As the disciples were crossing a lake at night, a great storm began to toss their boat and they were terrified. Jesus saw them in trouble and came to them. How? He was walking on the water! Thinking Jesus was a ghost, they were even more afraid. But as Jesus tried to calm them, Peter needed to know if He was real:

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”   “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. – Matthew 14:28-29

What was Peter thinking? He stopped thinking there was a ghost, and he began to think differently. All of a sudden, while his eyes were on Jesus instead of the storm, he thought, HOW ABOUT I WALK ON THE WATER, TOO? 

Your biggest help is not always having the Lord yank you out of what you see – the storm around you. Rather, help may come by simply hearing what the Lord says when you are in the middle of it.

Lord, give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying in the middle of the storm. We cry out for your help!

I was up before sunrise, crying out for help, hoping for a word from you! – Psalm 119:146 MSG

Then remember: Every word from God comes with the power to make that word happen. All Peter had to do to walk on water was hear the words, “Yes, come” (Matt. 14:29). Those simple words came with the power to make it happen, but Peter’s own thinking then got in the way. What he saw around him became bigger than what he had just heard.

But when he saw the strong winds and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. – Matthew 14:30

Sometimes we make the same mistake! We look at the circumstances in the storms around us and if we are not careful, we will allow what we see to become bigger than what we hear.

Peter was on a journey of transformation, and we are, too. There has been a series of storms in 2020 that we’ve seen across the nation and the world. From the Covid storm, to fear, to political, racial, and economic storms, to division and deception, we need to be reminded that the Lord gave us a specific word:

Believe God and you will be established. Believe his prophets and you will succeed. – 2 Chronicles 20:20

This was not just a word for us last year, but for this season. The entire year of 2020 had the word “unusual” all around it. However, if you would do the unusual, God would do the extraordinary. And you did!

As we approach 2021, I hear the Lord is saying it will be a year of TRANSFORMATION!

This transformation must be a complete and thorough change. A small change will not do; a slight move will not do for this season. There must be a radical shift, a dramatic change. It’s coming, I can feel it in my bones.

At the core of Christianity there is transformation. Being a Christian is not about changing your belief system, it’s about God changing your life. The same powerful Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside every believer. What is He doing? Transforming you!

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Cor. 5:17

The Lord is after this goal of dramatic change in you, in us! While the world gets darker before the return of Christ, the Church will get brighter.

Before you know it, the Spirit of God will come on you and you’ll be prophesying right along with them. And you’ll be transformed. You’ll be a new person! – 1 Samuel 10:6 MSG

And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image from one degree of glory to another; this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.  – 2 Corinthians 3:18

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

It’s important to note the word, “let.” God will do it if we will lean into the transformation He has for us. Jesus is walking among the churches and calling us, and as part of the process, He is calling us to holiness.

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.  – 2 Corinthians 7:1

In this process, recognizing these components of transformation will help you learn and grow:

 

Your Troubles are Part of the Transformation.

For Peter, first came the storm, then came the walking on water. Don’t you think after Peter walked on water that his faith grew, and he trusted God deeper than ever before?

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. – 1 Peter 1:6-9

Good people will go through fire, but they will come out of it! Remember the account of the three friends who refused to worship a false idol? They were bound and forced into a fiery furnace, but their story didn’t end there.

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire.  – Daniel 3:26

Don’t you think when they stepped out of the fire they were transformed? Not only did they survive; they became unstoppable! They had no doubt that God would rescue them from anything from that day forward.

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon. – Daniel 3:30

The only thing the fire burned was the ropes that bound them, and they came out stronger. There are some things in 2021 that the Lord wants to burn off of you. Going through fire does something to you: You can either be fried or forged. You get to choose! In the forging, the Lord will shape you and show you things that must go. Ask the Lord to show you what may be holding you back and ask Him to burn those things away.

Expect some more fire in 2021, some more storms in 2021. The storms of last year are not over; they will likely intensify. But the fire can position you for progress and promotion… just trust Him!

Your Progress is Part of the Transformation

A big part of your personal transformation this year, and our corporate transformation, has everything to do with the word: progress! Jesus is coming. This is your year to grow your spiritual roots down deep! If they are not strong, you will be swept away in the dramas of the last days.

But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. – Philippians 3:16 NLT

Progress is expected at school, work, home, on the field. More importantly, it’s expected to be made on your spiritual journey. Ask yourself: Am I making progress? How do I know I’m making progress?

Jesus is walking among the churches right now and looking for progress. He is looking for His bride that is spotless and without fault, and we have a part to play!

“Test yourself to make sure you are solid in the faith.  Don’t drift along taking everything for granted.  Give yourself regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. – 2 Corinthians 13:5 MSG

Progress doesn’t just happen; you have to work at it. Our goal is clear – to be like Christ and to experience Christ fully developed in our lives. 

How to make progress in 2021 – It is a MUST!
  • Read your Bible, stand on it, and do it!  Read for the purpose of hearing. Learn how to study the Bible, how to apply the Bible, how to feed yourself.
  • Be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not only embolden us, He makes us holy. Holiness is a word to lean into this this year.
  • Be connected to somebody! When God wants to grow you, He puts people in your life to do that. People are helped by people, not by programs. Your relationships with other believers are pivotal to your spiritual growth this year.

Your Multiplication is Part of the Transformation

People are hungry and ready to receive the gospel, and you get to be part of giving it! When you multiply your life into other people,  it’s also transformational for you, too. Can you remember the first time you had the privilege of leading somebody to Jesus? WOW… what a transformational moment for both of you! What an honor—not only to witness—but to bring people into relationship with Christ.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.  – 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NLT

Will you be one of the people that will pick up that task this year? Christians are going to refuse to sit on the sidelines and hope somebody else points people to Jesus. You were born for such a time as this! You are going to have specific opportunities that are unique this year, for you to lead people to Christ.

Let’s do this! We need healing, we need revival in this nation. We care about this world, but remember we are only passing through it. Let’s go out and be the answer, not the problem. Let’s be transformed and then take hope and transformation everywhere we go!

Song – Spirit Move (We are fixed on this one thing) by Bethel Music

DIVE DEEPER

Key Scriptures:
  • Matthew 14:28-29 NLT
    Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”   “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
  • 1 Samuel 10:6 MSG
    Before you know it, the Spirit of God will come on you and you’ll be prophesying right along with them. And you’ll be transformed. You’ll be a new person!
  • 2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT/ESV
    And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image from one degree of glory to another; this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
  • Romans 12:2 NLT
    Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Ask Yourself:
  • What is the greatest transformation God has brought about in your life?
  • What is the greatest area of transformation you would like to see take place in your life this year?
  • What steps are you going to take in 2021 to make progress in your faith?
  • How have the people you surround yourself with helped to determine the amount of progress, or lack of progress, in your life?
  • In what way can you multiply your life into others this year?
Action Steps:
  • Start (or continue) reading through the entire Bible with me this year
  • Complete Growth Track
  • When you are done reading the Word, ask yourself: What is one thing God is speaking to me from the Scriptures I have read today?
  • Make a list of what you would like to see transformed in your life. What are the areas you would like to see progress in? What steps will you take?