There is no bridge over troubled waters.
Posted by appolus on January 1, 2015
In the Christian world, in the kingdom of God, there are no bridges over troubled waters. The children of God are compelled to pass through the waters. And when we do, we are promised that God will be with us. To pass from the wilderness of this world into the Kingdom of God there are many troubled waters to pass through. There is an old negro spiritual song called ” Wade in the waters, Gods gonna trouble the waters.” Has God troubled your waters? Does He cause you to pass through the waters? Are you passing through them right now? Can I tell you that the life dedicated to Christ is a life of troubled waters. We cannot go around them and we cannot go over them, we must go through them. In Christendom, many refuse to pass through the waters, yet this is Gods calling. The outer court, the court of the gentiles is filled with those who refuse to pass through the waters.
Almost ten years ago, after being a Christian for fifteen years and having prayed to God sometime before that to do ” whatever it takes,” to make me useful in His kingdom I had a vision. Actually it was more than a vision, I am not sure what you would call it. One morning I was sitting in church and the service was under way but I was lost in my own thoughts. Suddenly I found myself plunged under water. It was so real that it took my breath away and I found myself panicking. It was quite shallow , perhaps only about four feet deep yet I was flat on my back on the bottom of a fast flowing river. I was laying on smooth stones. I tried to get up but God would not allow me, it was as if He had His hand on my chest although I could not see it. I could see the surface of the river and the sun above it, but I could not move. The Lord told me, in a very calm voice, ” breath.” I was scared and would not breath. The Lord again repeated ” breath.” It was terrifying to open my mouth but I shut my eyes and opened my mouth expecting water to rush into my lungs but suddenly I was breathing. The Lord spoke to me and told me He would enable me to stay in this place. He wanted to shape me, like the smooth stones. The troubles waters of life was going to shape me, I would not be shaped by the hand of man but by the troubled waters of life and in the midst of it all God would enable me to not only survive there but to thrive there and help others pass through.
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: Isa 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
God has called forth His witnesses in this day and they shall glorify Him as they pass through the troubled waters of life, as they walk through the fires He shall be with them and the only thing that shall be burned up is the worldliness that remains in us. Are you looking for a god that will save you from the troubled waters? Or do you seek to take up your cross and follow God through the troubled waters of life knowing that He will be with you as you pass through. There are no bridges over troubled waters, there is only God as we pass through them. In Him we live and breathe and have our being, His promises are an anchor to our souls, without Him we are swept away by the troubled waters of life. When we yield to Him and the circumstances of our lives and allow them to shape us, then we are allowing the hand of God to shape our lives. Trust is the anchor of our souls, what He has begun, He will finish.
A Call To The Remnant 
Christine said
Brother Frank, you have no idea how much this encouraged me today. Thank you.
appolus said
I am encouraged that you were encouraged Christine……………………..bro Frank
Afchief said
Thank you for this word, it really ministered to me. I’m going in Monday to have a kidney removed due to cancer and feel very anxious. I have been praying for peace and it has been hard to receive God’s peace. Five years ago I was diagnosed with bladder cancer and thought I had this cancer thing whipped, then boom, I have kidney cancer. I’m only 53 years old and both by Urologists have stated this is due to something I have been exposed to in my 23 year military career.
Again, thank you for this word. God has blessed you with a lot of wisdom and I enjoy reading your articles.
appolus said
Hi Afchief. My prayers are with you brother. Thank you for your honesty about struggling with receiving peace. I have spent much of my writing dispelling the notion that there is some kind of magic wand. The vital aspects of our faith have to be diligently pursued and we have our flesh and an enemy who likes to keep us in fear, which by the way, I believe to be the greatest enemy of the Christian. I was very fortunate to face death early on in my walk with the Lord. I had a bad diagnosis from the Dr, I had pulmonary fibrosis. No cure, but treatment that could be worse than the actual disease, very high doses of prednisone. Bottom line in my story brother is that I had to face the prospect of death. What I personally learned all those years ago was that the steps of a righteous man was ordered of God. The Lord burned that into my soul through that whole trial. He ultimately assured me that although I was only 30 at the time, if he had a 50 year plan for me, there was no power that exists and no disease that could keep me from fulfilling that. Of course the flip side to that, and the most vital aspect of it was that if He had a 30 year plan for me and He was taking me home, then no power on earth, no human cure could stop that either. It all came down to trust and a yielding that brought about a peace that passed understanding. I would love to say that this was the end of my battle with fear, but that would not be true. I had won a victory in the realms of life versus death but there were many other fears to face in the coming years. I met a brother one time who had bowel cancer and he feared a colostomy bag more than he feared death. I was a construction worker at the time, a bricklayer, and I prayed with him in the parking lot of our construction site on a Friday afternoon, laying hands on him, much to the bemusement of the other workers as they got into their trucks. My prayer first and foremost was against fear, which I believe acts like gasoline poured on the disease. In my heart I prayed to God for the dignity of this brother and that He would move on his behalf.
So brother I pray for you this day. Father in heaven would you touch my brother today. Would you open up the windows of heaven and pour down peace upon him. Would you ultimately give him the strength to take you at your word when you tell us to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving that we were to make our requests known to you. Father help us with the difficulty of giving thanks to you when it seems like we are drowning in a sea of fear. Pour into my brother a heart that is full of thanks for all that you have done for us. Give us the antidote of thanks that quells the raging sea of fear as we steadfastly keep our eyes upon you . And lastly Lord , would you touch my brother in his body. Would you guide and direct the doctors but more than that would you guide and direct my brother as he makes decisions about his life. Would you give him a heart of wisdom. Not the wisdom of the world but the wisdom that comes down from the Father of lights. We crave for and desire your direction in every aspect of our lives Lord but especially in matters of life and death. We know that not all things that you guide us in can be understood by others, but Lord we know that our peace depends upon hearing your still small voice. Lord I ask you that you be glorified in this illness of my brother. Let others see a peace in him that cannot be understood outside the realms of the supernatural. Lord we thank you this day and we glorify and lift up the name of Jesus. We lift up that name which is above every name. We know that at your name every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue must ultimately confess that you are Lord to the glory of God our Father. Thank you Lord that everything must bow to your name. Let fear bow to your name this day in my brother, let it flee several different ways as my brother begins to rejoice and give thanks in you for everything, knowing that there is no happenstance in the kingdom and that You are not taken unawares by his situation. We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, amen……………………..bro Frank
LOOKING FOR SOME HIGHER GROUND
I’m just lookin for some higher ground
But life keeps tryin to drag me down
When your walking with your face into the rain
Sometimes you wonder if you’ll see the sun again
Eyes down, one step in front of the other
Until you think you can’t go any further
Then the rain gets heavier and begins to take its toll
Until your stripped down to your very naked soul
The waters rise and cover all of me
Until there’s only waves and nothing left to see
I am dying there somewhere beneath the flood
Covered by the waters and feet caught in the mud
And suddenly a hand appears from up and out the waves
And a man walks on the water, the storm He calmly braves
He takes my hand and stills the storm and suddenly there’s no sound
And all at once I find myself alone on higher ground
I hear His voice, He speaks to me, it’s time to journey on
In the darkest storms I have discovered just where faith is born
Transfigurations on the mount are such a glorious sight
They give me strength to journey on into the darkest night
We are called unto the battle of this there is no doubt
The faith that’s born from every storm enables us to shout
When the battle it is raging and the enemy’s all around
We know that we are standing with Him on higher ground.
THE DOOR-KEEPER
In His presence there is joy beyond measure
To feel His touch is heavenly treasure
To rest in the arms of our glorious King
Is to lay down and listen to the angels sing
Your presence lets me walk upon water
Your presence sustains your sons and daughters
In your presence the lions mouth’s shut tight
Your presence brings hope to the darkest night
Oh for the joy of a single touch
I am overwhelmed it is almost too much
In your presence the darkness disappears
In your presence there is a river of tears
And this river it flows from Your throne
From the heart of God to the heart of His own
Time stands still it exists no more
When I am the keeper of the temple door
When I pass through the valley of weeping
I am blessed to find God’s not sleeping
Indeed my tears become pools of blessing
And comfort for those who require refreshing
One day in thy presence is all that it takes
To stand firm in my God when everything shakes
And though trials and temptations often come nightly
No good thing He withholds to those walking uprightly
One day at a time each day in your presence
Reminds me of your beauty, your very essence
Where even the sparrow has found its place
To dwell in the arms of eternal embrace
Oh blessed is the man who trusts in thee
Who has knelt before bloody Calvary
Who night and day and with all of his heart
Seeks to walk with His lord and never apart.
Afchief said
Thank you brother for that awesome reply. I got home last Thursday night and have been recovering since. I expect to be home for the next 2 to 3 weeks recovering from the surgery. When I was reading your reply and prayer over me the peace of God came over me suddenly and moved me to tears. Thank you for the prayer and testimony. I know God is in control and my life is his. I too pray that God will use this for his Glory. You are an awesome brother and one day I’m going to give you a big hug when we meet in heaven. Again, thank you!!!
appolus said
Amen Afchief, I am so happy to hear that the presence of God came over you and you experienced His peace. God is good, He laid that prayer upon my heart and what He sets out to do He accomplishes……………..bro Frank
ps, looking forward to that hug……….. 🙂
wakarusaguy said
What a “coincidence.” The weekly e-teaching this morning from Derek Prince Ministries was also about our being tested. http://www.derekprince.org/Articles/1000138861/DPM_US/Resources/Word_from_the/A_Word_From.aspx
wakarusaguy said
Brother Afchief, praying for you as you have surgery today. In Jesus’ name !