Peter Walks On Water

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Question:

How is it even possible for Peter to have walked on water?  What does real faith look like?

My Reply:

Well, he walked on water for a little while anyway.
Man, there's so much to this story! Anyway, after Jesus walking on water and the 12 freaking out about it possibly being a ghost (which is weird that they freaked out since chapter 10 just got done telling us about how the 12 cast out demons and healed the sick), Peter ASKS Jesus, "Command me to come out to you on the sea!" (Dude, that's like begging Jesus to test you! You're just begging for failure!) So Jesus said, "Come." Peter walked for a couple steps, but then saw the waves & felt the wind, and began to sink. Why? Because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the elements around him that could hurt him. Then he yelled, "Lord, save me!" And Jesus caught his arm, lifted him up, and they both got into the boat.

So long story summarized, real faith is not sinking, but keeping your full focus on Jesus at all times. He commanded you, nothing can (nor must) keep you from going to Him. THAT'S what real faith looks like.

For some more on this, check out my other blog site.

---Pastor Andy

Leap of Faith turned Miracle turned Ministry Tool

Question: What is the biggest leap of faith you've ever taken?  Did it work out for you, or not? Would you do it again?

My Reply:

I was in a class for Urban Ministry in Chicago. We were in a small classroom of an inner-city church with a temporary sliding wall, and a team was talking on the topic of "power".
The presenter opened up the sliding wall and said, "This is my classroom, and everybody needs to leave." Everybody just looked at him and smiled. Then he pulled out a 9mm and said the same thing. Everybody ran out. I got up, but the Lord told me to sit back down, so I did. I even walked to the back of the classroom and sat on a pile of stacked chairs. He ordered me a couple times again to get out, but the Lord said to sit, so I sat.
Now looking down the barrel of the gun, as I'm assuming it's loaded with blanks, I'm also remembering the Brandon Lee incident...even though there were thought to have been blanks in the gun, something shot out of the barrel and killed him. But as I sat there, I figured if the Lord wants me home, He'll take me home. 
The guy asked me if I'm going to leave, and I asked, "What, are you going to shoot me?" And he said, "Yeah." He pulled the trigger, I blinked, and heard, "click". He cocked it and pulled the trigger again, "click." He tried this a few times, every time all we heard was "click".
Finally, I got up, figuring I'm ruining his presentation. So getting up, I said, "for the sake of your presentation, I'll get up."
Once out of the room, he had somebody take the gun outside to see what was wrong. On the first pull of the trigger, we all heard a loud "Boom!" The guy responded, "Sure, NOW it works!"

This was all recorded onto video tape in 2004 (or 2005).

I later learned that in such a room that we were in, the sound of the gun firing would've deafened us both for life. I also learned that at such a close distance (1-2 feet), something, even the paper from the blank, most often shoots out, and if it didn't kill me, it would've seriously fried my face, or I would’ve died from the burns.

The next semester, the guy who presented with the gun began attending the seminary where I was attending. He told me later that my response caused him to look at that school, and after watching the tape, he continues to use the experience from that day to minister to gang-bangers.

Would I do it again?  Sure, if the Lord tells me to do it again.

---Pastor Andy

Click here to read of a very similar event that just recently happened to one of my friends.

 

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