Interesting Articles
Is God Sleeping in Your Boat?
The Christian Post – March 27, 2026 — There is a remarkable moment in the Gospels when Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. A violent storm arose, waves crashed over the boat, and seasoned fishermen feared they were about to perish. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern. In desperation, the disciples woke Him, crying, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?”
The Gospel of Mark records what happened next: “And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39).
The sudden stillness was astonishing. Only moments earlier, the disciples believed they were facing death. Now, the sea lay quiet as glass. But what truly shook them was not merely the miracle itself; it was what the miracle revealed.
They asked one another in awe:
“What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41).
To modern readers, the question may seem like simple amazement. But to a Jewish audience steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures, it carried profound theological weight. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the power to command the sea belongs to God alone.
Consider the language of the Psalms. In Psalm 89:9, the psalmist declares, “Thou rulest the raging of the sea.” Psalm 107:29 says of the Lord, “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”
Even in Job 38:11, God Himself speaks to the sea, saying, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further.”
Throughout the Old Testament, the sea often represents untamable power and chaos. Yet Scripture consistently teaches that only the Lord is sovereign over it.
This truth becomes especially vivid in Psalm 114.
Psalm 114 celebrates the great acts of God during the Exodus, when the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt and established them as His covenant people. The psalmist recounts those events in striking poetic imagery:
“The sea saw it and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs” (Psalm 114:3–4).
Here, the Red Sea is described as fleeing (parting) before the Lord when Israel escaped the army of Pharaoh. The Jordan River is said to have turned back when Israel, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, entered the Promised Land under Joshua. Even the mountains appear to leap like frightened animals in the presence of God.
The psalmist then explains the reason for these extraordinary events:
“Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob” (Psalm 114:7).
The message is unmistakable: when the Creator Himself is present among His people, creation responds.
The sea flees.
The rivers stop.
The mountains tremble.
A storm is raging. The wind howls. Waves crash into the small fishing boat. Yet when Jesus stands and simply speaks, “Peace, be still,” the wind stops, and the sea immediately becomes calm.
This moment echoes the very truth proclaimed in Psalm 114. Nature responds instantly to the presence of its Creator.
The disciples sensed this, even if they did not yet fully understand it. Their question — “What manner of man is this?”— reveals their growing realization that they were witnessing something far greater than a miracle. They were seeing the authority of God Himself demonstrated in the person of Jesus.
The New Testament later states this truth clearly. The Gospel of John declares: “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
The one who calmed the sea is the same Lord who once parted the Red Sea, halted the Jordan River, and caused mountains to tremble.
The Creator had stepped into His own creation.
For those who trust their lives and circumstances to Christ, this truth carries a deeply encouraging message.
When the storm struck the Sea of Galilee, the disciples feared they were about to die. Yet their safety did not depend on the strength of their boat or the skill of their rowing. Their safety depended on who was with them in the boat.
The Lord of creation was with them in that little boat.
Psalm 114 reminds us that seas flee, and rivers turn back at the presence of the Lord. The Gospel accounts reveal that this same authority belongs to Jesus Christ.
That means the one who commands the wind and the waves is also the one who walks with His people through every storm of life.
The circumstances around us may sometimes appear overwhelming. Winds may rage, and waves may threaten to sink the vessel. But the believer can take heart in this unchanging truth: The one who calmed the sea is still present with His people today.
When the Creator is in the boat, no storm has the final word.
Is He in your boat?
If You See Jesus When He Returns, You Missed the Rapture
Charisma News – March 27, 2026 — There’s a statement from Amir Tsarfati that immediately reframes how many believers think about the return of Jesus: “If you are face to face with Jesus at His Second Coming, you have missed the rapture.”
That idea challenges a common assumption in the Church and gets to the root of a deeper issue. Many Christians have merged two distinct biblical events into one, creating confusion about what Scripture actually lays out.
Tsarfati, founder of Behold Israel, addresses that confusion directly. “There’s a critical distinction most churches are missing,” he said, pointing back to the biblical foundation that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Two Events, Not One
At the center of his message is a clear distinction between the Rapture and the Second Coming. These are not different descriptions of the same moment. They are separate events with different purposes.
“The Bible clearly teaches two distinct events. The Rapture and the Second Coming,” Tsarfati said.
Rapture vs. Second Coming Explained
The Rapture:
- Jesus comes for believers.
- Believers meet Him in the air.
- It can happen at any moment.
- It is deliverance from coming wrath.
“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven… and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up… to meet the Lord… in the air,” Tsarfati said. “We meet Him in the air, not on earth” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
The Second Coming:
- Jesus returns with believers.
- He comes to Earth.
- It happens after the Tribulation.
- It brings judgment and establishes His kingdom.
“In the Second Coming, believers will be behind Jesus, following Him on white horses. We’ll see his back, not his face,” he said (Revelation 19:14; Zechariah 14:5).
Why This Matters Right Now
Tsarfati connects this teaching to the moment the world is in right now. “Our present days are like the days of Noah, when everyone did whatever they wanted,” he said (Matthew 24:37–39).
That comparison is not abstract. It frames how believers understand what comes next. Just as Noah was lifted above the flood, the Church will be taken before judgment is poured out.
The timeline matters. The Rapture is imminent. The Second Coming follows a sequence of events that Scripture lays out in detail, including the rise of the Antichrist and a seven-year Tribulation (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:4).
What Many Churches Are Getting Wrong
One of the clearest corrections Tsarfati makes is about what believers are actually preparing for.
“I heard a pastor tell his congregation, ‘We must get ready for the Second Coming of Jesus.’ It sounds spiritual, but is that really what believers should be preparing for?”
Jesus’ own words point in a different direction. He spoke of preparing a place for His people and returning to receive them, not instructing the Church to prepare the world for His arrival (John 14:2–3).
What Happens If You Miss It
Tsarfati returns to the central warning that frames the message. If someone is on Earth watching Jesus return in power, they were not part of the Rapture.
“If you’re facing Jesus at his Second Coming, it means you weren’t raptured,” he said. “You don’t want to be in that position.”
One event is a rescue. The other is judgment. Scripture draws that line clearly, with believers not appointed to wrath but to salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
Living with Expectation
This is not meant to create confusion or fear, but clarity. The New Testament consistently points believers toward expectancy.
“This should be our attitude, too,” Tsarfati said, pointing to Paul’s language of living as if Christ could return at any moment (Romans 13:11–12).
Jesus is coming first for His Church, then later with His Church. That truth is not just a theological detail. It shapes how we live, how we watch, and how we stay ready for His appearing, our blessed hope (Titus 2:13).
The following material is provided for information purposes only. Any conclusions or opinions formed should be based on the principles as outlined in Acts 17:11. The material is intended for use as a witnessing tool and to keep you informed so you will not be unaware (Luke 21:34) of what is happening according to Scriptures.
"However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b)
Ezekiel 34:2 – "Shepherds, feed the flock."
Pastor Len McLaughlin, Heritage Church, McKinney, TX
This is a wonderful message. Don't miss it, you will be blessed!
Pass it on to your homebound family and friends.
In this section:
- What Happens After We Die? (What the Bible Says)
- What's in a Name?
- "Bob Pierce – This One Thing I Do" – A Book Review/Summary
"Not a Spirit of Fear"
- "The Hidden Codes of the Bible" – A Book Review/Summary
- "Signs of the Time" – A Book Review/Summary
What Happens After We Die?
By D.E. Davis
For Christians, we are told in Scripture in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For those who turn away from God, we are told that they are eternally separated from God and go to a place called hell. Revelation 14:11 says that the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever.
The question that everyone ponders is: What really happens after we die? Do we just lie dormant until the Lord takes us to be with Him or until judgment is handed out at the Great White Throne, as called out in Revelation 20:11? Are we conscious? Do we feel, touch, think, and recognize loved ones, and know what is happening around us? All the questions that we have ask ourselves, no doubt, at some time in our lives.
My own personal review of the Scriptures has led me to believe that after we die, even though our body may be dead and buried, our Spirit is alive and fully conscious. Chuck Missler likens this state of consciousness to the software that runs the computer; once the hardware goes, the software remains intact and available for further applications.
There are two illustrations in the Bible that make it clear as to what happens after death, when we're in the Spirit.
The first one is illustrated in the Luke account of Lazarus and the rich man in Chapter 16. After death, Lazarus, a man of God, is escorted into Abraham's Bosom, a holding compartment in hell for the believers prior to the Cross. The non-believing rich man was "buried" and went into a separate compartment in hell (Hades), apart from Abraham's Bosom, where he was in torment according to Scripture. Both were in a Spirit state; yet by the account, they could see each other and speak to each other.
The second account is in Revelation, where John is taken (in the Spirit) to heaven to see those things that shall come to pass prior to the return of Jesus Christ to the Earth, or Second Coming (not the Rapture).
I had to conclude from the study, based on the following Scripture, that all of the senses we have here on Earth will be with us throughout eternity, even unto death.
- The Ability to Look/See – Luke 16:23; Revelation 1:12; 4:1,4; 5:1,2; 6:1,2,8,9; 7:1,2; 8:2; 9:1,17; 10:1,5; 13:1,2,3; 14:1,6; 15:1,2; 16:13; 17:3,6; 18:1; 19:11,17,19; 20:1,4,11,12; 21:1,2,22; 22:8
- The Ability to Hear – Revelation 1:10; 4:1; 5:11; 6:1,3,5,6,7; 7:4; 9:13,16; 10:4,8; 12:10; 14:2,13; 16:1,5,7; 18:4; 19:1,6; 21:3; 22:8
- The Ability to Behold (to Obtain Knowledge Of: Understand: Perceive) – Revelation 5:6,11; 6:5,8,12; 7:9; 8:13; 13:11
- The Ability to Reason – Luke 16:30
- The Ability to Cry (Even Though There Will Be No More Crying in Heaven) – Revelation 5:4,5; Luke 16:24
- The Ability to Speak – Revelation 5:13; 10:9; 21:6,15; Luke 16:24,29,30,31
- The Ability to Feel/Touch – Luke 16:23,24,25
- The Ability to Remember – Luke 16:25
- The Ability to Wonder – Revelation 17:6
- The Ability to Write – Revelation 1:11; 10:4; 19:9
- The Ability to Question – Revelation 7:13
- The Ability to Take (the Book/Rod) – Revelation 10:8,9,10
- The Ability to Fall (on Knees) – Revelation 19:10; 22:8
- The Ability to Stand – Revelation 13:1
- The Ability to Worship – Revelation 19:10; 22:8
- The Ability to Perform Tasks – Revelation 11:1
God has promised in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:52,53 that one day, we shall be reunited with Him in body and will be transformed and conformed to Him — in the twinkling of an eye. We are also told in Scripture that we shall see Him face to face — see the Lamb that was slain for you and me. We know by His Word that we will praise Him, worship Him, and rule with Him.
One thing in the study that I found extremely fascinating was the difference in treatment between Lazarus and the non-believing rich man. Scripture says that Lazarus was escorted to heaven by an angel, but there is no indication in Scripture about how the rich man arrived at hell. Could it be that God had a specific purpose why He chose not to tell us in Scripture?
Finally, knowing that others may have varying interpretations of these Scriptures, I strongly urge you to review the Scriptures yourselves to determine what you find as the truth according to God's Word.
What's in a Name?
For those who wish you had some other name because you don't like the name you were given, you had better think twice. It is most likely that the name your parents picked out for you was not their choice but God's choice. Let's face it, the word of the Lord is true. That's why in Ephesians 1:4, God proclaimed that He had chosen us from before the very beginning of the world.
If you follow the genealogy of Adam in Genesis, Chapter 5 (*), you will receive an insight into what importance God put in names — It's an exciting message:
Genealogy | Meaning |
Adam | Man |
Seth | Appointed |
Enosh | Mortal |
Kenan | Sorrow |
Mahalalel | The Blessed God |
Jared | Shall Come Down |
Enoch | Teaching |
Methuselah | His Death Shall Bring |
Lamech | The Despairing |
Noah | Rest, Comfort
|
Now, let us look at God's Plan for Redemption:
"Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest."
Let us now look at the genealogy of Abraham (*):
Genealogy | Meaning |
Abraham | Predestination |
Isaac | Called |
Jacob | Justified |
Joseph | Glorified |
(*) Source: Chuck Missler's briefing package: "A Walk Thru the Bible."
Well, you say! But that was all old testament and wouldn't be applicable for today — would it?
Well, let us see... As a Christian, did God not choose you by name at the same time He chose Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph — before the very foundation of the world? If God had a purpose for their name, would you expect anything less for your name since He chose you at the same time?
As a Christian, you ought to thank God daily that you, by your given name, were written in the Lamb's book of life before the very foundation of the world and that you will be a partaker in all the promises of Revelation 21:27.
Within the last couple of years, researchers have found many startling discoveries through the use of supercomputers, specifically, hidden codes that God supernaturally placed within the Hebrew text of the Bible. Over 2000 years ago, the names of historical and current leaders were placed in the Bible. Such names as Adolph Hitler, Eichmann, Arafat, Peres, Rabin, Rabin's murderer Amir, Benzion Netanyahu, Saddam Hussein, George Bush, Schwarzkopf, Peter Arnett (CNN), Timothy McVeigh, and Bill Clinton.
Do you think that God would limit His calling out to just those who had a highly visible historical impact on this world? There is no doubt that He had a purpose in doing this, if nothing else, just to get your attention that He is the Creator; that He alone knows the beginning from the end.
It is my firm belief that as we advance further with our computer technology and peel back the layers of the Hebrew text of the Scriptures, we will make many more startling and exciting discoveries. One being that God has written each and every one of our names in His Word.
Here is what God said: Isaiah 66:22: "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain."
Book Review by D. E. Davis (September 1997)
Bob Pierce - "This One Thing I Do"
By Franklin Graham with Jeanette Lockerbie
It is amazing the worlds that open up to an individual, once the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon him. Just three years ago, when I was once blind to Missions, to all the inspired men and women God has called to service, and the multitude of people all over the world who have been saved, new worlds are ever opening to me to see how awesome the power of God is in our Christian lives.
Such was the power and strength of faith that Bob Pierce had in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is difficult for me to even attempt to assess where God has put Bob, along with other past great men of the faith, but from what I read about his life with Christ, he certainly had his eyes focused on Jesus! I personally feel inadequate and humbled to even put in words my thoughts about this man. Bob was a man blessed by God. I feel sad that I never had an opportunity to know him, but I look forward to meeting him one day in heaven.
If ever there was a verse of Scripture that represented Bob Pierce, it had to be the title of this book as taken from Philippians 3:13,14 "... this one thing I do... I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ."
Bob was raised in Los Angeles and, at the age of 12, gave his life to Christ and was baptized in the Nazarene Church. "God simply called me to give my heart to Jesus, and I followed Him." He died in 1978 of leukemia, but lived his life for Christ in between those dates as if Christ was coming tomorrow and he still had to witness to the whole world before dawn broke.
Throughout his career, he dedicated his life mainly to Missions and, over the years, was responsible for founding such world-renowned programs as World Vision, an organization dedicated to meeting the emergency needs in crisis areas such as Korea after the Korean War. During that time of need, he established a Korean orphanage, serving over 30 thousand Korean war orphans. Bob was also responsible for starting the world-renowned Korean Orphans' Choir.
As an outgrowth of World Vision, he founded World Medical Mission, which covered all emergency medical needs in countries all over the world that had no medical facilities. He was also the founder of Samaritan's Purse, an organization dedicated to funding world emergency needs, no matter where they were. These organizations are still meeting the needs of those in crisis today.
If his work through these organizations was not enough, he became a United Nations War Correspondent during World War II; was co-founder of Youth for Christ; and became a motion picture producer, radio program host, author, and lecturer. But first and last, he always considered himself an evangelist! Even though Bob knew that he was "extraordinarily gifted by God," he was never impressed with himself — he considered himself just "an earthly vessel, available at all times for the exclusive use of the Lord".
In his own words, he had "many flaws, failings, but had abundant faith in God who lives and cares about people."
If I had to pick four areas of the Christian life that I feel truly represented Bob Pierce, they would be 1) Unwavering faith, 2) Compassion for others, 3) Obedience to God, and 4) Commitment to accomplish the Will of God in his life.
From the beginning, Bob knew his calling was for Missions to Asian countries. His first mission led him through Hawaii to Hong Kong and eventually to China. Getting to China was his first big test of faith — he had no money, even for the first leg to Hawaii. Bob held the opinion that God knows one's needs already, and if He has called you to a task, He will provide and enable you — just move out! He did just that and went to the L.A. airport that day without any money in his pocket.
His faith paid off as God provided the funding for each leg of his trip just at the moment he needed it. This was the norm rather than the exception throughout his career as an evangelist. Whatever it was, wherever it was, if God called, Bob would act, no matter what the circumstance... he knew that God would always provide... and He did!
Bob had a compassion for the spiritually and physically suffering of the world. "He was the friend of the little people, the forgotten, the hurting, the maimed, the unheard, and the unsung". Bob's theme was "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God". It was Bob's personal belief that "wherever you find men and women who really love Jesus Christ, you find the compassion of Christ spilling out of them to meet human need."
Over the years, World Vision, Samaritan's Purse, and other organizations like them; one in particular, Mission Aviation Fellowship Pilots (MAF), who flew missionaries around the world in crisis situations, helped so many helpless and needy men, women, and children. They knew firsthand the healing power of God.
Bob dared it all to be obedient to the Lord's call. Once he had in focus the mission that God wanted him to accomplish, he followed in faith to bring the unsaved to Christ. It was his opinion that "If you are an ambassador, act like one!" — no matter where you are.
Bob would bring to memory how other great men of faith were obedient even in the face of death. During World War II, a young South Korean pastor, Mr. Im, was mistaken for a North Korean communist and imprisoned. During his internment, he would go around the camp singing "Jesus Loves Me" and other Christian songs. He not only uplifted and inspired other fellow Christian prisoners to come together, but he also brought many more to Christ. Together, he and another prisoner, Chaplain Voelkel, established a Bible Study where over 6,000 prisoners finished a six-month Bible Study.
Six hundred (600) of those finishing the Bible Study became pastors and came back to Korea to preach the Gospel. In another instance, he related how a Korean school teacher was put to death in front of his students because of his faith and obedience to the Lord.
To be an ambassador for the Lord "is one of the greatest things that could ever have happened to anyone — to let God put a fish hook into you so deep that there is no way of ever getting off the hook."
"Bob did one thing all of his life, and that was to lead people to the foot of the Cross, where they would put their faith in a risen Lord Jesus Christ. He lived every minute completely amazed that God could use him. No matter how much he was able to do in how many places, it was never enough." This was the kind of commitment Bob made to Jesus: "to commit yourself, give yourself away to God irrevocably, forever. Say to Him, go ahead and burn me up. Spend me. Eat me up. Use me for your Glory." And that's exactly what he did.
Being a man of God was not always easy for Bob, and he paid a high price. In one measure or another, he had to forsake his wife, his family, his mother and father, his brothers and sisters, and other worldly possessions to follow Jesus. He not only lost his health, but he also lost his daughter, Sharon, to death.
Committing your life to Christ in a Godless society is never easy; many times, you feel like you may be the only one putting your life, your self-image, and your social acceptance on the line. As Bob came to realize, "Someone has to go and pay that humiliating price of literally letting your ego be stomped on — not just pushed in and suppressed, but laid out there for people to stomp on. We need to do this by the grace of God with love and patience: sow the seed on rocky soil, nurture it, and maybe never be applauded."
Committing your life to Christ really comes down to this: What really matters to you in life?
On his deathbed in the City of Hope, Bob left us this one message: "I don't care what you have attempted, what you have succeeded at, or what has been your work in Christ's name while you are here on earth —only one thing matters when you have reached the last step before you go to stand before Christ:
- Did you tell men and women who Jesus is?
- Did you bring them to some comprehension of His redeeming love?
- Did you make it plain to them that He alone can pay their way to heaven throughout His atoning death on the Cross?"
Such was the life of a man of God, Bob Pierce.