Lost&Found
Member
Is being a realist the same as doubting one's faith?
Christian Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
-
Desire to be a vessel of honor unto the Lord Jesus Christ?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
-
Taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
-
-
Depending upon the Holy Spirit for all you do?
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
-
-
How are famous preachers sometimes effected by sin?
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
-
Realism vs Doubting
- Thread starter Lost&Found
- Start date
A
Alabaster
Guest
Can you elaborate on this? I am a realist and I don't doubt my faith in Jesus Christ in any way. How do the two oppose one another?
Lost&Found
Member
An example: Right now my mother is in late stages of alzheimer, demensia. It is my faith that she will survive the illness. But, looking at it realistically, I have to prepare for the time when she leaves us to be with the Lord. How can I entertain the second thought and have it not be construed as doubting my faith?
When you say you have faith that she will survive the illness, what is your faith centered on? Is it God centered or self centered?
Edit: By self centered I don't mean arrogant but maybe I do mean selfish to a point? That didn't come out very well so I hope I'm not sounding offensive.
A
Alabaster
Guest
I spent a lot of time this afternoon in my Bible, and even posed a question for my friends on Facebook looking for the verse I believe the Lord wants me to give you. I finally found it! I have such great friends!
Even if He Doesn’t...
Daniel 3:17-18 NLT
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Faith in spite of circumstances is an amazing thing!
Lost&Found
Member
If I understand you correctly one must have faith in the postive and even if it does not come to pass it should not diminish our faith. Being a realist does not mean focusing on the negative but putting our trust in God that He knows what's best for us even if we are too stuborn or too scared to admit it. If the time comes for my mother to go home I pray that I would have the faith and the strength to praise God for accepting her into His kingdom. Right now I can't help but feel a little conflicted. Maybe I am like WIP stated that I'm being self-centered that I am only thinking what the loss of my mother will affect me. Maybe I should trust that it is time for her to be with the loved ones that went before. If I am being self-centered than I ask God to forgive me and help me to strengthen my faith.
A
Alabaster
Guest
My mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As a giant in the Lord, who had a fruitful ministry, it was very difficult for us when the surgeon told her she had six months to live. Up until her exploratory surgery, she had received a word from the Lord (which I will refrain from sharing here) which was absolutely phenomenal that directed us on how to pray. We were ecstatic, and buoyed up by faith that God was going to raise her up and heal her! So---when the surgeon gave us that bad report it was devastating and perplexing to us. Initially we refused the bad report, preferring to receive what God had said, and stood on faith that mom would be healed.
After seven months, she passed into the arms of Jesus. She did have minimal pain and used less drugs and was able to be at home the whole time, and that was a good thing according to her hospice nurses who visited daily. They were amazed at her...and at our strength...the witness of Jesus Christ in us.
In the aftermath, we all had to deal with the disappointment. Did we miss God in His marvelous instruction? No. Did He change His mind? No. Why did He give us that word?
He simply wanted us to have faith...no matter what. Well, we did. We were able to handle everything one day at a time with the daily provision of grace and strength God supplied to us and to mom.
It was a precious, precious, precious time.
He can do that for you, too, Lost&Found! I will pray for you that you will find God faithful to you as the daily supplier of all you need concerning your mother.
Last edited by a moderator:
Lost&Found
Member
I am sorry to hear about your mother. Your words of understanding of what I am going through has a profound affect on me. It is my sencerest desire that I achieve the level of faith that you have shown. I must leave for right now. May God continue to bless you. Thank you.
E
elijah23
Guest
It depends. The Lord is part of reality.
taromina2003
Member
What about the Lords will? I have faith that he is in control and whatever happens I have faith it is for his purpose and if a loved one is dying I know the Father is with me and giving me and my family the peace and the strength to deal with the trials we go through. Death is a reality we all must die some day, yes some people do receive divine intervention (miracles) again prayer and acceptance of the Lords will is what I believe in these circumstances.
Exactly!
I think God wants us to be realists. After all, claiming to believe in and teaching things that we don’t really believe ourselves is actually lying! If you have faith in what is real, than being a realist is not doubting your faith at all. It is strengthening it. But you have to make sure your faith is in what is real.
For example, LostandFound, in the situation with your mother: Many Christians in your situation would ask God to heal her, and many of those will have enough faith to know He can do it. This is fine. Sometimes God does heal people supernaturally. But the reality is, as you know, that the vast majority of sick people are not healed supernaturally even though many of them believe in God and have asked for healing. For your faith to be realistic, your faith must be that God will do his will, not that He will do something just because you ask for it when it may be outside his will and plan. That way, if things don’t turn out the way you wanted them too, it will not shake your faith because your faith was that God would do His will, which is exactly what He did, That is the type of faith that Jesus showed us.
Let’s look at Jesus; The night that he knew he would be arrested and face torture and death in the worst way ever devised by man, He prayed to the Father and asked "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39, NIV) In fact, he asked God to save him from this terrible ordeal three times that night. But each time He did not expect God to do it just because He asked for it. Each time He said “Yet not as I will, but as you will”. As we all know, it was just shortly after this that Jesus was arrested and the torture began. God the father did not grant Jesus’ request to change the situation.
So if you have the type of faith that believes God will do His will, then you are not doubting your faith at all when you pray for your mother’s healing, while at the same time knowing the reality is that God may not actually heal her because it may not be His will. In fact, with this type of real faith, you are in the company of Jesus himself!
A
Alabaster
Guest
There is a problem with that, Igor. It is always God's will to heal. He wants us well.
I have been healed by the prayer of faith of another and I have been healed by my own faith, and I have been sick a number of times and was not healed(supernaturally), I was obviously healed or I would not be writing this. An actual healing from the hand of God is supernatural. If you want to pray for someone to be healed BY GOD then you CANNOT doubt,you have to be 100% convinced that the healing is taking place. Therefore the prayer for healing cannot contain an IF,as in if it be Your will, the reason is because IF is a clear declaration of doubt about the outcome and the prayer of faith that moves the hand of God has to be 100% convinced that the healing that is being asked for is occuring. Of course this is scary because the mind tells us that if we are 100% convinced of a healing and it does not occur then our faith might crumble. Regardless, only the 100% faith in a healing can bring a healing.
A
Alabaster
Guest
taromina2003
Member
Your opinion sounds more like you are counting on your power to heal than accepting the Lords will. We accept our trials in life in order to strengthen our faith. Not getting healed by the Lord and still knowing he is with you through your trial is a true testament to faith.
handy
Member
I'm curious about where you are coming from with this, Alabaster, after your powerful testimony you shared about your mother...one so similar to my own Dad's when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer...again, a man of tremendous faith, but one who was not healed of the cancer...except when he passed from this life into life-everlasting.
Sometimes the whole "got to have 100% faith that it will take place" is such a blow to those who DO, and I mean really, really DO!!! have 100% faith...and the loved one dies anyway. This can often leave a person devastated and cause real shipwreck of faith for some.
Lost&Found, I pray with you that your mother finds healing from her disease...but I also pray that if it be the Lord's will that her healing from this disease is the final healing of all that she face here on earth, and is that true healing which brings her face to face with the Lord, that the Lord will bring your family through this time with peace, grace, mercy and an abundance of love. My dad's final days here on this planet, even though he wasted to be not much more than a skeleton, were still days filled with much love, peace and even joy.
taromina2003
Member
Exactly. You articulated what I wanted to get across. Thank you.
Pizzaguy
Member
Same here.Exactly. You articulated what I wanted to get across. Thank you.
Handy is good, there is no doubt about it!
A
Alabaster
Guest
I suppose it does sound confusing to say that God is always willing that we be healed, yet be satisfied to allow Him to take our loved ones in death.
Against God's perfect plan, we do die. I believe that God was merciful in taking my mother home. She is indeed completely healed, now in heaven! There is an appointed time to physically die for us all.
Against God's perfect plan, we do die. I believe that God was merciful in taking my mother home. She is indeed completely healed, now in heaven! There is an appointed time to physically die for us all.