Tag Archives: Religion

Luke 2- Confirmation of Christ

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And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Luke 2:25-28

Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple to be consecrated to God. This was to be done for every male on the eight day, while they were there , a man name Simeon was there praying in the temple. It says that Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit , and God told him he would not die until he saw the Messiah

Now when Simeon saw Jesus , he knew he is the Messiah. It says “He came by The Spirit in the temple” meaning the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple to see the Christ. Simeon even got to hold Jesus in his arms, as the fulfillment of his prophecy was complete!

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. Luke 2:29-33

Simeon thanked God for keeping his promise and allowing him to see the Messiah before he died. Simeon also revealed the New Covenant, as Jesus is the Light for the Gentiles and Israel. The Messiah not only came to save Israel, but came to save the entire world, the New Covenant

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Luke 2:34-35

Simeon then warned Mary, that many people in Israel are going to reject the Messiah Jesus, as Jesus is the sign (Isaiah 7) that was prophesied about. As we know Jesus is the Living Word of God, and the Word pierces the soul (Hebrews 4) and will cause many to come to repentance and receive Christ

The Christ has come, the Holy One foretold by the prophets and The Law has not been fulfilled , the Light of the world has come into the world to bring salvation Amen!

Luke 2- The Sign

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And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. Luke 2:15-17

After the Shepherds received the “good news” from the angel, they immediately went to Bethlehem to see the Messiah. But how would they find the Messiah? Because the angel told them there is a sign, the sign is a baby lying in the manger. This is the same sign foretold to Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

The virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in the manger is the sign of the Messiah, as foretold 700 years before Christ birth to Isaiah. Imagine how many must have pondered this prophecy for hundreds of years , trying to figure out its fulfillment, here it is the Christ has come!

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2:18-20

How did the shepherds respond when they finally seen Jesus? They went out and told the world, they declared the good news (gospel) to everyone! How do we respond when we finally receive Christ? Do you tell the good news to everyone? The good news that salvation has finally come into the world and we can inherit eternal life and be a child of God? 

Notice it says “Mary pondered these things in her heart” Imagine what must be going through the mind of Mary at this moment. She gave birth to the Son of God in a stable, she has strangers visiting her and glorifying God, and she still has the worries and uncertainty of how they are going to raise Jesus and where to live. 

If the birth of Christ gives you hope and joy, why don’t you tell someone the good news today! These shepherds had no theological training or even any social status, but they know what they saw, they saw the sign from God, the Christ has come! Amen!

Luke 2- Birth of Christ

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And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4-7

God works in mysterious ways, this is very prevalent in the birth of Jesus. First we see Mary and Joseph were forced to go back to Bethlehem because of a census. Now this all happened because of the prophecy of Micah 5:2, King Herod heard about the prophecy, that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, so he forced everyone back to their hometowns. What Herod didn’t realize is that the King of Kings would come to this world as an infant. The amazing part is Herod actually helped fulfill prophecy by forcing Mary and Joseph back to Bethlehem

The events that happened when Jesus was born seemed like a disaster, however they played out perfectly according to God’s plan. Having the Son of God born in a stable seems wrong, however it is perfect when you understand that Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1) If you need a sign that Jesus is the Messiah, look to the manger!

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:8-11

 Again at first glance, sharing the good news about Jesus to a bunch of lowly shepherds doesn’t seem to make much sense, however when you understand who Jesus is and why he came here, it makes perfect sense. Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1) so sharing the news to the shepherds who were tending to the passover lambs of Israel makes great sense. 

Secondly, Jesus didn’t come to save the rich and powerful or the highly religious people, Jesus came for the outcasts, the poor in spirit, the lowly, the Shepherds represent us perfectly. The people nobody cared about,  God cared about them first!

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:12-14

God sent us a sign of hope, a sign of peace, a sign of salvation, that sign is Jesus Christ, a baby lying in the manger. Nobody could have ever predicted God would come to Earth as an infant, but God’s ways are higher than our ways

We notice the first Christmas celebration began, as the sky was filled with angels celebrating the birth of Christ, singing “Glory to God in the highest” What an amazing scene this must have been. God becoming flesh to make us children of God, Amen!

Luke 1- Song of Zechariah

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And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; Luke 1:69-72

When John the Baptist was finally born, his father Zechariah was allowed by God to finally speak, and declared his son would be named John, because God told him so. Everyone knew John the Baptist was born to be a prophet of God, but everyone was wondering what his mission was going to be. Well his father Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied about the coming of the Messiah and the role his son John would play

Zechariah mentions the “Horn of Salvation” has been raised up, this title was also used for God in the Old Testament (Psalm 18:2), this was a reference to Jesus coming as  fulfillment of the Messiah. Notice the deity reference of Jesus and Yahweh both being called “Horn of Salvation”, as Zechariah said this was foretold by the prophets, the entire Old Testament is about Jesus!

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Luke 1:73-77

Next Zechariah reveals who John the Baptist will be, the prophet of God who shall prepare the way for The Lord (Isaiah 40) This is a fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah, a messenger to declare the coming of the Messiah, and preach a message of repentance!

Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:78-79

Immanuel, God is with us, (Isaiah 7) also revealing Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8) to expose the sin in the world and lead people to repentance and salvation. Another reference is Jesus is the way of peace or the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) , Amen!

Luke 1- Mary’s Song

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And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. Luke 1:46-49

I think one of the beautiful moments in the Bible is when Mary sang this song after she found out she was giving birth to Jesus. Oftentimes I think Protestants avoid giving any praise or respect to Mary, because of their separation with the Catholic Church. However, just as we show respect to the Apostles, I think we should show some love and respect to Mary also. 

Mary starts out with the statement “My soul magnifies The Lord” Mary became a bondservant to God, even though she knew her life was going to be difficult and in some cases persecuted, she went through with it to magnify God. Her spirit rejoiced in God, her savior. Mary becoming the mother of the Messiah, was not a glamorous title or position at the time. But she accepted her mission from God because she loved and was obedient to God

Notice Mary regards herself as a servant to God, yet she knew once everyone realized that her child is the Son of God, that many generations would call her blessed. And holy is the name of Jesus! Many people today use the name of Jesus in a curse word, this is blasphemy , as Jesus is the name above all names (Philippians 2)

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. Luke 1:50-52

Notice Mary is revealing the New Covenant, Christ mercy will be from generation to generation , meaning forever! As Jesus revealed he will exalt the humble, and bring down the proud and mighty. I like the phrase, “the imagination of their hearts”. Many people misunderstood what and who the Messiah would be. Israel had this imagination of a ruthless King who would crush the world. However Christ came as the Lamb of God, who took away the sin of the world!

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. Luke 1:53-55

Mary reveals that the seed of Abraham is Christ, as God promised Abraham through him he would bless the world and be numerous as the stars, this was a reference to Jesus and the New Covenant. Its through Israel that the Messiah was born, and it was through Christ that the world came to salvation

The Messiah has been revealed to Mary and will come through Mary to the world, what a wonderful gift from God, to save his people from their sin Amen!

Luke 1- Mary Did You Know?

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And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. Luke 1:26-29

Around Chrstmas time you usually hear the song “Mary did you know”? Well in the scriptures we are reading today, Mary did know because the angel Gabrielle told her. The virgin Mary was chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah, the Son of God. The incarnation of God becoming flesh is an amazing mystery to ponder. But God is now going to provide salvation by sending his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world

Notice Mary’s reaction upon receiving this news, “she was troubled” imagine if you were just told you were going to give birth to the Son of God! You can only imagine the range of emotions going through Mary’s mind at this point. The Bible is clear, Mary was chosen and highly favored by God, what an amazing calling to receive by The Lord

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:30-33

The angel Gabriel revealed many things about the coming of the Messiah. First he revealed his name, the name is Jesus. For centuries the Jews could never mention the name of God in fear of breaking the commandment, now we know the name of God, and we can call out upon the name of Jesus! Next it’s revealed that He is the Son of God and the Son of David, wait what? How can Jesus be the Son of God and David? 

Son of David is in reference to the Messianic Kingship line that was foretold throughout the Bible, however many didn’t understand or realize that the Messiah would literally be God in the flesh (John 1:14) The last thing that is revealed is this Kingdom will be eternal, meaning the Kingdom of God is coming to Earth (Revelation 21, Isaiah 65) All this has been revealed by the angel Gabriel

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke 1:34-35

The obvious question , as stated by Mary, is “how can this be”? How can the virgin Mary give birth to the Son of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus wasn’t physically conceived by a man, he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, as he is God incarnate. It’s infallible for our human minds to try and comprehend this

The greatest message was delivered, Jesus is coming to save the world from sin and death, Amen!

Luke 1- John The Baptist Foretold

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And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. Luke 1:11-15

As we begin the gospel of Luke, the first event we see is the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist. This should tells us the importance of John’s appearance and his ministry. The first thing we notice here, is Zechariah was a high priest, therefore John was also from the line of high priest. Often when we think of John the Baptist, we think of a crazy guy wandering the wilderness. But this was not the case, as John the Baptist was not only from the line of high priests, but Jesus called John “The greatest of all prophets” (Matthew 11:11)

John the Baptist was also the fulfillment of prophecy as foretold by Malachi (3:1) and Isaiah (40:1) John was the one who was preparing Israel for the coming of The Messiah by a message of repentance, and he was the one who baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, to signify that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God

An interesting note is John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, and was great in the sight of The Lord. We can probably assume, John was also taught the scriptures by his father Zechariah since he was a high priest. John the Baptist whole mission in life was to reveal the Messiah to Israel

And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. Luke 1:16-19

John the Baptist was also a fulfillment of the coming of Elijah. Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 17:12-13. Many Jews today are still waiting for Elijah to come, but Christ confirmed it is already fulfilled. As the angel Gabriel revealed this messenger was to prepare the way for The Lord, the same as Isaiah foretold about John the Baptist

Notice what the Angel Gabriel says in verse 19, “to bring you this good news (glad tidings) meaning the gospel. Jesus is the gospel message, the salvation for the world, this is the good news!

And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. Luke 1:20-23

 However Zechariah didn’t believe the angel Gabriel, and because of his disobedience he would not be able to speak until John the Baptist was born. Zechariah was an old man at this time, and he didn’t see how it was possible for God to fulfill his promise, however as the angel say “With God all things are possible”

I find it interesting the similarity between Abraham and Zechariah, the fulfillment of the Messiah is coming into place. John the Baptist will be the messenger to prepare the way for Jesus, for everyone to come to repentance and receive Christ, Amen!

Acts 28-Paul preaches at Rome

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And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Acts 28:23-25

Paul finally arrives in Rome, he called upon the religious leaders to come together so he can teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now Paul assumed the Jews hated him, however they revealed to Paul they had heard nothing about him and they were willing to hear what he had to say. Imagine the big stage Paul is on right now, in the city of Rome preaching the gospel to all the religious leaders of this area

Paul taught them about Jesus through the Old Testament. Now he actually was able to convince some of them, while others rejected the gospel. Paul then quoted Isaiah , who prophecy about this very moment hundred of years before

Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.  Acts 28:26-28

Paul revealed through the prophet Isaiah, that salvation is going to the Gentiles because of the hardness of the hearts of the Jews. They rejected and killed their own Messiah, so God is building his Kingdom now through the Gentiles! Obviously this was not a message the Jews wanted to hear, or many still today don’t want to hear this message

And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. Acts 28:29-31

Paul remained in Rome for 2 more years, preaching the gospel of Christ. Historians believe Paul was eventually beheaded in Rome from Nero. As stated throughout his letters, he fought the good fight and he ran the race! Paul knew eventually his death would come but he willingly accepted this mission as a servant of Christ

This concludes the book of Acts, this book is a great reference on the history and story of The Church. We , as the Church, should learn and remember what our brothers and sisters endured in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!

Acts 28- Fear No Evil

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And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Acts 28:2-5

Paul’s shipwrecked adventure ended on an island called Malta. Here the Islanders that lived there showed the men extraordinary kindness. One night while Paul was creating a fire, a venomous snake bit Paul on the hand. Everyone was expecting Paul to become ill and eventually die, however the venomous snake seemed to have no effect on Paul at all

Secondly the Islanders originally believed Paul was “cursed” because he was struck by the snake. Obviously this was superstition and not practical however the Islanders view of Paul will change once they see he is not effected by the snake. You see God is in control and He wasn’t finished with Paul yet!

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. Acts 28:6-8

No matter where you are, God can use you for his glory. Paul is stranded on an Island and still he’s healing people and sharing the gospel. God can use you also , wherever you are, thats your mission field for the day! 

So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. Acts 28:9-10

Once the other Islanders heard about the healing, then came a revival, people flocked to Paul for a healing. The Islanders got to see the Holy Spirit working, this probably opened the door to many people coming to Christ. Its doesnt say how many people , if any , were saved that day, but we can only imagine with the Holy Spirit working strong there

Paul was literally in the middle of nowhere, yet God led him by the Holy Spirit, and did his will. God can find you and use you wherever you are! Call upon The Lord and you shall be saved Amen!

Acts 27- Calm in the Storm

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But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Acts 27:21-25

Here in Chapter 27 we see Paul being taken to Rome on a ship to see Caesar. Now during the trip, Paul has a prophetic moment and warns them this trip would be dangerous and potentially life threatening. However the pilot and the owner of the ship decided to continue on due to the winter season that was coming. During the trip, as expected , they got caught in a violent storm for days. The passengers all began throwing the cargo overboard to try and prevent from sinking the boat

The passengers haven’t eaten for days and were all worn down by battling the storm for days. However Paul gave them good news. An angel gave Paul a message that nobody would perish during this storm. God reminded Paul he must still stand before Caesar, you see God’s will must be done, God is always in control!

Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. Acts 27:26-29

I think its interesting in verse 29 , many translations say “they prayed for daylight” rather than wish. Could some of these men have become converted during this storm? Often many of us find God during the worst times in our life, not the easiest time in our life.

And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. Acts 27:35-38

The next interesting thing we see here, is before they ate, Paul blessed the bread and broke it, just like Communion. Were these men now converted and partaking in the Lords Supper? I could be looking to far into this, but its very intriguing for me

Even when your caught in the storm, God is with you! Often times we need to go through the storm to find the Calm in the storm, Jesus Christ! God promised to Paul, that he would be delivered, trust in The Lord and lean not on our own understanding! Jesus is the Calm in the storm, Amen!