“So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried
the staff of God.” (Exodus 4:20 NLT)

When Moses was worried that the Israelites would not listen to him, God told Moses to throw his staff on the ground. It turned into a snake, and when he picked it up by the tail, it turned back into the staff. Later in Exodus 4:20 the staff is called the “Staff of God.”

This is similar to the king of the Greek god’s. Zeus had his lightning bolt, which was his weapon of power: “the lightning bolt of Zeus.” He was jealous when a person’s eyes lingered too long on his symbol of power. He did not lend his lightning bolt out. Yet, with God, He freely gives Moses His weapon to use as his own. He even told Moses that he would be like God to Pharaoh.  Notice how generous our God is to His children. This is important because in Jesus Christ we have all been given the Staff of God. Moses longed for this to happen, when all the people were given power from God.

Fast forward to when Moses and the Israelites were backed up against the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army was behind them. Moses then began a monolog.

 “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.  The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “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,” (Exodus 14:13-16).

Moses was midstride in a monolog about God’s deliverance, when God spoke. Moses, was in essence trying to buy time for God to do something while they were backed up against the sea. Notice what God did not say. He did not say “I will divide the sea.” No, God said, “you, divide the sea.” Are we to accuse God for not being God centered, but I digress. This is like Jesus saying to the disciples, “You feed them.”

God interrupted Moses and said (as I put it into modern terms) “why are you whining at Me! Stop begging and get moving. What is that in your hand? Is it not the “Staff of God” I gave you? This is not My problem anymore. You take the Staff, and “you” divide the sea.”  

The mistake Moses made was thinking he was waiting on God to deliver them with a new download of power, when Moses already had the Staff of God.  He acted like he was nothing, and had nothing, and therefore, needed God to come down and give some present or future help. However, He already had God’s help. He already had God’s power grasped in his hand. God did not need to give Moses power to deliver them, because God already gave Moses His power.

It is good to have passages like this because it reminds us to “stop crying out” like a beggar to God, when God has already given us the power and authority to command the healing and mountain to move. God was not happy with Moses’ flattering speech, “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Think about that. That is some good theology. Yet, however good his doctrine was, God found it irritating. Again, think about that. Verse 14 is often quoted for promise verses, but in context God did not like it.

Moses said, “God will fight for us.” And God responds by saying, “why are you whining.”

Imagine if I gave you my car and you kept calling me to give you a ride to work. I might find the first time funny, but after the 78^th call I would be rather irritated. “Why are you calling me about giving you a ride to work? I gave you my car. You need to get in it, and you need to drive yourself to work. Getting you to work is not my problem anymore, it is now your responsibility to drive yourself.” After a while I would think such a person is missing a few screws and choose to remain silent at their insane requests. As I have heard Andrew Wommack saying in many sermons, “this is why God remains silent at many of your prayers.”

Jesus teaches us a similar lesson Moses learned. When God has already given us the power, we need to stop crying out and start healing the sick, casting the demons, multiplying material substance and making mountains obey us. Jesus says to the disciples, “you feed them,” regarding the feeding of the 5000. Even though Jesus had to multiply material substance to feed the crowd, He expected the disciples to do it. He would not expect them to do it, if they did not have the power and authority to do so. For example, Jesus was irritated when they could not cast out a demon. He said it was because of their unbelief. Earlier He has already given them authority over “all” sickness and demons, “all.” Jesus expects them to do these things because He gave them the ability to do it.

“You divide the Sea, You multiply material substance, You heal the sick, You make mountains obey you.”  This does not sound very God-centered, but it is said by Jesus who was the most God-centered man who ever lived.

Consider what Jesus did not say: “when you face a mountain, cry out to me like a beggar and ask Me if it is part of my will to move it.” No, Jesus said “you” tell it to get out of your way and it will obey “you.” This is not a mere suggestion. Jesus instructs us to command the thing to move. Jesus is not teaching us to ask “Him” to make it go away, but for “us” to speak in faith and make it go away. This is contrary to how many understand faith and prayer.

Jesus said, “you feed them.” Jesus did not say, “cry out to God to feed them.” No, just as He told Moses to divide the water, Jesus commands us to “feed them,” by making material substance multiply in miracle power. Jesus tells us to tell the mountain to move and make it “obey us,” not God. God would not have commanded Moses to divide the Sea, if Moses did not have the power and authority to do it. Obviously, God is the ultimate power for all of this, but the issue is that on the relative level, God has given His power to us. Jesus would not have commanded us to make mountains obey us, by speaking to it in faith, if we did not have the power and authority to do it.

Jesus commands this, because He has already given us His Spirit and authority to do them.  Jesus said that He cast out demons (and healing) by the Spirit of God, not by His own personal Jesus power. This is important because He has also poured on us the fullness of the Spirit, in the baptism of the Spirit. Jesus used the “power of the Spirit” to heal, cast out demons and do ministry. The reason He did it this way, was because He was a man born under the law. He became like one of us. He therefore, ministered as a man, empowered by the Spirit, to do miracle working ministry. He showed the elect how to do it. He has given us this same “power,” and commands us to follow in His same miracle ministry (John 14:12-13, Acts 1:8, 2:39-39). And so, Jesus told the disciples, and those with them, to wait until they were endowed with the same power of the Spirit.

In addition to this power of the Spirit, Jesus has given us the authority to use His name to ask and receive whatever we want (see John chapter 14-16). A shorthand way to use this power and authority is seen in passages like Matthew 21:21. It is praying with His power and authority without hedging. It is praying in absolute confidence in the power, position and authority Jesus has already given us.

We can us this authority for anything we want, because it is guaranteed to us in the Contract made in His blood. However, Jesus also makes demands on us based on this Contract. He commands us to expand His kingdom and tear down the gates of hell. It’s not optional. We expand His kingdom and tear down the gates of hell with the same power and authority He used, but now has bestowed on us through His finished atonement.

The big idea is simple. Every believer has already been given authority to use Jesus’ name, and the baptism of the Spirit is a purchased gift for any believer to receive by faith. God has given every believer the Staff of God, just like with Moses. These powers and gifts of authority is not earned, but given freely through Jesus Christ. They already belong to all Christians.  

Moses wanted to ask God to do something about the sea, but God told Moses to do something about the sea, with the power He had already given him. Jesus teaches us a similar lesson. We cry out for God to do something about feeding them, and God tells us to do something about feeding them.  We cry out to God to do something about healing them, but God tells us to do something about healing them. We are holding Zeus’ lightning bolt in our hands and yet we are still crying out to God to move the mountain, when all we need to do is speak in faith.

Imagine if every Israelite in Moses’ time also had a Staff of God in their hands? It would be like an army of 2 million powerful Gandalfs or wizards. The army of Pharaoh would have been obliviated before they took their 4^th step. This is exactly the firepower the true church of God has today in Jesus. But for the most part they look like fools. There is an army of millions and millions of powerful wizards, with the Staff of God in their hands, but yet, they are bowed to the ground crying out to God to give them some power. And despite their good theology in their cries, God is irritated by it.  It’s utterly pathetic.  If they only knew what they had and how to use it, nothing could stand in their way in advancing the Kingdom of God.

This is what Satan truly fears. And he will produce any false doctrine and tradition to convince God’s people they are weak, sinful and endlessly cry out to God, while holding God’s Staff in their hands.

When you pray, believe that life giving waters are already flowing out of “your” belly. Jesus did not promise this would flow out of God’s belly, but yours. See yourself in the Spiritual realm like an empowered wizard in an anime movie. God’s Spirit has already empowered you. When you speak in faith, power is released, every single time. God and His word are one. Thus, when you speak faith filled words, you are releasing God; you are releasing, Power. When you pray, understand that Jesus has already given you the authority to ask and command what you want. When you pray, you are not begging and waiting for God to do something, because He already did something. It’s now your turn, to do something. He already gave you His power and authority. Use it.

Moses did not walk on dry land until he used the Staff of God. Likewise, you will not see the victory you are wanting, until you use God’s power and authority, by speaking and commanding what you want. You are the one holding back your blessing, not God. You are the one preventing the dividing of the Sea, until you use what God has already given you.

If you do not work, then you do not eat. Most, even unbelievers, understand this. Likewise, if you do not open your mouth and command what you want with faith, then you do not get your blessing. Open your mouth today, and start speaking faith filled words.