The Desire of Ages--40--A Night on the Lake

[Dorine]

"A violent tempest had been stealing upon them, and they were unprepared for it. It was a sudden contrast, for the day had been perfect; and when the gale struck them, they were afraid. They forgot their disaffection, their unbelief, their impatience. Everyone worked to keep the boat from sinking. It was but a short distance by sea from Bethsaida to the point where they expected to meet Jesus, and in ordinary weather the journey required but a few hours; but now they were driven farther and farther from the point they sought. Until the fourth watch of the night they toiled at the oars. Then the weary men gave themselves up for lost. In storm and darkness the sea had taught them their own helplessness, and they longed for the presence of their Master." 

This brings courage to my heart this morning. This year has brought many a storm to our family and still rages but we see in it the subduing power of God bringing us closer to Him and to each other. We are experiencing the blessings that are in trials when we give it to Christ and trust Him to work everything out according to His will. Each trial builds our faith and prepares us for the next one. Let's encourage one another to fix our eyes on Jesus so that when the storms hit we will be secure in His care.

[Philip T]

Jesus had not forgotten them. The Watcher on the shore saw those fear-stricken men battling with the tempest. Not for a moment did He lose sight of His disciples. [/b]With deepest solicitude His eyes followed the storm-tossed boat with its precious burden; for these men were to be the light of the world. As a mother in tender love watches her child, so the compassionate Master watched His disciples. When their hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and in humility they prayed for help, it was given them.
     At the moment when they believe themselves lost, a gleam of light reveals a mysterious figure approaching them upon the water. But they know not that it is Jesus. The One who has come for their help they count as an enemy. Terror overpowers them. The hands that have grasped the oars with muscles like iron let go their hold. The boat rocks at the will of the waves; all eyes are riveted on this vision of a man walking upon the white-capped billows of the foaming sea.

There is comfort here, but also something to see, Jesus never forgets us, even when we become discontented and question the ways of God, he is with us, and when we surrender these thoughts to God he is instantly at our sides, saving us from the storms of life.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Like an open book, Jesus reads your true character. He allows you to go through trials today that, if borne by His grace, will prepare you to stand faithfully when greater tests and trials come. We see this illustrated in the experience of Peter.

"Jesus read the character of His disciples. He knew how sorely their faith was to be tried. In this incident on the sea He desired to reveal to Peter his own weakness,—to show that his safety was in constant dependence upon divine power. Amid the storms of temptation he could walk safely only as in utter self-distrust he should rely upon the Saviour. It was on the point where he thought himself strong that Peter was weak; and not until he discerned his weakness could he realize his need of dependence upon Christ. Had he learned the lesson that Jesus sought to teach him in that experience on the sea, he would not have failed when the great test came upon him." {The Desire of Ages, page 382, paragraph 2}

When Peter denied Jesus three times right before Christ's crucifixion, it was because Peter failed to learn the lesson of His continual need of Jesus to do any good thing earlier in his experience. Do we realize our continual need of Jesus, moment by moment? If we do, and we surrender fully to Him, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be revealed in our lives, and we will be enabled to obey God from the new heart that is transformed by His grace, daily bearing greater and greater trials that prepare us for wider service and a fuller reflection of the loveliness of Jesus. "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:. Christ, the sinless Son of God, also grew and learned through trials, but we can praise God that He endured those trials without ever letting go of His Father and sinning through unbelief. The faith of Jesus is PERFECT faith! By faith, Jesus trusted that the Father was preparing Him to become the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world; but it was still a struggle for the Father and the Son; we see this struggle in Gethsemane and at Calvary; in Gethsemane, Christ chose the Father's will that led to His crucifixion and resurrection, making salvation accessible to us. Though we are sinners and have fallen short of God's glory of character, the moment we come to God in true repentance and let Jesus be Lord and Savior of our lives, He will live through us by the Holy Spirit, so we can start "walking on water" so to speak, and live in His supernatural victory. Will you let it become reality in your life today? He can keep you and me from falling, but if we do fall through unbelief or neglect of Him, we have an advocate with the Father to help us get back up and walk faithfully with Him in preparation for His glorious, soon second coming!

[Richard Myers]

Amen men my dear friends. So much truth about our human nature Iwhen not fully surrendered.

     Unbelief was taking possession of their minds and hearts. Love of honor had blinded them. They knew that Jesus was hated by the Pharisees, and they were eager to see Him exalted as they thought He should be. To be united with a teacher who could work mighty miracles, and yet to be reviled as deceivers, was a trial they could ill endure. Were they always to be accounted followers of a false prophet? Would Christ never assert His authority as king? Why did not He who possessed such power reveal Himself in His true character, and make their way less painful? Why had He not saved John the Baptist from a violent death? Thus the disciples reasoned until they brought upon themselves great spiritual darkness. They questioned, Could Jesus be an impostor, as the Pharisees asserted? 
     
After all they witnessed!

[Beacon]

"He does not call us to follow Him, and then forsake us.

" "Fear not," He says; "for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour." Isaiah 43:1-3 ".

"In this incident on the sea He desired to reveal to Peter his own weakness,--to show that his safety was in constant dependence upon divine power.....Day by day God instructs His children. By the circumstances of the daily life He is preparing them to act their part upon that wider stage to which His providence has appointed them."

"It is the issue of the daily test that determines their victory or defeat in life's great crisis."

"Those who fail to realize their constant dependence upon God will be overcome by temptation."

"We may now suppose that our feet stand secure, and that we shall never be moved.

 We may say with confidence, "I know in whom I have believed; nothing can shake my faith in God and in His word."

"But Satan is planning to take advantage of our hereditary and cultivated traits of character, and to blind our eyes to our own necessities and defects."

"Only through realizing our own weakness and looking steadfastly unto Jesus can we walk securely."

It is "ONLY"  by spending time with Jesus in Prayer, Praise and Study of His Awesome Promises that we will be able to withstand the storms sent by the enemy to destroy our Spiritual Life Line with Jesus. We need to take more time for Spiritual Introspection and make sure our Faith will Hold in the Storms of our lives!

=============================
1
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?
    We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Stedfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
  Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
2
It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,
For ’tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;
And the cables passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy the blast, through strength divine.
3
It will firmly hold in the straits of fear,
When the breakers have told the reef is near;
Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our bark o’erflow.
4
It will surely hold in the floods of death,
When the waters cold chill our latest breath;
On the rising tide it can never fail,
While our hopes abide within the veil.

Lyrics:Priscilla Jane Owens (1829-1907)
Music:William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921)

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!

Praise God that we can learn from Peter's experience of our continual need of Jesus. By looking constantly to Jesus with the eye of faith, we shall be strengthened and empowered to walk above the stormy waters of temptation that would lead us to sin and death! By a complete surrender to Christ we experience a new heart with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we gladly obey God up to the light He has shown us!

"Those who fail to realize their constant dependence upon God will be overcome by temptation. We may now suppose that our feet stand secure, and that we shall never be moved. We may say with confidence, 'I know in whom I have believed; nothing can shake my faith in God and in His word.' But Satan is planning to take advantage of our hereditary and cultivated traits of character, and to blind our eyes to our own necessities and defects. Only through realizing our own weakness and looking steadfastly unto Jesus can we walk securely." {The Desire of Ages, page 382, paragraph 4}

Since we are in a great controversy between Christ and Satan, it is so important to understand that we are not safe without Jesus for a moment. The eye of faith can be stayed on the promises of God, for by His word we get to partake of the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust. Jesus can both satisfy and provide for us moment by moment.

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear brothers!  We must not forget God. He is at our side, even in our heart as long as we keep our eyes and ears open to Him.

Then the weary men gave themselves up for lost. In storm and darkness the sea had taught them their own helplessness, and they longed for the presence of their Master.   
     Jesus had not forgotten them. The Watcher on the shore saw those fear-stricken men battling with the tempest. Not for a moment did He lose sight of His disciples. With deepest solicitude His eyes followed the storm-tossed boat with its precious burden; for these men were to be the light of the world. As a mother in tender love watches her child, so the compassionate Master watched His disciples. When their hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and in humility they prayed for help, it was given them.