Walking On Water

Jesus Walked on water, maybe I can too!

It seems amazing to us that there are accounts of Jesus walking on water. But what is more amazing to me is he is not the only one who did. We can see in Matthew 14:29-31 that the apostle Peter did as well.
Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
So there it is Peter walking on water if even just a few steps. And I can too and so could you. You see Jesus said in John 14:12-13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
So why haven't I seen people doing these things? Well lets look back at the water walking moment to find some clues. The first thing I see is Peter does not just get out of the boat. he asks Jesus to call him. If He isn't calling you to do something then you probably are not going to be able to do much beyond your own ability. But when you are called by God anything is possible.
The next thing is after you are called you have to have enough faith to step out onto the water. And what we see is that only one in twelve will even get out of the boat. The rest are just spectators (boat potatoes). And following God is not a spectator sport.
Once you are "walking on water" there are sure to be distractions. The enemy of your life "Satan" does not want you doing great things for God. He will send storms (distractions) into you life. And what we see is that when Peter was distracted from keeping his focus on Jesus he began to sink. We too will fail and begin to sink when we lose sight of Jesus in our walk as well.
When we loose sight of who Jesus is we loose faith and as we can see Jesus said Peter had "little faith" and instead had doubt. With big faith water walking is possible.

Also with Jesus trying this risky business of "water walking" is not really so risky because when we begin to sink He is there to give us a hand when we ask for help. But most of us are content to stay in the boat for fear of failure. And failure is then assured because we never even try.

So what do I really mean by "water walking"? It's doing something that is beyond what you could normally do in your own power. Like healing someones illness, choosing the right path in life, having the right things to say to change someones life, Telling someone the truth and helping them to see it (bringing eyesight to the blind). Jesus said "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also" So none of this is a stretch at all. In fact in my life I have seen it first hand. I have a child when it seemed I was not able (thanks for the prayer George), my friend is healed of disease that has no cure, my father in law was cured of cancer without chemotherapy after being told he had a year to live (it's been nine years now). I found a solution to a big problem through miraculous guidance (whole new career). I taught a bible study to teens with no bible knowledge and somehow came up with a profound lesson each week. And many other examples. You can see in the bible once Jesus was gone the apostles were able to heal the lame, bring eyesight to the blind, speak in languages they didn't know, bring the dead back to life, and change the world by spreading the "good news" of saving and transforming power of Jesus. And you can too!

"If you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat"

Pearls of Great Value

Pearls
One of my friends Mike was teaching a sermon from 1 Samuel 1. Now in this story a man named Elkanah had two wives one named Hannah and one named Peninnah. Peninnah had children but Hannah had no children. Now it said in 1 Samuel 1:5 that Elkanah gave Hannah double portions because he loved her, although the Lord had closed her womb. Now it calls Peninnah the other of the man’s wives her rival. And it says that Peninnah provoked Hannah severly to make her miserable. Now at this point Mike used the word irritant. He said Peninnah was an irritant to Hannah. He said God uses irritants to get us to move when we are comfortable. At this point I hear this little voice say “What does Peninnah’s name mean?” So I looked it up (in my bible it has this word study index) and it said Peninnah means coral or pearl. I thought about it for a time and realized that a grain of sand or an irritant in the oyster with time becomes a pearl or something of great value. So I realized that God sees our irritants as pearls and we should look at the people in our lives that irritate us as valuable "pearls" as well. I feel God often places people in our lives that cause conflict because it is an opportunity for spiritual growth. God is not interested in my comfort but in my character. So in this story Hannah’s discomfort finally brings her to bitterness (1 Samuel 1:10). At this place she finally prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she prayed for a child in a deep and profound way, and her prayer was answered. I will tell you I did not want to hear this because there had been people in my life who were making me miserable and I was becoming bitter with time just like Hannah. This was one of the things that helped me breakthrough this offense that I carried and let me heal.
Now I found this out about bitterness. Everyone in their walk eventually will come to this place and it is very important what you do here. In Exodus 15:23-26 the people came to a place called "Marah". The water there was bitter. The people complained against Moses. So he cried out to the Lord and God showed him a tree. When he cast the tree into the water the water was made sweet. So we can complain but it does not change the bitterness. Or we can place the tree that was there all along in the water and change bitterness to sweetness. The tree is the cross and it’s been there all along and it transforms the bitterness to sweetness and the irritants to pearls. This is very important what you do in these places in your lives because it says in Exodus 15:25 "there He tested them". He is capitalized. Here is what I get out of this. Sometimes God places bitter circumstances in our lives to test us and see what is in our hearts and what we will do. There is always a tree there to place in the bitter circumstances to turn it sweet. It's up to me to place it in the water. I know I feel that I’m right. And I’m hurt, when someone does me wrong, like when someone lies to me, or someone hurts me our my child and I want them to pay for it. I want them to pay a price to make it right. The problem is this. Someone already did. On the tree. Jesus already paid for the sins of the world. Do I believe Jesus paid for my sins? Do I believe Jesus sacrifice was good enough for my forgiveness? If I do then I have to let His payment be good enough for others as well. Place the tree in the bitter water and make it sweet.
Matthew 13:45-46. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls. Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Yep he bought those pearls at a great price and I’m one of them to. I’m an irritant to help others move when they become too comfortable.

One more thing on Pearls. In Revelation 21:21 it says the gates of heaven are made of pearls.

Giant Problems

Fighting Giants, or Facing Big Problems

Most of us have encountered some BIG problem in our lives? Something that appears unbeatable. Maybe it is something that just won’t go away. In the Old Testament GIANTS are the picture of this

Perhaps your problem was caused by someone else and you have no control over it. Maybe your parents split up, or you never even met one of your parents. Perhaps your problem is that someone close to you died. Maybe someone has done something terrible to you. Or you have an illness. So what is your giant?
How did David successfully fight the giant, Goliath, in his life? Did he make excuses? Did he let fear stop him? Did he just wait and hope it would go away? Did he try to do it under his own power? Did he run away and hide? To take on the big problems or giants in your life you need to face them and let God help you.
How can God help you with your giant?
First, He is the God of comfort. God can help ease the pain if you let him. Matthew 5:4. “God blesses those who morn, for they will be comforted.” 2 Corinthians 1; 3, says God is “the source of every mercy and the God who comforts.”
Second, you probably can’t do it under your own strength. When Samson was left to his own strength he was captured by the Philistines. When David fought Goliath with God’s strength he was victorious. When we work then we work. When we pray then God works.
Third, you probably don’t have enough knowledge to get the best results. Why not ask for the one who is the author of knowledge. God is all knowing and knows what action will get the best results. Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Fighting giants is an interesting business. Very few of us are Davids, or able to fight our giants alone. But there is another example of a "giant Fighter" in the bible. His name is Caleb. Caleb was one of the 12 people sent to spy out the Promised Land. While others came back and reported in fear of giants, Caleb did not see them as a problem.

In Numbers 14:9 Caleb said "Do not fear the people of the land for they are our bread".

What looked like giants to others or big problems looked like bread to Caleb. Why is this? Because he knew to face down the giants in our lives is the spiritual nourishment for growth and you must keep at it to stay spiritually strong. Caleb latter said in Joshua 14:11 that he was as strong today as on the day that Moses sent him. "Just as my strength was then, so is my strength for war, both for going out and coming in. By this time Caleb was physically old he is eighty five but look what he asks for when Joshua asks him what land he wants. Seen in (Joshua 14) also (Judges 1:20), He could take what ever location he wanted but he asked for the land where Hebron was. The reason he gave was because it was where the Anakim were and the cities were fortified. And he said (Joshua 14:12 "It may be that the Lord will be with me and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said". This is an eighty five year old man and he's not looking to retire. He is still ready to battle giants (the Anakim).
So Hebron is a unique place the word Hebron means "alliance" or simply "fellowship". Caleb understood that "alliance or fellowship" (Hebron) is the place to be if you want to defeat giants. Doing it alone is dangerous. That’s were the living stones comes in. We are just a worthless rock on our own but together we are a "spiritual house" as in 1 Peter 2:5. Together we make up the body of Christ. We all have different gifts and without each other we are a crippled body because we lack some parts. Psalm 11:14 says, "Where there is no counsel the people fall. But in the multitude of counselors there is safety". Well I have seen, first hand, mightier men of God than me fall. Jesus said we are to be "one" and that they will know us by how we love each other. The ability to battle the spiritual battle comes in fellowship. Where two or more come together in prayer.
So our enemies and our problems are the things that bring you closer to God and will refine you and make you change. The bad times also give us the best opportunity to do God’s work. I think that the bad times in our lives are where we bear the most fruit. This is where the biggest changes happen in us and how we react to bad times can make the biggest impact on others.
As for those who have broken families. God may not put your parents back together. He won’t return your lost loved ones either. But God does have an answer to help. God wants to adopt you into His family. This family has incredible benefits and the greatest father. God’s family has all the love you could ever need. Romans 8:14. For as many are led by the spirit of God, These are sons of God. Matthew 12:50. “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Being part of God’s family can help you get past the family problems that you have.

Can God Even Use Me?

Do you ask yourself, “Can God even use me?” Or do you say “I don’t see how God could use me because I’m not good enough. Not with the things I have done” "He couldn't use me because I,m worthless."

Moses didn’t believe he was good enough to be used by God. He said “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11. He also said “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” After all Moses had left Egypt because he was wanted for murder. Exodus 4:10. Elijah one of the greatest prophets, who brought people back to life, made food last supernaturally, and controlled the weather, was just an ordinary man. It says in James 5:17 that “Elijah was a man just like us.” It says in Acts 4:13 the apostles Peter and John were unschooled, ordinary men. All the people God uses are ordinary people just like you and me, and in many cases people with much bigger problems or disabilities than we have.
All these people were ordinary. Their relationship with God and God’s working through them is what was extraordinary.

The truth is God made you for a purpose. God does not make mistakes.

When you say you don’t think God can use you. You are not saying that you are insignificant or unworthy. What you are saying is that you don’t believe God is capable. You are insulting God.

God does not respect or favor one person more than another. Everyone has an equal opportunity in God’s kingdom to make a difference. God said “As I was with Moses, so I shall be with you.” The laws and truths of God’s kingdom that have worked for others will also work for you. Just like the laws of the natural world work the same for all of us. Gravity does not care who you are when you jump off a building, we all splat the same on impact.

It is all up to you. James 4:8 says, if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us and lead us and empower us to live the way He desires us to live. So it is up to us to draw near to him. You must take the first step.

God wants to do His work through you. He doesn’t want you to do the work.

Some Live Gospel Bluegrass

Music is the inarticulate speach of the heart. So music opens doors into your heart. This one is full of the things I want to welcome into mine!

Bluegrass Gospel Project
10-26-07
The Old Meeting House
Montpelier Vermont
Soundboard
Total time 72:28

Wonder on Weary Soul, The Light,
Is That You My Lord, Age,
Phrisees, 40 years Of Trouble
Poughkeepsie
Give Me A Little More Time
Blue Train, Wicked Path Of Sin
Down from Canada, River Jordan
Shelter Me Lord, All Prayed Up
Time Of Dying, Carved In Stone
Go Back To God, Lifeboat
Revelation, Lean On Me

mp3/320k
Download Links
http://www.mediafire.com/?cbw8gxebzgwc08r

Support the artists, Buy their records
http://www.bluegrassgospelproject.com/

Amazing Complex Creation

My God is an amazing creator. He created you. And you are different than anyone else. The instructions he gave to one little cell to make you (your genetic code) if read one letter per second would take 97 years to read. But somehow that little cell put you together in all your complexity in just nine months. The average person spends about one half an hour as a single cell. By the time you are fully developed your body contains around 10 to 50 Trillion cells. On the average 300 million cells in our body die per minute and as that happens our body will make that many new ones (we hope). The human brain is estimated to have the memory storage of up to 1000 terabytes and uses the amount of power that it takes to run a 10 watt light bulb. The body has an estimated 60,000 miles of blood vessels and the surface area of our lungs is estimated at that of the surface area of a tennis court so oxygen and CO2 can be transferred into and out of the blood. It is estimated the human body uses around 200 muscles to take one step. There are over a million nerve cells that connect the eye to the brain so you can even see this to read. And some how it all works together to make this! A beautiful child.

But yea I know this just happened by random chance!