Poster | Thread | ccchhhrrriiisss Member
Joined: 2003/11/23 Posts: 4779
| Re: Ever see stuff in the morning? | | Hi Aeryck... Quote:
"First a page flashed through my mind full of words, then again, then a single line on a page, and finally 'Romans 10:9,10' I looked it up and could not stop myself from shouting... God knows the answers to the question, seeing it is His word.
I remember having a similair thing happen, but it was definitely audible. I was a brand new baby born again, spirit filled believer, and new about as much about the bible as a baby might know about rocket science. Someone asked about a particular verse, at that instant I heard Romans 5:5 ... it was the one. I was so blessed...so were they."
That is truly amazing, Aeryck. When I first read your post, it reminded me of the testimony of Charles Finney.
Charles Finney was studying to be an attorney in rural New York. During this time, he began to secretly desire a relationship with God. As an prideful and educated man, he was quite embarrassed of his desire for God. Thus, Mr. Finney was quite miserable. He was unimpressed with what he knew of then-modern Christianity, but he was miserable in his current state. He stayed in this state until he could take it no longer. He decided to "promise" that he would give his heart to God.
One day, he took a walk along a secluded area of woods where he wanted to be alone to pray to God. He did this so that no one would see him. On this particular day, he was so desperate that he vowed to give his heart to God before he left the woods.
But while there, Finney found it difficult to pray (which brings to mind what Charles Brent said, "Pray hardest when it is hardest to pray"). In his misery, he persevered. However, he would sometimes hear a rustling in the woods. He would stop to regain his composure so that no one would know that he was praying. A sense of hopelessness came over him. He realized that he had made a vow to God, and he was angry at himself for doing so. He felt so helpless and discouraged, that he became physically weak -- to the point that he wasn't certain he could stand.
Right then, he thought he heard someone approaching. He opened his eyes, and quickly tried to regain his composure like before. But right there, he had a revelation about the pride in his heart -- and this was the great difficulty that blocked his vow to give his heart to God. Here is what he says in his own words:Quote:
"An overwhelming sense of my wickedness in being ashamed to have a human being see me on my knees before God, took such powerful possession of me, that I cried at the top of my voice, and exclaimed that I would not leave that place if all the men on earth and all the devils in hell surrounded me. "What!" I said, "such a degraded sinner I am, on my knees confessing my sins to the great and holy God; and ashamed to have any human being, and a sinner like myself, find me on my knees endeavoring to make my peace with my offended God!" The sin appeared awful, infinite. It broke me down before the Lord."
It was an awesome revelation of his spiritual condition. I suppose that all of us have felt it before we came to the Lord. I remember the first time I read his autobiography, this testimony overwhelmed me to the point of tears because I remembered how I felt the night I gave my heart to the Lord out in a field at summer camp.
This is where your story, Aeryck, sounds so similar to Finney's:Quote:
"Just at that point this passage of Scripture seemed to drop into my mind with a flood of light: "Then shall ye go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Then shall ye seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." I instantly seized hold of this with my heart. I had intellectually believed the Bible before; but never had the truth been in my mind that faith was a voluntary trust instead of an intellectual state. I was as conscious as I was of my existence, of trusting at that moment in God's veracity. Somehow I knew that that was a passage of Scripture, though I do not think I had ever read it. I knew that it was God's word, and God's voice, as it were, that spoke to me. I cried to Him, "Lord, I take Thee at Thy word. Now Thou knowest that I do search for Thee with all my heart, and that I have come here to pray to Thee; and Thou hast promised to hear me."
What an awesome thing! God [i]spoke[/i] to Charles Finney a verse [u]before[/u] he had read it!
Since then, I have met a Tarahumara pastor deep in the huge Sierra Madre Occidental in the rugged, forest covered mountains of southern Chihuahua, Mexico. The Tarahumara are animalists, and few speak Spanish or are even aware of the "outside world" in Mexico. Many still live in caves and are not aware that other groups exist other than the Tarahumara in the area. Before he was saved, this pastor became deadly ill. The government doctor assigned to the Tarahumara told him that there was no hope. He only asked him whether he wanted to die in the small Mexican town, or if he wanted to brave the seven day run back to his village.
He decided to return home to die. He eventually grew worse. One night, he sat out of his cave in the mountains looking at the stars. He wondered if there was a "god" who was supreme to the other "gods" -- perhaps one that could have created all things. This pastor said that he heard a voice (even though he is unsure of whether it was audible or inside), and the voice told him, "I am the Lord, the God who created all there is. If I heal you, will you serve me?" He spoke to God and told him, "Yes." The voice told him, "Now give me your heart."
He gave his heart to God, and later began leading other Tarahumara to Christ. He is now the pastor of a large congregation of Tarahumara believers.
The day that I gave my heart to the Lord, I had read a verse that morning (for my youth camp "share group") that grasped my heart (Matthew 11:28-30). I had never really studied the Bible before, but I had heard lots of Scriptures in Church. However, this one grabbed my heart like no other! That night, as I walked alone in a field, I [i]heard[/i] the Lord tell me, "[i]You don't know me[/i]." The voice was not audible. It was a deep, inner voice. But it was real. I poured my everything out to God that evening. I told the Lord that I would trade everything I am, and all that I would ever become, if I could only [i]know Him[/i] and be His friend.
So, yes, I know that the Lord can speak to us!
:-) _________________ Christopher
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| 2005/8/23 1:08 | Profile | ZekeO Member
Joined: 2004/7/4 Posts: 1014 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| Re: | | Chris,
Thats amazing, I have heard simaler stories of this happening in Islamic countries as well.
Leads us to another agelong question, who takes the iniatative in us getting saved?...Just playing 8-) _________________ Zeke Oosthuis
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| 2005/8/23 1:22 | Profile | philologos Member
Joined: 2003/7/18 Posts: 6566 Reading, UK
| Re: | | Quote:
And Peter could only 'partially' quote Joel 2 because it had/has not yet happened or been fulfilled.
I don't dispute that the moon has not 'turned to blood' yet. The point I am trying to make is that the period of the 'last days' began with the incarnation and that to create another period called the 'last days of the last days' has no biblical warrant.
Behind your comments are the assumption that we are now in, or approaching, this period. I do not accept this. I reject the dispensational paranthesis plan of Daniel's weeks. We are 'in' the last days and have been since the incarnation. I can see no justification for any other view. _________________ Ron Bailey
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| 2005/8/23 13:21 | Profile |
| | 2005/8/23 17:15 | |
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