TEXT: Mark 4:38-40 (NASB)
38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
The issues of life, sometimes raises more questions than answers: One of such questions is, why did Jesus waited for his friend Lazarus to die for four days before he showed up? A song writer said, “Jesus is the answer for the world today” Yes, He is. Another writer said, “In times like this you need a savior, you need and anchor, be very sure your anchor holds and grips the solid rock, this rock is Jesus.” There is no better time to cry for revival than now and to ask God for the time of refreshing to come again and again. For the fire of revival to flame more and more, and for the rivers of the living waters to drown our thought words and action. For me, revival is no more than a constant reminder of Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. Difficult questions of life or persecution of faith are answered when we call upon Jesus. You will find, in the Lord and His word, real answers to difficult questions and perfect examples to follow. We have been reviewing these question and answers for weeks now. Today we are on question number 5 of 7.
- Question about the unexpected. John 11:1-44 “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?” John 11:37 (NASB) What do you do, when the unthinkable happened or prayers seemed unanswered? What do you do when you are tempted to sin like Joseph and Jesus? When prophesies fail and lies loom larger than the truth, what do you do? Sometimes we are faced like giants with illness, death, and financial tragedies. These things do happen without notice. So, what do you do? Jesus said “… Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40 (NASB)
In difficult times what you think, say, and do matter a lot. For example: The disciples of Jesus were faced with storm at sea, a life-threatening situation. They cried “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38 (NASB) Jesus answered, first he stopped the storm in one sentence “Peace be still”. Then He said “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:40 (NASB)” Sometimes we are more interested in why things happened than taking appropriate action. You hear people say why me Lord? God expect you to turn off your fears and turn on your faith in Christ Jesus. Call upon the Lord instead of crying and get ready to respond when he command. I assume that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, but if not, you can still call, He turns nobody away. Only repent and believe him today. Another example was the woman with the issue of blood: She rose from shame and pity of twelve years. 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And she was healed instantly. Mark 5:27-28 (KJV) Do not go around shopping for God. Come boldly to the throne of grace and you will find grace in times of need. Heb 4:16 One more example is the persecution of the Gospel and the Apostles of Jesus: They were threatened and commanded to stop the spread of the gospel. Here is how the disciple thought, spoke, and reacted to persecution: “… they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM… And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bondservants may speak Your word with all confidence, …”Acts 4:24-31 (NASB) What happened? God answered with signs and wonders. Acts 15:12 Therefore, when the unpredictable happens, Jesus said, fear not and have faith. And as the Apostles did, they prayed, and God answered with signs and wonders. This is what we call revival, and the reason why we cry for revival in prayer. So that we can continue to find answers and keep flaming the fire of the gospel always. Therefore, as Jesus said, watch and pray. God bless you. (To be continued)
As concerning the Word of life, Luke 10 section 25-28 says: On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
Luke 18 section 18-25 says: A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 5 section 43-48 says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
In Old Testament, the Jewish people and their ancestors were given the Law to observe. First, What Adam and Eve should observe was that they could not eat the fruits from the tree of wisdom. Then, their son Cain was told that he should not kill. As sins became increased, the laws were also added more. Up to the generation of Moses, the Law in Old Testament was given to Israelites. We know that the Law is good and the Law is used to punish people who commit sins, but people cannot obey the Law because the sinful spirits are in people. Even that we know stealing and giving false testimony are sinful, but greedy and pride spirits in us drive us to do sinful things. So as Old Testament prophesied we need to get rid of our sinful nature from our spirits.
Jeremiah 31 section 31-33 says: “The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Ezekiel 36 section 24-27 says: “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
The prophecies are fulfilled when Jesus begins to teach love. The two greatest commandments are ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Love is above the Law and if people have love they are free from the law of sin and death. People who are full of love will not think about stealing or giving false testimony but are merciful and they feed hungry people or give thirsty people something to drink or invite strangers in or clothe people who need clothes. The Law is for people who commit sins. Nobody will say that he will get reward because he does not steal before. But love is the grace we get. And with love we will get eternal life.
Romans 13 section 8-10 says: Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Luke 17 section 20-21 says: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say,’ Here it is,’ or ‘ There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
John 4 section 23-24 says: Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”