Brown's Daily Word 3-28-08

Good Morning,
Praise the Lord that He is risen from the grave. He is the same Lord who walked on water and calmed the surging sea. Anyone who knows the life of Jesus will be familiar with the story of both our Lord and Peter “Walking on the Water” (Matt 14:22-33).
This story is more than an event in a storm in far-off Palestine; it’s the sign and symbol of what He always does for His people, when the wind is contrary and we are in danger of being overwhelmed by the storms of life. Our Christian pilgrimage is much like being in a boat, shaped by our experiences, but it’s when we are confronted by the storms on the sea of life that the challenge to our faith becomes a reality. In the Scriptures, the “sea” is a powerful image of the turmoil of life’s experiences here on Earth. If we have suffered from sea-sickness we can be thankful that the book of the Revelation assures us that in heaven there’s no more sea! The “boat” in which we find ourselves is a metaphor of the Church, the Body of Christ.
The disciples unexpectedly were caught up in a life-threatening situation. Their little craft was “buffeted by the waves”. The word used by Matthew means “tormented”, with the suggestion that the disciples were battling against cosmic forces of evil. It’s clear that there was a definite purpose in Jesus’ action, by the strength of the word used here. He “compelled” the disciples to embark. The disciples were at the start of a great faith adventure.
We also must embark on our own great faith adventure. It is something that we have in common with them. As someone put it, we are “in our short and uncertain earthly life and pilgrimage”. So what can we learn from this real life story?
The story is set at night. During the previous day Jesus had been ministering to the crowds who were now following Him. We read, “he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (14), and then He had met their physical needs by feeding them, miraculously, by five loaves and two fish. But, as nightfall came, Jesus “dismissed” the crowds and “went up into the hills by himself to pray”. Jesus had sent the disciples on ahead, and now they were in the middle of the lake. One of the sudden storms, for which Galilee was notorious, had come down, and the disciples were struggling against the winds and waves, making little progress as they strained to cross the lake. It was in the fourth watch of the night which runs from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., that the incident took place.
If there’s a time when we feel most vulnerable, it’s in the dark and in the middle of the night. It’s when we are naturally at our lowest ebb of body, mind and spirit, that difficulties loom largest – but take heart, Jesus knows all about them and that’s when He comes to meet us. When the wind of life is contrary, when we struggle to make sense of circumstances, we can guarantee that Jesus will be there to help although He may not be immediately detected. There are times when we’re up against it, overwhelmed by in disappointments and sorrows, when we feel we have failed ourselves and those we love. At such a time no one need feel that he or she is alone, for Jesus comes alongside in the storms of life, with hands stretched out to save, and with His calm clear voice urging us to take heart and have no fear.
The disciples had already been terrified on a similar voyage across Galilee when they were fearful of drowning (8:23-27). On that occasion Jesus had been with them in the boat even though He had been asleep until rudely awoken. But now they were on their own. Perhaps this tells us that there’s always more to learn on the Christian journey.
God’s timescale is different from ours as He views our lives from His eternal perspective, so He’s never in a hurry. We would prefer a quick fix, a shortcut to perfection. However, although God could instantly transform us, He has chosen to develop us slowly. He prefers to work in incremental steps in our lives. Often we have to relearn a lesson before it sinks in. We may have to unlearn things from our old nature, habits and practices that need to be removed and replaced. The Bible language for this is “taking off the old self” and “putting on the new self” (Ephesians 4:22,23).
In reading the story of the storm on the lake, we have the advantage of knowing that it all ended happily, but it was not so for the disciples. In addition to their being buffeted by waves and lashed by a howling gale, we are told that “they were terrified” by the figure they saw coming towards them! "'It’s a ghost', they said, and cried out in fear."
How could the disciples not recognize Jesus? They had lived with Jesus in a very personal and intimate way and yet, when it really mattered, they didn’t recognize Him. In the midst of storms, tormented by waves of disappointment and doubt, they saw a ghost. They certainly saw the figure of Jesus, but to them His appearance resembled that of a ghost. Perhaps the rain or fog was responsible as well as the poor light just before dawn.
All too often the adverse circumstances of life obscure our recognition of Jesus being with us. It’s easy to criticize the disciples, but what of us? It is the unexpected circumstances that catch us. The disciples were so wrapped up in the struggles of the moment – the wind and rain, the tossing waves, the threat of drowning – that they missed a greater power, the living Christ. Although we believe Jesus for our salvation and know that He will supply all our needs, if we rely only on our own strength, we will fall apart when life get tough, when everything appears to be contrary.
Furthermore, the fact that we might have come through a trying experience is no guarantee that a more severe testing time won’t come later. We never know what’s around the next corner. It’s a matter of perseverance, of “Keep(ing) Right on to the End of the Road”. We might wonder why God allows these trials to apparently mar our lives here on Earth. Rick Warren tells us in “The Purpose Driven Life” that there are no short cuts to maturity. It takes years for a child to grow to adulthood. The development of Christ-like character can’t be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. Paul’s letter to the Christians at Philippi tells us, “I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns” (1:6).
How gracious is our Lord! The disciples, brave Peter among them, "cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus said to them, 'Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid'." Fear is not necessarily a bad thing. It can be a safety mechanism. Some fears are good and normal as they help us to survive certain dangers. If we are sensible, we understand that it’s good to have the fear of walking out in the road or of getting too close to an unguarded fire.
But fear can also be a force of destruction if we yield to ungodly forces. God is not the author of fear. The apostle Paul reassured his rather timid friend, Timothy, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7). We must discover in Him and through His Holy Spirit the power to cope with fear in all its expressions.
“It is I”, said Jesus. He was using the words, “I am”, the powerful name of “Yahweh”, Jehovah, the Lord God who revealed Himself to Moses. Jesus was signaling His claim to deity. God had given mankind rule over His creation, including the sea, and here Jesus, as the Second Adam, was fulfilling God’s purpose for humankind. God has revealed Himself in Jesus as the Second Person of the Godhead. All religions that do not accept Jesus as the Son of God are impostors. They have no power to save; they are merely ghosts bringing fear and dread.
Thank God that, if we are “in Christ” we have the antidote to fear, “Don’t be afraid.” He still tells us today, “You can trust me. You know my character and my competence. You can safely place your destiny in my hands. “Take courage! It is I.” It was 3 a.m. when Jesus appeared, at the least expected moment. There are many instances in Scripture when the dire distress of man became the meeting place with God. In fact, our extremity is God’s opportunity.
Jesus didn’t climb into the boat but rather waited for a reaction to His words. Peter was a natural leader. Matthew presents him in the story in all his impetuosity mixed with his great devotion to Jesus, imperfect as it was. “Lord, if it’s you … let me come to you on the water.” An alternative translation is, “Since it’s you …” The disciples had already done many mighty miracles when they had been sent out into the towns and villages as Jesus’ representatives (Luke 10:17). They knew He could be trusted implicitly.
Though Peter had the once in a lifetime experience of defying gravity by literally walking on water, his faith faltered. But he was raised up to a life of service for his Master. The story of Walking on Water has been preserved for the benefit of Christians of all the centuries to tell us that our voyage across the lake of life will encounter storms because the non-Christian world is a hostile environment to the believer. But take heart, He is Present with us. On our part we must Look to Him to Cope with Fear and To Move Out in Faith. Jesus still bids us, as He did with Peter, “Come, walk on the water with Me.”
In Christ,
Brown


Dear friends,
Please make a note, the location of the concert has been changed from Boulevard UMC to Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church. We are expecting close to 700 young people for the concert.


Please make a note of the following upcoming youth event.

On Friday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a "Five 4 Five" concert. This concert will be held at Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 308 Main St. Johnson City, NY. Five 4 Five is a national tour that features five bands in concert for just $5.



The bands are: DIZMAS, THE SEND, A DREAM TOO LATE, CHILDREN 18:3, AND CAYERIO.



The event is being sponsored by the Union Center, Boulevard, and Hawleyton United Methodist Churches, First Presbyterian Church of Endicott, and First Baptist Church of Owego.



Tickets are available at itickets.com or by calling 1-800-965-9324.

Tickets can be purchased from Arrowhead Christian Bookstore 607-798-1793

Union Center UMC—Pastor Brown, umcgospel@aol.com or by calling, 607-748-6329.

First Presbyterian Church—Jeremy Finn, JMFinn@hotmail.com or by calling 748-1544.

Hawleton United Methodist--Ray Haskell, wpuckey@stny.rr.com or by calling 669-4373.

First Baptist Church Owego--Rev Marlene Steenburg, mcsteenburg@aol.com or by calling 607-232-2302.

Boulevard United Methodist Church--Rev Tony, blvdumc@stny.rr.com or by calling 607-797-5675.

Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church-Phone number is 797-3938