WHEN FAITH FAILS: The Death Required for Life

Walking on Water and the Crushing of Self

The Archaeological Site

As faithful watchers and biblical archaeologists, we now excavate one of the most misunderstood passages in Scripture - not because it’s complex, but because we’ve been taught to read it through Babylon’s lens instead of through the lens of death-to-self.

The scene: Jesus walking on water. Peter attempting the same. Peter sinking. Jesus saying, “You of little faith.”

For generations, this has been taught as: “Peter failed because he didn’t have enough faith. You need to have MORE faith. Try harder. Believe stronger.”

This is Babylon’s interpretation - it’s about SELF-effort, SELF-faith, SELF-performance.

But what if Jesus was teaching the exact opposite? What if Peter’s sinking was NECESSARY? What if our faith is SUPPOSED to fail - spectacularly, crushingly, completely - so that SELF is emptied out and only Christ’s faith remains?

Let’s dig into this archaeological site with childlike eyes and see what we find buried in plain sight.

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The Biblical Account: Matthew 14:22-33

“Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary.

And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’

Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’

When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’”

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The Traditional (Babylon) Interpretation

Babylon’s religious system teaches this story as:

Peter had faith (good!) - He stepped out of the boat

Peter lost faith (bad!) - He took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the storm

Peter failed because his faith was weak - He should have believed harder

The lesson: We need MORE faith - Try harder, believe stronger, perform better

This interpretation keeps you enslaved to SELF-effort. It makes faith something YOU must generate, YOU must maintain, YOU must strengthen. It’s religion. It’s works. It’s Babylon.

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The Kingdom (Death-to-Self) Interpretation

Let’s excavate what Jesus was actually teaching His disciples - and us.

1. Jesus Commands the Storm - He Has NO FEAR

“And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.”

Jesus didn’t ask the storm for permission. He didn’t negotiate with the waves. He didn’t check the weather forecast. He didn’t fear ANYTHING.

Why? Because Jesus operated in COMPLETE DEATH TO SELF and COMPLETE TRUST IN THE FATHER.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” John 5:19

Jesus had NO self-kingdom to protect. NO self-life to preserve. NO self-will to assert.

He was already dead. Therefore, He feared nothing. Therefore, He walked on water.

2. Peter Steps Out - In Whose Faith?

“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’”

Here’s the critical question Babylon never asks: Where did Peter’s faith come from in this moment?

Did Peter suddenly generate enough self-faith to attempt walking on water? Did he psych himself up? Did he perform some religious ritual to boost his faith-meter?

NO.

Peter asked Jesus to COMMAND him. And Jesus said, “Come!”

That single word - “Come!” - WAS the faith. Jesus spoke it. Jesus gave it. The faith was Christ’s, not Peter’s.

And for a moment, as long as Peter operated in Christ’s faith (looking at Jesus, hearing His voice, depending entirely on His word), Peter walked on water.

Peter wasn’t trusting in Peter’s faith. He was trusting in Jesus’ command. He was operating in CHRIST’S FAITH given as a free gift.

3. Peter Sinks - The Crushing of Self-Faith

“But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’”

What happened? Did Peter “lose” faith?

No. Peter SWITCHED FAITHS.

He stopped operating in Christ’s faith (gift) and started operating in Peter’s faith (self).

The moment Peter:

- Looked at the CIRCUMSTANCES instead of Christ

- Trusted his own ASSESSMENT instead of Christ’s command

- Operated in his own STRENGTH instead of Christ’s word

- Moved from DEPENDENCE to SELF-RELIANCE

Peter’s self-faith failed. Spectacularly. Crushingly. Completely.

And this is EXACTLY what needed to happen.

4. Jesus Rebukes “Little Faith” - But Whose Faith?

“Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

Traditional interpretation: “Peter, you should have had MORE faith!”

But look at what Jesus actually said: “You of LITTLE faith.”

Little faith = self-faith. Your own faith. Faith generated by YOU. Faith maintained by YOUR effort.

Little faith is SELF-faith, which is no faith at all.

Great faith = Christ’s faith. Given as gift. Received in dependence. Operating through Grace.

Jesus wasn’t rebuking Peter for not trying hard enough. Jesus was rebuking Peter for switching from Christ’s faith to Peter’s faith.

“Why did you doubt?” = “Why did you stop trusting MY word and start trusting YOUR assessment? Why did you move from dependence on ME to reliance on SELF?”

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The Death Required: Our Faith MUST Fail

Here’s the truth Babylon hides: Your self-faith is SUPPOSED to fail. It MUST fail. Completely.

Why Self-Faith Must Be Crushed

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

Self-faith operates from the flesh-mind:

- “I can assess the situation”
- “I can determine if this is safe”
- “I can decide if I should keep going”
- “I can generate enough belief”
- “I am in control”

This is SELF. This is EGO. This is PRIDE. This is SIN.

And it must be CRUSHED so completely that nothing remains.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20

The “I” must be crucified. Self-faith must die. Your ability to trust in your own assessment, your own strength, your own faith must be EMPTIED OUT completely.

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The Seed Principle: No Death, No Life

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24

The Pattern of Death to Life

The Planting - Jesus plants His seed of faith in you when you first believe

The Burial - That seed must be buried in DEATH (death to self-faith, self-reliance, self-assessment)

The Crushing - Your self-faith fails catastrophically, crushing ego, lust, and pride

The Emptying - All self-confidence, self-trust, self-effort drains out

The Germination - Christ’s faith (the seed) begins to grow in the fertile soil of your emptied-out self

The Life - What emerges is no longer YOU living by YOUR faith, but CHRIST living HIS faith through you

No Planting = No Burial = No Death = No Life

Without the death, the seed remains alone. Without the crushing of self-faith, Christ’s faith cannot grow.

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Peter’s Sinking Was FERTILIZER

This is the revolutionary truth: Peter’s failure wasn’t the problem. It was the process.

Every time Peter’s self-faith failed:

- When he denied Jesus three times (crushing his self-confidence)

- When he sank while walking on water (crushing his self-assessment)

- When he was rebuked for trying to prevent Jesus’ death (crushing his self-wisdom)

Each failure was the Holy Spirit using Peter’s spectacular crashes as FERTILIZER to grow Christ’s faith in him.

The Fertilizer of Failure

What makes the best fertilizer? DEATH. DECAY. BREAKDOWN.

Babylon says: “Avoid failure! Build on success! Strengthen yourself!”

Kingdom says: “Let your self-faith fail! Let it crash! Let it decay! That death becomes the rich soil where Christ’s faith grows.”

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

Your self must DECREASE. Your self-faith must DECREASE. Your self-confidence must DECREASE.

Not through religious effort. Not through trying to be more humble.

Through SPECTACULAR FAILURE that crushes self completely.

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How Is This Like Today?

The Modern Babylon Application

Today’s religious-political Babylon system teaches:

In Religion:

- “Have faith in YOUR faith!”
- “Believe harder!”
- “Claim the victory!”
- “Speak it into existence!”
- “Name it and claim it!”
- “Your faith determines your outcome!”

In Politics:

- “Have faith in OUR system!”
- “Trust the process!”
- “Believe in America!”
- “Our party will save us!”
- “This leader will deliver!”

Both are SELF-FAITH systems. Both require YOU to generate, maintain, and strengthen faith in something OTHER than Christ alone.

The Pattern Repeats

Like Peter, we:

Hear Jesus’ command - “Follow Me. Trust Me. Depend on Me completely.”

Step out in Christ’s faith - For a moment, we operate in the gift. We walk on water. We experience supernatural peace, provision, power.

Look at circumstances - The storm. The waves. The economy. The election. The diagnosis. The crisis.

Switch to self-faith - “I need to figure this out. I need to protect myself. I need to plan. I need insurance. I need security. I need MY faith to be strong enough.”

Begin to sink - Self-faith fails. Fear comes. Control slips. Anxiety rises.

Cry out: “Lord, save me!” - In desperation, we return to dependence.

Jesus lifts us - Not because we generated enough faith, but because HE is faithful.

Jesus rebukes our “little faith” - “Why did you switch from MY faith to YOUR faith? Why did you doubt MY word and trust YOUR assessment?”

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The Question: Must Our Faith Fail?

YES. ABSOLUTELY. COMPLETELY.

Your self-faith MUST fail so catastrophically that you finally, finally, FINALLY stop trusting it.

The Stages of Faith-Death

Stage 1: Trying to Have Faith

- “I need to believe harder!”
- “I need to be more positive!”
- “I need to have more faith!”
- Result: Exhaustion, performance, religious striving

Stage 2: Faith Failing

- “I’m doing everything right, but it’s not working!”
- “I’m believing, but nothing’s changing!”
- “Where is God?”
- Result: Confusion, frustration, doubt

Stage 3: Faith Crashing

- “I can’t do this anymore!”
- “I have no faith left!”
- “Everything I trusted in has failed!”
- Result: Desperation, crisis, breakdown

Stage 4: Self-Faith Dead

- “I have nothing left to offer”
- “I cannot generate faith”
- “I am completely empty”
- Result: Surrender, death to self, emptying

Stage 5: Christ’s Faith Growing

- “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”
- “My faith is a gift, not my effort”
- “I depend entirely on His word, not my assessment”
- Result: Peace, rest, life, supernatural fruit

Most Christians get stuck in Stage 1 or 2 and never let self-faith die. Babylon keeps them trapped there, endlessly trying to generate more self-faith.

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The Holy Spirit Uses Failure as Fertilizer

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

ALL THINGS. Including your spectacular faith-failures.

How Failure Becomes Fertilizer

When your self-faith crashes:

- Your EGO is crushed (fertilizer)
- Your PRIDE is broken (fertilizer)
- Your LUST for control dies (fertilizer)
- Your SELF-confidence is emptied (fertilizer)
- Your INDEPENDENCE is destroyed (fertilizer)

All of this death, all of this decay, all of this breakdown becomes the RICH SOIL where Christ’s seed of faith can finally grow.

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” 2 Corinthians 4:17

The crushing isn’t punishment. It’s cultivation. The Holy Spirit is preparing the soil.

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No Burial = No Life: The Seed Must Die

Jesus’ Pattern

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24

The seed of Christ’s faith is planted in you at salvation. But it CANNOT grow until it’s BURIED in death.

Burial = Death to self-faith, self-effort, self-reliance

Without burial, the seed:

- Sits on the surface
- Remains hard and dormant
- Bears no fruit
- Stays alone

With burial, the seed:

- Breaks open in the dark soil
- Sends roots deep into the fertilizer of your crushed self
- Draws life from the death
- Bears supernatural fruit

Your Participation in the Burial

You don’t bury the seed by TRYING to die to self. You bury the seed by LETTING your self-faith fail.

Stop:

- Trying to generate faith
- Trying to be strong enough
- Trying to believe hard enough
- Trying to maintain control
- Trying to protect yourself

Start:

- Watching your self-faith fail (don’t resist it)

- Letting yourself sink (cry out to Jesus, don’t try to swim)

- Embracing the crushing (it’s fertilizer, not punishment)

- Remaining in the dark (germination happens underground)

- Trusting the Gardener (the Holy Spirit knows what He’s doing)

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Looking at Jesus vs. Looking at Circumstances

Peter’s Two Focuses

When Peter looked at JESUS:

- Heard Christ’s command: “Come!”
- Operated in Christ’s faith (gift)
- Walked on water
- Experienced supernatural power
- Had peace in the storm

When Peter looked at CIRCUMSTANCES:

- Saw the wind and waves
- Trusted his own assessment (self-faith)
- Began to sink
- Experienced natural limitations
- Had fear in the storm

Today’s Application

When we BEHOLD JESUS (His Word, His command, His faith as gift):

- We operate in Grace
- We walk supernaturally
- We have peace regardless of circumstances
- We depend like a child
- SELF is crucified, Christ lives

When we look at CIRCUMSTANCES (economy, politics, health, future):

- We operate in self-effort
- We sink naturally
- We have fear because of circumstances
- We depend on self-assessment
- SELF is preserved, Christ is ignored

The question is NOT “Do you have faith?” The question is: “Whose faith are you operating in - YOURS or CHRIST’S?”

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Jesus as the ONLY Source of Faith

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” Hebrews 12:2

Jesus is:

- The AUTHOR of faith (He writes it, originates it, creates it)

- The PERFECTER of faith (He completes it, matures it, brings it to fullness)

You are NOT the author of your faith. You are NOT the perfecter of your faith.

Faith is a GIFT:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Even the faith that saves you is NOT YOURS. It’s a gift. It’s Christ’s faith given freely.

The Free Gift of Faith Given By Grace

Every time we humble SELF (die to self-reliance) and BEHOLD Jesus (fix our eyes on Him alone), He freely gives His faith.

Not because we earned it.
Not because we generated it.
Not because we were strong enough.

Because GRACE gives freely what we could never produce.

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FAITH or DOUBT: The Only Two Options

Before we conclude, we must expose the fundamental deception that Babylon uses to keep humanity enslaved.

Jesus: The Author and Finisher of FAITH

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” Hebrews 12:2

Jesus is the AUTHOR of ALL faith. He starts it. He finishes it. He IS faith.

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Faith is the ONLY thing that pleases God.

When we operate in faith (Christ’s faith, given as gift):

- God is pleased
- We receive His pleasure
- His pleasure IS our source of pure divine PEACE
- This peace flows through GRACE
- This is LIFE

Lucifer: The Father of DOUBT

If Jesus is the Author of FAITH, then Lucifer is the father of DOUBT.

“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Genesis 3:4-5

The first temptation in human history was DOUBT:

- “Did God really say…?” (doubt God’s word)
- “You surely will not die” (doubt God’s consequence)
- “You will be like God” (doubt your need for dependence)

Lucifer’s entire kingdom is built on getting humanity to doubt God and trust SELF instead.

The Two Kingdoms: FAITH or DOUBT

There is no third option. You either operate in:

FAITH (Jesus)

- Trusting God’s Word completely
- Depending like a child
- Resting in Grace
- Receiving peace as gift
- LIFE

DOUBT (Lucifer)

- Questioning God’s Word
- Relying on self-assessment
- Striving in self-effort
- Manufacturing false peace through control
- DEATH

Peter sinking demonstrates this perfectly:

When Peter operated in FAITH (Jesus’ command “Come!”):

- He walked on water
- He had peace in the storm
- God was pleased

When Peter operated in DOUBT (looked at circumstances, trusted his own assessment):

- He sank
- He had fear
- Self was exposed as worthless

Lucifer Has NOTHING to Give

Let’s tell it like it is:

Lucifer is the father of:

- DOUBT (questioning God’s Word)
- DESPAIR (hopelessness apart from God)
- DISORDER (chaos, confusion, lawlessness)
- DISGRACE (unrighteousness, shame)
- DARKNESS (absence of Light/Life)
- DESTRUCTION (death, decay, ruin)
- DECEPTION (lies masquerading as truth)

He offers:

- NO peace (only false peace through control)
- NO grace (only demands and performance)
- NO life (only death disguised as life)
- NO faith (only doubt dressed up as wisdom)

He can only:

- DEMAND (work, perform, earn, prove)
- DECEIVE (promise what he cannot deliver)
- DESTROY (steal, kill, bring death)

The Serpent’s Strategy: Make Doubt Look Like Wisdom

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise…” Genesis 3:6

Lucifer packages DOUBT as:

- “Wisdom” (trust your own assessment)
- “Maturity” (don’t be childishly dependent)
- “Realism” (look at the circumstances)
- “Responsibility” (you must protect yourself)
- “Intelligence” (question everything, trust nothing blindly)

But it’s all DOUBT. And doubt is the opposite of faith. And without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.

Peter’s “Why Did You Doubt?”

“Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’” Matthew 14:31

Jesus didn’t ask: “Why weren’t you strong enough?”
Jesus didn’t ask: “Why didn’t you try harder?”
Jesus didn’t ask: “Why did you fail?”

Jesus asked: “Why did you DOUBT?”

Why did you:

- Doubt My word (“Come!”)
- Doubt My power (to hold you on water)
- Doubt My presence (I’m right here)
- Trust your ASSESSMENT instead of My COMMAND

Doubt = Switching from Christ’s faith to self-assessment

And self-assessment is ALWAYS doubt, because it relies on YOUR ability to evaluate circumstances instead of GOD’S word to define reality.

Today’s Doubt Disguised as Faith

Modern Babylon tricks people into operating in DOUBT while calling it “faith”:

Religious Doubt (disguised as faith):

- “I have faith that IF I do these things, God will bless me” (doubt Grace, trust works)

- “I have faith in MY faith” (doubt Christ’s gift, trust self-generation)

- “I have faith that this system will save me” (doubt Jesus alone, trust religion)

Political Doubt (disguised as patriotism):

- “I have faith in America/this party/this leader” (doubt God’s sovereignty, trust man)

- “I have faith that we can build a great nation” (doubt Kingdom of God, trust Babylon)

- “I have faith in our military/economy/system” (doubt God’s provision, trust self-protection)

ALL OF THIS IS DOUBT. Not faith.

True faith says: “I trust God’s word regardless of circumstances. I depend entirely on Christ. I have no backup plan. I am dead to self. Christ lives.”

Doubt says: “I trust my assessment of circumstances. I depend on my plans. I have insurance/systems/protection. I preserve self. I’m in control.”

Lucifer’s Kingdom Runs on Doubt

Remember from Article 1: Babylon operates on FEAR, SHAME, GUILT, CONDEMNATION.

What produces these? DOUBT.

- FEAR comes from doubting God’s protection
- SHAME comes from doubting God’s acceptance
- GUILT comes from doubting God’s forgiveness
- CONDEMNATION comes from doubting God’s righteousness credited to you

Every emotion Babylon uses to control you is rooted in DOUBT of God’s character and promises.

God’s Kingdom Runs on Faith

“But the righteous man shall live by faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4, NASB; quoted in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38)

LIVE by FAITH.

Not:

- Live by sight (assessing circumstances)
- Live by feelings (emotional responses)
- Live by logic (self-reasoning)
- Live by systems (insurance, politics, religion)

LIVE by FAITH = Trusting God’s Word completely, depending like a child, operating in Christ’s faith as gift

The Binary Choice: FAITH or DOUBT?

“But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-8

Double-minded = Trying to operate in BOTH faith and doubt

- Trusting God’s word AND your assessment
- Depending on Grace AND your works
- Following Jesus AND building your own kingdom

THIS DOESN’T WORK. You cannot serve two masters.

You’re either in FAITH (pleasing God, receiving peace) or in DOUBT (displeasing God, receiving fear).

Peter demonstrated both in minutes:

- FAITH: Walking on water, peace in storm
- DOUBT: Sinking in water, fear in storm

The circumstances didn’t change. What changed was whether Peter operated in FAITH or DOUBT.

Lucifer’s Alternative Gospel: DOUBT Packaged as Empowerment

“You will be like God” Genesis 3:5

Lucifer’s core deception: “Trust YOURSELF. Assess for yourself. Decide for yourself. Protect yourself. Build your own kingdom. You don’t need childlike dependence—that’s weakness. You need self-empowerment—that’s strength.”

This is DOUBT disguised as empowerment.

And millions fall for it because:

- It appeals to PRIDE (I can be like God)

- It preserves SELF (I remain in control)

- It looks like WISDOM (I’m mature, not childishly dependent)

- It promises POWER (I build my own security)

But it’s ALL DOUBT. And doubt produces DEATH.

The Pleasure of God = Our Peace

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him.” Hebrews 11:6

When we operate in FAITH (Christ’s faith, received as gift):

- God is PLEASED

- His pleasure toward us IS our source of pure divine PEACE

- This peace doesn’t come from circumstances (Peter still in a storm)

- This peace comes through GRACE (unearned gift)

- This peace is SUPERNATURAL (walking on water while storm rages)

When we operate in DOUBT (self-assessment, self-reliance):

- God is NOT pleased (not as punishment, but as reality—doubt is the opposite of what pleases Him)

- We have NO access to divine peace

- We manufacture FALSE peace through control, systems, insurance, plans

- This false peace depends on circumstances

- This false peace is NATURAL (sinking in water when storm rages)

Let’s Tell It Like It Is

Lucifer has:

- NO peace to give (only false peace through control)
- NO grace to offer (only demands and works)
- NO faith to provide (only doubt packaged as wisdom)
- NO life to deliver (only death disguised as life)

He can ONLY:

- DEMAND (work harder, perform better, earn your security)
- DECEIVE (promise what he can never deliver)
- DESTROY (steal your peace, kill your faith, destroy your life)

Every system Babylon offers—religious or political—operates on DOUBT:

- Doubt that God will provide (so buy insurance)
- Doubt that God will protect (so build military)
- Doubt that God will save (so trust the system)
- Doubt that Grace is enough (so work for righteousness)

FAITH says: “God’s word is enough. His command ‘Come!’ is sufficient. I trust completely. I depend like a child. I have no backup plan because I don’t need one. HE IS FAITHFUL.”

DOUBT says: “God’s word might not be enough. I need to assess. I need to protect. I need to plan. I need backup systems. I need to trust myself.”

The Question That Exposes Everything

“Why did you DOUBT?”

Not: “Why didn’t you perform better?”
Not: “Why weren’t you stronger?”

“Why did you DOUBT?”

This is Jesus’ question to Peter.
This is Jesus’ question to His disciples.
This is Jesus’ question to the Church today.
This is Jesus’ question to YOU.

Why are you doubting?

- Why are you trusting your assessment instead of My word?

- Why are you relying on systems instead of My grace?

- Why are you building security instead of depending like a child?

- Why are you operating in self-faith (doubt) instead of My faith (gift)?

FAITH or DOUBT. Life or Death. Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Lucifer.

There is no middle ground.

Conclusion: The Crushing Is Mercy

Peter’s sinking wasn’t failure. It was curriculum.

Jesus let Peter sink far enough to:

- Realize his self-faith was worthless

- Realize his self-assessment was DOUBT, not wisdom

- Cry out in complete dependence

- Experience Christ’s immediate rescue

- Learn the difference between FAITH (Christ’s) and DOUBT (self-assessment)

Every time your self-faith fails, every time you sink, every time you cry out “Lord, save me!” - this is the Holy Spirit crushing your SELF so that Christ’s faith can grow and DOUBT can die.

The Pattern for Kingdom Life

Jesus speaks - “Come!” (His command, His faith as gift)

We step out in His faith - Walking on water, supernatural peace

We look at circumstances - Switching to self-assessment

Self-faith fails - Sinking, crushing, breaking

We cry out - “Lord, save me!” (returning to dependence)

Jesus rescues - Immediate, faithful, certain

Jesus rebukes self-faith - “Little faith” (stop trusting SELF, trust ME)

Failure becomes fertilizer - Death to self feeds growth of Christ’s life

This cycle repeats until self-faith is so completely crushed, so thoroughly dead, so totally emptied that we finally stop trying to generate our own faith and simply REST in His.

The Only Faith That Works

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20

Not faith IN the Son of God (your faith directed toward Him).

Faith OF the Son of God (His faith operating through you).

This is the death required for life.
This is the burial required for growth.
This is the crushing required for fruit.

Your self-faith must die so that Christ’s faith can live.

Peter learned it by sinking.
You’ll learn it by sinking too.

And every sinking is mercy. Every crushing is grace. Every failure is fertilizer.

Stop trying to walk on water by your own faith. Let Jesus speak “Come!” and walk in HIS.

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The Question for Today

Where are you looking?

At the storm? At the economy? At the election? At the diagnosis? At your circumstances?

Or at Jesus?

Whose faith are you operating in?

Your self-generated, self-maintained, self-strengthened “little faith” (which is really DOUBT)?

Or Christ’s freely-given, Grace-sustained, Spirit-empowered faith?

Have you let your self-faith DIE yet? Or are you still trying to make it work?

Are you operating in FAITH (trusting God’s word completely) or DOUBT (trusting your assessment of circumstances)?

The house is burning. Babylon is falling. Self-faith (DOUBT disguised as faith) cannot save you.

Only Christ’s faith - received as a gift by dying to self - brings life.

Let yourself sink. Cry out. Be rescued. And stop trusting DOUBT (self-assessment) and start receiving FAITH (Christ’s word as final authority).

FAITH or DOUBT.
LIFE or DEATH.
KINGDOM OF GOD or KINGDOM OF LUCIFER.

Choose this day whom you will serve.

THE Grace Awakening

THE Grace Awakening Study Guide

Who is Craig Rogers and KINGDOM Empowered?

Come Meet King Jesus

THE GRACE AWAKENING for Those Left Behind

The American Remnant - Left Behind Plan