bigger than just your need.
Ask your neighbor: Can you handle a ridiculous blessing?
Friends, there are blessings, then there are great blessings, then there are ridiculous blessings.
I just wonder is there anyone listening to me who is ready for a ridiculous blessing?
Genesis 43:34 says…And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
This was when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, they all set down at this great banqueting table, and Joseph made sure that Benjamin had five times more than any of the other brothers.
That means that Benjamin got a ridiculous blessing. It was not just enough, it was too much. It was overflow, it was extravagant, it was ridiculous.
I’m prophesying again: God wants to bless you with ridiculous blessings, that will make it obvious to everyone around you that his favor is on you.
In fact I prophesy that God is going to bless you in such a ridiculous way that people that don’t even like you will advertise your blessings. They will be telling other people how God has blessed you.
Is that Bible? Lets see…
Psalm 126:1-2 says, When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. [2] Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
It’s one thing when your Christian brothers and sister's are celebrating your blessings, but it is another thing altogether when the heathen are advertising your blessings.
Now let’s get back to our story, yes God sent the water and met their need. But lets find out why God sent the water: It’s not just because they were thirsty, it wasn't just because they were dry, and it wasn’t just because they were in trouble.
God loves you and yes he wants your needs met, but he has bigger things in his sight. God doesn’t just want to meet your need, and rescue you, and deliver you.
God wants you to be so filled up, and so fired up, and so powered up, that you will stand up, and speak up, and make the devil sorry that he ever bothered you.
He wants to bless you so ridiculously that it will humiliate the devil.
In fact I believe I feel a humiliating anointing right now.
The Bible says that when the righteous are blessed, it grieves the wicked.
God said: I’m going to give you the water, yes I’m going to quench your thirst, and
I'm going to meet your need, and I'm going to deliver you, but that’s just beginning.
Everybody say, that’s just the beginning.
That’s just barely getting the cork out of the bottle.
Now let’s listen to the word of the Lord…
2 kings 3:18-19 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
God says, what you have asked me for, meaning your need. It’s just a light thing.
Friend, you may think your need is enormous, and of gigantic proportions, but God says, oh that need, that problem, that molehill you’ve been talking about. Oh That’s just a light thing, that’s a feather weight issue, in my sight.
Oh yes, you’re going to get your drink of water, and you’re not going to die of thirst, but that’s preliminary.
That's not even the real blessing, I'm just getting warmed up.
So he says… vs.19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
In other words God says, I’m not just going to meet your need, I’m going to flip the script. And I’m going to turn the tables.
God said now you are going to be chasing the thing that was chasing you, and you are going to go into the enemies camp and knock down his walls, and stop up his wells, and set people free.
The devil didn’t want you to hear this message, but it’s too late you’ve got a word.
You’re not going to die in the dessert: This is the time for a turn around. In fact I feel an anointing for divine reversals right now. I feel a turn around anointing .
Somebody is standing on the brink of a break through right now. In fact you may be just one hallelujah away from a ridiculous blessing.
I'm telling you God is into the extra, the extravagant, and even the ridiculous. But you have to turn him loose. You have to let your faith loose.
Let your faith soar into the heavens.
It’s the season for invading the enemy’s camp and taking back what he stole from you
It’s time for restoration.
Somebody push your neighbor and tell them: I see ridiculous blessing all over you.
Are you ready for this? Now I want you to do something, but only if you're willing to risk getting hit with an outrageous blessing.
I'm warning you, don't do this if all you want is a cup full.
And don't do this if your satisfied, this is for someone who is ready to turn God loose in your life.
Ok now lift your hands and say, Lord you can be generous to me.
Say, Lord I'm ready for the extra.
Finally, say Lord... I'm ready, enlarge my capacity to receive the extra today in Jesus name.
