Walking on water..

When I see this picture of Jesus and Peter walking on the water, memories flood my mind.  I can remember having that child like faith and believing that I could walk on water.  I probably filled a couple of bathtubs just to try.  I remember trying to make rocks move because the bible told me that I could move mountains, so moving rocks should have been a piece of cake and I specifically remember writing Jesus a love letter late at night, laying it in the middle of my floor, and expecting that an angel would come pick it up as I slept to deliver it.  When I woke up it was still lying in the exact spot I left it.

 My disappointment of why I couldn't do supernatural things like those described in the bible left me believing that I didn't have enough faith. Until recently, as I mentioned in [Not Even A Dog Will Bark] my child like curiosity has pursued and caught back up with me.  I have again been wanting to do supernatural things for God.

Most of us who grow up hearing the bible stories have probably all had similar moments just like me. We desire to have a power to do things like Jesus and the disciples did.  This power I crave is not a power to dominate humans or to be a tyrant.  This power that I've been seeking for is the power to have dominion (to have authority over) over my environment, my circumstances.

Everyone desires to control their environment but most of us look to money to gain dominion over our circumstances.  1Timothy 6:10 says: For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.  Another reason why we seek to have dominion over our environment is because it was placed in us at the time of creation.  Go back to the beginning, look at what Genesis 1:26 says: Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  We were created to walk in dominion over all the earth.  This is why Jesus was able to touch a tree and it wither away.  This is why Jesus cast out demons, told sickness to flee the body, and this is why Peter was able to walk on water.  [ Notice it does not say that we have dominion over people.  Jesus had dominion over every circumstance and the environment but he never dominated a person.  The enemy does try to dominate and control and that is a huge difference between a religion and a relationship with Jesus * This is a huge topic].

Peter asked Jesus if he could come out on the water and what did Jesus say? He said, come on!  This was what we were designed to do before the fall of Adam.  We were created to have dominion over all these things that beat us down.  We were designed to have control over our environment and walk like the sons and daughters of God.  This is why I have been seeking to do supernatural things in our natural world, because I was created to do so.  All of us were.  All of us have the power without the need of money to have dominion of our circumstances and our environment.  This is what Jesus was demonstrating while he was here on earth. He was showing us who we were to God and the power that we now have because of the blood that was shed for us, with the help of the Holy Spirit. [* Note:  I am not saying that money is bad, but the pursuit of it to control your environment, instead of allowing God to provide everything necessary for us to control it and walk in dominion over this earth, is wrong.  Quickly and sneakily, money turns into your idol, it becomes what you trust in most, more than what your Father has promised you and what your King Jesus died on the cross for. ]

So this is what I've noticed.  As soon as God revealed to me that I was no better than a pharisee a while back, I began the process of allowing Him to remove the religion in my life and begin a relationship with Him.  It has been a fast ride.  This new found relationship without the anchor of religion has me sailing to uncharted territories rapidly and I like it. He is shaping me into the creation I was designed to be and like Peter, God is asking me to step out of the boat!  Like the song Afterlife by Swtichfoot (highly recommend listening), I'm ready now and I'm not waiting for the afterlife to be who I was created to be! We were all created to have control over our circumstances and our environment supernaturally through the Holy Spirit.  Keep tuned in.  I have a feeling God has got some exciting things in store.