My Questions to Peter about walking on Water

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I love this story in the Bible. It is fascinating to read and meditate on. Leading up to this – Jesus feeds the 5000 with the 2 fish and 5 loaves – a pretty amazing miracle it has to be said. One that I would have loved to have seen that is for sure. The disciples must have worked hard distributing all of that food.

At the end of the day, Jesus tells the disciples to get in boat and go over to the other side of the lake, ahead of Him – whilst He goes and spends some time alone, praying. Seems reasonable – especially after the day they have had.

But it is not straight forward. They get in the boat and start to go to the other side – just as Jesus had told them to do – yet the Bible tells us that after many hours of sailing, they are around half way across the lake. Not only that – they had been beaten and tossed, and the wind was against them.

Matthew 14:24-33 (Amplified Bible)
24 But the boat was by this time out on the sea, many furlongs [a furlong is one-eighth of a mile] distant from the land, beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them.
25 And in the fourth watch [between 3:00--6:00 a.m.] of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It is a ghost! And they screamed out with fright.
27 But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!
28 And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.
29 He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus.
30 But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!
31 Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God!

That is not how a successful day on the mission field, being involved in one of the most talked about miracles of all time should end, surely? If it was me, I would have got into that boat tired, but feeling like Superman.

Yet within a few short hours, the winds of life have battered them and made it very hard to do what God told them to do. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again – an absence of problems is not a sign of the strength of your walk with Christ. It really isn’t. The disciples – if they were modern 21st Century men – would be all down beat and dejected, questioning what God was doing and indeed whether they heard Him right in the first place.

“Did Jesus really, tell us to get in the boat and do this?” “Surely, it would have been easier than this – especially after the miracles of today!”

So many of us judge how well we and others are doing by how many problems we DON’T have in life – those with the easy life must be more spiritual and have less sin…

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Are all things really possible?

It’s been an interesting week for me – one in which my thinking has been seriously challenged.

One of the team in the office commented that “most things were possible” – and in my usual fashion, I stated that “all things were possible” – not just most things. And for those of you who know your Bible, you will understand where my thinking comes from:

Mark 9:23
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

The discussion went along the lines of:

NP: No, most things are possible

ME: Well, if you believe – all things are possible

NP: That doesn’t make sense. You can’t become a rabbit.

ME: Can God make a rock that is so heavy, He can’t lift it….

It went on.

But I was confidant that all things are possible. And this is what I believe. It is in the Bible – and I can cope with that statement as any good evangelical Christian should…or can I?

I have been forced to do some soul searching and ask probing questions about this belief. If I really do think that it is true – am I living like it? Or have I just accepted the inevitability of life? Do I live like I can do anything, or do I live with rules, out-dated ways of thinking and strongholds in my mind?

I know that I should believe this, and my head tells me that I do – but is their proof of that belief? Sometimes I believe that there is – but more often that not, there probably isn’t. It’s my challenge. To think big. To do the impossible, armed with nothing but faith and God’s grace on my life.

As I said, it has been an interesting week this week – because this question has forced me to look at my life a little differently, and not just give lip-service to something that Jesus fully expected me to live by. It has meant doing things differently. It has meant questioning rules, asking difficult questions and challenging what I am doing.

I have to say that the last two days have been fascinating for me. Somehow I feel a new sense of purpose and spring in my step. I look forward to moving deeper into this and will hopefully keep you posted of my progress.

60 Seconds on Giving

I have been asked to give a 60 second exhortation tomorrow at Church for the offering. What do you say in 60 seconds on the subject of giving when you have experienced so much of God’s faithfulness in this area? How do you distill this to 60 seconds?

I have thought about this 60 seconds a lot today.

If I were to sum it up – it would be this: God’s Economy Works. The UK economy is in recession. It is official. Not since the 80s has it been this bad. America is in the toilet. So with the exception of China, the world economy is bad.

The press peddles this. The politicians argue over who is to blame, and very real people are suffering very real pain as a result of the UK economy.

As a Christian though, I am in this world, but not of it. The UK economy may be in need of some help, but God’s economy is as stable as it has ever been. Yes I am affected by the UK economy but I live according to God’s economy.

And God’s economy is based on love. The UK economy, at the moment at least, is based on fear – bucket loads of fear. If you listen to the news and politicians they will scare you silly. But God’s economy is based on love – not fear. And what does love do? It gives.

For God so loved the world that He gave…

It is a simple message. Fear stops you giving, love makes giving a cheerful experience. In a time of panic and fear – you can make yourself cheerful by giving when you base it on love. The world has retail therapy. Christians have giving therapy.

That doesn’t mean that we are not affected by what is happening. I have been greatly affected by it. And I wouldn’t advise you don’t pay your bills (telling British Gas that you are not paying for your gas because you are living according to God’s economy and not theirs will cause them to cut your gas off). Sure we are affected. But what makes us difference in these circumstances? What causes us to stand out?

If we are to be light to this world, then does this mean that we should do this so long as an economic crisis isn’t happening? Of course not.

So how do we be light to the world – by living according to God’s economy! And that is about giving.
At this time, my challenge would be that we become known for our generosity and our giving.

A friend of mine who is self employed told me earlier this week that his goal was not about getting enough money in to pay the bills, but to give a certain amount this month. He focused on giving. Do you know what? By the end of the week that friend was telling me about a contract he got this week that will give him a year’s salary in 3 months.

That’s how God’s economy works, when we give we put ourselves in a position to receive from God (and He loves to give!).

Sometimes it might not be such a quick response, but my friend knew to focus on giving.

We might not always be able to give money either, so look for other ways to give. Another friend felt he should give his coat away last year.  God showed him who to give it to, and he did. He didn’t have the money to give, but he had a generous attitude that caused him to give his coat away.

The coat was a great coat that kept out the wind and rain better than most. He gave it to a person that couldn’t afford that level of protection from the elements.

This week (a year later), this guy was telling me how he had some back doors at his house that didn’t work too well. They let in the elements. Someone though has purchased for them a new set of doors.

Is there a link? The coat and the new doors both keep out the wind and the rain, so I think so – but I’ll leave it for you to make up your mind.

I have had times where I had no money to give that I have given pens, watches and stereos. I also give time (the most precious thing that I have). Generosity is not just about writing a check, but it is about giving. That can include buying groceries for your neighbour.

So to recap, God’s economy works. It is based on love, which compels us to give. Generosity is the hallmark of someone that lives in God’s economy. In this time of turbulence don’t get sucked into fear, but rather act in love – and give. For me, I want this to be my most generous year yet.

Now to get this down to 60 seconds…

The Peace of God is your Guard

In my last post, I asked, “Does the Peace of God Work?” I ended by saying that for me – at that point in time, yes it did. It worked, not as I expected or suggested – but it worked for me.

Too be honest – it still is.

Life hasn’t changed. Infact the situations seem to have got harder in some respects. But the peace of God kept working for me, even though things were deteriorating.

Phil 4:6,7

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I have found that Peace to be my guard. The Amplified writes:

…shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

It has been a definite choice for me this week, but I have known that guarding of my heart and mind. Circumstances didn’t get better. There was more bad news, things that I didn’t want to hear. More problems were thrown in to the mix. The warning lights still read serious. But in the middle of all of this, when I should naturally be anxious, concerned, stressed, upset, fearful and all the other emotions that come along – I had peace, and that peace guarded both my heart and my mind from all of those things.

I look forward to the day when I can tell you that God turned it all around. The day when faith takes from the unseen and brings it into being here, in my life, on earth and in these situations. That day will come, of that I have no doubt. In the meantime – I am enjoying God’s peace. It has garrisoned around me. It protects me. It guards me. My heart and my mind are under God’s protection racket!

Awesome!

Does the peace of God work today?

Tonight, at the moment I write this, is a large decision that needs to be made. And, naturally speaking, the outcomes just aren’t pleasant. So – my mind wanders.

I need a miracle God. I need your favour to get involved and change things! Help!

These are my initial thoughts about the situation. I have made one big assumption though and that is that I know what the outcome should be. It is usually the outcome that involves the least amount of pain. Is this God’s plan? I don’t know – but I do know that God needs to come through for me. It is amazing how in times like this – we think we know the way out, the best solution and right thing to do. Of course we do – we are in the middle of it and we want to be free from the stress and burden of it all.

Maybe, just maybe – what I need right now is not the miracle? Maybe it is not the quick fix, the band aid, the pain disappearing or even the outcome that I think needs to happen? Maybe I just need peace. God’s peace. When I have that – everything else just seems to make sense. When I have the peace of God, I begin to feel that regardless of the outcome – God is still on my side and it will be alright. Somehow, with the peace of God, facing tomorrow is much easier even if it is a nightmare.

But the thing that I can testify of, right here and now – in this moment of decision that I am in – is that the Peace of God works. I should be stressed, losing sleep and panicing. Instead, I am at peace. Calm. Not stressed and definately not worried. And that includes my mind.

Sure, I think I know what should happen. I certainly know what I would like to happen (and that would be a miracle). But peace means that I am not worried about it. Prayer stops being “help” and more “thank you God that you are faithful”. It is a much better place to be.

The other thing that peace does – it makes the voice of God clearer in my spirit. I can hear Him better. What do I hear? Not – “It will happen as you want Matt” (which, is a shame to be honest!). Rather – “Trust Me. I am bigger than this”. That helps me. It might not be the answer that I am looking for. But it is something for me to believe and live by.

Peace – when it is all going on around you. The pain. The stress. The uncertainty. Rather than tell God what the outcome should be, rather than cry help – first ask for peace. Get the peace of God that transcends all understanding so it can guard your heart and you mind in these times.

When you have peace, then you will have your answer from God. It works. Or at least, it is working for me, right now – at this moment in time.

Bitterness – Part V: How to deal with bitterness

Ephesians 4:25-32 (New Living Translation)
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

The Bible is really clear, so clear in fact that we have had to have help to misunderstand it! Look at verse 31 again – GET RID OF ALL BITTERNESS.

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Bitterness – Part IV: Bitterness is marked by Cynicism

Bitterness is linked with cynicism
• marked by cynicism

A cynic is a person who believes the worst about people or the outcome of events. A cynic believes that all acts are selfish (and are therefore distrusting). They mock and are sarcastic as well as showing contempt for accepted standards, especially those of honesty and morality (Collins English Dictionary).

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Bitterness – Part III: bitterness & resentment

Remember our earlier definition of bitterness, part of it read –
• Showing or caused by strong unrelenting hostility or resentment (The Collins Concise Dictionary)

Notice that word – unrelenting. Bitterness and resentment can be unrelenting, especially towards people that you think may have wronged you in some way. You become hostile towards them. Let me tell you – love and resentment cannot co-exist. You cannot love someone you resent and are hostile too. It cannot be done.

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Bitterness – Part II: Bitterness comes out of loss

• Bitterness is loss frozen in resentment. Bitterness grows out of our refusal to let go when someone or something is taken from us (definition taken from http://www.christian.connections-c.com/bit.html)

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Bitterness – Part I: A study of Esau

What is Bitterness?

• Bitterness is loss frozen in resentment. Bitterness grows out of our refusal to let go when someone or something is taken from us
• Showing or caused by strong unrelenting hostility or resentment.
• marked by cynicism

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