Deuteronomy 1:18 " And I command you at that time all the things which ye should do."
(1:19) And when we departed from Ho-reb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us and we came to Kadeshbarnea"
(1:20) And I said unto you, ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doth give unto us."
(1:21) Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the Land before thee; go up and posess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged."
Today I want to tell you all: Fear not, neither be discouraged, Because the Storm is over…
Now as we look upon this passage of scripture together and read the words of Moses in this the first chapter of the fifth book of Moses known as Deuteronomy which is interpreted to mean the second Law or the section edition of the Law…
Called the second law because not to amend the Law that was given to Moses but for additional direction God gave his people when they were in need.
Yes, the God’s people were in need
You see, at this time Israel had completed nearly forty years of wilderness wandering…
IN almost nomadic likes motion…
The Children of God moved through trial and tribulation…
Through strife and conflict…
Through Good and bad…
Through it all… They spent nearly forty years and now…
After wandering through this wilderness…
They were about to enter land of Canaan….
And the God told his children as a loving father would tell his child…
Fear not and don’t be discouraged…
Tell somebody Fear not….
And Don’t be discouraged…
It’s gonna be all right…
You we have to keep one another encouraged because you see if you were to place yourself in the shoes of one of those Israelites when they were freed from the bondage of slavery and set on there way…
After you were released from your shackles and as your wounds mended and as your eyes were opened and you looked forward to your journey toward freedom…
If you had some idea that you would be walking for the next forty years in an environment described as a wilderness…
And environment described as great and terrible…
A place that you knew it was going to get very tough before it was going to get better…
If you can place yourself in those shoes for a moment…
If you place your mind in that situation for a moment…
You would be thinking like I’m thinking in that these folks new at least three things when they started…
They knew we where going to: one!
1. See a storms or obstacles in our future…That
2. Sooner or later they were going to be in the middle of that storm we saw from far off…And
3. The only way out of this storm was going to be through the power of God…
So they knew they were going to see some storms… They knew this was not going to be easy…
God has promised me something over here… But right now… I am still over here…
And this journey I am about to take…
This expedition we are about to embark upon…
This trip we are going to take..
Is not going to be easy…
It’s not easy because although I have faith…
This is a long journey…This is going to be a long trip…
And in this journey I have to eat…
I have to have clothing…
I have to stay healthy…
I have to find shelter…
And not only is this not easy.
But then on top of this
This journey Is not just about me…
I have children with me…
I have family I have to look after…
I have weaknesses and frailties that no one knows but me…
And I have to be strong…
And I can see the storm coming…
I can see the problems in front of me…
I can hear the commotion coming…
My bills are piling up…
My relationship is going south…
My business is moving in the wrong direction…
My company’s restructuring…
My health is started to erode…
I can see that there are going to be some times ahead of me that I don’t know how I’m gonna make it…
Well I came here today to tell you that there is a way out…
You see, God had told the children of Israel that if they were faithful…
And obedient…
And remained in covenant relationship with Him…
They would come out of the storm and receive what was promised to them…
I came to tell you that even though you can see that storm coming…God will provide
Even though the winds of confusion are blowing …God will be in the midst…
God is in the Midst…
El Shaddai …
Jehovah Jerah …
The Most High God…. Is with you…
An all-powerful God is with you…
A providing God is with you….
A God of Peace and Righteousness…
A Mighty God…
A when you see that Storm coming…
When you are about to walk toward your wilderness…
When you begin to see the rain falling…
You can be like David…
When he said (PSALM 16:1) PRESERVE ME O GOD… FOR IN THEE I TRUST…
HE SAID (16:5) For the Lord is my portion…Of mine inheritance…
AND I HAVE SET THE LORD BEFORE ME…
HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND…
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED…
: Because God is with me…
An when you can’t be moved…
Then you can shout…
The LORD IS MY ROCK…
THE LORD IS MY REFUGE…
HE’S MY FORTRESS…
HE’S MY DELIVERER…
HE’S MY STRENGTH….
HE IS MY PROVIDER…
HE IS MY PEACE…
HE IS MY COMFORT…
And HE IS THE MOST HIGH GOD…
See God has this thing all under control…
I don’t care what you are going through… God has it under control…
The children of Israel had to start there journey somewhere…
They had to one-day start walking toward the promise land…
They were free and it was decision time…
They saw the perils of leaving and they could see the storm coming…
But God told Moses… I have this thing all under control…
God didn’t say there weren’t going to be any storms…
God didn’t say we weren’t going to have some tough times along the journey…
God didn’t say this was season of your life was going to be easy…
No, God said that He has got this thing in control…
That he will be in the midst of thee…
That when you are in the storm… If you come to him…
He will be in the midst of your situation and will be with you in the storm…
This brings me to the second point I want to make today…
And that is that: now that you see your storm…What do I do when I’m in the storm?
Now if you go back to verse 19 you will see that through Moses, God had to remind his children of what He can do in the middle of a storm…
Verse 19: He said, "We went through all that great and terrible
Wilderness…"
Honey, when we look back on our life…we have been through a lot together…
We saw the mountain of the Amorites as God had commanded us…
We came up against some financial hills…
We walked through some dry valleys…
We had some struggles with drugs and alcohol…
There is not enough time in the day…
We have lost our patience…
We lost control and sometimes it feels like there is a riot going on inside…
But we stuck it out with God…
We keep hanging on to His right hand…
We keep holding on to His promise
And we can see the light… At the end of the tunnel…
God has moved us from here… To over here… And if I look over there I can see were God wants us to be…
I can see it… I can feel it… I can taste it…
And in verse 20 Moses says…
Folks… God has done all of this for you…
And now we are at the last hurdle…
You have come to the mountain of the Amorites…
You have one more obstacle…
One more barrier…
You have one more challenge to over come and then you can possess what God has told you is yours…
A great writer once said " We are all created equal - But it is what we are equal to that really counts"…
In other words…
"We can’t ever discover new oceans unless we lose sight of the shore"
We can’t find the new discoveries in our life until we give up the those things that we fear…
And if you are coming against a giant in your life…
If you are pressing your way through a storm right now…
If you are dealing with some things that are holding you back…
Keeping you stagnant…
Attacking your progress…
You’ve got to look to what God has told you is already yours…
In times of distress… Call on God…
In Times of trouble… Call on God…
In times of confusion … Call on God…
Call on the God and He will hear you from Holy heaven.
Call on God and He will make a way out of no way…
(Psalm 118:5) "I called upon the Lord and the Lord answered me…
He heard my cry…
He touch my soul…
He set me in a large place… Hallelujah
He is going to make a way….
You got to say I believe I’m gonna make it.
Your storm is almost over…
I believe it…
and I’ll receive it…
And In the name of Jesus…
(Psalm 121:1) I will lift mine eyes unto the Hills were my help comes from
I will be the head and not the tail…
I will be above and not beneath…
I will fight through the storm…
And I will take what is mine…
Come with me to the Book of Mark for my last point on this subject…
Let walk over to Mark the 11th Chapter the 24th verse and you will see the answer to this issue when you see the storm coming…
When you are in the storm…
And then when you are on your way out of it…
Come on over to Mark 11
God lets us know that we will not only see a storm coming and have to persevere through storms in our lives…
But he is telling us that when we persevere…
If we stay strong and remain committed and faithful to his commands…
If we keep God in the center of our lives and our decisions…
God will bless and deliver…
And that is the last point I want to make today is that It may seem like the circumstance you were dealing with yesterday is just overwhelming…
It just messed you up…
Stressed you up…
And now you’re last nerve has been tested up…
But I want to tell somebody that the personally, professionally, and even spiritually situation that has had your heart and spirit all distracted and confused yesterday…
Can be gone tomorrow when we operate in the spirit of God… And let God handle these things…
Moses told the Israelites fear not, don’t be discouraged… Your storm is almost over…
God has set what is rightfully yours before you…
Go up there and take it…
It’s yours to have…
But look at Mark 11:22…
Because when we go to the master…
When we go to the Son of man…
When we go to that man called Jesus…
He teaches us how to truly overcome obstacles and how to come out of the storms…
Mark 11:22-24
(11:22) And Jesus answering them said: "Have Faith in God"
Because if you have faith in God…
(11:23) For Verily I say unto you (its Important I say this to you)…
That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed… and be cast in the sea; (and this is one of the important part) And shall not have doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass;
He/She/ You/I will have what ever he saith…
(11:24) Now listen very closely…
Verse 24…"Therefore I say unto you, What so things you desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, an you shall have them…
What does this mean to you today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life on this earth…
God is telling when the problems arise in our lives… Get in the habit of praying in faith…
When you pray in faith…
When you humble yourself to the throne of God…
When you get on your knees and ask him for forgiveness…
That Lively, pure, spotless, uncorrupted act of faith will begin to calm the storms…
It will begin to move the mountains…
It will take on the giants…
It will protect his anointed…
How many people know that the God we serve…? Is a hearing God…
Do you know that He IS… God of new Beginnings…
He IS … A God of Miracles…
He Is a God of Deliverance…
A merciful God…
Does any body here…Know He is a burden Bearer…
Does any Body here? Know he’s a heart fixer…
Does anybody here? Know He can make a way out of no way…
He brought me out…
He brought me through…
He said Take off those old Garments.
Put on some new…
Take away that old mind.
Let me give you a new mind…
Take away that old man…
I’ll give you a new man…
And I said thank you…
Thank you…
I have no fear….
I have no doubt…
No mountain too High…
No valley too Low…
No wilderness to tough…
No Giant too Tall
I’m gonna walk with Jesus…
I’m gonna wak with Jesus!
I’m gonna walk with Jesus!
Jesus!
The miracle maker…
Jesus
The healer…
Jesus
The man of salvation…
Jesus…
The Son of God…
JESUS!
The Bread of Life…
The Living Water…
The Holy one…
The First and the Last..
The Alpha and the Omega…
The Good Shepherd…
I want to keep you encouraged today…
Whether you see your storm coming…
Or maybe you’re in a storm right now… or even quite possibly (praise God) you are coming out of a storm even right now…
I want you to be encouraged because the storm is just temporary…
The bible says Fear not, neither be discouraged… Guess what your storm is almost over…
And When ever you are in a storm… You need a covering… You need protection… You need something that is going to keep you guarded from the elements that are making there way down toward you…
And when it’s all said and done…
That’s what Jesus has done for us when He died on the cross…
Maybe you see your storm… you see your storm coming and you have not embraced the covering of God…
You have not taken hold of the covering of the Church…
You don’t have a Pastor of your own that you can call and talk too…Can pray for you
If you don’t have any one of these things this is the time reserved for just that opportunity…
You know the Book of Romans says that "All have sinned" and that the wages of sin are death"
Spiritual death… That means… When you die… You will not go to heaven…
You will be separated from God…
But God sent His son Jesus to make a way for us….
John 3:17 says "that God sent not His into the world to condemn the world; But that the world through him might be saved…
And that The Word of God is nigh (its close to you) even in thy mouth and thy heart: That is the word of faith that is preached to you…
And it goes on to say that through that word of faith…That encouraging word. That word of truth…
(Romans 10:9) That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised Him from the Dead, thou shalt be saved.
(10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(10:11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed…
If you belive and are not ashamed you can accept Jesus right now by simply asking him to come into your life, forgive you of your sins and become your Lord and Savior.
And I will as he has promised.
May God bless you. And keep you..
Amen.
Reverend Robert W. Parker
Southern Mission Missionary Baptist Church
Rev. John Mitchell Jr. Senior Teacher and Pastor.
Tele: (314) 521-3951
e-mail: bparker@courier-journal
