Harmony Of The Gospels Series 17, Mk 4:35-41 (also Mt 8:23-27, Lk 8:22-25)
For more information about Jesus see these books on the History of Jesus Christ.
Quick side-point: In the demoniac accounts, Mk 5 & Lk 8 say there was one demoniac and Mt 8 says there were two. Some say this is proof that God's Word isn't infallible or that the Bible isn't God's Word. How can all three accounts be true? My favorite of all the explanations is this: The Bible perfectly records the recollections of the disciples. If a couple disciples only saw one of the demoniacs, their account would be true even if there were actually two.
Thes best-selling books on Jesus calming the Sea can help you and your children get a good perspective of the source of our security.
Since 9-11, We've been in the middle of a great debate in the U.S. and maybe throughout the world. The debate revolves around the struggle between freedom and security. It plays out in thousands of individual situations. Privacy-vs-government surveillance. Recreation-vs-secure water storage. Free travel-vs-weapons inspections at transportation hubs. Open-vs-controlled borders with neighbors. Many seem to be catching on, that nothing we do can be enough. The solution with the greatest freedom and the greatest potential for security is to root out and destroy terrorist organizations. Even that, however, will never provide total security.
That's something we're having trouble wrapping our minds around. Our efforts will be very costly, in terms of freedom, money and lives, but cannot assure security. The nature of terrorism strikes at the place we're least prepared and there will always be such a place, and such people. The best we can do is minimize the threat. One of the strange things is, it has always been so. Those of you in Great Britain and in Israel know what I'm talking about. The world didn't change on Sep 11, 2001, just our perception of the world. We all had our denial forcefully removed. We now realize that we were always vulnerable to such attacks and will always be vulnerable. We're so vulnerable in so many ways, that institutions are built into the fabric of our lives to "protect" us. We buy life insurance, but does it insure life? No! Can Fire Departments keep fires from happening? Do Police prevent crime? No! They're here to help when these things happen. Auto insurance, health insurance, the military, motorcycle helmet, umbrella…none of these things stop the bad things-they only provide a small measure of comfort. Where can we find security, then? How can we ever know we're safe?
Our security doesn't reside in a bank. No human can fully protect us. No vault can prevent forced entry. No company can assure us against every risk. No government, no matter how strong, can protect us against all the possible calamities. No amount of money is enough. If we rely on people or things to make us secure, they will always fail us. This is a common thread throughout the history of every culture. Our Bible story, today, reveals to us…
1. In Fear: Mk 4:37-38 "A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?"
The threat to the disciples was real. The small manually propelled boats common to Galilee Lake would be at great risk in a large storm. With the waves high enough to "swamp" the boats, their deaths must have seemed imminent. Whatever their thoughts before this trip they had only one thought now, fear of impending doom. Their entire world had been changed in just a few moments. How often do we live our lives in fear of impending doom? A modern psychologist once said, "we don't look at our watches to see what time it is, we do it to make sure that everything is OK." Our fear is not just of mortality, but of everything. From the time our alarm (fear) goes off in the morning to the time we finally chase the last worry away and go to sleep, we live in fear of something. What if I'm late? What will they think of me? Will I get in an accident? Will my marriage continue? Will I lose my job? Will my teenagers stay off drugs? Are my children safe? Will my house catch fire? Can I get my family out? Can my savings handle college, retirement, medical, assisted living expenses? What if I catch the flu, pneumonia, diabetes, aids, cancer? What if I die?
Continued at Jesus Calms The Sea-2
Bible Studies
Zechariah,
Elizabeth...
The Childhood Of Jesus
Life Of John The Baptist
The Temptation Of Jesus
Jesus Begins His
Ministry
Jesus And Nicodemus
Jesus...Woman At Well
Jesus
Rejected At Home
Pool Of Bethesda
New Wine...Wineskins
Sermon On The Mount A
Sermon On The Mount B
Sermon On The Mount C
Sermon On The Mount D
Jesus Anointed With Oil
Parable Of The Sower
Jesus Calms The Sea
Jesus Sends The
Twelve
Jesus
Walks On Water
Clean And
Unclean-Blind
Jesus Is The bread Of
Life
Jesus And The
Canaanite
Jesus Heals On Sabbath
Who Do You Say I Am
Mustard Seed Faith
Who Is The Greatest
Giving God Honor
The
Truth...Set You Free
Jesus The
Good Shepherd
Treasure-Heart In Heaven
Lost Sheep, Coin, Son
The
Shrewd Manager
Destiny Of
Judas...Mary
Meaning Of Palm Sunday
The
Greatest Command
Prophecy...The Last
Days
The Last Days
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Analysis Of Last Supper
The Real Easter Story
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