I Was Walking The Plank Series

I Was Walking The Plank

by

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid

“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.And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apa to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:22-31 King James Version [KJV])

Greetings In The Holy Name Of Jesus (Yahshuah),

My brothers and sisters, I was walking the plank —- it seemed in my own light of day. Sometimes when you are at the helm, whether starboard or port, you appear to be walking the plank. Your appearance makes folks see you as walking the plank. This is what happened to Peter when he acted like he was already the Head when he was standing out on the water with the actual Head, the Godman, Jesus Yahshuah.

How are you the head when you are in the presence of the power of God? Obviously, Peter’s light dimmed when he lost connection with Christ Jesus Yahshuah and he began to sink, only to have to cry out, Lord, save me. Lord, have mercy! At least, in your weakness, to thine own self be true, for the God you serve, who loves you, hears you and sees you, in both your heart and your mind.

Most importantly, Peter, in leadership, in a most precarious yet powerfully admirable position, walking on water, lost connection to his source of light—-power and began to sink, in the darkness of the waters, at night. Peter appeared to be walking the plank, even though he was out walking on water facing Jesus, he took his eyes off Jesus feeling rather lofty in his self because he was walking on water, so much so that he felt like he was doing this miraculous feat all by himself—-that he was Head. Peter, in the moment, that same instance he took his eyes off Jesus Yahshuah and felt all puffed up, over confident in himself not in Jesus, he lost his connection to his only power source —- the power of the living God, in Jesus, so Peter began to sink. Peter was now walking the plank.

Peter went from walking on water to walking the plank. The expression walking the plank became famous in the 18th century. In Francis Grose”s , Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, published in London, England (1785; 1788) he wrote: “Walking the plank. A mode of destroying devoted persons or officers in a mutiny on ship-board, by blind-folding them, and obliging them to walk on a plank laid over the ship's side; by this means, as the mutineers suppose, avoiding the penalty of murder.” Lord, have mercy! Lord, save me!

My brothers and sisters, in leadership are you walking the plank, blind-folded with the light of Christ Jesus within you dimmed because you are weighed down in sins—the sins of each day, burdening you down, to the pit of hell? Do you think you could go inward, inside of yourself, introspective, forsaking your God while with your God facing your God and your God, not know this to be true; your God not see this to be true, in you —- in your heart and in your mind —- the weakness of the flesh? You want to walk on water all by yourself in your power when the power you have is God’s power on God’s earth yet you feel masterfully superior to even your God, in your moment of delusional doubt, for you are blinded by your ambition to be the Head. Possibly, you feel on top of the world, even over the moon and you do not need Jesus Yahshuah anymore, for you think, Look at me, I am walking on water. I do not need you!