The taken and the left

[Brakelite]

In 1976 I received the Lord as my Saviour. I visited a few churches before settling for a vibrant young AOG church in the city. This was not my hometown. I had transferred there 12 months previously from across the other side on the country. This was well before cell phones texts, the only means of communication being either phone or snail mail. I didn't have a phone. And I didn't write often, so lost touch with all former friends except for my mum. I was 23 at the time.
A friend who witnessed to me a month previous to my conversion, came up to me one day, apologising for her forwardness, and stated she believed God was telling her to tell me that i was to go back home in order to witness to my new found faith. I replied somewhat dubiously, but promised to pray about it, which I did, asking God for confirmation from another source. A week later the church was holding an evangelistic series, with meetings running every night for the week. Being a new Christian I revelled in those meetings and my faith deepened.
On the last night, the visiting preacher was about to begin his address, and paused, saying he believed there was someone in the congregation (of 350odd, so there may be several he was referring to) that were living away from home, had recently received Christ, and God was calling them home. I was seriously convicted that I was being singled out. This was a Sunday night. That evening at home I wrote a resignation letter for my work, effective the following Thursday, with Good Friday following with Easter weekend. I then informed the pastor who had some very serious doubts about a brand new Christian being called away so soon. I remained utterly convinced. My prayers included a request for work of course. I was fully convinced that if God was doing the sending, He would also do the providing. I even had a specific job in mind, at a specific place. The same place where I had previously worked 13 months previously, but a different job. I had told no-one I was leaving except for a very few, and no one I was coming.
I arrived at my mother's doorstep in the evening of Good Friday. She was elated to see me, but horrified I had resigned from a very good job on the whim of what she later described as a cult. Even more horrified that I needed a place to stay. She was a widow, enjoying her solitude, in a small flat. She did not believe my assertions that God would supply a job. I checked the local paper for situations vacant the next day, Saturday. The exact job I asked for was advertised. The next working day was Tuesday, and I rocked up to the establishment that morning to announce my homecoming as my fiormer boss was leaving. We chatted briefly, me explaining why I was there and he asked me when I would like to start. I started the next day. Mum didn't know what to think.
God has never let me down since. Miracle? Intervention? I don't care what you call it. God was faithful.

 

[PinSeeker]

What do you think happened to the brass screw?

No telling, but probably a very ordinary explanation.

There are all kinds of miracles…

Hmmm, well I agree, but would say rather that things that seem miraculous to us… <smile> …happen.

…I never put God in a small box like cessationism demands.

<chuckles> Yeah, God certainly can’t be put in any kind of box… <smile>

Grace and peace to you.

 

[PinSeeker]

In 1976 I received the Lord as my Saviour. I visited a few churches before settling for a vibrant young AOG church in the city. This was not my hometown. I had transferred there 12 months previously from across the other side on the country. This was well before cell phones texts, the only means of communication being either phone or snail mail. I didn't have a phone. And I didn't write often, so lost touch with all former friends except for my mum. I was 23 at the time.
A friend who witnessed to me a month previous to my conversion, came up to me one day, apologising for her forwardness, and stated she believed God was telling her to tell me that i was to go back home in order to witness to my new found faith. I replied somewhat dubiously, but promised to pray about it, which I did, asking God for confirmation from another source. A week later the church was holding an evangelistic series, with meetings running every night for the week. Being a new Christian I revelled in those meetings and my faith deepened.
On the last night, the visiting preacher was about to begin his address, and paused, saying he believed there was someone in the congregation (of 350odd, so there may be several he was referring to) that were living away from home, had recently received Christ, and God was calling them home. I was seriously convicted that I was being singled out. This was a Sunday night. That evening at home I wrote a resignation letter for my work, effective the following Thursday, with Good Friday following with Easter weekend. I then informed the pastor who had some very serious doubts about a brand new Christian being called away so soon. I remained utterly convinced. My prayers included a request for work of course. I was fully convinced that if God was doing the sending, He would also do the providing. I even had a specific job in mind, at a specific place. The same place where I had previously worked 13 months previously, but a different job. I had told no-one I was leaving except for a very few, and no one I was coming.
I arrived at my mother's doorstep in the evening of Good Friday. She was elated to see me, but horrified I had resigned from a very good job on the whim of what she later described as a cult. Even more horrified that I needed a place to stay. She was a widow, enjoying her solitude, in a small flat. She did not believe my assertions that God would supply a job. I checked the local paper for situations vacant the next day, Saturday. The exact job I asked for was advertised. The next working day was Tuesday, and I rocked up to the establishment that morning to announce my homecoming as my fiormer boss was leaving. We chatted briefly, me explaining why I was there and he asked me when I would like to start. I started the next day. Mum didn't know what to think.
God has never let me down since. Miracle? Intervention? I don't care what you call it. God was faithful.

Providence, certainly. The Lord ~ Jehovah Jireh ~ provides for His people.

Grace and peace to you.

 

[David in NJ]

What do you think happened to the brass screw? God had told me twice where the ring would be and those drawers were across the room from where I had laid the ring. Also, it was 15 months before I moved, and it was on that day I found it, exactly as God had told me, and the brass screw had disappeared. No one else knew about it. I don't speak Spanish so Maria didn't know, only that it was still lost, that's all. There are all kinds of miracles, but I never put God in a small box like cessationism demands.

Well, God gives gifts and they are to be used for His Glory and for the edification of the Body of Christ.

Since you have a gift from the LORD you can pray this for myself = which is for my family

We have items that we need to sell to pay off some bills.
These items are priced to sell and yet there has been little interest.
Lift UP prayer for God to send buyers as the money is needed to pay bills.

Thank You

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Well, God gives gifts and they are to be used for His Glory and for the edification of the Body of Christ.

Since you have a gift from the LORD you can pray this for myself = which is for my family

We have items that we need to sell to pay off some bills.
These items are priced to sell and yet there has been little interest.
Lift UP prayer for God to send buyers as the money is needed to pay bills.

Thank You

David, I will be listening for God's voice (His will) how He wants to provide for your present need. I will let you know if He speaks to me and not you and what His will is. But then you must agree and put you faith in what He says. Supernatural faith, which is different from our measure of faith to accept Jesus, is a supernatural gift in 1 Cor. 12: given to us from rhemas, instead of the logos. A rhema is a specific spoken word from God to us personally. This kind of "word" is different than the logos. Greek has two words for our one word, "word" (logos and rhema). This gift of supernatural faith is the type of faith in Romans 10:17, "(Supernatural) faith comes by hearing (so listen as I do constantly!) and hearing by the word (rhema) of God.

As you read the Bible through, as we all should be doing, a passage will seem to jump off the page at you and give you goose bumps. That is a rhema and you receive a gift of faith and be in awe that God just spoke to you. Rhemas like that when reading the logos (the whole word) can also to correct your doctrine. God spoke to me back in 2000 while I was driving alone in the desert of Arizona and said He was giving me the office of Teacher. Since that time God has corrected my doctrine many times because I am to teach only what He's taught me. Sometimes it causes a vision of what really happened. Like the thief on the cross which many pastors teach was not baptized (though it doesn't say that). The truth as God has shown me is he used to be a thief, but became a Christian knowing the truth about Christ's kingdom, that it was spiritual and had nothing to do with overthrowing Rome, had repented and was already baptized.