Jesus Calms the Storm
Mark 4:35-41
Jesus said, “Let us go over to the other side.” The will of God, expressed to the friends He loved. In other words, God clearly told them it was not His will that they drown in the middle of the lake.
A furious squall came up. The storm showed every sign of preventing them from reaching the other side, God’s stated purpose.
God is not split against Himself. Jesus did only what He saw the Father doing.
Jesus rebuked the wind, so we know God did not send it. And the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Then Jesus turned to us, His disciples, His Church, down through the centuries, and said, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
You have a storm today. I know you do because I have one too.
It’s important that you know who sent your storm, because it dictates your response.
If God sent your storm, it is perfectly logical to humble oneself before the Almighty and work it through with Him. Don't forfeit the grace He's standing by to give you. Expect Him to come through for you.
If your storm was not sent by God, it is equally logical to rebuke it, command it to leave, to enforce the will of your Father against all comers.
It would make sense to utilize every means at your disposal, both natural and supernatural, to fight this thing, in complete cooperation with and submission to your God. Expect the storm to calm as a result of your words.
If your Father told you to go to the other side, someone else is trying to prevent your fulfillment of your Father’s purpose – and how dare they!?
posted by Beth @ 5:41 AM
10 Comments:
Jesus rebuked the wind, so we know God did not send it.
Beth, I have been reading your blogs on healing and have been refraining out of love and grace from replying because I do not agree with all that I read. I wish I knew more of where you are coming from concerning healing, when it is God's will to heal and when it is his will for us to endure? I do not accept anything from the Charismatic schools of healing that glorify man and his so called ability to whip up enough faith.
God is sovereign, this temporal life we live is not his biggest concern, but, how we live it for him is and as a testimony to those around us for HIS GLORY. That can come in choosing to heal as a sign of his power or it can come in the form of endurance as a sign of His Grace.
I highlighted the passage above because I would like to know from your exegesis where you got the idea the storm did not come from God which you imply then came from Satan trying to hinder the disciples from reaching there destination as he may do to us also. Actually I believe it was present either as a natural occurance of nature or was sent by God so the following events could occur and that was Jesus showing the power of his deity as a sign to his disciples.
You have definitely heightened my interest in learning more about healing. I have noticed it seems to be prevalent in Alliance teaching but I am not that familiar with the extent or direction it takes. I hope the Alliance is not leaning towards Charismania which I don't think it would. Please help me understand more.
I would tend to think that if Jesus rebuked something, then God didn't send it (after all, didn't Jesus say that a house divided against itself cannot stand?) That is not to say, however, that the Lord can't use what the enemy sends us for His greater glory.
Healing has always been a prevalent Alliance teaching, because The Alliance honors Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. Our founder, A. B. Simpson, experienced divine healing in his own life after struggling for many years with a physical affliction and finally becoming convinced that healing was his "birthright," so to speak, as a born-again believer redeemed by the blood of Christ.
Jesus came to redeem us from the curse of the law, and part of that curse was sickness. This doesn't mean that healing is automatic or the result of a "magical Charismania formula." It does mean that healing is ultimately His will for all believers. Whether our healing occurs in this life or on the other side of eternity (as it did for my mother, who died of a heart attack after suffering from heart disease), it is something we can count on because of what Jesus did on the cross.
Of course, the most miraculous healing we experience as believers is the spiritual healing we receive when our sin nature is transformed into the nature of Christ.
I was not sure what to do with the idea of a storm not sent by God and one that is. What is the difference? Maybe God sent the storm to test their faith. It revealed their lack of faith at that time and then He rebuked it at the right time. I have a hard time with the idea that people die when they are not supposed to. The Bible says that God knows all our days from the beginning. He is sovereign. So how can someone die at the wrong time? Or by the wrong cause?
Pastor Denny, happy you've been reading my blog, even if only to set me straight :-) Love and grace do not need to mean silence, so please feel free to comment anytime. And your interest in learning about healing is heightened! How great is that?!! Praise God!
I agree most weather patterns are simply natural occurrences, just as most sickness is a natural result of living in a fallen world, and that could have been the case with this storm.
However, if we suggest that God sent the storm in order to test the disciples' faith (as suggested by Anonymous) or to show the disciples his power, would you also believe that God caused the man across the lake to be demon-possessed so that He could show His power in deliverance?
In other words, do you ascribe any events in all of history to satan? or do you believe that everything apparently done by satan is only what God willed to be done in order for God's greater purposes to then be revealed through those events?
I do not believe in whipping up faith. (although 2 Tim 1:6 tells us to stir up the gift within which could certainly include faith) As I said in the post Christ My Healer: No performance, no striving, no formulas.
I recognize that the excesses within the Charismatic camp as well as within the healing movement (two separate but often overlapping streams) have greatly turned you off, and I'm sorry for that - but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.
As for my own beliefs, please be assured I will continue laying it out. But just as I dont wear all my jewelry on the same day or serve five entrees to my family at dinner, I'm putting it out a piece at a time. However, of the books listed, I listed Christ My Healer by F.F. Bosworth at the top because it is where I received my beliefs on healing.
Finally, I don't think you need to be concerned about the Alliance leaning towards any kind of mania. Although the Alliance site mentions a "big tent" approach, it's about as steady and stable as a movement can be.
And this comment is about as long as a comment should be :-) More later!
Yikes - with fear and trembling I enter this one.
First, let me say - I appreciate the fact these issues are being discussed here. I think it's fantastic that you are willing to raise pertinent, historical and Biblical issues. The C&MA historically holds to the active, present and powerful work of God. This would surely include miracles and healing.
That's stating the obvious.
The questions raised here, however, go to the specific "from whence storms come". That's tough. Because the Bible seems to give diverse indications. He is of too pure eyes to behold iniquity. He is just. He is kind. He is good. AND He is sovereign.
I think of the incident of the storm, while also thinking about John 9:3 ff - "It was not because of sin (this man's or his parents) that he was born blind - but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
I think of Job - where Satan it's almost indicated that Satan is used as God's henchman (crude statement, I know - but also not original). God completely baits satan and says - do what you want with him. Just keep him alive. In the end Job acknowledges the sovereign hand of God in the process - "THe Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord".
I think of Amy Carmichael, who had the spiritual gift of healing for a time. Yet, she spent the last 20+ years of her life bedridden.
I also know of people who have been miraculously healed by God simply by taking Him at His word.
Frankly, I don't know what to make of all that - other than this:
He is faithful
He is Just
He is Good
He is Absolutely sovereign.
I think living in that mystery is something that we need to be okay with - because that mystery is our present reality.
I've rambled enough. Thanks for the great Blog, Beth!
Bernie
Thanks, Bernie! Glad you stopped by :-)
Living with mystery is a great way to put it, and a great starting point for discussion!
Beth,
First of all thank you for your grace in excepting and responding to my questions. and, Bernie those are some great thoughts and I also went to Job when I was thinking about what Beth stated about the storm. It doesn't specifically say Satan caused the great wind that came and blew down the wall of the home of Jobs children but it could be implied since God gave his permission for Satan to try job however he chose only not to touch him. It was brought to my attention earler today that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. He also in the second incident in Job did get permission to attack Job physically only not to death and the scripture says he touched him and caused boils to come up on his skin.
Getting back to the specific storm I was reading that again in my studies in Mark, (I am currently taking the inductive Bible Study course through the MSP program), and it came to light that regardless of the source of the storm Jesus rebuked not only the wind and the waves but also his disciples for their lack of faith. They were getting so worked up and fearful about the storm around they forgot Jesus was in the boat with them. If he didn't seem concerned about it that should have given them the hint to just keep rowing and working the sail, Gods going to get us to the other side.
Another subject that I have been mulling over is demons and deliverance. It's funny you should bring up the demoniac with the legion. I have had my eyes open in the study of Mark that healing and casting out demons were a major part of Jesus ministry and one he passed to his disciples. My wife and I have been in much discussion lately on this becasue we have been introduced to it through jail ministry we participate in and the chaplain who is in charge. He is very much into deliverance and has shared many things with us and is trying to teach my reluctant self more about this. If demons were so prevalent then I can't believe it's not the case today, we are just more civilized and don't think in those terms, we have medical or physcological explanations for everything. But, I have been face to face with a demon possessed man before and do believe that they exsist, I'm just not sure what I want to believe from the sources outside the Bible on the subject. I'm just not into calling every sin of the flesh and spirit or demon of this or that. The learning never stops does it, I guess if it does we better check to see if we're still breathing.
Hi, Denny, I'm laughing about your reference to "calling every sin of the flesh a demon" - I heard one Bible school professor say that a student asked him to "rebuke the spirit of slumber," but when he questioned her he learned she was staying up late watching TV!
But yeah, I too believe the demonic is very real, although it sounds like even your limited experience is more than mine.
So maybe healing and deliverance should be discussed side by side, eh?
If our goal in ministry is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and set the captives free then I would say YES to your question. Read the first 2 or 3 chapters of Mark and let me know what you get from it. I don't believe that all sickness is from the Devil but it could be and I don't believe all the vice's we have are from demons but again they could be. It is our responsibilty thru prayer and the leading of the Spirit to discern these things and deal with them appropriately by the power of God and in the name of Jesus, our Deliverer and Savior
Sorry it's been a few days but just in case you're still checking back, Pastor Denny, I read those chapters in Mark over the weekend as you suggested and realized anew how very parallel healing & deliverance are. They should indeed be carried out side by side as part of preaching the Gospel, as we're commissioned in Mark 16.
Well, although no one wants to encounter demonic manifestations, I would say you working in prison ministry have a better than average chance of coming across it so I'm glad you're studying all this. As I said I have basically zero experience with it but do believe a balanced deliverance ministry in context of ministry to whole person (spirit, soul, body) is a vital work of the church and of every believer.
And by the way, thank you for working in prison ministry - that is such an important ministry and one where a lot of people are afraid to go (me included).
Some good books on deliverance which you might enjoy are Neil Anderson's works. They are not at all mystical or heebie-jeebie. Neil Anderson was an engineer and confronts this problem thinking like one. He personally ministered to my college roommate and got her set free when others, more colorful, had tried and failed.
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