{"id":71,"date":"2002-10-01T20:49:26","date_gmt":"2002-10-02T01:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=71"},"modified":"2012-04-23T20:53:58","modified_gmt":"2012-04-24T01:53:58","slug":"dont-fake-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=71","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Fake Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cBut when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, \u2018Lord, save me!\u2019\u201d Matthew 14:30<\/em><\/p>\n

Not too long ago, I heard about a woman who was diagnosed with kidney disease among about a dozen other ailments. The doctor recommended dialysis. In fact, dialysis was more than a recommendation; it was necessary for life. With a \u201cNo, thank you,\u201d she refused the treatment, telling blood family and church family\u00a0that she knew she was healed. By His stripes she was healed. She did well for a while, then everything fell apart and she ended up in the hospital again. Again, the doctors pressed her to begin dialysis to save her life. Her unbelieving family pressed her. But something different happened this time. This time, the truth came out. She had refused the dialysis because she didn\u2019t want people to think she wasn\u2019t \u201cin faith\u201d. She had refused out of fear, not out of faith, a mistake that nearly cut short her life and left her family with the legacy of a sizeable grudge against the gospel.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a dangerous game.<\/p>\n

I believe we were healed with Jesus\u2019 stripes (2 Peter 2:24). I believe Peter literally walked across the surface of a stormy sea at the Lord\u2019s beckoning. I believe Jesus has given us authority over all the miracle-working power of the devil (Luke 10:19). But I also believe Joshua 1:3, \u201cEvery place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.\u201d If we haven\u2019t walked it out, it isn\u2019t ours. Pure and simple.<\/p>\n

Walking by faith is not a fake it \u2018til you make it proposition. We can\u2019t fake making kidney disease go away any more than we can fake walking on water.<\/p>\n

So, how do we know when we\u2019re \u201cin faith\u201d? How do we know when the circumstances are going to yield to the Word? When the natural will yield to the supernatural? I take my example from the words of the three Hebrew children the moment before they were tossed into Babylon\u2019s fiery furnace (Daniel 3:16-18). Can I match their determination and confidence, saying, \u201cWhether God delivers me or not, I will not bow! But God WILL deliver me!\u201d Am I prepared to go the distance, whatever the results? In the deepest recesses of my heart, do I believe I won\u2019t be able to go under for going over? If I can say yes without fear, that\u2019s a good sign. If I sense myself wavering, I know I\u2019m in doubt and will not get the miraculous manifestation I need (James 1:6-7). In other words, I\u2019m toast. I need to go back to the Word, the source of faith. The Fountain of Faith, if you will. I have to be sure because people are watching. All kinds of people. And the devil is watching too.<\/p>\n

There is no condemnation to us. We are in Christ Jesus. There is no condemnation when we go to the doctor for help. There is no condemnation when we need a financial bailout. There is no condemnation when we struggle. When we wrestle. Let\u2019s keep ourselves in liberty. Let\u2019s work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. From faith to faith.<\/p>\n

And let\u2019s be careful to let the other guy do that, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cBut when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, \u2018Lord, save me!\u2019\u201d Matthew 14:30 Not too long ago, I heard about a woman who was diagnosed with kidney disease … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Mo02-19","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":998,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=998","url_meta":{"origin":71,"position":0},"title":"The Benefits Package","author":"lsimonds","date":"May 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2018"","block_context":{"text":"2018","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":829,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=829","url_meta":{"origin":71,"position":1},"title":"Love The One You’re With","author":"lsimonds","date":"March 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Tribe. n.\u00a0a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest \"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.\" Romans 12:18 ESV I recently enjoyed the company of a three year old for\u00a0a few days\u2014the daughter of good friends. 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