Getting Back to CHRIST

Matthew 14:28 - 31 "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?"

     Why is it that we seem to struggle so much getting back to CHRIST? We start off a new life as Christians. And we make a couple little mistakes and we tell GOD we're sorry and we go on. But sooner or later we goof up pretty bad. And when we do we seem to wallow in it. Instead of turning back to CHRIST in repentance we tell ourselves, or let the devil tell us, that we went too far. We believe we are unforgivable. We think we totally blew it. This same thought keeps many people from turning to CHRIST in the first place.

     But in LUKE 5:32 CHRIST said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

     And many people feel like GOD wouldn't take them back. But in John 8:35 CHRIST also said, "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever."

     And as adopted children of GOD we are HIS sons and daughters through CHRIST. In other words, once you are in the family you will not get kicked out.
     So go back and look at the scripture from Matthew 14. Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat and walk on the water. Everyone likes to pick on Peter for looking away and sinking. But I won't do that. I'm impressed with what Peter did. First of all, he was the only one in the boat who had enough faith to get out and walk on the water. And secondly, he had enough sense to realize he was sinking and to quickly cry out to CHRIST.
     Now look at the response of CHRIST. Was it to watch Peter sink a little before helping him? No. Was it to put HIS foot out and kick Peter away? No. Did HE yell, "Swim Peter!" No. Yes CHRIST asked Peter why he doubted. But that was after HE "immediately" reached out and picked him up. CHRIST is compassionate. HE knew Peter goofed. HE knows we will goof. But when we do HE will help us just like HE did Peter. So what does it take for us to learn that it's not about our performance in HIM? It is about HIS performance in us.

     I hope you are greatly encouraged.
     Peace and blessings,
     Shannon

The Danger of the Tongue

       We understand that sin is sin. There is no big sin or small sin to GOD. It is all sin. Although there is one sin referred to as the "unforgivable sin. We also see in several scriptures that there are some sins that really cheese GOD off in a special way. Lying is one such sin. I have seen in scripture that lying is especially dangerous.
       In Romans 13:9 Paul writes a list of exceptional no no's. "For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
       Lying is the fourth thing on the list! Of all the sins Paul could have mentioned being dishonest is number four!
       James 3:5-8 puts it this way; "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."
       Do we consider our words before they come out of our mouth? Some people say they just tell it like it is. Is that always the Godly way to respond? No. What's the big deal? I have learned a valuable lesson in this life. Even those tiny little lies we tell to spare someone's feelings are dangerous. When a person finds out you lied to them or about them it can really be painful. They may not bleed. But you have stuck an emotional dagger in their back. Friendships can be broken over this very thing. Churches have divided over this same concept.
       An old saying says that, "the pen is mightier than the sword". The pen delivers words. How much more dangerous is the tongue? It can deliver words before they can ever be proofread. It is an emotional sword.
       This is why CHRIST said in Matthew 15:18 , "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."
And Paul said in Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
Honesty is the way to go. Sometimes the truth can be painful. But lies hurt even more when they are discovered. And they will be discovered.
       And what about gossip? Well it's just as bad. Sometimes it contains some truth. But rarely do the people involved in gossip know the whole truth. And the omission of parts of the truth is the same as a lie and can be just as dangerous and just as painful.
       James 3:18 says, "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
       I hope this will encourage all of us to think before we speak.
       Here are a couple more to consider;
       Proverbs 17:28 "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."
       Proverbs 18:13 "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him."
       So listen more, speak less, and tell the truth.
       Peace and blessings.
       Shannon