Born For This: July 2010

During the recent Hillsong Conference (2010), Judah was invited to speak for one of the sessions. It was a shame that I wasn't able to make it, but I did get a hold of the DVD and watched it here at home. I dont know what it was, whether I was just caught in the moment or whether Judah's speaking just has an effect on me, but I was balling my eyes out. His message spoke to me so intensly, I just...felt moved to write it. And that's (evidently) exactly what I'm doing.

His message basically highlights what happened when Jesus and his disciples were caught in the storm on the way to the other side, and the significance of the scripture. Judah mentions a couple of points:

1.) Even with Jesus, we still have our storms

2.) Sometimes during the storm, we need to get wet

3.) The storm wants our 'awe'-dont give it our 'awe'

4.) We're all at different stages with our walk with God

5.) Jesus slept soundly during the storm

Each point needs elaboration, but if I were to do tht I might write a textbook more than just a blog entry. But what did catch my attention most was the part where Judah mentions how in all 3 books of the New Testament, this particular verse is describe with a slight twist...

Matthew 8:24-27
Jesus Calms the Storm
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Mark 4: 35-41
Jesus Calms the Storm
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Luke 8: 22-25
Jesus Calms the Storm
One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

Why this caught me was that, we're all at different stages with God. And sometimes it's when we're caught in a storm that our faith, our walk, our relationship is truly put to the test. The 3 disciples mentioned above, Matthew, Peter & Luke were at different levels of their faith. Matthew at the time may have had faith, but it was probably small and little, thus in the storm that little was begin put to the test, whereas Peter possibly had none, thus causing him to take what Jesus had said question that missing faith. And Luke probably lost his faith in the midst of the storm, ths causing to hear Jesus' reponse as a question to his lost faith.

I was blown away by this string, this painting of a more detailed picture; making it more real to us. We're all facing our storms and struggles, and no one's storm is bigger than another. But the true test is our faith-who do we turn to, what would we do, how much do we really trust God?? I dont believe it's bad in any way, to stumble and fall when a wave hits you, doubt even God would expect us to be on our feet when our boat is shaking heavily. But it's what we do once we've been hit that counts.

A good friend of mine once said, "If He brings us to it, He'll bring us through it"...Dont doubt, just trust. Even Jesus fell asleep in the midst of a storm. He's always in control, always...

“I knew it was gonna be incredible, if God was allowed to be simply God” Joel Houston

“I don’t always feel like it. Sometimes I don’t feel like singing to God, but I know that my circumstance and this season doesn’t change that God is still God. It doesn’t change what God has called me to be-what He’s called me to do. He’s still bigger than everything that I’m facing. I was singing, and I believed everything that I was singing. And I still don’t know why, a part of me was still so broken, but I knew that I needed to just keep singing, and that it was all gonna be okay. Even when you’re singing things that you may not necessarily understand, I think when you say things that are true of God , declare the promises of God, which is-though the triumph isn’t here, it’s gonna come eventually. It takes over the things in you that are shattered and it puts the focus back on Him. If I could sing, I could sing my way to freedom. “ Jill Mccloghry

“I never knew that side of my God, until I couldn’t breathe another breath without Him” Darlene Zschech

“I feel so strongly that, when you’re in the desert or the fire, all you’ve got is the promise of God…”

With everything, with everything

We Will Shout Forth Your Glory