Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Answer To All Of Life's Difficulties

Few of us will ever find ourselves in a storm at sea like we will read in the verse below. Translate that sea squall into life's difficulties and what might erupt in the midst of our everyday living and the chances increase exponentially. If it hasn't happened to you yet it will. How you react is critical to your faith.

Mark 4:37 (AMP) - "And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled."

Daily living can be smooth as glass or of hurricane proportions.

Mark 4:38 (AMP) - "But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing?"

What do you say? Do you accuse Jesus of not caring?

Mark 4:39 (AMP)
39 And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness).

Bear with me here as we measure the epic failure of faith on the part of the disciples against the perfect peacefulness of Jesus as they shared the same boat in the same storm.

Make no mistake about this. Jesus calmed the storm for THEM, not for Himself. Isn't that curious? It is reasonable to believe that had not the disiples awakened Him Jesus would have slept all the way through it.

How is that possible? Thirteen men in that boat, and all suffering the same fate. Twelve panic and become distraught. One sleeps peacefully through it like a baby.

Here's why Jesus could do that:

John 3:13 (AMP) - "And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven—the Son of Man [Himself], Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven."

He was in the boat, but He had heaven on earth (on earth as it is in heaven). He was in the boat, in the storm, in the turmoil, but He had the peacefulness of heaven!

The Word is clear. He was "from heaven", but even while here He was also in heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven had come. Not just for Himself, but for all who would understand that with Him. Why do you think He was so tough on them about their failure? Heaven surrounded them but they chose to remain earthbound in the flesh.

Mark 4:40 (AMP) - "He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)?"

Faith in what? Faith in Him and what He had been teaching them!  He had brought the secrets and mysteries of heaven down to earth and revealed it to His most trusted inner circle and they failed to appropriate it.

They should have all been sleeping like babies, but instead they were panicked and besides themselves with fear.

They couldn't see the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. They couldn't grasp "His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven".

Many today still don't. Even in spite of the recording of the failures so that we would not repeat them.

To grasp what it means to be "in Christ" is crucial for our relationship with Jesus. If we are truly "in Christ" and He in us, then we are where He is, we share what He experiences. The relative peace, joy, security, and calm we have is now more instinctive than our carnal human character. Panic is replaced by calm. Sadness is replaced by joy. Anger and anxiety is replaced by peace.

Can you see with me today how this is the answer to all of life's difficulties?

The modern storms such as addictions melt away replaced by deliverance. Sickness is remanded to it's proper place replaced by healing. Sins are washed away by the Perfection from Heaven.

Life in Heaven is ruled and governed by the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. As children of the King we have to remind ourselves where our home is. Jesus has brought it here and it is heaven on earth we need to live.

Step away from that deep mystery that has been revealed by Jesus and we should not be surprised by the turmoil and destructive forces that will prevail.


Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><
~SoZo~

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