Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
It’s somewhat ironic that as “human rights” activists around the world push to boycott Israeli goods, in Bethlehem, which is the capital of Christian efforts to promote the BDS movement, products from the Jewish state are widely available there.
That fact was demonstrated last week by Israeli activist Kay Wilson, who during a visit to Bethlehem to spend the day with a Palestinian friend decided to browse a number of local shops.
“I saw some beautiful Palestinian shops. I saw Israeli goods sold in Palestinian supermarkets (which makes a mockery of the Boycott, Divestment [and] Sanctions),” Wilson wrote on her Facebook page.
She went on to note how Bethlehem, often propagandized as an open air prison, is a perfectly normal town, no better or worse off than most Israeli towns.
“Just like any other town, Bethlehem has wealthy neighbourhoods and poor neighbourhoods. Personally, I saw some very nice housing,” Wilson explained. “I saw that some Palestinians have cars that the rest of us can only dream of.”
Wilson’s post when viral on Facebook, and for good reason. Pro-Palestinian activists and the mainstream media that eats up their words routinely caricature Bethlehem and other Palestinian towns in a way that wholly defies reality.
And that phenomenon only puts genuine peace further out of reach. For, as Wilson correctly pointed out, “for peace to be possible, it has to be based on truth. And the truth is that there is no genocide against the Palestinians. There is no Holocaust being perpetrated by Jews.”
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In a vision I was shown different color and sized cooking pots being distributed to a multitude of people. Many of these pots were large, like the kind you would cook stew in while others were smaller, perhaps the size used for cooking spaghetti noodles. Some of these pots were brand new while others were old and badly dented and worn. Several pots were blackened from being on the fire too often or too long. I began prophesying to the people concerning their pots
All of these pots came directly from the Master Potter Himself. Each one arrived at its destination clean and shiny and waiting to be utilized. The current condition of these pots were determined by its owners use. Some of them were still in their wrapper because their owner never opened the package. They were unwilling or afraid to use the gift God had given them and explore the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Others were unwrapped, but barely used and therefore sat on a shelf still looking new and unused. Fear of man and timidity set in the owner's heart allowing their soul to rule over their spirit. (Photo via Bonnie Jones/Lyn Kost)
Then there were ones that were dinged and dented. They looked like they had been through a war. As a matter of fact, they had been through many, many battles of war and came out victorious. They triumphed over the enemy and had the battle scars to prove it. Their owners were valiant and brave and fought the good fight of faith.
I saw many that were blackened and full of soot from being on the open fire. Their owners chose to stay the course.
When the battle got extremely hot they girded up their loins and marched forward into battle. They overcame the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. They feared not their life and unto the death they chose to stay in the furnace. All are called, but few choose to stay in the furnace.
For many are called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:16b
The owner's calling or anointing determined the size of their pot. Some were called to do little while others were called to do much. Therefore the greater the anointing, the bigger the pot. I took notice of their many different colors. Each color represented their anointing; blue for revelation, red for mercy, white for righteousness and silver for sanctification.
Interpretation: Stay the Course!
There were also new cooking pots being distributed to the owners that stayed the course and chose to stay in the fire.
Their old pot was hung up as a badge of honor and they were now being issued new ones. (My new cooking pot was very large white with red trim and had a lid to match. Therefor I am called to lead others the way of righteousness and truth in this next season and the Father is my covering.)
My questions to you are: What color is your cooking pot?
Has it been unwrapped yet? Does it still look brand new or is it being used? Is it dinged and dented or perhaps burned by the fire? It's always our decision to stay in the fire or turn back when the going gets tough.(Photo via pixabay)
The last will be first because they are the ones who choose to stay the course while the first will be last because they are the ones who turned and walked away.
So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:16
Be encouraged because the Master Potter is polishing His wares. He's an equal opportunity employer that plays no favorites. But He pays close attention to those who choose to follow after Him with a whole heart.
Bonnie Jones The Prophetic Ministry of Bob and Bonnie Jones
Bonnie Jones has a great love for the Lord, the Word, and the Cross of Jesus. She loves children and enjoys blessing them with a gift of joy, truth, love, and encouragement. Bonnie moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2001 to attend Morning Star School of Ministry; in 2005 she met Bob Jones and they were married the following year (Bob Jones went home to be with the Lord in 2014). Bonnie moves in a seer prophetic gifting as well as healing and miracles. Her passion is to see women set free from the fear of man and step into their gifts and calling.
As angels were shooting fiery arrows onto the earth, sidewalks and gutters in the streets caught on fire as these arrows of deliverance began hitting the homeless and red light districts of the world. Heaven's aim was precise.
Prison bars were melting and grave clothes were being burned off those held captive in spiritual cemeteries. These fiery arrows then ricocheted and began piercing every denomination and even so-called Spirit-filled churches.
Angels were conversing, "Earth hasn't seen anything yet!"
Will American Christians Ultimately Stand By Israel?
Will American Christians ultimately stand by Israel or shun it? (iStock photo )
Support for Israel and the Jewish people is wavering among many Christians today.This is too bad, because for the first time in recent history, Jewish attitudes towards Christians and the gospel are changing—for the better!
Many Jewish people, including some of my own not-yet-believing family members, now understand that true Christians are the best friends of the Jewish people. One of my family members told me the other day that he was surprised to find out how many Christians support Israel, hate Anti-semitism and love the Jewish people.
This is really good news for Jewish evangelism as my people are beginning to have a more positive view of Jesus and His followers. So, it is critical that we encourage believers in Jesus to stand with Israel—for the right reasons.
For many years, there was strong support for the Jewish people, especially in light of the Holocaust and all the excitement surrounding the formation of the modern state of Israel. But, our younger generation did not live through these events. This is why we need to understand what the Bible has to say about God's plan and purposes for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.
So, take a moment with me now to examine the role of the Jewish people in the plan of God and especially how the Jewish people will play a critical role in the return of Christ and establishment of the Kingdom. For if the Jewish people do not play a role in God's plan, then why would Jewish evangelism be important? After all, there are only 15 million Jewish people in the world.
However, if God's mighty hand still rests upon the Jewish people, then reaching Israel for the Messiah Jesus takes on a new and strategic spiritual importance.
The Apostle Paul understood the ongoing role of Israel in God's plan of redemption when he penned these words, "For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" (Rom. 11:15).
The future of Israel and the Jewish people is bright, but we must understand the very foundation of God's promises to understand why this is true.
The Promise
Let's begin by looking at the key biblical promise which outlines God's plan for the Jewish people found in Genesis 12:1-3, often called the Abrahamic Covenant, as we can only begin to understand God's plan and purposes for the Jewish people by understanding the nature of this covenant.
I divide the passage into two parts:
"Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed"(Gen. 12:1-3).
God makes a total of eight promises to Abram. In verses 1-2, God told Abram he would be given a land, become a great nation, that he would be personally blessed and his name made great and finally that he would be a blessing to others.
In verse 3 there are three additional promises to the Gentiles. First of all, those who are not physical descendants of Abram will experience God's blessing—for blessing Abram and his children.
Secondly, those who curse the descendants of Abram would themselves be cursed. It is important to note that the Hebrew word used for curse in the first instance literally means, "to make light." The second word, translated curse refers to the usual term for judgment often used in both Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26. The play on words should not be missed. Those who devalue or make light of Israel's role in the plan of God or somehow demean the role of the Jewish people will then actually experience the very same curse God promised to the Jewish people that they would receive for disobedience to the Torah.
Thirdly, God would use the Jewish people to bring blessings to the world.
This elevates the importance of properly understanding what it means for the Jewish people to be chosen by God for His purposes. It is a serious issue for Jewish people who are themselves chosen, but also important for non-Jews as this passage describes the ongoing benefits and repercussions from the way in which Gentiles treat the Jewish people.
An Unconditional Covenant
The covenant is unconditional as there are no time limits or conditions tagged to the promise. It would be easiest within our space constraints to focus on two of the promises:
1. The first promise: A people.God miraculously created a people from the aged loins of Abraham and Sarah. If Israel is anything at its core, it is a people, or community, bound by ethnicity and covenantal purpose.
Fundamentally, to be Jewish is to be part of a people that God created for His holy purposes. We are a community— created by God for Him and for one another. God has promised He would preserve His people until those purposes were fulfilled. The Bible makes it clear the Jewish people have not been destroyed because God will not be diverted from fulfilling His plan for the chosen people and for the world.
2. The second promise: The land.Clearly, the Jewish people are not the only group of people that has been dispersed from its national boundaries, but the Jewish people may be the only people created as a nation prior to receiving their national boundaries. It is important to understand that God chose Israel before they emerged on the international scene as a nation. In fact, Israel had no prior existence before the Abrahamic Covenant and would have had no existence outside of the direct intervention of the One who created the heavens and the earth, determined the boundaries of nations and holds the hearts of the kings of nations in His powerful hand.
We should not think it odd at all that in the midst of creating the Jewish people as a nation, and all of the unique and special revelation this included, that God would also literally determine the specific boundaries of Israel's national existence in Genesis 15:17-21, and these boundaries have yet to be fulfilled!
And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants
I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—the Kenites and the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites."
It is also important to remember this land deed passes from Abraham to his son and grandson, Isaac and Jacob, as noted in many passages, but Genesis 35:9-12 is a good summary of God's unfolding plan and promises to the descendants of Abraham.
Then God appeared to Jacob again ,when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him. And God said to him,"Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name." So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I will give this land."
The Fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant
Yet, these promises of nationhood and of a land created for that nation only become spiritually meaningful in light of God's promise to bless, use and enter into a relationship with the people He created through Abraham and Sarah.
The promised spiritual restoration of the Jewish people is the key that unlocks the fulfillment of God's promises.
It is God Himself who will one day take responsibility for spiritually re-engaging His wayward chosen people. This was promised even before the Jewish people entered the Promised Land for the very first time.
"And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them(Deut. 4:28-31).
In 1983, Ronald Reagan said this of Israel: "Since the foundation of the State of Israel, the United States has stood by her and helped her to pursue security, peace, and economic growth. Our friendship is based on historic moral and strategic ties, as well as our shared dedication to democracy" (Remarks at White House meeting with Jewish leaders).
This end-time repentance and turning of the Jewish people to the Messiah is fundamental to their once again being blessed by God and being used by Him to fulfill the purposes for which Israel was created and chosen.
This end-time turning of the Jewish remnant to Yeshua (Jesus) is further described by the prophet in Zechariah 12:10.
"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."
At that time, the Jewish people will become the Israel God always intended and receive the fullness of covenantal blessings promised to our forefather Abraham. The Jewish people will then be characterized by shalom as they will have peace as a people: peace in the land of promise, peace with the God who made the promises and peace among the nations to whom they were called to shine the light of God's presence and commands.
President Harry Truman said this of Israel: "I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now. I believe it has a glorious future before it—not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization." (As quoted by the Jewish Virtual Library)
The Apostle Paul confirms that the Abrahamic Covenant will be fulfilled one day—future to our present day in fact! He writes, "Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness" (Rom. 11:12).
Conclusion
The church in general, and especially Gentile believers, should understand the significant role non-Jews have in God's plan as founded on the Abrahamic promises. Gentiles are participants in the Abrahamic Covenant in that they are spiritual descendants of Abraham (Gal. 3:6-9). This does not mean that Gentiles become Jews upon receiving Yeshua as this is passed through physical lineage beginning with the patriarchs. However, Gentiles do become the spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham by faith as God's blessings have come to "those far off" (Eph. 2:11-13) through the mediation of the Jewish Messiah.
The Abrahamic Covenant implies at least two major responsibilities non-Jewish believers in Jesus have towards the Messianic Jewish community and to the Jewish people in general.
First of all, the Church, knowing God's covenantal faithfulness, must support the Jewish people and pray for the Jewish people.
Secondly, the Church must accept the mandate found in Romans 1:16 and 11:11 and bring the Gospel to the Jew first by making the Jewish people jealous. We cannot allow Jewish evangelism to become the great omission of the Great Commission.
Together then, Messianic Jews and Gentile followers of Yeshua, bound together through the Messiah and the Abrahamic Covenant, must work together as partners with God in progressing towards this great day of covenantal fulfillment.
I pray that we may all recognize the role God has given to the Jewish people today!
Mitch Glaseris the president of Chosen People Ministries. For the original article, visit chosenpeople.com.
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Abbot Gregory Collins, head of the Order of Saint Benedict in Israel, urged local Christians to respond to last week’s apparent arson attack against the Church of the Multiplication on the shores of the Sea of Galilee with love and forgiveness.
“A few nights ago we suffered a severe attack here. A fire that endangered human lives. All residents of the area – Christians, Druze, Muslims, and Jews should protest against this deed,” Collins told some 3,000 Israeli Christian demonstrators on Sunday afternoon.
However, Collins continued, “we are Christian and must react like Christians. …We will replace the terrible fire with the fire of God’s love and forgiveness.”
The protestors insisted that the Israeli government do everything to bring those responsible to justice and thereby prevent future hate crimes against Christians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend promised to do just that, noting that “the shocking arson of the church is an attack on all of us.”
The attack caused serious damage to the church. Police determined the fire was set intentionally after finding Hebrew graffiti vowing to destroy idol worshippers and discovering that the blaze had started from several different locations around the facility.
Sixteen Jewish youth were briefly arrested and brought in for questioning, but were later released due to a lack of evidence.
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Fatherhood determines identity and identity releases security. Security produces a culture where it is safe to be unique, an environment where dreaming is the norm, and an expectation that dreams really do come true!
Well, that is my perspective from the chair I sit in today. I did not always know or experience these principles, as I grew up in a rather unsafe home with verbal abuse occurring almost every day. We each have a personal pilgrimage – and for a moment I would like to invite you into a window of mine. Jesus I loved without reservation, but the premise that God the Father was a "good God" unfortunately was a foreign concept to me. (Photo of Spiritual Fathers via James Goll)
Imprints From Spiritual Fathers
Unlike some, I have not had just one major, primary "spiritual father." But I have had the distinct honor of walking with and being impacted by several different fathers in the faith throughout my walk with the Lord, which has included over 40 years of full-time ministry.
As I grew up in the things of the Spirit, there were many teachers but few fathers and mothers. In this generation, I believe we actually have fewer teachers, but a plethora of authentic fathers and mothers and even grandfathers and grandmothers in the faith. One of my great joys over the years has been to nestle up to one of these spiritual veterans, speak honor to them and ask questions.
Yes, ask questions!
Perhaps questions like, "Do you have a life Scripture verse that has guided you?" "What was one of the most difficult challenges you ever faced?" "What moves of the Holy Spirit marked your life?" "If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?" "Tell me about your family?" "What legacy do you want to leave for the next generation?"
I have always asked questions. Maybe it has been one of the keys to help me keep going in my roller coaster life and ministry. My mom always said I was the most curious child – asking questions like, "Mommy, where do babies come from?" Ha! I remember those days of wonder and awe. And I still live in those days of wonder and awe. You can too!
Word-based Discipleship
I always want to be a Word-based disciple. If I had no relational mentors, I would still have my Bible. I would still have the heroes of the faith inscribed in this Holy Book. They are the fathers and mothers I look to the most. They always have been, and frankly, always will be. (Photo of Don Finto with James Goll)
I have also been an avid reader. I keep feeding this insatiable desire for knowledge, lessons from history, and a desire to know and experience more of God by reading. Thus today, I have a vast library that is filled with both old books and new ones (Matthew 13:52). These books have acted as some of the primary spiritual mentors that the Holy Spirit has used as tools in my life. The shadows of these great men and women of God still exist today.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons I am so committed to writing. Books have been my primary source of teaching and mentoring. In one of my many journals I have written that when I am 70 years old I will compose a book called "Lessons from the Woodshed!" I can't wait to write it. But I can't yet – I guess I still might have a few more "behind the scenes" encounters! Ouch!
Key Scripture Verses
So here are some basic Scriptures to use as stakes in the ground in the process of establishing your own relational culture of honor as it pertains to fathers and mothers of the Faith. These Scriptures are immoveable markers in my life.
Ephesians 6:2-3 "HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH."
Psalm 68:5-6 "A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land."
2 Kings 2:9-14 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." He said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to Heaven.
Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.
Four Key Fathers that Imprinted My Life
By the Lord's grace I continue to cultivate relationships with forerunners. In recent years this list has included C. Peter Wagner, Don Finto, John Sanford and others. (I am not attempting to name drop, but am speaking in truth of the authentic relational impact of these men!) I would also add to the list many of my "peers" who are some of the dread champions of the faith in our generation. And I have not even mentioned the Women Leaders who have impacted my life! (I will hold that one for another time – but it is extensive for sure!)
So, you ask, who have been some of the most significant relational mentors in your life? Who helped shape your Spiritual DNA while your cement was still wet? Glad you asked. With great joy I share them with you!
• Derek Prince – The Late International Bible Teacher
I observed and learned more from this brilliant British Bible teacher and scholar than anyone. These lessons included themes like: Prayer and Fasting Shapes History, God's Heart for Israel, Church Government, Deliverance, Breaking of Curses, and so much more. The thing that probably impacted me the most was his reverence towards and relationship with the Word of God.
• Mahesh Chavda – Man of Prayer, Fasting and Miracles
My dear friend and mentor Mahesh Chavda. Where do I begin? I carried his briefcase, coffee mug and even had the honor of bringing more comfortable shoes for him to wear when he stood in healing lines for hours. He has been one of my primary mentors in the anointing, fasting as a lifestyle and obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit.
• Bob Jones – The Late Seer of Seers
Mercy! Where do I begin to describe the impact Papa Bob Jones had on my life? I got joined at the hip with this unusual man in 1983; he rocked my world and I am still left shaking from that quake. Dreams, visions, angelic encounters were Bob's daily bread. I absorbed, watched and learned a lot from this man who was so "heavenly minded he was of earthly good."
• Dick Simmons – Intercessor behind the Scenes
This elderly man today might be lesser known before men than some, but he is a greatly known before the throne of God. I learned and entered into greater authority in intercession, the power of "reminding God of His Word", and the value of Church history through the hours of personal intercession I spent with this forerunner. His shadow has deeply impacted my life, ministry and global reach.
I have said for years, that the Holy Spirit did not give me one mentor but different ones for different purposes. These are but four of the godly men that the Lord has brought into my life. Oh my, none of them are the same – not even close. But what they have carried in common is a love for God, His people, His purposes and the integrity of His Word.
Thank You Lord for the impact of these Fathers in the Faith in my life, and the opportunity to share with others what has been imparted to me. May the ceiling of my generation truly become the next generation's floor!
I also pray that each of you will glean from the lessons of the mentors that God has placed within your path – through His Word, books, and personal relationships. May God continue to raise up fathers and mothers of faith who will mentor others – including you!
Wisdom from the Trenches!
James W. Goll Founder of Encounters Network • Prayer Storm • God Encounters Training e-School
Dr. James W. Goll is the president of Encounters Network, director of Prayer Storm, and coordinates Encounters Alliance, a coalition of leaders. He is director of God Encounters Training – an e-school of the heart, and is a member of the Harvest International Ministries apostolic team. He has shared Jesus in more than 50 nations worldwide, teaching and imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry, and life in the Spirit. James is the prolific author of numerous books and has also produced multiple study guides and hundreds of audio and video messages. James was married to Michal Ann for 32 years before her graduation to Heaven in the fall of 2008. James has four adult children who all love Jesus, and continues to make his home in Franklin, Tennessee.
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away... Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea... But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased (see Matthew 14:22-32).
During a time of prayer and worship at our church, I sensed that there are many of us who have stepped out in faith, believing the Lord has called us upon the water, only to find ourselves sinking. We have believed God for a healing, a restored relationship, a career change, or a breakthrough of another kind and are taken aback because rather than rising above a situation, we are sinking under. Dazed and confused, we crawl back into the boat wondering why God let us sink.
In response to this prophetic moment in prayer, I felt the Lord say, "Peter...I called you out on this water for a purpose, and sinking even just a little, was part of it."
Storms Aren't a Surprise to God
Do we really think that the storms that come our way in life are a surprise to the Almighty? After all, we are talking about the God who holds the entire universe in place with the power of His Word and works things out through the counsel of His supreme will. Did this storm that the disciples found themselves in the midst of really surprise Him? I think not. (Photo via pixabay)
Let's look back at the text and I'll show you what I mean. Notice in verse 22, it says Jesus "made" the disciples go into the boat so they could go to the other side before Him. The Greek word used here for "made" is anagkazo (Strong's #315). Anagkazo is an odd way to get folks in a boat if you were to ask me. The Vines Lexicon explains that the word denotes "to put constraint upon (from the word ananke, 'necessity'), to constrain," whether by threat, entreaty, force or persuasion.
You can see its intensity in Luke 14:23 when Jesus was giving the parable of the great supper in the Kingdom of God where it is translated "compel": "Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.'"Compel them to come!!!
It's almost as if Jesus was saying "Please...get in the boat! You must get in the boat." Now, you can imagine the intensity if they were already in a sinking ship and He was trying to get them into a lifeboat, but this situation is the other way around. Jesus was compelling them to get into a boat that was going to encounter a storm.
You see, sometimes, God calls us on the water and then allows us to go under just a smidgen so we can see His sovereign hand reaching out to save us. Although we feel forsaken because we are sinking fast, we are not.
Jesus is with us, we are not alone, and He is aware of every single thing that is going on. From there (that place of feeling like we are sinking), we are learning an invaluable lesson. We are learning that we will see His hand reach out to us at just the right time.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). God uses both the good and the bad together. Not just the good and not just the bad. He uses all things: the good, the bad, and everything in between, and works it together for good. In His sovereignty, He uses them both.
Peter walked on the water (good) and Peter also began to sink (bad). Yet it was all happening under God's watchful eye and He had a purpose for it all that everyone on that boat would benefit from then and now. (Photo via flickr)
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
Peter only sank a little, yet he was not sunken because He served a God who had a plan and a purpose for his life. This was all part of becoming the rock Jesus would build His Church upon. The same holds true for us all.
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." Isaiah 43:2
God has called you here for a purpose and you are not alone. He is there with you and you will see His hand reach out to you.
Amen and Amen.
Tiffany Ann Lewis Dancing With the Flame of the LORD Ministries
Tiffany Ann Lewis is an enthusiastic Bible teacher with a unique focus on Biblical Hebrew and a worshiper of God whose heart has been awakened by a God who sees us in our shortcomings and loves us in spite of them all. He calls out to us so we can live fully free from the trappings of guilt and shame, because we are accepted in the Beloved, Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 1:6). She is passionate about empowering individuals through the Word of God, knowing it will instill a deeper devotion to Him and give them hope for the journey.
Tiffany Ann and her husband Rodney have been married for twenty-five years and have one darling daughter, Ashley, a glorious granddaughter, Gloriana, and two pups that are also a part of their precious family. They live in upstate New York where Tiffany is pastor at Crossroadz Christian Church in Rexford, New York.
All of these pots came directly from the Master Potter Himself. Each one arrived at its destination clean and shiny and waiting to be utilized. The current condition of these pots were determined by its owners use. Some of them were still in their wrapper because their owner never opened the package. They were unwilling or afraid to use the gift God had given them and explore the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 
My questions to you are: What color is your cooking pot? 
Well, that is my perspective from the chair I sit in today. I did not always know or experience these principles, as I grew up in a rather unsafe home with verbal abuse occurring almost every day. We each have a personal pilgrimage – and for a moment I would like to invite you into a window of mine. Jesus I loved without reservation, but the premise that God the Father was a "good God" unfortunately was a foreign concept to me. (Photo of Spiritual Fathers via James Goll)
I always want to be a Word-based disciple. If I had no relational mentors, I would still have my Bible. I would still have the heroes of the faith inscribed in this Holy Book. They are the fathers and mothers I look to the most. They always have been, and frankly, always will be. (Photo of Don Finto with James Goll)
Do we really think that the storms that come our way in life are a surprise to the Almighty? After all, we are talking about the God who holds the entire universe in place with the power of His Word and works things out through the counsel of His supreme will. Did this storm that the disciples found themselves in the midst of really surprise Him? I think not. (Photo via pixabay)
Peter walked on the water (good) and Peter also began to sink (bad). Yet it was all happening under God's watchful eye and He had a purpose for it all that everyone on that boat would benefit from then and now. (Photo via flickr)