Jesus is Greater than our Storms

There is a brief familiar Bible event that has really stood out to me a lot this past year, personally and in ministry. It has to do with storms.

When I was a young adult in Florida we had a hurricane stirring things up in the Gulf of Mexico. The waters rose and there was flooding. The winds were high and things were breaking. Schools and businesses closed. I remember driving to the department store, where I worked in those days, to tape the front windows.  On the way there my car was lifted up some by high winds. It was scary. There were times growing up in Florida that I saw tornados and water spouts in the region as well as lightning striking very close by. I also remember one day when my dad and a few of us boy scouts were out in our 15 foot boat a few miles off shore and the engine failed and the waves began to come overboard. I was scared.

Mark 4 records a moment in Bible history when the closest disciples of Christ were scared for their lives in a storm that created large waves that came into their boats. Here’s the passage:

Mark 4:35-41 (ESV) ³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

There are five principles from this passage I think we should apply to our stormy lives.

First, Jesus is compassionate about the needs of people.

The Sea of Galilee is a few miles wide and 700ft below sea level and surrounded by mountains that rise 3000+ft above sea level on multiple sides. Warmer conditions prevail around the lake’s surface while the higher elevations can produce cold night air. The rising of warmer air during the day allows the cooler air from the mountains to rush down the ravines onto the lake with major whirlwind action that churns up the waters.

This particular storm in Mark 4 was a great windstorm that caused much water to come into the boats to the point that even Christ-following experienced fishermen aboard were scared. The frightened disciples awoke Jesus asking, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” How many times have we thought and said the same thing? “Don’t You care, Lord, that this is happening to me? Don’t You love me enough, Lord, to do something about this hardship I am experiencing?”

In this particular storm Jesus showed His closest followers that He cares by calming the storm. Jesus is compassionate about the needs of people (i.e. Mt. 9:35-38, 14:14; John 11).

Second, Jesus is greater than our storms!

The storm in your life doesn’t have to be weather related. For example, I was admitted once to the hospital with severe unknown internal pain. I’ve had spots and bumps tested for cancer. Our family spun around in the van at high speed on black ice. Some of you have been close to death, had close loved ones die, and have been or are going through all sorts of suffering. Everyone experiences storms and trials in life.

In Mark 4, Jesus rebuked this storm and the wind went away and the sea calmed immediately. Wow, what a moment! Storms normally subside gradually, but when Jesus gave the order this storm ceased right away. Why? Because Jesus is God who is in control of all things including the natural systems of this world in which He created, He sustains, and He is sovereign over. 

Jesus has more power than we can imagine. He is greater, more powerful, stronger than the storms that rock us and our boats. He is almighty and His works are awesome (i.e. Heb. 1:1-4, Col. 1:15-19). Jesus doesn’t always immediately calm our storms. Sometimes God’s response to our prayer for help is ‘My grace is sufficient (i.e. 2 Cor. 12:1-10).’ And in this grace is God’s help to endure storms which is not an issue of diminished or limited divine power but instead this is a matter of the will of God and our proper response to God. Jesus is compassionate toward His people and awesome in power and has all authority. Trust Him. He is greater than our storms.

Third, Jesus is with His disciples/followers.

Of course, in this historical event Jesus was literally there with His closest disciples. They focused more on the storm and its effects instead of the presence of Jesus Christ. They were not feeling secure and safe and assured even though Jesus was there in one of the boats, albeit, sleeping.

My father is a big tall man who was an excellent athlete and tough. I remember when I was a kid and teenager how secure I felt at night with my dad was home. I thought if anyone breaks in and messes with us, they picked the wrong house because my dad is here and he will protect us. And those nights when dad was somewhere else like work or traveling, I was much more nervous overnight in the house. I always felt more secure and protected in my dad’s presence. Shouldn’t we believe this even more so toward God when we acknowledge His presence in our lives?

Today, we look back at this Mark 4 event and at the New Testament of God’s Word knowing that God is with His people. In fact, all three divine persons of the Triune God are present with born again Christ-followers (i.e. Heb. 13:5b, Mt. 28:20b, 2 Cor. 1:21-22). This is great news and assuring news. We are not alone in crisis, in storms, in troubles, in suffering, in difficulties. God is with His people! Amen!

Fourth, Jesus expects His followers to have trusting faith in Him regardless of our circumstances.

How do we get through the storms of life? When they come our way, do we respond, “God, I trust You through this experience”? or do we tend to say, “I’m doomed, and there’s nothing anybody can do”?

Going back to Mark 4, after Jesus calmed the storm He gently rebuked the storm-tossed disciples. The Lord addressed their heart issue of the moment, “Why are you so afraid?” His second question must have pierced them to the core, “Have you still no faith?” Ouch! There is a direct correlation here between fear (the afraid kind) and faith (the God-pleasing kind). More fear contrasts with less faith. More faith contrasts with less fear.

Adversity and hardship can reveal our level of faith in God. Storm experiences become our teachable moments. They test and measure our faith.

Did Jesus know the storm was coming? Of course He did. He had been teaching kingdom principles earlier and now He gave them a practical test to see how much they really learned. Faith must be tested. Enduring a faith test is one reason God permits storms and trails to come our way. The storm was part of the day’s curriculum for these disciples. God brought this storm upon their lives not because of a consequence for their sins but because God desired for them to grow in their faith. God tests Christians today in similar ways.

3 reasons these disciples shouldn’t have been afraid:

1) Jesus told them they were going to the other side; vs35; This is like a promise when it comes from Jesus Christ.

2) The Son of God Himself was with them. They had already seen several miracles from Jesus even if they had not yet understood that Jesus was Master over all situations and circumstances.

3) They could see that Jesus was perfectly calm even in the midst of the storm. Of course, Jesus was not afraid. He who is the living eternal Word, by which all things were made, has no reason to fear a storm or anything for that matter.

Jesus pointed out their lack of faith. They had shown faith in Jesus before, but they still have much to learn about Jesus and their own faith journey in Christ just as we all do. Warren Wiersbe wrote about the faith problem of the disciples: “The greatest danger was not the winds or the waves but the unbelief in the hearts of the followers of Christ. Our greatest problems are within us not around us. This is why Jesus gently rebuked their weak faith. It was their unbelief that caused them to fear and that led to asking; don’t you care? They already knew He had miraculous power to heal people, drive out demons, and authority to forgive sins. Now they discovered that He even had authority over the wind and the sea. This meant they had no reason to ever again be afraid, for their Lord was in constant control of every situation. (The Bible Exposition Commentary; Volume 1; pg125)”

Learning to trust Christ, instead of trembling at our circumstances, grows as our vision and acceptance of Jesus’ compassion, power, and presence grows.

Lastly, we are to be in awe of the awesome One, Jesus Christ.

In vs41, notice their response to Jesus calming the storm the way He did. They were filled with great fear. This is a different Greek word for fear than used to describe their fear of the storm conditions. This word in this context means reverent, respectful, or awe.

What they saw Jesus do in that moment shook them up like nothing else they had witnessed before. They glimpsed His sovereignty over a powerful natural disastrous event. When everything seemed out of control to the disciples, Jesus was absolutely and supremely in control. The disciples in the boat asked the right question, “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him?” They must have pondered; who can stop a mighty storm like this, except God Himself.  They were in awe of Jesus Christ as they should have been. When was the last time that you and I marveled at the awesomeness of Christ?

Jesus can be trusted in the storms of life because He is compassionate about our needs, more powerful than any of our storms, and He promises to be with His people. He is awesome! And when we learn to trust Jesus in the storms of life our faith increases and fear fades away. Amen. Fear is quieted by faith when we gain a bigger truthful vision of Jesus, trust Him fully, and acknowledge that He is truly awesome!

Are you in the boat with Jesus? And do you see Jesus standing in the middle of your fears?

Jesus is calling you to come to Him and follow Him, to truly and fully commit your life to Him. Trust Him, place your faith in Him as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life.

If you know Christ in this way then ask God to increase your faith in Him, to strengthen you now and for when you face and need to endure storms. If you don’t know Christ as your Savior and Lord then check out my blog entry about God’s plan for true life/eternal life:

http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/great-news-gods-plan-for-true-life.html

What do you think about this Mark 4 passage and these principles I’ve presented here?

Mike

The Best Forgiveness of All

Recently, I came across a Christian author’s description of forgiveness in Christ as being ‘one and done,’ historical, completed to the extent that a Christ follower today doesn’t need to ask for forgiveness any more but instead just accept that Jesus has already forgiven your sin on the cross. There is some biblical truth found in his position but there is more to it than this.

Here’s my take on what God’s Word teaches about divine forgiveness in Christ.

I believe there are two aspects of divine forgiveness in Christ. The first aspect is a one-time divine positional type of forgiveness that happens at your spiritual conversion moment when you receive Christ as your Savior by His grace through faith. When this happens you are redeemed by Christ. All your sins have been atoned for by Christ. You are declared righteous in the eyes of God so that you now have an eternal relationship with God and a position with God in His Heaven (see the doctrine of justification). In this divine positional/judicial sense, in Christ, all of our sins, past, present, and future have been forgiven by Christ. Here are a couple verses related to this aspect of divine forgiveness:

Colossians 2:13-14 (ESV) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

1 John 2:12 (ESV) I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

Paul and John, led by the Holy Spirit, were writing to Christians here and they used the past tense about our sins being forgiven because judicially in the eyes of God it is settled and Christ followers can be assured of this. What Christ did on the cross for us atones for all of our sin including our future sins. So, in a divine positional/judicial sense all of our sins are forgiven in Christ. This is great gracious truth. Praise God!

The other aspect of divine forgiveness is an ongoing divine parental type of forgiveness. When we sin our Heavenly Father is grieved. When we sin it has a negative effect on our fellowship with God and our witness for Christ. Sinning as a Believer, a Christian, doesn’t remove our eternal life but it does need to be addressed spiritually by our proper response to God and His Word for His people today. For example, 1 John 1:9 refers to this ongoing divine parental type of forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 (ESV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The verb tense for ‘confess’ in this verse is continual. We are to confess our sins continually as we sin. The forgiveness referred to here is not the initial divine positional/judicial forgiveness when we first become born again in Christ. This is divine parental forgiveness for specific sins in our Christian lives. When I sin today and tomorrow and the next day I need to apply and cling to the promise of 1 John 1:9.

This cleansing referred to in 1 John 1:9 is not the initial regeneration cleansing of the Holy Spirit when we first become born again (Titus 3:4-7). This is a spiritual cleansing to restore us to a righteous fellowship with God. A Bible illustration of these two types of cleansings is found in the John 13 passage about foot washing. Jesus told Peter that Peter’s whole body was clean but that only his feet needed to be washed. The phrase ‘whole body clean’ here refers to Peter being justified in Christ by faith. The foot washing referred to his ongoing need to confess his sin and be forgiven for specific sins. Yes, even Peter, a leading disciple of Christ. Even you. Even me.

It’s biblical for a Believer to ask God for forgiveness. Jesus taught us, through a regular occurring prayer model to follow, to ask God the Father for forgiveness regularly. Matthew 6:12 (ESV) and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Note, that in addition to confessing our sin, we are to repent from that sinful behavior. Repent means to change and Believers’ repentance means to turn away from sin and turn to the way of righteousness in Christ. 2 Corinthians 12:20-21 is an example of the importance of Believers’ repentance.

My own parental love and forgiveness toward my kids (our three boys have received Christ as their personal Savior and Lord) is based on this biblical model of divine forgiveness; positional and parental. When my children were conceived and born, I chose and continue to choose to love them unconditionally because they are a blessing from God who created them through my wife and me. They are our biological children and we love them and care about them. They are imperfect and so are we. They obviously sin against us like disobeying and lying to us. These sins don’t remove our love for them or their status of being our children just like the sins of Christ-followers don’t remove God’s love for us or our status of being born again in Christ. The sins of our boys do however grieve God and us. Kym and I believe that these sins need to be confessed to God and repented from for spiritual cleansing and righting their fellowship with God and confessed to us (the sins that are against us) and repented from to restore a right fellowship with us.

Now, let’s say you are a Christ-follower and one night you engage in sinful activity and then die in an automobile crash without having confessed the sin you were engaged in that evening. Because of divine positional/judicial forgiveness you are forgiven by God for that night’s sin. You are eternally secure based on God’s faithfulness and promises in Scripture to His people. If you don’t die that night, God’s Word teaches us that we are to continually confess our sins to Him.

Be careful about pride and spiritual blindness when it comes to your sin. Ask God to reveal to you any unconfessed sin in your life and then agree with God about those sins, repent from that sinful behavior and accept His forgiveness.

God’s forgiveness of our sins is amazing grace. Thank you God! There is human to human forgiveness, which is important in healthy people relationships, but divine forgiveness is the best forgiveness of all. If you have never received this divine forgiveness/eternal life in Christ, check out my blog entry on God’s Plan for True Life (http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/great-news-gods-plan-for-true-life.html).

What do you think about divine forgiveness as revealed in God’s Word?

 

Mike

Thank God!

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Thanksgiving holiday? Turkey, football, day off from job or school, family get-together, hunting, over-eating, parades, day before the biggest shopping day of year, orange/brown/yellow fall colors, pilgrims, cranberry, pies (Mmmm!)? Wait a minute!  What about being thankful?  Where does that fit in?  Many of those elements I just mentioned are part of my Thanksgiving history, but the Thanksgiving holiday is supposed to include thanksgiving, isn’t it?  Do you ever stop and think, “What do I do to emphasize thanksgiving on Thanksgiving?” How important is the thanksgiving element to your Thanksgiving, to you life?

God’s Word teaches us that we are to be thankful, and not just one day a year.  The Thanksgiving holiday time of the year, above all things, should remind us of the importance of giving thanks and to whom we are most grateful to; God!

In studying the character and life of the Apostle Paul as recorded in the Bible, I am amazed at how God-centered his thanksgiving was.  I looked at every verse Paul wrote and any verse about Paul in relation to the subject of giving thanks.  He wrote a few exhorting statements to different audiences that they are to be thankful, but most of the verses I found related to Paul and the subject of thanksgiving, were about Paul himself giving thanks.  And who was he giving thanks to almost every time?  God!

Paul thanked God for acts of God.  For example, 2 Cor. 9:15 NKJV Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Paul also thanked God for people of God.  First, for individuals (for example, Paul thanked God for Timothy in 2 Tim. 1:3).  Secondly, Paul thanked God for groups of people (Rom. 1:8a ESV First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you..). Sometimes Paul did not just show “his” gratitude but also the gratitude of his ministry partners as well, such as Timothy and Silvanus (Col. 1:3 ESV We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you).  In this verse, Paul was speaking on behalf of himself & Timothy who both thanked God for the believers of Colosse for their faith, love, and spiritual fruit.

Paul is someone who got thanksgiving right because he knew how to thank God first and foremost even when he let people know he was thankful for them.  If Paul was thankful for someone or something, Paul thanked God and gave the glory to God. Paul knew of the goodness of God and His sovereignty and that God should be our true object of thanksgiving.  

Our highest goal in every thought, feeling, and act of thanksgiving is to thank God and oh, is there much to be thankful for.  Try writing down things that come to mind that you are thankful for.  For example, be thankful for God Himself (this is a form of praise, focusing on who God is) and about what God has done in the past, is doing in the present, and will do in the future (as revealed in Scripture).  Think about the people you are thankful for.  Turn your list into a prayer and pray thanks to God.  Tell God what and who you are thankful for and thank Him for this.  God loves to hear thanksgiving from His children.

Perhaps one of my prayers of thanksgiving would begin like this; God, I praise You for who You are and what You do.  Help me to know You better and learn more about You and Your works so I can praise You more thoroughly.  Thank You for life and eternal life. Thank You for Kym, the wife You have graciously given me.  Thank You for our three boys, Luke, Josh, and Zach and our new baby girl, Elle.  Thank You for provision and protection.  Thank You for Your mercy and help in my life. Thank You for the challenges You place in my life to grow me in my dependence on You.  Thank You for teachable moments.  Thank You for affirmation, assurance, and encouragement.  Thank You for people who love and pray for me and my family.  Thank You for what you are doing in and through the people and ministries of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University.  Thank You for Your calling and equipping in my life.  And on and on I go as I become more specific and intimate with God, giving Him thanks.

God is so worthy and deserving of our praise and thanksgiving toward Him.  Let this time of the year be a reminder to us that we are to thank and praise God, not just one day a year, but on a continual basis.  

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations (Psalm 100 NIV).

Thank you God!  I love you God!  Teach us and help us to be thankful to You always, in everything, for we have much to be thankful for, more than we know.

Give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

(Eph. 5:20 NKJV).

What are your thoughts about God-centered thanksgiving?

 

Mike