19 Jan 2025

Obstacles — January 19, 2025

Josephus Oluwatoyin Thomas Preached: January 19, 2025

Introduction

If there’s an obstacle that comes up against you, have the Lord remove that by faith in Him, and begin to praise the Lord, and that obstacle have to get out of the way because you are praising the Lord.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”1 John 5: 4

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”Galatians 2: 20

If you have the Lord Jesus, eternal life, you now have His faith, and that is the faith that will overcome every obstacle that may confront you in this world.

Colossians 3: 4: “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” You will be translated because the Lord Jesus is your life.

Your faith is going to get you out of that grave if you go there, it’s going to get you in that translation.

One of the greatest obstacles that you’ll face in your life will be fear. Remove that fear, and remove that doubt, by praising the Lord, and thanking the Lord, every day.

Fear the Lord, and no one else, for the Angel of the Lord, the Almighty God, encamps around you daily (Psalm 34: 7).

The Lord Jesus already knows about everything you are going to come across. Psalm 90: 4: “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.”

The Lord has already set a time for every event upon this earth (Ecclesiastes 3: 1).

He lives in the future all the time. He is the past, present, and the future. He knows all things.

(The Past, Present and Future) They are all the same to God. There is no such thing as time with God. (It is eternal) – to God there is no past or future. Everything is past to Him, “He already knows all that is future.” That makes it all past tense! There is no beginning or ending with God.

The Lord Jesus has created all things, and He works all things together for your good (Colossians 1: 14 – 17; Romans 8: 28).

He is God, and there is none else; He is God, and there is none like Him, declaring the end from the beginning, saying His counsel shall stand, and He will do all His pleasure (Isaiah 46: 9 – 10).

He works all things after the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1: 11).

He is “The mighty God” (Isaiah 9: 6).

The Lord Jesus, the eternal God, your eternal life, will keep you in perfect peace as you put your trust in Him.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”Isaiah 26: 3

You will be blessed.
Josephus Oluwatoyin Thomas

Summary of the Sermon

We listened to a sermon titled “Obstacles”, CD # 1169, preached by Brother Neal Frisby.

In the sermon, Brother Frisby said:

You look around, we teach a little bit about faith, and we see the great creation. You can’t help but to see it, takes no faith to see that, you’re looking right at it. That’s not faith, but all the creation that we see in front of us was made from the invisible. And all of the creation tells us, absolutely, there is a Creator. Now, there’s where your faith comes in. You look at that, takes no faith. You can look at everything, the creation, that takes no faith, but when you say God, what I cannot see, or He is invisible, that is faith to say that God is our Creator.

But we know this, the creation tells us we have a Creator, and it’s like the word, all of nature, and everything, is like the word of God talking to us. It is the same thing, in a little different way, and then in the word of God, He begins to tell us about what He’d done for us.

But we see Him as invisible, now that takes faith, that’s what it’s all about. He that believeth. He that believeth in his heart, that has confidence in what God said He will do, and He will do it. Now, there is faith. How many of you believe that? When we believe in the invisible, made visible, there is your faith. It’s as simple as that, what faith is.

Now just wishing things are going to get better is not going to bring results. But the moment you learn how to loose your faith in the living God, and you begin to believe in your heart, and you believe in the name of the Lord Jesus properly, and you use that as your authority and backup, then you’re going to get results, and great results.

There are many obstacles in the world, and there are many obstacles in the way of the Christians today. Let’s take some examples in the Bible.

Elisha the prophet: No matter how powerful, he was blocked by hundreds of thousands of Syrians that had moved in on him. And the man with him could not see any way out of it at all. But Elisha knew how to move this obstacle that was in front of him, a big obstacle. And he cried out to the Lord to help the man that couldn’t believe there with him. And when He did, He opened up his eyes, and everything around him was lit up with angels and chariots, more so than all of the armies. The obstacles that he had, by faith, it just melted away.

Elijah the prophet had great obstacles in front of him. Daily, they were after his life. They wanted to kill him all day long, and every day, if they could catch up with him. And he had a great obstacle. Most of Israel was in apostasy, but a few. And the obstacle of 400 Baal prophets and 500 or 400 more Baal prophets. They were great obstacles in front of him. But yet, Elijah called out on the Lord and it was nothing, they were destroyed. And they sent the captains, fifty men up to him, a great obstacle stood in front of him, and getting into that chariot. Yet, fire come down. And even after he brought great deliverance to many parts of Israel, and turned them back for the first time, yet his life was at stake daily. And the Lord knowing this, wanted to use him again. And yet Elijah had to believe the Lord. And you know what? Because if he stayed upon the earth God would constantly have to protect him, but He wanted to take him. Anyway, the way out of this obstacle of them killing him was that, here come a flight to pick him up. That obstacle of death upon him was removed, and he got in the life chariot that was full of life. That obstacle vanished.

Moses had obstacles of the great sea, couldn’t cross it. Pharaoh coming after him, he couldn’t move to the left nor the right nor nowhere. He couldn’t go anywhere. And yet that obstacle of the sea was removed by a simple prayer, raising up the rod and believing in the Lord, and he split it wide open, and that great obstacle was melted and moved out of the way.

Another obstacle was food. They didn’t have any food out in the wilderness, and he cried out unto the Lord, He rained it out of heaven upon them down there at that time. They had no clothes or shoes to wear out there. God said your shoes won’t wear out or your clothes for 40 years. Well, evidently some of them said it’s working, but it must be a magic trick. No, it was God. Anything He does is beyond magic.

So we find out, Joshua, here was a problem with Joshua. Here was a battle, and Joshua needed time. No one had ever moved time back, and he needed time. He couldn’t win the battle unless he had the time. And this obstacle that stood in his way was time. Time may stand in your way sometimes, but God can win. And here, what did he do? The Lord gave him an extra whole day to win that battle. That obstacle called time, it was created. God just moved it out of the way for a whole day. And the time allotted came and the miracle was wrought, even time, obstacle, move from his way.

I’ll tell you little something that I don’t know whether it was a knowledge working or what it was. But sometimes, you’re getting mail and request from here, and on the phone, and out of the mail, and they’re coming from different ways by phone, to the office, in different ways. And they’re just coming, and requesting, and you’re writing, and you’re working, and you’re doing it, and sometimes they’ll lay down and request it, God will move on you or something, and you’ll be writing something, and you’ll be, an emergency request of sometimes, you know, and somehow it just seems to slip. Not very often does that happen if they get that request to me. And I’ll get up to do it and something will happen. And then two days later I’d say oh my, this was an emergency request. A person was taken to the hospital and they were dying, and you say, well how’d you forget? You don’t understand when your mind’s doing so many different things, and there may be another request on something, and five more requests coming in, and then a whole lot of them in the mail of the same way, different requests coming. You just got them all of the time. You’re trying to get to all of them. And so I said, oh Lord. And this is the truth considering time, I said Lord, you know things in the future. I said now that I’m going to pray about this condition, you heard it at the time that I was supposed to pray and I didn’t pray. I said here my prayer then Lord, and not now, because you’re eternal. Later, on the day I was supposed to pray, they received a miracle. I’ve got letters back from the mail on the exact time of the same day they sent, that they received a miracle. That couldn’t be done no other way. You say how can, well, He honored even though I forgot? I said you heard me now then, you knew the future.

He lives in the future all the time. He is the past, present, and the future. He knows all things.

David had a giant before him, an obstacle, that the armies of Israel could not stop the armies of the giant, and the giant, alone. David, he just picked up a little headstone rock and hit him right in the head with it. He hit him just right, and that obstacle was there, but just a minute or two, it just vanished in a second of time, when he slung it like that, and the giant was gone. God had defeated the giant for him.

Noah run up against the obstacle of a great flood that God told him, that was coming. But you know what? An ark was provided, and the obstacle was erased, and they floated above the water there.

I don’t care what problem is, if you stick it out with the Lord, unless divine providence is moving in there or whatever the Lord would have for you, He is going to bring that out or tell you why. He will, He’ll even talk to you why and why not.

Samson, and many obstacles was against him and so forth like that. He’s a lonely man in many ways, but a powerful, God had given him, different than anybody else in the Bible. One thousand men confronted him, seemingly no hope from the natural. They would have the great Samson, who could do all these great wonders of strength, because there is a thousand of us here, and he’s all tied up. We got him. But you know what? Against that obstacle, and strong rope, just like fire come upon his hand, and it smote in front of him and broke back from his hand, and it was just a little while, till there was a thousand dead people there. Whatever was in the jawbone of that ass, the energy and electrical power in there, just slayed them as fast as they could get to him, and they laid out, one thousand to Samson, that was nothing, he was wanting a drink of water. Slayed a thousand men, went down an army, and God gave him the water. There was two obstacles, the thousand men and a drink of water, and out of the same thing he got a drink of water, for as it destroyed the others, that same thing gave him life.

Daniel in the lions’ den, throwed in with the lions. God just took the rage out of them. There was no more obstacle, just took out the savage from the lions. They become his friends, instead of his enemies.

The three Hebrew children said whether you throw us in that furnace or not, we’re not going to bow to your god; we’re not going to do it. Nebuchadnezzar heated that fiery furnace up in there. What an obstacle. Fact, he had a 90-foot obstacle out there. God put it there to show you what obstacles are. And they throw them in the fire. He took the sting out of the fire. There was no hurt in the fire at all. Fire become their friend. It was gentle. But to those enemies of theirs, it burnt, it killed them, they got next or close to the furnace to look in there. And yet, there He was, walking around with him in the fire. The obstacle was erased out. And they come walking right out of that fire, probably couldn’t even smell any smoke on him.

Joseph, a prime minister, one that can run a nation, a king of any sort, prince with God. They locked him up. They throwed him in a pit, then they locked him, and sealed him away for good. It looked like that all the visions and dreams and promises were gone. But that little fella don’t give up. And they put him in prison where there was no hope, no way. And he was put in there for doing good, not bad. And they throwed him and locked him up, in the obstacle, was, he couldn’t get out of there. No matter which way he come, it looked like his life was finished in there. But you know what? We find out, the Bible, that he used that obstacle to his benefit. He began to tell people this, and he began to tell that. The next thing you know, that jailhouse was no obstacle at all. He moved that jailhouse out of there, and finally, because he was in there, he moved right in among Pharaoh, and he began to interpret the visions and the dreams for him, just like there was nothing to it. And telling him, was such ease, and confidence, and such power, that Pharaoh was just knocked back. And not only did he have to tell him about the dreams and visions, he convinced him with that faith that is in his heart. He could not withstand that. He said this man’s telling the truth, it’s eating my bones up alive in here. He moved that obstacle completely out of the way, and Pharaoh sat down and turned the kingdom over to him.

Obstacles can be moved.

Jesus had preached Himself, as some said, in a corner. People had followed him for three days and they hadn’t anything to eat, and there was nowhere to get anything either. He had kept on preaching, they kept on following. He led them out there Himself, and there was no food stores out there either. And for three days they followed Jesus. There’s two different references in the Bible and then two different places, one’s four thousand, five thousand, that He did it. And here they were, for three days, they had no food at all, and they thought, well, now the miracle workers up against it here. And Jesus took care of that obstacle by faith. He moved back that hunger, and gave them more than they could eat, out of practically nothing, by creative miracles from the Lord, by the power, saith the Lord, the power of faith that each one of you have that can grow, and that you can also work miracles.

Now I was thinking about how many things was put up in front of Jesus, and He was an example to the church. The works I do shall you do, and He said whatever you ask I will do, and He taught faith. Satan appeared to blocking, the crowd appeared to blocking, throwing down a hill. He disappeared right and left, teaching us, how that in perfection, and profession of your faith, and believing God, if you continue right on, you’re going to win, you’re going to win, you’re going to beat the devil.

And here, Jesus had worked miracles, creative miracles, the cripples walk, the blinds saw, the deaf heard, all kinds of lepers were healed, all kinds of miracles, and multitudes was healed, and He was coming up through there, and as He was coming up through there, it looked like a blockade was throwed in His path. Oh, they said, now here’s the miracle worker. Just look what He’s accomplished, everything got quiet, and the boy was laying in a coffin right in His path, and there was a blockade, an obstacle right in front of Him, and He kept walking, He didn’t go around that obstacle, He kept walking right in the path. They brought it right in destiny, just exactly the hour, the timing, and all that He would appear there. He knew, He didn’t skirt that at all, and in that timing, came right there, and met, and just a few seconds or moments, the procession stopped, this great obstacle called death, that gets in the way, but salvation from Him just removes death, you just passed from death, your body may go to the grave, separate, you go right on through, so forth like that. Death was blocking the great miracle worker, the One that said all things were possible to him that believeth, and just a moment time, He spoke to that dead boy, that young man, and in front of them all, the young man raised up and began to talk to the multitude, that obstacle was soon gone.

The great obstacle even hit the disciples during the time of confusion, and Jesus’ death, and so forth like that, that great obstacle of the cross, which they could see no one, could see how He would come back, and yet that obstacle of the cross wasn’t actually an obstacle, it was a highway to heaven, and Jesus crossed that obstacle with His faith and determination, and His faith was so powerful when He went to that cross, that the dead body died, but the faith lived up and raised Him again right out of death. Your faith is going to get you out of that grave if you go there, it’s going to get you in that translation.

Every Christian is faced with different type of obstacles that Satan may put up in your life, on the job, no matter where you’re at, it makes no difference.

Fear is a great obstacle, that’s what I’m leading into. One of the greatest obstacles that you’ll face in your life will be fear, and Satan puts the fear, especially if sometimes, if you live alone, or sometimes that you don’t get out and meet very many people, or something. This obstacle called fear, if you turn that around the other way, you can have faith, and power, and peace. Praise, and believing in the Lord, in His word, is the opposite of that, will win.

Some people’s obstacle is doubt. Faith is just the opposite, so turn around and be positive. Don’t go by your feelings, or go by what you’re looking at that thing, go by what God’s word is. Remove that fear, and remove that doubt, by praising the Lord, and thanking the Lord, every day.

Jesus Himself said about obstacles, He said, say unto this mountain be thou removed yonder place, and it shall be removed. There is no obstacle, saith the Lord, no mountain of problems, no matter what it is, I will move where faith is at, I will move it, and it will vanish from you. No matter what your need, no matter if it’s debt, no matter if it’s illness that cannot be cured, no matter it’s a problem of oppression, no matter what kind of a problem that you have in this world, if it’s a problem of salvation He’s already answered you, accept Him in your heart, no matter what it is, the Lord is going to meet your need.

Scripture Reading

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”1 John 5: 4

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”Galatians 2: 20

If you have the Lord Jesus, eternal life, you now have His faith, and that is the faith that will overcome every obstacle that may confront you in this world.

Colossians 3: 4: “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” You will be translated because the Lord Jesus is your life.

Your faith is going to get you out of that grave if you go there, it’s going to get you in that translation.

One of the greatest obstacles that you’ll face in your life will be fear. Remove that fear, and remove that doubt, by praising the Lord, and thanking the Lord, every day.

Fear the Lord, and no one else, for the Angel of the Lord, the Almighty God, encamps around you daily.

“The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”Psalm 34: 7

The Lord Jesus already knows about everything you are going to come across. Psalm 90: 4: “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.”

The Lord has already set a time for every event upon this earth. Ecclesiastes 3: 1: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”.

He lives in the future all the time. He is the past, present, and the future. He knows all things.

I read from Scroll # 23, Part II:

TIME AND ETERNITY – (The Past, Present and Future) They are all the same to God (He created time when He created death) What is time? There is no such thing as time with God. (It is eternal) Time was created when God announced death on Adam and Eve. If they or people did not have to die there would be no such thing as time! It would be eternal. Dying produces a “Time Limit” – to God there is no past or future. Everything is past to Him, “He already knows all that is future.” That makes it all past tense! The fourth or all dimensions are only normal to Him, (but future to us) There is no beginning or ending with God. So there is no time for Him, only man has a time limit (cycle) and it is about finished!

The Lord Jesus has created all things, and He works all things together for your good.

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”Colossians 1: 14 – 17

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”Romans 8: 28

He is God, and there is none else; He is God, and there is none like Him, declaring the end from the beginning, saying His counsel shall stand, and He will do all His pleasure.

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure”Isaiah 46: 9 – 10

He works all things after the counsel of His own will. Ephesians 1: 11: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will”.

The Lord Jesus, the eternal God, will keep you in perfect peace as you put your trust in Him.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”Isaiah 26: 3

Many of these sermons are available online for you to read at www.gospelwordministry.com

Click on the Tab: Summaries Of Sermons

Josephus Oluwatoyin Thomas

Obstacles — January 19, 2025

Obstacles — January 19, 2025

Introduction

Summary of the Sermon

Scripture Reading

Continue in the Word