The Wind from His Treasury

This message is one of the Times Square pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing to World Challenge PO Box 260, Lindale, Texas 75771 or calling 214-963-8626.

None of these messages are copyrighted and you are welcome to make copies for free distribution to your friends. I want to read you one verse of Scripture, and then I want to take you to Luke, and we'll stay in Luke chapter 7 or 6, I believe it is. First of all, Psalms 135 and verse 7, Psalms 135 and verse 7, it says that he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth who makes lightnings for the rain, who brings forth the wind from his treasuries.

I want you to note the words there, the wind from his treasuries, that's the title of my message, the wind from his treasuries. Now, go with me to the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Mark, Mark's account here, that Matthew also writes of it, John writes of it, Mark chapter 6, beginning at verse 46. Immediately after the great miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus sent the multitudes away in verse 46, and after bidding them farewell, the multitudes, he departed to the mountain to pray.

Also, he had put his disciples into a boat and asked them to go across, in verse 47, and when it was evening, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land. And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking on the water. And he intended to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they supposed it was a ghost, and they cried out.

For they all saw him and were frightened, but immediately he spoke with them and said to them, take courage, it is I, do not be afraid. And he got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped, and they were greatly astonished. The wind from his treasuries.

Now, it might appear, this incident I've just read to you, it might appear that Jesus was rather insensitive in placing the disciples into this boat and thrusting them out to experience perhaps one of the most perilous nights of their lives. The midnight ride across the sea was troubling and tormenting. Matthew's account says that they were beaten and driven by the waves, or tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them, or contrary to them.

And what Jesus did here was to subject the founders, the leaders of the New Testament church, the future New Testament church, the twelve apostles, he subjected them to a harrowing, life-threatening storm. And think of it, the very men who were to take the gospel to the ends of the earth were for a period of time that night in danger, so they thought of being lost at sea. And this back-breaking experience in which they got into the boat at about twilight, and Jesus said, Go across, I'll meet you on the other side, and for the next eight to ten hours, they were rowing furiously, trying to save themselves, until about 3 a.m. when Jesus appeared, which was the fourth watch of the night, but they only made it a distance of about three or four miles out in the sea.

And all this time, Jesus was up in the mountains, Jesus was alone somewhere, he was praying. Now, what happened to the disciples and what Jesus did to them would be the equivalent, for example, if one of we pastors would say to you, Now tonight, we'd like you to walk all through Times Square, I'd like you to walk all through Times Square, all night long. Go up 41st Street, go down 42nd Street, walk all night long, praying or witnessing or whatever, and I'll be in the apartment praying for you.

And if you survive the night, I'll meet you in the morning and you'll be qualified to be a disciple. Or, let me put it another way, it would also be the equivalent if the Lord told me, or better yet, he told Pastor David, to get into a little airplane and fly to Albany in a storm. Matter of fact, it wouldn't have to be a storm, just get into the plane.

And if a storm came, I want to tell you, David and I would be tempted to quit the ministry after an assignment like that. But Jesus knew what he was doing. He always knows what he's doing.

And when he put the twelve disciples into that boat, only a few of them were experienced boatmen, but all of them were spiritual novices. Now again, they were future Hall of Famers in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. That's what they were going to be, but they weren't there yet.

But Jesus had something up his sleeve. He had a distinct purpose in mind. And you see, the Lord never subjects his disciples to storms just because he enjoys his disciples being agitated, or being upset, or being fearful, or being angry.

Which is probably some of the emotions that each of those disciples experienced at some time during that rollercoaster ride. But I believe that what they were experiencing was one of the most necessary faith-building and character-shaping experiences of all the events up to that point in their spiritual development. Now remember, the boat was probably being navigated by the experienced fishermen and boatsmen.

They could navigate the seas under normal circumstances, like a taxi driver can navigate rush hour or gridlock. But the sea was beating against them. They were getting beat, as it were, at their own profession.

They were no match for the storm. They were weak and being overcome. Some of them, at the very thing that was their strength, the thing that they knew how to do the most, was navigate the seas.

They were getting beat at the very thing of which they had in the natural the most knowledge and the most strength. The central lesson that I want to bring out in this story is that the Lord sent them into the storm and against this violent contrary winds in order to demonstrate something to them. In order to show them another wind.

I call it the wind from his treasuries. You see, there is a wind against us and there is a wind behind us. There are forces and powers and winds that try to blow disciples off their spiritual feet and out of Jesus' designated boats.

But there is another wind, hallelujah, that originates out of a holy treasury. It's a holy hurricane, bless your heart. And you know, the Lord gave me, as I looked into the word, the Lord gave me a glimpse of that wind this past week.

Oh, I felt its power before but I'm understanding something more and more about where that wind comes from. And what it wants to do for the little church and the boat. Especially when the boat is being beaten and tossed by the waves because the wind is against it.

You see, there is a wind but then there is another wind. And that other wind comes from the opening of a huge inexhaustible treasury. And that's what happened in this story.

Psalms 104.3 says, He walks upon the wings of the wind. Psalms 147.18 says, He sent forth his word and melts them. He causes the wind to blow and the waters to flow.

Now, before looking at this wind from his treasuries, I want you to put yourself, or I'm going to put you in this boat tonight, in this story, and see what happens when disciples are thrust into the simmer situation. And I want to talk about the winds that they were up against. And the kinds of winds that disciples face today.

There are many winds that come against the church. Many things, but I liken it to the winds. For example, let me talk a few moments about an east wind.

An east wind. It says, don't turn there, but it says in Hosea 12.1 It says, Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind continually. He multiplies lies and violence.

Moreover, he makes a covenant with Assyria and oil is carried to Egypt. But here it talks about an east wind. And you see, the east wind, I want to show you, is a type of a false talk or false speech.

Or we might call it a windbag. Look at me, go with me to Job chapter 15. Job chapter 15.

You know that Job had three windbags surrounding him. Who kept coming into his life blowing an east wind. And in the 15th chapter, one of them describes, he's describing Job or he's trying to paint a picture of Job's situation.

But he uses language. Elias uses language which actually is a more descriptum of himself. In Job the 15th chapter, it says, then Elias, the Temanite, responded to Job's words, Job's situation.

And he said, should a wise man answer with windy knowledge and fill himself with the east wind? Should he argue with useless talk and with words which are not profitable? Now you see, Job, of course, is in a period of great suffering and sorrow and hardship. But worse, or in addition, not worse, but in addition to it all, he was cursed by some counselors, windbags, who blew in with an east wind. And they tried to lay all kinds of advice, all kinds of explanation, all kinds of guilt upon Job as to why he was where he was.

But it was all a wee east wind philosophy. Now let me tell you tonight, I think you understand what I'm trying to say, where I'm going with this. Beware of east wind adversity or philosophies.

Some of you can remember in your Christian life, you were sailing along real well. You were breezing along real well in your Christian life. Until all of a sudden, some Christian or somebody came along with an east wind of a false tongue or a bitter tongue or a hurtful tongue or a stupid tongue or whatever, an ungodly tongue.

And you met up with words which are not profitable, or worse, with words containing lies and violence. And it blew you away spiritually. And there may be someone who's here tonight that you are in the midst of one of the worst storms of your Christian experience because you're up against a contrary wind.

It's an east wind. It may be coming out of your very own household. It may be coming from some other friend, so-called friend or believer.

It may be on the job. It may be from some other source and you're feeling the east wind of a false tongue. And it's like a cold wind, a bone-chilling wind that's thrown you into a similar situation with the disciples.

And you're rowing and rowing in the storm. And the faster you row, the further you're getting behind. Proverbs 12, 18 says, There is one who speaks rashly like the thrust of the sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 15, 4 says, Perversion in the tongue crushes the spirit. Oh, I remember when I was in Bible school. If there's one area that God had to deal with me, it was my tongue.

Having a sharp tongue. And I didn't realize it, but I was blowing people away. I was like an east wind.

I had a bitter tongue. And I was crushing people's spirits. And tonight, maybe some of them, oh, there's nothing worse that can crush somebody's spirit.

With an east wind tongue, a bitter tongue. You may not even know it tonight, but you can be discouraged or downcast because of an east wind that has blown along in your life. But you know, there's another meaning and application of the east wind.

East wind is also a type of speech and talk that seems at first to sound all so wonderful and promising like fresh air. But it turns out to be useless talk and words that are not profitable. You see, every once in a while, there blows an east wind into the church.

Or into our office. Or into my office. And somebody who has a tremendous testimony, they begin to tell all of what God's done for them.

And all they're going to do for God. And on and on. And all of us, and I listen patiently or try to listen.

But all of a sudden, discernment comes and I begin to realize I'm listening to an east wind. I'm listening to a windbag. You see, I'm referring to somebody that can talk the talk, but they can't walk the walk.

Do you know such a person? God forbid, are you such a person? The very worst situation is to be under a church or ministry or a pastor or a leader who is an east wind. You see, an east wind comes out of a divided heart. East represents compromise.

It represents the flesh. It represents carnality and evil, which lies underneath the cloak of goodness. And any wind or speech that blows from the east ought to be avoided.

Or it can be a storm that will take you down with it. That leads me to another point. Probably the greatest danger in the church today is what Paul calls winds of doctrine.

Ephesians 4.14. Probably the most subtle wind that blows against the church is a warm, pleasant one to face. What I would call a moderate wind. Turn with me to Acts chapter 27.

Acts chapter 27 is the account of Paul on board ship going to Rome. He's a prisoner, but also he is a man who hears from God. And here we find another picture, another type similar to the disciples in the boat.

And they run into contrary winds. In the fourth verse of chapter 27 it says they ran into contrary winds. And after great difficulty, in verse 8 it says they came to a certain place called Fair Havens.

Now the captain of the ship did not want to stay there because the harbor was not suitable for wintering. In verse 13 it says, and when a moderate south wind came up, supposing they had gained their purpose, they weighed anchor, they pulled up anchor, and began sailing along Crete close to the shore. Now if ever there is a picture of the church today and how many Christians like their Christianity, it's right in this picture.

You see we have a moderate south wind gospel that is being preached today with ships captained by pastors who tell people that you don't ever have to suffer hardship. You never have to winter in Fair Haven. You never have to winter where it's difficult.

You never have to be in harbor where it's not suitable for wintering. You don't ever have to be in want or privation. You don't ever have to harbor where it's unsuitable for wintering.

In other words, what is being preached in many circles today is that the Christian life is a constant Caribbean pleasure cruise in a moderate south wind. And if you're looking for a painless, easy-believism religion, well you've come to the wrong church. You know that by now.

But if you're new, you've come to the wrong church. You see, a lot of people only want the least minimum amount of commitment possible that they can get away with and hope to be able to be covered by the blood and make it to heaven. They want a moderate south wind church preaching a moderate south wind gospel, even a moderate south wind worship.

And most of all, they want to get on any ship they think that will help them avoid ever having to go through what the disciples did on the Sea of Galilee. And if you're sailing by a moderate south wind religion or gospel, then you're in a very, very dangerous ship and place. What are you going to do when the storms of judgment come? I've seen those who were led to believe that the Christian life was one long pleasure cruise to some spiritual Hawaii.

And I've seen them come apart at the seams when the contrary winds blow. And listen, my friend, they're going to blow because God's going to find out what you're made out of. Paul told the pilot of his ship that it would be more dangerous to travel the fleshly way, the way pleasing to the eye, than to stay in the place not suitable for going through all the long tests of a long winter.

And Paul prophesied that the ship that sails in the waters of disobedience and compromise and tries to avoid the message of repentance and holiness, that that gospel ship will suffer great loss. Listen to what he said. And Paul said to them, men, I perceive that the voyage will, this is chapter 27 and verse 10.

And Paul said to them, men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be attended with damage and great loss. Not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives. Oh, what a picture of the church.

I feel grief for anybody on board that ship wanting to sail by the moderate south wind. Paul's prophetic word regarding the ship is exactly what's happening to the church today. It is being attended to frantically, frantically trying to be saved from damage and great loss of cargo and lives.

And listen, God will save it. And he'll save you if you listen to the prophetic word and not listen to false shepherds who pilot the ship according to their own desires. And perhaps there's somebody here tonight, you will make, even tonight in this service, one of the most important decisions that you've made yet up to this time in your Christian life.

The second most important decision, the first being to accept the Lord. The second is to have your eyes open and see that you're sailing under a moderate south wind gospel. And it's not going to prepare you for the judgment that's to come.

And I invite you to get in the boat with the disciples tonight where they were, because that's where Jesus came. What happened to the ship trying to sail by the smooth gospel? Chapter 27, verse 14, But before long there rushed down from the land a violent wind called a northeaster. Let me ask you tonight, are you prepared for the northeaster? Are you prepared to face a northeaster wind and storm? And if you've been sitting under a teaching that's been an east wind philosophy, or it's a moderate wind, then you're not prepared for what's going to happen.

You're not prepared for a northeaster. And if you're not, then you need to hang on to every word I'm saying here tonight. You see, there is a church that cannot handle the wind at its face.

There are people that cannot handle a wind at its face. Acts 27 and 15 says, And when the ship was caught in it, meaning that violent cyclone, that northeasterner, And it could not face the wind. When the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, We gave way to it and let ourselves be driven by it.

They could not handle the wind and the storm. They were not able to handle the wind in their face. And as a result, they were driven by the storm rather than being strengthened by it.

There's an old preacher some centuries ago, Samuel Rutherford. He said this, He said, God hath called you to Christ's side. And the wind is now in Christ's face.

In this land. And seeing that you are with him, You cannot expect the lee side or the sunny side of the river. In other words, the church of Jesus Christ, all through history, Has had to have its face to the wind like the disciples.

And it is no less today. Are you ready for that wind? Are you ready to face that wind? But there is another wind that I want to talk about tonight. Another force that comes against the church and Jesus' disciples.

And it is the power of the adversary. Adversary winds. This is the greatest wind, the wind that we all face.

1 Peter 5, 8 says, Be of a sober spirit because and be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. The devil likes believers' meat.

And a close look at the description of the storm that the twelve disciples went through, Gives us a picture of what God's people face when Satan tries, As he tries to overwhelm us. In Matthew's account of the same incident, It says that the boat was being tortured. It was being battered, it was being harassed by the waves.

And the language used almost seems that the winds were of an unnatural proportion. But one thing is for sure, for ten hours or so, The disciples were in danger of losing, Not only the boat, but their very lives in the middle of the sea. Mark says they were toiling and rowing.

And every ounce of their strength had been drained from them. They were beaten men, they were desperate men, Clinging, perhaps, to their very last thread of hope. And you see, every disciple sooner or later faces those kind of adversary winds.

That the devil comes to harass and torture and to batter. Oh, I see it in the letters that come in. And I thought, my wife showed me a couple of them, And I thought, oh my goodness, how they must be, What contrary winds, how they must feel the enemy coming against them.

And here's Mr. Green, had a car accident. It killed his wife. He's in very bad shape.

His daughter is pregnant with twins. One is dead in the womb, but the other is still alive. Here's a lady that writes in and talks about her granddaughter in an accident.

Two hundred stitches in her face. On and on the examples could go. And you, may some of you are here tonight, you know what it is.

You're going against a contrary. The enemy is coming at you from every side. Especially when it comes, that unexpected gust of wind, When you're walking along and everything is good, And all of a sudden, you get a phone call.

You get a letter. You go to the job. You meet somebody.

Or somewhere along the line, or there comes, You think you're walking in great victory, And all of a sudden, there comes a tremendous temptation. And you know that the enemy is coming in as an adversary wind. And you know what he wants to do? In Ezekiel, don't turn there, Ezekiel 19, 12, It talks about the east wind that dried up the fruit.

You see, your adversary, the devil, will try to do everything he can, And use whatever he can to dry up your fruit. The same verse says, Its strong branch was torn off so it withered, And the fire consumed it. You see, the devil wants to break you in the middle of the sea.

And he may have managed to do it already with some of you. You may be about to cast your faith overboard. Ezekiel 27, 26, there's an apt description of somewhere here tonight, listen to it.

It says, you rowers have brought you into the great waters. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas. And maybe you feel that tonight, that you are right in the middle of it.

And about to break. I got one of those calls today from somebody. Going through a great storm, and just, my wife got the call, Related to me, someone we know very, very, very, very close to us.

And oh, my heart, I went to prayer for them, Because of an adversary wind that's blown into that home, Trying to ruin it and wreck it. They're in despair. Not only that, the adversary is going to do everything he can to harass this church, And everyone in it who's seeking to destroy the works of the devil.

Look where Jesus was sending his disciples. Look what they were, or what he was planning to do when they got to the other side. Go to Mark 6, chapter 6. What happened when they were going to get on the other side? In Mark chapter 6, verse 54, it says, And when they had gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, They sent out into all the country round about, And brought unto him all that were diseased. You see, that was the reason for the journey. And this is why the adversary will do anything he can, And bring about any kind of east wind.

He'll bring along some little petty thing into your life to try to divert your attention, Because he knows that you're on a mission. We're on a mission, folks. And God help us to be overcome by little east winds, Or even the mighty winds of the adversary.

He'll do everything he can to get the church to take pleasure cruises in moderate winds, Because the devil does not want to spread the knowledge that Jesus can make people perfectly whole. Look what it says here. Verse 56, And they brought him, and they besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment.

And as many as touched were made completely whole. Hallelujah. That's where we're going, folks.

That's what he wants to do. Oh, how blessed I was. I read that today.

All they did was touch the hem of his garment. I wondered what would happen if they touched, you know, more than the hem. They'd probably have been raptured into heaven or had a glorified body.

I don't know. If they just touched the hem. But the point is that the disciples were on a mission.

And I don't know. I can't prove it here. I can't prove it.

I went through every commentary to try to see if it was so or not. Whether that wind that came down was, you know, the Bible says he's a prince in power of the air. And whether it was the devil who brought that storm, I don't know.

But it certainly is a type of it. It's interesting to note that on another occasion, when the disciples crossed the sea, and Jesus was in the boat, they also encountered a great storm. And on that occasion, it's in the, don't turn there, but it's the fourth chapter of Mark.

Jesus was asleep on the boat. And they were in a storm. And they woke him up.

And he got up. And it says he rebuked the winds. And he said to the waves, Hush! He said, Peace be still.

And what it means literally is hush. And again, it was not only significant what Jesus did, but it was where the boat was going. Here's what happened.

In the other boat ride. And when they came into the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes, and when he came out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit, a demon-possessed man. And Jesus cast the demons out of him and liberated him and destroyed the works of the devil.

Again, it makes me wonder, the devil didn't see that little boat ride over there and stirred up a storm. If he did or not, it doesn't matter, but the type is nevertheless the same. Because folks, we're on a mission.

Hallelujah. And God, the mission is to get on the other side and to destroy the works of the devil. And so the adversary is going to bring every wind possible against you.

Now, how did the disciples made it? That's the wonderful part. How did they make it? They miraculously survived the wind in their face and reached the other side of the lake. Look at Mark 6.53. Boy, if we don't raise this pulpit, I'm going to have a backache.

And I'm going to have to sue the church. I wouldn't do that. But this is rather low down here.

Someone asked me one time, he said, Pastor, why do you have to use notes? I said, well, anybody knows it takes a little paper to get a fire started. Mark 6.53. It says, And when they had crossed over, they came to the land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. Moored to the shore.

And you see, when I've gone through what the disciples went through, I'm sure glad when I finally moored to the shore. And here is what happened to bring that future New Testament church through the storm. While the disciples were toiling and rowing, while they were straining at the oars, getting nowhere fast, Jesus was in a nearby mountain praying.

Jesus was praying while the disciples were sweating. He was interceding while they were facing east winds and contrary winds and adversary winds. Jesus was alone praying to the Father while the disciples were alone trying to save themselves.

And all of this, you see, foreshadowed what was soon to take place. Namely, that Jesus, at his ascension, was going to go to the Father to enter into his present ministry, which is interceding for you and for me, his church, so that we can face the billows and the storms that we have to face. Oh, I thank God while I'm in the boat.

He's on the mountain. Hallelujah. He's interceding.

Glory to God. And while Jesus prayed, he had his little church in the boat, all picked out on his divine radar screen. Hallelujah.

And just at the right time, a wind from his treasury came, and he came walking on the water. But more than that, he came walking on the winds. And he came to the church.

Hallelujah. And he got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped. And Jesus wants to do the same for the church today and for you.

He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped. It always stops when he gets in the boat. Hallelujah.

Specifically, what he wants to do is to release the church, to the church, the wind out of his treasury, his storehouse. I read Psalms 135, verse 7, beginning my message. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.

He brings lightning for the rain. He brings forth the wind from his treasuries. Jeremiah 10, verse 13 says, When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he brings out the wind from his storehouses, or treasury.

Psalms 104, verse 3 says, He walks upon the wings of the wind. And when Jesus came supernaturally walking on the water, I believe that he was walking on the wings of the wind. And when he got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped, he was providing them and us a lesson in what he's going to do when he would be leaving the disciples and when he left us on earth to pilot the ship through the great winds of adversity today.

How did he do it? What did Jesus do for his boat people? He brought forth from his heavenly treasure and storehouse a mighty wind. Because does not the Scripture say, On the day of Pentecost, when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all together in one boat. They were all together in one place.

And suddenly there came a noise from heaven, a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. You see, the wind from the treasury, my friend, is the release of the power of the Holy Spirit to indwell the church and indwell your life.

It is the Helper that Jesus promised to send from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, who he said bears witness of Jesus. You see, after Jesus outlined to the disciples in John 16 how the Holy Spirit would come down from the wind as a wind out of his treasury, he said in John 16, 33, These things have I spoken to you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world you will have many rough boat rides.

You will encounter every kind of adverse winds, but take courage. I have overcome the world, and when I go I will send the wind of the Holy Spirit to indwell you. Hallelujah.

Well, that's enough to make someone want to shout and be happy. Hallelujah. The winds of the Spirit have been sent forth from the treasury of his storehouse of heaven to you and I. Hallelujah.

You know what my wife said Sunday night we got home? She said, you know, she said what's beautiful about our church, she said, I know you men preach and God uses your preaching, but really it's like we have the service and we preach, and then we got to get out of the way because the Holy Spirit's moving by, and we just got to let him move. The wind is blowing. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Out of the storehouse of his treasury, and it's being poured out upon those who will cry out and invite him. When Jesus walked on the water it said he intended to pass them by.

A lot of Bible scholars are perplexed by what that means. Well, what it means to me is that he wanted to find out if he was welcome on board that boat or not. He intended to pass them by until they cried out, and when they did I believe they dropped their oars, and they quit rowing, and they said we need help, and they supposed it was a ghost, and they were part right, it was a Holy Ghost.

It was Jesus. It was in his holy presence and power, and any time any church, and that's what my wife was saying, if we'll just throw down our oars and let God have his way, the wind from his treasury is blowing. Hallelujah.

Oh, you got to turn with me to Proverbs. I'm almost finished here. Proverbs chapter 30.

I want you to see something. That spoke to me. Oh, it's spoken to me many times over the years.

Not maybe this particular verse, but the thought or the truth that's here. Proverbs chapter 30 verses 2 to 4. Because here it says that we're stupid when we do not understand that our Lord is the power over the wind that flies in our face. That's what it says.

Proverbs 30. I'm reading from the New American Standard. Verse 2. Surely I am more stupid than any man, and I do not have the understanding of a man.

Neither have I learned wisdom, nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One, who has ascended into heaven and descended. Oh, hallelujah. Who has ascended and descended.

Who ascends? It was Jesus. Who descended? It was Jesus by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The wind from His treasury.

And what has He come to do? Who has ascended into heaven and descended. A lot of people know that He ascended, but they didn't realize that He also descended. Hallelujah.

And He unleashed the power of His Holy Spirit, the wind from His treasury, for you and I. Hallelujah. And for what purpose? Verse 4. It says, excuse me, I've got to turn to it. I'm reading it from my notes, and I need to turn to it very quickly and make sure I've got it right.

30, verses 2 to 4. Oh, neither have I learned wisdom. Oh, surely I am more stupid than any. Oh, by the way.

By the way. I don't know if you've had experience like I have over the years. I come to a place where I fret or I worry.

The wind comes against me. And I didn't really trust the Lord like I should. And after God comes to my rescue, I feel stupid.

I feel so stupid. Because, and the Word said, haven't you learned any wisdom? Do I have any knowledge of the Holy One? And the Lord has to say to me, Son, after all these years, you have learned it by now. Don't you know I'm faithful? That I'll send the wind out of my treasury? And I say, Oh Lord, forgive me for being so stupid.

Who has ascended? Verse 4. Who has ascended from heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind? Ooh, He has gathered the wind in His fist. You know what that means? That means whenever that wind comes against you, whenever you acknowledge Him, whenever you trust Him, He just reaches right out and He gathers that wind in with His fist. Hallelujah! Gathers the wind in with His fist.

Demonstrating His power. And I believe the wind He gathers in His fist is when He comes on board your ship like the disciples. And it says He rebuked the wind.

And you know what I call that gathering the wind in His fist? And I'm going to close with this. You know what I call it? I call it a Holy Ghost Jihad. Do you know what Jihad is? It is what Ayatollah Khomeini waged against his neighbors in Iraq.

A holy war. An all out total war. And God Himself, oh hallelujah, has declared a Jihad.

He has declared war against everything that stands in opposition to His holiness and His righteousness and His justice and His love. And if we line up with His purposes, then the wind will always be at our back and not at the front. And God will gather in every opposing wind with His fist.

Hallelujah! That's a Holy Ghost Jihad. Glory to God. And when He does, it says this.

The wicked are not so, but are like the shaft which the wind drives away. Psalms 18.42 Then I did beat them as the dust before the wind. I emptied them out on the mire of the streets.

That's exactly what He's done in this theater. He came along and He just emptied it out onto the streets. Hallelujah! Contend, oh Lord, with those who contend with me.

Fight against those who fight against me. Let them be like the shaft before the wind with the angel of the Lord driving them on out of the way. Hallelujah! Oh, praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord. I'm finished. I don't feel like quitting, but I'm finished.

Glory to God. The wind from His treasury is God moving by His Holy Spirit. And coming down into your situation, your storm, rebuking the wind.

He wants to say, hush. Hush, be still. Glory to God.

If you allow Him, He'll do it for you tonight. Let's stand. Hallelujah! God's will.

Most of them do not start at the right place. They don't start where Eliezer had to start. And that is, he made an oath that he would follow only his master's instruction.

I, being in the way, God will lead you. Get yourself into the way. Get yourself into the truth.

Get yourself into the truth.