A Sinking Saint in the Midst of a Storm (Peter’s Brief Walk on the Water)

by markjemilbooth, posted in Christian Life, God's Attributes

Do you ever have the feeling that you are sinking deeper and deeper into the sea of sin, doubt, despair and discouragement?  Do you feel that you are in the midst of a storm and there is no end in sight?  The Apostle Peter understood the storms of life.  He also experienced sinking deeper and deeper into the sea.  Let’s join Peter and see how he handled his sinking deeper and deeper into the sea.

The disciples are in a boat in the midst of a storm.  Jesus comes to them, walking upon the water.  He tells them: “Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid. (Matthew 14:27)  Jesus always desires to calm our fears even in the midst of the greatest storm in our lives.

Peter asks the Lord if he also could walk on the water.  Jesus answers with one word: “Come“.  Jesus wants us to join him in the adventure of faith.  Peter enters into the water, and he begins to walk on the water; however, the scriptures say: But when he saw the wind boisterous; he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried , he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:30

 What are some causes of Christians sinking spiritually in the midst of the storm?

1. Sin causes us to sink spiritually.  Peter could have thought; “Look at me, I am walking on the water.  What is wrong with those others?”  Peter’s pride could have caused him to sink.  When sin enters into our lives, we are no longer secure in our walk with Christ.  We let go of His guiding hand; so that we may go in our own direction.  There is nothing but danger when we walk separate from Jesus.

2. A lack of faith causes us to sink spiritually.  After Jesus delivers Peter from the sea, He says: “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Matthew 14:31)  Peter sees the waves and the winds and decides that they have greater power than Christ.  Often, we allow our doubts to destroy our faith.  As a result, we soon sink into discouragement and despair.

3. Difficult circumstances cause us to sink spiritually.  Peter has begun his great adventure in faith, but he sees the wind and the waves.  They are terrifying, and he feels as though he has no hope.  Difficult circumstances make us forget that GOD IS IN CONTROL.  He is the Master Potter and we are the clay.

4. Wrong priorities cause us to sink spiritually.  Peter begins well.  He leaves the boat and heads for the Lord.  However, he becomes preoccupied with the wind and the waves.  We have all experienced times in our lives, when we put our relationship with Lord on the back burner of life.  We know that He is with us, but we become preoccupied with other things in this life.  Wrong priorities lead us on a dangerous pathway away from our Lord.

The Cry of the Sinking Believer

Peter sees that he is in a very desperate situation.  His life is slipping away.  He could try to save himself, but this would result in disaster.  He responds with a cry out to His Lord Jesus Christ.  “When he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:31)

We can describe Peter’s cry in three ways:
1. It was a desperate cry.  Peter knows that death is near.  He has only one hope. Likewise God is waiting for our cry of desperation to Him.  The Psalmist wrote:  “This poor man CRIED and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.”  (Psalm 34:6)
2. It was a cry of faith. Peter calls out to the Lord in faith.  He knows that the Lord alone can save him from sinking to the depths of the sea.  Faith is believing that the Lord hears our cries and that he will respond.  “I sought the Lord, and he heard me.” (Psalm 34:4)
3. It was a cry based on his knowledge of Christ.  Peter knows that the Lord can save him.  He knows that the Lord is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving.  As we know the Lord in deeper way, we can cry out to him with greater confidence and freedom.

The Deliverance by the Loving Lord

Jesus hears Peter’s desperate cry and he immediately responds: “And immediately Jesus stretched form his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?  And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.” (Matthew 14:31-32)

Yes, there will be times when we seem to be sinking deeper and deeper.  All hope seems lost, but Our Lord is waiting for us to cry out to Him.  His hand is always ready to pull us back out of the tempest.

“Dear Lord, there are many times that I seem to sink deeper and deeper into sin, despair, or discouragement. My circumstances seem too difficult to bear.  Help me, to learn to cry out to you in the times when I am sinking.  Thank you for always being ready and willing to pull me up from whatever is causing me to sink. Amen.”

Personal Thoughts from the Chick-fil-A Discussion

by markjemilbooth, posted in Christian Life, God's Attributes, Sacrifice for Christ

Chick-fil-A and the issue of marriage has caused me to reflect upon my own life.  It has also brought about several questions concerning my  life and my view of God.  The following questions have helped me to make this whole controversy a learning and growing experience.

1. What is my view of God?  Do I see God as He presents Himself in His Word; or do I see God as I want Him to be?  Do I believe in all of God’s attributes or only the ones that are appealing to me?  Do I understand that God doesn’t change with society?  God says in His Word: “For I am the Lord, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6)   How I view God will often dictate my decisions, actions, and viewpoints..

2. What is the condition of my heart before God?  Is my heart right with God?  Do I seek to please God in everything I do?  Do I pray with the Psalmist: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts.”? (Psalm 139:23)  It is easy to take up a cause, but am I willing to take up the cross of Christ? Am I willing to sacrifice my all for Him?

3. What is the condition of my marriage?  I can’t control if people accept or reject the Biblical teaching of marriage, but I can do something about my marriage.  Do I love my wife as Christ loves the church?  Am I the spiritual leader that God calls me to be?  Does our marriage bring honor to the Lord?

4. Am I willing to believe and obey the Word of God in every area of my life?   I can confuse human opinions with God’s truth.  There is absolute truth.  Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  The ideas of society may change; however, the Word of God doesn’t change.

5. What am I doing to reach others with the Gospel of Christ?  Paul clearly didn’t seek to reform the Roman culture.  He desired to see each soul  turn to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.   Paul stated: “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. ” (Romans 1:15)  Do I get caught up in social issues and forget the main issue?

6. Do I truly live as though I am a citizen of heaven?  Do I want to fit into the society around me?  Do I feel rejected and upset if I am not accepted by society?  The Apostle Peter said: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)
A believer in Christ is merely a pilgrim in this world.  My goal is not to please the world, but to please the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Dear Lord, I see that our society often disregards your Word; however, I have also disregarded your Word.  Please forgive me for the sin in my life.  Please forgive me for comparing my life to other people. I need to compare my life to your absolute standard of holiness.  Help me to keep my eyes focused upon you in spite of what is happening around me.  Thank you for being merciful towards me.     Your love for me is beyond my comprehension. Thank you for working in my life, even in times when it is painful. Amen.”

Can I Be Open and Honest with God? (Psalm 88)

by markjemilbooth, posted in Bible Study, Christian Life

Does God really want me to be honest with Him?  Can I share my doubts?  Can I share the pain that I am presently feeling?  Can I be sad before Him?  So often, we pray with pious platitudes instead of with an honest heart.  Psalm 88 is called the saddest Psalm in the Bible, because the Psalmist is negative throughout the Psalm.  God doesn’t seem to be giving him an answer.

Why did God include this Psalm in His Word?   This Psalm may seem very discouraging;  yet it is encouraging.  God wants us to be open and honest with Him.  He does understand.  He does answer though it may not be in our time.   Please take the time to read this Psalm and then open your heart to God.  He is waiting to hear from you!

I. THE FAITH OF THE HONEST SOUL (1-2)
Ps 88:1 O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

II. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE HONEST SOUL (3-8)
3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

III. THE EARNEST PRAYER OF THE HONEST SOUL (9-12)
9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

IV. THE STEADFASTNESS OF THE HONEST SOUL (13-18)
13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

God wants us to be open and honest with Him. God begins His work in our lives when we become honest with Him.  He may not respond to our honest appeals to Him when we desire a response, but He will respond in His way and in His Time

CAN I BE OPEN AND HONEST WITH GOD? (PSALM 88)
(An Outline to Psalm 88)

I. THE FAITH OF THE HONEST SOUL (1-2)
A. Faith in God’s Sovereignty (“LORD”)
Note: Four times he says” “LORD” (1, 9, 13, 14)
B. Faith in God’s Salvation
C. Faith in God’s Ability to Hear Prayer
II. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE HONEST SOUL (3-8)
A. The Troubled Soul (Probably because of sin)
B. The Focus on Death (3b-4a)
C. The Lack of Strength (4b)
D. The Perceived Separation from God (5)
E. The Great Darkness (Great Grief) (6)
F. The Great Humiliation (6) (Jeremiah 37:1-21)
G. The Discipline of God (7)
H. The Rejection of Others (Social Outcast) (8)

III. THE EARNEST PRAYER OF THE HONEST SOUL (9-12)
A. The Weeping before God (9) Matthew 5:4
B. The Continual Prayer before God
C. The Desperation before God (9c-10)
D. The Knowledge of God (10-12)
1. His Wonders
2. His Loving-kindness
3. His Faithfulness
4. His Righteousness

IV. THE STEADFASTNESS OF THE HONEST SOUL (13-18)
A. Confidence in prayer (13)
B. Circumstances that could make him quit (14-18)
1. Broken relationship with God (14-16)
2. Broken relationship with others (17-18)

Here is web address to the message I preached on this Psalm: http://www.calvarybaptistcharlotte.org/Media/The%20Mourning%20Song.mp3

How to Profit More from your Bible Reading-The Journibles

by markjemilbooth, posted in Bible Study, Christian Life
My First “Journible”

How is your Bible reading coming along?  Do you remember what you read yesterday?  Are you reading large sections of scripture, but not getting any new insights?  Is your Bible reading a chore?

We all know the importance of reading our Bibles, but are we using this time profitably?  One day, I was at a Christian book store and I saw a series of books that I  had never seen.   The title of the series was the “The Journibles: 17:18 Series”.  I looked inside and the pages were all blank with just numbers on the page on the right.  “What kind of book is this?”  I asked myself.

I went to the introduction and discovered that “The Journibles: 17:18 Series” comes from Deuteronomy 17:18: “And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:”  The Lord commanded the kings of Israel to write out their own copy of the Word of God.  This enabled them to learn the Word, gain understanding in its truth, and become more sensitive to the will of God.

I thought I would buy one of these books and give it a try.  I bought the book for
1 Timothy thru Hebrews.   The layout of the book is to write out the verse on one side of the page and then on the other side write an observation, prayer or an application.

I now find myself profiting more from my Bible reading.  I am seeing things that I had never seen before because I am taking more time with each verse, and allowing God to speak to me.  As I write down my thoughts, I am actually writing my own personal commentary of the Bible.

This morning, I finished my first “Journible” book.  I am now going to use it for Psalms 1-72!  This series has been the best Bible reading help that I have ever used.  The format is extremely simple.  Who would have thought about writing out the words of scripture in this age where we don’t write anything with paper and ink?

You can find more information on this great series of books at this address: http://www.the1718series.com.  This web site has a video and other information about this series.   You won’t regret purchasing one of these books.  I am glad that I purchased my first “Journible”.  If you have any comments or questions, please write me a comment.

P.S Here are a couple of sample pages with my notes.  Please excuse my poor penmanship.

This page is for writing out the verses.

This page is for writing out thoughts, prayers or applications.