GHOST STORY IN THE BIBLE

 FEAR OR FAITH?

SEA OF GALILEE

Jesus heard the news of 

John the Baptist's death 

and needed some private time. 

"As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds saw where he was headed and followed by land from many villages.  So when Jesus came out of the wilderness, a vast crowd was waiting for him, and he pitied them and healed their sick."   Matthew 14:13-14 

The disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowd home; but Christ had a different plan.

"That evening the disciples came to him and said, “It is already past time for supper, and there is nothing to eat here in the desert; send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy some food.”  But Jesus replied, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them!”  “What!” they exclaimed. “We have exactly five small loaves of bread and two fish!”  “Bring them here,” he said."  Matthew 14:15-18  TLB

Jesus wanted to show everyone, the power of prayer and faith.

"Then he told the people to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up into the sky, and asked God’s blessing on the meal, then broke the loaves apart and gave them to the disciples to place before the people.  And everyone ate until full! And when the scraps were picked up afterwards, there were twelve basketfuls left over! (About five thousand men were in the crowd that day, besides all the women and children.)  Matthew 14:19-21 TLB

Jesus sent his disciple to the boat to cross the sea of Galilee to the other side; while he said goodbye to the crowds.

"Immediately after this, Jesus told his disciples to get into their boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he stayed to get the people started home.  Then afterwards he went up into the hills to pray." 

Matthew 14:22-23  TLB

The disciples were in a fierce wind storm, fighting mighty waves, and were in deep trouble.  

They screamed in fear, seeing a ghost walking across the water toward them.  Is this a dead sailor coming to take them to their grave, into the depths of the sea?  

"Night fell, and out on the lake the disciples were in trouble. For the wind had risen and they were fighting heavy seas.  About four o’clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water!  They screamed in terror, for they thought he was a ghost."  

Matthew 14:24-26 TLB

Jesus told them not be afraid; I'm not a ghost.

"But Jesus immediately spoke to them, reassuring them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said.  Then Peter called to him: “Sir, if it is really you, tell me to come over to you, walking on the water.”   “All right,” the Lord said, “come along!”  So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.  Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him. “O man of little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”  And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.  The others sat there, awestruck. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed."  

Matthew 14:27-33 TLB

God doesn't want us to live with fear; but to live in faith.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.

"They landed at Gennesaret.  The news of their arrival spread quickly throughout the city, and soon people were rushing around, telling everyone to bring in their sick to be healed.  The sick begged him to let them touch even the tassel of his robe, and all who did were healed."   Matthew 14:34-36 TLB  The Living Bible

GREAT COMMISSION ON THE MOUNT

SEA OF GALILEE

After with meeting Jesus in Emmas, the disciples left for Galilee.

The disciples decide to go fishing all night in the sea of Galilee and catch nothing.

Jesus on the shore, tells them to cast their net on the right, and lots of fish are caught.

There were so many fish, they couldn't pull them in.  Peter wades to the shore.

Jesus had prepared bread and fish for breakfast for his disciples.

After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter if he love him more than the fish, three times.  Jesus, told him to feed my lambs and go shepherd my sheep.  

Then Jesus tells them to meet him on a certain mountain.  Jesus wants to give instructions to his disciples.  Maybe he went ahead to pray.

"But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful."   Matthew 28:16-17  NASB 95

THE GREAT COMMISSION

"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20  NASB 95  New American Standard Bible

We don't know where Peter was fishing on the sea of Galilee.  Where did he keep his boat?

If he went back home to Capernaum, It would be only a 1.1  mile hike to the Mount of Beatitudes.  Could this be the same mount Jesus gave the Great Commission...the same place where he taught the Sermon on the Mount?

JESUS SAYS GOODBYE

MOUNT OF OLIVES

"Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”  

ACTS 1:1-5 MSG

40 DAY LAST APPEARANCES

"I passed on to you what I received, of which this was most important: that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say; that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day as the Scriptures say; and that he was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles.  After that, Jesus was seen by more than five hundred of the believers at the same time. Most of them are still living today, but some have died.  Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.  

I Corinthians 15:3-7  NCV  New Century Version

ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN

"When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?”

He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”

These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky.   ACTS 1:6-11 MSG

ANGELS!  Are these the two angels from the garden tomb?  And the fulfillment of the two angels on the Ark of the Covenant?

Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.”  

So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to Jerusalem. It was a little over half a mile. They went to the upper room they had been using as a meeting place:  

ACTS 1:12-13 MSG  The Message Bible

Jesus the groom, goes to his Father's house to prepare a place for his bride, the church. 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe in me also. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. If this were not true, would I have told you that I am going there? Would I have told you that I would prepare a place for you there?  If I go and do that, I will come back. And I will take you to be with me. Then you will also be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you will know my Father also. From now on, you do know him. And you have seen him.”  

JOHN 14:1-7  NIRV   New International Readers Version

POWER TO BE WITNESSES

Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Father in heaven sends his gift, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.  So that his disciples may have power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and to the ends of the earth.

"On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.  Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.  Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability."  ACTS 2:1-4 NLT

Everyone baptized in the Holy Spirit began praising God, in languages they have never learned.  This was a sign to the unbelievers, hearing praises in their own languages.

"At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!  Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”  They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.

But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”

ACTS 2:5-13 NLT  New Living Translation

GOD'S SPIRITUAL GIFTS

God baptizes with the Holy Spirit, empowering believers with many different gifts to use, in being witnesses to Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and to the Ends of the Earth.   The Holy Spirit lives in believers and decides which gift He is going to use for each occasion.

"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit.There are different ways to serve, but we serve the same Lord. And there are different ways that God works in people, but it is the same God who works in all of us to do everything."

1 Corinthians 12:4-5 ERV

Many gifts God will use on the mission field in reaching the lost; whether he uses one gift or a combination of gifts at one time.

"Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person. The Spirit gives this to each one to help others. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom. And the same Spirit gives another person the ability to speak with knowledge. The same Spirit gives faith to one person and to another he gives gifts of healing. The Spirit gives to one person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to prophesy, and to another the ability to judge what is from the Spirit and what is not. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of languages, and to another the ability to interpret those languages. One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things. The Spirit decides what to give each one.  

1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-11  ERV  Easy to Read Version

You'll know that you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, when God fills you with power, gifts and motivates you to make disciples of all nations. 

EYES OF THE LORD

 1 PETER 3:12

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

BRG Bible Translation

MOUNTAIN OF ENVY

 PSALM 68:15-16  

Mount Bashan is God’s towering mountain;

Mount Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.

Why gaze with envy, you mountain peaks,

at the mountain God desired for his abode?

The Lord will dwell there forever!

Christian Standard Bible