IrishDrewski - I remember a time when I felt completely defeated and couldn't see the way out of my hopeless situation. It happened so long ago that I can't remember the terrible situation I was in. I prayed asking God for strength to fight and give me victory. I was totally exhausted.

How God spoke to me was through a movie. I don't remember which movie it is but just remember it is about some warriors, protagonists and antagonists fighting against each other. One of the protagonists is a female who carries arrows as her weapons. She was attacked fiercely by the bad guy and it looks like she may not be able to survive. She keeps fighting and as she is standing up facing the bad guy she shoots her arrow towards his direction. The arrow flies up towards a long distance and hits a part where it blows up whatever in front of her, where the guy is, at and the bad guy is defeated.

As I was watching the female character fight and won, I felt God was telling me to continue fighting. It gave me courage and will to move on.

God speaks to us in various ways. I, however, will not literally attempt to walk on the water. I heard a story of some believers in a country actually attempted to walk on water and drowned. I don't know what you are referring to when you said "the impossible." Are you by any chance talking about the supernatural healing and miracles?

Thank you for sharing. Thank you too, LavenderC, as The Lord does speak to us in many ways. Often we look for thunder and lightning , when He is in the gentle breeze. To see, we must look. When we look, we don't notice that we are walking on water, because we are focused on Him. He carries us through terrible times, because He is carrying us, as He is walking on water, and keeping us from drowning. He does for us and in us, that which we think is impossible. We don't think that we can stand another day, then He carries us through it on those waters. The thing we miss is that only The Lord walks on water, and only we can, when with Him. We wonder why we aren't doing miracles, because we can't. It is He, Who does it through us and for us. We can be bold, and say that we have The Faith to walk on water, but that isn't in us or our Faith. It is in The Lord. If it is His Will, then it will be done. He reaches out His Hand to all. We must reach out and grab It back. We must have Faith In Him, but also trust His Will. We endure, knowing this. He does the impossible, because nothing is impossible to Him. Thank you. God Bless.

I assure you I have no desire to temp God by actually attempting to walk on water in the natural. This is just how He was trying to reveal something to me. Most importantly I believe God wants me to grow and in order to grow I must allow Him to change my mindsets. I don't have time to give an example right now, but I will.

Again, I agree with RJW. I had always thought of "walking on water" as Jesus carrying us through the water or storminess of our lives. God bless you all.

Jesus walking on water

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Miracles of Jesus
Control of nature

Water into wine, Catch of fish Coin in the fish's mouth, Feeding the multitude, Fig tree cursed Calming the storm, Walking on water"

"Jesus walking on the water is depicted as one of the miracles of Jesus recounted in the New Testament. There are accounts of this event in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John, but it is not included in the Gospel of Luke. This story, following the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, tells how Jesus sent the disciples by ship back to the "other side" of the Sea of Galilee (the western side) while he remained behind, alone, to pray."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_walking_on_water

IrishDrewski - Thank you for your post (about Jesus walking on water) that led me to find this article below that helps me A LOT. Here's some of the faith instructions I learned from this article:

" Look for Jesus and keep looking to Jesus. Although a storm surrounded Him, Peter looked to Jesus. The only problem was that he stopped looking at Jesus. The principle is clear: especially when life is a tumultuous storm, look for Jesus and keep looking to Jesus. What does looking to Jesus look like for you?"

" Faith is simply taking the next step. Peter took one step to get out of the boat and onto the water. Peter was doing just fine when he was focused on the next step, and got into trouble when he lost sight of his next step. What next step has Jesus asked you to take?"

" Fear will sink you. When Peter had faith, he walked on water. When he had fear, he sank in the water. The same is true for you. Fear will sink you. Is there any fear that is gripping and controlling your decision making?"

" You can choose to worry or worship. In an instant, the men went from worrying about their circumstances to worshiping their Christ. How is your worship of the Lord going?"

I know all along that my main problem is FEAR, and I have been sinking and don't know what to do about it. I need to pray that God will help me overcome my fear and replace it with courage and optimism. That is the first step I have to take. I need my mindsets changed!

https://realfaith.com/daily-devotions/peters-walk-on-water/

Thank you, shadowlady and LavenderC. Thank you, IrishDrewski for it is a good example of both the literal and figurative meaning. Yes, Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ did actually walk on water and did the many miracles in The Bible. The Apostle Peter did also literally walk on the water, albeit briefly. The Wisdom Of The Word is that we can see what The Word means to us now, by looking figuratively in our own lives. Much is how we can have the Faith to move mountains. Yes, The Lord can move any mountain or the whole planet or universe, which He created, literally. However, figuratively, a mountain is any huge obstacle in our lives, that prevents us from moving forward. Rather a mountain, desert, or lake, no obstacle is beyond The Lord's Help. Still, if The Lord wants us to literally walk on water, then He will make it happen, as we do His Will. His Wisdom is showing us the figurative though the literal, so we are helped, even if not near an actual body of water. In this world, if someone actually literally walked on water, they would get the praise, and it would draw them away from The Lord. Much greater then to never literally walk on water. Thank you. God Bless.

Name me one example, even elsewhere in Scripture, where anyone besides Jesus, and unfaithful Peter walked on the water. Peter had Jesus right in front of him, but it was hard to walk on the water, and he eventually sank beneath the waves, and Jesus saved him.

Why you continue to post these irrelevant things I don't understand. That was a specific thing, which happened at a specific time, and it was Jesus and one of his inner circle disciples who didn't even manage to make it to Jesus. There is no promise anywhere that we can also walk on water. This is a very specific situation, where Jesus walks to his disciples, when they are praying. To apply it to today, 2000 years later, with no intervening examples, is hermeneutically unsound.

No, Jesus does not want us to walk on water. But he has laid out clearly what he wants us to do. Here's a few examples. Maybe other people can post some other things that Jesus wants us to do. And do it now!

"Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”" Matt 28:18-20

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matt 6:33

"And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him," 1 John 2:3-4

MarleneJ, I don't need another example. Isn't it funny how you say that scripture is irrelevant in one breath and then turn to them in the next. You missed the point of what I said. What I shared was concerning possibilities in Christ. God will speak to me how He speaks to me.

I did not say Scripture was irrelevant. It is always relevant. But saying we can also walk on water, because Jesus did and anything is possible with God is a bad combination of 2 Scriptures, and really irrelevant to life.

God has no reason for us to walk on water. Again, only Jesus walked on water, even one of his closest disciples couldn't walk on the water.

My point was that Jesus gave us many commands he expects us to do. Walking on water, is NOT something Jesus commanded us to do.

Why pick something irrelevant and use it as a topic for discussing what we can do in Christ? We are to be sharing the gospel, caring for the sick and needy, and denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Jesus.

Walking on water is just glamour, and not necessary in our walk with God. It does show Christ's power over nature, and that he cared for his disciples, walking to reach them and help them. But it is not something to aspire to, or attempt to do.

We need to be discerning and pick the things Jesus tells is to do. And not get obsessed with things that are not commanded by Jesus.

I wrote " I, however, will not literally attempt to walk on the water."

IrishDrewski wrote "I assure you I have no desire to temp God by actually attempting to walk on water in the natural. This is just how He was trying to reveal something to me.

I think it is just a misunderstanding.

IrishDrewski's different view is in the area of miracles and healing which is what charismatic churches teach.
God's words and the Holy Spirit work together. For instance, the Holy Spirit will not tell a believer to rob a bank as solution for his financial problem.

We don't know everything. Believers' goal should be to honor God with their conducts and behave in such a way that other people will see God in them.. Miracles and healing can convince some people that God exists but is not the only way. I would say if anyone wants to learn about the miracles and healing or believe the subjects are important, they should talk to believers in charismatic churches. Whether such teaching is more correct, I would say both charismatic and non-charismatic believers think they are.

I hope everyone has a good day today.

"Both charismatic and non-charismatic believers think they have the more correct doctrines."

Marlene - I didn't mean to bring up the subject of healing or charismatic churches. There is no need to talk about them any more. I think sometimes IrishDrewski's wording is a little bit difficult to understand (as to what his point is). I think we all agree it is not a good idea to walk on water today.

I appreciate your peaceful words, Lavender, especially respecting what you know are my doctrines.

Perhaps Irish doesn't know I was a Pentecostal/charismatic for 15 years, and how I was put down and berated because my very serious health issue was not healed. Or the number of times I was told I wasn't healed because I didn't have "enough" faith, which totally contradicts Scripture,

"For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith." Romans 12:3

God gives us all the faith we need. For someone to say a sick person doesn't have enough faith, they are criticizing God, and saying he didn't give each believer enough faith. God gave us the measure of faith we need!

Nor do I believe that God never heals. He has the power to heal whoever he wants. It's just after seeking God for 35 years for healing, I am able to say God's will is not to heal me in this life, but in the one to come. I can also say God has been able to use my sickness for 2 big reasons.

1. To change me for his glory. It is much more important our character is refined, rather than our body healed

"Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:3-5

2. So I can make friends with people who are sick, and testify how God is with me, transforming me and share the gospel. I run a group on FB with over 1300 people with the disease I have. I have had God open up so many doors for me to testify.

If I had been miraculously healed, I would have no testimony about the love of God. Plus, I don't think people would believe me if I had been healed. God used that as a method to reach people in Jesus day. Today, God is using the internet to reach thousands of people!

Marlene - I am sorry those people in your churches didn't know better. The one I went to in Thailand didn't talk much about miracles and healing and taught sound doctrines. Once in awhile the missionaries who preached in the church would talk about the rain that miraculously appeared (in Africa) as the result of prayers and a church member testified about how her uneven legs were straightened up.

I personally would rather be in good health and be rich financially. I was shocked and disappointed when being told by the doctor I had mental illness. I was only 23. The severe depressions illness turned my life up side down.I felt betrayed by God since it happened three years after I knew Him (I thought my life should be better). The only positive thing I could think of out of this horrible experience was it helped me understand how it was to be sick and poor at the same time. so I would understand this side of life that I would probably never had known if I were in perfect health. It helped me learn humility and compassion for other human beings.

Today I am going to go to my second session with my new found therapist and I feel a lot more hopeful and less alone since she told me she knows how to help my daughter's problem of lacking life skills. I didn't have a therapist for about eight months and it was very difficult since I have no friends to talk to. The nurse who comes to our house weekly to help set up my husband's medications told me it is more normal that grown up kids worry about where their aging parents are going to be, not aging parents worrying about how their kids' life will be, meaning usually it is the kids who take care of their aging parents, not the other way around.

God's answers to prayers sometimes take so long that it looks like they will never happen. I want to thank you and everyone in the group who prayed for my daughter. I am (like the way Irish puts it about himself) excited about the new possibilities (hope for surviving for my daughter). The therapist said she knows some good government subsidized group homes. I have to accept reality of my daughter likely going to be in a group home in the future and prepare for it but she does not have to go anywhere at the moment.

By the way, are you taking the two courses right now? I hope you have fully recovered from the bruises at your arm.