St Matthew, Chapter 14, vers: 36, The Test of the Heart: the desire of the people

HAPPY HOLIDAYS and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Our paragraph topic is:  (Other miracles) Part 2.  

The word went out, the healer was in the land.  The holy one was in Genesar.  We saw him.  We walked with him.  We heard him speak.  Tell all.  Bring the sick.  Bring the lame.  Bring the possessed that they may be healed.  For he is the great one.  He is the one who performs miracles.  He is here.  Let the word spread to those who would hear.  And so the word spread by mouth, from person to person, from mother to daughter, from neighbor to neighbor, from traveler to traveler, to all the villages and towns in the district.  All were told about Christ who healed all.

They did not know.  They did not understand.  They only wanted to be healed.  They only wanted to see miracles.  They only wanted to know that there was one in their midst who cared for them and could make a difference in their lives.  Christ came and he taught.  Christ came and he demonstrated the power of God amongst the people.  Christ came and he loved.  For no one had shown love or compassion to the people.  In all his power and in all his majesty Christ showed love for mankind through his actions.  For he came to earth and became man that he may demonstrate God's love for man.  And the people responded to his love for  "They entreated him to let them touch."

To only touch but his cloak.  To only touch but his hand.  To only touch but his garment.  To only be in his presence.  These were the wishes and desires of the people.  They only wanted to be with him, near him, beside him, to touch him, to feel his presence.  Just to touch but the tassel of his cloak; and all who touched it were saved.

The people of Genesar only wanted to touch his cloak.  And all who did were saved.  All who touched him were delivered from damnation.  All who touched his tassel were washed clean and transformed by the healing power of Christ.  Oh, that we could be in the presence of Christ today.  Oh, that we could know the reality of his presence.  For many are caught up in this present world and do not know that he lives.  Many are caught up and do not believe that he exists.  For they travel down the wide path of destruction following the lead of the world.  And the desire of the world is death to the soul.

Christ came to give life.  Christ came to transform.  Christ came to show the love of God to mankind that they may know that they do not exist alone.  To those who will believe and to those who know, God provides, God protects, and God directs their footsteps.  To those who know but do not believe, in their hearts, God provides a way out, God provides an open door, God gives the opportunity to know the truth, here on earth, of his presence. 

Christ came that we may have life and have it more abundantly, here and now.  Do you believe?  Do you know?  Seek and you will find!  Knock and it will be opened!  Ask and it shall be given unto you!  But you must seek with your heart, knock with true belief, and ask with the desire to know the truth.  For we have a loving God and father.  We have a just provider.  And we have the creator of all things to watch over us.  In due time all things will be revealed to those who trust.  Miracles will happen for those who have patience.  And the light of the Holy Spirit will console those who believe. 

We celebrate the coming Christmas holiday for the coming of our savior.  Christ gave up his heavenly kingdom to become man.  Christ took off his kingly crown to accept a lowly position and birth in a manger.  Christ, the Son of God, became man that justice might be served and that the union between man and God could be restored.  The price had to be paid.  The injustice had to be corrected.  The scales of justice had to be balanced.  And Christ came, as a lowly infant to bring mankind back to God.  The door is open.  Seek the way from darkness with a true heart and the light of Christ will come and abide within you.  Faith is the belief in the desire to be one in Christ.  How strong is your desire?  

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 34 - 35, The Test of Heart: the people.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Other miracles) Part 1.   

The disciples were now settled in the boat.  The winds were calm and the waves were flat.  No longer did the waves overtake the boat in an effort to drown it in the sea.  Christ was present and all was calm.  The disciples were in awe at the power and majesty of Christ who commanded Peter to walk on the water.  And he did.  They were in awe of Christ who commanded the waves to calm. And they did.  They were in awe of Christ who commanded the wind to cease and it did.  They worshiped him in the recognition of his kinship to God Almighty.  For they recognized thatChrist was the Son of Almighty God himself.  But in their recognition, did they believe, did they know, did they understand the person who was before them.  Or did they worship out of fear?  

Peter walked on the water and had that unique experience within himself.  No one can take that from him.  It was real and he experienced it himself.  It was real for the other disciples also who witnessed the miracle themselves.  And they all had a common experience to remember and to share.  Was this enough to convince?  Was this enough to make certain?  Was this enough for them to know without a doubt who was this Christ, this rabbi that they followed?  Only time would tell.  So they continued on their journey with Christ,  And crossing over, they came to the land at Genesar.   The inhabitants of that place as soon as they recognized him, sent into that whole country, and brought to him all the sick.

The inhabitants recognized Him.  How did they recognize Him?  How did they know Him?  How did they see Him?  For the news of Him traveled throughout the land and into the countryside, into the villages and towns and neighboring districts.  All heard the story of the man who healed with a touch.  All heard of the blind being made to see, the cripple made to walk, the lame made whole again and the dead coming to life again.  All heard of him who did such miracles.  The disciples knew.  They knew him daily, by the hour, sleeping, eating and in his presence at all times.  But did they believe?  Did they truly know with all their knowledge and wisdom the truth of the person of Christ.  He spoke to them with love.  He told them of compassion.  He gave them of himself that they may believe within themselves the truth of who he was.  But did that truth enter into their hearts?  Did that truth fill them with joy?  Did that truth tell them of who they were in Christ?  Did that truth penetrate to their souls that they were open to the light of Christ?

Do we recognized Christ today?  Are we truly aware of his presence in our lives today?  We can say and speak of him in our churches, in the company of others, in our prayers, at work with our co-workers, in the malls, and at dinner in the restaurants.  We can shout his holy name in our worship, but is he within us?  We can do all the things that indicate that we are true believers, but do we know him as we should?  Christ is the light of the world.  He came that we may have life.  He gave his life that we may find repentance, be justified in God's sight, and have eternal salvation.  He came that we may have life more abundantly.  Do we recognize immediately as the inhabitants did?  Do we believe that he is a healer?  Do we believe that he can make the lame walk?  Was it because of the miracles that Christ worked that we the people, the inhabitants of earth recognize him?  Christ said to the Samaritan woman at the well,   "If thou didst know the gift of God."  Do you know God's gift?  Do you believe?  Faith is the belief in the desire to be one with Christ.  How strong is your desire?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 32 - 33, The Test of Heart: The Affirmation.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Peter walks on the water) Part 5.   

Peter was sinking into the water and doubt was taking over.  He had questioned.  He had wondered how.  He had opened the door for everything to came in, doubt, fear, anxiety, and darkness.  Christ had said to him, "Come."   And he got out of the boat and he was coming to Christ.  He was walking on water.  He was filled with excitement, joy, exhilaration.  He was walking on water.  But then he began to sink.  He began to fear.  He began to allow doubt to come in.  And he called to Christ for help.  Peter was a fisherman and his livelihood was made in and on the water.  So he was not afraid of water, he knew how to swim.  He knew how to tread water.  He knew how to survive on the water.  But he called to Christ to save him because he was sinking.   

What was the strange feeling of sinking when one has just experienced the feeling of walking on water?  The water was solid as the ground.  The water pushed back when Peter took a step.  The water was hard and firm as a rock.  But then the water become soft.  The water began to give way.  And Peter began to sink.  Why did he fear?  Why did he doubt?  Why did he open himself up to the questions of the flesh when his spirit and his heart were filled with joy?  He called to Christ for help and Christ reached out and lifted him up and together they walked back to the boat.  Together they walked on the water, back to the boat. 

Peter was broken.  He could not understand what had happened.   One moment he was walking on water and the next he was sinking as in quicksand.  You see, with the coming of doubt the water changed from solid to semisolid, like quicksand, and then back to the consistency of water.  It did not change from solid to water at once.  There was a gradual transition which made the sinking feel like quicksand and not like water.  And Peter did not know how to accept this transition.  So he called out to Christ for help.  And Christ admonished him that the doubt was the cause of his sinking.  The doubt opened the door to fear and with coming of fear the miracle stopped.   And when they got into the boat, the wind fell.

Peter was in shock.  His emotions and his feelings were in disarray.  He walked on water.  What a joy!  Then he sank as in quicksand.  He was high one moment and low the next.  He was in joy and ecstasy one minute and deep fear and doubt the next.  How do you experience such extremes?  And yet the miracle took place.  All, witnessed it.  The disciples in the boat were in ecstasy also.  What they witnessed happened before their eyes.  The waves were high and they came crashing into the boat.  The boat was filling with water, more water was coming in than they could bail out and they were afraid of drowning.  And then Christ came walking on the water.  They forgot about the water and watched in amazement as Peter walked on the water.  They also watched in fear as he begin to sink.  But Christ saved him.  And then they knew.  They experienced it within themselves.  No one could tell them otherwise.  They saw it, they believed it and they knew it.   This was the Messiah, this was the Son of God became man.  And they were with him.  They were before him.  They were in him and he was in them.   But  they who were in the boat came and worshipped saying, "Truly thou art the Son of God."
          
That was then, 2000 years ago, and this is now 2011.  Christ left the world and returned to his father and the world returned to itself.  For we are in the world and the world is in us.  From the time we are born the world takes over.  It tells us how to think, how to eat, how to act, how to live, how to love, how to enjoy, how to believe, how to fear, how to doubt, the world is in us and we become the world. 

The young ones grow up with the world in them.  They do not grow up with Christ.  Even though they receive the traditional upbringings in a church or a religious environment, most do not grow up with Christ in them and the knowledge of the Holy Spirit.  For the knowledge of Christ in not in them or in their parents and the joy and love of the Holy Spirit is unknown.  So they are swollowed up into the world and there they remain until they are called. 

Where does it all begin?  Can we look to our parents?  Are we the offspring of our parents, they are in the world and so are we?  Where does the cycle end?  Christ said, "Come!"  Christ opened the door.  Christ is our example and the Holy Spirit is our guide.  The disciples saw it and affirmed the truth.  When will we see it and know the truth.  The spirit awaits your awakening.  Open the door, say goodbye to the world and say hello to him.  Your miracle awaits!  It all starts with you.  Come receive the light of the Holy Spirit and know that he is with you!

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verse: 31, The Test of Heart: The Admonition from Christ.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Peter walks on the water) Part 4.  

The heart was elated.  The heart was filled with joy.  The heart was in Christ and Christ was in Peter.  For Peter walked on water.  There was no doubt in this fact.  It happened.  He experienced it within himself, within his heart, within his being, within his mind, within his soul.  And his heart was elated.  His heart was overjoyed.  But he allowed something to happen.  He allowed the world to come in.  He allowed the wind and the waves to change his heart.  He allowed what was happening around him to take the focus from his heart to his mind and the mind brought in the world.  How is this happening?  How am I walking on water?  How is the water supporting me that I can step as though I was on solid ground?  These and other questions came to mind and invaded the heart to push Christ out.  

The joy of the miracle was gone.  The elation of the heart was gone.  The light of the spirit left and in came doubt.  And with doubt the miracle faded and Peter began to sink in the water.  The more he allowed doubt to come the more he sank and with the sinking came fear.  He was loosing the power of the spirit.  He was experiencing the loss of faith in Christ.  For it was through Christ the the miracle began.  Christ said, "Come."  And Peter came.  Christ said walk on water and Peter walked on water.  Christ said behold all things are possible within me and the possibility of walking on water became true with Peter.  Yet just as the miracle happened, the miracle stopped happening when the heart stopped believing, the mind took over, and fear came in.   But seeing the wind was strong, he was afraid; and as he began to sink he cried out saying, "Lord, save me!"

It is hard to imagine something that we have not seen before.  It is difficult to believe in something that has not happened before.  For history has not recorded anything like man walking on water.  History has not given us any recollection of such happening that man can explain.  So we do not believe.  Our minds do not allow us to believe that such is possible.  And thus we maintain a sense of skepticism, a degree of doubt and disbelief.  If someone told us that we could be healed just by our belief in Christ, we would naturally doubt the assertion because there is little to no evidence of that fact.  It is not established in the world by facts that we can intelligently believe.  Yet it is this same doubt and disbelief that separates us from the opportunity to receive the healing powers of the spirit.   And Jesus at once stretched forth his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? "

The kingdom of God is within our midst, if we believe.  The kingdom of heaven is upon us, if we open our hearts to the power of the spirit.  Christ told Peter to come.  Christ tells us today that we can, we are, and we will.  Do you believe?  Do you know?  Can you seek?  Will you find?  Will it be opened to you to see the power of Almighty God?  Imagine what Peter felt walking on the water!  Imagine what you will feel receiving your miracle!  The world will hold on to you.  The world will resist allowing you to make your transformation.  The world will tell you that you are loosing reality, that we are not sane.  The world will do everything to keep you from believing, but belief in Christ and his healing power requires that you let go of reality. 

Belief in Christ and the things that are possible through him requires that you leave reality and the world behind.  Belief in Christ requires that you take on a new reality in Christ and the kingdom of heaven.  Only through this transformation will you be able to step into the kingdom and look back upon the world as another place.  Come, experience the miracle of rebirth!  You are not of the world.  You are of the kingdom of heaven, only in the world to do the bidding of Christ, only to be his witness to the things that are.  Your treasures are in heaven and not of this world.  Discover the treasure in you and you will know the joy and peace of who you are.  The world does not want you to know.  The world wants to steal your treasure.  The world wants you to sleep and be deceived about who you are in Christ.  Peter was in Christ and Christ was in Peter as he walked on the water.  Imagine what miracles you will experience when Christ is in you and you are in Christ.  Faith is the belief in the desire to be one in Christ.  How strong is your desire?   

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verse: 30, The Test of Heart: The conflict, the outside vs the inside, the spiritual vs the physical.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Peter walks on the water) Part 3.  


Peter walked on water.  The disciples watched as he took one step after another.  And Christ said "Come."  Christ gave the command.  Peter heard the command.  Peter took courage instead of fear.  Peter took action and stepped from the boat onto the water and the water took steps and pushed back upon Peter.  And he walked on water just as Christ and told him to do.  There was no doubt.  There was no hesitation.  There was only action.  The heart was pounding and the mind was recording everything that it was sensing of this miracle as it unfolded.  Peter was walking upon the water.  

The experience was in him.  The knowledge of his actions were upon him.  And he was walking upon water.  And then the conflict began.  How was this possible?  How am I doing this?  How does this work?  Can I do this again?  All these mental questions come to mind and bring to mind the reality of what the heart and the the mind has just experienced.  Yet he walked on water.  But the conflict of reality came in and so did doubt.  The wind was blowing and the waves were crashing into the boat and Peter was walking upon the water.  But the reality of the world came into his heart.  How do you see tumult of the waves and the force of the blowing wind and not believe?  How  do you feel the wet water against your skin and the force of the wind upon your face and your body and not know?  The conflict came and Peter faced a moment of decision and choose to allow doubt to come in.    But seeing the wind was strong, he was afraid; and as he began to sink he cried out saying, "Lord, save me!"

Peter walked on water.  Of this there is no doubt.  Everyone witnessed the fact.  Peter was a witness, a participant, and the disciples were witnesses also.  The mind took action and the heart was filled with the joy of what was happening.  The heart did not stop to analyze.  The heart did not see the waves.  The heart did not feel the wind.  The heart only knew that something special had happened and the rejoicing of the spirit was taking place.  For the heart felt the working of the spirit within.  But the mind saw the reality of the surrounding world despite the fact of the miracle.  Christ said, "Come," and Peter came.  He walked on the water despite the reality of the wind and the waves.  But the reality came in and the doubt eased in behind it and then came fear.

Where is your heart?  What do you believe?  Is it possible to be healed of a disease?  Can cancer be erased from my body?  Can I walk again after the doctors have told me otherwise?  Can God change  my life and provide for me?  What are your questions of doubt?  What are your questions of fear?  Will they bring conflict into your miracle?  Will they cause your heart to doubt when you are being healed?  Will they bring a moment of conflict just when you are beginning to walk?  Christ wants you to walk on water.  Christ wants you to experience the spiritual.  Christ wants you to hear and believe that all things are, in him.  He says, "Come!"  Will you believe and come.  Will you open your heart to experience the power of the spiritual?  Will you discard the reality of the world and experience the spiritual of Christ?  Christ says, "Come!"  The test of the heart is the key.

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 29b, The Test of Heart: The Proof.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Peter walks on the water) Part 2.   

Peter saw the ghost.  Peter heard the voice of Christ.  Peter believed that it was he.  Peter took courage and discarded his fear.  Peter wanted to know that what he saw was real.  He wanted to believe that what he saw the Messiah, the Christ walking on water.  So, he challenged, Christ if it is you then command that I come to you.  Christ if it is you, then command that I come to you over the water.  Christ if it is you then command that "I" walk on water just as you are walking on water.  And Christ said, "Come."   

Christ did not say, think about it.  Christ did not say maybe.  Christ did not say, well you can not do this.  Christ said, "Come."  And that command made Peter believe that he could come.  Christ's command told Peter that he was given the power through Christ to walk on water.  That command told Peter that he heard Christ say that he could.  And hearing brought faith, and faith brought courage, and courage brought the action that made Peter move from the boat to the water.  At first it was trembling and then action.  Then there was the first step onto the water, the challenging step, the step of proof.  And finally the proof of his feet touching the water and the water pushed back against his feet to hold him up.  Such things the eyes have not beheld.  Such things the body has not felt.  Such things the mind has not conceived.  And such things the heart has not felt as that moment when Peter took the first step and stood on water.  And the rush of truth pervaded his body, his mind and his heart as he stood there.  Then he took the next step and put the other foot out to take another step on the water, and the water pushed back holding him up.  The truth took hold of him and he took another step, and another and another.  And his heart was filled with the joy and the happiness and the awareness of what he was doing.   Then Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to come to Jesus.  

He did not stumble out of the boat.  He did not fall out of the boat.  He got out of the boat as he normally does and he walked on the water.  He placed one foot in front of the other and he walked on the water.  He was confident.  He was bold.  He was knowing, for he was walking on the water as he saw Christ walking on the water and he was joyous.  For Christ had commanded him.  Christ had told him what to do.   Christ had given him the authority to walk on the water.  Christ had placed within him a memory that would never leave him.  Christ had given him an experience that would last his entire life.  Christ had shown him and demonstrated to him that he was the Son of Man and God was his father.  For what man could do such as Christ had done.  What man could command as Christ had commanded.  What man could perform such miracles as Christ had completed.  And all the disciples were his witness.  For they all saw.  They all were in awe.  They all felt the realism of what was taking place with Peter walking on the water.  Can you believe?

Christ calls us today to believe.  Christ commands us to walk on water as Peter did.  For we asked him to save us.  We asked him to heal us.  We asked him to provide for us.  We asked him to protect us from our enemies.  But do you believe that he will do these things for us?  Do you know within yourself that he will do all these things for us?  Peter had faith.  Peter had hope.  Peter heard the command and he got out of the boat.  Do you hear the command, "COME"?  Will you get out of the boat of life and leave the world behind that Christ may show you how to walk on water?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 28 - 29a, The Test of Heart: The Challenge.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Peter walks on the water) Part 1.   

The test had begun.  The disciples were in the boat being tossed about by the waves and water was everywhere.  They did not know who they were becoming but Christ knew.  Christ was their teacher.  Christ was their provider.  Christ was their protector and  he knew what they were becoming.  But the disciples did not know that the transformation was taking place within them.  For they had seen many things with Christ.  They had seen the lame walk.  They had seen that the blind could see through the miracles that Christ performed.  They saw the demons cast out, and they still did not know who they were becoming with Christ.  Christ told them to feed the people themselves and they did not know that they could.  They wanted to send the people away.

Christ sent the disciples away and now they were alone on the sea in the boat with the waves crashing down upon them.  There was no place to hide.  There was no place to go.  There was no protection for water was everywhere.  And fear was their only choice, fear of dying, fear of loosing their lives, fear of all they had sacrificed for naught.  They were simple men, not scholars.  They had no knowledge of a soul.  They did not know about the spirit of life within them.  They did not know what would happen after death, so they were afraid.  And the evil one was upon them seeking to have them turn from Christ in this hour of trial and test.  For he wanted them to believe that they were dying.  He wanted them to believe that Christ had failed them.  He wanted them to believe that Christ was not the Messiah and that they were lost.  But Christ came to them in their hour of trial and test.  Christ came to them walking on the water.  Christ came to them telling them to take courage and not to be afraid.  For fear was upon them.

They thought that Christ was a ghost.  They believed that they were seeing illusions in their dying hour.  But Peter challenged the test of heart.  Peter, amongst all the disciples, wanted to know.  Peter wanted to believe.  Peter had that spark of hope within that lead him to take action.  His heart was opened.  His mind believed.  His desire for Christ challenged him to take action and so he called to the ghost.  He called to Christ to test his faith.    But Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is thou, bid me come to thee over the water."

If, Peter said.  If, Peter asked.  If, Peter challenged.  If, Peter believed.  If it is thou, he said then command that I walk on water.  For Peter saw Christ doing something that he wanted to do.  Peter believed that if Christ had commanded all the other miracles to happen then he could command that he, Peter, walk on water.  So he challenged that he might prove to himself that this was the Christ.  He challenged that he might know within himself that Christ was the Messiah.  He called to Christ that he might know without a doubt that Christ was the Son of Man and God was his father.  And he said,"Come."

Would you come if Christ called you?  Christ walks on air at the edge of a cliff and he calls to you to come would you step out from the cliff to go to him?  Would you believe that he has the power to make you walk on air?  Would you know that you would not fall?  Would you believe with all your being that he is your protector and your provider,  your guide and your shield?  The world would tell you otherwise.  The world would have you believe in yourself, that you are your provider, that you are your protector.  The world would have you believe that you can do anything as long as you believe in yourself.  For this is the way of the world and as long as you are in the world and succeeding, what need have you of God.  You can be your provider.  You can be your protector.  You can be your own guide without the help of Christ who loves you.  And there is the challenge, live in the world without believing in Christ or live in Christ and believe that he can make you do miracles like walking on water or walking on air and achieving all things within him.  Christ calls to you, and he says to you,"Come."

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verse: 27, The Test of Heart: The Heart Transforms and the door is open.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus walks on the water) Part 4.  

Christ was on the land and they, the disciples, were on the sea in a boat being tossed about by the waves.  They were afraid.  They were in fear.  They were in doubt and fear was overtaking them.  For there was no place to hide.  There was no place to go for protection from the pounding waves of the sea and they believed that death was at their door.  For Christ was not with them to protect them.  Christ was not with them to stop the waves.  Christ was not with them to calm the sea and they were afraid.  They saw their lives passing before them.  They were the disciples of Christ.  He was their teacher yet they were faced with the thought of drowning and losing their lives.  And all that they had been taught, all that they had seen,  all that they had believed was about to be lost in the drowning of the boat by the waves of the sea.

All they could see was death.  All they could see was drowning.  All they could believe was the loss of their lives.  All that they had been given was pushed aside.  All that they had transformed from was being lost.  For they did not know who they were becoming and fear was entering their hearts.  And then their fears were confirmed because they believed they saw a ghost.  They saw Christ walking on water and they believed that they were perishing.  For ghost only appear when death is at hand.  Ghost only come when something evil is about to happen.  Ghosts are the fore runners of the coming of death.  But Christ was walking on the waters and they did not believe.  Christ was with them and they did not know.   In their hour of need, in their time of testing, Christ was with them.  For fear had taken them and their hearts were afraid.   Then Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying, " Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid."      

Take courage.  Take courage in what you see.  Take courage in what you believe.  Take courage in what you know for it is I, Christ said, to his disciples.  Choose courage instead of fear.  Choose courage instead of being afraid.   Choose courage as opposed to anxiety for it is I.   For the test was upon them.  The test was at hand and the disciples must choose which way to turn, what to believe, what to know.  Their senses told them that they were in danger.  Their senses told them that the boat was sinking.  Their senses told them that the waves were overcoming them and the boat would soon drown.  But their senses did not know how to tell them of Christ walking on water.  Their senses did not know how to tell them to take courage instead of fear.  Their senses did not know what to do faced with this choice. 

Christ told them to take courage.  Christ told them to believe.  Christ told them it was he who was walking on the water.  Christ told them to discard their senses and open their hearts.  Christ told them to believe with the love that was given to them in their hearts.  Christ told them that their hearts would be the key to passing the test and not their senses.  For here he was walking on water, a site they had not been seen before.  Here he was walking on water and their senses could not understand how this was possible.  And yet he told them to take courage and not fear, for what they saw was real.  What they believed was true.  What they heard were the words from Christ in whom all things are possible.   Take courage he told them.  Open your hearts and believe.  Christ wants to transform you!!  Open your heart, let him in, and be transformed.

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 25 - 26, The Test of Heart: The Demonstration of Power.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus walks on the water) Part 3.

And the disciples were on the sea and Christ was on the land.  And let us test them that they may believe.  Let us show them the awesome power of God that they may know that Christ was sent by the father to do the father's will.  For they saw the multiplication of the loaves.  They saw the healing of the sick.  They saw the lame walk.  They saw the eyes of the blind opened but they did not believe.  They did not trust that they could feed the people, Christ told them to feed the people themselves.  They did not know who they were.  They did not know, yet, who they were becoming.  They did not have the faith in Christ through whom all things are.

They were on the sea and Christ was on the land.  And the boat was being buffeted by the waves and they were in fear of loosing their lives.  They were afraid of drowning.  There was no place to hide.  There was no place to run.  There was no place to seek shelter from the impending waves.  But they were the disciples of Christ.  They were his pupils and he was their teacher.  Yet they were on the sea and he was on the land.   But in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking upon the sea.

They did not believe, even with all the miracles that he performed.  They did not know, even with all that they had seen.  They did not trust even with all they had heard.  And they did not know how to feed the people, for Christ had told them to feed the people.  But the disciples wanted to send the people away that they may find food for themselves.  The disciples wanted to put them back into the world after being with Christ.  The disciples did not know who they were becoming.  They did not believe.  They did not trust.  So, a demonstration of power had to be made.  An irrefutable image had to be placed in their  minds that they would know the true Christ.  For no one had seen or heard of a man walking on water.  But Christ was not mere man. 

But, they were in fear.  They were in chaos and the evil one was knocking at their door telling them that all they had sacrificed had come to this.  They had dreams of power.  They had visions of honor.  They had desires of leadership and all the perks that comes with being a ruler. But all  that flashed before their eyes and through their minds as they struggled with the wind and the waves that threatened to destroy them.  And Satan was there reminding them that they had failed. And Satan was there reminding them that all had come to naught.  For they did not believe.  They did not know.  They did not have the faith in Christ that brings forth complete trust. 

And when Christ came to them walking on the water their fear was confirmed.  They believed that they were seeing a ghost.  They believed that they were near death.  They were on the verge of canceling out their belief.  They were about to step over the line between belief in Christ and 
belief that Christ had failed them.  They believed that they were dying.  They opened the door to Satan and believed in the lies that he was giving them.    And they, seeing him walking upon the sea, were greatly alarmed, and exclaimed, "It is a ghost!" they cried out for fear.

Are you on  the sea in a boat that is sinking?  Are you being tossed about by the waves of the world?  Will you believe in Christ?  Will you believe that Christ can calm the sea, speak to the wind and dispel fear?  Be not be like the disciples in the test.  You have seen miracles and attributed them to the world.  You have seen the wonders of his power and accepted them as your own praise and glory. 

You have witnessed the awesomeness of his majesty and do not know that Christ is with you.  He has made himself known to you in many ways, yet you do not know.  The world will deceive you.  The world will lead you down the wide path of destruction taking you away from life in Christ into death with the evil one.  The world will blind you.  The world will block your hearing.  The world will steel your heart that you may not know the truth of its longing for God.  Wake up!!  Know that you are a child of God and know that you are much more than the world offers.  Know and believe that Christ in you will bring forth the fruits of the kingdom of heaven and transform you into the truth of who you are in Christ.  The disciples were transformed.  Are you ready for the change?  The test is here!

St Matthew, Chapter14, verse: 24, The Test of Heart: The Test begins.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus walks on the water) Part 2.  

Christ was on the land.  The disciples were on the water in the boat and they were without Christ.  He had sent them away.  He put them on a boat and sent them to the other side of the sea, alone.  For he was to come later after dismissing the crowds and going up to the mountain to pray.  But the disciples did not know that this was their test.  They did not understand the training they were receiving through Christ.  Time was short.  The sacrifice had to be made.  And the disciples must be prepared to take their places here on earth for the coming battle for the souls of men.  So they had to be tested to make sure that they understood.

They witnessed the miracle of the multiplication.  They had witnessed many miracles, the lame walked, the blind saw, and evil was cast out.  They saw these things take place before their eyes.  They heard Christ say to them, feed the people yourselves.  But they did not understand.  They did not know.  They did not believe what was happening before their very eyes, into their very ears and filling their very hearts with the glory of Christ to come.  They would become the leaders.  They would become the preachers.  They would become the shepherds of the people leading them to Christ, leading them to life.  So they had to understand, they had to know, they had to believe what was happening to them, with them, and in them.  They were being transformed.   But the boat was in the midst of the sea, buffeted by the waves, for the wind was against them. 

The wind was against them and they were being tested.  For they had not seen such wind before.  They had not known such peril before.  They had not believed that they would survive before because the boat was being buffeted by the waves.  The boat was being tossed about by the sea.  The boat was being pushed from side to side to capsize and they were with fear.  They were the 
disciples of Christ.  They had given up their all to follow him.  They were being taught the principles of the kingdom of heaven that they may carry the message to others.  But now they were alone.  Now they were without Christ.  Now they were with fear.  For they were told to feed the people themselves and they did not know how.  They were told to give them something to eat but they believed that they could not.  They wanted to dismiss the people and send them back into the world.

Would they believe?  Would they know?  Would they understand the transformation that was taking place within them?  They were without Christ and the test came.  The test of belief came upon them that they would believe in the transformation taking place within them.  Would they fear for their lives.  Would they run away in shame?  Or would they pass the test and believe.  Christ was not with them and the boat was being tossed by the waves.  Fear was coming upon them and they would not believe.  Would it become life or death?  In this moment of testing would they forsake all that they had seen and heard and believed, to turn away from Christ.  Or would they pass the test and take courage, strengthening their faith in Christ completing the transformation.

Christ was not with them and they were in the sea being buffeted by the waves.  Would you believe?  Would you hold to your faith?  Would you glorify God in your last hour?  The disciples faced the test on the open waters.  There was no place to go.  There was no place to hide.  There was no place that would protect them.  There was only the fear of death and drowning.  They were without Christ and believed that they would perish.  The miracle of the multiplication did not make them believe.  Perhaps a stronger demonstration of the power and the glory of God was needed that they may know the truth of their belief and the solidity of their faith in Christ.  Do you believe?  Do you see?  Do you know the truth of your faith.  Do you believe in Christ?  Or, do you have faith built upon sand, faith that crumbles in times of sorrow and pain and trials and tribulations.  There is but one God.  There is but one truth.  There is but one belief that gives life.  Will you pass the test?