Troublesome Doubts

Post 213

I have been working on the next two part post a bit over 2 months but the elusive prophecy interpretation of it for several years. (8/27: posted as 214 then removed to post later). I now realize that what remains of Revelation 17 is still out in our future and so slightly less urgent than the information we have discussed until now, though the interpretation of the next few posts has been unfolding with world events these last several weeks. This morning while watching the news I was excited to receive the missing understanding that has hidden the interpretation key, which I will show in the next two posts (again, removed to post later).
The interpretation of scripture is being set up right before our eyes! but the easy interpretation of simplistic events is a thing of the past. A deep knowledge of scripture is now needed to keep up and the purpose of this whole blog offers assistance to that understanding.
But before I continue with the Revelation 17 end times study, there is more to be understood in this 6th 7 pause which has me rabbit trailed in a seeming complete different direction.
* * *

I had every intention of leaving this morning for a three-day venture to “bail my boat” or gently “crash land my plane” using the previous metaphors, but this morning’s sudden interpretation revelation takes precedent as the Lord’s work I have been given to do. Like Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:28-29); as long as my eyes are on the Lord I don’t need a boat beneath me, so keeping the boat afloat becomes the Lord’s responsibility at this point and irrelevant to my mission (Luke 14:33), (though I know the thing made it to shore ok in the scriptural example of Luke 14:32-34).

But drat! Even after such incredible faith of climbing from the boat to actually walk on the water, Peter got doubtful after successfully starting out, and so was also rebuked as before; “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” Matthew 14:31. This then seems to be my hurdle as well as I leave my boat behind to walk among the stormy waves. I really liked that boat and the security it provided!

But note: Peter was not this time rebuked for fear, but for doubt. In contemplating this it seems that he must have realized the full reality of what he had just done and began to question his sanity. I honestly do not think that he doubted the Lord’s ABILITY to sustain his walk on top of the sea, that would again result in a rebuke for fear. Clearly in the first few feet from the boat God had already shown him that He could, I think Peter doubted his own wisdom in putting himself there and whether the Lord WOULD sustain him for his rash actions of violating the natural ways of life. This is exactly what I wrestle with and so by the example God provided in scripture I see that indeed this is rebukable so therefore now cast off the doubt in confidence that this should not be my thought.

Now I know that God WILL sustain me in my action of faith without the need of a boat. Anybody feel like jumping from the plane without a parachute? Now I know why the instructor jumped first in a previous post!
This is not the solution to my box canyon problem that I had anticipated but it is the right move for me at this time to grow my faith, watch me walk on air as I follow the Lord where he leads! What happens to my plane is a concern of the past (Matthew 6:24-25) as I realize that Peter's great faith in stepping from the boat was still seen by Jesus as "little". Just think how much bigger God wants our faith to be than wrestling with this small-minded faith! I wonder what is actually possible in big faith or even regular size faith! (Matthew 19:26) I want some of that! *1

"When the crisis is great and your resources low,
You need to know God has already solved the problem."
- Chuck Missler
* * *

Do not suppose I have lost touch with reality. I assure you the full force of the implications of what I declare have a heavy weight.
And I do not corrupt the value of an analogy by supposing I have yet stepped from the "boat or plane" as Peter did without the benefit of analogy. In my present situation described by analogy, I am yet in the boat and the boat is full of water and sure to sink by the sheer laws of nature.
But if I am able to look beyond the present situation of a swamped boat and see that Peter did not even need a boat then my comprehension of small medium and large faith slides up the scale a bit and my concern for the probable sinking of the boat diminishes as I turn my attention to walking on water.
But now I see by the Lord's rebuke of Peter's faith, that to seriously stress over each step on the tumultuous sea as if it is difficult or nearly impossible without careful concentration is indeed small faith and missing the point of the exercise which was faith is Jesus above even the known laws of nature. Peter should have been wondering how high over the waves the Lord would allow him to jump. And if he could jump over them, why not fly above them? Is flying over the waves really any more miracle than walking on them? This is not about the miracle but about Jesus himself! And so at this level of understanding, to look back at the men in the boat crying out to Jesus to help them in their boat, is now seen to be little indeed even from here. How small it must seem from Jesus' perspective of what he wanted for them!

I like to fly. So to think of myself in a non-analogy situation as Peter having seen the Lord on the waves; To think of myself given permission by the Lord to open the door and step from the plane 2000' above the ground is something I don't think I have the faith to actually do at this time, but I am growing my faith by exercising it beyond where I am now, with the bigger awareness of what is possible.
While stressing over your boat sinking into the depths from under you, is not the time to learn the faith to walk on water, the fear of sinking at that time makes such greater success improbable (Matthew 13:58). Previous training is needed to succeed in the challenge of faith, just as it is in any great challenge.
But I have the advantage to learn from the experience of the disciples and so have the instruction to greatly accelerate my education by further vision! This is in fact one reason for scripture (II Timothy 3:16).

But I do not suppose that by public declaration I am guaranteed trouble free success from here on out. It is very humbling to know that after Peter had his few minutes of walking on water before exhausting his small faith while the other disciples watched from the boat with still smaller faith, this same Water Walking Peter later denied Christ Jesus with strong words of determination to do so (Matthew 26:74). So where was his faith then? What happened to the faith that allowed him to walk on water? Did that experience mean so little?
It seems that faith is something strange that is built up like muscles to ever greater potential (Matthew 25:21) but unlike muscles is very hard to get and slippery to keep *2. Yet faith is premiere in Salvation.

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Matthew 3:26-27

Note: contrary to the belief of most Christians; you do not put on faith, rather you put on Christ in whom is your faith *3. Faith is not something you collect; it is something you use as you immerse yourself in Christ through exercising your faith. By exercise you can learn to use more, but you cannot store it up. Use it or loose it.

It occurs to me that many will read this with great hope of learning how to do some miracles. This is missing the whole point. Walking on water, whether metaphorical or in reality does not impress me, what I seek is to experience Christ. The miracle is not the goal but simply a tool in that experience (Luke 9:1,10:1+10:17+19-20).
* * *

What does it all mean?
The scripture tells us "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come" II Timothy 3:1.
My blog is showing in detail that the last days are no longer something to wait for, they are here now and increasing daily as labor pains grow stronger near the end.
As the disciples in the sinking boat were fearful that they should perish, they felt they were in peril because their situation was perilous, and indeed it was. But Jesus was not about to let them perish; he was just building their faith for the more perilous times ahead. So were they really in peril?
Today we face hardships and struggles but for most of us the times are not actually perilous....yet. (In the first layer of physical events and in the second layer of spiritual, which is why the scripture uses “perish” and not “die”). Now is the time to learn of Christ. Now is the time to, by experience, learn that he is trust worthy even unto death. It is always more pleasant to grow stronger by voluntary willingness in a controlled environment such as a gym with a coach, than in an environment not of your choosing such as a labor camp with a task master.
Faith is a word specifically used 317 times in scripture. It is the core value of Christianity. It is something we desperately need to grow by use for the times ahead.
This is the second time I reference the parable of Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). I will eventually post this study specifically but it would be wise to take a long inquisitive look at that parable. They all had lit lamps and they were all waiting, yet only five successfully entered, Why?
* * * * * * *

*1 Enough with the analogy, what does it actually mean?
The boat or the plane, are those lawful temporal vehicles which are reasonably expected to carry us safely and comfortably through this life. They are the temporal things in which you learned to rely. They might be your bank account, your job, your home, your marriage, your health or anything else in which you find security to traverse this domain. These are not evil and it is not wrong to use them in their place, Jesus himself used them when he walked on the earth as is represented by being in the boat with the disciples on the first trip across. Normally these temporal tools can be relied on to traverse the seas of life, but in perilous times the seas become greater than the boat can take. Then what do you do? Where do you put your trust when for so long it was in the boat itself?
The use of the boat is not rebukable, but even in calm seas the faith should be firmly in the Creator himself so that when the boat fails, your faith is not shaken or moved. Jesus sends us scripted storms in life to cause this understanding that motivates us to transfer our faith to the right entity. The perilous storms coming are not Jesus' simple scenarios of mere testing (early labor pains if you will) but the wrath of Satan intended to sink the focus of your wrongly placed faith.

So how do we know if our storm is a testing scenario or a sinking scenario storm from Satan? In the storm does it really matter? The response should be the same. The only difference is that in a Satan Storm your boat will actually sink. For the Christians who inordinately love their boat the loss will be great and potentially ruinous as they turn on Jesus for letting it happen. These Christians still see Jesus as there to keep the boat from sinking. In this mindframe he is nothing more than a very good deckhand in whom they have faith to do what a deckhand does.

*2 Slippery faith is due to improper use. When we use our faith to get something, we cease to use it once successful, and so by the lack of use it evaporates. But if we use our faith to experience Jesus, then we never have need to stop using it and we see it grow. If you love your spouse only when you want something, what you thought was love will also evaporate. But if your heart belongs to your spouse, to "take a break" from love is not even a thought, love is not proper unless it is focused on someone specific besides the one doing the loving. This is the breastplate of faith and love.

*3 What about I Thessalonians 5:8 the only apparent reference of putting on faith? "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love: and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

It is curious that Paul goes to great detail through the previous verses to show that alertness, watchfulness, soberness, clear thinking, and daylight are all factors needed to put on the breastplate of faith, clearly a protective armament. But if the breastplate was faith itself then our protection would be the faith.
I often run into weak Christians who have great faith in faith that has no focus; it is just “faith” in which they trust; "Have faith." what does that mean? To be of any value at all, your faith must be in something other than faith. Do you have faith in money? ok, do you have faith in strength? ok, do you have faith in Santa Clause? ok, this is faith in something (albeit not wise, but still faith) but to have faith in faith? "Have faith." It is meaningless.
The breastplate is not faith. It is not made of faith. A breastplate made of faith is made of nothing tangible. You may as well simply imagine you have on a breastplate.
This is why you must be wide awake and alert and in the daylight where you can see right and sober of mind and spirit to put on the breastplate of faith and love.
Like faith, love is virtually nothing without a target on which to fasten it.
So what is the target? What is the breastplate of protection of faith and love?
It is Jesus Christ himself. Your breastplate is your faith and love IN CHRIST JESUS which we are to put on with clear and sober eyes and mind. Blind faith is foolishness put on by drunks in the dark because it has no focus of what is put on. Jesus is not to be put on in blind obedience or by silly women with air in their heads, The breastplate of faith and love is reasonable, and carefully explored, inspected and tested to know it can protect your breast.
What is in your breast? Your lungs and heart. Your breath of life and the motive that spreads that life through your entire being. This is why the heart is described as the seat of emotion. It is what motivates our conduct even above reason and this is why it must be guarded with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23, Joshua 22:5,Deuteronomy 4:9)
In the perilous times just ahead, is your faith in the Christ exercised to meet the challenge? Very very soon every common man's boat is going to sink, are you prepared to step from the gunnel onto the waves in faith and not into them? You best be. Faith with dry pants is a whole lot more pleasant way to endure the stormy sea than a soggy faith that barely keeps your head above water (I Corinthians 3:15).
I don't have faith that I can walk on water, I have faith in the one that can cause it to happen. I'm growing my faith now by getting to know that One in my very real storm scenario sure to sink my boat. Growing your faith in Him is the purpose of this blog by showing you just how much control he has. THIS is the power of prophecy.
[Post 214 The Fall of Satan has been lost in the blog order, please use this link to find it: (http://when-did-reason-die.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-fall-of-satan.html)].
*