Peace In The Midst Of The Storm
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awakened him, and say unto him, Master carest thou not that we perish?
Luke 8:19-26
Considering the fact that the boat was filled with water, it is amazing that the disciples had to awaken Jesus. This was not a large ship with cabins below deck but rather a small, open boat and Jesus was, no doubt, “soaked to the bone.” This reflects Jesus’ humanity and how tired He must have been. It also shows that Jesus must have been in a very deep sleep. Medical science has discovered that the deeper we sleep, the more rest our bodies get. This is a clue as to how Jesus could maintain the grueling pace He kept, along only with an occasional all-night prayer time. He was receiving the maximum benefit from His sleep.
Jesus did not say “Let us go out into the midst of the sea and drown in a storm.” He was going to the other side. This shows that the disciples still didn’t understand Jesus’ authority. They were committed to Him as their Messiah, but they hadn’t yet realized that Jesus was Lord even over the physical elements. Many Christians still do this today. They receive the spiritual benefits of salvation but have not reaped the physical benefits of health and prosperity, which are also part of our salvation.
Whichever we focus upon – the storm, or the Lord in the midst of our storm – will determine how we manage the storms we face in life. He is not asleep concerning the things you face in this life, He’s right there in your “ship, resting, because He knows you’ll both get to the “other side.” His peace is yours. Believe His Word. Rest in His love.
Andrew Wommack
“I believe that every Christian ought to be joined to some visible church; that is his plain duty, according to the Scriptures. God’s people are not dogs, else they might go about one by one, but they are sheep, and therefore they should be in flocks.” Charles Spurgeon
The devil loves to separate people. He likes to get the sheep scattered and off by themselves. When this happens the wolves sweep in and devour the sheep.
Membership is a way to identify with a particular group. Even though church membership isn’t found in Scripture, we can find the encouragement to live as members of the body of Christ. We are better and stronger together. We as believers with like-minded meet regularly and work together to carry out God’s kingdom purposes in our lives and the world around us.
“Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others.” Romans 12:4-5.
What part of the body are you? Your gift is needed to advance the Kingdom of God!
The World Needs Your Testimony.
Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth” Psalm 105:1-5
Don’t quit in the uncomfortable places of life. What may seem as an interruption becomes a testimony for the glory of God. Tell others what He has brought you through. Tell them how He sustained you, helped you, lifted you, healed you, delivered you, gave you peace in the midst of chaos, gave you hope.
We sing a song called “Gratitude ” One of the lyrics reads, “Oh, come on, my soul Oh, don’t you get shy on me lift up Your song. Cause you got a lion inside of those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord!
Shyness can mean feeling uncomfortable, self-conscious, nervous, bashful, timid, or insecure. The devil does not want you to tell your testimony. Your testimony is your life’s song of what the Lord has done for you!
2 Timothy 2:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but [He has given us a spirit] but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind’
So don’t get shy now, you got a lion in those lungs. Sing aloud the goodness of your God and what he has done for you!
I WILL RISE – Chris Tomlin
There’s a peace I’ve come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There’s an anchor for my soul
I can say “It is well” Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead,
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And I will rise
There’s a day that’s drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when
He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise I will rise
And I hear the voice of many angels singing, “Worthy is the Lamb” And I hear the cry of every longing heart, “Worthy is the Lamb”
ALL IS WELL!
The following poem was written by Rita Reynolds
Very appropriate words summing up the message last week. Thank You Rita for sharing your poem.
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The Victory Shout
There is shouts of victory and cries of defeat when we lay everything at Jesus’ feet.
The cries are not our’s but Satan’s instead because under our feet is Satan’s head.
The battles is not ours and ours alone.
Believers are there with weapons in hand to conquer the enemy, and possess the land.
Do not let those spiritual weapons rust.
Our God has given them to us in trust that we always use them without delay.
Only then is our victory on the way.
We overcome Satan by Jesus’s Blood as he falls to the ground with a loud thud.
Do not let Satan raise his ugly head but use your sword until you know he is dead .
Don’t forget who is to shout and who’s to cry.
We know who wins even before we try.
Now, we can all shout the victory shout it is the 1st round and the enemy is OUT!!
God Lines Rita Reynolds 1996
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them”. John 4:16
Recently I said to God, Father there are many things in my heart I could talk to you about but what is on your heart? Immediately I heard these words, “Love. Nothing but love.” I melted in His presence. At that moment it became so real that my God only has eyes of love toward me. Did you know that God sees each of us through unconditional love? The amazing thing is that His love did not just start when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God clearly shows and proves his love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
God made good on His love promise by sending the Word to Earth born as a man. He then manifested in and through his Son who was sacrificed for our redemption. His name is “Jesus.” The ultimate price of love!
“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life” John 4:16
God does not simply love; He is love. Everything God does toward us flows from His love. This is the purest form of love. When we fully accept this love for us we could say, “Father help me see the love you have for me, and may I fully accept this love you have for me. In the name of Jesus, I receive”
1 John 1:3 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
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