"I Am That I Am" - Dr. Carolyn Betty

The topic that I'll be speaking from today is I am that I am.

And if you know anything about the Bible, you would know of a prophet by the name of Moses.

And that was one of the ways that God introduced himself to him.

My subtopic will be when the Lord fights your battles.

The scripture readings, bear with me, will be taken from the book of Exodus 2, 11 to 16, and then I'm gonna jump over to Exodus 3, 1 to 10, then 10 to 14.

Gonna begin with Exodus 2, 11 to 16, and I'll be reading from the King James Version.

Feel free, musical or technical team to display it throughout the sanctuary.

Exodus 2, 11 says, and it came to pass in those days when Moses was grown that he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burdens.

And he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

And he looked this way and that way.

And when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together, and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?

Intendest thou to kill me as thou killest the Egyptian?

And Moses feared and said, Surely this thing is known.

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses, but Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the backside of the desert and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.

And he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses.

Moses.

And he said, Here am I.

And he said, Draw not nigh thither, put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereupon thou standest is holy ground.

Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said, I have surely seen, say seen everybody, the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and I have heard, say heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

And I am come though to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizites and the Hivites and the Jebisites.

And therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppressed them.

Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou may bringest forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.

And the last part that I will read is 13 and 14.

Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you, and they shall say to me, What is his name?

What shall I say unto them?

And the Lord said unto Moses, I am that I am.

And he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am sent me unto you.

Now this is a well-known passage of scripture, and it depicts the conversation God had with Moses.

But there is a little bit of background to what happened, and this is how it pretty much goes.

So before this time, Joseph, when he was sold into slavery, made a good relationship with Pharaoh, became well known and well published, then he died and he was forgotten.

And when he was forgotten, the other Pharaoh, who eventually took over, decided that, hey, you know, these Hebrews are doing too well.

You know, when some people are really bad minds, they don't really know where you're coming from, what you've been, but they think you're doing too well.

And they want to stop you.

So he says, we're gonna just kill off all the boys.

And Moses' mother got pregnant with him around that time and had to hide him.

Now imagine trying to hide a newborn that's gonna cry and make noise when you don't know if a soldier is gonna be passing by at some point, and you have that child, and you're trying to keep that child quiet.

And eventually she realized that you know this was not going to work and took a leap of faith.

Now, anybody in here who is a mother, can you imagine making a basket and putting your beloved child in the basket, locking it over and putting it on a river?

Reality, a river that is full of crocodiles and rocks and bulrushes, and you're not sure what's going to happen to this child.

And this child drifts along, and the Lord would have timed it that Pharaoh's daughter would be just right there, having her bath.

And here comes this basket, and it touched the heart of Pharaoh's daughter.

You need to understand what's happening behind the scenes.

Because normally you'd probably say, Oh, this is one of those slave child, kill it, but she opened it and felt compassion.

Hallelujah to God.

Because God touched her heart and said, No, no, you're gonna take this child.

And wouldn't you know his sister Miriam was watching all of this from a far smart little girl and said to her, You know, I know a Hebrew woman who could breastfeed this child.

Hallelujah.

And she said, Okay, fine, take the child.

And she met the mother, not knowing it was the mother, and said, I will pay you your wages.

And she weaned that child, and eventually he came back to Pharaoh's daughter.

And I want you to understand the reality of the situation.

Moses was in a palace of his enemies.

We serve a God who will put you in the presence of your enemies, and they'll have to spread a table before you, and they have to feed you, and they can't touch you, and he knows he doesn't belong there, and they know he doesn't belong there, but some kind of a relationship is happening.

Hallelujah to God.

God will put you in your enemy's house.

David said, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

This was a physical depiction of that glory to God.

Not only that, he will bless you in the presence of your enemies, and they can't stop it.

Give the Lord a clap praise.

Now Moses was there and he knew something was different about him.

He he wasn't hid from him.

You know, you're not really an Egyptian, you're a Hebrew.

And that happens to us from time to time when you have a call on your life, you don't quite understand it, but you feel something.

Something is burning and churning.

You can't understand it, but you know something is there.

So he went out to look at his fellow men and saw an Egyptian killing one of his brethren.

And he acted impulsively.

You know, when you're trying to fix something and you're not going about it the right way, and you're trying all kinds of cut corners and going around thinking you're going to get away and probably have the best intentions, but it's not the plan of God.

God does not act on the sly, he doesn't act on the fly.

He already has a plan in place.

You just have to ask him how the plan is to be executed.

But he went ahead and he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand, thinking no one saw.

But of course, there's always somebody that saw.

And he thought he was being a peacemaker.

And the person responded, Well, who are you?

Can you imagine you have a call?

You don't understand it.

You know you're supposed to help somebody.

You help the person, and all you get is a slap in the face.

I never asked for your help in the first place.

Why are you bothering me?

And then he had to run for his life.

But in that running, the Bible says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

So he was running, probably not even sure where he was going, but God was already ordering his steps in the direction that he should take.

Don't you know that when you have a call on your life, God is gonna order your steps.

You have no say in the matter.

He's gonna get a hold of you, and you're gonna go in the direction that he bids you because he is God and He's waiting for you when you get there.

So here was Moses, the Bible says, at the back side of the desert.

I don't know if you have ever heard the term behind God's back, and nobody, I mean, you're forgotten back there.

Sometimes when you're down, people forget about you and they count you out.

When you're down, don't let nobody count you out.

God has a plan for you.

I said when you find yourself flat on the face, don't give up because God is working on something for you.

Just stay in the shadow of the Almighty and wait for him to reveal what it is that he wants you to do.

Hallelujah to God.

Moses was content with his life.

You know, when you're content with your life, you're good.

You have the house, you have the car, you have the wife, you have the husband, you got a good job, you think everything's good, and here comes God, and he mashes up the plan.

He has a conversation with you.

I'm gonna go on a little side note.

My plan was not to become a doctor, my plan was to become a secretary.

Why did I want to become a secretary?

Because I had a cousin who is a secretary, and she looks so cool with the typewriter.

I know some of y'all young people probably won't know what I'm talking about.

But I used to have some typewriters when you type, it shoots out and you send it back.

Hallelujah to God, and that looked cool to me because you hit it back.

Boom.

I said, that's what I want to do.

Boom! Hallelujah to God.

And I went ahead and decided I'm gonna be a secretary, and I took out the courses.

I'm doing typing, I'm gonna be doing shorthand, I'm gonna be doing office procedures.

A month into my plan, I was getting ready for school.

I said, I heard on the news a man died because there were no doctors at a hospital.

You would think that moved me.

No, it didn't.

All I could say was, Oh my god, that is so sad.

And I kept on doing what I was doing.

A voice said to me, I kid you not, I understood what happened to Samuel.

Change the subjects that you're doing, do the sciences and go into the field of medicine.

I stopped and I look.

And I kept going.

The voice said it to me a second time.

I stopped.

I said, God, is that you?

I said, God, if that's you, say that for me again.

One more time.

And he did.

I said, okay, when I get to school today, I'm gonna ask for a series of things, and if they happen, then I'll know for sure that it was you.

Everything happened.

I had to change them subjects.

Hallelujah to God.

And even when I got into the university, I still was wondering a little bit, but I applied.

And when I applied, and I was gonna find out if I got through, I waited until everybody was out of the house.

And when everybody was gone, I picked up the phone and I called the Department of Medicine.

I said, I want to know if I got in.

And the lady said, Yes.

I said, How you know?

She said, Your last name is Betty, dear.

That's not very far down the list.

Yes, you're in.

So here was Moses in his life.

That's the thing.

You may have a plan, but God will laugh at your plan and say, Let's try it my way.

So here he was minding his own business and tending the flock of Jethril.

Reminds me of David and a kind of character trait with God.

He tends to call shepherds a lot in the Bible, people who are looking after animals.

And some of them really don't.

Just like, all right, let me leave that alone.

Because you know, when the pastor takes over the flock, he has some interesting people to deal with.

I mentioned earlier that it's appreciation for the clergy.

You know what's fantastic about the clergy?

They have to still hug you.

Even when you have the knife in the back and twisting it, they still have to pray for you.

And when they want to walk away, they can't because their foot is holding by the Almighty and they have to keep doing what they're doing.

If I have a problem with you, I can't sit over there.

If you come over there, I can't go over there.

Pastor cannot run.

Because if you need counseling, they still have to be there.

So a lot of times they get exposed to animals first.

God shows up.

Don't take it anyway, I'm not calling anybody animal.

He gets his attention and says, take off your shoes.

Where you're standing is holy because I am there.

You can't stand in the presence of God any and any way, behave any and any way, do any and anything because he's a holy God.

So when he told him to take off his shoes, three things.

He's acknowledging him as the supreme being.

I can't wear my shoes in your present because you're higher than me.

When he took off the shoes, he was physically representing, removing filth from off his foot.

And when you take your shoes off, you're now giving God uninhibited access to all of your pain, to all of your weaknesses, to all of your faults, to your very being, because he is now able to connect to you on another level.

Hallelujah to God.

So he gets your attention like he did with Moses and like he did with me, and then he tells you your mission.

And it's not mission impossible about if you choose to accept it.

That caveat is not in there.

You have to do what it is that he wants you to do, and he works on you.

So he had a conversation with Moses and said, Hey, Moses, I knew you before you were conceived in the womb.

Moses, I formed you in your mother's womb.

Moses, I saw when she hid you in that basket, and I watched over you while you were on the Nile.

Moses, I protected you from the harsh rocks in the river.

Moses, I protected you from crocodiles in that river.

And because of my grace and mercy, you did not drown in that river.

And I directed you to Pharaoh's daughter, and I made sure you got back to your mother.

I wonder if you understand the dynamics of what was happening here.

You were now able to go back to your mother in safety, and she was able to breastfeed you freely, and I made them pay her to do it.

What a mighty God we serve.

Moses, I put you in Pharaoh's palace.

I prepared a table in the presence of your enemies.

I saw your passion when you killed the Egyptian.

I gave you that passion.

I covered you when you ran from Pharaoh.

I took you here.

Take off your shoes.

You need some therapy.

Some years ago, when I was at the hospital back in Kingston, Jamaica, I was on my way, hallelujah to God, to see some patients.

And there were some people.

Who did foot therapy?

And they got a hold of me and said, Come here, doctor.

Lie on this couch.

And they got a hold of my foot.

Has anybody ever gotten a hold of your foot?

And they started to rub.

And they said, Doctor, that's your thyroid.

And they rubbed another spot.

And they said, Doctor, that's your heart.

And they rubbed another spot.

And they said, Doctor, that's your lungs.

And they rubbed another spot.

And they said, Doctor, that's your brain.

That's what happens when God gets a hold of you.

Hey dear Michael, eternal.

I got your foot in my hand.

I feel your pain through that foot.

But I'm gonna give you some therapy.

Hallelujah to God.

He calls you by name and says, I'm going to work on you through that foot.

Just give me a chance to touch you.

Hallelujah to God.

He did the same thing with his disciples.

Hallelujah to God.

So sometimes you see somebody, they're doing well, but you don't know how long they spent down before they came on.

Senior pastor, could you come here a second, please?

And the senior pastor is walking, just take a walk slowly.

And you're busy watching him.

Slow down, you're walking a little fast.

Turn around.

Make the steps smaller.

Turn around.

So this is you.

You're walking like him.

You're trying to look like him.

And your eyes are on him.

But he is not God.

No, even though he's an example, he's not God.

You can't mimic him.

You can't be him because that's not your anointing.

Stay here for a bit, senior pastor.

Lady Turnbull, could you come here for a moment?

Just stand there, dog.

Come over here for a moment.

Now, when you start to walk in your anointing that's designed specifically for you, then you're in the will of God.

I want you to try and attack him.

Try and attack him.

Come close, man.

Make it serious.

This is the Lord.

Your enemies can't touch you.

Try another side.

That's God.

You can't touch him.

Try again.

You can't touch him.

You cannot touch him.

Back off.

Hallelujah to God.

Instead of watching other people walk in your anointing.

Find out what it is God wants you to do.

Stop complaining about what's happening.

Find out what it is that God wants for you.

That is your purpose in this life.

Get on your knees and burrow into the rock of your foundation.

Hallelujah to God.

Get down deep with God and don't be ashamed of it.

Get down on your knees and spread everything before Him.

He's gonna call you by name, He's gonna get a hold of your foot.

All you have to do is let it go.

Sometimes you get in your own way.

Instead of asking for help, you try to do it on your own.

And then you wonder why everything goes wrong.

That's because you're not in the will of God.

When you come to this sanctuary, you cannot leave the same way you came in.

You need to live in victory.

When you step into your place of work, the enemy should back up on your very presence because you're coming armed and dangerous.

Hallelujah to God because you're standing on the solid rock, the rock of your salvation.

Don't let anybody intimidate you.

Don't let no devil from hell tell you you can't have it because you serve a God who has a cattle on a thousand hills.

When you have issues that will not resolve, check yourself, check your stance, check your anointing, check your temperature, and then have a closer talk with the Lord.

The songwriters say, What a friend we have in Jesus.

All our sins and griefs to bear.

It is a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.

I tell people when I get dressed, I have a conversation with God.

They think I'm joking.

I said to the very underwear I wear.

I ask Him what to wear.

If you tell me something and offer me something, I spread it out like Ezekiah.

When I got this job offer, I spread it out in the early morning hours, seven days straight.

I said to God, these people are offering me something, hallelujah.

But I'm not going unless you're sending me this.

Because if I go without you, God, I'm gonna have some real problems up in here.

I am not from that place, but if you leave me there, I'm going to obey.

Hallelujah to God! Because I must have the pay job with me.

I dare not walk alone! Its presence has to be around me! I have to feel his arms around me, thrown! And I feel so ill because he can lead me anywhere he will! I have no time to quarrel! I have no time to question! You know why I have I laid all that shit! And when I lay there, I don't pick it back up.

It stays there because it's no longer my problem.

Hallelujah to God! Give that praise in this place! Give that praise in this place! Hallelujah to God! If you find yourself today in a situation where you need direction from God, you lay out at his feet and ask for help.

He is your father, he knows you more than how you know yourself.

Drop it on him without warning.

Sometimes they say, and walk in the footsteps that he puts you and don't watch nobody else.

That's not your business, that's not your concern.

Your only task is to keep your eyes on the Savior.

You know, one of the things that I find interesting.

People come to church on a Sunday, and it's like putting in time, like a job.

And you come and you sit and you warm the bench, as if the bench needs the warmth of your body.

And I believe some people think that there is a roster being kept in heaven where somebody is counting the number of Sundays, you show, and you would give eight hours, nine hours, twenty-four hours, forty-eight hours to a secular job.

And God has to beg you for an hour, and if he doesn't put air in your lungs, you can't do that job, and if he doesn't give you strength in your body, you have no use to anybody.

As a matter of fact, if he calls your spirit, you're dead.

But one hour is too much because I have other things to do.

When you come here, understand you're coming in the presence of the Almighty God, you should give him praise with everything you have inside of you and empty yourself until there's nothing left, and then empty yourself some more.

And when you leave here, if you come in sick, you should leave healed.

If you come in broken, you should live uplifted, and come here with the intention that you're not going to leave without what you came for.

Say, I come here to check it.

That's what we say in Jamaica.

And me now go left it.

In other words, I am coming to take it and I'm not gonna leave without it.

Hallelujah to God.

Make sure when you leave here every Sunday, you can be a minister to someone in need, even in the midst of your pain.

That's not the job of the pastor only.

Everyone here is a light.

Look at yourself in the mirror and say, I am a child of the king, and if I'm a child of the king, I am royalty, and there's nothing too hard for my God, and anything I want, he will give me in his will, and I will praise him and let others know of his goodness.

Is there anyone who wants to be prayed for, wants to rededicate themselves to the Lord, who wants to give themselves to the Lord, who wants to go deeper in the Lord so that they can go higher in Him.

Hallelujah to God.

Anyone at all who realizes that they can't make it without the Lord, anyone who has a burning need, and they might be a little afraid to come, but don't leave here the same way you came willing to pray with you because there is so much more that you can achieve when you give yourself completely to the Lord.

Hallelujah to God, and if you are afraid or uncertain, I pray for you from here.

I pray that God gives you a new insight.

I pray that God gives you a new vision.

I pray that God reveals to you his mission for you.

I pray that God will touch your heart and you will be a point of contact for your family.

If there is someone that's on your heart, I pray that God will bless and keep that person even now.

Hallelujah to God.

I pray that there will be peace in your house.

I pray that peace will surround you this week.

I pray that there will be peace in your going out.

I pray that there will be peace in your coming in.

I pray that God will enlarge your territory not only financially but physically and emotionally.

I pray God touch the hearts of the people that you will meet.

I pray that his light will shine through you when you walk through the doors of your office.

I pray that everywhere you go, someone will say there is a child of God.

I pray that even now you rededicate yourselves to the living God and understand that he has a purpose for you, and you're not less than anyone else.

And I pray that you have victory this week in the mighty, matchless name of Jesus.

Come on, give God some praise.

Give God some praise.

Hallelujah.

Lift up the name of Jesus.

God bless you, people of God.

I pray that you are blessed by this word.

I pray it stays with you and keep you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you for worshiping with us today.

If you'd like to go deeper in your welcome Christ, we invite you to contact us at two ways.