Walk on Water

www.GraciousVine.com
written by

I Dare You!
Joanna Fruhauf
Matthew 14:22-33
Jesus & Peter Walk on Water 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terried. Its a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear.

Jesus Called Peter's Bluff....

One hot day at a Sunday BBQ, decked out in church clothes I sat on the edge of the host's beautiful pool, secretly wishing I brought my bathing suit, but to embarrassed and prideful to wear it in mixed company....The kids had been in and out for hours, other adults not having the same sense of horror with themselves were ready with towels and floats while others like me just got our feet wet. After several hours in the scorching heat, I said to one of the other women in a half hearted dare, 'I'll go in if you do' and before I knew it she was walking deeper and deeper, in HER Sunday best... WELL NOW WHAT! - - - "I guess I'm going in!" I am a woman of my word, but the half hearted dare that came out of me, didn't expect her to take me up on it! - - - She called my Bluff! - - - So in I went... Once I was in, I was sooooooooo glad! Before we knew it another beautifully dressed and manicured woman joined us as did one of the pastors and my husband...IT WAS AMAZING - It was hysterical and Everyone was Shocked, we were all laughing so hard, and the pastor did a cannon ball in the deep end!!! FREEEEEEEDOMMMMM!!!! It was liberating! I always loved the story of Jesus calling Peter to walk on the water. When you read the story it's almost as Peter Dared Jesus at one point (well I'm stretching it a little here)...

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: Take courage! It is I. Dont be afraid. 28 Lord, if its you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water. 29 Come, he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith, he said,why did you doubt? 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, Truly, you are the Son of God. The Challenge: Regardless of Fear, regardless of those voices around us, whether friend or foe, we are called to Trust Jesus more fully, to take a step of Faith in our walk with Him, to trust Him as He upholds us by the miraculous word of His Power, enabling us to stand where we have never stood before!

God has the ability to speak and create something out of Nothing -Ex Nihlio -He Upholds all things by the POWER of His WORD. There are countless personal testimonies of the equipping power of the Holy Spirit with a focus on His ability to make something out of nothing... And that Power is at work in us IF we will permit it. I am someone who wears many hats. Ive Been involved in ministry for more than 25 years....Whether teaching bible studies, leading prayer groups, home groups, God has always, continually put me in shoes bigger than my feet....Whether on the Board of International Cops for Christ, a chapter Director of Concerned Women for America, as founder of Women & Adolescents Against Abortion or Mothers Helper, as a Grant writer of LHM, Authoring Books, Recording CDs or Starting a Speaking & Music Ministry that travels. Each Endeavor the Lord has equipped me beyond myself, and in the midst of it...I learned as I went. It was a step by step process. And each step required FAITH...Let me tell you there have been some scary moments, some sinking moments, and certainly through it all, I have felt the hand of the Lord rescue me, and His voice call me forward. I have been able to walk on water in areas I had previously never been trained for, never had a clue about, no inside info, no talent for.... WHY? Because I faithfully answered & executed the calls when they came. Not that I dont fall, or sink, BUT I GOT OUT of the Boat - Out of my comfort zone, sacriced for others at my expense or was faithful to a task to my own inconvenience......I have permitted God to call me out of the boat. If HE Calls, I want to respond: willingly. enthusiastically. respectfully. condently...Even if I am terried and unsure its God.

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Our responsibility &/or obedience to Christ as faithful servants of His Kingdom is vital to the growth and maturity of our walk, our fruit and our gifts. IT Starts with LITTLE things...The Bible plainly declares, if you are faithful with little, you will be faithful with much, but if you are unfaithful with the little you have, even that will be removed from you, and who then would dare to entrust you with true riches...? Ive been in leadership in a variety of positions, Ive seen people get all excited and volunteer up and down the lists, and yet barely fulll half their commitments for one reason or another. Plenty of excuses, some even justiable, but a habit of excuses, proves nothing more than unfaithfulness.

You have a responsibility to the Body of Believers to bring What God has entrusted you, to serve the Fellowship with it....If you dont YOU WONT GROW in you walk, maturity, faith, inuence or any other area of your spirit man... Eph 4:7-16 - Grace is given to each for the EQUIPPING of the Body of Christ For the Building of Body to FULL STATURE - Maturity - with EACH part working properly, BY WHat EVERY JOINT SUPPLIES... DO YOU KNOW YOU SUPPLY Something to your local Body? Thats why you are there! Not just to get...but to get GROWING - We are not just to be takers - SHAME on us! That mentality breeds jealousies, and envies...and then we cant be ENCOURAGERS and EQUIPPERS of others, nor are we ENGAGED in Gods Kingdom. 1 Peter 4:10 AS EACH has RECEIVED the gift, even so minister (SERVE it) one to another, as good stewards of the MANIFOLD grace of God. Many folds, Multi - faceted - Many aspects, Many Intricacies, Abundant Angles, Did you know the more FACETS a DIAMOND Has, the MORE BRILLIANT it reects and refracts LIGHT! 1 Tim 4:14 Paul Tells Young Timothy, not to neglect the gift of God imparted 2 Tim 1:6 AGAIN Paul says, Fan into ame the gift which is in you, COME ON, STIR IT UP dont allow the ickering embers to go cold and die out never to be used or seen again by others. ITS NEEDED in the body -

I Love the fact that Jesus was also very quick to save Peter when he was overcome by the situation and the elements that surrounded him. Jesus Grabbed hold of Peters and and immediately they were back in the boat! How Gracious God is. He calls us to come to Him, He supports us in the most uncertain of situations, and when we mess up, He is not going to let us sink and drown - HOW AWESOME is that...We can trust Him! We can step out into the unknown because we KNOW HIM.

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Have you ever given Christ permission to call you out?

HE upholds ALL things by the word of HIS POWER

HE CAN UPHOLD YOU with one Word!

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When I was single I remember camping upstate and taking a picture of me standing in the middle of a river, on the tip of a rock that just touched the waters surface...It looked like I was walking on water... I can remember praying with youthful fervor, "O Lord that I would be able to walk on water, eyes fixed on you, and not fall." Well fallen I have from time to time, and certainly I don't know what I was thinking as far as how great those 'exploits' might be...but here today I can look back and say, Wow God, you have called me on to the water several times...to step out beyond my comfort zone, to go where I have no experience to go, to walk where I shouldn't be able to walk! Once again I have found myself in another place where there is an incredible opportunity to do something I can not do on my own, can not afford, and am scared to death about.

I like my little pond.... I have prayed and prayed for years about this and have continually tossed it out to God about recording some of the songs I've written and trust He has given me. Until now, I've recorded them privately with my brother or by myself. Cindy and I began to do some legwork, prayer, fasting and 'tossing out some lines' for Gracious Vine Music to record. We spoke to some personal contacts in California that are professionals in the industry and had the invite, but not the funding... We had a local studio owner come hear us at a local cafe, but still no funding... We both recognized that something was stirring in us and we both knew it was going to happen but that it would be in the spring...nine months from when we first started conceiving the excitement of it all.

We both surrendered the entire thing to the Lord...'God if you want us to do this we are willing, but we have ZERO money for it...you'd have to completely supply it... Within a week of our concerted prayers for the project, we were contacted by a person that wanted to Give to us 'for a specific project the Lord told her to give towards' BOY were we encouraged, surprised and amazed! Without telling people about the recordings needs...the finances for the studio appeared...down to the penny in a huge lump sum from another individual who had NO CLUE as to the cost! ANOTHER astounding and resounding affirmation from the Lord! OK so now we were going to have to follow through...and wouldn't you know it...as we pursued an avenue to record...the dollar amount was

exact!!!! So we recorded our First Album. When we say to Jesus if it's You Lord, Call me to come...we better be willing to follow that through! Because Jesus called Peter's Bluff, and he certainly called MINE!.... I can't tell you how excited, nervous and amazed I was.... We had taken a step out of the boat...we trust Christ to uphold us...we look toward Him and focus our gaze toward His face! "LORD if it's YOU................" As the story goes, Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat and go ahead of Him. He lingered on the shore for hours, and when He finally set out to meet them, there was a huge storm, the boat had been battered by wind and waves for hours... Then Jesus walked on the water to them and when they saw Him, they were terrified. Consider the fact that Peter and all the disciples thought that it was a Ghost. Consider how terrified they must have been. Them may even have thought it was Jesus ghost, after all, He had told them to cross over and He would meet them over there at some point, but with the current treacherous storm, perhaps Jesus never made it! Perhaps, He drowned and this was HIS Ghost....Or was it just a figment of their imagination, was it just some illusion caused by

weary minds, exhausted bodies, sea spray and reflecting lightning...Then above the pounding waves and crashing thunder they hear a familiar voice, Do Not be Afraid, it is I Could it possibly be???? Its Unfathomable! Jesus comforted them with His voice and words of assurance and then Peter shouted (here's the bluff part), "LORD IF IT's YOU, CALL ME ON THE WATER." WELL GUESS WHAT....Jesus Called Peter's Bluff....(well ok so maybe it wasn't a bluff, just go with it a little) I dont think it was Peters pride, I dont really think it was a bluff, I actually think it was a recognition, that it was safer where Jesus was standing than in the Boat they were bailing! Peter had to either shrink back into the boat, or answer the call and follow through, surrendering himself to what ever the outcome may be. Peter had to lift His own foot out of the boat. He had to put one foot in front of the other to get to Jesus. It wasn't by His power that he was upheld, that was the miracle...Christ secured the surroundings, without changing them. Peter was supported as he fixed his gaze on Christ! Have you ever been in a situation where it took everything within you to trust Jesus? A do or die

scenario? Thats what was playing out here. Thats where Peter found Himself. Going to meet Jesus, was a risk, but didnt seem greater at the moment, than staying in the boat. Also He didnt wait for the others to respond the same way, He forged ahead regardless of the cries of any dissenters. Peter Lunged forward throwing His Leg over the side of a boat HE probably built Himself, knowing where every board connected and how every joint was secured. YET He would be better off outside of the comfort of what He was intimately familiar with, AS LONG AS JESUS WAS THERE! Do you feel at a loss, in comparison to those around you, feeling inadequate, too young, too old, too new, too hurt?.... to participate or have a valuable offering? Think of David, when he had to fight the goliath, towering over him the situation was daunting, the possibility of destruction imminent....But God was there! Everyone from Abraham to Paul felt that way - Its nothing New...Trust HIM to CALL YOU OUT! FOLLOW HIM! and See the Wonder of God as HE UPHOLDS YOU with just a word... COME!

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If He Calls Your Bluff

How will YOU Respond?