A.R.Smith Bible Insight

The Anchor Holds, Tho the Sails are Torn.

Matthew 8:24-26. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

And his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. The Anchor held in the midst of the storm, the Sails of Faith, were torn and nothing would do except Faith in the Saviour. There is a tempest in all of our lives one day or another.

A Tempest so large we believe that we are to perish in the waves and wind. We all have been there, a death, a lost opportunity, financial ruin, disease, sickness running rampant in our body or our family. But Remember that the Anchor Holds in the Midst of all storms. Lets read Psalms 89:9, “Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.” In 1999, I was pronounced dead of a massive heart attack. My wife, Juanita, Daughter, Tiffine and a close friend, Jack, were there to witness the greatest storm of their lives.

I can't imagine what they were going thru, the tears, pain, suffering, disbelief and hopelessness. Their sails were tearing when this storm came upon them unexpectedly. This was a tempest that they would not want to happen but it came never the less. And as for me, I was without pain for the very first time in my life. Darkness engulfed me, as it were a soothing blanket, no pain, sorrow, trouble, worrys, I was at peace. There came crys' of painful desperation as My wife, came into the room and declared that the Anchor Holds. The storm was raging and the sails were tearing apart but she knew that Jesus, as the Anchor, was Holding.

She turned to the only one that could calm the storm, and with tears of helplessness, she spoke to The Lord God Almighty. “Dear Lord, My Husband is dead and we need Him so much. If it be thy will Lord, give Him back to me, for His work on this earth isn't done. Give Him Lord another chance to make a difference and to preach the Gospel. I need Him Lord, let him return to me. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.” I came alive and the pain fell on me, as a great millstone falling upon the surface of the waters. God took us both thru the tempest. Her fears were relieved and Her Sails were strengthened, as God wove the Fabric Himself.

After Six months of rehabilitation, I was able to preach once again. These storms, that we all go thou, are storms of testing and storms of faith in the Creator. There are many storms and tempest in this life, Iraq, Iran, Islam, Murder, Theft, Wars and Rumors of Wars, Doubt, Confusion, Helplessness, and Mens hearts failing them for fear. We mention many false religions because they are storms within themselves, worshiping, dead men, animals, doctrines that were written by man, without the inspiration of God, which all have one thing in common, hatred of Christianity.

These storms result in division of nations, wars of idealogical ideas and threats of violence upon the light givers of the world. These are all signs of the end days, when man is a lover of himself, more than lovers of God, and are lovers of darkness, more than lovers of light. When the sky is blue, we see only rainbows and pretty flowers, but as the unexpected tempest arises, we see doom and despair. Many, when the tempest arises, have no light to guide them, they run to and fro seeking answers, but none are found.

The sails, are the fabric of the faith, that man has in God, even tho many do not believe and never will. These are the dark clouds that contain no water but are just for show. Our fabric must be repaired as each new storm arises. Satan trys' to rip and tear at this fabric until the wind passes thru. The wind and sails together move the ship forward upon a set course that will eventually land the believer in the shores of Heaven. But if the sails remain torn and shredded, they stop the forward movement of the ship, bobbing aimlessly, with no direction and no destination.

These rips and gashes are easily seen, The attacks of 911, Iraq, Afghanistan, corrupt government, Islam, Evolution, Storms, Hurricanes, Floods, Fires,and the entire Middle East situation, from Africa to Syria, its all interconnected, to bring about fear to multitudes, shaking the foundation of our spirits. Lets read Psa 107:25-30 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 wits' end.

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Barnes states of Psa 107:28 - Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble Sailors pray.

If they do not pray elsewhere, they often do in a storm, when in danger of being wrecked and lost. A storm at sea brings hundreds on their knees who never prayed before - for they feel that their only help is in God, and that it is a fearful thing to die. Then they do “right.” They do what “ought” to be done. But they do then only what people ought always to do, for it is as plain a duty to pray when we are in safety as when we are in danger; when sailing on a smooth sea as in a storm; when on the land as on the ocean. People anywhere, and at any time may die; and people everywhere and at all times “should,” therefore, call upon God.

Storms, tempests, fire, disease, and danger, only impel people to do what they should do always from higher motives, and when their motives will be likely to be more disinterested and pure. And thru all this the Anchor Holds. When we can do no more, we stand, stand with the anchor down, until the Storm Passes and is subdued. Can we pray for the Anchor to lead us, Guide us and deliver Us from these storms? Yes. The Anchor is always on the ship and is at the ready to aid in times of need. Ars. See Psa_107:6, Psa_107:13, Psa_107:19.

Mat 8:26 -

Why: Mat_6:30, Mat_14:30,Mat_14:31, Mat_16:8; Isa_41:10-14; Mar_4:40; Luke_8:25; Rom_4:20

and rebuked: Mat_8:27; Job_38:8-11; Psa_65:7, Psa_89:9, Psa_93:3, Psa_93:4, Psa_104:6-9, Psa_107:28-30, Psa_114:3-7; Pro_8:28, Pro_8:29; Isa_50:2-4, Isa_63:12; Nah_1:4; Hab_3:8; Mar_4:39, Mar_4:41, Mar_6:48-51; Luke_8:24, Luke_8:25; Rev_10:2

“Delayed Punishment.”
Vanity of the sinner.

“For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.”

Death comes to all the wicked and the righteous. As we look threw Ecclesiastes we see that this date of our demise is not known to any man.

For man, no matter weather he be rich or poor, bond or free, will not delay his death by any means.(There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit For only God can control death and life. (neither hath he power in the day of death

There is no man that can stop his death,(neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.) for he has no control of it, nor can he say to the Lord, I have been good, so let me not die.(and there is no discharge in that war

Can death then be delayed?

Yes but only for the righteous as stated in Deuteronomy 4:40.

“Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.”

But for the wicked there is no place in this blessing. For they do not keep the commandments of the Lord and neither do they believe in Him.

“All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.”

Mans life comes and goes, his legacy will endure but for a short time, and then he will be forgotten. I have seen this many times, in just my short life time. Mans glory is fleeting and short lived. One day the world loves him and the next the world finds someone else to adore.

“But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.”

Where is mans glory when he enters into the grave? Where is mans power, his riches, and his prominence, when the worms consume the carcase?

Does the grave say to man, “I remember you. I remember your power, your glory and your prominence upon the earth. What shall you ask me to do?

Shall I make your death easier, better, shall I make the grave not cold, not so dark, or your stay shortened?

“And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.”

The wicked are consumed by themselves, their fall from grace is of their own doing, and there is none to aid them. The Lord has called, and the wicked would not answer, the Lord has ask to save them, but they refused His salvation. Will the sentence against the evil worker be executed speedily? Will the Lords last call for them bring down deserved punishment?

No, for a man has a time to live, and a time to die.

His time must be exhausted and then his punishment shall come and will not delay.

“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:”

The wicked may be a bond servant to the righteous and the righteous may be bond servant to the wicked, but the Lord knows who belongs to Him.

The righteous and the wicked work together, inhabit the same space, breath the same air, eat the same food, and drink the same water.

The wicked and the righteous share in the same coming of the dawn, and the falling of the night. The sun shines on both, the rain causes both to become wet, and the drought effects both, the stars of the heavens know not which is which, and shine as the Lord commands, but after, this is where the separation comes.

“There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.”

From the wicked comes, all evil done under the sun.

Rape, murder, theft, incest, and doctrines of devils.

Not knowing righteousness, nor the Lord.

Men seek their own and another mans possessions and power.

They seek only to satisfy themselves without regard to the hurt done to others and no regard to their delayed punishment.

You say; ”I've done none of these things, why then should I believe in God? Will He, if He exist, punish me also?”

Without Christ, He will punish, at His time of choosing.

For without faith it is impossible to please God. You must remember that all unrighteousness is punishable.

A liar is punished as a murderer, for there is not respect of person with the Lord.

All unrighteousness is sin, all unbelievers in Christ are included in unrighteousness.

“Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes

Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.”

Repentance is the only way to avoid this Delayed Punishment. Ars.

Webster,TSK. Ecc 8:7- 17