7 Keys To Your Burning Bush Experience

Can you imagine how Moses must have felt?

The first time he tried to help his people he ended up on the backside of the desert.

Talk about discouragement . . .Moses had every reason to be discouraged.

He was going to change the world! He was going to create a better environment for his people! He
was going to make a difference! But instead he was rejected by his people. . .exiled from power
and lost his position of prominence.

Life as Moses had known it . . .was over.

The first 40 years of his life, Moses had been somebody.

For the next forty years of his life, he was a nobody.

I like that word “but” because when it’s applied to God’s wisdom and plan for future events. . .it
means you may be going through stuff. . .you may be disappointed or depressed BUT GOD … that’s
right . . . BUT GOD will come through for you.

Our Heavenly Father is faithful to perform what He has promised.

No doubt Moses spent many days leaning on a shepherd’s rod. . .thinking about what could have
been. . .thinking there was no way. . .his life would amount to very much again.

But God led Moses to a burning bush which changed him from being a wilderness shepherd into a
statesman and a deliverer.

Exodus 3:21,22 which says:

“And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when
ye go, ye shall not go empty:

“But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of
silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your
daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.”

The Amplified Bible says God would give the children of Israel favor and respect. That didn’t sound
very realistic.

Do you think slaves are respected? No.

Slaves were looked down on. . .treated like dogs and given anything but respect.

Do you think slaves are viewed with favor? No.

BUT GOD said He will cause the children of Israel to receive respect and favor.
I don’t know about you. . .but if God gives you respect and favor. . .that’s the ultimate gift.

Now I want you to get a picture of this clearly in your mind. The children of Israel . . . one day living
they’re living in bondage…in slavery. . .treated less than human. But there is a transformation
taking place that no one can see yet.

I want to say that again. . .BUT there is a transformation taking place that no one can see yet.

One night the Children of Israel did what the Man of God told them…they painted blood over their
doorpost and went to bed as slaves. . .BUT the next day they woke up to freedom and wealth.

Can you imagine how they reacted when they first heard these new instructions from Moses?

They had seen how Pharaoh reacted to the many plagues brought on the
Egyptians. . .theyhadsuffered further from the cruel taskmasters because Pharaoh’s heart had been
hardened.

As a result of the previous plagues their work situation was more grueling than ever . . . they had
to make bricks without straw.

So when Moses told them to paint blood over the doorposts. . .it would have been easy to develop
an improper attitude, but they didn’t.

As a result. . .one day they were slaves living in bondage and the next day they became
multimillionaires.

You’re probably saying, Brother Harold, are you sure about this?

At that time, Egypt was the richest nation in the world. When the children of Israel left, Exodus 3:22
in the Message Bible says: “. . .Oh, you'll clean the Egyptians out!"

If you go to Exodus 12:36 in the New Living Translation it says:

“The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites
whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!”

How does this apply in our lives?

If you’re in debt. . .you’re living in bondage. . .because debt is bondage and according to Proverbs
22:7. . .it makes you a “slave to the moneylenders” as it’s written in the Contemporary English
Version of the Bible.

I heard it said one time….that Egypt represented the land of not enough. When you are a slave to
the moneylenders, there is never enough. It takes all you can make and then some just to keep
your head above the financially troubled waters. You are truly living in the land of not enough.

Next, the children of Israel moved to the wilderness which is described as the place of just
enough. Manna fell everyday so they were fed but it couldn’t even be kept overnight. Sadly, that’s
where way too many believers are living right now. They’re just getting by. . . barely making ends
meet. . .living in stress. . .and making just enough to keep on doing what got them where they are.
Hallelujah. The Promised Land represents more than enough….that’s where God wants His children
to live…He doesn’t want us just getting by….He wants us to rule and reign…right here and right now.

Are you ready for this? God wants you to be a millionaire. If you look up the word, it means
“abundance and happiness”….God wants you to live in abundance and happiness….

No matter what your current situation or circumstance….you can go from being a slave to debt to
being a millionaire….

If you say, “That’s not possible…I’ll never be a millionaire….then you’re right!

If you say, “Hey, that’s possible…I’m going to be a millionaire….then you’re right!

Let me make a couple of statements about being a millionaire and being rich.

First, financial freedom is not based on how much you make… it’s based on how little you owe….
You could make a million dollars a year but if you spent it all…you’d be no better off than you are
right now.

Credit cards will never make you rich unless you own the credit card company…credit cards only
give you the illusion of a lifestyle that you could actually have with God’s proven financial plan.

Every month you carry a credit card balance without paying if off in full . . .you are actually lowering
your standard of living. Make no mistake about it.

I had somebody ask me recently, “What can I start doing to become debt?”

I said the question is: “What are you doing that’s keeping you from being debt free?”

For some, many think they need to fake it until they make it. . . which is a false and expensive
lifestyle choice.

Let me give you an example. . .if you lease a Mercedes E300. . .the cost will be roughly $900 a
month. . .that’s $10,800 a year or $32,400 over three years. . .plus the insurance, plus the service at
a Mercedes dealership which isn’t cheap.

Instead, if you were to buy a less expensive car with a monthly payment of $350 and invest the
remaining $550 a month for three years at 6 ½%. . .you would have $21,797 available to buy your
next car for cash.

Not to get off track . . . but I want you to know that as you journey to the debt-free life, you may
hear some murmuring along the way….those who doubt your dreams.

Moses faced some of that….when Moses asked Pharaoh to let the children go into the wilderness
and worship the Lord….Pharaoh told the taskmasters to take away the straw and let the Israelites
get their own straw without reducing their quota of bricks.

Exodus 5:21

“The foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh
and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!”
Sadly, some of the children of Israel were more concerned about what Pharaoh thought than what
God said…even after the 10 plagues. . .

1. Water into Blood

2. Frogs

3. Gnats and Lice

4. Flies

5. Livestock Diseased

6. Boils

7. Thunder and Hail

8. Locusts

9. Darkness

10. Death of the Firstborn

Exodus 6:9 in the New Living Translation says:

“So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their
despondency and cruel bondage.”

Sometimes, people are not listening to words from the Lord or encouragement that could bring
them out of bondage….because they’re despondent over their situation.

I mean, you would think the plagues . . . with miraculous signs and wonders would be enough to
make the children of Israel believers. But lest we condemn them too quickly . . . we should pause to
ask ourselves:

How many times have we seen God show Himself mighty on our behalf. . . only to forget that He
answers prayer the next time we get into trouble or need His supernatural intervention?

When the people were murmuring . . .Moses went to God. . .who said, “tell my people that I’m
going todeliver them….I’m going to bring them out of bondage and into a land I promise flows with
milk and honey…..they’re going to be my people and I will be their God….”

God did exactly what He said.

As I mentioned earlier . . .one day the children of Israel were slaves. . .they next day they were
wealthy beyond their wildest expectations.

How did all the people feel about Moses?

Here’s how Exodus 11:3 is translated in the Amplified Bible:

“And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was
exceedingly great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and of the people.”

I probably should have made this several teachings because there is so much at work here. But
here are a couple of key points.

First, the first forty years of his life, Moses was somebody. . .the next forty years he was nobody and
the last forty years of his life he was God’s body.

Success in life is not determined by age, position, circumstance or your current location.

When you humble yourself before God. . .seek His direction and perfect will for your life, then you
are just a few feet away from your burning bush experience.

Second, no matter how bad your current situation may be. . .God can and will turn it around JUST
LIFE THAT. He did it in one day for the children of Israel and He loves you no less. But you must be
willing to do what He says when He says it. . .no matter what anybody else thinks.

Lastly, just keep praising Him. . .He didn’t bring you this far to leave you. . .you’re going out of
Egypt . . . through the wilderness . . . and into the Promised Land . . . and it’s not going to take you
40 years.

Here are seven requirements for your burning bush experience;

1. Move outside your comfort zone.

You will not find nor seek your destiny while residing in your comfort zone.

Exodus 3:2 in the Amplified Bible says:

“The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked,
and behold, the bush burned with fire, yet was not consumed.”

I realize you’re probably super spiritual. . .but let’s get real. How would you feel if you’re on the side
of a mountain. . .one where you’ve walked for over 40 years. . .then all of a sudden you see a bush
burning. . .but not being consumed.

You might be tempted to say, “What the what . . .”

Exodus 3:3 in the Amplified Bible says:

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

I would say you’re willingness to answer curiosity . . .definitely moves you outside your comfort zone
or what was familiar to you.

2. Be willing to seek God.

Let’s be honest. . .you’re standing in amazement watching a bush burn continually when a voice in
the bush calls out your name.
At that point. . .I’d probably be calling out God’s name to protect me from whatever I’d gotten
myself into.

Exodus 3:4 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush
and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I.”

Without hesitation. . .Moses said, “Here am I.”

In the midst of every circumstance. . .good, bad or indifferent. . .your automatic response must be to
seek God.

3. Give Him the reverence He’s due.

Exodus 3:6 in the Amplified Bible says;

“Also He said, I am the God of your 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 at God.”

Our reverence for God. . .should be a 24/7 experience. He’s not a spare tire to be rolled out when
we have a flat on the highway of life. . .He deserves better.

When we enter into His presence. . .we should always enter with reverence and thanksgiving.

4. Obey your instructions.

Over the last few months, I’ve repeatedly taught seven words that are the key to success and
experiencing the God kind of life. Those words are:

“Read your Bible. . .do what it says.”

There will be times when it seems that our Holy Spirit inspired instructions are not logical. . .and
they’re not. . .at least to a natural mind. However, we need to do what He says. . .when He
says. . .regardless of how we feel it may look.

Exodus 3:5 in the Amplified Bible says:

“God said, Do not come near; put your shoes off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy
ground.

The only way you can do what He says. . .is to know what He’s saying. That type of revelation
comes from being in His Word and His Presence.

5. Don’t question your direction.

Exodus 3:10-11 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the
children of Israel out of Egypt.
“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth
the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Now let me get this straight. . .you’ve been talking to a Voice in a burning bush that has not turned
to ashes and you question His instructions. That should show you how out of touch you can become.

I heard it said years ago, that God’s calling is His enabling.

If God gives you a vision He will also give you the ability and opportunity to achieve it.

6. Know you’re not alone.

Exodus 3:12 in the Amplified Bible says:

“God said, I will surely be with you; and this shall be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you
have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain [Horeb, or Sinai].”

Before we’re so quick to question, mock or condemn Moses’ lack of faith. . .let’s examine our
attitudes.

God tells us that He will go with us wherever we go but yet. . .sometimes we don’t act like or
seemingly have confidence in His Word because we want to ‘play it safe anyway.’

What God spoke to Moses. . .His Word speaks to us. I could give you a dozen or more verses to
emphasize this point. . .however, I’m only going to give you the last half of Hebrews 13:5 in the
Amplified Bible which says:

“. . .for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without
support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you]
down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”

7. Recognize your power.

Exodus 3:19-20 in the New Living Translation says:

“But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him. So I will raise
my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them. Then at last he will
let you go.”

There’s an old Pentecostal song entitled “You’ve Got The Power.” Moses had the power. . .but are
you ready for the good news. . .so do you.

Acts 1:8 says:

“… ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you … (then) ye shall become
witnesses … .”

The power Jesus promises after the Holy Ghost comes upon you in enabling power (dunamis).

The Greek word dunamis means “ability.”

So let’s look at this verse again as I expand the paraphrase for you.
“You shall receive the ability after the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you will be able to witness
of me simultaneously in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the
earth.”

Now let’s look at dunamis as it appears in Luke 10:19 where God has given to us total power over
the devil.

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

The first word in this verse that is translated power is the Greek word exousia. It means “delegated
power” or better said “authority.”

The second word translated power is the Greek word dunamis which as we’ve just learned means
“ability.” So notice carefully what God is actually saying. “I give you authority over all the ability of
the devil.”

Are you getting a hold of all of this? You have total authority over all the ability of the
enemy. Remember,“…nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

The Bible literally says nothing shall hurt you. It also says you have total power (authority) over the
devil. You never have to lose again. You can always conquer and always triumph in all things.

As I think back over these seven keys. . .I just have one question for you.

Are you ready for your burning bush experience?