Have you ever thought “what must I do to be saved?” That is what the keeper of the prison asked Paul and Silas. You see, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison, for spreading the gospel of Christ Jesus, by the Romans. As they waited in prison Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to the most High God. Sudeenly the earth shook, the very foundation of the prison shook and all the doors of the prison were opened.  Imagine the fear and amazement of the prison keeper. He knew the punishment of Paul and Silas. He heard them praying and praising God. He saw the integrity of these two men as they sat and waited behind bars. The prison keeper was so full of fear that he was about to take his own life.  Paul stopped the man from killing himself. In astonishment and amazement the prison keeper asked Paul and Silas, “what must I do to be saved?”  This was a prison keeper, a family man and a trusting man.  Paul and Silas responded by saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”  Just believe and he could be saved.  Not only him but his house as well.  How awesome is the Lord to put people in your path.  All you have to do is have a desire the size of a mustard seed.  I know the word says faith the size of a mustard see but isn’t that what faith starts as: a desire, a want, a need.  Just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Evidently the man said yes because he opened his home to Paul and Silas, he attended to their wounds and feed them.  And in return, he was preached the gospel.  Open your heart just little and see how your foundation will shake and the doors will open. Just believe.

Ecclesiates 3:1 simply says there is a time for everthing under the heaven.  A time to live, die, and be born.  A time for joy and laughter, pain and sorrow.  But it is only for a season.  Once the season is completed, it is time to move on.

Do you ever say to yourself “this keeps happening to me wherever I go?”  You may be a repeat offender.  If you find yourself in the same rinse cycle, you are probably a repeat offender.  Do you go to every job and there is always someone that gets to you?  They get under your skin and you haven’t done anything to them.  It seems like someone always singles you out to humiliate you or make you feel bad or mad.  The question is how do you respond?  Are you quick to anger and say things that are unbecoming of a saint?  Always remember that we are tried by fire.  To polish us, make us and mold us to be Christ-like.  We must pass tests to see if we believe what we say we believe or are we just like mindless robots spewing out words that we have heard the pastor say over and over.  His word says to “show thyself approved unto God…rightly deviding the word of truth.”  So when we say we believe in healing, you better believe that test will come and until you pass the test it will keep coming again and again.  If you  believe that we are more that conquerors, the enemy is sure to come and try you to see if you really believe that you have the power to tread over serpents and scorpions, i.e. the enemy and his imps.  But you must pass the test.  If you faint not, you will reap the harvest.  If you press toward the mark, you will finish the course.  Don’t give up and next time you feel deja vu….it is probably a test coming around again.  Only this time stay strong in his word, press onward and receive the prize of the high calling.

During my morning devotional, as I was praying and reading my word, the Lord gave me this to share:

Love thyself as thy neighbor.  Love others as Christ has loved us.  Love those who spitefully use you and love those who wish destruction to be your end.  Because Love covers a multitude of sins.  It is patient and kind and keeps no record of wrong.  Love breaks strongholds and sets the captives free.  Love sent Jesus to the cross and love raised him from the dead.  Love is enduring.  Love is Christ and Christ is love.  In all things have love in your heart otherwise it is but for vanity’s sake.  Walk in love and mercy will follow.  Walk in kindness and favor will follow.  For where love is, Jesus is there also.  Love is the way to forgiveness.  Love is the way to freedom.  Love is the only way to endure hardnesss as a good soldier.  Go and show love to someone today.  Love someone you thought was unloveable.

Everyone talks about leaving a carbon foot print.  Making sure that whatever you do on earth that you leave little behind to show that you weren’t here.  But is that what we should do as believers in Christ Jesus?  We are to let the light in us shine so that all may see the Father that dwells within us.  In Matthew 5:14 Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”  Just like a city on a hill that can be seen for miles around, you should be seen as well.  Now I am not saying to not care about the earth because we are to be good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted us with while here.  I am saying that we should shine and not try to blend in with the world.  What is it that a man should gain the whole world but lose his soul?  How is it that we want to be so accepted that we lose sight of who we are and what our purpose is on earth.  When Jesus gave the disciples the great commission it was not only for them but for all that believed in Him that came after the disciples.  So will you try to gain the world’s approval, your friend’s approval, your family’s approval or will you stand up and be different?  Will you make an impression on those around you so that after you are gone, they will see signs that you were here?  What will you do today?  I am supposed to be attending a function this weekend.  An appreciation for my Pastor’s Pastor.  I know deep down that it is my mission, my expected service to the Lord to attend.  I don’t really want to go because I know it is going to require much work and sacrifice on my part.  But a very dear friend of mine told me today, as I was proclaiming the displeasure in going, that I have a gift and it is my reasonable service to attend and bless those around me.  When she put it to me like that I knew even more that I must go.  I always wondered and asked the Lord, “why am I here?  What is my purpose?”  After seeking Him for many years for an answer, I found my purpose and how I will make a difference.  How will you make a difference?  With all prayer and supplication make your request known to Him.  If you seek Him, you will find Him….but be prepared for what the answer might be.  It isn’t going to be easy and it is usually the road less traveled.  He will always equip you to handle your mission and  He is faithful to those who believe.

I was reading about the fig tree which Jesus walked by and saw that it bare no fruit.  Because it was useless he commanded that it be no more.  The disciples of course marveled at this and wanted to know how they could do this.  Jesus told them that whatsoever ye ask, believing, it would come to pass.  In that same statement he also made mention that when praying we are to forgive if we have ought in our hearts against someone or something. How powerful is this that if we believe in the Father these things we ask shall come to pass.  We should always search the scripture because not everyone has the same interpretation.  Especially in the Gospels; each man having a different story some adding and some leaving parts out.  How powerful is that; we have the power in Christ Jesus to command whatever?  If you have an illness, command that your infirmity leave your body in the name of Christ Jesus.  Christ healed those that were sick when he was here on earth…can he not do the same now for us as he sits at the right hand of the Father which is in heaven.  Jesus told the disciples that they could do these things as well.  They were with Jesus all the time.  Maybe we should spend more time with the Lord.  We could move mountains.  Jesus raised the dead; he healed people that had been infirmed for years.  Because the leper believed he was healed and he glorified the God.  The other nine lepers went about there way and probably died with leprosy.  What shall we do now?  We have so many around us in peril with sickness and family problems, work problems and financial problems.  Yet we have the knowledge and should share with others the power that is in Christ given to us by the Holy Ghost. We should spend more time praying and more time reading the word of God.  In Ecclesiastes, it was written that there is nothing new under the sun. So the bible has the answers to all things.  The terminally ill, the financially stricken, the heart broken and the down trodden.  The least of these belong to Christ and why should they be denied eternal life.  Share the story of Christ.  Share what he has done for you.  Spend more time with the Lord. And see how you can move mountains.

Why is the website called “A Walk With Peter”?  Very simple.  When the idea of a blog came about my brother simply asked me “what is the site going to be called”?  I came up with the obvious like Rose of Sharon or Jesus.  Then he asked me who is someone you really like in the bible?  It was immediately that I thought of Peter.  He is my absolute favorite.  Why? Because he is so human and I can identify with his personality.  Peter was a zealot, militant, passionate and loved Jesus very much.  Yet Peter did some things that he thought he would never do.  He assaulted a man for touching and accusing Jesus.  He denied Jesus just as was prophesied.  He also trusted Jesus and knew He was the Messiah.  He was human, yet he was chosen.  He wasn’t perfect but even after realizing the horrible mistakes that he had made while Jesus was alive, he vowed to devote the rest of his life to spreading the word, even if it meant death.  And when they put Peter in prison and sentenced him to death, he asked that they crucify him upside down because he said he wasn’t worthy to die as Christ had died.  With all his faults Peter still had something to say.  He continued the ministry of Christ and was a central figure in the book of Acts which to me is one of the most awesome books in the Bible.   I feel sometimes that I am not worthy to be associated with Jesus yet somehow I can’t deny him either.  Just as Peter felt unworthy at times he continued to press toward the mark and he finished the course.