WHO IS THIS?

Storms.

With the exception of a privileged few, we are all guaranteed that times of great uncertainty will come in our lives.  

In Luke 8:22-25 you find that the disciples are on boat with Jesus and while he is sleeping they are engulfed by a fierce sudden storm.

The disciples freak out and do a good thing.  They go wake Jesus.  They want his help.

Jesus calms the storm and then questions the disciples; where is your faith?

Why would he ask this?  All of the factors show that the disciples had reason to be afraid.  They should have been scared....except for one thing!

In verse 22, it tells us that Jesus was the one that put them in their situation.  He is the one who was in control.  Since they were where Jesus wanted them, they should have been calm.  

When we are following Jesus and storms come, we have to follow His example and......

rest. chill.  be at peace.

There is nothing that we can do.  A storm is beyond our control.  So we need to be at peace.

God will put storms in your life for a reason.  Not to make you stronger, not to help you help others.

He put storms in your life so that you will be amazed by Him.

In verse 25, the disciples questioned "who is this" that calms the storm.  

So when financial, relational, physical storms come in your life; be still and KNOW that He is God.  Let Him amaze you and who he is.  

no blogging

My lack of blogging is not intentional but is a result of the way God has grabbed ahold of my mind and is causing me not to think clearly.

I need to be slow to speak (or in this case write).

I will blog again, when I can get my thoughts together!

do i have to go to church?

People say that it is not a sin to "go to church." They are right. If you live your life under the law then it doesn't really matter if you "go to church".

Paul said in Galatians 2:21 that if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died in vain. Christ died so that we could be freed from the law and live in the grace of God. So now God desires that we follow his heart (or righteousness). Jesus lived a life without sin because he followed the heart of God and continually sought God's will in his life.

According to Hebrews 10:24-25 - It is God's desire that believers meet together as did the church in acts. So if you are a follower of Christ then assembling with other believers is a fruit of your life.

We don't HAVE to "go to church" but God wants us to so that we can stir up love and good works.

So you choose to live under the law or to live according to the heart of God!

This applies to many other issues as well.

how do i grow?

Regardless of where you are in the spiritual growth process there is probably some worry/anxiety about being able to get the place you desire to be.

I remember when I wanted to begin to grow in my walk and even had a feeling that I was called to serve God in some capacity vocationally, I had no idea how in the world I would ever get to the point where I could lead people to Him.

2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

It is by His power that we are equipped with everything we need for life and for living like Him. We are not the ones who make life change possible, it is Him!

He does this through our knowledge of Him. That word knowledge is actually a greek word which literally means - recognition -.

So God's divine power gives us everything we need for life and for carrying out His will simply by our recognition of who He is!

Amazing!