IMPRACTICAL FAITH

ALOHA SAINTS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS,  Beloved of God and me,   John 3:16

IMPRACTICAL   FAITH     “WORTH CONSIDERING”   9/22/20      From Ken<><

Today’s Scripture          (Across my desk this morning from a church in Texas.)
“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  (Matthew 14:29, NLT)
   
It’s in the Unknown
When Jesus came walking across the stormy sea in the darkness of night, Peter was the only disciple who had the courage to walk on the water to Him. One can imagine the other disciples saying, “It’s too dangerous! Don’t go!” But when Jesus told him to come, Peter stepped out into the unknown and walked on water. He didn’t let what was familiar and comfortable in his life keep him from getting out of the boat and becoming who he was created to be.   You can’t play it safe your whole life and reach the fullness of your destiny. What God has in store for your future is going to boggle your mind—the places He wants to take you, the people you’re going to influence, the dreams you’re going to accomplish. Don’t let the what-ifs talk you out of it. “What if I fail? What if they say no?” You’ll never know unless you try—it’s in the unknown.
   
A Prayer For Today
“Father, thank You that the stormy seas and waves of my life are no problem for You. I choose to obey You quickly. Help me not to over think things, but trust Your leading in my life. I declare that I am willing to step out of my comfort zone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Ken’s Thoughts:
Got to smile at that one today as one time early in my Christian walk I did muster up all of my faith and stepped out on the water… and just got wet.  Problem was, Jesus had not asked me to do it.   But in another situation a super nutty Christian brother drove from Eureka, to Eugene to tell me about 7 acres that was for sale on Table Bluff about 10 miles south of Eureka.  So by faith I went with him to see the place.  It was about 7 building some as old as WW1 and all falling apart.  The water system was full of very small water shrimp and all of the building were full of hippie squatters.  The owner was concerned for his life.  I bought the spread, hippies and all for 38K.   Went back to Eugene, packed up and move into a duplex with a bad roof, the only vacancy with a bunch of Christians.  I look back on that and wonder, how did I ever decide to do that.  As it turned out the LORD told me just to mind my own business and to begin cleaning up the place and not to try to evict anyone.  Rented a tar kettle and put a new roof on the duplex.  And spent time with the LORD in getting the food together for us and the hungry.  We did not know this at the time but one of the hippies had a brother who was a member of the Bakersfield’s Hell’s Angels.  And he had ask him to bring the chapter up to Eureka to the Lighthouse to scare us out of living there.   At the time I were out getting groceries as the club was on the way.   In Fortuna the club was spotted by the local police and got permission to tag along as see what they were up to.  So just before I returned to Lighthouse Ranch the Chapter had arrived, picked out the wrong building which happened to be where the Warlock had a coven and threw an axe though the window and started to beat up on them thinking they were the Christians.  While this was going on the police car pulled in the driveway and me behind him.   He ask what I would like him to do and I ask him to just wait a bit.  So he got out his 12 Gage turned on the lights and sit on his fender.  Me and another guy went over to talk to the Hell’s Angels.  They were rather subdued by this time as they knew that back up was on the way.  So with bible in hand and the police at my back I sauntered over and ask how I could be of help.  The leader said one of the bikes was busted and needed a part, could they stay there till they all could leave together.  I said sure and walked back to the duplex and police.   Well about that time the cold winter sea winds came in and it started raining.  Those drowned shivering Angels set there from dusk to 3 AM before the part arrived.  There was no room with us in the duplex and there was no invitation from the hippies.  Where they were parked was about 500 feet from the road.  On one side of that driveway was a 5 strand barb wire fence that Leon had created that you could play a tune on.  Leon was the guy that tuned me into buying the place.  On the other side of the drive way was an acre of busted cars that we called the boneyard.  As it seems the Lord would hold their wheels together until they got to Lighthouse Ranch and then they would fall apart.   Well the Angels got the bike fixed all packed up and revved their hogs like thunder and took off lickety split down that driveway out of there.   But at the same time Leon was coming in with his big Helms Bread Truck that took 8 feet + big mirrors out of the single driveway.  And on the front of the truck was painted in black runny letters really big: “REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND,” So all 18 bike lights lite up that truck, Leon could not see so just stopped and you could hear the leather ripping and bikers moaning as they tried to get around the truck either by the fence or through the bone yard.  I have been laughing at that spanking from the Lord now for many years.   And I sort of feel like I got to walk on water for a little bit there.  And none of the fruit of Lighthouse Ranch would have come to pass if I had been at all rational.  It was a really dumb thing to do.  Not at all logical. Could have spent a mint on building repairs and been killed.    But we saw the Lord save hundreds of kids at that old beat up light house station in 1970.  That night seem to turn the tide and broke the log jam and the Hippies began to leave.  All were gone in about a month after that spanking of the LORD.  And the Lord filled up the place with kids looking for God’s Light and Truth.  And ended in becoming Gospel Outreach which brought many to Christ in the 70’s.

And frankly I was just a spectator and a winner because I was on the Lord’s side.  Except for Jesus I could have very easily been on the other side.   But you will never walk on the water with Jesus, unless you are willing to get out of your comfortable little boat. 

Yours, in HIS great Love and Wonderful Grace and Mercy, Ken<><   www.Trinity-Aloha.org
(To add/delete: ken@trinity-aloha.org       (“Worth Considering Library, find link on Homepage.)

There is but one Church of Christ Jesus as LORD,
all who Love and Obey HIM are members.


Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com&gt;   We as believers in Yeshua (Jesus), know that true forgiveness doesn’t come by doing works, keeping traditions and taking part in beautiful ceremonies. Reconciliation with God comes by truly giving up our lives for His purposes and receiving atonement for our sin through Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), as the Hebrew scriptures clearly show.    Europe is racing to contain rising coronavirus infections and prevent more hospitalizations and deaths. Authorities in several countries announced new restrictions, sparking protests in Spain, which saw one of the lockdowns.    As he prepares to lead a prayer march in Washington, D.C., next week, evangelist Franklin Graham said the dire problems besetting the country are ones only God can solve, and time is short.

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