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The Storms of Life

Mark 4:35-41

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown? 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

God never promised that we’d live a storm-proof life. He just promises not only to be with us in the midst of the storm, but that we’ll make it through every storm as well. Even though Jesus was in the boat, with the disciples, the storm still struck. And so it is with Jesus is in your life, you will still encounter storms. There are physical storms, financial storms, emotional storms, and relational storms which can strike you suddenly with no warning. But just because you find yourself in a storm it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you or is punishing you.

Jesus led the disciples into this storm to teach them to trust Him, so don’t be surprised when you face storms. See The storms of life are not a detour. They are not a mistake. They are not a trick or a trap.

They are not sent to cause to destroy you. Your storms are sent by God to cause you to reach the end of yourself so that you will cry out to the Lord in utter desperation, “Don’t you care that I am perishing?” And in that moment not before it, but in it, when the water seems about to engulf you and all that is dear to you is lost—in that moment, the Lord rises and says, “Peace, be still!” Who told them to get in the boat in the first place? The answer is Jesus. It was his idea all along. Did he know about the storm in advance? Of course he did. And he told them to get in the boat anyway. Did he warn them in advance? No, because that would have ruined the lesson they needed to learn.

All of us have moments most of us have many of them when we feel utterly alone and forgotten by God. When life tumbles in around us, even after we have tried to serve God to the best of our ability, there are moments when we feel that God has left us completely. There is no avoiding those moments of utter despair. Sometimes we bring them on ourselves by the choices we make.Sometimes they come because we have done what the Lord told us to do. Sometimes the storms of life seem to come out of nowhere. It is in those moments we have a choice to make. Either we choose to believe that the Lord sent the storm to us for his own purposes or we choose to believe that the Lord has abandoned us and left us to our own devices. We can’t manipulate God into avoiding the storms or somehow making them suddenly disappear.

If anything, this story is meant to teach us exactly the opposite. Sometimes our path takes us into the storm. Sometimes we see the clouds gathering and know it is coming. More often the winds suddenly rise up and our life, which had been so well-planned, suddenly turns upside down and we begin to sink beneath the waves. Jesus is the Lord of the wind and the waves. When He calls us, we get into the boat. When he sleeps, we toil on. When the storm comes, we cry out to him. When he awakes, he calms the storm. When the storm is over, our faith is stronger. Are you in a storm at this very moment? You are not there by accident but by your Father’s design. He does not intend to hurt you even though you feel like screaming because your pain is so great. You are not alone though it feels that way now. Though you cannot see Him or sense His presence He is still with you. Fear not. Keep believing. The Master of the sea is by your side. When the time has come, He will say, “Peace, be still,” and the storm will run out of breath and the sea will become like glass. Eventually the day will break and the sun will shine again. And when you look back, you will see that you faith has grown stronger by the storm you passed through. What a Christ we serve! Even the winds and waves obey. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be in a storm with Jesus than outside the storm without Him. The lesson of the storm is simple yet profound. Jesus never promises us a smooth ride, but He guarantees us a definite destination. Amen?

Pastor Donald Garcia

 

Posted by Donald Garcia with

The Prayer of Faith

James 5.13-18                                                                   

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.  ~ESV~

Here at Calvary New Harvest we believe in the power of corporate prayer. Our fellowship was founded on prayer and we still believe the God hears our prayers. This week (as we do every Tuesday) we gathered to pray for the congregation of New Harvest. Pastor Dave decided that we should spend the morning praying specifically for those sick and hurting. As we went around the table we prayed for the marriages of our fellowship, we prayed for the people in need of healing, and we prayed for our country from the President to our own mayor.

 

James writes about the heart for when we come to LORD in prayer; 

Vs 13 is there any suffering then let them pray is there any cheerful then give praise.

Good or bad our condition should still cause to pray!

Vs14 are there any sick then call on the leaders of the church them let them pray and anoint you with oil.

Vs15 why is it us no friends it’s the prayer of faith that heals us!

Vs 16 notice James warning to us - if we need to fix sin then we should do it because it will hinder the work of God in our life.

Don't let the enemy lie to you that since you're a sinner you shouldn't pray its because we do sin that we need to pray and receive forgiveness.

I like how the NLT puts that type of prayer ; “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” NLT

Vs 17 Elijah was a mighty man of God, but he was a man just like us, but he “prayed fervently”

Elijah prayed with passion - do you pray that way? God let us pray with passion and believe You not only hear but that you answer!

Vs 18 Elijah saw God move once before so he knew God would answer again.

Remember those times that LORD answered your prayers and draw on that for the belief in your prayer life today.

 

Lord help us to always be a church that fervently prays with passion for you another and pray with the belief You will answer for Your glory alone.

Amen  

 

Posted by Julian Ortega with

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