Kim Gentes

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.

"It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
"You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Matthew 14:22-33

As we survey Scripture, one can see many circumstances provoking and resulting in worship. This is yet another example of a response to an awesome display of God's power. However, it is also a revelatory experience for the disciples.

The depiction of the storm on the lake is a metaphor that has applications to our lives of "unsettled waters". We cannot control many aspects of our world, and therefore the waves will rage about us. In those times, our efforts to make it to the safe shores of life might seem a vain struggle. But it is during the late watch of the night that Jesus comes to us.

His way of approaching our daily struggles often seems unorthodox to us. Christ shows us that we shouldn't wage war on the waves, using the tools of the sea. The fishermen among the disciples must have felt quite at home on the sea, understanding the use of all the equipment necessary for the trek across the body of water. The boats, the sails, the oars- all of them were second nature to many the disciples. Yet none of these worked in accomplishing the simple task of crossing the lake.

Jesus’ approach to conquering the daily storms of life was not to fight against them with the standard tools of our mind, strength and heart (boat, sails and oars of our lives). Instead of trying to use these natural tools to fight our daily struggles, we must recognize that there are supernatural forces arrayed against us. The wind, waves and waters are the forces that push against our journey to God. Jesus shows us that we must not try to avoid the elements of struggle, or to fight them in futility in our own strength. Instead he shows us that we must walk straight into the storm, with our gaze fixed on Jesus alone.

Taking our eyes off Jesus allows the struggles to consume us and swallow up what progress we make in our walk with Christ. He does want us to join him. But he knows our weaknesses. He will always be with us. He won't leave us behind when he sees us struggling to work out our faith or having a hard time comprehending his greatness. Instead he climbs in the boat with us. And in the presence of the Living God, the storms of the world are calmed. It is in the presence of God that the Prince of Peace is revealed to those who are watching for him. For whenever we come in contact with Jesus, just being with him is a revelatory experience.

The experience of being in God's physical presence, and the revelation of his reality defying the "natural" reality of our world, redefined the theology of the disciples in the boat with him. Jesus did not quote them an Old Testament text or proclaim his messianic title. But with his actions and presence exposing his God-hood, they both understood He was God and treated Him as God. No other reply would have been more appropriate than doing as they did. By worshiping him they showed that they truly understood who he was. The act of worship is the one completely God-ward act we are afforded as created beings. It clarifies and re-defines who we are and re-iterates who He is.

To worship God is not only why we exist, but it is how we exist. It defines who we are and what we do.

So let's be open to His ways, ready for His call, faithful in the walk, alert to His revelation, and ready to bow in worship to Jesus alone!

Selah!

Kim Anthony Gentes

The above scripture is Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Wind Waves and Worship (ThinkJump Episode 12 by Kim Gentes)

Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) ...

...The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."

But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

John 4:4-8, 25-34

Going through life, each of us develop little formula's and recipe's for nourishing ourselves. Often times we are able to survive and satiate the hunger in us by filling up with what seems obvious. Yet, the more we pile on the food of temporal life, the less nourishing it seems. We hunger, but we continue to eat fluff because it's what is being served. But that is not how it was meant to be. Jesus was tired and (one can assume), like his disciples, hungry and thirsty from the long journey. But it is clear that his recipe for sustenance included one main ingredient- obedience. And not just obedience to a mindless cause, but focus on the healthful food of heaven.

Jesus said it succinctly, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work". Are you hungry? Are you empty for real meaning? Are you in need of something, but don't know what it is? Are you finding what you do to be void of satisfaction, even in success? David, the psalmist, found the food of life, as he says in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."

Nothing is as deeply fulfilling as knowing you are acting on the advice of God, according to both His nature found in His word and the Holy Spirit's inspirational direction at the moment. One of those such moments came to me a few years ago. It was in the quiet place of my own home. During a time of contemplation, I felt inclined to pray and fast for the life of Christ to grow more evident in my family. As I took that journey, one day it seemed important to me that the real purpose of this particular fast was so that I could concentrate on the needs of my family. To serve them instead of myself. Seems obvious, but quite different when you are fasting for many days so that you can prepare and serve your family. One of those days, I remember making some burgers for them and God speaking in the kindest of voice- "Kim, how does this taste?" I hadn't eaten for a very long time, but my family was enjoying a meal. I realized what He meant. It was at that point that I knew part of selfish life cannot be simply mentally confronted, it must be done away with through action. Part of the power of the Christian disciplines is that you act in line with your theology to "exercise" your thoughts through obedience. You must push through the feeling of struggle in doing the discipline, and that gives a very real, very touchable understanding to the battle we are in. You begin to see that you really do play a part of this earthly conflict between the two kingdoms of light and darkness. And while we wouldn't account for anything on our own, He chooses to make us unbelievable valuable, and in fact places us in the midst of the important crucible of decision and action. If we decide and act along with Him, we confer our agreement to the kingdom of goodness and push the territory of the heavens further across this planet, as His glory covers earth.

In that journey, obedience is both thought and action. It will feel, it will hurt and it will bless. Taste and see that He is good. He really is! Kind of a fun encouragement to me was the quirky discovery while I was doing just a bit of cooking. My mom used to make burgers when I was a kid. I remembered she made a hearty combination of meatloaf type ingredients. When used in burgers, it made a plump and juicy burger. Attempting to recreate that from memory, I looked for some spices to add. In this process, I found out that spices normally meant for use on grilled chicken work quite a nice zesty flavor into juicy burgers. So, here is a fun little burger recipe that you are welcome to try, ala the accidental discovery of yours truly. It isn't the food of life, but it is tasty for the body!

Hope you like it:

Kim's Burgers
makes 10 large burger patties

Ingredients

• 3lbs of ground beef (lean)
• 1 tube of saltine crackers (crushed into semi-fine grind)
• 4 eggs
• 1/8 onion (super finely ground/cut) - chopped dry onions are ok
• garlic salt/powder (to taste)
• McCormick Chicken Seasoning (4 teaspoons) -- you can substitute your own mix of salt, pepper, and paprika if you do not like the MSG that is added by the seasoning pre-made mix.
• black pepper (1 teaspoon)
• salt (2 teaspoons)- optional

1. Mix crushed saltine grind with all spices
2. Combine eggs, meat and dry mixture. Hand knead until completely mixed throughout.
3. Form into patties
4. Cook as desired. Medium/well burgers can be made at 18 minutes at 200F on a grill. Then let sit 5 minutes on low heat to melt real cheddar slices and settle juices in meat.