Shalom

PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

Mark 4:37-38, "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 awake him, and say unto him, Master carest thou not that we perish?"

MATTHEW 12:46-50; 8:23-27; MARK 3:31-35; 4:35-41; 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.

Advocate

Who Cares:
Caring about the least among you is not enough, however sensitivity is a must. Why do we have the :least" among us as we live in a place of aboundance? May we cease to look for blame, and begin to search out meaningful solutions to essential and nonessential problems of the least among us.

Advocate-to speak, plea, or argue in favor of

Our Advocate

Your Advocate Always Wins Your Case

1 John 2:1 1My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

If you want a glimpse of some real-life celestial drama, picture this: God the Father sits as Judge of the universe with Jesus Christ at His right hand, who is not only your High Priest, but also your Advocate. When your accuser, the devil, comes along and says, “You have done this wrong and you have not done that right,” Jesus says, “Father, the devil is right, but My blood has paid for what the devil is accusing him of.” Then the devil adds, “You have also not been reading the Bible or praying enough. And this morning, you told a lie.” Again, Jesus will say, “Father, the devil has indeed reported correctly, but My blood has paid for all these failures.” God the Father will then slam the gavel on the sound block and say, “Case dismissed! Next!”

COUNT ON GOD'S FORGIVENESS

Count On God’s Forgiveness

Hebrews 10:2 2... For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

What are you more conscious of today? Your sins or the fact that you have been forgiven? My friend, don’t be conscious of your sins. Be conscious instead of Jesus and His finished work. The Lamb of God has taken away all your sins at the cross, so count on the fact that you are a forgiven child of God!