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Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD. - Psalm 148.
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Peter here is an illustration of all who rely on their own merits for salvation. Unless one is born of Spirit and not flesh, they are not truly a child of the LORD. They are not destined for an eternal home in heaven.
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." - John 3:6.
"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." - Revelation 22:1-5.
When we look at the text in Matthew 14 we must keep in mind that the events here happened in 29 AD, a time when Peter was physically young and was a man of "little faith", but he was also in fact growing and maturing spiritually. About four years later, Peter gave the famous sermon on Pentecost under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which the inspired Luke the author of Acts noted:
"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." - Acts 2:40.
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." - Acts 4:13.
Can we walk on water in the midst of a storm? What about if we are having troubles with our spouse or have no spouse, if we're poor, if our job is not producing enough income? What about if all these plague us, not just one? What about if we then add in sickness and other afflictions? Could walk on water in such a storm? Of course not, the mere thought is preposterous!
Look to Jesus.
Peter failed on his own efforts, but then he found wisdom and did the right thing ---- he cried or prayed: "LORD save me" and it was Jesus' good will to do so, and not let him drown in the sea. Crying here should be underscored because it goes hand in hand with fasting (sharing the gospel):
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." - Psalm 126:5,6.
And in turn, praying goes hand in hand with fasting (the sending forth of the gospel):
"Brethren, pray for us.". - 1 Thessalonians 5:25.
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." - 2 Corinthians 5:20.
"Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." - Luke 6:28.
"Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." - Mark 13:33-37.
"he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." - Mark 9:29.
Again, in the Bible, fasting typifies coming before our LORD with a humble, contrite and brokenheart.
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." - Isaiah 58:6-11.
God uses language that is figurative, highly spiritual stuff to portray fasting as bringing forth the gospel to all the world. As children of Christ when we bring the gospel to the unsaved of the world, Christ uses us as witnesses to loose the bands of wickedness on those to whom He saves. Those who are slaves to sin are set free and if any man truly comes to Christ, He becomes a new creature, we read this in 2 Corinthians 5; likewise, in Ephesians 2 we read:
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:1-10.
The bread that we share is the LORD Jesus Christ:
"Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:43-51).
As children of God, we not only are commanded to bring the gospel, but we must also pray without ceasing for those who are unsaved in hope that the LORD may have mercy on them if it is His good will and pleasure:
"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:7-15).
Peter came a long way spiritually from the incident on the sea in 29 AD. Later, when he penned his epistles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, about 65 & 67 AD, some 36-38 years later in his life and spiritual maturity, we see haw marvelously God designed the Bible in that Peter would boldly mention faith 5 times in the first chapter of his first epistle and twice in the first five verses of the second:
1 Peter 1:5 - Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:7 - That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 1:9 - Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:21 - Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1 Peter 5:9 - Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
2 Peter 1:1 - Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Peter 1:5 - And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
"And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.". (love) - 2 Peter 1:6,7.
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