Storms

An illustration

The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She’d barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked in. The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie -- still alive, but stunned. Since the bird was covered with dust and the stuff that gathers at the bottom of a bird cage, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet to full blast, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him. A few days after the trauma, the reporter who’d initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares."

Chippie’s storm, left that pet budgie -sitting, staring and stunned.

Any storms in your life now or in the past? How did you weather the storm? How are you weathering any current storm?

We all have storms, little ones & big ones and then there are-whoppers.

An illustration

Here’s a little storm I’m having right now.

About 2 weeks ago a hacker got into my Facebook account and took the account over. Changed my password, deleted some friends, added some friends, changed my profile picture to a woman named Ariane de Greff. I couldn’t get into my account for over a week. I felt violated, exposed and to think that this hacker could harm my friends, that bothered me. I finally got in my account and changed everything back. But that night this hacker from France did it again. I changed it back (takes about an hour each time). Again it happened on Thursday. This time when I tried Facebook decided to lock my account and to close my account in 30 days.

So here I stand in this little storm.

Listen to a big storm that the disciples went through

Luke 8:23-25

As they (disciples and Jesus) sailed, he (Jesus) fell asleep. A squall (a storm) 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 (Jesus) got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters (Be still); 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.”

(Poem that doesn’t rhyme)

Sometimes all is calm around, But often we have storms

Sometimes God calms the storm, But sometimes God calms you.

Living in a Troubled World we will have storms -storms in us & around us

Storms they do come Storms come to us all.

Storms can come suddenly and unexpectedly.

Storms come from different and often from unsuspecting directions.

What are the sources of our storms?

Financial

money is tight, my bank account is in the negative, an unexpected expense comes, bills are piling up and it’s a financial storm buffeting us
in Toronto in the last 12 months, some 14,080 people have gone bankrupt or are forced into a settlement proposals. 14,000 individual people like you and me, will have their financial storm shipwreck them on the rocks of debt. That’s a storm
you need to know that you can have peace in this type of storm, I call it STORMY PEACE.

Health

that dreaded call from the doctor, you have cancer -that is a wicked storm
I was thinking this week that I haven’t experienced cancer but then I thought, wait a minute, my Dad had cancer, my 2 uncles had cancer, my nephew had cancer, Marilyn’s 3 uncles and 1 aunt had it. 8 loved ones. That is a health storm.
we all experience storms when it comes to our health, or lack of health
we all experience aging and dwindling health and energy- That’s a storm
you need to know that you can have peace in this type of storm, I call it STORMY PEACE

Relationships -storms a plenty here

marriage, divorce rate in Canada exceeds 50% -that’s a storm for sure -children storms, family storms etc. etc.
you need to know that you can have peace in this type of storm, I call it STORMY PEACE

I even think you can have a

Spiritual Storm in your life

an unrelenting sin in your life, it could be worry, fears, unforgiveness – or even dryness in your soul these can be storms

Here are a few more of life storms that we find ourselves in a boat, tossed all around and fearing:

Mental anguish -you’re thinking about something and it won’t go away, emotional agony-you’re feeling something and it won’t relent,

work turmoil is another one - these are all storms

BUT you need to know that you can have peace in every storm, I call it STORMY PEACE

Psalm 55:8

I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.

Where is the place of shelter - JESUS

WHERE DID THE DISCIPLES GO IN THE STORM -JESUS

Psalm 107:28-30 NIV

28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, (their storm) and he brought them out of their distress. 29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

In the case of the disciple’s storm, Jesus calmed the storm

But in many cases Jesus wants to calm us in our storm -to give us stormy peace

Our natural Response to Storms are:

Fear Worry Anxiety Anger Despondency Depression

This is what Jesus wants to calm in us during a storm -if Jesus doesn’t calm the storm around us then Jesus wants to calm the storm within us.

Storm causing fears within -God says to you

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Go to God, storm and all, because the source of peace is God

Storm causing worry

Matthew 6

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. …26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 … your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, …

Go to God, you & the storm and then trust God to fulfill His promises

Storm causing anxiety

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Go to God, you and the anxiety storm -pray to God, trust in God

Storm causing anger

James 1:19

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

Go to God trust in God and believe (have faith) what He has said

Storm causing despondency and depression

Psalm 42:11

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Go to God, hope in God the faithful one -yes He is faithful to you He is El amen -faithful God

Deuteronomy 7:9

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God (El Amen), keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Storms

An illustration

Chippie’s storm, left that pet budgie -sitting, staring and stunned.

Any storms in your life now or in the past? How did you weather the storm? How are you weathering any current storm?

We all have storms, little ones & big ones and then there are-whoppers.

An illustration

Here’s a little storm I’m having right now.

So here I stand in this little storm.

Listen to a big storm that the disciples went through

Luke 8:23-25

(Poem that doesn’t rhyme)

Sometimes all is calm around, But often we have storms

Sometimes God calms the storm, But sometimes God calms you.

Living in a Troubled World we will have storms -storms in us & around us

Storms they do come Storms come to us all.

Storms can come suddenly and unexpectedly.

Storms come from different and often from unsuspecting directions.

What are the sources of our storms?

Financial

money is tight, my bank account is in the negative, an unexpected expense comes, bills are piling up and it’s a financial storm buffeting us

in Toronto in the last 12 months, some 14,080 people have gone bankrupt or are forced into a settlement proposals. 14,000 individual people like you and me, will have their financial storm shipwreck them on the rocks of debt. That’s a storm

you need to know that you can have peace in this type of storm, I call it STORMY PEACE.

Health

that dreaded call from the doctor, you have cancer -that is a wicked storm

I was thinking this week that I haven’t experienced cancer but then I thought, wait a minute, my Dad had cancer, my 2 uncles had cancer, my nephew had cancer, Marilyn’s 3 uncles and 1 aunt had it. 8 loved ones. That is a health storm.

we all experience storms when it comes to our health, or lack of health

we all experience aging and dwindling health and energy- That’s a storm

you need to know that you can have peace in this type of storm, I call it STORMY PEACE

Relationships -storms a plenty here

marriage, divorce rate in Canada exceeds 50% -that’s a storm for sure -children storms, family storms etc. etc.

you need to know that you can have peace in this type of storm, I call it STORMY PEACE

I even think you can have a

Spiritual Storm in your life

an unrelenting sin in your life, it could be worry, fears, unforgiveness – or even dryness in your soul these can be storms

Here are a few more of life storms that we find ourselves in a boat, tossed all around and fearing:

Mental anguish -you’re thinking about something and it won’t go away, emotional agony-you’re feeling something and it won’t relent,

work turmoil is another one - these are all storms

BUT you need to know that you can have peace in every storm, I call it STORMY PEACE

Psalm 55:8

I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.

Where is the place of shelter - JESUS

WHERE DID THE DISCIPLES GO IN THE STORM -JESUS

Psalm 107:28-30 NIV

28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, (their storm) and he brought them out of their distress. 29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

In the case of the disciple’s storm, Jesus calmed the storm

But in many cases Jesus wants to calm us in our storm -to give us stormy peace

Our natural Response to Storms are:

Fear Worry Anxiety Anger Despondency Depression

This is what Jesus wants to calm in us during a storm -if Jesus doesn’t calm the storm around us then Jesus wants to calm the storm within us.

Storm causing fears within -God says to you

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Go to God, storm and all, because the source of peace is God

Storm causing worry

Matthew 6

Go to God, you & the storm and then trust God to fulfill His promises

Storm causing anxiety

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Go to God, you and the anxiety storm -pray to God, trust in God

Storm causing anger

James 1:19

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

Go to God trust in God and believe (have faith) what He has said

Storm causing despondency and depression

Psalm 42:11

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Go to God, hope in God the faithful one -yes He is faithful to you He is El amen -faithful God

Deuteronomy 7:9

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God (El Amen), keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Supernatural Reply to Storms

Pray -go to God, you and the storm, pray for deliverance and for peace

(Poem that doesn’t rhyme)

Sometimes all is calm around, But often we have storms

Sometimes God calms the storm, But sometimes God calms you.

Act -do all that you can under God’s leading, trust God in the process

Trust God to care, believe in God for peace,

put your Faith in a faithful God (El Amen)