Hi Mike,

I have read everything on your site. There are tons of information there.

But one thing seems very lacking: relationships. There is One Way God setup for people to learn, and that way must be honored. When that way gets lost and forgotten, it has to be restored. That way is within special relationships.

Also, do you know what Peter saw that gave him the faith to walk on water?

Thanks,
M____

Hi M____,

Thank you for reading the entire site, and thank you for your encouraging words. Thank you also for taking the time to let me know of your concerns and for your question.

You say:

I have read everything on your site. There are tons of information there. But one thing seems very lacking: relationships.

There is One Way God set up for people to learn, and that way must be honored. When that way gets lost and forgotten, it has to be restored. That way is within special relationships…”

I could not agree with you more concerning the way God has set up for people to learn and to grow. It is through special relationships, which the scriptures refer to as “His body.” If you have indeed “read everything” on my site, then you know that I actually emphasize the need and necessity for fellowship within that body if it expects to remain healthy.

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is [the] Christ.

I have emphasized the scriptural doctrine that Christ is a spiritual body just like our own bodies of flesh, and there is “no man yet who ever hated His own flesh, but nourished it.” Christ made this statement:

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

How can we even kid ourselves that we love our fellow believer if we cannot even find the time to respond to his desire for fellowship? How can we even hope to be a spiritually viable body when we show no desire for fellowship? It is common to become so wrapped up in accruing knowledge that we ignore the needs of those who are closest to us. I speak from hard experience, and I understand that life is a balancing act, which provokes these inspired words:

Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

If indeed “the Lord is at hand” in our lives, we will have self control and we will be moderate in all our ways, but we will never forget or neglect the very “body” of “the Lord [who] is at hand.”
I am constantly encouraging those who have the ability to do so, to start a web page, or get on any of the countless means of communicating available today, and I tell everyone to download skype.

IWWB is not an organization any more than the work of the apostle’s Paul, Peter or John was, but like the apostle Paul we do want to do anything in our power to “help your joy.”

2Co 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Skype is way of communicating via the computer with anyone, anywhere on earth, and it is free. You can use a web camera with a built in microphone for your computer or some computers already have a camera built in, and go to skype. com and download skype, free of charge, and give me and many others a ‘skype.’ I would love to hear from you or anyone else who feels the need for fellowship. I am in constant fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ in England and Egypt and South Africa and Australia via skype. [Note: As of this update we now can add Zoom to the arsenal of our means to fellowship. On the home page one can find studies or fellowships for almost every day of the week.] I can see and hear those who have a camera, and we enjoy sweet fellowship. So get yourself a camera, and give me a skype. I look forward to hearing from you.

You asked:

Do you know what Peter saw that gave him the faith to walk on water?

Yes, Peter saw Christ walking on water and asked Him to bid him to do the same:

Mat 14:22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
Mat 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
Mat 14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
Mat 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
Mat 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
Mat 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Mat 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Mat 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
Mat 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Mat 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Mat 14:32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

“If it be you?” Peter wasn’t even sure this was the physical Christ, but he saw what appeared to be Christ walking on water and figured it was worth it to ask Christ to bid him to join Him there walking on the water.

Mat 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
Mat 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

The same thing which gave Peter the faith to walk on water was the same thing that challenged Peter’s faith. It was what he saw with his physical eyes.

Mat 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

This is exactly what Christ warns against:

Mat 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Christ was sending the same message while verbally chastising His disciples after His resurrection:

Joh 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you.
Joh 20:20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Joh 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Joh 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.
Joh 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
Joh 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace [be] unto you.
Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Joh 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

Christ did “many other signs” for His faithless disciples, but His blessing was placed upon those who believed “that have not seen.” Our faith cannot be tried when our prayers are always answered. It is seeking God’s will that is the path to salvation:

1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

Since we are assured that it is actually God who is “working all things” we know that all of our petitions are answered “after the counsel of His own will,” and whether it is the answer we want or not, it is the answer we have been given, and our prayer was thus answered.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

I hope that answers your question.

I would like to encourage you and all of my readers to send me any suggestions you have to ‘help the joy’ of the body of Christ. Steve Crook, Aaron Lohman, Dennis Crabtree, Kenwin Thomas and several others of the people in our fellowship have long been trying to facilitate more relationships within and among our brothers and sisters in Christ.

However, all the technology in the world does no good if we do not take the time to use it to uplift and encourage one another. There are many bothers and sisters who are starved for fellowship all around the world. We need to minister to that need in any way we can. If there is a way that we can facilitate fellowship to the extent that even single women can be assured of quality fellowship in the spirit of Christ, then please let me know, so that we can do our part to “help your joy.”

I will close by repeating the verse I quoted above. I hope all who read this letter will take this to heart and give their love to those who are so in need of that love.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I look forward to hearing from you if the Lord leads you to download skype and begin fellowshipping with those of like mind. Relationships are the leaven with which the kingdom of God will leaven the whole earth at the appointed time:

Luk 13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
Luk 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike