PROPHETIC WORD: A Great Calm!
“And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”
(Mark 4:39)
Have you ever experienced a Great Calm? We all know about great storms. Life's great storms can be traumatic enough to stick with us forever. But did you know that Jesus also commanded a great calm in the Bible?
In Mark 4:39, the Lord was exhausted and napping on the boat after preaching and teaching. Things were shifting, so He prepared to launch to the other side with His disciples.
Mark 4:36: "Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him."
Tired, hungry and without a break, Jesus kept it moving, leaving “just as He was.”
What's interesting is He’d just taught the people using parables, and now the disciples were about to get one on their own. The Lord cares about equipping His leaders, and sometimes we learn the most through real-life lessons.
So, in Mark 4:37, Jesus and the disciples set out on the water, and our exhausted Savior, who was very much human, fell asleep when a great storm arose.
It was a MEGA STORM. The disciples were alarmed because the swells swarmed the boat! They awoke Jesus in a frenzy! Despite knowing His power, the disciples' fear overwhelmed them like the waves that pounded the ship.
Jesus got up and did two things: 1.) rebuked the wind and 2.) said to the waves: "Be silent! Be still!"
And immediately, the wind ceased, and a "great calm" appeared.
The violent wind gave way to perfect stillness. The storm died down. It diminished. Your storm is ending, too. Jesus has prescribed a great calming ointment to bring hope to your tired soul. It will bring you refreshment and peace that surpasses all understanding.
Sometimes life's storms arrive when we least expect them. It often starts with a few small waves, and then it feels like we’re taking on way too much water! We start to sink! Where is Jesus?! It all feels so unpredictable.
God likely chose fishermen to be His disciples because they knew all about unpredictability, and their training on the water would be crucial after Jesus ascended. They'd have to lead a first-century church full of new believers and fickle converts. The waves PREPARED THEM. Jesus showed how to speak back to the storm. Be still! Silence! Our faith must overcome any fear we face.
The Sea of Galilee is famous for its sudden, fierce and unexpected storms. They boil up because of the strong winds that funnel through the surrounding hills and canyons to create extreme turbulence in the water.
As experienced fishermen, the disciples knew the water well. They knew that unexpected storms were a constant risk in their profession. The water was actually training ground to prepare for their future. They were the perfect misfits to lead God's people someday. However, they still didn't understand the Messiah's authority and it’s a lesson we must embrace, too.
Before the disciple’s commissioning, they had to undergo a series of tests with Jesus to prepare for their future calling.
Of course, they didn't know anything about this ahead of time. They just prepared themselves to cross over to the next stage with Christ. So when the storm arose, these professional fishermen knew they were in danger. They forgot Jesus was always with them.
Mark 4:37-41
A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
Here’s what’s important with the “calming” of the waves and the storms. The words parallel what happens when Jesus faces an unclean spirit in Mark 1:23-28. He uses His authority and rebukes the spirit just like Jesus rebuked the waves.
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
Jesus has authority over both the natural world— and the supernatural world.
God uses His power and authority to help humanity.
The Greek word translated as rebuke is ἐπιτιμέω (epitimeo) and it means disapproval of actions. It means to warn with authority. Jesus rebuked the wind, rebuked the unclean spirit and also rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith. Paul also told Timothy to “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching…” (2 Timothy 4:2).
ENCOURAGEMENT
A Great Calm is arriving in your life. Jesus is the Great Compassionate One. He was always setting you up for greatness.
The calling on your life will become so noticeable that it might initially seem peculiar. Something is about to align at once. You will regain peace. There will be a desire to surrender all and rest under the loving arms of your Savior. There will be victory in your place of release. The more you yield and let go, the more you find Truth.
The Father is directing your boat in the right direction. Protect your boat. Speak back to the waves. Name your boat PEACE. Inscribe on the walls FAITH. Keep floating ahead. Only the people Jesus selects are allowed inside. Plus, remember that it can only hold so many people. Be extremely mindful of who you allow in your life this season. The old must go! Plug the holes!
For days I have seen the word "pivot." It's time for a new adventure to begin.
God's mast will hold firm in the middle, but we must shift, change direction and be fluid to His guide. This is the Great Turning. The Great Pivot. The Great Shift. The Great Calm.
The Lord is saying the word "go" to someone. He’s repeated this same word in three consecutive words, so I know there’s a completeness coming forth.
GO: to move out of or away from a place: LEAVE, DEPART, IT’S TIME TO MOVE.
Mark 4:35 – "That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."
It's time to crossover to the other side. A new scenario or development of events will arrive soon. The blueprints of your life are shifting.
“The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew…do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.” (Zechariah 8:12-13)
Things are about to shift fast! Eyes have not seen, and ears have not heard what the Lord is about to do in your life. This will be a period of refreshment and reconciliation.
God has been training you as a sea captain.
Did you know that in 1 Corinthians 12:28, Paul names various gifts given by the Holy Spirit, and one actually means to be a sea captain and steer a boat?
1 Corinthians 12:28, NIV: “God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.”
The Greek word kubernáō is often translated to "administration or guidance," but it literally means "to pilot, guide, steer a ship in a maritime sense."
The Lord is training His sea captains to properly guide His people towards Jesus. You have already been entrusted with a sphere of influence, so continue leading others. The Holy Spirit is giving you the gift of wisdom. Most sea captains do not necessarily own their big boats, but they steward the ship. Steward well. God trusts you. Congrats for surviving the storm!
People need your help. They are waiting for you to take your rightful place and use the authority God has given you. Jesus trusts you for a reason. You have been chosen, selected and trained by the Father. You have been called for such a time as this.
It's time for you to ROAR back to life! Be a king. There is an authority God has given His children as heirs to His throne. Take your rightful place with confidence.
"At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past." (Galatians 5:1)
PROPHETIC SNEEZING: RELEASE, LET GO!
2 Kings 4:35
“Then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.”
Recently the Lord started highlighting the word “sneezing” to me! Sneezing? Yes! Achoo!
That’s when I learned about the boy who sneezed seven times. There’s a great word here but I have to set the foundation first. Perhaps if you’ve been sneezing out of the norm (especially in rapid succession), this message might be for you!
In 2 Kings 4, we find a Shunammite woman who had a very loving and compassionate heart. The Bible describes her as “notable” (likely known and wealthy) and she was just a darling soul, who decided to build the prophet Elisha a room on top of her house. She was generous, hospitable, and selfless, never asking for anything in return. Her “ministry” was to support Elisha, whom she referred to as a “holy man of God.”
However, despite her great virtues and even wealth, the woman and her husband were unable to conceive a child.
Elisha wanted to do something nice for the leading lady of the town, but she had no requests for him. God was waiting in the wings with a miracle.
2 Kings 4:14-17, MSG
“What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.
Gehazi (his servant) said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”
Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway.
“About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”
But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
The promise of God seemed too good to be true, but the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a little boy. God never fails on His promises. All things are possible.
The little boy arrived and grew up with his momma and daddy. One day he was working in the harvest fields with his father when the boy complained of a headache. The boy was brought to his mother where he later died at noon. Why are we told the time? Because this is a true story and the author wanted the readers to understand the importance of the miracle.
The boy likely had a sunstroke and the resulting death came very fast.
The Shunammite woman did not prepare for a burial because she had radical faith. Instead, she went and brought the boy up to Elisha’s bed and laid him there. She prepared for his resurrection, not his death.
When asked by her husband why she needed to see Elisha, the woman merely answered “It shall be well.”
The mother refused to believe that God’s miracle boy, the son of faithful reward, was meant to die so young, so she raced to get Elisha’s help.
“When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm.” (2 Kings 4:32-34)
Elisha got to the secret place alone without any distractions. We need to be immersed with the presence of God especially when it comes to healing.
He prayed to the Lord.
He followed the directions of the Holy Spirit.
The boy warmed. There was a small sign. Warmth.
The prophet’s body was only used as an intermediary for God to do the real work.
Elisha’s mouth brought God’s breath, his eyes connected to bring light and the hands gave strength. It’s the same thing that happens when Jesus enters our lives.
“Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes” (2 Kings 4:35).
The seven sneezes reflected perfect healing. Life had returned. The condition was gone, it need not return again. The little boy’s lungs were revived and his airways bore life.
The number seven marks divine order. It’s the mark of complete and perfect healing. The Lord also had Naman dip seven times in a muddy river.
Sometimes the miracles of God take place in stages, we only need to be patient and eagerly wait for the instructions.
We must take notice anytime something peculiar happens in the Bible. Seven sneezes is a very specific sign, signaling there are spiritual lessons at work. Scripture gives us numerous examples of the number seven used to teach and show.
2 Kings 5:14 – “So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.”
Here’s what’s even more extraordinary: the phrase “as the Lord lives” is recorded seven times in 1 Kings and seven times in 2 Kings. The Lord lives, and through the sneezes and the dipping we see God’s divinity on display. Seven is the number of perfection, representing our King and Savior Jesus. Seven represents the creation of the world.
As the Lord lives…
Even through the mud and muck and yucky sneezes – God’s glory still shines. Jesus still reigns. He makes us whole and clean again. Our sin is washed as white as snow.
It’s always so interesting how the Lord heals. Oftentimes there’s a physical sign of a new beginning, and what takes place on the inside manifests on the outside. Mind, body and spirit, indeed, work three in one. Right before Elizabeth started to prophesy and praise the immaculate conception of Mary’s miracle, she, too, felt a physical response. Her baby leaped in her belly.
God reminded me how the little boy who sneezed had a headache, which could mean there was swelling on the inside and the sneeze represented RELEASE.
Sneezing is a sign of life. New life. A rebirth. Restoration. Renewal.
Sometimes we stand in faith for our loved ones and friends, hoping they will come to know the glorious love of our Father God. And although we continue to pray without truly knowing the inner-workings of their life, we remain steadfast in hope, patient in prayer. We trust that Jesus is doing mighty work behind the scenes.
Then there comes a sneeze.
We see the hallmarks of true faith start to come alive. The people change their ways, their speech is more pure and loving, and the sparkle in their eyes returns. The name of Jesus is spoken through their lips. The spiritual sneezes of their heart open their airways and they return to the Father. They are born again. The sneeze is a sign of gasping for air and allowing Jesus to give breath.
We all live with sin that is seeking to grow and germinate like bacteria on the inside, but a life with Christ means He helps us release that sin and self-will and we choose to take up our cross and walk into freedom. We yield and give God everything to make us new and whole again, completely restored just like the little boy.
Other times the trauma was planted there in our bloodlines or as a child, but God helps us release the bondage of the past to walk hopefully into the future.
I’m here to tell you that despite what you are going through, restoration does come. Jesus returns our hope 100-fold and it will be more than you can imagine. He really will recreate you in His image.
Sneezing reminds us to keep our environment free of any contaminants, especially when it comes to soul matters.
Each time the irritants try to return – we sneeze. We release, we give it back to God. Sin and strongholds and addictions have no place inside our lives. Fear, anxiety and depression can no longer live here.
God restores our life at salvation. We become warm. We’re reborn. The sneezes signal new birth. We can breathe again.
The Lord is speaking to us about “Judge.”
Isaiah 33:22: “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.”
Some of you are dealing with “irritants” and “oppressors” in your atmosphere who don’t want to see you get better. However, you can trust that King Jesus will give you a direct solution and guide you on the matter. Jesus will save you. He is All-Sovereign and He does not take lightly when it comes to those who seek to oppress His children. The sneeze will signal to you who these people are in your environment. The Lord really is speaking a new thing right now and you must trust with all your heart that Jesus is leading and guiding you. This is a season to release and let go.
Jude (Judah) 1:22-23 TPT
“Be merciful over and over to them, but always couple your mercy with fear of God. Be extremely careful to keep yourselves free from pollutions of the flesh.”
In other words, we can desire for others to know Jesus and love them, but not at the expense of becoming like them. Ignoring sin is not okay. If Jesus has directed you to separate yourself from someone or something, one must abide. This is what it means to yield and have a healthy fear of God.
Direct word to someone: God’s instructions might not always make sense to you, but Father knows best. Father protects. Sometimes separation and timing is the healing balm God uses to restore others. You have to go and let go. The Lord is powerful enough to speak to them directly and they will get the choice to repent. You must be very careful to stay free from the pollution and toxic wastewater that some people want to spill over into your life.
I’m hearing in my spirit: “Let your yes, be yes, and your no, mean no.”
God wants to comfort you and He will — choose Him every single time.
This is an hour to ROAR, ARISE, and open your mouth and SPEAK. The old is dying and the new has arrived. Release and let go.
So, as the Lord lives…start sneezing. Irritants don’t belong in your airspace anymore. 🤧
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
