MOSES AT MARAH Part 2

This week, I am bringing to readers of this blog the concluding part of Moses at Marah.

This is also from a chapter in the book coming out in July, 2008 titled HIS HELPING HANDS

You will be imparted and ignited as you read.

At this juncture, I will want you know to note this:

Fact is different from Truth.

This may sound illogical but

I am bold to say it is veritable. The fact about a situation

is different from the truth. In this situation, the fact is the

Israelites are in Marah where the water had all along been

bitter even before they got there. People who are nomads in

the wilderness would have had this knowledge before the

children of Israel crossed over the Red Sea. This is a fact!

This cannot be disputed by anyone. It is a fact.

However, the Truth came into the scene and caused a

change to be permanently recorded in history till today. I am

sure the people left a permanent, memorable and indelible

footprint in Marah. That which had been known as a fact was

indeed changed before their own very eyes. This is Truth in

action. What an awesome Almighty God we serve. This is

marvellous. The medical fact today says one thing but when

the Truth comes into the situation He reverses it and medical

specialists are bewildered. The Truth, Himself, is God of all

flesh!

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh.

Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah

32:27)

Moses had learnt in Egypt the art of crying out to

Jehovah!

He enacted this at Marah. He prayed to Yahweh in the

wilderness. Moses knew what God can do in the city, He can

also do in the forest or desert or wilderness. That is to say,

God is God of the mountains, valleys, as well as the plains.

God is not only omnipresent, omniscience and omnipotent

but Yahweh is also eternal, the Ever-living God!

We are very much in the age of high tech devices and

systems. All these are good for us, if we use them positively.

Alternatively, we can allow them to use us or even become

idols to us or our god. The choice is yours. God seeks our

fellowship more than anything else. Jesus told Martha in

Bethany:

“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen

that good part, which will not be taken away from

her.” (Luke 10:42)

Moses learnt the art of choosing that good part. We need

to copy that today. We need to follow the footprints of those

who had gone ahead of us, especially those who triumphed

in the faith like Moses.

Moses called out to heaven and heaven was rent. Help

poured down. His helping hands were revealed in the Marah

situation in which God’s people found themselves on the

way to the promised land of milk and honey. Beloved, our

Father has promised us similar ‘milk and honey’ in our own

journey in this world to that heavenly Canaan land.

As they encountered their own Marah, we are surely to

encounter our own too. We must all be prepared. There is,

however, one joy before us even here on earth. Before the

battle begins we are assured of victory, as we remain steadfast

in Him.

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the

world. And this is the victory that has overcome

the world - our faith. Who is he who overcomes

the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the

Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5)

On to our knees we must go and cry out when we find

ourselves in a Marah situation.

I mean we really need to pray as hard as we can. One

of my mentors says: If you pray well, you will live well. I

believe this with all of my heart.

I will end this chapter with a vivid testimony of a situation

I was personally involved in and how the art of crying

out revealed the Truth in a beloved sister’s life, and changed

her marriage forever.

10 YEARS BARRENESS BROKEN

I was in my office, just as any other day, at work in the

year 2000. One of my aides came to me and said there is

woman from another church in the city wanting to see me.

I gave permission for her to be let in. We were in Ibadan,

Nigeria, West Africa which is the second largest city in

Nigeria located in the South-western part of the country.

I was then priviledged to be the Senior Pastor of Christ

Life Church Headquarters popularly known in Nigeria as

Sword of the Spirit Ministries; the Presiding Bishop was

then Dr Francis Wale Oke. He is still the Presiding Bishop.

This woman began to reel out her story to me. It was really

a Marah-like situation.

She began thus:

“I was married ten years ago with the high expectation

of a newly married woman to have my own children.

I realised the journey to motherhood was not going to be

easy when after one year of marriage, there was still no child

forthcoming. There were instances when I took in for about

three weeks or so, all these led to miscarriages. I resulted to

consulting spiritualists and herbalists, and was ready to eat

and drink all kinds of medicines, some prepared in an unhygienic

manner just to get a child of my own.

After some years, as I found this was not working, I

switched over to consulting Islamic clerics. This also did

not work for me. In the midst of this saga, I gave my life

to Jesus Christ having been told all my problems would be

solved. I had high hopes after giving my life to Jesus Christ

believing now was the end of all my travails, as I was told

testimonies of many other people with similar cases to mine

or even worse.

Initially, my pastor and other brothers and sisters in the

church received me with joy. I was happy to get a family

outside my natural family that cared. I did not know this

would be short-lived. After a few years, my case seemed

to defy any solution, my ‘new found family’ began to react

negatively to me. Some of them even believed that I was an

agent of Satan in the church on evil assignment. It was so

tough for me.

“Why should this happen to me? I cried to God, more or

less complaining to God. I could not understand after a lot of

prayers, night and day, at times with fasting, yet it seemed as

if I would remain barren for life.

“After more than 9 years of marriage, I decided no more

fasting. I would live my life normally, and with no more high

hopes for a child of my own. So I purposed in my heart, not

knowing God had His own agenda for me. I believe He has

one for everyone else who trusts in Him too.

“Finally, one night came in my life and marriage that

was to be much remembered. I will never forget because of

how events later turned out to be. This memorable night I

had a dream. This was not just any dream. It was unusual.

I remember very well every detail of this dream. I immediately

knew I must act on this dream. This is what brought me

to your office.”

At this juncture, I just pitied her but I was helpless myself

as a pastor. I was asking myself: Who asked her to come to

my office? What do I do, Lord, in this situation? I imagined

myself being in her situation, childless for about 10 years

into my marriage!

I could see in Africa, especially where I came from in

Nigeria, what throe and agony, I and especially my wife

would have gone through from my extended family side. For

this is really very serious in Nigeria. A newly wedded wife is

normally told that she is not married to her husband only but

also to the rest of the extended family of her husband.

This is the tradition. Not that they can do such things

with her like sleeping with her but they do actually have a

measure of influence to make things difficult for her in her

home and marriage. Thank God for Christianity eroding this

unbiblical tradition. I did not know where to begin with her.

Then she continued again from where she stopped.

“I saw in my dream, a man who came to me and gave me

a word. He said: ‘Go to Christ Life Church and see the Senior

Pastor. Let him pray for you and stay within the church for 3

days and nights seeking My face. After this let him pray for

you again.’ This is my story”

I do not know what you are going through right now

that appears like Marah. I want to prophesy into your life, if

you believe, as you are reading this book, that my God will

change your story to a glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.

By this time, the Holy Ghost has helped by flooding my

heart with light. I just wrote some scriptures in the Bible for

her to read, meditate and pray with. No prayer pointers, only

the Word of God! I mean, the infallible, Word of God, living

and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb

4:12).

“Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in

heaven.” (Psalm 119:89)

I, thereafter, prayed a simple prayer with her. I sent my

personal assistant to the Chief Security man over the ministry

premises called the Garden of Victory at Olaogun Old Ife

Road, Ibadan, Nigeria. I instructed him to personally make

sure everything went well with the woman sleeping in the

church, just to seek the face of the Lord, for three days and

nights. The woman was then led to the main sanctuary of the

church. At the end of the three days, I prayed simply with the

woman and sent her on her way home.

BITTER TO BETTER

It was a Shiloh experience for her without any visible

sign. She did not fall under the anointing as I prayed with

her. No shaking or goose bumps were felt or seen on her

body.

No spectacular vision or dream.

Obedience, indeed, is better than sacrifice. Beloved,

whatever the Lord is asking you to do this hour, just go

ahead to do it. Therein lies your rest. Obedience is a key to

entering your rest and getting that breakthrough you desperately

need.

At the end of three months, the same woman wanted to

see me. I ushered her in. She came in smiling. May God

turned your weeping to laughter in Jesus’ name. It made me

remember the Scripture that says:

“Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes

in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

She recanted how after she missed her menstrual period,

as the manner of woman is, wanting to make sure all is well,

she went for a medical test where it was confirmed that she

was pregnant. Not much of a thing to celebrate because she

had had miscarriages on a few occasions. Then, she hid it for

3 months! Just like Hannah and Elizabeth in the Bible, when

the fullness of time came, at the end of nine months, she

brought forth a male child. God is good and faithful.

The God of wonders had done it again! I rejoiced with

her. We gave thanks to God who had turned this Marah to

sweetness like He did as Moses cried to Him at Marah.

In concluding this chapter, I want you to know that the

Almighty God is able to do much more that you can ever

ask or imagine. Moses prayed. He cried out! Are you ready

to cry out too? When you are in a Marah situation, it is not

a time to mumble your prayers. It is a time to cry out! Learn

to do it.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly

above all that we ask or think, according to

the power that works in us.” (Eph 3:20)

I live in the beautiful city state of Singapore in South-east

Asia. I have located parks where I encountered God. I have

been with one of my friends in ministry, Pastor Chidi Ujubuonu

of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Singapore

to the highest point in Singapore called Bukit Timah Hill

to pray. Locate your own Mount of Olives or Gethsemane

as the Lord Jesus was wont to do when on earth. It was His

custom while here on earth to fellowship with His Father

regularly.

It is time to cry out to heaven. On to our knees like the

saints of old! The Throne of Grace is waiting to respond to

cries for release of grace and mercy.

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who

has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of

God, let us hold fast

our confession. For we do not

have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with

our weaknesses, but was in all

points tempted

as

we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come

boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain

mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

(Hebrews 4:14-16)

Everyone of us should learn and master the art of crying out to the Lord!

Few minutes of crying out to the Lord could make a whole lot of difference

and could reverse a whole lot of negative tendency or consequence! It is high time,

we stopped running from pillar to post seeking human sympathy which can cause

murmuring, grumbling, complaining, fearing, fretting, worrying, etc.

Please drop your comments as you are blessed!

Yours in the name of Jesus Christ,

John M. O. Ekundayo

Singapore SE Asia