God Thinking LXXXIII - Other Little Ships 4

"Mark 4:37

37.  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

Do you believe that this was a real storm they were in?

You bet!!!  This is not the parable of the storm.  This is real life and Jesus called these faithful followers to go right into the storm. 

If the disciples ship was full of water, what do you think the other ships were full of?

If the disciples were afraid and they had a direct call from Jesus to cross over to the other side - Do you think those on the other little ships were afraid too?

Here’s spiritual growth.  Prior to getting this revelation from God, when you heard this story, did you ever even consider the other little ships as an important contribution to understanding the way of God?

If your ship goes down, so does all the other little ships.

Jesus called the disciples to cross over to the other side, knowing that a great storm would blow knowing that the waves would beat against their ship, knowing that the waters would fill the ship to the place where it would perish.  Jesus called them to go knowing all this.

Shouldn’t you be a concerned about a master that calls you into such a place of peril?

Shouldn’t you be a bit disappointed that He didn’t make their way calm and serene, supplying sugar plums and buttercups while counting the stars as they casually sail to the harbor of peace and tranquility?

What kind of God would call you knowing that you could face discomfort, stress or even death?

The kind that is in the hinder part of the ship."

Excerpt from God thinking LXXXIII - Other Little Ships by Keith C. Powell                                                Copyright 2015

God Thinking LXXXIII - Other Little Ships 3

"Mark 4:36

36.  And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships.

“And there were also with Him other little ships.”  If we miss the meaning of why God put this message here for us, we miss a great truth.

Jesus is the Him that went with the disciples and Jesus is the Him that went with the other little ships also.

• The other little ships were all the people that the disciples were ministering to.
• The other little ships were those ships surrounding the disciples ship.
• The other little ships were filled with people who were being reached by the inner circle of disciples.
• The other little ships are those who are counting on, you and I - those of us who are close to the Master. 
• The other little ships are following the ship with Jesus in it.
• Those in the other little ships were not in the ship with the disciples, but they knew which ship Jesus was in. 

There are so many people counting on your faith and mine to lead them to the other side."

There’s 20 other little ships watching you and I set sail with Jesus, right now in each of our lives.  May all that come behind us find us faithful.

Are you getting this?

Excerpt from God thinking LXXXIII - Other Little ships by Keith C. Powell                                                Copyright 2015

God Thinking LXXXIII - Other Little Ships 2

"In this story, Jesus didn’t call everyone to pass over to the other side with Him, but if He calls you to go to the other side with Him, will you go?

I know from experience that if you don’t make up your mind ahead of time, you will fall short at those crucial moments where the rubber meets the road.

Here in this story you have the foresight of knowing what happened, but even if you do not know what is about to happen, if God called you to go over to the other side with Him, your spirit would accept, because your spirit trusts that whatever God says will come to pass, and hopefully, just like with the disciples, they went and you would go too.

But the disciples didn’t know what was to come and in your life and in your own stories, you don’t know what is to come either. 

• Did Jesus know what was about to happen?
• Does Jesus know what is going to happen in your life?
• Did Jesus know that the ship would be filled with water when He called them to pass over to the other side?
• Did Jesus know that the storm was coming?
• Did Jesus warn the disciples that the storm was coming?

If Jesus calls us to go somewhere or to do something, does that mean that it will always be a cushy/comfortable ride?

Does it mean that there will be no difficulties? - no problems? - no impending peril?

When Jesus call you to something - it’s not about how easy it is or how safe it is or how protected you are - If Jesus call you He is going with you and that is where you need to put your faith."

Excerpt from God thinking LXXXIII - Other Little ships by Keith C. Powell                                                Copyright 2015

God Thinking LXXXIII - Other Little Ships 1

Mark 4:35-41

35.  And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

 36.  And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

 37.  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

 38.  And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

 39.  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

 40.  And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

 41.  And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

When Jesus says, “Let us pass over unto the other side,” There’s a lot of dynamics to consider.  I hope I present a new twist to the story that you have never considered.

When Jesus speaks to you to do a particular thing - Jesus speaks to your spirit to do what He says.  If you were anything other than a human, you could not resist the spoken Word of God, for all creation obeys His voice.

The stars and the moon, the sand on the beach and every creature cannot withstand the spoken Word of God.

Do you remember what Jesus told the Pharisees when Jesus was entering Jerusalem: Luke 19:39-40, “39.  And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

 40.  And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

We are the ones who have the free will to disobey God and go about our own way.  Even the demons must respond to God’s commands, but you and I, we were made different.  We don’t have to obey God. 

When Jesus says, “Let us pass over unto the other side,” Jesus knows that your spirit is able to obey and wants to obey, but our flesh - our mind and our emotions are sometimes powered by another force. 

• Habits have formed themselves into barriers from the call of God.  There’s the pride barrier
• There’s the undisciplined lifestyle barrier
• There’s the traditional barrier for some
• There’s the succumb to temptation barrier
• There’s the sleep deprivation barrier
• There’s the weak willed barrier
• There’s the I will get my needs met first barrier
• There’s the nobody will see me barrier

And a thousand more.  There are habits & mind sets that keep you from doing great things for God, and there are habits that keep you from doing little things for God, too."

Excerpt from God thinking LXXXIII - Other Little ships by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2015

God Thinking LXXV - What Happened Along The Way? 6

"Romans 8:28-32

 28.  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

 29.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 30.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

 31.  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

 32.  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?

It isn’t that all of what God has for you is held back by God until you receive it, it is that you don’t always want  all that God has for you, because part of what God has for you can only be apprehended through praise and worship, prayer and study of the scriptures, commitment and loyalty, submission and service. 

Until you make time, to be in time, with what God is doing, you shouldn’t expect that what God has freely given to you, can be received.      

Within the four components that make up your whole being:

Physical

Emotional

Mental

Spiritual

There is much discussion about who is able to apprehend the truths of God.  You will find that each and every individual is created to receive all that God has prepared for them.  There are those who cannot, for whatever reason, (physiological or mental), receive and respond to God’s call.  God has provided provenient grace for all those who cannot, of their own volition, move toward God.  But for you, who have been enabled to act upon your own will - you have a duty and a responsibility to God to, not only participate in His plan, but have a deep residing understanding of His plan."

 Excerpt from God Thinking LXXV - What Happened Along The Way? by                                  Keith C. Powell Copyright 2015

God Thinking LXXV - What Happened Along The Way? 5

"Everything that you need to be fully restored to be in alignment with God’s plan for your life is available.

You need to know that despite the barriers or obstacles, past mistakes, present circumstances and situations - God still provides the perfect condition to meet every developmental stage of growth

But you need to know that there is a time of reckoning, that if you continue to allow certain things to go too far, you run the risk of not being able to get back to where you need to be.

Proverbs 29:1 says, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”

God also informs us in Proverbs 1:23, “Turn ye at My reproof: behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My words to you.”

Now is the appropriate time to receive instruction from God and to move forward and allow God to restore you and place you where it is that you need to be, (to be in and stay in) the will of God for your life.

God Thinking is about living in the fullness of God’s blessings while staying within the parameters established by God (for each stage of your development).  That’s God’s perfect plan and purpose for your life."

Note: So many Christians today are wallowing in the mire of despair and disappointment because they have not adopted God's standards for themselves. They feel like they just can't go up.  They feel like they are beaten so they do nothing to make a positive change that might pull them out of their situation. If you are one of those people, please just look to the skies and tell God about your troubles and ask for His assistance. God will not mock you, God will embrace you and all your troubles, whether you brought them on yourself or not. I tell people all the time, if what you have been doing hasn't worked, why not try a different approach, and this is the approach I am referring to.

 Excerpt from God Thinking LXXV - What Happened Along The Way? by                                  Keith C. Powell Copyright 2015

God Thinking LXXV - What Happened Along The Way? 4

"But glory be to God, He can turn it around.  God can take all the (out of sync days, months, years or even decades) and bring you back in line with His plan for your life.

God can do for you what no man can do. 

God can restore

God can revive

God can renew

God can rebuild

God can rehabilitate

God can redistribute   

God can wash clean

God can forgive sin

God can unite - God can turn it around

God can take someone who has lived out of sync with God most or all of their life and restore them whole.

God can restore you to excellent health.

Revive dreams

Renew vows

Rebuild relationships

God can rehabilitate the body, the emotions, the mind, and the spirit.

God can redistribute wealth to include you and I this round. (That is not the governments job!)  

There’s no sin that God can’t forgive and absolve.

There’s no relationship that God cannot reunite.

There’s no dream lost that God cannot revive in your heart.

It may be true that you have lost some ground.

It may be true that you have been out of sync with what God was doing.

It may be true that you are still fighting the enemy - that there’s a stronghold that looks too big to fight.

It may be that you don’t feel worthy to receive God’s very best.

But God has provided every tool, every truth, every word, and every provision to turn things around."  

Excerpt from God Thinking LXXV - What Happened Along The Way? by                                  Keith C. Powell Copyright 2015