Category Archives: Living Like Christ

Giving Peter Props

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Peter’s walk on the water is a look at what pure faith delivers, the unfathomable.

~ Lisa Blair

Jesus instructed Peter to step out of the boat and walk to him. Yes, he told him to walk on water, can any of us do so without reservation? Is our faith that strong? Peter responded by climbing out of the boat and began walking on water. When he looked down, worldly logic informed him that he was doing the impossible, that he was defying gravity, and as quickly as his faith lifted him, faithlessness caused him to sink.

Satan is our weight, and he is our sinker, he is our albatross. As long as we allow him to dictate our lives, our faith waivers, and from time to time fails. The lack of faith causes doubt. Christ asked the disciples in Matthew 8:26, why are you afraid? O ye of little faith,’ then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was calm.  Christ was saying, faith has no bounds but those we place on it. Faith requires total focus on Christ. The scripture says, do not look to the left or right, I’ll add – do not look down, keep your eyes on me (Christ), and follow me. Like Ruth told Naomi, where you go, I will go; what you believe in, I will believe in as well, meaning your God is my God. That is a statement of faith and dedication. Her affirmation yielded action; Ruth followed Naomi. This story, along with the story about Peter shows us that dependence and commitment are an act of faith, faith in what? Faith is the belief in God – the belief in the Almighty.

Peter’s faith placed him on the water. His faith supported him above the water. How well does our faith help us? Can we walk on water even for a second, or better yet, take multiple steps? The story generally refers to Peter’s lack of faith. Once he focused on what he was doing, he no longer kept his eyes on Christ. When he looked away, he began to sink. As Christians, our goal should be to keep our eyes on Christ. We should intentionally stop ourselves from looking to the left or right or down, and when we do, refocus on Christ, who is the Word.

Peter demonstrated his faith in Christ, and we often do the same. Then when life gets tough, we begin to doubt, which leads to sinking into the problem; it begins to encompass our every thought. That is when we must remember Christ’s query, why are you afraid, O ye of little faith, of wavering faith? It is time to lock your focus, your trust in me (Christ), and move forward in your walk.

Scriptures

Matthew 8:26

Ruth 1:16-17

Matthew 14:22-33

Proverbs 4:25-27

Thoughts About The Pandemic Storm

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Continuation of the previous post: Many are focusing on the pandemic and not God’s Word about our security. “The reality of the pandemic does not change but, the assurance of God’s presence with us through the pandemic is of greater importance than its current dangers.” (Paraphrased-mybsf.org)

~ Lis Blair

We need to cooperate with God for His deliverance to work. We can not operate in fear, doubt or negligence, they negate deliverance, and weaken our ability to hold fast to the Word. God’s promises do not excuse us from doing the work. [Note – works do not give us entrance into the Kingdom.] We cannot expect to overcome the Coronavirus if we do not adhere to the practices that are designed to contain it. God’s promises give us hope as we adhere to the process. If we choose to return to our old norm, His promise to keep us is overrun by our disobedience. God commands us to listen to our leaders. If we are told to shelter-in-place, then we should shelter-in-place, if we are told to wear protective masks, we should wear protective masks, if we are told to practice social-distancing, we should employ social distancing around. God’s promises are often conditional. His love is unconditional.

Prayer and Freedom Go Hand-In-Hand

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We are commanded to pray for our leaders and in that thank God for our freedom, especially in trying times.

~Lisa Blair


Crosswalk.com posted this prayer today,

Dear God, 

Thank you for freedom, and the price that was paid by Christ so that we could live free.  Thank you for establishing the foundation of our land on the truth that a nation under God is blessed and secure.  

Thank you for godly leaders who have gone before us, and led faithfully and humbly before you.  We pray for our President, for all those in authority who lead today, and for those who will lead tomorrow.  Give them your wisdom, fill them with courage, help them to press in close to you to hear your heartbeat for our nation.

Today, we are free to worship you. We are free to pray.  We are free to read your Word.  We are free to speak.  We are free to share. And for this, we are incredibly grateful.  

Thank you Lord that your Presence is with us in whatever we face today, and in the future, and that your power goes before us.

In the Mighty name of Jesus,

Amen.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” Psalm 33:12

Crosswalk.com

Giving Thanks

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We are a blessed people. We should begin each day giving thanks for another day’s journey.

~ Lisa Blair

A Prayer for Today

Good morning Lord, thank you for waking me up this morning and giving me the privilege of placing my feet on solid ground. Thank you for the buoyancy of your love that keeps me afloat. Thank you for keeping disease and pestilence at bay. Thank you for allowing me to be a steward of the Word, which is my inheritance. Thank you for shielding me from the storms of life. Thank you for allowing no weapons to form against me. Thank you for my salvation on this day that you have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it as I go through my day. In Jesus Name, Amen!

The Bible is replete with God’s promises. The best way to hold them near to our heart is to recite them in daily prayer, personalizing them and making them our own. Ownership seals the relationship in a real way and empowers our walk with Christ. When we own something we cherish it, are proud of it, share it, and make it part of our lives in a demonstrable way. As stewards, we are responsible for sharing the Word, which is difficult if we are not living it. Expression is the visible display of who we are in Christ.

Jesus commanded the Disciples to go out and build the Church. He taught the Disciples, as well as us, by example. He urged them to live a Christ-like life, and the only way we can accomplish that is to believe and express our treasure chest of spiritual knowledge outwardly. It begins with knowing what we are ’thankful’ for, and acknowledging it through prayer and thanksgiving each morning and throughout the day.