Encounters with the messiah: Jesus calms the storm

This week I was challenged to meditate on scripture more and something many people have  challenged me on over the years and obviously sometimes I draw pictures when God speaks to me on a scripture but other times I, being a writer imagine myself in the scene. I may try to do a series here on encounters with the messiah.

This is Jesus calming the storm ( Mark 4:35-41, Matthew 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25 ). In my artistic liscence I have decided that the boat belonged to Peter's Family and the story is told from one of the young hired hands.

One stormy night.
I can't say I ever thought that I of all people would meet the messiah. I had been thrown out of school mostly because of a failure to pay attention not long after my bar mitzvah. The priests were strict and anyway no one from my background had ever gotten too far to be a Rabbi. I began working for my uncle who had two sons Simon and Andrew. They were a few years older than I was. I was there that day when the rabbi came and asked the brothers to follow him. No rabbi asks the fishermen but this one did.

A few months later the vessel I had been working had been commandeered by the masters son for his Rabbi. I had only met the man that once. Simon's father had a lot of boats all across the sea of Galilee. We sailed perhaps half a furlong before he curled up to sleep, he looked so at peace. The rest of us took some time together on the deck He had twelve followers so there were around fifteen of us men the some of the crowd had got into boats too. John and James looked uneasy, as suddenly the sky began to darken and the water stirred. I had sailed long enough to know that there was a storm brewing. We began to make haste on the sails and get the boat ready but then the wave pulled the boat starboard side. Judas one of the disciples was sick over the side as we were pulled towards the stern I had never seen the sea so vicious.
I looked over at the Rabbi as I was pulled backwards towards him asleep in the stern. he still had that complete look of peace over his face. I didn't expect the pitch port ward and I reached for a rope to pull the sails in to stop them from being torn to shreds. a wave crested over the bow of the ship drenching Simon and a couple of the disciples who were holding onto the side of the boat. Once again the ship lurched towards to bow and I wondered if we would survive this one. I didn't know how to swim - it wasn't proper for a Jewish man to neither Simon nor Andrew did either.
The wave that crashed over the starboard side added half an inch of water to the bottom of the boat. The squall was loud and with each wave the boat filled more and more with water. The wind was so high I could barely feel my fingers.

I knew that Rebecca the girl I had promised myself too and my aunt would loose both her sons today. I prayed inside my head that God would show mercy on us.

"what do we do?" Matthew shouted over the waves to the others as the lighting hit the beach and the thunder roared above us. The boat lurched once more causing a wave in the water flooding our feet.before Thomas looked at the Rabbi asleep at the back of the boat.
" Wake him - he always knows what to do." Thomas said quickly. James son of Alpheus agreed and made his way towards the teacher.
I had heard the stories he had turned water into wine, he had healed the sick and cured the lame and his teachings were with such power and authority I wondered whether he was merely a Rabbi or a prophet also. Finally he got to the Rabbi and woke him.
" master, Master we are going to drown!" James son of Alpheus said as Judas was sick again over the side.
The rabbi got up and rebuked the waves and wind and suddenly all was calm again.
"Where is your faith?!" he asked the disciples.
I couldn't believe what I had seen this man had calmed the storm with one word and all I could wonder was who is this man that even the wind and the waves obey him. Which was what Jonah one of the other fishermen asked me afterwards but something in me knew that this was the man we were waiting for our messiah.

Its time to raise your colours.

 Brothers and sisters in Christ we are at War.

I have talked about spiritual warfare before ( all's fair ) but like most things as I grow closer to understanding more about Jesus I have learned more about the truth of it. We are deeply intrenched in spiritual warfare. 

I should point out that it is the difference between the landing at D-day when the allied troops fought the decisive battle of WW2 and won on the beaches of normandy and the VE day when hitler was finally defeated. The cross was the decisive battle in this war. Jesus made the breakthrough that meant that we have won the war but  the VE Day- victory on Earth day- has not come so we are fighting as the kingdom of God advances to wipe out the kingdom of this world and its darkness. 

I am not someone who fixates on the end times. I mean I have read revelation and I have read the bible but I haven't really made any effort to really take a note of it all. C.S Lewis said that there are two equal and opposite mistakes to make when it comes to the devil one is to fixate on him and give him more attention than he is due and the other is to totally discount him as a fictional part of the imagination of men. Both he delights in. Here is the truth in perspective to God tall mighty and strong  the devil is merely a mosquito by comparison but we need to know his strategy so we may prepare ourselves to fight against him. 

In medieval times we would have a standard barer to show the colours and the standard of the two countries/armies fighting each other. England is the Lion. We have our own lion on our standard - the lion of Judah and the lamb who was slain. I therefore encourage you brothers and sisters to raise your colours and your standards. Passivity is a sin. We do not have a passive God - if you haven't experienced the warfare you are doing something wrong. We are not called to a life of comfort. Jesus told us we would have trouble. We are called to be content and to take every thought captive. 

Here are some notes for the beginners of understanding spiritual warfare.

If you didn't know it your mind is not your own - When in Matthew 4 Jesus is tempted in the desert the enemy uses his imagination and his mind to trick him. There is no reason to think that your thoughts are always entirely your own. Some are yours, some are from God some are your conscience, some are the enemy and some are people around you. if you can't pinpoint a thought Go to an unexplained negative feeling then backtrack to the thought that produced it. Take those thoughts captive!

Declare over yourself truth. - this is important the enemy loves it when we are uncertain as he is the father of lies. he likes to give you a half truth ' if you really are the son of God.'...'did not god say you could eat of any of the fruit...' The enemy will twist things. If you speak truth (scripture and God's character) over the situation he will flee. 

Repent - for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. The enemy has nothing on true repentance- turning your life in the opposite direction and following Christ. The kingdom of heaven is here we live in the overlap of this present evil age and the kingdom of Heaven which is to come. 

you are not fighting flesh and blood but powers and principalities ( Ephesians 6) people may be evil but they are children of God who haven't accepted his adoption. There are no spiritual foster children to God you are either accepting of the fact that you are adopted into his family or you are not and are spiritually orphaning yourself. To come into his house you have to take his name and live by his rules as he lavishes his love on you. you can't just live in his house but remain a slave to your sin. His house is one of family and home its not a half way house its home. 

You have all authority in Christ Jesus. In the gospels he tells you that you have it. Honestly (this isn't in the bible) but I think we have ranks when it comes to fighting the enemy. By that I mean that as we grow in experience and closer to him he gives us a better understanding of our authority and power so we move up and for some people he has given more jurisdiction in different places. It is to do with which gifts ( it says in 1 Corinthians 12 all those who are baptised of the spirit have gifts) he has given us and the confidence and experience we have more than anything earned.  It should always be the case that if you are in over your head backup is needed we are a team and we fight together.

Remember Satan's end game is your destruction and death and the Lords is your prosperity and life. God is true and the truth of his character and love shines from his word ( that is always the measure of what is and isn't his voice) and Satan is the father of all lies. Therefore keep watch but raise your colours for your eternal king and his Kingdom.