Many of us are paralyzed by fear right now. Fear of failure, fear of death, fear of the unknown, etc. We have to come to the point in our walk that God is sovereign and in total control or He isn't. As followers of Christ, we are not exempt from the storms of life. The fact is that storms will come into our lives. We must have a faith that tells us that God has power over all of nature and every one of our circumstances. We need to embrace the storm because in the storms we will find God working. Our storms open the door for us to see the miraculous work of God. The result of our storms will give us a better understanding of who God is. They should make us better worshipers and witnesses.

by Dr. Henry Johnson

Before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on Sunday, August 28, 2005, it was life as usual in America. Those who loved the Lord were busy serving Him while those who rejected him were busy serving Satan. Once Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, there was a cry for prayer. I was praying long before that time. I am really overwhelmed by this storm and its destruction. Death, displacement of people, the blame game, the outpouring of donations all has changed our business-as-usual attitude in America. There is a cry that disturbs me in the middle of all of this and that is why did God allow this to happen? This disturbs me because it shows the lack of understanding of many people. God is a loving God! He is a just God! Matthew 5:44-45 says, “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.” (NIV) God is allowing things to come to pass as told in His Word. Many Christians were affected by Katrina as were many non-Christians. The key element that many miss is that Satan is the controlling power on earth. This is his season to work. Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” (NKJV).

This is a clear indication that Satan is at work as well as the Holy Spirit. I am tired of God being blamed when the blame should be on Satan who comes to steal kill and destroy. Satan stole happiness from many people through Katrina as well as destroyed families and so much more. He killed many people. Yes, I am blaming Satan for his handy work because that is where the blame should be placed.

I thank God for the victories that He won in Katrina. There were many families separated but God has bought them back together. There were many who should have died but God said “not so". I am not an expert in the Bible, but I have studied it enough to know that the God I serve is a loving God who knows even the number of hairs on your head. I want you to know that God is still in control. He will take care of us so don't give up or give in simple continue to serve Him!

We who are the people of God need to pray without ceasing. Satan is trying to claim all he can as time is winding up. I am not a prophet but the signs that the end is coming are clear. I challenge you to read Matthew 24. This one thing I know is that I am putting my trust in God not Mr. Bush, not the local government, now the state government, and the not the US Government. I know what God can do and I know without a doubt that He is in control.

Reverend Dr. Henry Johnson
12 September 2005
doctorj@praisenet.org
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There seems to be times in our lives when we just don't know what to do

or who to turn to. It might be the death of a loved one. We feel like we have lost our minds, lost hope, and wonder where God is and why He hasn't done anything. It might be your marriage. You spouse is not acting right. In fact, you seldom see your spouse because he or she is out all night doing their own thing. You have prayed and prayed about the way they are living but you haven't gotten an answer...they haven't changed. When the storms are raging in our lives, we tend to lack faith and patience. Today, I am here to encourage you through God's Word and let you know that God is in control.

In our text, we find an interesting situation. Jesus is ready to cross over the sea of Galilee. This sea is about 690 ft. below sea level and surrounded by hills. Mt. Hermon, just to the north, stands over 9,200 ft. above sea level. From May to October, strong winds often sweep through the narrow surrounding gorges into this valley causing extremely sudden and violent storms. The Sea of Galilee is very large, but very shallow. Just a little wind can make waves that are six feet high. Jesus tells the disciples “Let us pass over unto the other side”. Once on the ship, Jesus goes to the hinder part, the back part of the ship, and goes to sleep. The disciples have been around Jesus for sometime now. They know of His love. They know how He can provide. They are comfortable being on the ship with him. But something is about to happen...Look at verse 37, “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full”. There is a storm and Jesus is asleep. He is confident that when  He said let us pass over unto the other side that they would make it.

The disciples, however, are now struggling with what is going on. They aren't so comfortable anymore. The storm is raging. The waves were tossing high maybe as high ten to twelve feet. It was a severe storm, possibly a hurricane. It was such a bad storm that some of the disciples who were professional fishermen on this very sea thought they were going to die. They were soaked and no doubt shivering and terrified. These men had worked hard to keep the boat headed into the wind hoping to stay afloat but now they probably felt that the next wave would take them to the bottom of the raging sea. Where is Jesus in the midst of this storm? The text tells us that He's on the back part of the ship asleep. The waves have beat into the ship and water was in the ship and Jesus is asleep. They were in a state of panic. The disciple approached the sleeping Jesus on the back of the ship, and say, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Can I put this in my words? If I was on the ship, I would have said Jesus don't you see what is going on? You're laying back here sleep...on your pillow and we are about to die...the ship is filling up with water and you have the nerve to be sleep...Man, don't your care about us...come on do something about this. The disciples were afraid so they woke Jesus up. Their faith was paralyzed by their fear.

Can I share this with you... fear is like an anchor:

it stops us dead in the water. Fear doesn't allow us to think in a rational way. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. You know that sounds good when things are going well but when the ship is taking on water we need to see something that will help us. They were afraid that all of them, including Jesus, would die. They hadn't realized what Jesus had told them before they got on the ship. He told them “Let us pass over unto the other side”. You see in reality their problem was not the storm around them but the unbelief within them. They made the problem too big and put too little faith in God's provision. Fear does that to us. Fear is forgetting who Jesus is. Fear is forgetting that Jesus is in charge.

They woke Jesus up and Jesus showed them who was in control. Jesus wasn't concerned about the storm, the wind, the waves or the raging sea. He was concerned about His frightened disciples, the ones who got in the ship. Jesus knew that the storm was necessary for their spiritual growth. At their cry, Jesus says Peace be still and immediately the winds and the waves were calm. Jesus not only cares but He acts and saves.

Jesus rebukes these men who have followed him. He questions their faith. Jesus wants them to learn from this storm that God is in control. He wants them to know that it doesn't matter what type of storm comes into their lives, He can speak peace be still. Jesus wants them to know that even when it seems like they are going down for the last time that there is hope. He wants them to look to Him and put their trust in Him. After seeing what Jesus did, they were terrified. They had never seen a man make the storm obey. They still missed the point...they didn't realize that they were in the presence of God in the flesh.

My dear brothers and sisters, we like to quote scriptures. We say, “Be anxious about nothing... Let not your heart be troubled... For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power...The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is my strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?....If God is for us, who can be against us?” We quote them but do we believe them?

Many of us are paralyzed by fear right now. Fear of failure, fear of death, fear of the unknown, etc. We have to come to the point in our walk that God is sovereign and in total control or He isn't. As followers of Christ, we are not exempt from the storms of life. The fact is that storms will come into our lives. We must have a faith that tells us that God has power over all of nature and every one of our circumstances. We need to embrace the storm because in the storms we will find God working. Our storms open the door for us to see the miraculous work of God. The result of our storms will give us a better understanding of who God is! They should make us better worshipers and witnesses!

What's your storm?

Are you afraid? Where is Jesus on your ship? Is He awake and calming your fears or is He sleeping because you are trying to work things out for yourself and not crying out to Him? God promises that He will calm the storm, if we will just believe in Him. In the text, Jesus told them, “Let us pass over unto the other side,” and we too will pass through the storm over to the other side no matter what the storm is if we will just trust in the Lord! If you are going through troubling times right now, I have good news for you, you're going to make it through. I want you to know that sometimes God calms the storm... sometimes He lets the storm rage on and calms His child. Mark 5:1 sums things up for us. It says, And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

The Lord wants you to know that you too will make it to the other side no matter what the you are going through you need to know that God is in control.

Reverend Dr. Henry Johnson
19 July 2004
doctorj@praisenet.org
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