Rocking the Boat

It is during this time of the new year in the month of January that I remember Jesus walking on the water, and Peter asking to join Him out there on it! I also remember Peter seeing the waves and how that wave activity would certainly delight a kite boarder on the Columbia River here in the Northwest but would do nothing for anyone else. In hearing the howl of such a wind the last three days I continue to give thanks to the Lord that we reside in Him. I am thankful to reside in Him where safety is the rule of protection. We were out for a drive the other day on such a windy day and I remember our daughter making mention of the white caps on the river. I certainly took note of them and was glad I was not out there in the midst of all that chaos in the river but on dry roadway in warm vehicle heading home.

IN life, many things come up to "rock your boat", and when my husband had called me today from his workplace, I was believing for some praise reports but heard another sound of the "wheel bearing" and this, and this and this on the car he drives to work. Thankful it did not seize up but was not the praise report I am waiting for to hear! So he continues to speak on the car thing, and I am on when will the praise report come directly into our hearing by others who know not the Lord God!

Like Peter, we too desire to step out and do what we see our Lord doing. But in doing that we must know without doubt that He is with us, and He is in us. And by the Holy Spirit we should see the same miraculous things Jesus did in His life! Proverbs 16:3 Amplified Bible tells us this: Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] shall your plans be established and succeed. 4 The Lord has made everything [ to accommodate itself and contribute] to ends its own end and His own purpose-----even the wicked [are fitted for their role] for the day of calamity and evil.

So life is moving in the new year, and we are expecting another good report while keeping watch in prayer for all the Lord has given to us in this life time. Did not Jesus do that?

Jesus certainly rolled His works upon His father. Jesus trusted as the son of God. If we are sons of God, then our expectation and hope is that in nothing shall we be ashamed. For what we are earnestly expecting is not dependent on how the car is running today, or is it even dependent on the world's economy. It is based on what my Father God promised me in His covenant I stand on in His word of truth. I allow those promises to be rehearsed loudly so  that hope arises in me! For with My Father God, all things are possible to me who believes. I am a believer and all things are possible to me!

And the other word that comes to my mind is "patience". We are to have patience in our walk with God. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 speaks this: May the Lord direct your hearts into [realizing and showing] the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ and in waiting for His return.
Everything we do must be within the confines of God's purpose for our lives. It is not shirking our duties, walking disorderly for we are to be doers of God's word acting in the godly manner toward others. Today I am thankful for the Lord's greatness of His grace to us, and that by faith we can hold onto His kingdom that has come.

So I come to Paul here at this point in this writing. We have all heard the teaching of the "thorn" in Paul's side. And many have preached on it for years that God was not going to heal him!!!! What???
But that thorn is a person not a sickness!
 Judges 2:3  "Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be "thorns" in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.'" 4 So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.
Numbers 33:55 'And you shall drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.
2 Corinthians 12: 1-9 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago---whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows---such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man---whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-----4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. 6 For though i might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to or hears from me. 7 AND lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelation, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me . 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

In the words, you find what the "thing" is: "this thing: is a person 5127 for the action in that it might depart from me....is action of the person....in meaning one who is revolting against what the Lord has you doing for that purpose in You from HIM! So whatever person is buffeting you, you also have an anointing of the Lord on your life. Those thorns ( people) can help us become the person we are meant to be in God's kingdom. Paul would not cease to continue what God had started in him. No man, woman or other would stop the purpose God planned from the foundation of the world.

Those who maintain their life in the world will continue to worship their idols being irritants. Paul certainly had visions and revelation of the Lord's teachings and those who spurned him, even those in the church became the thorn in his side.

In looking  at the eleventh chapter, Paul had just finished listing what those infirmities were: In verses 23-29 of chapter 11 was people induced problems like imprisonment, stripes, shipwrecks, and it was in being stone. ( can you imagine a thorn stoning you???) NONE of these speak of sickness. Yet a person can become weary by such things which can affect the body. (Acts 14:19)
Weariness is not of the Lord!

So if there is a rocking of the boat, a wind with attitude blowing through your region, know the Lord is with you. And when a person  or persons surround you to buffet as the thorny bush of the world, remember that you are in in that place with Him sustained to endure whatever comes to maintain that walk that the Lord is good and is life to us in all circumstances that may arise. For that thorny person may need to actually see Jesus at work in you, to see truth come when obedience to Him is followed. Let truth prevail in you.  Let God arise today in your situation and let His enemies be scattered. Amen.

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Heard It Through the Grapevine

We had a tremendous time with the Lord last night. We had a special word on "abiding". We had wonderful worship and prayer together as a team. Then we had "food". Ahh, yes, Jesus liked to eat as well. We find it happening after His resurrection. Yes, down at the beach front of the Lake.......He had fish cooking on the "grill".
John 21:7-10
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.  9 When they landed, they saGRAEVINE,w a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. 

10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
NIV

How often as individuals and family leaders we get caught up in the "activity" of just doing. Well, "I did my job today and I am so tired!"  "I am just going to do my thing tonight (tomorrow, Sunday or ???)

In what we read above, the disciples had gone back to what they did before they met Jesus. Before their walk with Him, they as fishermen had gone back to that which they "knew oh so well"!

Some of the disciples saw the fire of burning coals and that were some fish already cooking.

Jesus knew where to find them. They had been so frightened to all that transpired by the one hundred or so company of soldiers had come to them in the garden to take Jesus away. They probably thought they were next in line for crucifixion. But Jesus knew them and what was in them. And He found them fishing. No, they were probably hidden out is some area as not to be seen as "one of those"who followed that Jesus!

In the passage in John 21 we find some interesting conversation between Jesus and the disciples....John 21:1-9 

21:1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

NKJV

 In verse 5, Jesus speaks to them.........."Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No".

Interesting Jesus says, "children".

How we desire to "help" our children! How we want to show them to walk through life, have this journey, and know the best of it each day.

Alas, these men had no fish. They had caught nothing. Jesus gave them instructions and they followed them. They caught a boat load that was more than enough and they came to shore.

I have found in my walk with the Lord that I could miss a lifetime of miracles if I miss a service or that special evening of worship and praise to God the Creator. No, there was no big "choir" singing. There was no one " playing bass guitar or beating some drums!" But we worshiped in song and in prayer. We came together as a family to give thanks. In all my years of church going, this year was like going home for the first time. It was this refreshing time of being with those you love and who love you back. A child prayed, a dessert was eaten, and prayer was given for all. A time to laugh, and joy in truth that God is ever with us. (Matthew 1:23)

In each of us, we had a story to tell. Some of health, some of family and some things caused by other people, but we each have seen God involved in our lives. We came together,expecting God in our future to fulfill all that He has promised.

Can God visit us in those other places we desire to venture? Well of course He can, but when in an environment that is tuned to K-SELF, instead of into G-O-D....we can come up short of not hearing or obeying even a small request from Him. If the noise of the world speaks over what God is saying to us.
The disciples surely got an instruction and about throwing the net on the other side of the boat. What if God is wanting to change the way we do something, and it is something that is "just ingrained" into our lives and thought patterns? What if God wants to give us answer to something that is right before us and before the storm hits our life?
Jesus laid down His life in heaven to pick up that which was of flesh and bone. He took up that which He could see and know first hand the lives of His children.
But what if we choose to roam.........but I will be back when I am ready to get back to Jesus!

Matthew 16:13-20

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 

17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. 

NIV

The most interesting thing about this passage is that the one set of disciples each had something immediately about what they had heard...............you know like through the grapevine!
Well,........"Some say John the Baptist...........others say Elijah and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
Yes this group heard about what others were saying though ..and...(you guessed it).. they answered Jesus with.......GOSSIP that they had heard!
But Jesus asked them.........."But what about you...........", "Who do you say that I am?"
And Simon answered........."You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus told Simon Peter......"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter (rock) and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
What Jesus gave of Himself........was such that He had.........not of fancy clothes, not rigorous royalty schedules of pomp but of the word of God given to teach of the kingdom which had come. It was given in the life that was stirred up in the beginning. It was the Holy Spirit, the third God head......that was present, is present and will always be present. It is recognized by the fruit of..........love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-26)
We who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. We are to live by the Spirit and (not flesh man).........to keep in step with the Spirit (verse 25)

If we are living by what man says about us..........."LOOK OUT!!!"
But if we are the determined to live by the Spirit and have the fruit of what we see from that life, we have the key to that kingdom. And when it comes others will know it!
Again, it is by recognizing that which is within each of us.
Hell cannot prevail against us when we are the man or woman of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Jesus spoke that the gates of hell would not prevail against us..........and that meant that our agreement was to be by the Spirit that would be in word and in truth.
Have you gone to church with someone or others who you try to talk to about Jesus and the goodness of God and they seem to speak a different language than English and look at you like you might be from another planet? This is what it appears to me.........and yet, in some regards, it is they seem to know of Jesus but do not abide in Him.


1 John 2:6
 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
NKJV

Those who live by the Spirit are the yielding and they give love wherever they go. I know such people as these and they are light to the lost.

We are to walk like Jesus walked and not by what others say about us or if they think what we are doing is right or wrong just because they get upset about it. If what we are doing is worshiping God and Him alone, the one True God Who is the Only Good God........Luke 18:19 and giving Him glory for all that happens in our homes, in our lives and even in church, then God is truly with Us and will be evident. Each will be known whether they have been with God or not.

He is ever-present and if He sends us to worship in corporate worship with others, it is because He desires it and desires us to be obedient.

In those places of truly coming to the rug.........like our grand-daughter speaks...........that secret place is that where we truly submit, truly speak His Word and affirm that "Greater is He that is me (you) than he that is in the world! Where all  that is spoken comes back to give God glory then we have come to His kingdom where the fruit of the Spirit prevails.

In an awesome testimony last night the Apostle spoke of how God was speaking His plan in a special thing for his family and how just speaking to another showed the Apostle how God was already on the scene and knew about it by what was spoken, even though this "person" had not known  what God was speaking BUT BY THE SPIRIT ONLY!

Yes God is here and now, and we can find Him in searching the Word and in praise to His name, giving glory that belongs only to Him...........and when we are there, called to that place in corporate worship, we hear the answers to what may be coming down the pike........down I-5.........down that grapevine that may be caused by others, but all the while we who listen to the Spirit will be those that know without a doubt that which is by the SPIRIT OF GOD, and WE HAVE THE VICTORY!

In closing.......yield to God, hear the Spirit today........the Spirit of Grace and Mercy..........for such is the kingdom of heaven......and participate with......those the Lord calls His children...........His beloved!


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