Good Evening Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
We’re continuing to look at the three accounts in Matthew, Mark, and John of Jesus and Peter walking on the water and the events surrounding this amazing exhibition of the power of The Kingdom of God on this earth. What really was more amazing to me than Jesus and Peter walking on the water was the disciples absolute lack of faith even though they had just witnessed and participated in one of the greatest exhibitions of The Kingdom of God earlier that day – the feeding of the 5000 men with two fishes and five loaves of bread.
Mark 6:52
For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Mark 6:52 gives us the lone account stating why the disciples lacked faith. So, what does it mean, “for their heart was hardened?” We learn in studying The Scriptures there are three kinds of faith: active, passive, and negative. Active faith takes hold of and believes God’s Word is true. Passive faith is the kind that believes God can but not that God will do it for them. Passive faith allows the curses to come. Negative faith speaks the problem and invites the curse to come. Notice, passive faith “allows” while negative faith “invites” the curse.
The disciples were full of negative faith. In fact, this is true of many in The Body of Christ today. Yes, they are Believers, but as soon as pressure hits, they speak about and give more glory to the problem rather than the solution of God’s Word. So, how do we know the disciples were of negative faith? We can start by examining the fact Jesus had to constrain [urge, compel, demand] the disciples to head for the other side of the lake. Why did Jesus have to be so forceful? Many of the disciples were professional fisherman and had learned how to read the skies and the winds to tell when a storm was brewing on the lake. They could see that a storm was coming. AND, they spent all their time speaking about it and complaining that Jesus was having them go out into a storm.
One thing we’ve learned in the seven years of these emails is our spoken words are the destiny or prophet of our lives and our situations. Proverbs 18:21 makes this clear. Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:37 that our words will either justify or condemn us. Now, the disciples had seen and participated in the feeding of the 500o men this very day. But Mark 6:52 says, “they considered not the miracle of the loaves.” What does this mean? It simply means the disciples were running their mouths about the impending storm before and as they were leaving and then about the storm once it hit them. The disciples were speaking about the problem and glorifying it rather than speaking The Truth they had seen that day and realizing if they could help multiply the bread and the fish then they could speak to the storm and control it. It was a physical fact there was a storm brewing and a storm that hit them, but it was not the Spiritual Truth. The Spiritual Realm has complete precedence over the natural, or physical, realm. Both realms are controlled by words.
Notice Jesus not only walked above the storm waters, He ceased the storm once inside the ship. Why didn’t Jesus calm the storm before He walked on the water? Because He paid no attention to the storm. It didn’t affect Him. Jesus did not allow the problem to receive any attention or glory from Him. Jesus also could have calmed the storm before He walked on the water to make it easier on the disciples. He didn’t do so because He wanted to teach them a lesson about faith and about the spoken word. Jesus could see from the land they were in negative faith.
Mark 6:48
And He [Jesus] saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
Notice in Mark 6:48, it starts by saying Jesus saw them from the land toiling in rowing. Do we remember what Proverbs 10:22 tells us about The Blessing of The Lord? The Blessing makes one rich [Spiritually, physically, and materially] and adds no sorrow [toil, labor, anxiety, fear] to The Blessing. Jesus saw the disciples toiling. The disciples were not using the Spiritual Realm to combat the storm, they were using their wisdom and physical strength against it. And what and where was it getting them? Nothing and nowhere. Sound familiar? This is true of many of our Sisters and Brothers in Christ. We see, maybe even participate in, the outcome of The Blessing when it impacts others. But, when it comes to us, we start speaking about, glorifying, and honoring the storms in our lives rather than The Truth of God. I hear it in church testimonies all the time. People that love God and are well meaning, but they just have to tell everyone about the storm and its impact(s). This is not what God teaches us in His Word. In fact, if we come to His Throne of Grace and start talking about, glorifying, and honoring the storm, God will not listen to one word you have to say. If you don’t believe me, let’s look at Psalm 145:18.
Psalm 145:18
The LORD is nigh [near] unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in Truth.
Is our storm(s) The Truth? No. The verse above makes it perfectly clear if we speak anything to God other than His Truth, He is not listening to us. Plus, Hebrews 4:16 makes it clear we are to come to The Throne of Grace boldly. If we are speaking about, honoring, and glorifying our storm(s), is this boldness? No, it’s fear. Fear is a sin. Do we think God will honor us by listening to our sin, to our admission of fear, by telling God all about our storm(s)? Of course not. God never honors or glorifies sin. God will honor and glorify His Word, only.
In closing, let’s remove negative faith from our mouths. Remember, negative faith INVITES the curse into your life. Why? Because you are giving it power by speaking about, honoring, and glorifying it. Let’s remember not to confuse facts with Truth. Had the disciples started out by praising, glorifying, and honoring God for the miracle they witnessed of how The Kingdom of God works on earth in the feeding of the 5000 men, they, along with The Holy Spirit, would have built up their faith in them. They would have become bold in The Word, The Truth, and it would have led them to speak against and calm the storm. The Holy Spirit would have used the praise to increase the faith in them and to give them Rhema wisdom. They would have then known how to address the storm and do EXACTLY what Jesus did.
Who will you give your words, glory, and honor to going forward – your storms or your God and His Word?
In Christ,
Larry