This is a word from quite some time ago but very encouraging. Christ does call us to complete conformity. Not just some. There is a common prayer that says "more of You and less of me." We should instead pray "all of You and none of me."
April 26, 2007
Francis Frangipane:
"THE REAL JESUS IS CALLING US TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM"
"The real Jesus will require you to look the impossible straight in the eye and believe God for His power."
Not only is Jesus our Savior, He is also the "Author and Perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Grab with both hands the thought that He is the "Perfecter of our faith." The faith Christ started in you, He is now working to perfect.
The fact that Jesus is the "Perfecter of our faith" is important because even if we seek to move in prayer and spiritual authority, even if we fearlessly continue to persevere, even if we continue forward with motives purified by love, it is the power of faith that undergirds all.
Now the idea that Christ seeks to perfect our faith makes a fine doctrine, but in the practical outworking of our lives, we deeply resist the idea. For we know that faith, in order be perfected, must be tested.
When I speak of faith, I do not mean a thorough compilation of Bible facts or an intellectual assent to our need of salvation, both of which are elements of spirituality, but not the very substance. To amass Biblical knowledge primarily takes time; to possess true saving faith, I will tell you again, takes courage. Christ desires we obtain a trust in Him that can actually withstand and overcome the terrible storms of life--faith that brings the reality of Heaven to earth.
Faith, therefore, is more than head knowledge; it is our lock upon the goodness and power of God so that no matter what we face outwardly, inwardly we stand secure. And no matter what the world looks like outwardly, it has the potential to be transformed by our faith. As Hebrews 11 makes clear, all those who possessed true faith changed the world around them.
Perfect or Protect?
Knowing that faith is much more than religious doctrines, I wonder: Do we truly know the Jesus of the Bible and what He seeks to give us? Too often, I think, we desire a Savior who, after assuring us of eternal life, leaves us alone until our next crisis. We want Him to comfort us but never convict us; we desire Him to heal us but not inhabit us. We want the Holy Spirit to help us obtain the "American dream." Yet what we have is a Holy Spirit who, instead, seeks to give us the dream of God: man living in the image of Christ (see Genesis 1:26).
This means that God's goal is not merely to save us, but to conform us to Christ. He seeks to perfect us, not merely protect us. To perfect faith, God intentionally allows conflicts to storm against our souls. I know we picture Jesus gently holding us, patting us on the back, saying, "There, there, it'll be all right." Listen, that is not the voice of Jesus; that is the echo of your mother speaking. Thank God for mothers, but Jesus is seeking to get us to stop being such babies. He wants us to grow up into His image.
Remember, I am talking about the real Jesus now, the one who said, "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). If the Jesus you are following is not leading you into the realm of the impossible to make changes in your world, you are probably following the wrong one.
You see, we do a disservice to people when we tell them, "Give your life to the Lord and He will keep you from trouble." That is not true. We would be more honest to say, "Give your life to Christ, and He will empower you to overcome trouble and adversity." Yes, He will take care of you. But He will not do so by putting you in a harmless world void of problems; rather, He will perfect virtue in you by developing character and by requiring faith--all of which creates the spiritual shelter of a transformed life.
A Storm, a Ghost or Jesus?
Get used to the idea that Jesus is seeking to perfect your faith. Plan on the fact that He will probably set you in some otherwise impossible situation to force your faith to the surface. Sooner or later, the real Jesus will require you to look the impossible straight in the eye and believe God for His power.
Consider the incident when Christ sends His disciples ahead of Him by boat across the Sea of Galilee; that night He crosses this same sea Himself walking on water (see Matthew 14:22-33). Yet, He decides to wait until a storm is rolling in with contrary winds and waves before He sets out. He could have waited for a calm day or simply arrived at the other side, supernaturally, without stopping alongside the boat in the middle of the sea. No, He comes to the disciples with something in mind--He comes to teach a lesson on trust.
Please note that this is a violent storm and that He offers no preliminary instruction, no "Basic Water-Walking 101." He doesn't let them practice on puddles or wait until winter so they could walk on frozen water first. He waits for a storm to teach water-walking, which is by all accounts harder to do on rolling waves than on a placid sea. Then, on top of that, He does not come in daylight; He comes at night. So Jesus comes to the disciples in the middle of the sea, in the middle of a storm, in the middle of the night to teach them to walk on water. He doesn't make it easy. But this is the real Jesus with His real disciples. And we can add to the degree of difficulty the probability that they are physically tired and more than a little fearful about the storm.
Scripture says that the sight of a figure walking on the water, coming out of the blowing wind and spray in the darkness of the night, turns the disciples' fear into terror. They cry out, "It is a ghost!" (Note: Some of the things we label as "ghostly" or demonic are really the Lord stirring life to set the stage for a lesson on faith.)
As Jesus approaches the roll of the boat, He calls out, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
When Jesus says in the midst of your storm, "It is I," it is a call to faith. When He says, "Take courage," it is a call to action: True faith will always, at some point, require courage.
Peter says, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
This is wonderful, really. Here is an insight not only into Jesus Christ, but also into Peter's relationship with Jesus. Ever since Peter has known the Lord, Christ has required him and the disciples to do impossible things--heal the sick, feed multitudes with a lunch pail of food, and raise the dead. Over and over Peter has seen Jesus work miracles; over and over Jesus has empowered Peter to do what he saw Jesus just do.
That night on the stormy sea, Peter has this amazing discernment: "If it's really the Lord, He will tell me to do what He is doing--something impossible. If it's the Jesus I know, in a moment, He will be telling me to walk on the water, too." And true to form, Jesus calls out to Peter, "Come!"
Now Peter is not about to walk on the water, not really. When he steps out, he is walking on the word "Come." He knows that the power to accomplish the impossible resides in Christ's word, and it is this supernatural reality upon which he steps.
You see, this is all about trusting the integrity of Jesus Christ's command. Do you think Peter feels power when he steps on the water? I don't think he feels anything besides the storm. No goose bumps. No "glory chills." Peter sits on the topside rail of the rocking boat and swings his legs over the churning water. Peering through the wind and rain, he looks at Jesus. Then he slips down, stands upright in the water, and begins to walk!
Splash! One step. Splash! Then another and another until Peter walks right up to Jesus. This is no little walk. Admittedly, anyone can walk on water for the first step. It is the second step and beyond that is difficult. Peter walks until the waves grab his attention; then he begins to sink. Jesus saves him, of course, and when they get into the boat the wind stops.
Maybe we would expect the Lord to say, "Peter, you did it!" Maybe Peter was expecting praise for his short water-walking career, but no, Jesus rebukes him saying, "Why did you doubt?"
Christ sees the beginning of something great within Peter and He does not want it contaminated by pride or self-pity. Most of us want a medal every time we do something for God, but He is not about to let Peter or us build a monument to our accomplishments, especially when we are just beginning. If this miracle of Peter's were done by some of us here in America, in two weeks we would have tours, T-shirts and commemorative celebrations of the day we walked on water. But Jesus will allow none of that for His disciples. He sees greatness emerging in Peter and He will not press any of His disciples toward anything other than full conformity to His image.
Remember: God's goal is that we become Christlike. The real Jesus is going to call us to do the impossible. This means that we will be called to do what we have never done before. You will see Jesus ahead of you, probably in some kind of storm, but it will be the beginning of a miracle that will change you--and the world around you.
Let's Pray: "Lord, forgive me for seeking a safe life instead of a supernatural life. I want more of You. Call me out of the boat of my familiar, predictable world. Master, for the sake of reaching the lost, increase my faith until I am standing with You on the water of divine potential. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
Email: francis1@frangipane.org
Permission is granted (and you are also encouraged) to reprint these articles in hard copy form, as well as sending them to your own email lists and posting them on your own websites. We ask only that you keep ElijahList website, email contact info, and author contact information intact.
ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250
No comments:
Post a Comment