Where’s Your Faith? :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: by RR7 Category:General Articles, Ron & Nathele Graham

Quite often, we use Peter as an example of rash words and actions. We chuckle and shake our heads when we hear him blurt out “…Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16b), then shortly thereafter try to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem because it was certain that Jesus would be arrested and probably be put to death. But this was exactly why Jesus had to go to Jerusalem. What about on the mountain when Peter saw Jesus in His glorified body talking with Moses and Elijah? What was Peter’s reaction?

“And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said” (Luke 9:33). Peter reacted to the situation rather than allow Jesus to lead. I like Peter. He made mistakes but eventually allowed Jesus to transform him into a man who faithfully fed the sheep.

I appreciate how Peter stepped out in faith, although sometimes he was downright rash. For instance, Peter and the other disciples had seen the Lord feed 5,000 men plus women and children using only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, and, of course, a prayer of thanks. Then, Jesus needed some quiet time. He sent the crowd to their homes, and He sent the disciples ahead of Him across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus took some time alone to pray. We need to use Jesus’ example here. There are many times when we get so busy doing God’s business that we forget to stop and find a quiet time to just talk with Him.

“And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23).

Although Jesus stayed behind, He could see the little ship sailing across the sea and the disciples rowing against a storm. “And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them…” (Mark 6:48a). Many of the disciples were fishermen and experienced sailors. Still, they struggled against the storm. How much time had they spent toiling? Hours had passed between the time Jesus sent them away in the ship. Were they so caught up in the struggle that they forgot to call to Jesus?

Many of us are “experienced” Christians, but we still struggle using our own strength to fight against the storms of life. Instead of calling out in faith, the disciples fought against the storm using their own knowledge and strength. It would have been easier if they had called out to Jesus for help.

Much time had passed since they had set sail; it had been light when Jesus had fed the multitude, but it was between 3 AM and 6 AM when Jesus went to them. “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.” After such a long battle against the storm, the disciples must have been exhausted. I wonder what would have happened if they had stopped fighting the storm and called for Jesus. I know He would have answered. “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25). Even though they didn’t call out to Him, He saw their need and went to meet them.

Rather than hiring another ship to take Him to where the disciples struggled, Jesus took a walk. Even though the disciples had seen Jesus do many miraculous things, their reaction was fear when they saw Him walking on the water towards them. The wind and waves interfered with the ship, but Jesus was easily able to walk on the water to catch up to them. “And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear” (Matthew 14:26).

Even though those men walked with Jesus every day, they were still fearful of His power and just didn’t have full faith in His compassion and care for them. Even though it must have been loud with the sea raging and the wind blowing, they managed to hear His voice. “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

We all face storms in which we struggle, trying to fight the storm by our own efforts. But if we just listen, we can hear Jesus telling us to “be not afraid.” Do we listen? It’s in the storms that our faith is tested and grows stronger.

Peter learned a lesson of faith that day. “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water” (Matthew 14:28). Peter was a fisherman and knew the peril of stepping out of a boat anytime, especially during a storm. I can imagine James, John, and Andrew (the other fishermen) shaking their heads at Peter’s chutzpah. On the other hand, who showed more faith? Yep, it was Peter.

Jesus was willing. “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus” (Matthew 14:29). Jesus will always welcome us when we step out in faith. Peter climbed out of his “comfort zone,” got out of the safety of the ship, and began to walk towards Jesus. In my mind, I picture a toddler struggling to learn to walk. The little one tries to walk to the safety of the loving parent’s outstretched arms.

Matthew’s Gospel says that he did walk on water to reach Jesus until Peter made a mistake. He took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the storm instead of the shelter. “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). Peter looked at the storm and began to sink. He did the right thing and cried out to Jesus. Peter didn’t sink quickly but began to sink.

Aren’t we a bit like Peter? We might desire to step out in faith, but instead of keeping our focus on Jesus, we allow the storm to cause us to doubt.

Jesus was there to save Peter from drowning. “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).

I can hear Jesus’ soothing voice and feel His strong hand as He says those same words to me when I finally call out to Him in great distress. There’s a lot in this day and age that can cause us to sink if we let the troubles overwhelm us. Fear of the storm will always make us blind to the fact that Jesus is always with us. The Holy Spirit is sealed within us, and we need to allow His strength and power to flow through us. There are many storms raging today, but we need to focus on Jesus. We need to seek Him. Instead of fearing the storm, we need to step out in faith and cry out to Him. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith has always been the way of salvation.

We live in very trying times. The storms of this life are raging and will continue to become worse. Where’s your faith? Do you look at the wind and waves, or do you have faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? If you’ve put your faith anywhere but in Jesus, then you will sink.

Peter was rash and outspoken, but the Lord used these attributes. It was Peter, a Jewish man, who reached out to Cornelius, a Gentile. Not only a Gentile, but a Roman Centurion. Read about it in Acts chapter 10. Because Peter was willing to step out in faith, a Roman Centurion and his household came to a saving faith in Jesus. Peter learned to keep his eyes on Jesus in any kind of storm.

We need to learn that kind of faith and not be afraid of the opinions of others. Seek Jesus and His righteousness. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Remember that once Jesus is welcomed on board, the storms stop. “And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:32-33). Never forget to thank Him and worship Him for calming the storms of life.

Where’s your faith? Is it in the storm that threatens to sink you, or is it in Jesus Christ who will see you through each and every storm?

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

 

Transformation Happening :: By Daymond Duck

Published on: by RR7 Category:Daymond Duck, General Articles

On May 14, 2008, Barack Obama was running for Pres. of the U.S., and Michelle said, “We are going to have to change our conversation; we’re going to have to change our traditions, our history; we’re going to have to move into a different place as a nation.”

People are trying to change our conversation today. If a man calls himself a woman, people want everyone to call him a woman. Those that say same-sex marriage is wrong are homophobes, etc.

People are trying to change our traditions and history today. They hate America, destroy historical statues and monuments, say all white Americans are racists, refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, etc. They are changing our traditions and history.

People are moving America into a different place today. Instead of the U.S. being a sovereign nation under God with freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc., they are moving the U.S. into a world government that will ignore the God of the Bible, individual rights, freedoms, etc.

What Michelle said in 2008 is being put into place in America today.

Just before Michelle’s husband Barack Obama was elected Pres. of the U.S. in 2008, he said, “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.”

His Vice-Pres. was Joe Biden, who said on Apr. 5, 2013, “The affirmative task we have now is to actually create a new world order.”

Seven years (in 2015) after Obama said he would fundamentally transform America, the UN voted unanimously to approve a document called: “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon called this transformation of the world the “start of a new era.”

The UN vote to transform the world went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016, and it boils down to a call for the development of a world government by 2030 (some in the Deep State want it sooner, if possible, but the new era has begun).

This is the point.

There is ample proof that two transformations are going on simultaneously in the world: a U.S. Deep State transformation of America and a globalist Deep State transformation of the world.

The Biden campaign committee and the UN even use the same slogan, “Build Back Better.” (Get rid of the old America and replace it with a different America; Get rid of the current UN structure and replace it with a godless all-powerful one-world government and religion.)

The prophet Amos said, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

God used the Obama’s, Biden, Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum, and others to reveal these two Deep State plans (fundamentally transform America and transform the world) before they started doing it.

America’s Deep State and the globalist Deep State are working together to carry out the two transformation plans.

Some even believe the 2020 election was stolen and that Obama was given a third presidency to carry out the fundamental transformation of America because Biden is unable to lead.

Concerning America’s Deep State plan to fundamentally transform America: notice what some very important people have said recently.

  • On Feb. 4, 2021, Pres. Biden declared an “end to Trump’s America First agenda.” (America’s Deep State is replacing Trump’s “America First” agenda with the globalist Deep State’s “Globalism First” agenda.)
  • On July 27, 2021, former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo said, “Collapse (of the U.S) from within is possible.”
  • About that same time, Franklin Graham said, “The American Dream has ended.”
  • On Sept. 16, 2021, former Pres. Trump said, “We’re not going to have a country left in three years.”

The effort to fundamentally transform America and the world is now approaching the final stages.

Like Trump, this writer believes there may not be a U.S. presidential election 3 years from now (in 2024).

America’s Deep State and the globalist Deep State will use all the power they have to stop Trump from being elected again, and the corrupt media and global institutions will do everything they can to stop him.

Fundamentally transforming the U.S. before 2024 will speed up world government.

This is a spiritual war that will result in a satanic, godless world government that God will allow to pursue a 7-year effort to dominate and enslave the world.

Some ask why would so-called intelligent people pursue a godless world government and religion?

Many choose to believe the theory of evolution instead of the Bible’s teaching that God created and controls everything.

Know that it is impossible to make God irrelevant, impossible to legislate Jesus out of existence, impossible to ignore the Ten Commandments and get away with it forever.

This will lead to the Second Coming of Jesus and His 1,000-year reign on earth.

No human knows the day or the hour of the Rapture, but this writer believes the effort to transform the U.S. and the world indicates that the Rapture is close.

The Christian’s blessed hope (the Rapture of the Church) will fundamentally change the world, allow unrestrained evil (the Antichrist) to appear, and speed up the development of godless world government and religion.

Here are some events that appear to relate to Bible prophecy.

One, concerning the decline of the U.S.: on Sept. 22, 2021, Joel Rosenberg reported that Pres. Biden promised the UN General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2021, that he will strengthen America’s relationships with our allies, but a growing number of nations view him as weak and unable or unwilling to do that.

Rosenberg pointed out that Biden has already strained America’s relationship with the UK, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and NATO.

Two, also concerning America’s Deep State effort to weaken the U.S. and establish a godless world government and religion: in 1983, Lee Greenwood wrote and started singing the hit song titled “God Bless The USA.”

One year later, Greenwood was asked to sing “God Bless the USA” at the Republican National Convention.

After that, Pres. George W. Bush appointed Greenwood to the National Council of Arts.

Greenwood was reappointed by Pres. Obama and Pres. Trump.

This week, the Biden administration notified Greenwood that he will not be reappointed to the National Council of Arts.

“God Bless the USA” was causing a twofold problem for America’s Deep State: 1) They don’t want to acknowledge the existence of God, and 2) They want the USA to be weakened, not blessed.

Three, concerning a U.S. economic collapse (which would probably trigger a global economic collapse): on Sept. 22, 2021, the Federal Reserve said it expects inflation and unemployment to rise before the end of this year.

They blamed Covid for a significant impact on the economy.

During a press conference at the White House on Sept. 24, 2021, Dept. of Homeland Security Sec. Raphael Mayorkas acknowledged that the U.S. has dispersed thousands of illegal immigrants from Haiti across the U.S. that were not tested for Covid.

Four, concerning peace in the Middle East: on Sept. 24, 2021: it was reported that 312 Iraqi leaders and activists gathered in the Kurdistan region of Iraq to publicly endorse face-to-face talks and full normalization ties with Israel.

One leader said, “We want our region to be a peaceful one, in which Israel is an inseparable part of the panoramic whole, and in which all peoples have the right to live in security.”

Peace and security are the same as peace and safety.

Update: On Sept. 26, 2021, it was reported that an Iraqi court has issued arrest warrants for 3 of the top Iraqi leaders that called for normalization ties with Israel, and the court said it would issue arrest warrants for all the others as soon as they are identified.

Five, concerning Covid: during a press conference at the White House on Sept. 24,2021, Dept. of Homeland Security Sec. Raphael Mayorkas acknowledged that the U.S. has dispersed thousands of illegal immigrants from Haiti across the U.S. that were not tested for Covid.

Six, concerning falling away in the Church: this week, the Evangelical Lutheran Church installed a transgender Bishop.

According to Franklin Graham, “The media says that this bishop is a biological female, has a wife and children, and wants to be referred to using the pronouns they or he.”

This is clear evidence that America’s conversation is changing, and America is moving into a different place (also, that false teachers have entered the Church and become part of it).

Seven, concerning an attack on Iran that could trigger the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Sept. 27, 2021, Israeli Prime Min. Bennett told the UN Gen. Assembly, “There are those in the world who seem to view Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons as an inevitable reality, or they’ve just become tired of hearing about it. Israel doesn’t have that privilege. We will not tire. We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

Update: Following his speech before the UN Gen. Assembly, Bennett told a group of reporters, “We mean what we say. The pace of progress towards a nuclear weapon is unacceptable – we are taking action.”

Eight, concerning citizen’s right to choose their healthcare: on Sept. 27, 2021, it was reported that more than 4,000 scientists and physicians worldwide have signed a “Physicians Declaration” accusing politicians and others of “crimes against humanity” by denying the use of life-saving medications (Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, etc.), and silencing the debate on the value of these medications, etc.

As this writer understands it, thousands of scientists and physicians believe a patient’s healthcare should be decided by the patient, the patient’s family, and the patient’s doctor, not globalists, big pharma, or politically motivated bought-and-paid-for politicians.

As it is, people are deciding what medications and treatment citizens can and cannot have, and it is leading to adverse reactions and the death of some.

Writer’s comment: This was not in the article, but many globalists think a major population reduction would be a good thing (a few want it reduced from almost 8 billion to 500 million).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com