Command Me to Come

Matthew 14:26-33

“When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’  And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’” 

“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to you on the water.’”

If- he is still not sure, completely convinced- so Lord, IF it is You, command me and enable me to do what only You can do!  Lord, You ask, and I will trust that you will enable me, but I’m not going to try on my own.  You make the command: “Command me to come..”

“And He said, ‘Come!’"

 And Peter was enabled to do something that he could never have done on his own.  He was able because the Lord did the bidding and Peter responded to that command.  He walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

(Our obedience to His word and His command will always take us closer to Jesus. Be careful if in anything you 'think' you are walking in obedience yet find that it is not taking you closer to Jesus' heart.)

BUT

Seeing the wind

(Oh, that 'sight' thing, taking his focus off of Jesus and putting it on the circumstances.  "..for we walk by faith, not by sight (appearance)." 2 Cor. 5:7),

he (results): - became frightened and

                    - beginning to sink,

                                          he cried out (he did the right thing!) “Lord save me!”

“Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?'”

(Right there Jesus gives us the reason Peter did not continue walking on his high places in the midst of the storm and why we sink as well:  DOUBT.)

          Lord, whatever You want me to do, command me because I know with Your command, comes Your enabling.  But do not let me step out on my own. 

 I don’t want to live a life of little faith and much doubt.  Lord make me faithful to take the steps of obedience and keep my eyes on You and not the surrounding circumstances, as they are almost always discouraging to my steps of faith.  Protect me from unbelief and doubt.

On the ground of your word, I will do as You say.  Luke 5:5 see also Excel Still More: I Will Do As You Say: Part 5

It Is I; Do Not Be Afraid

“When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’  And they cried out in fear.” Matthew 14:26

            It may not be something as dramatic as seeing Jesus walking on water, but how many times has this scene been played out in our lives.  He shows Himself BIG (bigger than the little box that we have put Him in), and we allow it to scare us.  Or He doesn’t work in our lives according to OUR plans, and it strikes terror and complete panic within us.

 “But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’” Matthew 14:27

I must take courage and realize that even though I may not understand what He’s doing and may question His ways while I’m in the midst of fearful circumstances, He is still the same Jesus that I know and love and trust with my life and open my ears to hear Him say, ‘It is I; do not be afraid’ and take my courage from Him.

Crucified With Christ

 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Gal 2:20

          We can become so familiar with those words that we lose all spiritual sight of the weight of that statement. The Lord our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6) gave Himself up for me! 
     “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us”...

  -gave Himself so that we could go on and live however we desire in this present age?!! No! gave Himself for us-

“to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.  Let no one disregard you.” Titus 2:11-15

“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.  Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Romans 6:5,6,7     No longer a slave to sin; live as a free man.  It was for freedom that you have been set free. Gal 5:1  Oh, what good, beautiful news. May we LIVE in the light of that TRUTH and speak and share it.

Oswald Chambers1 
"...he (Paul) does not say, 'I have determined to imitate Jesus Christ,' or, 'I will endeavour to follow Him; - but- ' I have been identified with Him in His death.'  When I come to such a moral decision and act upon it, then all that Christ wrought for me on the Cross is wrought in me.  The free committal of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the chance to impart to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.
         '....Nevertheless I live...'  The individuality remains, but the mainspring, the ruling disposition, is radically altered.  The same human body remains, but the old satanic right to myself is destroyed.
          'And the life which I now live in the flesh..,' not the life which I long to live and pray to live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh, the life which men can see, 'I live by the faith of the Son of God.'  This faith is not Paul's faith in Jesus Chris, but the faith that the Son of God has imparted to him-- 'the faith of the Son of God.'  It is no longer faith in faith, but faith which has overleapt all conscious bounds, the identical faith of the son of God."

"But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."  1 Cor.. 1:30 

Oh Lord, thank you for rescuing us from the domain of darkness and transferring us to Your kingdom, in whom we have the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13,14).  We pray for many eyes to be opened to Your truth.  We pray that you would send out workers into Your harvest (Matt. 9:36-38) and that we ourselves would take up Your call-

"...to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."          Acts 26:17b,18  

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,2 even to the end of the age."          Matt. 28:19,20

May we not respond, 'Who am I?  I can't,'
         but humbly say "Here am I.  Send me."

1 My Utmost for His Highest: March 21

2 see also Excel Still More: I Will Be With You

Do Not Steal His Glory

Let us confess that apart from Him, we can do nothing!

Let us not steal glory that belongs to God and to Him alone.  
We, without Him, can do nothing.

Where then is boasting?  It is excluded.

Let us not boast in ourselves or how He can use us- 
rather let us boast that He can use us. 
Because with Him, all things are possible!

Oh, that our focus and motivation may all be on Him and for His glory. 

       “Am I becoming more and more in love with God as a holy God, or with the conception of an amiable Being who says, 'Oh well, sin doesn’t matter much'?  God never coerces, neither does He ever accommodate His demands to human compromise, and we are disloyal to Him if we do……Nothing can hinder God’s purpose in a personal life but the person himself…… It is extraordinary how things fall off from a man like autumn leaves once he comes to the place where there is no rule but that of personal domination of the Holy Spirit.”   Oswald Chambers

      

        Be (being) filled1- Eph 5:18- personally dominated by the Holy Spirit and abandoning all to Him, let Him lead.  Asking Him to empty you of yourself and to fill you to overflowing with His Spirit, follow close. He will lead you on level ground and enable you to walk on your high places as you seek Him first. Be in the Word and in prayer to hear your daily assignment and to partake of your daily sustaining bread.

He will lead you and guide you for His name’s sake and for His glory. (Psalm 31:3)

1 "Be filled"  Pres. imp. pass. "The idea of the word is 'control.'  The indwelling Spirit of God is the one who should continually control and dominate the life of the believer..  The present calls for a habitual and continuing action. Passive could be permissive pass.; "allow yourselves to be...:". This is further supported by imperative (command)."  From The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament.  Rogers and Rogers.

Dream Big! (We Choose- Part 2)

          Your big dream may happen in the prayer closet where no one on this earth sees, but your Heavenly Father does and will reward you (Matt. 6:6).  You may make a huge mark on this world because you have been called to a ministry of secret prayer.  It does not matter if anyone knows about you on this earth; you can be a HUGE success and fulfill your dream without a single person on this earth being aware or impressed with you.  

      As you dream big, think of the everyday dreams: dreams to walk in holiness and sincerity of heart, authenticity, integrity,  to walk in love in your relationships with your God, your spouse, children, friends, dreams to love Him and His Word more each day and to be faithful in prayer.  Are these in accordance to His will that you walk in them?  Yes. So He will enable you to walk on these heights in victory, as you take each step in obedience to His word.

He will make your feet like hinds' feet and set you upon your high places.  His right hand will uphold you, and He will enlarge your steps under you that your feet will not slip.  (Psalm 18:33-36)

        If You are for me and work all things according to my good, to conform me into the image of Your Son (and I do want to be conformed! Yes Lord), and if I am obedient and faithful to do what You have asked and am able to stand before You one day and say that I have done the good works that You had planned for me to do (Eph. 2:10), that I did not back off in fear or unbelief or give in to my desire to live a comfortable life, no matter the results that I may see or not, that is a success!

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."  John 14:12

You cannot outdream God.

Dream big!

We Choose

 “For You are my rock and my fortress;

  For Your name’s sake You will

         lead me and guide me.”  Psalm 31:3

The possibilities for the child of God are beyond

                            all that we dare ask or think.  Ephesians 3:20,21

              We are the ones who tend to limit ourselves. In this sense, we choose how much we will allow God to do in our lives, the ways we will allow Him to use us, and the areas we will have victory in.  He is for us and ready and willing to do abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine and will enable us to do everything that He has called us to do.  Will we believe that He is more able than our own inability? 

         Dream big. Yes, think of all the big 'dreams', the ones that make your heart fly as you are in quiet communion with Him.  If the dream is from Him, He will be faithful to fulfill it. With the call, comes the almighty power of the very God Who spoke and everything came into being.  Our disbelief that we could possibly do 'such a thing' honestly says more about our trust in God than our belief about ourselves, for His word is full of all that He will enable us and equip us to do. 

           It is in our weakness that He is strong.  We must choose to take the steps of faith and try Him out and find Him faithful, faithful even to teach us through what the world would call failure.  When we step out, we are responsible for each step of obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit, and He is responsible for the outcome.  So good or bad outcome, or seemingly no outcome, that is God’s business, not ours.  We are successful in the obedience.

“True obedience is always successful.  It always accomplishes God’s will.".......    ........."If I have obeyed, that is enough.  I am successful.  Beyond that, it is God’s business.  If I insist on a happy, selfish outcome, then I am meddling.  The instant I obey, success is automatic- God’s success, not mine.  Therefore, obedience carries in itself its burst of praise.  I am jubilant, not because my ship has come in, but because it has gone out.  Maybe I will never see it again, but that is beside the point.  The point is, I have launched it unto God and now He is responsible.  So I praise God that He is working, and I rest in His activity.”       Glyn Evans from Daily with the King

       

       What is He calling you to do?  Have you taken that first step?  What about the next? We are safe in Him; He is our Rock and our fortress.  Let us not limit what God would do in our lives by our fear, by our desire for our own comfort, OR by our busyness.  Allowing Him to have His way in your life, choose to follow Him to do 'beyond'.

           Spend some time seeking Him on this issue, and He will lead you and guide you for His names’ sake (Psalm 31:3)

 "...it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  Philippians 2:13

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Choose the 'far more abundantly beyond'!

The Proper Working of Each Individual Part

“As for God, His way is blameless (complete, having integrity, perfect);

The word of the Lord is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God,

The God who girds me with strength

And makes my way blameless (complete, having integrity)?

He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,

And sets me upon my high places.

He trains my hands for battle,

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,

And Your right hand upholds me;

And your gentleness1 (condescension) makes me great.

You enlarge my steps under me,

And my feet have not slipped.”

Psalm 18:30-36

                Nothing is impossible.  He makes you to walk on your high places.  He sets you on YOUR high places -your 'beyond', designed especially for you; He does not set you on someone else’s.  Look not to the right or to the left to see what He is doing with others, but look only to Him for your particular path and what He calls you to.  As you walk in obedience and dependence upon Him, you are able through His almighty strength.

          Imagine if we were all, as the universal body of Christ, walking on our high places, believing that God is able to do through us exactly what He is calling us to do. 
          Imagine if we were not just ‘dreaming’ about doing what He has put on our hearts to do, but if we were all walking it out in our everyday lives, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  
          Imagine if we all were living out that 'specific to us dream' that He has put on our heart, not attempting it in our own strength but obediently taking each step as He leads (not too fast-running ahead of Him and not too slow- falling behind in our potential in Christ).  

        What if we allow Him to lead us every step of the way, empowering each step to do things we never dreamed of being able to do- walking it out, not because we are able, but because He is able!!

                Think of all the big things that are in your heart (if He has put them there).  It is not prideful.  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

    
 Now think of all of your excuses…..,

Think of what would happen if every child of God believed and used those excuses (because everyone could).  What would ever get done?  The body would be so sick.  Or is that why the body is so sick?!!

Will you step up and take your position?  Will you position yourself and fulfill your calling on this earth? 

 “..we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”  Ephesians 4:15,16

1 gentleness: patience, mildness, tenderness; characteristic of God that fosters growth. (Zodhiates. Word Study Dictionary)