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[ned]

Greetings fellow brothers and sisters!

I've been thinking about how God reveals His truths to us and wanted to share with you one of my experiences, and ask others to share theirs as well.

This experience actually happened to me while I was yet in Babylon;
I was really questioning and wondering about the purpose of preaching and witnessing to others (as my church so diligently enforced us too). If God indeed had already pre-ordained His chosen, why does He want us to witness to others?

This one day, as I prayed before I read my bible, I simply brought the question up to God, and when I opened by bible and started to read, I was brought to this verse, and it stood out as if the FONT had been bolded and doubled in size, and I was nearly floored!

Rom 9:18-19 Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will?

Verse 20 literally made my jaw drop, and humbled me before God.  Who was I to question God?
vs. 20-21
Nay but man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?

God gave me His answer loud and clear! 
God doesn't always answer my questions like that, but He has given me the patience to realize that His truths will be revealed to me only when He knows I am ready for them.

In His Grace,
Marie

[mongoose]

Marie,
  I've had similar experiences.  I'll be looking for the answer to a question ( sometimes searching for the answer I want to hear) and some verses just stand out and I keep finding them over and over as I scan through my bible looking for scripture.  I think it's so cool when that happens.....like this is one way that God uses to talk to us.

mongoose

[SandyFla]

Marie,

Those verses were a real eye-opener for me too! I've read them many times in the past, but when God's Spirit takes away the blinders, WOW!!! 

One thing that used to really bother me was, I was always told that babies and young children (including those who were stillborn or aborted) go directly to heaven. That seemed very unfair, as the rest of us have to make a conscious choice of our own "free will" whether or not to "accept Jesus into our hearts." Then we had to struggle with temptation on a daily basis, and somehow be sin-free at the moment of our death. Otherwise, we would burn forever in hell.

Why did those babies and young children get a "free pass" to heaven while the rest of us poor souls have to slug it out with the enemy? And what about the "choice" that we all must make? They didn't HAVE to make a choice!

My mom would say that maybe God knew those children would grow up to reject Him, so He took them. But then, why didn't God take the rest of the majority of people who supposedly are going to hell?

Then I "saw" the Scripture you quoted and discovered God's plan to actually save the world, and it all made sense! 

Sandy

[gmik]

Good Word.

My friends daughter died in a car accident.  She comforted herself by saying that God took her now cuz later in life she may have rejected Him.

I am amazed that "christians" don't search scripture & just regurgitates what they want to believe.

As a kid, I used to think that at the altar when we said the "5 second prayer" that the pastor should shoot us so we couldn't sin anymore.

I watched that special the other nite on National Geographic about the book of revelations.  Ugh.
How can anyone think that that is remotely literal in every way??  (Well, it wasn't so long ago that I thought that too!)

[SandyFla]

As a kid, I used to think that at the altar when we said the "5 second prayer" that the pastor should shoot us so we couldn't sin anymore.

  Exactly!

[chuckusa]

Marie,

Isn't it great (but sometimes a little scary) when he reaches out to us in such a bold way. I had an experience that was similar to yours. I had been overseas in Asia last summer. I had taken 2000 bible books that I had printed in mandarin chinese in hopes of "saving" as many people as I could while on vacation. Well, needless to say, I didn't save anyone. I was able to give out 800 of them, but I was mostly just laughed at and snubbed.

I came back home depressed because I had also wanted to try and "save" a friend who was living in Taiwan. I took her a bible printed in chinese, and I talked and talked and talked. Nothing happened.
 
Now, back home in the shower, trying to wash off the jet lag!!! I was thinking about how I had failed in my mission. I started thinking how it really wasn't FAIR that God wouldn't let me do anything for him. In fact, I admit I was angry. As my anger started to take a turn for the worst...something happened.

I heard in my head..."I don't NEED YOU to save anyone". In one second I learned more than I had in over 40 years. I am being honest when I say that it had NEVER occured to me that God didn't need my help. This voice in my head ( I don't know how else to describe it) was pure truth.

I dropped to the floor and sobbed like a baby until the water turned ice cold.

Now, when I think that I should try to "save" someone I just use this phrase..." Gods working on it, I don't need to worry. I still try to minister, but ONLY when he directs me. It was a great lesson of love, and brought me true relief from my burden.

I pray that God will continue to work in both our lives.

Sincerely, Your brother in Christ,
Chuck

[ames]

Sandy,
We have had the same experience many times. Although we have also had the experience where we go bible in hand to RE-PROVE something we THINK we know and lo and behold our prior knowledge is dispelled by a scripture we may have studied a 100 times. We have been using a Greek to English New testament series that wows us sometimes.( I am sure there are better sources for translation but this has served us well). Thanks for sharing.
A

[ned]

Hi Chuck and Ames:

I love how God speaks to His children.

Rom 11:33   O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out!

HE AMAZES ME!

Chuck, your story was very touching.  God is all WE need, when we seek his kingdom, all else will be given to us (including ministering FOR HIM).

Marie

[SherBearMom]

Hi Marie,
        I used to go to church when I was about 8,9 yrs old but stopped going because the kids would pick on me.  I too have always wondered about the "witness thing" but I'm not as skilled as some people although I have dreams that are way to scary to talk about and some that are making sense, however, I pray from my heart, soul and mind about God thru Jesus Christ for at least 6 months that he would seriously disrupt their hearts to see the truth in him and to bring them back home.  I cannot do it.  It has to come from the Almighty himself.  My sister-in-law said that she had a devastating dream about a month ago and now she is reading her Bible like crazy and going to church.  She went and got saved last Sunday and wants to be baptized.  The way she explained it, GOD SENT HER A RUDE AWAKENING.  I'M SO HAPPY FOR HER!!!!!   

God Bless Marie!

Sherry

[hillsbororiver]

Marie,

Isn't it great (but sometimes a little scary) when he reaches out to us in such a bold way. I had an experience that was similar to yours. I had been overseas in Asia last summer. I had taken 2000 bible books that I had printed in mandarin chinese in hopes of "saving" as many people as I could while on vacation. Well, needless to say, I didn't save anyone. I was able to give out 800 of them, but I was mostly just laughed at and snubbed.

I came back home depressed because I had also wanted to try and "save" a friend who was living in Taiwan. I took her a bible printed in chinese, and I talked and talked and talked. Nothing happened.
 
Now, back home in the shower, trying to wash off the jet lag!!! I was thinking about how I had failed in my mission. I started thinking how it really wasn't FAIR that God wouldn't let me do anything for him. In fact, I admit I was angry. As my anger started to take a turn for the worst...something happened.

I heard in my head..."I don't NEED YOU to save anyone". In one second I learned more than I had in over 40 years. I am being honest when I say that it had NEVER occured to me that God didn't need my help. This voice in my head ( I don't know how else to describe it) was pure truth.

I dropped to the floor and sobbed like a baby until the water turned ice cold.

Now, when I think that I should try to "save" someone I just use this phrase..." Gods working on it, I don't need to worry. I still try to minister, but ONLY when he directs me. It was a great lesson of love, and brought me true relief from my burden.

I pray that God will continue to work in both our lives.

Sincerely, Your brother in Christ,
Chuck

Hello Chuck,

He doesn't need any help humbling us either, thank you for that testimony. The pressures we put on ourselves to do things reserved for Him, His yoke is indeed light as we are admonished only to; "be prepared to give an answer" not to force Him on anyone.

He is quite capable of drawing His called and chosen, Paul has a compelling story in that vein.

Thanks again,

Joe

[chuckusa]

Thanks Joe, and to those who replied,

Yes, I agree...very well put and good for me to hear.

You know it was also quite humbling to have 1,200 chinese bibles sitting around in my office for 6 months. I wish my revelation had come before I got that big idea!

But on second thought, I suppose it is possible a seed was planted through some of those bibles. I hope so.

Blessings to all,
Chuck