Standing In the Storm #9
(Final)
This is the ninth study about the Survival of Storms. We have seen principals of power to help us be solid, stable, steadfast, and sure in everything that comes our way.
We need to understand that even as Christians we have problems, it has been taught by many unlearned preachers that Your Life will be heaven on earth after salvation. I am surprised at the people that want to believe such things.
Heb.11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
We see the heroes of faith dying without seeing that life of ease that many Christians think they are entitled to.
Lu.6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
This is Jesus explaining about a STORM hitting a faithful committed praying, fasting Christian. We see the result of the STORM was violent but the effects were of no consequence.
Everyone is promised problems; Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.
God is not trying to punish you or teach you a lesson when problems come. When problems come we are not to ask why me? But we are to rejoice because we are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus , and Jesus overcome the world.
The key to breezing through the Storms is being a DOER OF THE WORD.
The key was not in the hearing of the Word.
The key is in the doing of the Word.
Notice that the basic issue isn’t a lack of faith or knowledge.
Someone has a sick friend and decides to do, James 5:14-15. It says:
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;
In a sincere desire to do what the Word says here, they call for the elders of the church, anoint the friend with oil and then pray a prayer that includes, Lord, if it be thy will, heal him.
Did that person do the Word? No. The passage in James said the prayer of faith would save the sick. There was no prayer of faith.
Here’s another pitfall that leads many people to the mistaken conclusion that the Word isn’t working. They evaluate how well they are doing the Word only in the area in which they are having trouble. In other words, if the storm is in the area of finances, they only check their obedience to the Word in matters such as tithing or giving. The problem is, a failure to do the Word in one area can leave you open to storms in another.
You’re not responsible for every truth and principle in the Word. You are responsible for the Word you’ve heard.
V.24 "Whosoever heareth..."
1 John 1:7 "If we walk in the light...the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin." Obviously, you can’t walk in the light you don’t have or do the Word you haven’t heard. Don’t avoid hearing the Word in order to remain unaccountable for it.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
Say these words aloud. "If Satan can’t deceive me, he can’t defeat me."
God plainly told us that the choice between life and death, and blessing and cursing belongs to us.
The Devil works only through deception.
Some sample lies.
*God loves us too much to send us to hell. HE DOES NOT SEND US, WE CHOOSE.
*Holiness is for old folk. Without it NO MAN will see God.
*God does not heal anymore. HE DOES NOT HEAL ANYLESS.
*Faithfulness is optional. 1Co 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
*There is plenty of time. Joh 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
We must have a passion, a desire and zeal for God, and we will not be like the seed choked by the thorns that choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
God has good things in mind for His children. We see many scriptures about the great provisions and protections as we begin to MAKE GOD OUR LIFE, NOT ADD HIM TO OUR LIFE.
Prosperity is a blessing from God and he is delighted for you to have it.
Ps 35:27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
We can see that God delights in His servant, that is one that serves with love and without motive.
THE ONLY WAY TO PRODUCE FRUIT IS BY CONSISTENCY.
Doing the things we know to do 90-95% of the time will not assure the fruitfulness of victory.
1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
This is one of the reasons that there is so much defeat, depression, gloominess, sadness, misery and hopelessness in the Church today.
The lack of STEDFASTNESS when times get tough, the stability of jello, is the reason the world lacks confidence in the Church.
You will never get your promise unless you are faithful to the Word that you know 100% of the time.
There are 4 reasons for Failure to be Faithful.
1.Discouragement.
Ga 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.
Weariness is failure in heart. This comes when we pray and the answer is delayed, when we need healing and it does not happen as soon as we want, we pay tithes and it seems that it does our bank account no good.
We get discouraged and quit and stop our due season.
Discouragement is based upon the negative past.
2.Laziness
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Make God a priority. Read, Pray, Go to Church.
3. Sin and Weights
Heb 12:1, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Anything that absorbs your time and money can be a weight.
Weights can be family, boats, cars, golf, fishing, anything that keeps you from being faithful.
We do what we want to do.
4. Lack of Joy
Isa 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away
Nothing is any sadder than a grumpy Christian.
(NIV)Prov.10:25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever.
Sometimes the Lord calms the storm; sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms the believer.
The Blessing of Storms is that God will see us through because He has done it before.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair
9 Persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed
When the storms come, it is time to Praise God, Shout- Jump for Joy KNOWING that the TRYING OF WHAT YOU BELIEF will work JOYFUL ENDURANCE
(NIV)Jas 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (JOYFUL ENDURANCE)
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
JOYFUL ENDURANCE will make you MATURE and NOT LACKING ANYTHING, (Every desire satisfied)
Again I want to stress to you the importance of the Word of God when you are facing Storms.
The Word of God is going to stand when the entire world passes away.
When you are doing all of the Word that you know, keep reading because it tells you that you are;
Healed, delivered, prosperous, set free.
It tells you that blessings will overtake you.
Deut. 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out
7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow
13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
No one, No Force, CAN KEEP YOU FROM BEING BLESSED IF YOU ARE A DOER OF THE WORD.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
Confess the Word
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, Keep your mind focused on what the Word says about your situation
that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
Keep the Word in your mouth, Your mind , and then DO
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success
