Feeling trapped??

I thought I'd share what God has given me to minister today. I just felt lead to share it. Maybe it will help someone here? That's my prayer. Not that I be seen or heard, but that GOD is seen and God's Word is heard. God bless you today! On Our Heels and Feeling Trapped No! I am not saying we are defeated. I'm saying that sometimes in life, situations make us feel like this. We feel "trapped". We feel like the enemy is nipping at our heels. Every where we turn, there he is. He's on our left, on our right, behind us, in front of us, in our finances, messing in our families, messing in our jobs, messing in our lives in general. Well, I'm here to tell you today that "Greater is HE that is in us, than he that is in this world"! I John 4:4 Greater is Jesus that lives in me than the god (Satan) of this fleshly world. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 It's time we quit fighting our battles and give them to the Lord. Let God handle them. Let God get in our homes. Let God get in our health. Let God get in our Jobs. Let God get in our families. Let God get in our LIVES! Quit tying God's hands. Too many times we limit God by fighting our OWN battles. When we realize we can't fight alone and allow God to fight, HE will get the glory. He will get the honor. God WANTS us to be victors. He wants us to win. He wants us to triumph. God WANTS TO SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT! Will we let him? Let's look at the Children of Israel. They had a Godly leader, Moses, who was trying to lead them OUT of a wilderness. They were there forty (40) years! Wandering LOST in the wilderness. Then God spoke to Moses in: Exodus 14:1 telling him to tell the people of Israel HIS (God's) plan to lead them to the banks of the Red Sea and to camp there. God says that He will harden the heart of the enemy and cause him to CHASE or follow after the Children of Israel. Say this! GOD HAD A PLAN! Too many times, God has a plan and tries to tell us HIS plan, but we get our own plan. We get in the flesh, murmur, complain about how things are going and we hinder God. Amen? Sometimes, God will allow the enemy to chase or nip at our heels just so He, God, can get the victory. So HE can show the enemy that HE is still in CHARGE! Main Text: Exodus 14:7-10 Exodus 14:7 says that the enemy, Pharaoh picked 600 of his BEST! Hand chose. Hand picked his best to go after them. Hot on their heels as we see in verses 8 and 9. Don't think Satan isn't coming after you with his best because he will and he does. But, like we said earlier "Greater is HE!" God has HIS best ready and HIS best is better than any of the best that the enemy can bring our way! PRAISE GOD! Verse 10 says that they CRIED out. Haven't we all cried out at times? Are you crying out? Is there an enemy chasing you right now and you feel like you can't go on? That you are trapped? That you are OVERTAKEN? Well, have I got good news for you today!!! Praise God! Verse 11 and 12: They began to murmur and complain. Oh boy! Another haven't we all?! We murmur and complain so much sometimes till we can't hear the voice of God. We cry "OH GOD! Why have you left me like this. How long will this last"? Well, God said in Hebrews 13:5 "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." God sees where you are today. He sees the sea in front of you. He sees the enemy encamped on your right and on your left. He sees you thinking there is no way out. Praise God, HE HAS A WAY OUT! He has a plan! Jeremiah 29:11 says For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. If God knows HIS thoughts toward us and makes us THIS promise, why can't we just stand Still and SEE the salvation of the Lord as Moses says in Verse 13? Verse 13: See the salvation of the Lord! Fear not! Fear chokes out faith. Where is your faith? How is it you have no faith? Mark 4:40 If you stand still and see MY salvation, you will NEVER face THIS enemy again! NEVER! Verse 14: The Lord shall fight for you!! HOLD YOUR PEACE! Let the Lord fight your battles! The battle belongs to the Lord. Not us! Verse 15 and 16: Moses acts in FAITH and OBEDIENCE! God brought deliverance!! When we began to OBEY God, that is faith. God will honor our obedience! God WILL deliver! Verses 17-22 We all know how Moses stretched forth his rod and the children crossed over on DRY (not muddy) land. Reaching their safe place. Verse 23: The enemy still yet pursues. Hot on their heels. They are thinking, "Oh we've got them now! We are about to destroy. We are about to have the victory!" The enemy can't think in the spirit realm. He can't realize that God IS going to get the victory! He can't realize that yet again, God is going to give HIS children the victory. You think that he, the enemy, would have already gotten the picture. Plages? Death? Destruction? All these things had already hit him, yet he hardened his heart. All he could focus on was the flesh......destroying the Children of Israel. He had blinders on his eyes. Don't allow the enemy, Satan, to put blinders on you. Stay in the spirt. Hear the voice of God telling you that VICTORY IS YOUR'S! Verse 25: God begins to destroy the works of the enemy. He fulfils HIS promise! He causes even the wheels to fall off the chariots. The army of Pharaoh begins to flee. Flee means "run in terror". James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Satan will run in terror from you! Verses 26 through 28: Final destruction of the enemy. The enemy that the Children of Israel faced, they will never see again. Verse 29 through 31: The Children of Israel behold their victory! They behold the salvation of the Lord. Behold YOUR victory today! God wants you to know today, everyday, that you are a victor. Let the VICTOR inside you rise up! KNOW that God IS working on your side. That HE has a plan and a purpose for what you are going through. KNOW that HE is and WILL bring you through this fiery trial! YOU ARE VICTORIOUS! You are not trapped! You are FREE today! Sermon Preached by Randall Culpepper, May 6, 2007

Dear Randall, I pray that this message ministers to your church family in the way your heart was burdened for them earlier this week. God bless you for your love for them and His Word. Hugs, Trish

A great message. It is difficult sometimes to admit that we just do not know the answer to a problem. We have to realize it is that we know the One that knows and He is not worried that saves us-not our weak wills or flesh. Your message blessed me-I am sure it did the same for the congregation-thank you for sharing it-Amy