#4th anniversary Celebrations of 77 D.O.Gs – Sept 22nd
When you read Mark 4:35-41, you see that the disciples and Jesus were on their way to another place when they encountered the storm. How many of you have been through a storm? Many of us have been through storms physically but also in other realms, challenges, troubles, trials and all these go through storms. Today I want to talk to you about “overcoming the storms of life.”
A few years ago, Caleb and I were living in Florida, a very tropical place and we were planting a church there. As we were there in the fall of 2016, there was a huge storm that was coming through that area. People were told to get prepared and we too got prepared, we prayed for divine protection and covering over our lives. In the middle of that storm, I remember looking through the window and things were flying all over the place. There were certain trees going back and forth. I noticed our palm trees which were at the backyard dipped down to the ground but they bounced back. I remember, after the storm, we walked out thankfully we were still alive, our house was still there, our church and the people out there, were all safe. When I looked at our palm trees, they looked like nothing had happened yet things were all over the place, trees had been uprooted but our palm trees had bounced back to their place. This inspired me to research about palm trees and as I studied, I found out that a palm tree is so resilient that even in the midst of the storm, its roots are actually strengthened. Not only that, but as it is pressed deep down, it grows more and it has this bounce back ability on the inside of it. The palm tree is resilient that it continues to bear fruit. In fact every aspect of it is useful. As I purposed to study the word of God, I realize that the palm tree is a symbol of victory and praise throughout the bible. And I took that in my own spirit and I began to look at psalms 92:12-14 which says this, and I want to encourage you in this today; The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green. God has called us to flourish even in the midst of storms and challenges.
God has put that SAME spirit that raised Jesus from the dead in the inside of you, and that same spirit causes you to rise up even in the midst of challenges. Each one of us faces storms and challenges but this is what Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” So today I want to encourage you that the same spirit that raised Christ lives in the inside of you; He is for you and with you; He will help you to rise above just like that palm tree. He will help you overcome the trials, the challenges and the hardship that you might be facing.
In Mark 6, when Jesus found out that His cousin, John the Baptist was beheaded, He was grieved. He told His disciples to get into the boat and they moved to the other side of the river, where He met people and He was moved with compassion. When evening came, the disciple came to Him and said, the people need to eat. He told them to give them something to eat. And what they could find were the five loaves and two fish of a little boy which they brought to Him and He multiplied them and fed 5000people. A miracle happened in the midst of a loss of Jesus’ cousin. Whenever you offer what you have to Jesus, He will multiply it.
Hebrews 12: 1-2[a] says, Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us,] and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith… Each one of us has to run their race. No matter what you are facing today; maybe a loss of a loved one, maybe you are dealing with a sickness in your body, maybe it’s in your finances or career, maybe it’s a dream that God is putting in your heart or you may be facing a storm, I want to encourage you today that you can overcome and flourish.
Today, I want to challenge you with three things from this passage which I read earlier, of how to overcome, and the first thing that I want to encourage you is that Jesus is in the midst of your storm, challenge, what you are going through and this pandemic [COVID-19]. Remember Jesus is with you. The Son of God, the creator of the universe, He is with you. In the midst of the storm, the disciples had forgotten who was in their boat, yet Jesus, the creator of the universe was with them. The disciples were afraid and thought, they were going to die but JESUS stood in the boat and spoke peace to the storm. I want to encourage you today to remember who is with you today, and remember who you are in Christ. Remember, greater is He who is in you than he who is in this world. Romans 8:11 says, And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. And he says in verse 35, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Verse 37-39, No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. And the bible says, His perfect love casts out fear [1 John 4:18]. I want you to get the revelation of the love of God for you today. He loves you. You are valuable to Him. You are precious to Him. He knows you by name. He knows every hair on your head and He created you on purpose.
Today, I want to remind you that Jesus is with you; He is in your boat. He is with you even in the midst of the storm and challenges; even in those moments when you feel alone and no one cares, He loves you and He is with you. The other thing I want to remind you of in 1 John 4:4, “Greater is He that is in you than the devil that is in this world.” God is greater than any evil you might face. Apostle Paul writes with an insight of who was with him in Acts 16. When Paul and Silas were preaching the gospel, doing what was right, they were thrown in a jail. Paul and Silas remembered who was with them, and the bible says that at midnight they began to sing hymns and praises to God who sent an earthquake and it shook the entire prison; the prison doors were opened and the chains fell off from them. And Paul and Silas walked out of that jail free. They not only got out of the prison free, but they were able to lead the jailer and his entire family to salvation. A miracle happened because Paul remembered who was with him. Even in the hardships and troubles, he remembered that Jesus was with him.
The second thing I want to remind you from the above passage is to take authority. You see in the midst of the storm, Jesus rose up and spoke to the winds and waves, “peace be still.” You have to speak peace to your mind sometimes when there’s a storm raging in the inside of you. You have to speak peace when a storm is raging in your home. Speak peace over your circumstances. And I want to encourage you to take the authority that Christ has given you. The bible says in Luke 10:19, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions (snakes and scorpions, He is referring to the devil and demons), and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Remember your authority. Your words are powerful especially when you speak His word because angels harken and respond to the word of God. Mark 11:22-24, “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” We take authority when we believe the word of God and speak it through our mouth. I want to encourage you to speak life over your circumstance; to speak healing where there’s illness, by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. Speak the word of God because it’s a sword.
The last thing I want to remind you from this passage is, remember people are on the other side of the storm. Many people when they read this story in Mark 4, they close the book after the storm stops. They think that’s the end of the story, but that’s not the end of the story. In Mark 5:1-20, it says when they got off the boat and got to the other side, there was a demon possessed man who came out of the tombs, and he had been living in the tombs and caves because he was tormented by the devil, and that moment Jesus commanded the evil spirits to leave his body. The bible says, those demons went into the pigs and they jumped into the water that day and drowned, but the man was completely transformed. He was in his right mind and set free. He fell at the feet of Jesus and begged to go with Him, but Jesus said no. He told that man, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And the bible says, that man went in the whole region telling them what Jesus had done for him and they were amazed.
Sometimes we forget that on the other side of our storm, there are people who need our hope, who need freedom and deliverance. Today, I want to remind you that there are people who need what you have; the word of God, the hope you have in Jesus. People are desperate for hope and peace, and you have it because you have Jesus. If you know Jesus, you have that hope.
As I conclude this text: I want you to remember that when you are in a storm, Jesus is with you. Remember to take authority. Remember, there are people on the other side of your obedience. God is with you today and He is going to help you overcome.
Friends, if you have never given your life to Jesus and you want to make Him first in your life, just say this simple prayer: “Lord Jesus, I ask you to be the Lord of my life; forgive me of all my sins; cleanse me; I believe You died on the cross for me and You rose from the dead. I ask you to be first in my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit; make me a new person and I believe in You in Jesus’ name.” You are Now a born again.
To SOW your SEED into the Ministry, click on the DONATE icon and follow the steps thus your seed will be received and the Lord will richly bless you.
To watch a rebroadcast of this message, click on this link ? https://youtu.be/pb7PlQA15iA
The 77 Days of Glory, 4th anniversary celebration services are LIVE on Channel 44 TV and at the Robert Kayanja Ministries media platforms from 7PM [EAT] daily. Remember, we are fasting in these ten days [The Daniel Fast] till Sept-28th, the Day of Atonement.
©Robert Kayanja Ministries – Missions Department
