How has your God proved himself to you?

[JoeMo]

Gibs,

Awesome story - something we can all learn from. Thanks! I love personal stories as opposed to posting quotes from someone else's stories! I'll bet a man of your age and experience has a bunch of stories. Please share some more of them!

Blessings,

JoeMo

[M. T. Cross]

Thank you for sharing Gibs. That is a moving story indeed. There does not need to be thunder and lightening and fire works for it to be such, I truly appreciate that your experience and search has brought you to where you are now. As Joe pointed out, I think you are one of the most patient people I have ever seen.

You are only a couple years younger than my dad, in fact he would have been 84 today. He, like you had a insatiable need to search for truth. He instilled that in me, and though my quest has taken me on different paths than you and he, it is the same need.

[M. T. Cross]

I find it tremedously sad that only 3 people feel compelled to share what their god has done for them. That they would rather argue about gay people, womens ordination, or legalism vs. grace. That they would rather argue period

I don't say this because this is my thread and I want people to reply. Isay this because the lack of sharing and the eagerness to bicker is an amazing statement about where the priorities lie. It truly makes me sad, sad that so many people worship a God that apparently does absolutely nothing for them. Either that or that their experience is so shallow that they have nothing to share, or worst of all that they are scared that they will be ripped to shreds if they share a story that sounds to far out there.

If it is the latter let me say this. By what I have come to see as Christian standards, Joe's story is about as far out there as you will get. I applaud him for sharing it.

On the other hand Gibs is as simple as it gets and it is filled with beauty.

So as your Sabbath begins, I challenge you to share a story of how you God has moved you, worked in your life, made you proud to be called amongst his followers.

[CoAspen]

Not for a lack or desire to share...just tired of all the proving..and I am a bit private.

Sorry!!

[JoeMo]

I agree with EmptyCross. We are supposed to be witnesses! Rhetoric and logic won't "witness" to your faith. What has God (or your deity) done for you? This is your testimony! Now is your chance to tell the world of your God! The Bible is full of testimonies of the mighty works of God; but not everyone is gonna read the book. You might be the only Bible some people ever read. Tell us your story! It's so refreshing to hear the "stories" rather than the arguments!

Thanks, MT for starting this thread!

[M. T. Cross]

Not for a lack or desire to share...just tired of all the proving..and I am a bit private.

Sorry!!

Proving may have been a bit of a strong word, I don`t mean it to be in the sense of ``prove your God to me``, I meant it more in terms of what moved you, how has he worked in your life etc.

Privacy I get my friend, but if you can think of something less personal that you want to share - feel free to jump in.

Please not that I have not yet shared anything either. In my case its a matter of how can I word this to explain to a group of people that for the majority think my Gods are either false Gods or demons or both.........

[JoeMo]

Well, since no one else is posting, I'll tell y'all another story.

Our church was just starting to explore the gifts of the Spirit; and many of us attended our first healing and spiritual impartation conference, held by a group called "Global Awareness". For most of us, it was our first experience with an explicit manifestation of God's power and presence. Frankly, some of us were offended and just a little creeped out.

The next Sabbath, a man in our congregation came into church in obvious pain. He had slipped off a steep mountain trail a few days earlier, and cracked a couple of cervical vertebrae and crushed a couple discs. He was going into the hospital for cervical fusion surgery the following Tuesday.

After the service, he asked some of us to pray for him. We laid hands on him, beginning to pray for a successful surgery; but the prayer evolved into one for miraculous healing. Suddenly, he started to have huge spasms in his neck and upper back; and his neck started popping like it does when - well - when you pop your neck. We all panicked (including him) and took our hands off while he was yelling at us to take our hands off of him. The spasms and popping went on for what seemed like forever (probably about 5 - 10 seconds in reality). When they stopped, we all held our breath. He slowly relaxed, started shrugging his shoulders and rolling his head. He said "the pain is totally gone! I have full motion back!

This was medically verified when he went to the doctos the following Monday for a pre-surgical consultation. The surgeon looked at him and told him that they must have got the previous x-rays mixed up; because he had no damage and needed no surgery.

This was the first miracle acknowledged in our church; and kinda got us started on the path we're now following.

[Gerr]

The very first time that I became convinced that God does answer prayer was during a week of prayer while I was in boarding school. The speaker during a week of prayer challenged us prove God. He said that if we are serious about knowing God to set a time and ask Him to wake us up. Before I went to sleep that night, I asked the Lord to wake me up at 12 midnight so I could talk to Him. At 12 I was awakened from deep sleep and I talked to Him.

[JoeMo]

Amen, Gerry! I'll be that same prayer and answer still happens to you today! Thanks for sharing!

[M. T. Cross]

Great story Gerry, thank you for sharing

[Gerr]

Here's another incident that happened to me & my wife. When we decided to move away from CA to NC, the real estate bubble had already burst. Homes just weren't selling. We felt that the move was heavenly prompted. So I came first and left my wife to sell the house. Over a year went by and still no sale. In fact, during that time span, maybe a total of 3 came by to see the house. It was desperation time. I was beginning to wonder whether the move was merely my own plans and not divinely inspired. So I did the Gideon fleece thing which I normally don't do. I asked God for a sign, that if someone showed up just to look at the house that day even if they didn't buy, that I would know that everything would turn out okay. On my way to prayer meeting that evening, I got a call from my wife that someone had come by but only for a few minutes. In fact, the person could hardly wait to leave. That was all I needed. Two to three months later, the house sold.

The question now, though, is this - what happens when your prayers are not answered? We are going through this very experience right now. My wife has intractable back pain. She has had an anointing. Dozens of people have/are praying for her. We have run the gamut of what traditional and even alternative medicine have to offer without relief. She moans & groans much of the day on several days of the week. What then? Is our confidence in God to be based on the granting of our requests? Is that how He proves himself?

[M. T. Cross]

Gerry, that is another great story,

About your wife and the prayers for her. Maybe your God has a reason for saying "Not right now". I believe that deity answer all prayers, but its just not always the answer we want.

Here is a story I would like to share. Last Sept. we were served notice that our mortgage company was not willing to renew our mortgage. I had suffered a pretty bad illness several years ago, missed 4 months of work, and we never recovered from it. I prayed to a couple deity, daily I begged and promised and on and on. A couple things happened that I took to be signs that things were going to go my way. We finally found someone willing to take on the mortgage and the day they said they would do it the original company filed the legal papers for foreclosure. So the bank backed out because it is their policy to not take on a mortgage if the original has gone to the courts. So we were able to stay in the house until it sold. So I prayed, and promised and so forth that who-ever bought the house would be buying it to rent out. 4 months later it sold and it was not for rent. I was choked. I felt let down, like my Gods had just not listened at all.

Well about a month or so ago a tornado hit our little valley about 6:30 one evening. A couple days later I went down to look at the old house as it was pretty much surrounded by very old pine trees. Let me tell you this, had we still been in that house it is almost certain that one or more of us would have been severly injured or killed. The living room area was crushed from the trees that landed on it. I got a very strong impression of "young man we don't always give you what you want but there is a reason for it". I immediatly gave thanks for the lack of the answer I had wanted.

[JoeMo]

Gerry and MT, Awesome stories! It's so great to hear the stories of supernatural deliverance! Our prayers don't always get answered the way we expect them to be answered or in our time frame; but they always get answered the right way in time!

MT - what a story of answered prayer. I'll bet you didn't see that one coming! The pressure of financial stress due to circumstances beyond your control - like severe illness -

weighs heavily on people. Sounds like you have somewhat recovered from both. I know you still have challenges; and I lift them up to my God in prayer. From my conversations with you, you must be a strong person. You are very balanced and supportive even in the midst of your challenges.

Gerry, I can identify with your concern about your wife's intractable pain. My wife has had severe abdominal issues for about 3 years now. She has had her gall bladder removed, been treated for ulcers, had drugs for colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, been checked for pancreatic cancer ... the list goes on. No cure and no pain relief. I have no idea why - you probably don't either. Yet, because of the miracles I've seen, I stubbornly hold on to faith - even when my wife sometimes can't. I don't think there is a "formula" or 'recipe" to ensure answered prayer. But I do believe that somehow, some way prayer is always answered. I will pray for your wife; please pray for mine.

[Gerr]

That's a deal, JoeMo. Pray for my wife and I'll pray for yours.

There is one verse that guarantees that we receive what we ask for, and that's 1 Jn 5:14. ESV | ‎1 Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Our problem is figuring out which of the things we ask for is God's will. Right now I'm banking on the premise that it is not God's will that anyone is to suffer on and on. How do I know that? Because even Satan, the author of sin and suffering will NOT suffer the fires of hell forever and ever and ever!

[Gibs]

Gerry and JoeMo, I just prayed for each of your wives. We ask not that we are worthy of any favor but because we know He loves us and will do what is best for us and then accept the results that He knows best for our good. Faith to know this and it will be done. Paul had to go on with the "thorn" and I know I have a couple not easy to bear but He knows best.

All praises be to His Holy name and all our love to Him to do His Will. Amen.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[M. T. Cross]

Gerry and Joe, if you don't mind I will pray for your wives as well. If you could include mine in yours I would appreciate that as well.

[M. T. Cross]

If me doing so makes you uncomfortable I totally understand though.

[Gail]

Thank you, EmptyCross, for your willingness to work together respectfully respecting boundaries AND I also thank you, JoeMo and Gerry.

I am really enjoying reading your experiences, all of you! Please keep them coming. I pray for all the wives mentioned here. Gerry's wife has been the object of my prayers for a while now but I will add JoeMo's, too, to my prayer journal. Pain is rough... I cannot imagine what it would be like to suffer chronic pain. Your courage is indeed commendable. May it go well with your families, that your joy in the Lord be complete and full, not tainted with any spot at all. May God's name be glorified through whatever He calls us to endure.

[JoeMo]

Gerry,

I bank on the same promise - that it is God's will that we all be healthy. My evidence is that jesus healed everyone who needed it; and when He left a place, everyone was well. May it be so with our beloved ones. I just finished praying for your wife again.

Gibs, thank you so much for your prayers; for the prayers of a righteous men availeth much. I know your heart is in the right place.

Blessings to you both!

JoeMo

[JoeMo]

MT, You, your wife, and your children are in my prayers daily. Thanks for your prayers, too. I consider it a privilege to call you "friend".

[Gerr]

Gerry and Joe, if you don't mind I will pray for your wives as well. If you could include mine in yours I would appreciate that as well.

That's great. It's a deal!

[Gerr]

Thank you Gail for your prayers!

[Gerr]

Thanks, Gibs.