In the book of Matthew we read about a turbulent storm that befell the disciples second Galilee crossing coming “straightway” or immediately after Jesus fed 5000 and just before He healed in Gennesaret “that they might only touch the hem of his garment…….as many as touched were made perfectly whole. (Matthew 14:22,35,36).

No accident , this storm was not only a divine assessment but also a diabolical assault.

That is, God not only sent the storm to test His apostles but the enemy also hoped, however futilely, that it would stop Jesus` growing ministry.

He was storming mad because Jesus was busily blessing God’s people.

Jesus walked about three and one half miles across a rough, vicious body of water before meeting up with His disciples, landing and ministering in Gennesaret.

Of His subsequent ministry there, a question could be posed, “Did these people of Gennesaret, know that Jesus had come through a storm to meet their needs?”

Likely they did not, but we can be sure that His disciples knew it.
They went through the storm and experienced His presence in a marvelous way, both seeing Him walking on the water, and controlling the storm, at its epicenter, understanding that what He did, was done so that He might come to the people across the stormy sea.

Later , after the apostles` healing and preaching ministry resulted in the salvation of 3000 in Jerusalem, another storm beset them.

This however was not a meteorological event, but a religious disturbance, as the Jewish clerics rose to persecute them.

Thus they walked in the masters footsteps, enduring Satan’s stormy opposition because their ministry--rather Christ’s ministry through them--was also blessing many.

The Apostle Paul also walked this way.
He famously encountered and endured many storms of persecution, on land and at sea, in order to disseminate many powerful life-giving, faith nourishing, soul-saving spiritual truths to the early churches.

When Paul arrived in cities to minister, he often did so freshly released from some turbid trouble.
He was harried for two weeks in a life-threatening hurricane, and then shipwrecked, before arriving on the island of Malta where he--or Christ in him--healed many.

Do we realize what Jesus, the apostles, and Paul knew and lived in?

That is, do we understand that if we undertake to prolifically feed God’s people the bread of the Word or minister comfort and healing to their souls and bodies by the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will have to walk through great storms at times to do so?

Are we willing to endure those long, dark, dangerous, and wearisome gales of testing to make it through to the “other side” where God’s confused, famished, sick, misled, and despairing children are waiting eagerly to be helped by the ministry of the Son of God through us?

If we are willing to pay the price, God will see to it that they get the blessing.

I have never been one to make resolutions for the New Year, having learned long ago that I would likely break them at the first opportunity.

However I do evaluate my life and the ministry that I have been given, annually.

During a time of evaluation in the latter part of 2009, the idea came upon me that based on some experiences during the year that perhaps I should take a more tolerant view of how I feel the gift that has been bestowed upon me should be presented.

I will share a few of those experiences, hoping that they minister to you somehow.

In the past year I have heard several prophets and pastors, declare to the church that we have entered a time to rest, and re-focus our ministry.

The truth is that the Church is not called to rest, rather we are encouraged to press on, unyielding and doing the Masters work until He returns.

I was witness to the blessing of communion (the Lords Supper) being presented at times with no mention of the sacrifice of Christ and His finished work. They did however mention, the works of men, Buddha, and puppy dogs.

In so doing, these people partook of the table of demons, bringing curses to all who approved.

I was shocked at a pastor that I love when I witnessed him bestow a blessing upon a couple who were cohabitating and had just announced to the world that they were pregnant with their first child.

When I refused to bestow a similar blessing upon them, I was scolded as being intolerant and uncharitable, and told that the truth of the message that I preach , would run people like that particular couple away from the church.

In defense of the Word of God, the pastor was told that people like that and many who fill pews in churches on a weekly basis, need to be ran away from the church and to the Cross of Christ.

I stand by my statement.

There is a great hue and cry throughout the world today on behalf of tolerance and much of it comes from a rising spirit of godlessness in the nations.

I believe in Christian charity, but I do not believe at all in Christian tolerance.
The person who hates the name of Jesus, who believes that He was not the Son of God but an imposter, deserves charity on our part.

I believe in Christian charity, but I do not believe in the weak tolerance that we hear preached so often now--the idea that Jesus must tolerate everyone and that the Christian must tolerate every kind of doctrine.

I do not believe it for one minute, for there are no dozen “rights”.
There is only one “right”.

There is but one true Bible, one true God and only one Savior of the world, Jesus!

Jesus Christ demonstrated the vast difference between being charitable and being tolerant, Jesus Christ was so charitable that in His great heart He took in all the people in the world and was willing to die, even for those who hated Him.

But even with that kind of love and charity crowning His being, Jesus was so intolerant that He taught; “ I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

I believe in Christian charity, but not to the end that the road of Universalism would take you down, that every road leads to God.