Whether it be sports fans who support rival teams or politicians from different political parties, sooner or later there is the chance that a heated debated will arise. If you disagree visit your local sports bar or turn on your television, during election season, and it won't be long before the festivities begin. But, when people supposedly sharing the same point of view begin to debate it is distressing. Case in point is the recent ire I drew from fellow Christians regarding the way I addressed the experience a young Christian had regarding a song they were listening to a Bible passage relating to that song. Under the heading, "What are the chances," we will see an example of how I got jumped on for my response to this young believer.
Ok so I'm the person... who was saying that God doesn't answer my prayers and I always feel like I'm talking to myself . And somebody said that he gives us signs that he is listening by objects or verses. So I'm sitting here listening to " Lord gimme a sign" by DMX and the first lyrics in the song are "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." -Isaiah 54:17
So I get my bible and I just open it randomly cause this is like the 2nd time I've even opened it . And I open directly to Isaiah 54 . And there it was!! My favorite lyrics to my favorite song were on that page!! What are the chances of that happening like 1 in 10000 !!!!! This has got to be a sign from God!
I responded with...
Far be it from me to speak for God and what He may be doing in your life. But, I don't believe what you are experiencing is a sign from God. Randomly throwing open the Bible will lead to more confusion for you. If it encourages you great, but you need direction in how to, and what to, read when it comes to scripture study. Otherwise, you run the risk of reading your own interpretation into whatever it is you are experiencing. I would recommend you start reading in the Gospel of John, then in Romans and on forward from there. Without an understanding of the grace of God and the New Covenant you will struggle to grow and mature in your faith. I have some study aids I can direct you to if you like. I don't know if you have any resources to assist you in your growth. Perhaps, your fellowship has something they can offer to get you off on the right foot. Just like a newborn baby needs instruction and guidance, so does a newborn babe in Christ. You need a grounding in the fundamentals of the faith first. Build your foundation and then trust the Lord to go from there.
A third party cut in and said to me...
You are wrong to tell [young Christian] that that wasn't a sign God heard his prayers. When God answers, it doesn't have to be this great big in depth study. Sometimes he answers us in a subtle manner. All he wanted to know is God is listening. If that wasn't a sign please tell me what is. He wasn't looking for help to study his bible. [Young Christian] I do hope you will continue your bible study with a teen group at your church. Don't get discouraged, I will be praying for you.
My reply...
Relax... Please don't talk down to me as if you understand anything I said. I didn't say it wasn't a sign from God, I said I didn't believe it was a sign. There is a difference. God can use the experience, for sure, to show His newborn children He is there, but they need disciplined study, not a coincidence resulting from a throwing open of the scriptures. That is all I am saying.
A fourth party said to me...
I understand completely with what you are saying in your post, and I can also see where you did seem to be knocking [young Christian's] experience, sometimes on these post, its so easy for others, including myself to read more into what people are saying, or what they truly mean, but I honestly, don't think you meant any harm in what you posted here. I do agree, we need study, no doubt about that, its something I try to do everyday. And at the same time, when I pray, I expect God to answer me, it may not always be the way I want Him to answer, but I do "expect." And I think [young Christian's] experience, was one of many ways that our Father will answer us.....I think [young Christian] needed to know that he was being heard, and God showed him that. The devil has ways of trying to make us doubt, but God is all powerful and knowing, so when He speaks to us, there is no doubting, and I think that's what happened to [young Christian] last night, and he was just overjoyed and he wanted to share with all of us. So, I hope you don't feel like you are being attacked, I can agree with you also.
My final reply...
Thanks.. I was not knocking down anybody's experience. I think that is the gut reaction to me not doing what everybody else was doing by claiming it was God at work. But, we have to be careful not to ascribe our experiences to the work of God. All I am trying to say is that just because we believe something is from God doesn't it mean it is. We sometimes believe because something encouraged us or benefited us that it is automatically from God. I am not saying it isn't, but we don't always know this to be the case. We are to be thankful in all things, yes. And this coincidence is something to be thankful over. I just want to encourage people to take it for what it is, a pleasant experience that encouraged a young believer. I mean was it God that had [young Christian] listening to rap music as well? You see where I am going with this?
So, there you have it. I am of the opinion that God can certainly use our experiences to teach us or remind us of His presence. But, we run the risk of jumping into dangerous waters when we start attributing beneficial experiences to God. Now, I know when you are new in the faith you, like a baby, putting everything in y0ur mouth and totally driven by instinct and experience. So, a young Christian getting excited about opening the Bible directly to the passage talked about in a song they like is understandable. But, like I later when on to ask, why didn't anybody say that God led this young Christian to listen to rap music? Nobody responded. In a small way, this discussion is a good example of the emotion-driven Christian church we see today. There seems to be more a focus on experience than truth. This fervor in which they defended a supposed "sign from God" amazed me. Now, I never said that what happened wasn't a sign and God could have definitely been behind this experience. But, fact is, we don't know. So, we should just take it for what it is, an encouraging experience, and move on to more solid things. Besides, what does scripture say about these things?
"He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Matthew 12:39
"Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20
The reason we don't need a sign from God is because it is an admission that we don't already see what it is God has already revealed to us. If we have already come to Christ, we have seen enough, right? We realize we are sinners. We realize this world is getting increasingly worse as it denies God. Scripture is clear that an adulterous generation seeks a miraculous sign. Is that not what flinging open the scriptures to a coincidental verse that matches song lyrics is doing? Jesus was talking to people who were standing face to face with God in the flesh and told them that the blessed ones are the ones who "have not seen." So, if you blessed because you haven't seen Jesus, but still accepted Him, how does that compare to what this young Christian experienced? The heavens and the earth are testimony to the fact of God. Everybody who has ever lived has seen or experienced the earth, and all its glory, to in one form or another. It, along with the moon, the stars and the heavens above leave man without excuse to His existence and majesty. Yet, people still deny Him by "suppressing the truth" of His existence. So, we don't need any further "signs" to prove His existence to us. He has already supplied enough. Our job is to respond to the evidence He has already revealed to us. It should not be to attack those who have done nothing more than to remind others of that fact.
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