WHEN THE WIND BLOWS

Do the winds of life bring you fear?

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. ~Matthew 14:30

As I was reading the story of Peter walking on the water, I realized something that I had missed for the past fourty-nine years of my life. I had always thought that Peter became afraid because of the waves crashing all around him that night as he climbed out of the boat in responce to Jesus simple request,"Come". As I saw that it was the wind that made Peter afraid, it occurred to me that Jesus had an even bigger lesson for me to learn from this story than ever before. What we can learn from Peter's experience is that we can so easily loose our trust in the Almighty God that we worship and praise when we begin to fear the unknown.

Peter knew not where the boisterous wind came from and he didn't know how it would effect his walk. He was already taking a leap of faith by getting out of the boat! Have you ever gotten out of the boat, so to speak, and found yourself climbing right back in where it is safe and secure only minutes or hours after your feet touched the water. It's not an easy thing to step out into the unknown, unless there is something secure there that we can grab ahold of when we think we're going to fall. Think about this today. Like Peter, we need to be calling out to the Lord in faith with willingness to say,"If it be you, bid me come to you onto the water". It's not easy! But it will amaze you how much your faith will increase when you exercise your trust in your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is there when you feel you are afraid and just as with Peter, He'll immediately catch you if the unknown weakens your faith.

Peter was already afraid of the wind before he ever got out of the boat, I'm sure! As I have continued to step out in the ministry God has called me to do, there are things that I cannot see. I know that they are there and I see the danger if this happens or if that happens. My mind can begin to doubt, even while I am stepping out entirely by faith to do the work that He has called me to do.

We've all experienced fear of the unknown before! You've experienced the boisterous winds even before you stepped a foot out of your boat, your comfort zone.

It could be one of many things that hold us back. I encourage you today to get out of your comfort zone! Get out of your favorite chair; call out and ask the Lord to bid you to come! I can tell you that it won't be long before you'll hear Him calling you to do something you've never done before. It happened to me! I've never been more satisfied and full of joy than when I stepped out of the boat, my comfort zone, to experience a new level of faith; even when the unknown almost blew me away. I called out to the Lord and without a moments hesitation, He reached out and reassured me that he was there in ways that I couldn't have imagined. Of course, the Lord asked me through my conscience,"O you of little faith, why did you doubt?".

In closing, remember that Jesus is there for each and every one of us when we step out by faith; and He will help us when we fear and fall, but that doesn't mean that the storm and the wind will cease!

Let's look at the next two verses to see why I point this out.

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.~Matthew 14:31-32

It wasn't until they were back in the boat! You see, I know that we want the fear and the discomforts to go away as soon as we pray. But the Lord knows what's best for us and what will make us more useful for His service when we make ourselves available to Him.

Are YOU ready to GO? Have you surrendered to the Lord, but have never quite gotten your foot out of the boat?

Maybe you are like me. You've heard His call and you already stepped out of your comfort zone, but you heard those boisterous winds coming your way. Maybe doubt filled your mind, as it did mine, causing you to become afraid.

If so, learn from Peter today and keep calling out to the Lord when you feel this way! But let the Lord take you back to the boat when He is ready!

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. ~ Psalms 46:10

"WHEN A CHILD CRIES OUT"

What makes us take notice when a child cries?

I had to stop and think about the meaning for recording the events that took place in the ninth chapter of the book of Esther. I read a dramatic story filled with royalty, servant hood, chivalry, rivalry and justice. It tells of a man who worked so hard to please the king and was rewarded with a promotion that landed him in a position to control the actions and even take the lives of those who challenged his beliefs. Then there was the servant of the king that had been loyal and brave. He had even once saved the King's life long before this time. But without the Queen and her bravery and faith, this story would have ended much different. She was placed in a very strategic position for this important time in the history of the nation of Israel. You may be thinking,"What's all this got to do with how we react to a child's cry?". Let's look at today's passage so you can see for yourself;

Esther 9:30-31 And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
31 To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.

One hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus received that letter on the day spoken of in this passage. A letter with words of peace and truth written in them. This was a letter that meant "life" for the LORD's children on this earth! This letter meant "posterity" for their nation and the generations to come! Without knowing the events that led up to the writing of this letter, you may never realize just how much this actually impacts your life today. If this letter had not been written, we may not have even had a Bible from which to study in the comfort of our own homes today. This letter was a letter of triumph made possible by the hand of God.

There had been a servant of the King who wanted ALL of the children of God to be destroyed and removed from the face of the earth. That man's name was Haman and he had a plan to take such control that he could even destroy the lives of anybody he chose. What could have caused a man to become so cold hearted? What could have caused men today to become so cold that they care not for the well being of their fellow man? Could it have been jealousy, deceit, hate or bitterness? Haman had been loyal and worked hard to get into a position closest to the king and to position himself where he could express his hate against those who served God. After he was promoted, all of the servants of the king bowed down when he walked by except one. That one was a man who knew the heart of Haman and of his hate for the Jewish nation and God. Mordecai was his name and he would not bow to a man who hated his God. It was his conviction and no matter what Haman said, he was sticking to it! I wondered if any men would stand today like Mordecai. We find in the book of Esther that Mordecai was the only one that stood up for his convictions and anyone who stands today, may very likely find himself standing alone as well!

This kind of conviction is what has led many followers of God into hot water with those in authority down through history. We think about Paul the apostle, Peter, John the baptist and even our Lord Jesus whom we claim to be our Savior today. You could place Mordecai right in there with them when it came to exercising the boldness of the Holy Spirit in high places. It is a strong faith that will stand up, regardless of public opinion or the popular trends! What gave Mordecai the courage and strength to stand strong in this time? What gives you and I the strength to stand strong in the face of adversity today?

Then there was Queen Esther, who was also full of boldness when it came to standing up for her beliefs and convictions. God had given her boldness, but He also gave her the favor of the king at this time. When she learned of the hate that Haman had for the Jews and his intention to destroy them all, she had a choice! She could jeopardize her position and the protection she had with the king or she could be quiet and stay protected by the king. Esther made the best choice!
She was grieved when she heard the news that the Jews all over the kingdom were weeping and wailing and that many lay in sackcloth and ashes. She sent the king's chamberlain to see Mordecai and find out what the reason was for this sadness in verse four of chapter four of Esther. He found Mordecai at the King's gates in sackcloth and he told him about the money Haman had promised the king so he could destroy the Jews. He gave him a copy of the decree to show Esther and Mordecai sent a message back to Esther, to go before the king and request that the king stop this destruction.

When she received this message she sent one back and told Mordecai that no man or woman can go before the king unless they are called. If they did, the king would have to hold out his golden sceptre or they would be put to death. She also brought to his attention that she hadn't been called to the king's court for the past thirty days! That's when Mordecai told her something profound! He sent her this message;

Esther 4:13-14 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Who knows if you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this? Wow! That's a bold statement, but full of truth. How many of us have to come where we are in life for such a time as this? Have we been able to stand for something in our life that would make a difference in the world for God? He reminded her that the deliverance of the Jews would come from another place, but she and her father's house would be destroyed! Do you think that we could face a similar situation in our life today? Maybe it our freedom to worship or maybe it's about what our children are being taught against our own beliefs. Maybe it is our government today that is compromising our freedom of worship or our children's freedom in future generations. Are we going support the authority of those who we have in power in our city, state or country when they require us to lay down our convictions and standards?

We could just as easily turn to God as Esther chose to do that day. She sent Mordecai this message;

Esther 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

Wow! Look at those last words again. Esther said,"and if I perish, I perish." That is coming from the heart of a woman that had put her complete trust in God and trusted that He would fulfill His will; whether she lived or died. But first, she was going to fast and pray with her maidens and Mordecai would gather all the Jews present in Shushan to do the same. They would become hungry and weak in fasting without water or food for three days and nights while they cried out to God for deliverance! The cry that went forth for those three days must have grieved God greatly. How do I know this? What do we all do when we hear our own child cry out? We jump and run to them and comfort them or protect them from harm. Yes, we are very attentive to our children's voices and especially when we see them trying to do what we have taught them. Especially when they are willing to sacrifice a little on their own before they cry out to us for help. That's when we act without hesitation, isn't it?

On one hand we are grieved because of their sadness and on the other hand we are glad because our children have come to us for their strength. The Word of God says so much about turning to God in time of weakness and despair. How about you? Do you turn to Him when the circumstances look hopeless? So many times we turn to the financial experts, the therapists, our favorite ballgame or hobby for relief that is only temporary. Esther and Mordecai needed help that only the LORD could give them. Esther was going to have to face the king and she knew if she said the wrong thing that he could do away with her. Yes, she was afraid! Would you have been worried and afraid for your life? Sure you would!

Let's think about the kind of crisis we face right now in our nation. Have you found yourself worried about what would happen if your employer closed their doors tomorrow? What would happen if your family depended on you to pay their schooling and their clothing and food? Would you begin to worry if you heard that your job was going to be taken away? That's what Esther may have felt like when Mordecai asked her to go before the king! She wondered how her family would be able to go on without her, but she had an even greater burden on her heart that day. She wondered how the Jews would survive without her intervention in the palace. Knowing she could not make the king do anything on her own, she called for all the Jews and all her maidens to go without food and water while praying for three days. God heard their prayers and turned the tables on Haman and those who hated the Jews. We'll go into the details in the next chapter looking at how this took place.

When we face a crisis in our lives and begin to worry, let's stop, fast and pray. Let's put our trust in the powerful Almighty hand of God! Let's remember that our God can always make a way when we can see no way with our human eyes. Our heavenly Father is waiting for you to cry out to him today as one of His children! Why don't you go ahead and talk to Him and see His loving hand at work in your life? Our cries may touch the heart of God, but nothing grieves Him more than when we don't cry out to Him!

Isaiah 40:28-31 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

If you are not a child of God, how sad it would be to turn away from this message of hope and go on trying to go through the storms of life alone. You know God is what you need to make your life complete. God wants to save your soul from the worries of this world and the condemnation of hell! Is there any reason why you would turn that away? Contact me to find out more about how to become a child of God. It is my hearts desire to help you come to know Him as your Savior today.

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"GOT PEACE?"

Psalm 29:11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.

What is the most peaceful place you've ever been?

Many times we think of some place in the mountains, the islands or the coast line of our beautiful country. Is it any wonder that people buy second homes way up in the mountains overlooking beautiful lakes? Then there are those who prefer the home built right on the beach front! We often think of going to those places to either enjoy the serenity and quiet or the roar of the surf as the waves crash into the beach over and over. Well, I have been blessed to have enjoyed allot of both the mountains and the beach and never even had to buy the first piece of real estate. My friends would ask me how it's possible to do that and my only answer to them was, "God totally provided my hearts desire!" and they wanted to know, "How did He do that?" as if it was a great secret that I had found and possessed.

The secret is not at all a secret that I possess, but is actually available to us all! The places I stayed in the mountains and on the beach were made available to me and my children because of something called "peace". You see, I had found a peace inside of me and that's when I understood the freedom that I had to care about others and reach out to do something to help them! When my desires changed towards people and their needs, that's when God began to provide all the other things that I found peaceful about this earth. How did I find that inner peace?
That's what was talked about in today's RU Sunday School class! But the lesson was about something that will take away our peace every single day, if we let it! The thing that steals our inner peace is "fear" and that comes from our adversary, satan himself. When you become afraid, you lose your strength. Your hands and feet get cold; you begin to perspire and you become weak physically, mentally and spiritually.

What gives us the power to not be afraid? Answer these three questions honestly!

Did Jesus overcome satan?

Did Jesus overcome the world?

Did Jesus overcome death?

We all know that He did and that is why only Jesus can offer total inner peace. Satan wants to cripple you with fear! Satan wants to take you away from Christ! He knows that you are healthy and strong in the presence of Jesus Christ, so he tries to pull you away from Christ. If he does this, he can begin to create fear in your life and your soul. How would satan try to pull you away today?

Satan has a mismanagement plan for your life today! Satan loves to see us distracted from our walk with Christ. Every minute not spent in communion with Christ or not accomplishing His purpose for our lives, is time available for satan to distract us and cause us to begin to worry. We learned in the RU class that worry is a soft form of fear. Worry is something we do when we become unsure of ourselves and our future. Worry makes us feel like we have lost control of something in our life and it is that need for control that can become an addiction if we don't turn to Christ for our strength.

Remember who overcame satan, the world and death? Yes, it is Jesus! It is with this assurance that we can face anything without fear! I know the grammar professors may not like the way this sounds, but the next time you see a "NO FEAR" sign or sticker, let it remind you, that with Jesus Christ you've "GOT PEACE!"

God's management plan puts the Spirit in control and our souls ought to give up control to the Spirit of God. That's where real inner "Peace" is found! That's My big SECRET!

Philippians 4:6-8 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.