I have been deeply saddened to hear of the slander and lies about my friend, Mike Peters and the Church he is a part of in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Bible says not to let what you know as good to be spoken of as evil. So, I must share what I know to be true. I have never lived in Indianapolis, but have relatives and many good friends in the Church there. Our family has visited them many times over many years. I could relay so many stories of kindnesses and goodness toward me and my family from our brothers and sisters in the Church there. I will just share this: Our family met Mike Peters more than 25 years ago. We moved to different cities and stayed in close touch. Then about 8 years later our family was having financial difficulties and we were having to live with another family. We called Mike Peters and asked him to pray for us. We did not ask him for money, but he mailed us money so that we could rent our own place. We knew this was a sacrifice. Fortunately, our home sold very shortly after that and we were able to get a house. We will never forget Mike's generosity and kindness, he is and has always been a true friend. We have stayed close to Mike and others in Indy over the years. I am remembering a time when we were having a crisis with our teen-ager and at our request, Mike drove hours to our home to help. Another time our family needed help in sorting through some problems and we asked Mike to help us and he again drove for hours to sit with us and talk and pray through some very difficult and painful things. We saw God's wisdom coming through a humble servant who had obviously asked God for wisdom for us and our situation. Other families in our church have had similar experiences of time spent sacrificially and wisdom given and marriages healed because Mike and others have cared. Mere words could not express how thankful we are to God that He has blessed us with such friends. It is God's wisdom, His love, His provision coming through earthen clay pots who have emptied themselves of ambition, pride and self-seeking and offered themselves to God. There are other people we have known who have not been willing to accept truth and light and loving correction and have become bitter rather than to repent. When Mike or others have come along side of us and helped us see our fault, they have done so for Jesus' sake and for our good, it was never to condemn. Repentance brings restoration and refreshing and forgiveness and healing. Our lives have been enriched by the Christlikeness and love of Mike and others in the Church there. When I write the word love, I don't mean the fluffy, flattering, emotional, shallow type of love, I mean real love, the kind of love that is honest, real, and will challenge you when you are wrong &/or in sin. I am grateful and have seen God's wisdom and provision for me and the family of God I am a part of. We know many people who have come to Jesus and given their lives to Him &/or grown tremendously in their faith because of the teaching and example and integrity of our brothers and sisters in Indy. They have taught us and shown us by example how to truly be the family of God, joined and knit together with ties of love and loyalty for Jesus and for one another. Of course, satan and those he has taken captive always oppose God's true servants who are doing His will and teaching and living out the Truth. Jesus told us that those who live a godly life will be persecuted and this is the case with our brothers and sisters in Indianapolis and especially Mike Peters. I mention him by name since he has been singled out to be slandered. The devil has always come against God's servants with lies. In all our experience with Mike Peters, he has ALWAYS ALWAYS pointed people to Jesus, never drawn them to himself. We were reading something yesterday that either Mike or someone in the Church there wrote and I saw so clearly why satan wants sooo desperately to discredit these precious servants of God. The wisdom and clarity and beauty of the testimony of Jesus is very inspiring to me. But the most striking thing is that they really live out practically, daily, the truths and Life they profess.
We are in a war and our battle is not against flesh and blood. People are not the enemy, satan is. Of course satan does not want people to read or hear Truth, or see the Christ-life lived out, so he uses what he has always used, lies... and he hopes to discredit the messenger so that people will run, scared and never hear the message. However, those who have the Spirit of Christ will recognize the Spirit of Christ. Please ask God, He is alive! Ask God, ask Jesus, inquire of the Lord. He is able to show His own who is of Him and who is with the enemy. We know many people who have eyes to see through the lies and recognize the Spirit and Wisdom of God coming through human instruments, vessels of clay. Mike Peters is really not the issue, nor the focus and he doesn't want to be. We are certain of that and have a history of over 25 years that substantiates that fact. What Mike has always desired is that Jesus be loved and adored, honored, obeyed, glorified, exalted and praised. And that God's people build their lives upon the Rock of faith and obedience to Christ and build our lives together in such a way that the gates of hell no longer prevail. The Church in Indy is a living testimony of what is possible when Christians--in faith and submission to God--build their lives together in love, relationship and devotion to Jesus and one another. I personally have never seen such warmth and joy in a group of people. My heart is warmed every time I am with them and my faith is strengthened. My prayer is that anyone reading these words would pursue Jesus in a very real way and grow in faith and love Him with an undying love and give your life in His service. I am a weak vessel who can testify of God's goodness, faithfulness, forgiveness and love. I am undeserving of His mercy, and am eternally grateful that He rescued me. God has heard my cries for help, forgiveness and mercy and I have seen His Gracious Hand over and over in my life. For Jesus' sake I want to stand with those who stand for Jesus and love God and who sacrificially give their lives for His glory, therefore I will stand with the church in Indianapolis, come what may. And I count that as an honor.
For Jesus sake,
If you want to see some of our favorite pictures of Mike Peters...
5/2008