Scott Peterson's Blog

What is a Christian? Originally they were called “Followers of The Way”, which was based on a quote of Jesus saying that He was “The Way, The Truth and The Life” (John 14:6). That’s a bold statement coming from anyone else. Who else can say they are the only way, the only truth and the only giver of life?

There are many today however who would call Jesus a liar because they believe there are various paths to eternal life. But if Jesus is a liar then He is also not Lord because that would disqualify Him from taking our place on the cross. He died as our substitute, his perfection for our imperfection.

To choose one’s own way of salvation is to choose spiritual death, separation from God for eternity. Refusing Jesus as the only way is to refuse true salvation. A genuine Christian is not someone who goes to church or believes that God exists. A genuine Christian is someone who embraces absolute truth through a relationship with Jesus.

Only Jesus is The Way, the Truth and The Life and no man shall come to God for salvation any other way.

Are you a follower of Christ or merely in name only? Have you accepted Him as Master of your life, forsaking what you know is wrong to follow Him? Have you put your complete trust in Him? Or do you still think you can be saved based on your own goodness? You would have to be perfect.

We have to rely on Christ’s work on the cross. Let’s make it simple, here is what we do: 1. Believe Jesus is God and came to earth as a human to die for mankind and was raised from the dead by God himself. 2. Confess your sin to God, turn away from your sin and begin following Him. 3. Completely trust in His righteous work on the cross to save you. Have you accepted Jesus as Your Lord? Are you a Follower of The Way? Or just a Christian in name only? The ball is in your court.

Proverbs 18:20b, 21a, 22 NASB “…He will be satisfied with the product of his lips… Death and life are in the power of the tongue… He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.”

I don’t think it’s a mistake these verses are placed together. Your marriage will only be as satisfying as the words you speak. You can either build up or tear down with your tongue.  

Your words are seeds and what you plant is what you will get back in return. Good seeds (words) produce a life of good crops. And bad or mean seeds (words) produce a life of death crops.

Every single word we speak matters. If you want a wonderful life you need to put a bridle on your tongue. Vulgar, disrespectful and unloving words have no place in marriage or in a Christian life.

Matthew 12:35 NASB “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.”

You can always tell the condition of your heart by what comes out of your mouth. Unforgiveness and/or bitterness are characteristics of an evil heart. Not only do these things affect your relationships here in this life but also in the hereafter. You will be held accountable by God for the words you speak.

It’s time to forgive and let it go. The opposite of an evil heart is a heart full of love, forgiveness, grace and mercy for others. But this kind of heart only comes when you have made a decision to follow Christ and turn from what you know is sin. That is the starting point.

Yes, you can be forgiven. You will be given a good clean heart if you confess your sins to God and put your trust in Jesus Christ. He will help you so your relationships can begin to flourish.

God has given us wonderful instructions in the Bible on how we can have a marriage filled with love: it begins and ends with a changed heart and affirming words. Start fresh with your words – today.

The whole world marks the years by the birth of Christ. “AD” stands for anno Domini which means “in the year of the Lord”.  When God became man, the Creator became the creation. He became human to take our sinfulness upon Himself on the cross.

Isaiah 7 tells us God gave a sign that He was coming as a man. What was the sign? It was The Virgin Birth. The Holy Spirit had a specific role, to place God’s seed in the womb of Mary. We call that The Immaculate Conception.

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph saying, “the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through Isaiah the prophet: “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

That is the most beautiful love act of all, that God came to earth to save us. The Virgin Birth signaled the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man. He came from the Father, was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a woman.

Some think that Jesus was just a man, or perhaps a prophet, but He was much more than that. He was God in human form.

As a man, Jesus understands all that we go through, He lived and died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. And His sacrifice broke the power of evil over us.

When Jesus died, we were freed from the power of death. When He came to life again, that guaranteed our eternal destination. Now we must accept the Greatest Gift of all, God’s Son, to be saved. Would you accept Him today with this prayer?

Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God. I give my life to You today. Please cleanse and renew me. Thank You for taking my penalty for sin upon Yourself. Equip me to serve You and others rather than myself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Follower of Christ,

If your family’s future depended on how you voted this year, wouldn’t you take it seriously?

This election is so important. The outcome will either take us closer to or further away from Godly principles. Decisions will be made by the new Supreme Court Justices, whose beliefs will reflect those appointing them. So, what do the candidates believe?

Our votes can’t be based on a candidate’s personality, their past, or superficial attributes, but instead on their beliefs. Do their beliefs align with God’s Word? Shouldn’t we allow our faith to form our political supportive reasonings? If we truly believe the Scriptures are inspired by God, then let us see what He has to say on the subject.

Whether it’s from the Old or New Testament, God’s Word speaks truth. God’s moral law doesn’t change, and He doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). To truly be a follower of Christ means to speak, think, and act like Jesus, who always did and spoke the things He heard His Father say and do (John 8:29,38); what’s more, Jesus and the Father always agree (John 11:27,31).

Clinton and Trump have clear differences on their positions. Whoever is elected will determine our future on important issues like the definition of marriage, the right to life, government vs. private health care, the national debt, and our religious freedoms.

If every Christian will vote according to biblical values, we can change the future of our country. Please join us in taking a stand for righteousness so we can continue to be “one nation under God.”

And please remember: no matter what happens in this election, Jesus is still our Lord and Savior–not the government! But let’s at least vote as though it matters.

Published in the Pastor’s Perspective section of the Steele County Times 11/01/2016.