"They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
"They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end" (Psalm 107:23-27).
The devil does everything in his power to make his voice heard in this world. At one point he even had the audacity to interrupt Jesus while the Lord was speaking in the synagogue:
In just a few short years, the Spirit of God has raised up a strong testimony to the power of Christ — right in the heart of America's largest city — New York.
In the Mark Hellinger Theater, one of New York's largest, most beautiful theaters, God has established a church where hundreds of repentant believers from many nationalities are reaching out to the poorest and neediest in this crumbling city.
The press has been surprised by the continual growth and outreaches of Times Square Church. New York City papers ran stories about "Standing Room Only For Jesus On Broadway."
"For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.... Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 6:13,15, KJV).
“The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep... The sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:2-3, NLT).
We all need guidance for decisions in life. Yet in a world as chaotic as ours, getting good guidance isn’t always simple or easy. Jesus says it’s different for Christians. He makes it clear in the above passage that his followers— “his own sheep”—know his voice and “come to him.” The picture is of a Good Shepherd providing his sheep with all the oversight and care they need.
Let me tell you about two men I knew. Both are converted drug addicts and alcoholics, and at one time they led horrible lives. Both are married with children – and while they were addicted, they had problems with lust, pornography and adultery. They were con artists, trying to fool their wives and families about everything, hustling and conning their way through life.
Something is missing in our midst. It is gone, and we need to bring it back. A single church can’t make this happen; the whole body of Christ has to unite together in one spirit and seek God to bring it about. I’m talking about the power of Christ to change and transform people who are in tremendous need. We all have friends and neighbors and people we don’t yet know who are hurting
The Bible says it is possible for every believer to see the Lord’s glory. In fact, God says he will reveal his glory to all who seek him for it. Why is it important for us to see and understand God’s glory? It is because the revelation of his glory is meant to equip his people for the storms of life. According to Paul, this revelation “is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).
Daniel testified, “Behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands” (Daniel 10:10). The word for “touched” here means to “violently seize upon.” Daniel was saying, in essence, “When God placed his hand on me, it put me on my face. His touch gave me an urgency to pray, to seek him with all that’s in me.”
God tells us he has put everything created under the feet of man. Consider this passage from Hebrews:
“What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him? Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them authority over all things. Now when it says all things, it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority!” (Hebrews 2:6-8, NLT).
