Alone is Good!

I am happy is my Spiritual Birthday and greet you again.

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“Alone.”

In order to be alone, you must dismiss the crowd.  Secure those that are yours in a fellowship (fellows in the same ship) to go ahead in a boat with the clear instructions of destination Gennesaret.

 

The crowd is there to follow the Master not the servants, so they gladly stayed with Jesus. Jesus tenderly dismissed the crowd after feeding them and satisfying them of their hunger for food and their hunger for a miracle. A satisfied crowd is an obedient crowd. The crowd took Jesus at his word they resume continue to do whatever they were doing before Jesus came to that region. 

 

I could not help but noticed how politely Jesus removes the threatening presence and competition for the attention of Jesus that the disciples meant by placing them in the boat and gently telling them to go home. 

 

Once Jesus dismissed the crowd, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Jesus believed in creating an atmosphere for prayer. Jesus climbs up in the hills in order to be alone but loneliness was not his goal but prayer! 

In quietness and confidence was his strength. Jesus received the evening hours of the night ready to fellowship with the Father without distraction or distracting others. Prayer must be this sacred and special for the individual in order to be contagious to a second person or third or more. 

If praying does not work or believe by one it will not happen in two, three, or more. To me the most fascinating part of Jesus’ life is his prayer life. Prayer is more than asking and dealing with God but is fellowship of agreement with God. The eternal constant of the Godhead is the Unity or Oneness of the Trinity. 

No one who knows true love wants to be separated from the beloved any longer than holding their breath if they can’t help it. 

If evening came at six at night, Jesus prayed nine hours, which is 3 AM or the fourth watch of the night. Jesus went to his disciples who were already a considerable distance from land buffeted by the waves because the wind was against them. 

 

Jesus did not go with a fast boat but walking on water in a “real collusion” with the waves and the winds so not to get to far away and perhaps to bring the boat back to Jesus to shortened the distance and facilitate entry of the severing king into the boat. I refuse to think of Jesus running to catch up with the boat and his disciples. 

 

The twelve well fed disciples plus their cargo of twelve basket full overs of fish and bread are under the curse of the Chinese proverbs that say: “a full stomach is an empty head”. 

Instead of rejoicing at the sight of Jesus walking on water toward them they were terrified and when one is terrified the first counterfeit source of faith and comfort is religion. 

“It is a ghost,” they cried out in fear. 

What kind of religion is that which teaches that ghosts are visible and to be feared. God is spirit and invisible and only Jesus make him visible and that by our senses but by faith. Faith that is grounded on sight lead to disagreement with God and crying out and fear replaces prayer. 

Jesus does not remove fear from the fearful and terrified but speaks a word from his mouth in full knowledge that faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God. Faith as Prayer is agreement with God and his word and that is the way God wants to relate to us. “The righteous shall live by faith.”

 

“Take Courage! It is I don’t be afraid”. Jesus offers F=PW2 to Peter. Faith is taken Jesus at his word. Prayer is agreeing with God. The will of God is bound to prevail and the Word of God is the revelation of God’s will to be back in alignment with God. Back to oneness with God, back to the Garden at the cool of the day. Back to everlasting fellowship!  

 

For Jesus to walk on water is as normal as F=PW2. 

Peter with that much of a faith the size of a mustard seed in willing to take a test. “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied “tell me to come to you on the water”. It was as if he was saying, if you tell me to come to you on the water, I am willing to try F=PW2 by stepping out of the boat onto the water. 

 

“Come” Jesus said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat and walked on water to Jesus. While we walk to Jesus with eyes fix on Him only, we also walk on water! The fear of being without the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Counselor, Savior, the Son of God, Jesus is understandable. 

 

But the fear with Jesus at hand and beside, who keeps His word by never leaving or forsaking to the end is offensive to God to fear! 

The scriptures say, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, Lord save me!” Notice the key words: “when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid.” This is the closest we come to understanding felony against self, “to take our eyes from Jesus”. If you ever feel like you are drowning, guess who took their eyes from Jesus? We have no one to blame but ourselves. 

We have been called to walk on water. Keep your eyes on Jesus and your knees on the ground! Live supernatural lives in the most natural way! If you are still in fellowship with God in Jesus, it’s because of the second chances as Jonah of old. There is no reason to doubt that He who caught Peter has many times reached out to you immediately to your cry for Salvation. 

Even the salvation of a sinner and doubting believer like Peter is designed by the sovereign God to cause the conversion of men and the praise of God as they saying, “ Truly you are the Son of God”. 

 

It is not our perfect obedience that God uses to convict people but His gracious ever-conquering love that makes my next words be “Jesus had to be the Son of God to put up with us”.

 

Blessed were the people of Gennesaret who recognized Jesus and God in Jesus. These noble selfless people sent words to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to Jesus and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak and all that touched it were healed. 

Gennesaret recognized Jesus. 

To recognize is to know His Will.

To recognize is to have Faith.

To beg Him to touch the edge of his cloak is to Pray in agreement. 

To send word to others is to abide in the Will and Word of God.

That is what F=PW2 is all about!

Jesus by faith went to a solitary place to Pray in agreement with God alone for nine hours because the will and word of God for Jesus was what kept him free from temptation away from the forbidden fruit or dialogue with the enemy but happy and rejoicing always, praying continuously and thankful like in the Garden at the cool of the day.

Come back dear Jesus! Come back soon to take me home to the garden to renew fellowship at the cool of the day. 

 

Gerry Gutierrez.

 

 PS. My mentor for more than 30 years. Uncle John Stott.