Introduction:
Many Hollywood enthusiasts and aficionados watched the series of the movie, "Mission Impossible!" Count me one of them. I love the scenes where Tom Cruise would accomplish a seemingly impossible mission. Incredible feat! Those TV and movie series made millions, I believe.
There was a Marines’ slogan during World War II, "If it’s difficult, it would take a day or two; if it’s impossible, it would take a little longer". One day, during the Vietnam War, a platoon of marines was surrounded by a battalion of enemies on their hilltop bunker. They were entrenched with sandbags but were secured with a month supply of ammo. The radioman called the base, "Alpha base, Alpha base, this is Panther platoon; we’re surrounded by a battalion of enemies, over". Alpha base answered, "Panther platoon, this is Alpha base; do you need air support, over". Panther platoon answered back, "Alpha base, negative, no need for that; we have more than enough ammo and gallant marines; we will not let the enemies escape, copy that, over". That’s brave!
We often find ourselves stuck in impossible situations. The coming year seems to predict more threats, rather than treats, although there have already been initial signs of economic progress. Effects of Global warming, natural calamities, wars, terrorisms, and moral decadence threaten our world. Alarmingly, there was news that some passionate opponents of the gospel have had silly idea and have taken initial efforts to block the proclamation of the gospel in the airwaves.
We all face uncertainties - situation that is impossible to solve; sickness that is impossible to cure; burden that is impossible to bear; problem that is impossible to muster; past that is impossible to forget; blunder that is impossible to undo; weakness that is impossible to overcome; habit that is impossible to break; relationship that is impossible to restore; hurt that is impossible to mend; need that is impossible to meet. Being a limited human being, we have much impossibility in life. Our hope: "Jesus looked at them and said, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" Matt. 19 : 26.
Are you aiming to accomplish something great in the coming year? I have some suggested steps that we need to take to experience the mighty works of God:
Proposition:
1. Don’t be Afraid of your Assumptions!
2. Don’t Attempt in your own Abilities!
3. Don’t Abide in your safe Asylum!
4. Don’t pay Attention to your Anxieties!
1. Don’t be Afraid of your Assumptions!
"When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost." v.26
The disciples were rowing the boat against gale of waves for several hours without budging a meter off their spot. When their help came, Jesus walking on water, they assumed it was for their harm. Great is the number of those who have followed their assumptions and missed the best in life. Our assumptions are so much influenced by the world and the people around us. We need to be very careful with who we listen to. People around us can be classified in two categories:
a. The VDP’s: Very Despairing Persons – Negative thinkers.
These are the people who would push you away from your visions; they will derail you. Sometimes pull you out of your visions; they will deceive you. And, often knock you down on your visions; they will discourage you. They always see the impossibilities, never the possibilities.
b. The VIP’s: Very Inspiring Persons – Positive thinkers.
These are the people who would prompt us into a great vision, sometimes prod us out from the spoilers of visions, and often lift us up when we feel exhausted in chasing our visions. They always see the possibilities, and focus less on the impossibilities.
The Negative Thinker sees Difficulty in every Opportunity! But the Positive Thinker sees Opportunity in every Difficulty! The Positive Thinker sees the Invisible, feels the Intangible, and achieves the Impossible!
2. Don’t Attempt in your own Abilities!
"Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water." v.28
Peter was a sea expert, probably a fisherman with honors in terms of fishing exploits. Jesus was a carpenter, though he may have learned to swim, but he was not known to be having the caliber of Peter with regards to sea trek. But Peter implored the Lord. We often look to our credentials and evaluate, sometimes project, what we can accomplish with our earned skills and abilities. Our skills and abilities are only tools that God uses to accomplish his work in us, with us and through us. We need to implore the divine providence.
a. We need a Prior Approval from the Lord
We receive God’s approval through prayer and study of His Word. Peter prayed, ’Lord if it’s really you"… then he relied on the words of Jesus, "tell me"… It is crucially vital for us to know the will of God before we embark into doing something great in our lives.
b. We need a Practical Attitude towards Life
Peter did not ask the Lord, "Tell me to come to you by swimming…", he said, "Tell me to come to you by walking on water" – absurd and unusual. That’s a practical attitude about doing something that looks impossible with men – but possible with God. A vision without action is just a desire; an action without vision is plain disaster. Our attitude, not aptitude, determines our altitude. If we need to start something great for God, start it. A wealthy Japanese entrepreneur once said, "Any idea that you can think of, someone has already thought of it. Success is not about having an idea, but acting upon an idea."
Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5. Paul further elaborated on that passage, "For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need." Php. 4:13.
3. Don’t Abide in your safe Asylum!
"So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus." v.29
Peter could not have experienced walking on water if he did not venture to come off board. The waves are high. The gale was fierce. It must have been safe to stay in the boat. We love to serve God in our comfort zones. But when the days are tough and the tide of events is at odds, we re-assess our commitment, and often retreat. In terms of commitment and passion for the Lord’s work, we find two types of disciples:
a. The Cheering Disciples
The other disciples who were in the boat must have cheered with their fists in the air, "go, Peter, go", when they saw him walking on sea waves. They are quite satisfied to observe what God is doing. We have many brethren of this type in our churches. They are faithful to attend church events and worship services; they love to see people getting saved, others healed, some others reporting great feats in their ministries; but they themselves are still painstakingly carrying their decades-old struggles.
b. The Chasing Disciples
But there are a few disciples who gallantly come off board their comfort zones and endeavor to discover what God can do through them in the unknown. If we want to experience something of great magnitude, we need to get out of our comfort zones and boldly venture into the unknown. It is there that we can experience God’s mighty works!
Wise are these sayings, "We cannot expect great things from God if we cannot attempt great things for Him!" One irrefutable fact of life, "The Journey of a Thousand Miles begins at ONE STEP!"
4. Don’t pay Attention to your Anxieties!
"But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink." v.30
I remember a song that I learned when I was a kid in Vacation Bible School, long time ago. "Don’t look down; don’t look around; just look up, up, up". Obviously, Peter wasn’t taught that song. He walked on water and was enjoying the glory of that miracle. That was when his eyes were on Jesus. This passage reminds us that life is not always a rocket ride. More realistically, it is a roller-coaster ride. We plunge and emerge; rise and fall. Peter’s experience teaches us.
a. Don’t get Disturbed in your Focus
The waves were pounding the boat, and the wind was fierce, when Peter went over the side of the boat but those did not disturb him. So suddenly, when he was disturbed by the same waves and winds that he brushed aside few minutes earlier, his gear shifted to reverse and his miracle sail went into turbulent sea current. The world distracts us; delays us; and detours us. Our circumstances will still be there in the coming year. Don’t get disturbed or distracted in your focus. Focus on Jesus alone.
b. Don’t get Defeated by your Fears
I can imagine Peter frolicking with the foams that the crashing waves produced. When his eyes were on Jesus, he had faith; when he was out-of-focus on Jesus, he had fears. True. We build our pricey houses and detain ourselves within high fences, for fear of others. The devil has no power to directly harm us if we have been sheltered under the blood of Jesus. But the one tool, and a very effective one, that he can use is fear. He prowls around like a roaring lion, not to bite or devour us, but to scare us. We live in a world of fears, but there is always a light at the tunnel’s end. And it radiates the face of Jesus, to whom we must focus our attention.
The most important things that matter: How you Dial your Focus on Jesus; How you Deal with your Fears of this world! God did not allow us to come to this stage of faith and relationship with Him only to let us drown in failures and fears. "A burning desire is the starting point of all achievements!" (Napoleon Bonaparte).
Conclusion:
We are about to enter the year 2010. Have a clear panoramic view of the world. You don’t see much good, do you? It’s quite worrying. Mission Impossible? No longer. Jesus said, "With God all things are possible!" Let us do our part, and experience God’s mighty works transpire in our lives, and our ministries:
Don’t be Afraid of your Assumptions
Don’t Attempt in your own Abilities
Don’t Abide in your safe Asylum
Don’t pay Attention to your Anxieties
Happy New Year!
