Tag Archives: Storms

REJOICE IN OUR STORM-Series 3

Thank God in All Things- SERIES 3

1 THESSALONIAN 5:16-18

It seems odd to say that we have to rejoice in our storms and now it is more peculiar that we need to thank God in all things.

In this third series of Rejoicing in our storms, we need to recognize that whatever storms we are into, we have to thank and acknowledge God that He is always in control.

IT HAPPENS FOR A PURPOSE

We thank God in everything because in all our circumstances God has always a purpose.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 says that “in all circumstances give thanks to the Lord for it is the will of God.”

Paul is encouraging us to be grateful to God for there is something hidden in every storm we are into.

It is not easy to thank God in all our situations especially when all hell breaks loss and almost everything starts to rock your boat.

In Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it good in order to bring about this present result to preserve the people alive.

In every circumstance happening in our life, nothing just happens.

It happens for a purpose.

When there is no way, God will make the way.

LAUGHING AT OUR PROBLEMS

David in his Psalm says that this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

We rejoice in our situations because whatever conditions we are in, God has created them for good.

I believe that there is always a miracle in disguise. It may be a problem for now but there is something to be learned in every problem we have that molds us and harness our potential to be a better person.

Have we realized that when we try to look back on so many problems that we have in the past, we laugh at them now?

We were sleepless, we may be having that much stress before but we can easily talk about it right now.

In some other way, we are thankful that we passed through that series of problems, tests, difficulties, and trials; because with that experience, we can say that it helps us to face challenges easier, further experience, and be more adept in handling situations.

LOOKING AT THE PAST

After I graduated from High school in 1991, sad news came to me when the textile company where my father was working closed its operation and declare bankruptcy.

It means I will not be enrolling in college.

I retreated and hide from my classmates because I felt shy about not pursuing college.

I went to Manila and started to work as a part-time factory worker, a helper- dishwasher in Carenderia in Quezon City accepting the life that was never in my dreams.

My father started his own ice cream business from the separation pay he received from his previous company and was able to put up one pushcart “sorbets”.

From that single pushcart “sorbets”, he managed to acquire another one for me.

It was the beginning of my being a “Sorbetero “ or an ice cream vendor.

With the blessings that came into our lives, I enrolled later to pursue my college education. Studying during the weekdays, a Sorbetero during the weekend, and summer vacations.

There was one particular spot in my route where I have the most difficulty pushing the cart up the inclined and stiff road. The easy way to push the cart up is to move it forward in a zigzag motion.

Reaching the top of that road lead me to rest and pause praying to God that I will not be Sorbetero forever.

I did it for five years and the last time that I went out to sell and push that ice cream cart was right after I passed the Civil Engineering board examination.

GRATEFUL FOR OUR EXPERIENCE

The good thing about those experiences, we learned to thank God because despite our situations God never failed us during those rainy days.

God used those situations in our life to trust Him that His grace is sufficient and more than enough.

God had given us that ice cream so that I and my brothers could be able to finish our studies.

Before I was shy and asked God what had happened; but now I am proud and grateful for it.

The road that we may be walking right now is not the road you dream of, but never worry as God will be the one to direct our path.

HEALTHIEST EMOTIONS

The healthiness of our emotion is gratitude.

Gratitude increases our immunities and helps us to be resistant to any stress and be less susceptible to illness.

Because ungrateful people are miserable and nothing will make them happy.

Men with ungrateful attitudes have a miserable spirit.

A heart that is not contented; even if you give him everything, nothing will make him happy.

May God sustain you with a grateful spirit even amid the storm,

Mikesendon

REJOICE IN OUR STORMS

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REJOICE IN OUR STORMS- SERIES 1

PHILIPPIANS 4:4

How we can rejoice when our boat is filling up with water and we are afraid that it is about to sink?

How we can say “I am glad” when we are in a situation where things are beyond our control? When everything seems to be loose.

It seems odd to tell that we should be rejoicing at all times.

But how can we be rejoicing when our finances are shaking us down? When sickness lingered around? When our relationship is at the brim of separation?

Can we really be joyful in all our circumstances?

REJOICE IS A CHOICE

It is difficult and not easy to be happy when we are in the midst of so many troubles but we have to make a choice.

To be happy or to be sad is our choice.

To be grouchy or happy.

We can choose to be sad when our loved ones left us.

We can decide to be miserable when all our troubles are hard to bear.

We can choose to be a loser when we were overcome by our situations.

But St. Paul admonishes us that we have to be joyful always in all our circumstances.

If we have given that choice, we choose to be happy rather than to be miserable.

Why? Because Jesus said that being worried would not add any single hour in life. (Mt. 6:27)

Here are four things how we can have that joyful attitude even when are in the midst of any storms.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING

Do not be worried about your life as to what you will eat or what you will drink nor for your body what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?- Mt. 6:25

The common worry for so many of us is food. What we will eat? What we will drink?

It is good to understand that all our worries are learned. We learned it from our parents and from our peers.

We were not born to be worried. Have you remembered that you were worried when you were born? No babies were born thinking about how they will survive or who will take care of them.

Since all worries were learned, we can unlearn all our worries.

Never be so worried about things that are beyond your control. Because the moment that we worry about things beyond our ability to control, it makes us more anxious.

Why worry if you cannot control it.

Worry is the darkroom where all negative develops.

Worry brings fear and fear brings your worry into reality. It brings us more stress.

When we worry about anything, ask ourselves “ what will truly make us happy?”

Our life is in the hand of God.

Why do we have to worry when God is in our boat?

He might be sleeping in the stern of our boat but it does not mean that He lost control of the boat.

Never so worried about the circumstances that we lose sight of God’s promise.

Never so focus on our situations that we fail to see God’s inspiration.

DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY

Don’t worry because our life is more than the things that make us worry.

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into tha barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more than them?- Mt 6:26

God knows what we need.

He knows what we are been into. He sees our situations.

All of us are so important in His eyes because we are worth more than the birds that fly in the sky.

We need to continually and consistently abide in His unfailing Words. Like a branch connected to the vine, we have to be always connected with God.

Not only do the blessings flow but the joy that comes from Him flows as well.

FIRST THING FIRST

In everything, we have to consider first our God and our worries will pass.

Instead of worrying, seek first for God who is always our help close at hand.

Seek ye first His kingdom and all the things we need shall be added unto us.

Look for His promise amid all adversities.

What God wanted us to learn is to entrust things into His care. Because of the things we cannot do, God can do.

Trust that God’s help and guidance are enough to solve our problems and worries.

Don’t worry about everything, trust God in everything.

May God sustain you with joy even amid the storm,

Mikesendon

BE STILL IN YOUR STORMS-Series 5 (Life continues after every storm)

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BE STILL IN YOUR STORM-SERIES 5

(Life continues after storms)

MARK 4:35 -41

In this last series, we need to understand that there is always an end to any storms that come in our life.

Storms are just seasons that come and go.

No matter what we have been through, life never ends as life continues after every storm.

LIFE CONTINUES AFTER YOUR STORMS

After every storm, everything’s back to normal.

Because our storms are just temporary.

Every problem and tribulation, they don’t last long. There is always an end because they are just temporary.

No matter how strong and how long we’ve been on the storms when it ends life goes on.

GRAB WHAT IS LEFT

After we survive the storm, we have to move on and grab every piece left.

We may lose our house, our jobs our loved ones, our cars but we have to continue with our journey.

God promises to save us but not our boat. We may lose our boat but His promise is to keep us safe. We may reach our destination without the boat, but He makes sure that we reach the shore.

In our life, we have what we called temporary blessings. Never regrets the temporary ones because it means to last, they will not be taken from us.

Never grieve about the broken boat. Never grieve about your lost relationship because we don’t need to complete everything before we reach our shore.

God will take us to where we are in another form. We don’t know how we don’t know when but for sure God will take us there.

NEVER GRIEVE ABOUT WHAT’S GONE

We cannot waste our life grieving what was lost.

We cannot blame God for what was taken from us, because if anything that won’t stay means it does not mean to last.

The storms are not meant to weaken you but to strengthen you.

The energy we lose grieving the boat is far more draining than the energy we gain after we survive the storm.

We may be devastated but we will never be destroyed because the promise is not about our ship. The promise is to keep you safe.

Don’t grieve about your strayed boyfriend because your destiny is not dependent on him.

Don’t lament about your lost job because you are gifted to find a new one.

Never sadden by your sickness because we can only truly experience that He is our Healer when we are in pain.

Life goes on as our destiny is in God.

NEVER BE BLOWN BY THE GENTLE WIND

We may survive the heavy fierce storms but we may be caught unguarded in our times where everything is so smooth, so calm and it running fine.

We became complacent and relaxed.

When we are in the midst of our storm, we are strong and we move forward.

We are aggressive and brave but at the end of life struggles, we have that tendency to collapse.

At the time when everything seems good, we are more vulnerable.

We find ourselves unguarded when the wind blew gently than when we are in the roaring wind.

Remember the story of the Supermonkey and the mighty wind in Series 1.

We are sailing with Jesus, through the stormy water, He will ease our fear. The Lord is our anchor and we will not be blown by the wind.

May you find life after your every storm,

Mikesendon

BE STILL ON YOUR STORMS-SERIES 4 (Look Beyond your Storm)

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BE STILL ON YOUR STORMS-SERIES 4

(Look beyond the storms)

MARK 4:35 -41

In this fourth series of Be still in your storms, we need to understand that storms are just temporary.

Whenever we are in the midst of problems, difficulties, and tribulations, God has always promised for every situation we are in.

Our God is faithful and He will not allow the attack of storms in our life to consume us but rather this will strengthen us.

“LOOK BEYOND OUR EVERY STORM”

Knowing that God is our present help, consider that storms are just one of the stages in our journey.

We need to understand those storms are just temporary.

Your relationship problem is temporary.

Our debt is just temporary.

Our being jobless is just temporary.

Never so conscious about the storm that we forgot that God is in our boat.

The disciples were so terrified that the boat is being filled up with water, but don’t look at the water that fills your boat. Look on your God who is with you in that boat.

Never so focused on our circumstances that we forgot our destination.

Don’t so focus on the difficulties that we forget the promises.

Don’t magnify the things that are bad that we negate the presence of God.

Don’t be so focused on your sickness that you forgot that our God is the Healer.

Never so overwhelmed by your enemies that we forgot that He is our refuge, a present help in times of trouble.

Remember that the God we serve can defy the law of nature.

Look beyond our storm, because in every dark cloud and gale of wind is a clear day waiting at the end.

It does not mean that the clouds are too dark and that there is no sun on the other side.

In every storm, there will always be a rainbow afterward.

“THERE ARE PROMISES IN THE STORM”

The question may lurk in our minds “Why do we still encounter the fierce storm when God is in our boat?” Is it not possible to continue our journey without any storm since God is with us in our expedition?

All of us are not exempted from all the trials and difficulties even when we have Jesus in our boat.

Why there is still sickness? Why still lost our job? An endless question of why.

There are no violent storms that cause us to fear knowing that our God is so near.

Isaiah 43:2 says that when you pass through the deep waters I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you…..

In Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Because God does not promises us the obvious. Promises are given where you have the tendency to doubt.

Isaiah 4:10 says So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

God has always specific promises for every storm we are going through.

Never doubt Him in your storms, for we can always rely on Him

May you see His promises in whatever storms you are into,

Mikesendon

BE STILL IN YOUR STORM-SERIES 3 (Storm increases our Faith)

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BE STILL IN YOUR STORMS-SERIES 3

(Storm increases your Faith)

MARK 4:35 -41

In Mark 4:40 And He said to them “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?

We should understand that we pass different storms not to harm us, not to kill us but to strengthen us.

Our storms come in our life to strengthen and increase our faith.

3. INCREASES OUR FAITH

The storm in our life brings fear. It brings us anxieties.

“But storms should increase our faith as faith could be best practice in our storms.”

Our faith could only be stretched out when we practice it.

Our muscles expand more after regular work out. An athlete who went through a rigid training is more strong, agile and determined than an ordinary person.

Your storms are instrumental in the growth of your faith. The more storms you have, the more muscles your faith will have.

GROW IN FAITH

Is it not your happy when you have a bonsai plant and your friend like it because it’s small?

When you parade your pet Chihuahua dog; everyone says that it’s so cute.

But how about our faith? Will God be happy if our faith after five or ten years attending a prayer meeting or going to church and it still remains small?

Will you be happy that we have a cute faith?

Our faith should grow over time. Although the requirement for us is to have a faith at least as small as mustard seed, however, it should not remain as small as it is.

Our faith needs to develop and one way to grow it is by practicing it in our storms.

STORMS ARE ATTACK IN OUR FAITH

Storm comes sometimes undetected.

In November 2013, a super typhoon Yolanda, with sustained winds of 235 kilometers per hour with gusts of 275 kph when it made landfall devastated the southern part of the Philippines. By those measurements, Yolanda would be comparable to a strong Category 4 hurricane in the US, nearly in the top category, a 5. It left Tacloban and other islands in total devastation, leaving the area like a ghost town.

But the strongest typhoon met the strongest people in earth.

In our spiritual world, storms are attacks in our faith. It comes so that we lose and waver our faith.

It’s an enemy’s assault to make you vulnerable, weak and defeated. When your our storms are battering us, we tend to give up, blame and question God why He allows all of this things to happen.

The enemy brings storms in our life not to attack you but because he want to attack our faith.

FAITH AS VALUABLE COMMODITY

For the enemy, our faith in God is like valuable commodity.

It’s like an exchange of trade and the enemy what we could become because of our faith.

Because with faith we can please God.

With faith we can have answered prayers.

With faith we can do miracles.

With faith we can touch the heart God.

That is why, he send so many storms in our life because he know what we could become. The enemy knows where God is taking us.

When you lose your job, the enemy is not after your money but he is after your faith.

When your marriage is in the brink of separation, the enemy is not interested in your husband; he is attacking your faith.

When your car was impounded by the bank due to non-payment, the enemy is not after your car, he is after your faith.

Storms should increase our faith as faith could be best practice in our storms.

Uncommon faith brings uncommon results.

WALK BY FAITH NOT BY SIGHT

Because when we are in the midst of our storm, we may not feel Him, we may not see Him, we may not heard of Him but it does not indicate that he already jumped off from our boat.

In the midst of storms, it is dark there, it is not quiet and we cannot see him.

He wanted us to stir our boat not from what we know but from what He could do.

When we focus our physical eyes on our surroundings, we will be disappointed.

But instead of fear and doubt, fill our boat with faith.

When we are so conscious about our storms, we will be terrified when the water is filling up our boat.

Like Peter, he already walked on the water but he was distracted by the strong wind that he saw, he slowly sunk down. Jesus told him that how little was his faith.

Don’t expect God to be sensual in our storms.

Because we may not see or feel Him physically, but with faith we will know that He is always in control.

That is the reason why we have to walk by faith and not by sight.

May your storms stretch the muscles of your faith,

Mikesendon

Be Still in Your Storm-Series 2 (Talk to Your Storms)

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TALK TO YOUR STORMS- SERIES 2

(Talk to Your Storms)

MARK 4:35 -41

In this second series, we will understand that Jesus commanded the storm to stop

His disciples asked themselves who was He that even the force of nature obey Him.

No matter how big our storms are, the second lesson we need to know when we are into the storm is we have to talk to our storms.

TALK TO YOUR STORMS

There was a man who was on the rail of a bridge and about to jump off to the river when another guy saw him and persuaded him to stop.

They sat together, talked about their problems and after an hour both of them jumped off the bridge.

Don’t let your storms talk to you but rather talk to your storm.

Don’t let your problems talk to you, talk to your problems.

Never be controlled by the problem that you lose control of yourselves and your sanity.

.In Mk 4:39 and he got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

When we are in our storm, we have to get up and command our storms to go out of our life in Jesus’ Name.

Because God has given us the power and authority to overcome.

In Mt17:20 Jesus said that if we have faith the size of a little mustard seed, you will say to this mountain “ move from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible to you.”

Mt 11:23 Truly I say unto you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea and does not doubt into his heart but believe, what he says is going to happen, it will be granted.

You can say to your sickness, “Be healed in Jesus’ Name”.

You can deliver curses in your life.

You can cast out demons and declare deliverance in Jesus’ name.

The name of Jesus is more powerful than the name of any sickness we know.

Because we got the power. Because our God is greater than he who is in this world.

Life and death are at the tip of our tongue.

Use that power to talk to our storms.

Mikesendon

BE STILL IN YOUR STORMS- Series 1

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BE STILL IN OUR STORMS- SERIES 1

Storm does not Indicate the Absence of God

MARK 4:35 -41

It seems hard to believe that we could be blown by the gentle wind.

It looks bizarre that we could fall down by the mild and calm breeze.

Because when there is a storm, we come prepared. We are strong.

We move forward, we are aggressive, and we are wise but cautious.

Many of us stand strong during a roaring hurricane but we fall with the gentle wind.

Because at the end of the struggles, we lost our strength.

We started powerfully but we ended up weak.

Do not be blown by the gentle breeze.
Not another Monkey Story

One time super monkey taunted the mighty wind for competition as he said “ Mighty Wind, I know you are deadly and powerful but today I will prove to you that your power has no might against me. Give what you got and I will triumph over you.”

The Mighty Wind agreed to Super Monkey’s request and started to blow a strong force wind. The monkey braces himself on the trunk of a tree while branches of the tree started to break.

The monkey just laughed and teased Mighty Wind saying “ Is that what you got!!!”, so the wind again with might blew a very strong wind that almost makes the tree bend to the ground nearly breaking it but the monkey stayed strong and held his ground.

Suddenly, the wind became quiet and seems nothing happen. The monkey stands proudly in bewilderment. Then a cold, gentle, calm breeze started to blow and the monkey started to feel asleep. His hands holding onto the trunk became loose and he fell to the ground.

STANDING STRONG IN THE DIFFERENT STORM

As we go over to the other side where God is leading us, expect that we will pass through different storms in our life.

All of us pass through different storms in life.

A storm is part of our journey.

We may be standing strong amidst all our difficulties but some find it hard to battle their storms.

1 Cor.10:13 says that all pass through different storms and no one is exempted.

When you know that you will be in a fight, you will come forward prepared and expecting the worst yet with determination to win at the end of each round.

Manny Pacquiao will not face his opponent unprepared.

Defeat is not an option that is why he moves with courage and confidence. He is brave and tough.

But a storm is not about the gale wind, the frightening lightning, the roaring thunder because in life we could be facing some covert storm.

In this situation, we see our friends in their best suits but they have this emotional crisis. We envy people with their expensive BMW but they are three months lagging on their monthly payment. We admire people with them but they are behind with their amortization. We look at people as vibrant and energetic but they are in a battle with their sicknesses. We want the position of our boss but they cannot sleep and take a vacation because of so much stress and pressures at work.

But here are the 5 LIFE lessons we need to understand HOW TO BE STILL in our storms.

STORM DOES NOT SIGNIFY THE ABSENCE OF GOD

“THE PRESENCE OF THE STORMS DOES NOT INDICATE THE ABSENCE OF GOD.”

The presence of storms in our life does not mean that God is not with us. In fact, the presence of God is with us.

In fact, it is the presence of God that sustains us in battle the storm in our life.

Psalm 46:1 says our God is our very present help in times of trouble.

God is present in our tribulations, in our sufferings, and in our struggles because He is a very present help in our times of need.

Call upon the name of the Lord and he will be with us.

It does not mean that when we are being shaken by the strong wind, God is absent.

It does not mean that God is sleeping in our boat and don’t care about us.

The disciples were so terrified that they ask Jesus if He doesn’t really care if in times were about to die.

God may be silent but it does not justify God’s absence nor deny His existence

Because when we are in the midst of our storm, we may not feel Him, we may not see Him, we may not hear of Him but it does not indicate that he already jumped off from our boat.

Using our eyes makes us more afraid.

Amid storms, it is dark, there is chaos and we cannot see him. That is the reason why we have to walk by faith and not by sight.

But God is present and He is with us.

We may have that suffering, tribulation, or problems but God is not jumping off our boat. He is with us.

Call upon the name of the Lord and He will come to your aid.

May His presence sustain you amid the storm,

Mikesendon