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Get a Grip!!!

“There is a time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing”- Ecclesiastes 3:5

Are you gripping or griping? Are you grasping what is going on or gasping for fresh air?

This is not a season to be slipping and sliding around on the deck of the ship in unbelief, fear and anxiety. This is a season to saddle-up, buckle-up and lift your head-up for our redemption draweth nigh. Don’t be the hockey-puck slapped around by all the social media platforms , talking news heads and fear-mongers! Time to buy some sure-grip deck shoes for this boat ride!

Grab your Bible and let’s go for a walk through Scripture to determine what we need to be firmly gripping, intimately embracing and strategically avoiding!

 

Covid-19 has taught us what we “touch” can kill us!  We all have the capacity to be exposed to life-threatening deadly invisible viruses. We can even be a “spreader”  unaware we may be spreading sickness and death to those around us. 

 

This season has pressed an uncomfortable question into my heart, “What am I spreading with my spiritual  touch, my attitude, my words, my deeds?” IS IT…Fear? Love? Healing? Sickness? Good news or bad news? Encouragement or discouragement? Strength? Griping and whining? Grumbling or Gratefulness? Joy or inordinate depression? 

I KNOW this for a fact….Whatever has Gripped me will grip others!

 

 

Is it not interesting the Apostles of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, describe their intimate experience or exposure to the Word of Life , the Incarnation of God Himself as Son, with sensory  words like see, hear and touch!

 

I John 1:1-4

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

 

Luke 24:39-40

38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

 

Acts 17:26-27

26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

 

The same Greek word is used on all three passages…psélaphaó (psay-laf-ah’-o). This word means to “feel something” with an investigative or light  touch.  The Apostles “touched” God in the Incarnation of Jesus, Yeshuah. The impression  is a light or careful touch to learn the features and facts of what is being “handled”.  Therefore, John the Apostle, was simply saying , “We touched God!” 

 

May we NOT lose our sense of the touch of the sacred in these days of social distancing.  We need to learn to develop to a higher level of efficiency our spiritual faculties to “fellowship” with the Father and the Son and each other to deepen Christian love, joy and mission. 

 

The gentle touch of Jesus is both profound and weighty, transforming our lives from glorious touch to glorious touch! (2 Cor.3:16-17)

 

However, the New Testament  word I discovered is incredibly rich in texture and context.  The word breathed into the hearts of the Apostles was KATALAMBANO.  It describes a variety of actions by which a person is not only ‘exposed’ to the influence of another person or an environment, but “apprehended” by that person or force of nature. The idea is akin to “possessed” for noble or ignoble purposes. 

 

KATALAMBANO is a more aggressive or forceful word than psélaphaó.  In Christ we  experience both the affable  and the arresting touch of God!  I think the way we process the touch of God in our lives is based on His custom-tailored love and our personality. Paul had to be knocked off his high horse and blinded and man-handled to get to the place God wanted him to be. Peter had to be strongly rebuked for his Satanic pride to put in place.  Matthew, the tax-collector, on the other hand, was simply “included” and the spirit of rejection melted as he opened the door to Jesus to have a meal at his house. There is no doubt Jesus’ gentle dealing with Matthew caused a bit of stir among the blue-collar tax paying Galillean’s. 

 

KATALAMBANO is a compound verb derived from a verb (lambano) and an intensive preposition (kata). 

 

KATA=  properly, “down from, i.e. from a higher to a lower plane, with special reference to the 

terminus (end-point)” (J. Thayer). 

 

LAMBANO=(lambánō, “aggressively take”) – properly, take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative (eager self-interest); to grasp something in a forceful (firm) manner; (figuratively) to apprehend (comprehend), “making it one’s own.”

 

Basically, katalambano is to grasp something or someone to hold it closely and forcefully for a desired end or purpose.  This grip can usher you into a different sphere or plane of experience.

 

KATALAMBANO is found in the New Testament fifteen times. The word is used in both negative and positive scenarios.  Physical, mental, moral and spiritual contexts surround the use of this powerful word.  This word is employed to describe an intense spiritual battle between the forces of darkness and the kingdom of God revealed in the personal presence of Jesus Christ by His Spirit. 

 

I believe this devotion and reflection and application can help us navigate these days of determining what we need to “avoid” and what we need to “intensely grasp” to pursue with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

 

Today…is not a time to “shrink back” but lunge forward in loving faith to walk with our Lord Jesus into battle, to hold each other’s hands in purity and to embrace  the sick, the despairing, the timid and the double-minded with compassion and humility. 

 

Endurance is a precious commodity in the End-times and Endurance is fed by FOCUSED-FAITH in God-himself and His word…endurance requires KATALAMBANO!

 

Hebrews 10:36-39

36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. 38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preservation of the soul.

 

Below is listed the three arenas KATALAMBANO is used in the New Testament:

 

  1. In the  Realm of Evil & Sin

 

  • Ambushed By the Demonic

 

“Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18 and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”

 

Jesus had just been descended from the Mountain of Transfiguration. He cast the “the unclean spirit” out of the boy. He told the disciples, “this kind” (genome; DNA) does not come out but by prayer (some manuscripts add “fasting”). This particular demon had such force it physically harmed this teenager and closed down his auditory and speech centers. 

 

  • Ambushed By Sensuality, Sin & Trespass

 

“Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.” (John 8:3,4)

 

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught (pro-lambano) in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” (Gal.6:1)

 

The context reveals that the conflict is with the overwhelming power of the sin nature that can ambush the sinner or the saint and propel them to cross lines of morality. The sinner in this arena is “caught in the act of sin” (John 8:4). Or “the trespass” has been revealed by confession or witnesses (Gal.6:1).  For example, David was “caught” in his adultery and murder by the prophet Nathan. David then confessed his sin to God to begin the path of restoration. These two texts are wonderful parallel passages that reveal the gentleness of Jesus to forgive, reconcile and restore the sinner to wholeness and a prescribed path of holiness…”Go and sin no more.” 

 

The counter-attack of Jesus against this kind of aggressive sin is the power of grace manifested in forgiveness and healing!

 

The New Testament advocates (CLICK LINK),  “NO MAN LEFT BEHIND”!  The word of God commands us to go behind enemy lines and lay hold of a brother and sister and bring them back to safety and place of healing and restoration. 

 

  1.  In the Realm of the Intellect

 

KATALAMBANO is experienced in the  arena of the mind to comprehend what is normally incomprehensible. This “comprehension” is like connecting the dots between the action and the purpose. The invigoration of the mind by the Holy Spirit always leads the ignition  of the will unto obedience to the Gospel and Cause of Jesus Christ. 

 

Each couplet below has an Action and a Purpose.

 

  • The act of Preaching is where men & women  can KATALAMBANO/comprehend God’s Authority and experience or witness His justice in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

 

Festus said, “But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.” (Acts 25:25)

 

It dawned on the chief priests,  elders of Israel and Festus (in Paul’s trial) that John Peter and Paul  had authority from Jesus Christ to proclaim and to perform miracles. Their intellectual and educational arrogance prevented them initially from taking seriously what the young apostles were teaching. In Acts 4, with such force this realization captured their minds and they let Peter and John out of prison with a warning to not preach about the resurrection of Yeshuah. After Festus investigated, Paul was found innocent in this lower court  but sent to Nero for a further trial in accordance with the will of God to preach the Gospel in Rome.

 

 

  • By Vision from the Holy Spirit we can KATALAMBANO/comprehend the Inclusive Grace of God toward All Gentiles

 

“Opening his mouth, Peter said:

“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” (Acts 10:34-35)

 

Incredible synergy develops between Peter’s personal presence among the Gentile and his previous vision in Joppa. The dot’s are connected between obedience,  the vision, the man, the Gentiles and preaching. Like seeing the Aurora Borealis for the first time Peter comprehends the inclusion by grace of the Gentiles into the covenant and promises of God to Israel. God the Father through the propitiation in the blood of Jesus has reconciled all men to Himself  and thus all are welcome through repentance and faith. Without this comprehension Chrisitianity would have remained a sect within Judaism and the early church would have likely ceased to grow or totally die out.

 

KATALAMBANO shatters barriers between different peoples and groups.  KATALAMBANO overcomes estrangement based on culture, creed and customs, fusing a common center of gathering around the grace and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Be prepared to go where you NEVER thought you would go because of the inherent propulsionary power of comprehending the radical reconciling power of Jesus Christ’s blood.  Like a Tennessee blood-hound we follow the unprejudiced blood of the Lamb of God into all peoples, tribes, kingdoms and nations of the world. 

 

  • By Prayer & Fellowship We can KATALAMBANO/Comprehend the Immeasurable Nature of God’s Love

 

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Eph.4:14-19)

 

Divinely bestowed KATALAMBANO by the Father is what launches into the immeasurable continent of Christ to behold the wonder of His divine nature and eternal attributes.  Like Lewis & Clark we strike out to map the wilderness of His unexplored grace. KATALAMBANO begs us to move past the breakers of doubt and double-mindedness to catch the winds of vision and mission for the cause of Christ.  Together, and only together can we harness the wind of the Spirit that plunges into arenas only survivable by God’s holy protection promised to those who “GO” into all the world to preach the gospel, teaching and making disciples of all men (Matt.28:19-20). 

 

Don’t be a Shire-bound hobbit like Bilbo, Frodo or Sam-wise ….get out of your Shire, your comfort zone….Adventure out!!!!

 

Bilbo Baggins experiences KATALAMBANO (Open Link)  https://youtu.be/G0k3kHtyoqc

 

  1. In the Realm of the  Christian Spirituality

 

Clearly, the grasp of God has transferred from the power  of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son in whom is the redemption the forgiveness of sins (Col.1:13-14).  The hand of God precedes our grip on the things of God.  Ezra, the restoration priest, was very aware of the “hand of God” that had gripped him to rebuild the Temple.  Ezra reveals several way the sure grip of God works in our lives to save us, heal us and rebuild our lives:

  • Ezra 8:31- To deliver His people from the world, the flesh and the devil (Babylon) 
  • Ezra 7:28- To raise up leadership among the people of God to do His work
  • Ezra 7:6- To release provision and protection for the work of God
  • Ezekiel 8:1-3- To give vision of God and reveal idolatry in the midst of God’s people
  • 2 Kings 6:1-7- To recover from a fall and be restored to our calling in ministry. The prophetic disciple lost his “iron axe head” and was instructed by Elisha to re-GRIP it with an outstretched hand….Hallelujah!!!!

My favorite New Testament story about the saving clutch of Jesus is when Peter was walking on the water and he was overcome with fear and he began to sink…”he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt.14:30-31).

His grip upon us transfers His strength in to us by the impartation of the Holy Spirit who becomes our strength to grab a hold of the things of God.

The graph below suggests 4 realms or arenas the Christian can practice the discipline of KATALAMBANO!  We know God in Christ has KATALAMBANO’D us!  

 

Therefore, our calculated and only appropriate reciprocal response is to KATALAMBANO Jesus…EMBRACE the following with ardent HOPE, sober-watchful Readiness, FAITH-filled self-mastery and LOVE with endurance!

 

The fruit will be power, victory, readiness and godly pleasure!  May we grasp each area like the disciple who clutches the “plow” of the kingdom and never looks back!

 

 

Father, we are so thankful and indebted to walk worthy of our calling in Jesus Christ. Help us firmly grasp, as we have been firmly grasped, the resurrection of Your Son Jesus, self-control of the Holy Spirit, and faith-righteousness.  Wake us up, sober us up so we will be prepared to hold fast the promises of the coming day of the Lord. We firmly take hold of our stewardship to be faithful in the little things as we await your return and Your reward. Amen

 

Time to Gather the Olives and Bring the Oil

EXODUS 27:20-21: GATHER THE OLIVES AND BRING THE OIL

20 “You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the Lord; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel.  

In Ancient Israel modern conveniences did not exist. Neither the wilderness nor the Promise Land had electricity or indoor plumbing or natural gas lines. Thus the Mosaic Tabernacle and the Temple of Solomon was reliant upon olive oil for light and wood for sacrifices, both to be provided by the people of God. (Lev.6:9-13; Neh.10:34).

USE YOUR HOLY IMAGINATION TO ENVISION THE PEOPLE OF GOD WORLDWIDE GATHERING OLIVES DURING THIS TIME OF SHAKING TO PRESS ON TO KNOW THE LORD BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH A NEW FRESH INTENSITY OF PREPARATION, FULLNESS AND ANOINTING, SERVICE AND WORSHIP !!!

“Social Distancing” is wise right now. However, We need to take advantage of this season of drawing near to the God and Him drawing near to us. The Father is jealous for His people and the Spirit He has made to dwell in us. As tragic as Covid-19 is…we pray for the plague to be stopped, people to be healed, a cure to be found…we must keep in mind the Ekklesia (the Church of Jesus Christ) is to lead the way in repentance and humility and compassion.


Seek the Lord, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger. (Zephaniah 2:3)

Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:4-8)

Check out this amazing video link  how to gather and produce olive oil. Clue: The Shaking goes before the gathering!  The shaking is here, let the gathering, pressing and filtering begin for a harvest of fresh oil!

https://youtu.be/_B27bcbT-Vo

No oil…no light…no ministry…no service…no need to gather!

The COVID-19 virus has spread worldwide, now declared by the WHO an official pandemic.  The virus has spread to all the continents in the world but Antarctica. Public gatherings, all non-essential business closed, in-shelter mandates and thus, our churches are now closed. Major sports venues are cancelled, entire seasons are on the ropes. Schools are closing, some states leaning toward not reopening until the next academic year. Airports are in chaos. National borders are being closed around the world.  I could go on and on, but you are likely totally inundated with this information to the point of nausea.

Like many of you I am sure, I have been asking the Lord a fundamental question, “why?”  We know pandemics are not unusual. Jesus himself predicted or warned these events would come as “signs” of the end of the age and His return.  Most of us know this stuff (Matt.24; Mark 13; Luke 21).

“But why is this pandemic different?  This pandemic seems to qualify as a legitimate “beginning birth pangs or end-time sorrow”, this is not false labor. From here on out these signs of Christ  are only going to get stronger, longer and closer together.

This morning my wife (who daily diligently searches the Scriptures) read this passage above from Exodus 27:20-21 to me.  She knew this passage was live changing for me when I was a very young Christian in the early 1980’s. 

I believe I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit to revisit this passage. I heard part of the reason “why” God is allowing this pandemic.  

He is waking up and stirring the church to get ready for difficult days, tribulation and to be ready for His return!

Regarding the Exodus 27:20-21 passage, the people of Israel, were charged by God through Moses to gather and press olives to extract the precious oil. This Olive Oil was essential to the functioning of the Mosaic Tabernacle in the Wilderness and later the Temple in Jerusalem.  

The “clear oil of beaten olives”was used for three primary  purposes:

  1. To fill the Lamp-stand in the Holy Place so there would be Light to approach the Table of Shewbread, to offer incense on the Golden Altar of Incense. Ultimately, once per year, the Light would show the way for the High Priest enter the Most Holy Place to atone for the sins of Israel on the Day of Atonement. (Ex.27:20)

For the church, the type is clear, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit to be the Light of the World in order to fully reveal God and the way into the Father’s presence through the offering of His blood. In turn, we are to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit who reveals who we are in Christ and how to approach the Father with praise and thanksgiving (Eph.5:18; 1:15-17).

2. To make the Holy Anointing Oil to pour on the priests to consecrate them for the work of the ministry before the Lord and on behalf of the people. (Ex.29:7)

Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit to be the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, who sacrificed Himself to take away our sins and reconcile us to the Father. We too are anointed with the Holy Spirit to be ministers of reconciliation, forgiveness and healing to our world. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us and guides us into the the truth of Jesus Christ (John 14-16).

3. To mix oil with the unleavened cakes and wafers as a grain offering well-pleasing to the Lord.(Ex.29:2)

Jesus was continually permeated with the HolySpirit in all His words and deeds of service to glorify the Father. 

As most of you know, OIL is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is like “oil”. There are several biblical symbols of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Fire, wind, and flowing clean water are all symbols that help us understand the work and personality of the Third Person of the Godhead.

Likewise, the follower of Jesus and the collective community of Jesus Christ need to continually be:

  • Filled with the Holy Spirit to be the light of the world (Eph.5:18; Acts 13:52)

  • Anointed with the Holy Spirit to  announce God’s forgiveness and redemption found only in the Blood of Jesus (Luke 4:17; 2 Cor.1:21)

  • Saturated with the Spirit when we both speak and serve for God’s glory (1 Peter 4:10-11)

We need to bring the oil of the Holy Spirit to our gatherings, our churches and our world for the revealing of God’s powerful love everyday…morning and evening!  Just because you were filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues or prophesied or laughed 30 years, 3 weeks or a few days ago ….DOES NOT mean you or your church is Spirit-filled today or in this very moment.  

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. (1 Cor.14:26)

Service begins BEFORE the service! We bring the olive oil when we prepare for service to lovingly serve and speak to make our bothers and sisters stronger in the Lord.

The truth is we leak because we are EARTHEN vessels, therefore, we must constantly be filled with HEAVENS resources!

https://youtu.be/ZEBOb-H1NbY

I find it interesting that Gethsemane means “olive-press”.  Gethsemane was located at the foot of the Mount of Olives! What a beautiful picture how Jesus, the Israelite, fulfilled his call to gather and press olives to bring clear oil to the Temple of God for the Light of the Lamp-stand, the Anointing Oil and the grain offerings. 

So during this time of isolation from the Temple ….from our regular church gatherings…we should spend time GATHERING ourselves like olives and throw ourselves into the “oil-press” of Gethsemane.

While we are “IN-SHELTER” ….let us gather in our individual hearts, our homes and in our families UNDER the SHELTER OF THE WINGS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD!

We can recommit ourselves to becoming members and ministers who are filled and flowing in the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  We can pray with Jesus, “Father not my will be done but Your will be done.” 

The “pressure” of this season can press out of you the oil of joy and gladness to serve the Lord.  The Oil Press of Almighty God can release a “fresh oil” of Anointing to preach, to pray, to prophesy in love, to heal the sick, to encourage the faint hearted and to set captives free from the  demonic forces!!

This time of discipline can be a time of releasing “CLARITY” in our lives and the lives of our families and churches…we need “clear oil of beaten olives” to fill our lives. Olive oil ‘adulteration’ is a problem in the olive industry.  Adulteration happens when olive oil is mixed with low quality oils like hazelnut, canola or soybean and then passed off as 100% Olive oil. 

I fear we may have the some of the  same unauthorized mixture of oil in the church.  The oil filling the Lamp-stand of our lives and churches is mixed with cheap imitations.  We need the “clear oil of beaten olives” filling our lives and churches. This “clear oil” comes from tribulation, trials, afflictions,sufferings, tests, and hardship pressed out of us by the firm hand of the Heavenly Father. 

As Christians, How do we figuratively gather and press olives so we can be filled with the oil Holy Spirit to bring illumination, gifts and joy to the house of the Lord and the people of God?

Where do we find this desperately needed oil? 

  • Enter the Garden of God, Spend time in Gethsemane: The custom of Jesus was to PRESS in to God the Father in prayer and supplication.  Find a frequent place of solitude where you can be alone with the Father and practice His presence and fully surrender to His will…to His cup of trials…Father not my will be done but Yours.   This will become the foundation of ultimate obedience in difficult days ahead. PRESS ON AND IN TO THE FATHER IN THE OIL PRESS OF INTERCESSION! Do not “sleep in sorrow” but be awakened and filled with the readiness!

I believe, in part, this oil that fills our lives…our internal reserves…is the oil that the FIVE WISE VIRGINS possessed when the Bridegroom announced His coming. 

 The Garden of Gethsemane prepares us for the feast of the Bridegroom. 

Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Your godly CUSTOMS will eventually serve you and others in CRISIS.

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples…[ The Garden of Gethsemane ] And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.  (John 18:1; Luke 22:39)

7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Heb.5:7-10)

  • Climb the Tree of Life, Practice Righteousness: Obedience and worship under pressure will release a quality of life marked with supernatural gladness and joy!  When you and I OBEY the command of the Lord Jesus, the joy and strength of God flows like oil in our lives. Things may be very difficult but we maintain a poise or a posture of hope and joy , explained only by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Men and Women of God who practice righteousness and worship at all costs release a fragrant   atmosphere of the triumph of Jesus Christ, not some manufactured perfume or cologne from a department store.

To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spiritof fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting oftheLord, that He may be glorified. (Isa.61:3)

 

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions. (Heb.1:9)

Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, Your name is like purified oil; Therefore the maidens love you. (Song of Solomon 1:3)

His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the olive tree And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. (Hosea 14:6)

Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3)

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; (2 Cor.2:15)

  • Build a House, Embrace the Father’s Disciplinary Love:  This arena is perhaps the most challenging. This is not just praying but coming under the deep disciplinary love of the Father to transform our lives into the likeness of Jesus Christ over an extended period of time or season.  This pressure is often deeply woven into both righteous and unrighteousness behavior. We can suffer for the sake of the gospel and the cause of Christ. We can also suffer for sake of our unrighteousness or somebody else’s treatment of us. In all cases the “God of all grace” will pointedly and firmly  work with us to shape us like clay on a potters wheel into vessels of honor useful and filled with His oil for others to benefit from. This season can release healing to our broken heart and genuine holiness in our character (1 Peter 5:10-11). Those trained by the Father’s discipline have incredible peace, stability and joy to share with others who are in need.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. (HEB.12:4-6)

Come, let us return to the Lord.

For He has torn us, but He will heal us;

He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.

2 “He will revive us after two days;

He will raise us up on the third day,

That we may live before Him.

3 “So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.

His going forth is as certain as the dawn;

And He will come to us like the rain,

Like the spring rain watering the earth.

Hosea 6:1-3

 

A Cheat Sheet for Living in the End-times

In view of the recent Pandemic surrounding COVID 19 Virus, I have been stirred to put together a basic outlook for the Christian on the End-times. Jesus clearly taught “pestilence” or “plagues” would be one sign among many pointing to the coming wrath and salvation of God. There is so much ignorance and fear-mongering, I thought this exercise would help ground the Christian in a culture of readiness and preparation.

We got this!

This is certainly not an exhaustive study. I purposefully did not address the different eschatological views (parousia (rapture), pre/mid/post tribulation, a-millennialism, post or pre millennialism etc.). I believe it is critical for Christian communities to diligently search the Scripture to determine their view of how the end-times will unfold. Personally, I am a follower of Jesus who embraces a literal millennial reign of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem. There will be 7-year tribulation or Jacob’s Trouble. I embrace the rapture as the “blessed hope.” However, I am fully convinced that extremely difficult times are ahead for the global church as we approach the coming of Jesus Christ. Persecution and suffering will be on the rise for followers of Yeshua.

Regardless of your eschatology, we should all be able to agree on a “lifestyle” of the Christian in the end-times which is clearly taught by both Jesus and the Apostles. I believe if we embrace the Spirit of Jesus and the word of God we will be “in the right place at the right time and not the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The Apostle Peter taught we are living in the End-times (1 Peter 4:1-7). His teaching was based on the Mount of Olives Discourse found in the Gospels.

Peter (1 Peter 4:1-7) advocates several essential disciplines for the Christian and the church to foster while living with vitals relevance in the End-times:

1) Sober Minded Awareness & Prayer (v7)

2) Love & Forgiveness (v8)

3) Hospitality & Gratefulness (v9)

4) Stewardship of Speaking & Serving Gifts (v10-11)

5) Commitment to Glorify God (v 11)

I have chosen to focus on Mark 13 to create “a cheat sheet” for a quick reference how to cultivate a lifestyle of readiness for the events surrounding the last days and the glorious Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus teaches 12 Lifestyle attributes to prepare oneself for these difficult days and His Second Coming. Each “lifestyle” pattern is the response to a “trap” which needs to be avoided.

[Note: The Alliteration of “P” for each Lifestyle focus]

Use this “cheat sheet” to pray through on a regular basis. Click Below…

end-times-lifestyle.docx

If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Cor.16:22-23)

Move or Climb Mountains?

If we want to see victory in the valleys, we will first climb the mountains!

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  1. The Mountain of Temptation (Matt.4:8): The Discipline of Worshipping and Serving

  2.  The Mountain of Revelation (Matt.5-7): The Discipline of Listening and Obeying

  3.  The Mountain of Transformation (Matt.17:1-23) The Discipline of Beholding

  4. The Mountain of Prognostication (Matt.24-25) The Discipline of Watching & Praying

  5. The Mountain of Crucifixion (Matt.27) The Discipline of Believing

  6. The Mountain of the Great Commission (Matt.28:16-20) The Discipline of Waiting and Going

God forgive us for trying to “avoid” what You meant for us to climb. We also confess, all to often we tried to recklessly climb what you wanted to move.

Revival is sustained by inhaling the breath of God in the momentary light afflictions; walking always upward and downward with the assurance of God’s consistent love; and fellowship with prayerful ardent singing pilgrims “in whose heart are the paths to Zion.”

A church with this momentum will collide with the world of need and awaken those bound in darkness. 

Worship involves climbing!

Genesis 22:1f: “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am, he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you…Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Climb This Mountain (click) Worship Song

Christians need to learn how to first CLIMB mountains in obedience before they learn to MOVE mountains with faith. The Love of God must precede and feed our Faith in God! One of the places we grow or gain love is by abiding in Christ in the heavenly places.  Soaking in the Presence of God will ensure that we are speaking for God.

It is foundational to learn how to ascend where Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father. We ascend in prayer, in fasting, in biblical meditation, in praise, in fellowship, in obedience,  in solitude and silence. We ascend by dying to self, rejecting earthly wisdom and going to the throne room of grace to find counsel, mercy and grace in time of need.

This climb is not geopgraphical but it is measured in relational distance. The Most High God has drawn near in Jesus Christ.  The Most High is Most Near, He is dwelling in you! Ascent has to do with our interior life and disciplines. 

We must continually MOVE toward God to be with God, in order to Move with God to MOVE mountains.  All doing begins with being. Like Mary, we must sit at His feet to fuel our servanthood like Martha. 

Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing

I was born in Cody, Wyoming.  Cody is located just east of Yellowstone, the Crown Jewel of National Parks.  My 4th son’s middle name is Cody. We named our second son Bryce after Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. However, I grew up in Colorado on the Front Range.  My dad worked as an engineer for the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture and eventually retired at the age of 48. He went on to build custom homes until the age of 62.  He was often in charge of entire National Forests like Pikes Peak and San Isabel. At the apex of his career he was the lead engineer who designed the specifications for the Pacific-Crest Trail which stretched from Mexico to Canada on the West Coast. The vast majority of the Pacific-Crest Trail traversed through mountainous regions. My dad received a rare National Merit awards for his work on this vast project. 

Mountains are in my blood, in my mind and embedded in my heart like jagged granite above timberline peaks. At the Langskov house,  Christmas trees were taken from the deep forests of Colorado with an axe. We did not stroll down to a local Santa-bait lot with pre-cut Tannenbaum’s.  My dad would lead us across snowy meadows and dangerous ravines to the perfect Christmas tree. At the age of around six years old, I remember one time I fell behind everyone and was alone in a snowy meadow.  The air was cold and perfectly still while I gathered my wits to figure out what to do. The peculiar sound of a sharp metal axe slamming into the wooden base of 30’ Colorado blue spruce became the voice of the Spirit to lead me to my father. 

 Last year, Cheri (my wife) and I  were blessed to be able to hike in  three significant mountain ranges within a couple months of each other…the Rocky Mountains, the California Sierra Nevadas and the Northern Mountains of Taipei, Taiwan. 

A Cool Stream in The Sierra Nevada Mountains?

The Colorado Trail!

The Northern Taiwan Mountains

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[c] 39 By this he meant the Spirit,..

Weeping Rock @ Zion …a long time ago!

This message on The Mountains of Matthew originated while preparing a teaching on the Beatitudes in Matthew. Here is a picture of a few of  the First Mountaineers of Matthew from Quarry Oakes, CA. I have included my teaching notes and the original sermon in audio format at the end of this blog.  The teaching now has Seven mountains rather than five. I have added the Mountain of Temptation and the Mountain of Solitude.

Quarry Oaks Mountaineers of Matthew ?

Mountains are a central background drop to many pivotal Scriptural stories that help us understand who God is and what He has done on our behalf.

STOP, REFLECT and PRAY right now and allow the Holy Spirit to quicken stories that happened in the mountains of Scripture (Mount Sinai, Mount Carmel etc.). In this season, whichever stories were brought to your memory, begin to read and meditate and commune with the Holy Trinity.  Receive grace and truth to behold His glory and fulfill His calling upon your life!

In 1986 the Lord spoke to me  while I was attending Fuller Theological Seminary. I was seeking Him regarding His will and leadership and my responsibility in the body of Christ as a leader. He showed me Zion National Park on a map of the United States. He said I needed to go there and seek His glory. So I gathered a couple of friends and we drove to this spectacular park to hike, explore  and camp for a few days. We were blown away because a Methodist circuit rider preacher in the late 1800’s had named many of the incredible colorful mammoth sandstone rock formations.  The Great WhiteThrone, the Sentinel, Angel’s Landing and Weeping Rock were a few of the names. For over a decade this became an annual pilgrimage for my family and many other church families throughout the region.  We would camp for a week, hike, praise the Lord, seek God for His heart and ways to be revealed to us for that particular year. We celebrated in the spirit of the great Jewish Pilgrimage of the Feast of Booths.

Our annual pilgrimage was called Convocation in the Cleft. The theme story was Moses on the Mountain of God in Exodus 33:18-23:

18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

We gained so many insights about the heart and ways of God as we climbed around the park with our friends and families!  The amazing truth is a Christian doesn’t necessarily need a car and tank of gas and a nearby mountain range to seek God! Although I would highly recommend getting on the  road and finding places nearby to walk, hike, camp or back-pack to seek God in the high places of His creation to learn His heart and ways! You can simply find a place of solitude in your home or in your car as you commute to work. Read a story with a mountain in it and meditate and pray and allow the Spirit-Lord to lead down paths of goodness and mercy. Paths of revelation and insight in the back-woods of the Holy Scripture. Like Lewis and Clark, with a notebook or journal in hand begin to take notes and draw what you see and feel as  signage of your pilgrimage for others to find! You can be in a wheelchair or a professional athlete to seek God in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. You don’t need the latest high priced REI gear, high elevation oxygen tanks and an ice axe to reach the peak of Mount Zion and the manifest presence of God. God the Father is immediately accessible for the Christian through the blood of Jesus and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. God is an infinite continent waiting to be discovered and celebrated in humble worship and service. The State of Colorado has fifty-four mountain peaks  above 14,000’. It is one of the highest concentrations of above timberline regions in the world. You could climb one peak a week and it would take you just over one year. 

How much more in the unfathomable depths and heights of Christ Jesus do we explore everyday!?

Jesus received power on the mountains to serve in the valleys of death, sin, sickness and brokenness.

John 4:21-24:  “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

May the Mountains of Matthew weekly call you up to the glory of God.  May the Holy Spirit lift you to stand on the Rock that is higher than you! May He hide you in the Cleft of Christ as His glory passes before you.  May you be transformed by His glory and grace to follow Him in bold loving obedience in the valleys of your life.

We must climb  the Mountains BEFORE we possess the valley’s and cities below for the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

My dad was also in charge of National Forest signage for all of California. He designed and determined the best most efficient way to guide people to the the lakes, the campgrounds and the trailheads. 

 Below are only a few Scriptural signposts and trailheads that call us into the mountains of God to reveal his eternal nature and divine attributes:

Judges 5:5 The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel. THE TRAIL OF FEAR AND TREMBLING: LEARNING HOW TO RESPOND TO THE WORD OF THE LORD

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” THE TRAIL OF THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD: LIFTING YOUR THOUGHTS AND WORDS ABOVE THE FRAY OF UGLINESS IN THE WORLD

Amos 4:13  He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name. THE TRAIL OF OMNIPOTENCE: DISCOVERING the DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT

Jonah 2:6  To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. THE TRAIL OF DEPRESSION AND HUMILITY: LAYING THE AXE TO THE ROOTS OF SIN and PRIDE

Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. THE TRAIL OF THE NIGHT WATCH: LIVING WIDE AWAKE IN A SLEEPY WORLD

Action: 

  • Listen to Beatitudes and The 5 Mountains (1) Audio Sermon and include somebody else.

  • Start a Mountaineer Club that is dedicated to seeking God and His kingdom first.

  • Start a Journal that maps your walk with God

Navigating Troubled Waters

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Steven Curtis Chapman, Dive (Click for Song)

23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”

27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 

–  Acts 27:23-29

Read Acts 21-27

I was very freaked out by the 1954 movie Creature from the Black Lagoon (Click Link). My oldest brother Johnny made me watch it because he was charged with taking care of his two younger brothers and sister. Like any good older brother he fulfilled his calling to lead the charge of  torturing me with fear most of my childhood. This movie set the stage for an inordinate fear of monsters by land or sea. I grew up as a competitive swimmer in Colorado, swimming my first race of 25 meters backstroke at the age of 4 for the Belmont Barracudas. As I grew older, I remember during practice I would look down at the drain grate at the bottom of the 10’ deep end. I would picture the face of the Creature from the Black Lagoon staring at me while grasping the grate with his hands. This vision deep in my mind would cause chills to run through my already chilled body. I imagined him tearing the grate off and ascending from the depths to capture me and pull me to his aquatic lair. I never really told anyone about it until now. 

Biblically, there are the depths of God, the deep things of Satan, the depths of human experience, the literal deep of the ocean etc. I have broken down the biblical narrative on the “the deep” into two categories. The “Deep” in the bible conjures up both positive and negative images and metaphors.

Positive

• Agricultural Provision (Deut.33:13)
• The Void in Man only God can fill (Psalm 42:7)
• The Sovereignty of God (Psalm 135:6)
• The Love of God (Ephesians 3:18)

Negative

• Barrier to Progress of Redemption (Isaiah 51:10)
• Deep State Governmental Corruption (Job 12:22)
• Man’s Sinful Nature (Psalm 64:6)
• Persecution of the Righteous (Psalm 69:2-3)
• False Doctrine (Revelation 2:24)

Welcome to the Depths

Our passage Acts 21-27 sets a context for dealing with the depths of adversity. Smooth waters can quickly become troubled due to no real fault of our own. We are just along for the ride. We are minding our own business. We don’t mean to bother anyone with our boring lives, let alone our problems. However, like Paul, who was clearly under a government seal to appear before Caesar for a trial that would eventually lead to his beheading by Nero. We clearly see that Paul did not lose his head before he was beheaded. As a follower of Christ, we can shine in the deep darkness (Isa.61:1). We can be cool headed when others are losing their mind. I love the popular World War II saying in England, KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON” (Click Link).

Troubled waters are inevitable in our walk through this earth. Conflict of all stripes and colors will break out in one form or another. Danger signs are posted everywhere and we all too often ignore them and we recklessly proceed. We ignore “Do Not Enter” signs as we seek to enlighten ourselves with forbidden fruit, resulting in damaged relationships, isolation, blame-casting, shame and fear. We are drawn to areas posted with Enter at your Own Risk: Large unexpected waves may sweep you off your feet into the ocean. We consume things that have “WARNING: The Surgeon General has determined this product may cause cancer.” I am not suggesting we should live life playing it safe, pulling back choosing boredom over adventure.

I believe the MORE we WAIT on the Lord, the more we are willing to LAUNCH out into the DEEP of God’s purposes with powerful love to reach those unreached with the Gospel.

What I am saying is this life is peppered with trials, tribulation, tests, snares, and temptation. In particular, we find ourselves in TROUBLED WATERS, which are situations and circumstances that we did not necessarily plan for or could totally predict. Seasons that we are being driven by winds and waves blowing moderately and violently to a destination we know not. We thought we made a wise decision to continue in a certain direction and things seemed relatively smooth and out of nowhere things were put in motion, people made decisions contrary to your input. The mission became like a galactic Black Hole sucking everything into its black lightless abyss. The spirit of Captain Ahab of  Herman Melville’s Moby Dick possessed you, your boss, your church, your spouse, your child, your spiritual leader or the corporation where you work. Like the Apostle Paul, you discover yourself on a ship destined for Italy as a prisoner for the time being, being driven along by a violent two week Adriatic Sea perfect storm. Like George Clooney in the movie Perfect Storm, we need more fish, we need more money and we with the crew are willing to go further, go deeper, roll the dice and risk everything for the paycheck and glory of success. However, we soon discover that our little fishing vessel is no match for the sheer power of the stirred up depths and are tragically swallowed whole and all is or seems lost. 

I know some these waters of trouble. I was diagnosed in 2009 with a high grade tenacious cancer. Over the past 10 years I have had 7 surgical biopsies which required full anesthesia. I have had 12 different rounds of treatments and stents. However, the cancer kept recurring and spreading causing a lot of affliction in my body. In November 2019, I finally had to have a quality of life alternating major surgery. I lost several body parts but through it all I discovered a depth of God’s comfort, understanding, love and peace. The Troubled Waters became a training ground to experience the depths of God’s grace in a profound life-changing way.

Here is my first swim after major reconstructive surgery!

Troubled Waters will come. The good news is we can prepare for the inevitable seasons wherein we feel driven beyond our control and destined to be adrift in strange waters being pushed by a current toward an inhabited island in the seeming middle of nowhere. The Titanic iceberg is likely to be struck whether you like it or not and you will be scrambling for a life boat or you will simply determine to go down with the ship without a struggle while the violins play in the background. The Book of Acts chapters 21-28 is the extended season finale of the history of the early church, the First Followers of Jesus Christ. The Early Church goes out singing high praise to God for being counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ. They are far from the soft-evangelicalism of the Modern Church in America. The main character is the Apostle Paul. Undoubtedly, Dr. Luke, Paul’s traveling companion and physician, is the both the eyewitness and the author of the Book of Acts.  Chapter 27 is the considered the most detailed account we have of Ancient Maritime navigation on the Mediterranean Sea. The opening scene is he had just knelt on the beach of Miletus with the Ephesian Elders to warn them of coming difficult times for the church. After 3 years he had finished his work in Asia and he was bound in the Spirit on his way to “bonds and afflictions” inJerusalem (Acts 20:22-23), but not knowing that in around 3 years he would be chained to Rome for another 2 yearspreaching and teaching in prison before his death by Nero. This section of the Sacred Writings is filled with encouragement from the God of all perseverance for each of us. If we absorb the mindset of the Apostle Paul we will be able to make sense of our own TROUBLED WATERS and remain faithful to our calling to follow and know the depths of Jesus Christ, to faithfully discharge our ministries as gifted believers and to glorify God in the crucible of being forged into the likeness of the character of Jesus Christ.

If you are not a strong swimmer … here are some “planks” to float on! Once you are on the beach here is a bundle of ‘drift wood’ to build a bonfire on the beach so you can warm your faith , hope and love back up.

In review, here are some thoughts regarding how to navigate troubled waters found in Acts 21-27:

1. Have some fun, but expect trouble. What begins as a fair-weather day can end in weeks, months and years of storm-driven chaos. (Acts 27:13,14)
2. Trust the Sovereign Goodness of God- The Lord’s will be done (Acts 21:14). You and I are not always in control of others decisions and the fallout, we must lean on the Lord with things are beyond our ability to manipulate.
3. Listen and Look to Jesus for yourself (Acts 23:11; 27:23-24). The deeper we abide and connect with the Captain and Author of our salvation, the more peace we will experience to courageously lead others through difficult times.
4. Store up Courage and Faith for the journey (Acts 23:11; 27:22,25,34,35;28:15). Courage needs to be operative from the beginning to end to reach our destiny and fulfill our calling to help others and to glorify God.
5. Stay Together– Sailors, Soldiers and Prisoners (Acts 27:30-32); Embrace diversity of personality, gifting and skill. We need each other to achieve full strength.
 6. Eat Strategically (Acts 27:33-36) Know yourself and what picks your spirit up in a healthy manner. Deal with stress wisely. Take Holy Communion as often as you can with other ardent Christians. Fellowship and breaking bread together is critical in the storm. Keep it real.
7. Toss things and hold on to people. (Acts 27:38) Learn to toss bad habits, poor attitudes and do what you can to control yourself and your environment when things are spinning out of control.
8. Keep Counting your blessings and measuring your influence (Acts 27:37). People are counting on you, so count those around. Take into consideration how God is working in their life and bring bold loving words of wisdom and encouragement.
9. Head for the Beach  (Click Link) (Acts 27-39-44) Don’t give up, this too shall pass. The end can be the most dangerous time. Safety is on the horizon. Land-ho!

Father in Heaven, we purpose to seek you in the storms of life. We accept the trials as winds of revelation that will blow in Your Presence. We repent for the times we have doubted you and fled in cowardice. Today, we humble ourselves before you and ask for courage and strength from your Spirit to stand and lead those around us well.

Amen