Is my faith based on what God "promised" He would do for me... on my present need for yet another miracle...?   ...suppose... just suppose... it never ever happens...?  What then?  Has God failed me?  Maybe His word is not true...?  Maybe He doesn't love me...?  I always thought I was to just ask "believing" and it would happen... so what is wrong... was it my unbelief...? Am I in some kind of sin...?

Of course not... we were all just taught things that were not true... it simply is not true that when we become Christians... we can now escape all the bad things... as long as we do not sin, of course... or act in unbelief.  I am going to tell just one story.

I lived with a Christian family in the early 70's while I was setting up one of my "coast to coast" Christian Bookstores (to the glory of God of course)... I loved this couple big time... years later I was driving thru the area and decided to see if the old bookstore was still there... and I saw the husband selling pumpkins on the side of the road... I wheeled in all excited... jumped out of the car... gave him a bear hug... saying, "hey man, how the heck are you... its been years"...

"Oh I'm just great... thanks... praise God, thank you, Jesus." he replies... so I go on and ask, "And how is ----- (his wife)?"

"Oh... she died... got cancer... just didn't have the faith... I told her... if you had the faith, dear, the Lord would heal you... you are in unbelief... yeah... she died."

I almost lost it.... as close as I ever came to punching a guy in the mouth.... sad story...