Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
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Augenöffnendes Bibelstudium in weniger als fünf Minuten! Alle Episoden finden Sie hier.
Was There A Curse On Helen's Romantic Life?
The Third Man by Angela Sheffield is based on a true story. Read chapter one now!
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¿Qué tiene que ver conmigo? por Teófila Gottfried
Lo que leemos en la Biblia tiene que ver con todos los seres humanos, sean cristianos o judíos, ateos o agnósticos, budistas, musulmanes o adherentes a alguna de las filosofías o nuevas religiones que surgen en el mundo. ¿Por qué? Ver mayor información sobre este interesante libro.
Scripture of The Day - St. John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Escritura del día - San Juan 14,6
Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.
Bibelstelle des Tages - Johannes 14,6
Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater, denn durch mich!
Jesus Rebukes The Storm: Can Christians Rebuke The Weather?
Mark 4:37-40 says, "There arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he (Jesus) 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? 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. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?"
Unfortunately, the above passage is being used to support the erroneous teaching that Jesus told His disciples they were of little faith, because they could have rebuked the storm themselves. First, in none of the versions of the account of the calming of the storm do we read that Jesus even hinted that they could have rebuked the storm. Just before they set sail, Jesus tells them they were going to the other side (verse 35). He tells them they have little faith, because how did they think they were going to perish in the storm when the Lord had already told them they were going to the other side?
But Can Christians Rebuke A Literal Storm?
To support the false teaching that Christians of faith have the power to rebuke the weather, another passage is mentioned: St. John 14:12, in which Jesus tells His followers that they will do the works He does...and even greater works. Does that mean that true Christians of faith can rebuke literal storms like Jesus did? No, it does not.
The Lord was specific when He spoke of the power He gives His servants. He said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy." (Luke 10:19).
Serpents, scorpions and the power of the enemy are evil spirits, as revealed in verse 20 of the same passage. Serpents and scorpions are not the weather. They are not the elements...wind, water, earth and fire. In Matthew, the Lord names other supernatural powers He gives to His servants. When He sent them out, He said, "Heal the sick. Cleanse the lepers. Raise the dead. Cast out devils." (Matthew 10:8). Again, none of these powers have anything to do with controlling the weather or rebuking a literal storm. We can't just lump together all the works Jesus did, and say He told us we would do those same works. Remember, Jesus had power to raise Himself from the dead (John 10:18). However, no servant of God has, or ever will raise himself from the dead. It is something Jesus did, but that none of His servants can do.
Now some might say that "over all the power of the enemy" can include rebuking a literal storm, because--as they put it--"the enemy can bring a storm." No. That is not true. Satan does not control the weather. Yes, he can cause wind to blow (Job 1:19), but blowing wind is not a storm. If Satan had the power to control weather, why did he not stop the great storm that arose when Jonah was on a ship, fleeing from the command of God? The passengers of that ship prayed to their idols--which are evils spirits--to calm the storm. They could do nothing to calm the storm, because God had caused it. And the only thing that could save them was to throw Jonah overboard...Jonah, whom God would not allow to run away from a mission he desperately did not want to carry out.
But there's more evidence that not even the most devout follower of Christ who is full of faith and power can rebuke a literal storm. The apostle Paul performed great signs and wonders. This man was so filled with the Spirit of God that even the handkerchiefs and aprons that had been on his body were taken to others to heal them, and to drive evil spirits away. That is undoubtedly a mighty display of God's power through one of his saints. But not even the faith-filled apostle Paul commanded the weather.
Let's read of a time when Paul found himself on a ship caught in a storm, which fits the description of nothing less than a hurricane. The wind was so ferocious that it was actually named, just as they name hurricanes today. Did the great and powerful-in-Christ Paul rebuke the severe storm? No, he did not. We read, "When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive... And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away." (Acts 27:13-15, 18-20).
If you read the 27th chapter of Acts, you will see Paul is indeed on that ship caught in the hurricane. Do we see him rebuking the wind and waves? Does that great man of faith speak to the storm? No, he does not. We cannot say that perhaps this was just one time Paul didn't rebuke a storm, because in 2 Corinthians 11:26, the apostle speaks of being in "perils on the sea"..."perils" with an "s"...plural. Had he had the power to rebuke those perils at sea, they would not have been perils.
But, what about Moses? Did he not control the weather and the elements when he divided the Red sea? No. If we read the account of the parting of the Red Sea, we find that Moses simply stretched forth his hand over the sea, as God told him to do (Exodus 14:26-27). No where do we read Moses ever spoke to the sea or to the wind. Earth, wind, fire, water and the weather are under the exclusive control of the Lord. And because Jesus was also God, He had power over the elements and weather. He had power to rebuke the storm. This is why we read:
"Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also..." (Psalm 106:8-9).
And we read: "O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea. When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them." (Psalm 89:8-9).
Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.
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