“Storms Never Last”
aka “Secret Storms”
Dedicated to Vera Presley
by Jackson Snyder
August 8, 1995, Updated July 18, 2003, August 28, 2005
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Luke 12:2-7: But nothing is concealed which shall not be
revealed, and hid which shall not be made known. Wherefore, whatever things you
have said in darkness, shall be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in
the ear in closets, shall be proclaimed on the housetops. But I say to you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after
this have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you shall fear:
Fear him who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I say to
you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? And yet not one
of them is forgotten before G*d. 7 But even the hairs of your head are all
numbered. Fear not: you are of more value than many sparrows.
-- H L
Psalm
139, James 3:5,6
Storms never last, do they, Savior?
Bad times all pass with the wind
Your hand in mine stills the thunder
And your love makes the sun shine
again.
Big
Waves
{I’ve writing this after nearly two weeks of
deluge and overcast weather. A tropical
storm, “Little Bill,” visited
When Hurricane Erin hit
A different attitude was reported from
The reporter screamed into the wind, “Why do
you risk your life here?” It seemed that
the dazed youth thought the question ridiculous. He shook his head, raised his eyebrows, and
replied in a silly voice, “Because this is where the big waves are, dude!” To him, the risk of drowning was well worth
trying to “sail through the tube” – the greatest thrill of all for the
surfer. On
Devilish
Storms
Now the greatest Holy Ghost thrill often
seems to come in the midst of a storm of controversy. Certainly, when the Spirit begins to move
through our lives in supernatural ways, the old scratch begins to move through his
people. And the devil likes to use
religious folks to do the dirty work {– religious folks eaten up with
jealously, legalism and the Jezebel spirit – religious folks afflicted with
itching ears and over-active tongues.}
The devil's storms are seldom as visible as
the great storms that devastate
In our text today, we find Jesus’ words both
a warning to his enemies and a comfort to his friends:
Luke 12:2,3 “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or
hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be
heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner
rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”
These
words are just as potent to our ears today as they were to his hearers then.
Hypocrites
and Murderers
Jesus and his disciples ride the crest of
the wave over the sea of victims desperate for a touch from the Almighty. They’d seen an incredible move of the Spirit,
the word had gotten around, and now folks came from all over the country to get
a little something. Most don’t know the
first thing about spiritual matters.
Others had heated a synagogue pew for the last forty years without
receiving anything other than the threat of hell-fire. Yet others, the spiritually dead, are being
resurrected by the out-welling of life-changing living water.
Jesus is commissioned for this time
and this outpouring. But he knows
his days are numbered. If the Father is
going to continue to move, he reasons, he must train others to see the revival
through. He chose a handful of pescadores, prostitutes, taxmen
and terrorists – now miraculously transforming into men and women of spiritual
power: transforming, yes; but not yet perfect – far from it. But like Jesus, these disciples are riding
the wave of popularity and notoriety. They’re glorying in their ministry
successes. They’re close to “sailing
through the tube,” and they should be proud of their progress!
But Jesus is concerned about it. He knows that the enemy’s tongue is a fire
that can burn even the most fire-resistant believer. He knows that slander is the second greatest
tool of the flatterer; lying is the greatest.
He teaches his disciples,
Enjoy the thrill of the Spirit. But beware of what they'll be saying about
you. They'll crucify you with words in
secret places. They'll hold you up to
ridicule behind your backs. They'll say
all manner of evil things about you falsely.
Their slander is like yeast - a little dab sours the whole loaf. But they are hypocrites - actors - merely
putting on an apron of righteousness over hearts tarnished with lies,
jealousies, and intrigues.
Friends, whenever there’s a move of the
Spirit, the devil and his bunch are stirring up “secret storms.” Storms may start in an innocuous way, with an
idle comment, a hurtful remark, even a casual word; but before they blow out,
they may wreak spiritual devastation.
You know the truth of this saying because, at one time or the other, you’ve
been victimized by idle or untruthful tales: some have over and over
again. If tales have burned you,
consider it a test of your fire-proofing mechanism. If you’re working all right, your spiritual
sprinkler system should quench the flame before it spreads. If yours is a manual system, maybe you’ll
have to climb into your rafters and crank in on!
Little
Katrina
It’s the year 2013. The Jones' family is driving to the Platinum
Corral for lunch after church. (The
Golden Corral changed its name to “Platinum” when gold bottomed out in
2009.) In their hydrogen-powered Cooper,
Dad remarks that the new preacher’s just too loud and too long. The only gift he could grab was the gift of
gab. And besides, he doesn’t knock on
enough doors to suit anybody. Mom
agrees, and adds that the lay leader ought to step down after all these years:
he’s too darn old and she doesn’t approve of the company he keeps. Then Sis, a brilliant music student in high
school, insults the pianist, who’s fat and makes lots of mistakes. Granny chimes in about that song leader – the
old hymns were good enough for her and she wasn’t about to learn any new
ones. Gramps actually likes
church now –he finally sees a spark of life.
But he says nothing, wishing to avoid a confrontation with
Granny.
Little Katrina, named after the hurricane that was brewing
when he was born, is in the back seat with Sis, taking it all in. She’s impressionable and interested. The family makes it to the Corral and there
meets the Smith family. Together the
families indulge in a fatty meal. They eat
the preacher, the lay leader, the song leader and the pianist before they
have some of the other church families for dessert. Daddy Smith and Daddy Jones go round and
round. Of course, Grampa
doesn’t say a word the whole time, though he knows this kind of talk is all
wrong; but, after all, blood is thicker than water.
Finally Little Katrina, who enjoys church, trumpets proudly,
“I’m with you, Daddy. I hate that bald
guy in the front who gives his testimony all the time. But you gotta admit
– it’s a great show – and it only cost you five bucks.”
As a pastor I can tell you that the best way
to know what the people in the church are saying about you behind your back is
to observe how their children act toward you. Children do not make good hypocrites. Like Little Katrina, they haven’t yet
mastered the art the secret storm.
The
Feast Was You
The Word of God never returns void – and neither does the word of cruelty. What goes around eventually comes back to
haunt; for
Jealousy is a feast,
a table laid before you
with delicious and plenteous delicacies,
and you are dining with abject delight
on juicy morsels and sweets and dainties,
your mouth slick with oil,
your belly about to burst.
But it is only in the end,
when the feast is finished,
and the table is bare,
and you've picked your teeth clean,
that you realize
what you so relished
was you.
Fear God
Jesus admonished, “A little yeast leavens
the whole loaf. A little poison pollutes
the whole pot. A little dab ‘ll do ya.” His brother also wrote on the subject saying,
James 3:5,6 So the tongue is only a
tiny part of the body, but its boasts are great. Think how small a flame can
set fire to a huge forest. The tongue is a flame too. Among all the parts of
the body, the tongue is a whole wicked world: it infects the whole body;
catching fire itself from hell, it sets fire to the whole wheel of creation.
A
little hurtful talk can ruin years of fruitful ministry – such has devastated
many a Christian family. Friends, beware
of the leaven of the Pharisees! Bridle
the tongue. Judge with
right judgment. Let only
appropriate words depart your lips. Fear
your god.
And for you who are even now suffering
someone’s tongue-lashing because you’re receiving a new touch from the Holy
Spirit, or because you gave your testimony, or because
you’re trying for perfection – take heart. All will eventually be cleansed in the
cleansing flow. What they've whispered
about you in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the rooftops in due
time. Yahweh knows and sympathizes
with your struggles. Yet struggles they
remain:
Luke 12:4-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two
pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by Yahweh. Don't be [discouraged];
you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Perhaps the only way Jesus could possibly
express our value as his children in words is to employ the understatement
of all time: “You are worth more than many sparrows.” What wonderful paradox! You see, what Jesus here calls “the
killing of the body,” originates in hypocrisy, striking mercilessly at a
victim's feelings of self-worth and god-worth. But never fear, for he loves you and
has overcome the world for your sake.
You are indeed worth more than many sparrows.
Godly
Men Advise
A godly stranger once came up to me in a
restaurant and told me he sensed I was struggling with a fiery dart. He opened his Bible and read part of Psalm
139, because he thought it would help.
Psalm 139 is medicine for those who are smarting from what others have
said about them. The Psalm proves the
Father’s seal of approval upon our lives, my righteous friend. The Psalm assures us we’re marvelously
constructed and of priceless value to our Creator. Understanding and accepting this fact will
improve anyone's self-image. Read it and
see.
In A.D. 399
People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the
huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass
of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars -- and they pass by themselves
without wondering.
Jesus
tells us that the Father cares enough to number our hairs. Even more amazing, he formed our inward parts
and knit us together in a womb. Your
birth may not have made the papers, but your debut didn’t go unnoticed by the
Almighty One; and you have been born anew through the efforts of his loving
Son, your brother. You may be filled
with his Spirit, and, even if you’re not, he loves you eternally and has vowed
to help you regain your dignity if you’ll only seek his assistance.
The eminent German theologian and scholar
Karl Barth wrote volumes of deep theological essays
concerning the nature of the deity and salvation. Near the end of his fruitful life, he was
asked a simple, almost stupid question.
“How might you sum up all your knowledge about theology in just a
sentence or two?” For
any other scholar, that request would have been impossible. But Karl Barth not
only knew theology, he knew Jesus personally.
What was his answer? Why, you
know!
“Jesus liebt
(Yea-soos leept
den dee beebel
sahct meer dees.
Ahl-leh kinder schwahk unt kline,
lahdt ehr hehrtz-lick
soo seek ine.)
(“Jesus
loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong. They
are weak but he is strong.” )
All
Barth’s life's collection of knowledge pointed to one very simple
truth, that the Son of Yahweh loved him, and nobody's opinion would make
one iota's difference in regards to that.
Hurricanes
Are Good (Kind Of)
Yes, we should rather be concerned about
where we stand with the Almighty.
As one author has stated, “Be wary of hypocrites, but don't fear: make
G-d's opinion of you your highest concern.” And if you do, some very good and unexpected
results may be obtained from weathering those hurricane-force “secret storms”
that blow your life around.
Meteorologists say that hurricanes are
essential because they maintain the balance of nature. Even with winds of 150 miles an hour,
torrential rains, glaring lightning and rumbling thunder, scientists tell us
they’re tremendously valuable. They
dissipate the heat of the equator and are responsible for rainfall in the
By the way, hurricanes cause the ocean to
yield those gigantic waves surfers covet.
To finish that TV reporter’s interview of the crazy surfer, she asked
him if he was afraid of drowning. He
shouted, “HECK NO! I ain’t
a scared as long as I keep hooked to my board.” Abba Father loves you, my friend; so
how is your standing with him? You’re
not involved in stirring up secret storms, surely? You haven’t drifted away from him in the
currents of raging tides, have you? I
didn’t think so. You’ll remain “hooked
to the board,” weathering any storm in confidence and assurance! Remember,
Storms never last, do they, Savior?
Bad times all pass with the wind
Your hand in mine stills the thunder
And your love makes the sun shine
again.