On the Water

Friends,

It has been a few weeks since I posted a message...so, it was high time to get back in the saddle, or in this case perhaps, back in the boat with Jesus. :-) 

There are two major bodies of water in the land where Jesus walked. One is the Sea of Galilee, a beautiful lake 13 miles long and 7 miles wide filled with fish and surrounded by lush foliage.  The other body of water is the Dead Sea, 50 miles long and 11 miles wide, the shoreline of which is 1300 feet below sea level.  Seven million tons of water evaporate from the Dead Sea every day. The saline or salt content of the water of the Dead Sea ranges from 26-35%, making it 10 times saltier than the oceans of the world. There is no seaweed or plants of any kind in or around the water. There are no fish or any kind of swimming, squirming creatures living in or near the water. Both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are fed by the Jordan River. There is really only one difference between these two bodies of water, really only one thing that causes the Sea of Galilee to be beautiful and alive while the Dead Sea is barren and lifeless. The Sea of Galilee has an outlet; the Dead Sea does not! Water flows through the Sea of Galilee. Water flows into the Dead Sea but not out!  Spiritual input but no spiritual output = stagnation. If you and I have Spiritual input but no spiritual output, we will become stagnant and lifeless. (From Johnny Creasong’s Sermon: You Are Free to Serve the Lord)

Jesus certainly understood this all too well, as it is why He would say things like, “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28)  There is a tremendous spiritual parallel in the story I share today, which involves the first body of water, the Sea of Galilee.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus would always come to assist those whom He loved.  He assisted His disciples…He assisted Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, young and old, rich and poor.  He certainly set a good example for us. John shares about a unique situation here in the passage where the faith of the disciples is tested…and one of them in particular…but lessons abound for all of them!

When we read Matthew 14:22-33, we come to understand that the crowd wants to make Jesus king, so this presents something of a problem.  This is why John says that Jesus is in such a hurry to dismiss the crowd and send the disciples back across the sea in a boat to the land of Gennesaret. The disciples are not completely aware of the situation nor do they understand Jesus’ plan, so if they had stayed, they probably would have fallen into the crowd’s plans.  Out on the sea in the boat, a storm arises.  We have to understand that the storm comes because the disciples are in the will of God, and not out of it…as Jonah was – Jesus understands this. Something that I like to say is that -- what is challenging for us humans to understand from our human perspective is that the disciples are safer in the storm in the will of God, than on the land with the crowd and out of God’s will.  It teaches us that we must not judge security on the basis of circumstances alone.

Meanwhile, back in the boat, the disciples seem to feel deserted by Jesus when the storm comes.  What is interesting is that Jesus actually waits for the boat to be far from land.  This way any human element is gone and the opportunity for faith-building is at the maximum.  Jesus walks out to the disciples on the water.  Why?  He wants to show them that the very thing that they fear…the sea…is only a sidewalk for Him to come to them!  Another interesting question that has to be asked -- why do the disciples not recognize Him?  They simply are not looking for Him.  If the disciples were waiting by faith, they would know Him immediately…a good lesson to learn.  Instead, they all jump to the conclusion – it is a ghost!  Fear and faith are not able to live in the same heart, for fear always blinds people’s eyes to the presence of the Lord.  Yet, in the presence of Jesus, fear can be dismissed – only He is able to calm them.

Peter, the most outspoken of the disciples, also is willing to step up to the plate with his faith.  He asks to come out to Jesus on the water…and Jesus tells him to come.  The other eleven disciples sit in the boat and watch.  It requires genuine faith to leave the boat and step out onto the water.  After taking a few steps, Peter begins to sink.  Why?  The wind comes up and his faith wavers, because he takes his eyes off of Jesus and looks at his circumstances.  Peter needs to be single-minded and focused, but he becomes double-minded…showing that faith and fear cannot occupy the heart at the same time.  We must give Peter credit for knowing that he is sinking and crying out to the Lord for help before he is in over his head.  Before we criticize Peter for sinking in the water, he needs to be honored for his wondrous demonstration of faith!  He dares to be bold and courageous – signs of a growing, healthy faith. Peter grows through his trial to have even greater faith.  His experience turns out to be a blessing for the others, as well as himself. This miracle magnifies Jesus’ kingship.  Peter and the others know that He is the ruler over all nature.  All people and things, including the wind and the waves, must obey Him.  Perhaps the most important understanding we can gain from this story is that, Jesus ends up in the boat with the disciples.  When surrounded by adversity, safety and salvation are experienced in the church with Jesus in its midst. When the disciples see the power of Jesus in this situation, all they can do is fall down and worship Him as the Son of God!

Perhaps harkening to another story where Jesus is with His disciples in a boat on the sea, a young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows."  This puzzled the farmer. But he liked the young man, and hired him.  A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm. They quickly began to check things out to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace. The young man slept soundly. The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements.  The tractor had been moved into the garage. The barn was properly locked. Even the animals were calm. All was well. The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep when the wind blows." Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm.

As one of our favorite songs by Scott Krippayne reminds us -- sometimes Jesus is going to calm the storms in your life…other times, He is going to calm the storm in you, thought the circumstances of life continue to rage. What we can learn is that it is not so much whether we are successful in life that makes the difference, but whether we are faithful!  We may not always be successful, rather like Peter, we can learn a lot from failure.  Circumstances can test us, but how we deal with them can make a huge difference for us.  Like the young man, we need to be ready for the storm.  It is very easy to be comfortable and content to just stay in the boat, as did the other eleven disciples – we have got to be willing to be challenged…to do something different from our regularly scheduled programming, and so, we are here.  Many never really get out on the water to see how the Lord can mightily use them.  But with faith, nothing ventured, nothing gained!  When we choose to live by faith…when we truly exercise trust in the Lord…single-minded and focused -- then Satan and fear have much less opportunity to get a foothold in our lives.  We need to think outside of ourselves – we need to be willing to consider and actually find ways to get out of the boat -- and consider how the Lord can use us and help us to grow…and be a blessing to other people, so that they also can grow!  When we do, then our lives become rich and full, and we find purpose for our Christian walk. 

Yet, as I now read this, I believe a message that is just as important is -- are we living as if Jesus is in our midst?  Is he present in our lives?  The Lord comes to us in the storms of life.  He may not always come at the times that we think He should…He knows when we need Him the most – He has our best faith interests at heart. But more importantly, are we allowing Him to dwell with and is us?  We do not need to be so far from Him that He seems like an apparition to us.  We need Him to be present with us.  He wants to be close to you…in the boat with you. Welcome Him.

Blessings, Don

Virtues

Friends,

Perhaps you have heard about the guy who fell in love with an opera singer. He hardly knew her, since his only view of the singer was through binoculars - from the third balcony. He was convinced he could live “happily ever after” married to a voice like that. He scarcely noticed that she was considerably older than he was. Nor did he care that she walked with a limp. Her mezzo-soprano voice would take them through whatever might come. After a whirlwind romance and a hurry-up ceremony, they were off for their honeymoon. She began to prepare for their first night together. As he watched, his chin dropped to his chest. She plucked out her glass eye and plopped it into a container on the night-stand. She pulled off her wig, ripped off her false eyelashes, yanked out her dentures, unstrapped her artificial leg, and smiled at him as she slipped off her glasses that hid her hearing aid. Stunned and horrified, he gasped, “For goodness sake, woman, sing, sing, SING!” (From Charles Swindoll, “Strike the Original Match”)

It was easy for the man to think and say that her voice would take them through whatever might come. But he didn’t realize what he was getting into. I suppose that this is why Paul tells the Roman Christians in 12:9-21, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” Words come easy, but actions are not always so easy to follow through. This thought leads off a series of important virtues that Christians are to live in relationship with others. It is these characteristics that we will explore today. Paul tells the Roman Christians that they have a responsibility in their service to the Lord and to one another. There are several principles that they are to maintain in their lives. These also apply to us in helping us to experience good, growing relationships.

Many interpret God’s love to be some “wishy, washy” matter...but Agape love is not about happy, happy, happy (although I love “happy, happy, happy”). It is about doing something for people. It is about being active in our service for someone else. It is “the circulatory system for the spiritual body.” And it needs to be sincere…that is, “without hypocrisy” – there is nothing fake about it. We should strive for honesty and trust in all of our relationships, because these are foundational principles to building relationships.

Paul asks that we show loyalty in our devotion to each other, being concerned that we treat one another with honor. And this is certainly as it should be in our relationship with God. We should be as loyal to Him as He was to us through His Son. This is a virtue that…in a great way…has gone missing in our culture. People will be loyal as long things are good, or as long as it is going their way…but as soon as there are difficulties, many will bolt. They do not realize that it is “weathering the storms” with our friends and church families that draw us even closer, and grow us spiritually.

Diligence is important…having an attitude that is focused upon serving to the best of our abilities….looking for opportunities to do good. I am afraid that this is also often found wanting. Many may serve on occasion, but only when it is convenient…and many are not going to be inconvenienced, or diligent to serve.

Hospitality is shared by those who love one another. This used to always be having people over for dinner…and this is still important. But, many times, it is going out to meals with friends, or even sending them out on a date with a gift card – whatever works.

Paul asks that we share sympathy with one another…that we feel with one another when there are joys and sorrows. These things build our relationships and make us stronger, as well.

Humility is the key to keeping relationships straight…if we are in the wrong, we swallow our pride and seek to make things right. If we have been wronged, then we live with a forgiving heart.

Jesus speaks about how important it is to make peace with one another to the best of our ability (Mark 9:50, etc.)…and Paul says that as far as it depends upon us, this should be the case.

He goes on to tell the Roman believers that their attitudes and actions are regularly under scrutiny by those who are non-believers. We need to be careful that our conduct upholds the standards of our Lord. Even when we do the right things and say the right things, everything is not always going to go right. As Paul indicates, we always need to do what is right, regardless, and often we can win over our enemies or those who oppose us. Christians live at a higher level, returning good for evil. Good for evil requires faith. As we love, serve as our Lord did, we learn to grow in grace, and become better servants for Him!

“Never cast aside your friends if by any possibility you can retain them. We are the weakest of spendthrifts if we let a friend drop off through inattention, or let one push away another, or if we hold aloof from one for petty jealousy of heedless slight or roughness. If there is coolness or unkindness between us, let us come face to face and have it out…quickly, before love grows cold. Would you throw away a diamond because it pricked you? One good friend is not to be weighed against the jewels of all the earth.” – Anonymous

I close with something I wrote a few years ago – freedom to love. True love cannot be the result of decree, force or manipulation. Anything that I do to deprive someone of the right to choose is a violation of his or her personhood. When I sense that my own right to choose is being threatened, then I know that I am not being loved...and the doors to ministry are not open. Paul tells the Corinthians that "love does not seek its own" (13:5b). Many times, the best solution is to yield until I feel free to make the right choice. Many in our society, and even some believers, see submission as a sign of weakness. I think that all we have to do is look to the life of our Lord and Savior to understand that submission is indeed a sign of grace and strength.

Blessings, Don

A Final Message

Friends,

The final message that Jesus shares with His disciples before His death, burial and resurrection focuses on prayer and overcoming (John 16:23-33).  The Lord mentions prayer many times in His ministry, and He sets the example for prayer in His own life.  He has spoken to them in parables, and has used other metaphors to make necessary points to them concerning matters of spirituality.  Now, He speaks plainly concerning the fact that there will be a new situation because of His resurrection and ascension…and because of the coming Holy Spirit.  He is speaking to them plainly in order to reveal the Father to them (John 14:6ff).  Jesus will return to the Father in heaven, and there minister as our High Priest, making intercession for us (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25).  Jesus’ ministry in heaven makes possible our ministry of witnessing on the earth, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the promise that they desperately need to believe.  He knows that the disciples want to ask Him a question.  He does tell them that a day is coming when they will not be able to ask Him questions (following His ascension).  Instead, they will pray to the Father and He will meet their needs, and provide direction through the Holy Spirit.  When we read the book of Acts, we do see that the early church was dependent upon prayer.  They believed the promises of God and asked God for what they needed.

In v.29, the light appears to go on for the disciples, as they make a significant affirmation of faith.  They apparently had been unable to grasp the meaning of the promised resurrection…which is entirely understandable.   Now, they not only affirm their understanding, but affirm their faith and assurance.  Jesus seems to accept it, as well…even as He understands their weaknesses.  He reports concerning the spiritual condition of the disciples to His Father in the High Priestly prayer in the next chapter (17:6-8).  Jesus goes on to explain that it is possible to have faith, understanding and assurance, and still fail the Lord.  Jesus has already warned Peter concerning His forthcoming denials, but now He warns that nearly all of them are going to forsake Him.

16:33 is the summary and powerful climax of the Upper Room message.  Why does he share it?  It is in order that they…and disciples of all generations…might understand that they can have peace in a world of tribulation.  This is a great message of hope.  In Christ, there is peace…in the world, there is trouble.  The position we need to claim is – we are in Christ…and therefore, we can overcome the world and all of its hatred.  Every believer is either overcome or is an overcomer.  As Paul tells the Romans, the world wants us to conform, but Jesus wants us to be transformed, changed to new spiritual beings (Romans 12:1-2).  Finally, He announces, “Be of Good Cheer.”  Jesus has victory over the world – that is Good News (not bad news), in fact, it is the best news of all-time.  There is joy in our lives when God answers prayer…and when we permit God to transform us and to transform our sorrows into joy.

Tim Raines wasn’t prepared for the deafening cheers from the usually quiet crowd when he stepped to the plate in his first game back with the old Montreal Expos.  For Raines, it was like being in the World Series and batting with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the winning run on base.  ``It was that type of ovation,’’ said Raines, who spent his first 12 seasons with the Expos before returning at age 41.  Raines had been in the World Series, winning it twice with the New York Yankees. But his comeback from lupus might have been an even more impressive feat for one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball history. Raines’ career appeared to have ended on July 19, 1999, when the Oakland Athletics placed him on the disabled list with kidney inflammation. He was subsequently diagnosed with lupus. ``Lupus took me away from the game, and I wasn’t ready to give it up,’’ Raines said. ``That drove me back.’’ Nobody, other than Raines, understood the odds against him better than his wife.  ``He didn’t have any muscle and he was up to about 225 pounds from the lupus,’’ Virginia Raines said. ``With all the medication he was taking, his body was so weak that he couldn’t do much.’’  Gradually, Raines was able to reduce his medication to the point where he was just taking three pills a day, along with vitamin supplements. And so there was a thunderous reception in Montreal that week. It might have been the most gratifying moment for the man known as “The Rock” and “Purple”.  ``I had tears in my eyes,’’ said his wife, Virginia. ``I knew I was going to get goose-bumps, I had those, but then I started crying. It was unbelievable. It was fantastic.’’ The cheers continued throughout Raines’ first at-bat. This was just one human being playing baseball, coming back as if from the dead. 

As tremendous as Tim Raines’ comeback story is, there are many others that are just as wonderful.   Of course, the greatest comeback…the greatest overcomer of all time…is Jesus.  We can always be of good cheer, because we are connected to the greatest story in history…told about God who became a man in order to bring salvation to His people.  As Phil Robertson says, ”I haven’t heard of a story to beat that one yet.”

Blessings, Don

A Peace of the Action

Friends,

As seen in this portion of the Ephesian letter (2:11-22), Paul is working with the Gentiles.  Most of the Ephesian believers are Gentile converts, yet they understand that much of God’s program in the Old Covenant involves the Jews.  The Jews are not kind to the Gentiles.  Many of the Jews believe that the Gentiles need to become Jews first before they can be acceptable to God and to them.  God made the difference between the Jews and Gentiles from the time of Abraham…not that the Jews might boast in how great they were, but in order to be a blessing and a help to the Gentiles.  The Jews might have been different nationally, ritually…but morally, they are the same as the Gentiles.

Before they came to Christ, the Gentile Ephesians worshipped Diana (or Artemis).  Some of them believed they could worship Diana and Christ…and that it would all be the same.  Paul says – no way!  The Jews were a “special nation”…but not so the Gentiles.  They did not have a covenant for themselves.  They were aliens and strangers and the Jews never let them forget it.  The Gentiles’ philosophies, religions were empty and powerless to help men face life and death.  They were, as a whole, without God.  The nations had many gods (see Paul in Athens, Acts 17), but they didn’t know the One True God.  The Gentiles were included in God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)…and this ultimately would culminate in their having hope through Christ Jesus. 

Although the Jews, Gentiles might have different purposes, these differences are erased in Christ’s reconciliation or “bringing them together again.”  There is not a significant problem for the church until Peter is sent to the Gentiles (Acts 10).  Then there is enmity (Acts 11-15).  Are the Gentiles supposed to become “Jewish Christians”?  No.  The enmity was taken away.  The law that separated the Jews and Gentiles is taken down…Christ destroys the wall and makes peace.  The big picture is what really needs to be considered.  Not only did the Gentiles need to be reconciled to the Jews, but both Jews and Gentiles need to be reconciled to God!  It is not a question of a Gentile becoming a Jew in order to become a Christian, but the Jew admitting he is a sinner like the Gentile.  Jews and Gentiles both have access to the same God through the new covenant brought by Christ Jesus.  Israel was God’s chosen nation, but they rejected their redeemer and suffered the consequences.  The kingdom was taken from them and given to “a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof…” (Matthew 21:43).  The new nation is “spiritual Israel”, the church.  Sin divides mankind, but Christ unites people by His Spirit.  All believers, regardless of national background, belong to a “holy nation” with citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3).  God does not dwell in a house made with hands, in temples or church buildings…but He lives in the lives of His believers (1 Corinthians 6:19), who are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:19). What a glorious plan in order to bring “oneness” and “peace.”

Joel Jongkind shares this -- In the latter part of the gospels, the disciples were in quite a state when they were gathered in the upper room. Their Lord and friend had been crucified, and the authorities were after them. They sat and wondered what to do next. Some of them were ready to go back home. And suddenly, Jesus was with them, and they heard His wonderful words, "Peace be with you."' Sometimes we too doubt and worry; sometimes we have a feeling of anguish in our hearts. We sit and wonder, or we lie in bed and worry, and we pray about it, or we go to church to worship, or we pick up the Bible and read those wonderful words, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NKJV) Or we hear Jesus' words, "Peace be with you."  The word "peace" has been used a great deal over the years. Every time we turn on the television, we hear people “talking about peace” in places where there are wars and uprisings: in the Middle East, in Syria in particular lately, and in a number of African countries as well. There are a lot of negotiations, but there does not seem to be a lasting peace.  Before one war is over, another one has started. There seems to be no end to it, and we have learned nothing from history; there is no lasting peace. But inner peace is for all of us to have and to hold through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. We know that the triune God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- is our source of lasting peace, and then, it does not matter what might happen in our lives, for we can be at peace through faith, and we will have peace in our hearts.”

It is interesting to note that religious history is not a record of man starting with many gods (idolatry) and gradually discovering the One True God.  Rather, it is the sad story of man knowing the truth about God and deliberately turning away from it.  God called the Jews beginning with Abraham that through them, He might reveal Himself as the One True God.  Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles, but their light burned dimly.  Today, we…spiritual Israel, the church…are not all that unlike the Jews and Gentiles as it relates to our ideals, philosophies and the like.  We all come from different places, have different backgrounds.  The message of grace and reconciliation is just as important today as it has always been…maybe it is even more important as it relates to one another, given the great differences between people…especially those in our fellowship.  But, the goal is not any different for us than it was for early believers.  In spite of our differences, we find ways to submit our spirits to the Spirit of God and when we do so, we are able to be at peace with God and with one another.  And this has value beyond what any of us can really truly appreciate individually…but it is good. Keep working at allowing the “peace of Christ to dwell in your hearts.”

Blessings, Don