What Are You Doing In The Storm?

"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.'" (Mark 4?38)

Interesting thing to say to The One Who came to "rescue the perishing."

The text says that Jesus was asleep in the storm.  Psalm 37 says, "Fret not...."  And the command is not without "teeth."  The One Who tells us there is no reason to fret in life is the Same One Who could sleep in the storm.  There is a peace manifest here which is found nowhere and in no one but Jesus Christ.

What are you doing in the storm?  Instead of being up front with the wailing disciples, maybe we should be, "in the stern, asleep on a pillow," in Jesus Christ, the One Who rules the storm------

and invite everyone to join us.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I do so want to be in the "back" with You rather than "up front" worrying.  Amen. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"A Great High Priest Who Has...Passed Through the Heavens, Jesus...."

"....We have such a High Priest...." (Hebrews 8:1

The writer is summing up the revelation of Jesus Christ as, "our High Priest."  He is emphasizing that, "We have," Him.  Jesus is ours, and is for all people and nations, if, that is, they receive Him.

Talk of, "High Priest," seems so archaic to generations which have cast off the concept of priests, liturgy, community, Covenant People.  Modern religion for most is a personal matter, which is code for, "I'm my own church," or, "I prefer to hold my own ideas and am accountable to no one."  It is to the poverty of professing Christians when they have no concept of, "such a High Priest."

Hebrews 4:14 in the ASV says, "Having then a Great High Priest, Who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession."  The Amplified Bible says, "Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]."  In time/space language, Jesus went somewhere.  He, "ascended and passed through," taking us with Him!  You and I, "were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ," not the blood of animals, not the self made sacrifices of our own efforts and choosing, but, "by the Blood of Christ," our, "Great High Priest."

Whether modern religion wants to accept it or not, humanity has not outgrown its need for, "a Great High Priest."  We are all poor, miserable, lost sinners, "having no hope and without God in the world."  The horror of the thought that we were all in such a state, "But now in Christ Jesus [we] who were once far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ."  Wait; didn't you just write that?  Indeed, and I wish to keep on writing it and confessing it to myself, over and over, "But now in Christ Jesus," my, "Great High Priest," my Wonderful Advocate, in Him Who lives in me and by His Indwelling Presence allows me in Him to, "....pass[] through the heavens," into the very Throne Room of the Universe, "the Most Holy Place," invited to, "sit with Me on (Greek, "inside") My throne," and participate in a "constant prayer meeting" with/in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--------------- "and He shall reign forever and ever, King of kings, and Lord of lords, King of kings and Lord of lords, and He shall reign forever and ever"-------------------------- camp meetin' time.

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the continual loosing of Your Word.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"Wandering Alone Is Not Permitted"

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall."  (Lamentations 3:19, NIV)

When you read regularly through the Bible, you come inevitably to Lamentations.  Jeremiah was weeping over Jerusalem and his People------- and himself.  "Affliction and...wandering,.. bitterness and...gall," painful reminders some of life's realities.

The phrase, "my wandering," caught me eye because I read this recently on a North Korea tour site: "There are several rules regarding North Korea tourism which travelers are expected to abide by.  Travelers will be accompanied by local guides during their stay in the DPRK and wandering alone is not permitted."  You could wander alone in other closed countries which I have visited over some 37 years.  You would just go out at night "breaking away" from the tour group, no one monitored the "wandering."  This, "wandering alone is not permitted," is a comfort I'm sure to one of our friends who said, "Now don't go wandering off." 

Yet there is something here for you and me which is a great command of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He does not send us out into life to go "wandering off."  He lives in us, sustains us in His Very Self, His Presence.  Central to His call to you and me is, "no wandering alone"--- "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men....If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  I have gone to a lot of "leadership" conferences over the years;  I have yet to go to a "Followers Conference."  Yet following Jesus is the call of discipleship.  The best leaders in the Church and Kingdom are the best followers.  Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations," and we can only do this if we are followers of the Master.  Otherwise, all we do is wander about, doing our concept of, "make disciples."  Wandering off is the MO of any person or congregation who are not a following people.

This should be in the "statement of faith" in every local church, every mission.  "Wandering alone is not permitted." 

Father, in Jesus' name, help me to never wander alone.  Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Re: Sherwood Barnette sent you a video: "Jesus Is My Righteousness"

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"The Lord...Has Given...Counsel"

"I will bless the Lord Who has given me counsel....I have set the Lord always before me...." (Psalm 16:7a, 8a)

General George S. Patton used a phrase often in his memoirs when speaking of other commanders and their decisions, "And________, taking counsel of his fears."  This is very understandable.  When any counsel I seek is either mine or another's, uncertainty, apprehension may occur, with worry and "fears" following close behind. 

"....The Lord...has given me counsel."  What comfort, security, what certainty we have in, "The Lord['s] counsel."  Now you may be thinking, "Oh no, here comes another same old, same old from Woody; read the Bible, nothing does it like the Scriptures, etc.;" so I'll click "delete."  I know, there are things I get that I do that with also.  But you and I know that so many people go to pastors and/or Christian Television for "counsel," which may be okay, but many do so to the exclusion of The Scriptures.  America is in decline because most of America and American Christendom seeks counsel from talk radio, television, the water cooler, Barnes and Noble. 
 
David says in 0ur text, "I will bless the Lord," well, for one wonderful reason, Jesus, "has given me counsel."  And it is the Lord Jesus Christ of which he then says, "I have set the Lord always before me...."  The phrase, "have set," means "adjust, agree with, be even, smooth."  What power in the Biblical languages.  It is David's version of, "Looking unto Jesus."  The connection cannot be disconnected.  The command, "Looking unto Jesus," is Life, not itself, but Himself.  Eyes, minds, hearts fixed upon and in Jesus Christ are enlightened eyes, minds, hearts.  Everything for which there is an answer (I say that, because there are just some answers we seek for which there is no answer, at least any that we can handle; remember God's Word to Job?) is in the Bible.     

For me today, the blessing was simply in the text as I share it above, "I will bless the Lord Who has given me counsel....I have set ("adjust[ed], agree with;" hence, my way is "even" because) the Lord (is) always before me."  And there is more wonderful covenant in the same verse: "Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I ask that These Your Words be written in my mind and heart.  Amen.
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I want to thank Pastor Mike Thurston's goal to get his whole congregation involved in the March 26-April 6 24/7 prayer chain.  Right now, we have 07:00, 08:00, and 11:00 filled.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2