A scary sound of strong winds woke me up this morning. I can hear the neighbors roof banging and our window shaking from the winds. Another storm “Santi” hit our country and it’s good that it’s now out of the Philippines area of responsibility. I would like to share a word i heard from church last October 4, 2009 at Victory Christian Fellowship, U-Belt, sorry i wasn’t able to get the Pastor’s name , i attend at Galleria but went to Ubelt coz I am having my review class there.

You might want to do a song of worship, here is what we sang that afternoon.

This is our God

This is our God – Lyrics

http://www.kovideo.net/lyrics/c/Chris-Tomlin/This-Is-Our-God.html

The word is from Mark 4:35-41 (New International Version)

Jesus Calms the Storm

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Pastor asked if you have you been on a vehicle where the driver develops your prayer life? They drive too fast, it drives you crazy, you end up praying all through out the trip. lol.

Thats what he experienced when he was travelling on a bus to his usual provincial preaching assignments. He went to ask the driver if he is not scared at all. The driver replied, no! because you are with me. and i know you are a pastor, God will take care of us. lol

There are 2 observations that was shared on the “Jesus calm the Storm Story”

1. Storms will come in our lives even if Jesus is with us.

There are people who make the assumption that when they come to know Christ, they will no longer have storms in life. Asking things like Why did this happen to me? when a storm you think you don’t deserve to have.

1 Peter 4:12 (New International Version)

Suffering for Being a Christian

12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.

Because there is a storm in your life, it doesn’t mean that God doesnt love you, or he is punishing you or angry at you. Accept that storms are part of life.

Let’s watch this first 30 seconds of this clip from “Perfect Storm” to see what a storm is like.

How can one stay asleep in a storm like this. We know that Jesus calmed the storm when the disciples woke him and He commanded that storm to stop.

So why was Jesus sleeping? The disciples realized that the Jesus they have been is stronger, bigger than they know. Maybe Jesus wanted to introduce himself to us. He is someone to whom even a storm will obey.

2. Jesus is in control of the storm

You may have storms of your life like debt, broken relationships, illness and what have you. No matter how furious the storm in your life is, Jesus is in control.

Just like the story of Job…God was in control of his storm

Job 42:12-16 (New International Version)

12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

God is in control of the devil. God blessed him many times over.

Isnt it odd that Jesus would sleep in the storm? Have you witnessed a storm? I tell you, it’s difficult to sleep amidst of it, especially if you’re in a boat in the midst of it. How come you are sleeping? they must have questioned the Lord. Could it be that Jesus deliberately slept, so the disciples will realize that when all hope is gone, they would turn to him and say Lord, you are our only hope.

We will never know that God is all we need, when we know God is all we have.

There was a storm within them, in their hearts.

Mark 4:40 (New International Version)

40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

He asked, Why are you so afraid? Jesus saw the condition of the heart? Doubt, unbelief. To calm the storm outside, first, calm the storm inside. Jesus cares. He wants to calm the storm inside of us. Faith in Christ will calm the storm inside of us. As we trust him, he will calm the storm of self pity, greed, envy, jelousy, insecurity.

Only Jesus can. John 16:33

John 16:33 (New International Version)

33″I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

*This are my notes from the preaching, and not my thoughts. I am sharing this so maybe you can be blessed just like me. Please visit my church’s website to listen to the preachings directly. at http://victory.org.ph/resources/podcast.html God bless.

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