Hello everyone,

I am a direct decendent of Peter, and I am here to plead his case.  I was talking to my friend Stacey the other night and I shared with her my view on Peter.  You all know Peter, he is the one who tried to walk on water with Jesus and who professed that he would never deny Christ.  Here are my thoughts when compared to my own life...

I love Jesus.  I have a personal relationship with Him.  He is my everything.  But even so, I still have the hardest time in keeping faith.  Now, here is where my great great great etc grandfather Peter and I compare...

Jesus Walks on the Water Matthew 14:22-31

    ²²Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but the boat was already a considerable distance^[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

    ²⁵During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

    ²⁷But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

    ²⁸"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

    ²⁹"Come," he said.

   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

    ³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

 So many times in my life I have been eager like Grandfather Peter to step out into the water; that is the childlike faith inside of us.  It says go where God leads and do what He says.  Then you get there and you think, this is crazy!  What was I thinking, certainly this cannot be the will of God.  How many of you have said that one?  Like Grandfather Peter I have ended up under the water.  When we chase what we percieve to be the will of God, often times we end up all wet, not because of the Lord leading us wrong, but our perception is plauged by this world.  We see impossibles and the couldn't be's because we look through worldly eyes.  But, that first childlike faith that says, step out in to that water, well, that is Jesus calling us from the boat.  I can't tell you how many times I have fallin in that water, or have not gotten out of that boat.  BUT, that never meant that I didn't believe in the Lord, it was that I doubted my ability to hear Him correctly.  Not that I doubted Him.  I believe that my great great great etc grandfather Peter would tell you much of the same if he were here today. 

Like his argument with Jesus about denying Him.  I believe that Peter in that moment believed that he could NEVER deny Jesus, he loved him very much.  Remember that conversation?...

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial  Matthew 26:31-35

    ³¹Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
   " 'I will strike the shepherd,
      and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'^{[c] 32}But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

    ³³Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."

    ³⁴"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."

    ³⁵But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.

Grandfather Peter, I have been there.  I cannot tell you how many times I have said Lord, I could never deny you, never turn my back on you, never forsake you.  Then there was that time that I didn't tell someone about You and our relationship.  Then there was that time I got hurt and angry over something I couldn't have and I turned and walked away from you.  And that time that decided my will for my life was more important.... the list goes on.  But never, ever did I stop loving Him.  It was the same for grandfather Peter.  How about you?  Are you like my great great great etc. grandfather?  Remember, we all make mistakes, and we all fall short of the glory of God, but we must always remember that God's Grace never falls away from us.  Jesus still loves grandpa Peter, and He still loves me, and you know what?  Yes, take a deep breath, HE STILL LOVES YOU.

May His grace, peace and love create in your heart today a new love for Jesus and remember that He loves you no matter how many times you try to push Him away, for whatever reason.  His love is everlasting.  Allow that childlike faith to overtake you to new hights in faith and trust that Gods plan may not always seem rational in this world, but also remember that WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

Be blessed and loved in Him,

Marci