OT Yes, God does speak to me (and others)

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

Well, if your friend was a religious man, God providing bread would be something he would think about, right? I mean, it's not like you went to some non religious person's house and gave them bread and suddenly they realized it was from God. Or if they were not religious, they knew that you were and might have been making a humorous comment. Bread is a very important symbol to the bible (at least it is to me) so I wouldn't say the odds are as terrible as you think.

I mean, I flew to Michigan with my wife back in 2001. In the airport, she saw her cousin. When we spoke with her, we found out that she was going to chicago on the same flight as we were. She was only a few rows behind us. We eventually parted in Chicago, she went to NY and we went to Michigan.

It was completely random and was one of the most unusual coincidences I've ever heard of. Especially for three people who rarely fly...if ever.

That's a cool story of ONE coincidence. I have those happen as well. I met a woman in a business office in downtown Atlanta who turned out to be the sister of the barber who cut my hair as a kid in Westland. When we first moved here we ran into a young man wearing a Wayne Memorial sweatshirt which is where my wife went. Those things happen and they are very cool.

I understand that you want to be able to rationalize away what happened, but how would it change your story if you were "told" to book that flight, at that time, and to that location which was different than you wanted or had planned? Then when you saw her she said, "Before I left home I told my husband I would see you here?" That would more closely approximate to what happened on my end. I don't think you are seeing the number of things that all came together at exactly the same time and that I was given specific information.

Again, this is one story. I have these things happen on a regular basis.

 

[hailhail]

You are free, of course, to believe whatever you like, but based on some of your comments, it would seem that either you haven't actually studied the Bible and are parroting what you've heard from others, or you read portions without understanding the context of all of the scriptures and how they fit together. As I said, I've been studying it for 40 years, so I will claim to understand it better, unless you say you've done so as well.

It's not what this thread is about, but never, not one, inaccuracy has ever been proven and there have been offers of hundreds of thousands of dollars for anyone who could, so it's not that there's been a lack of trying. hailhail and I had this conversation a while back with the same result as always, no inaccuracies.

Back to the subject - you mentioned ONE coincidence, you and the wife had a craving for salmon. Does that honestly come anywhere near all of the things that came together for this to turn out the way it did?

And, as I said, this was only the latest time and they happen on a regular basis.

I only vaguely remember this conversation to be fair, and I never want to come across as someone at all adverse to religious belief/practice though I am not myself a believer. I work at a human services ministry now, so I like to think I witness every day all the good -- people who use their faith to overcome extraordinary obstacles like addiction -- and bad -- using ones religious beliefs to justify despicable behavior and ignorance -- that people point to regarding religion in our society. Are you a biblical literalist GBIA?

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

Exodus 21:7

"When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are"

Deuteronomy 22:28-29

"If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives."

1 Timothy 2:12

"I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet."

There's another about if a woman is found to not be a virgin on her wedding day, she's to be dragged to the house of her father and stoned to death. Just had a few things come up, so I can't post a dozen more verses that prove that the bible, as you claim, is not the woman-friendly book you say it is.

I understand this isn't what your thread is about, but when you claim God is speaking to you and that your friend said what you were thinking is proof of his existence (you didn't outright say that, but it's implied), I think it's going to get people to post things like I have. You just can't claim that God is this wonderful being when the bible says that he's not. And please don't tell me that he changed in the NT. A perfect being like God would not have to change.

Again, you are looking backward. Is it harsh to be stoned for not being a virgin? Yes. It is even harsher to be stoned to death because a woman burned her husband's morning biscuit!

 

[tinselwolverine]

I mean, I flew to Michigan with my wife back in 2001. In the airport, she saw her cousin. When we spoke with her, we found out that she was going to chicago on the same flight as we were. She was only a few rows behind us. We eventually parted in Chicago, she went to NY and we went to Michigan.

It was completely random and was one of the most unusual coincidences I've ever heard of. Especially for three people who rarely fly...if ever.

When I was flying back to Detroit Metro from LAX for Chistmas about 1989, the landing flaps that slow the plane down weren't working and we were re-routed to Chicago to make an emergency landing because Chicago has longer runways. It was kinda scary.

Anyways, there was this pretty good looking gal sitting right in front of me; she looked pretty scared. I thought to myself "shit, if I'm gonna die in a plane crash anyway..."

Then I grabbed her and I kissed her.

Anyway we took the whole emergency landing position and landed safely, and we ended up waiting for a late night flight from Chicago to Detroit.

As it happened, me grabbing this chick and kissing her - we hadn't introduced ourselves or anything; I just grabbed and kissed a perfectg stranger - totally turned this chick on.

Anyways we went to see Aretha Franklin in Detroit for her annual concert, then she came New Year's Eve to LA (her flight had originated in San Francisco); we had a little fling, as it were, and we went to the Rose Bowl.

Anyways this story really has nothing to do with hearing or not hearing God talk to me but it's a way cooler airplane story than Monster's.

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

I only vaguely remember this conversation to be fair, and I never want to come across as someone at all adverse to religious belief/practice though I am not myself a believer. I work at a human services ministry now, so I like to think I witness every day all the good -- people who use their faith to overcome extraordinary obstacles like addiction -- and bad -- using ones religious beliefs to justify despicable behavior and ignorance -- that people point to regarding religion in our society. Are you a biblical literalist GBIA?

I didn't mean to take a shot at you. If you felt that way I apologize. I breezed through that sentence trying to keep up.

That phrase would need clarifying. Some are literalists to the point of believing that every story is a literal telling of an actual event. There are, of course, analogies, allegories, parables, etc. A rule of thumb when reading the Bible - If proper names are used it is an actual story. If not, most likely, it's not. If a story starts, "There was a man...", or "There was a woman..." it's a parable.

So, that being said, I take literally the things that are literal and symbolically the things that are symbolic.

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

When I was flying back to Detroit Metro from LAX for Chistmas about 1989, the landing flaps that slow the plane down weren't working and we were re-routed to Chicago to make an emergency landing because Chicago has longer runways. It was kinda scary.

Anyways, there was this pretty good looking gal sitting right in front of me; she looked pretty scared. I thought to myself "shit, if I'm gonna die in a plane crash anyway..."

Then I grabbed her and I kissed her.

Anyway we took the whole emergency landing position and landed safely, and we ended up waiting for a late night flight from Chicago to Detroit.

As it happened, me grabbing this chick and kissing her - we hadn't introduced ourselves or anything; I just grabbed and kissed a perfectg stranger - totally turned this chick on.

Anyways we went to see Aretha Franklin in Detroit for her annual concert, then she came New Year's Eve to LA (her flight had originated in San Francisco); we had a little fling, as it were, and we went to the Rose Bowl.

Anyways this story really has nothing to do with hearing or not hearing God talk to me but it's a way cooler airplane story than Monster's.

Tinsel, you never fail to crack me up. :lmao:

 

[Monster]

When I was flying back to Detroit Metro from LAX for Chistmas about 1989, the landing flaps that slow the plane down weren't working and we were re-routed to Chicago to make an emergency landing because Chicago has longer runways. It was kinda scary.

Anyways, there was this pretty good looking gal sitting right in front of me; she looked pretty scared. I thought to myself "shit, if I'm gonna die in a plane crash anyway..."

Then I grabbed her and I kissed her.

Anyway we took the whole emergency landing position and landed safely, and we ended up waiting for a late night flight from Chicago to Detroit.

As it happened, me grabbing this chick and kissing her - we hadn't introduced ourselves or anything; I just grabbed and kissed a perfectg stranger - totally turned this chick on.

Anyways we went to see Aretha Franklin in Detroit for her annual concert, then she came New Year's Eve to LA (her flight had originated in San Francisco); we had a little fling, as it were, and we went to the Rose Bowl.

Anyways this story really has nothing to do with hearing or not hearing God talk to me but it's a way cooler airplane story than Monster's.

you've just won life. Congrats! Haha!

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

You just can't claim that God is this wonderful being when the bible says that he's not. And please don't tell me that he changed in the NT. A perfect being like God would not have to change.

You worded that as if someone other than God wrote the Bible. He wrote what is true about Himself, just because we know-it-all humans don't agree with the way He does things doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do. How many times do kids disagree with and say they hate their parents because they can't do what they want (which many times would be harmful and that's why pops said, No) or they don't understand why parents did what they did? We are in the same relationship with God. Just as a 15 year old kid can't understand the totality of life, neither can we understand the totality of Life.

No amount of discussion about myriad issues will change either of our minds. What I am saying (in addition to responding to RABID's assertion that we are "wackos") is that just the mathematical odds of the things that happen to me regularly make it worth a look.

 

[Monster]

You worded that as if someone other than God wrote the Bible. He wrote what is true about Himself, just because we know-it-all humans don't agree with the way He does things doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do. How many times do kids disagree with and say they hate their parents because they can't do what they want (which many times would be harmful and that's why pops said, No) or they don't understand why parents did what they did? We are in the same relationship with God. Just as a 15 year old kid can't understand the totality of life, neither can we understand the totality of Life.

No amount of discussion about myriad issues will change either of our minds. What I am saying (in addition to responding to RABID's assertion that we are "wackos") is that just the mathematical odds of the things that happen to me regularly make it worth a look.

A book is not proof of existence. But, if I am to judge God, then the only thing I can go by is His words and actions in the book He supposedly wrote. I don't find those words to match up with my own set of morals.

 

[lostleader]

This thread was born out of a conversation I had with RABID in http://www.detroitsportsforum.com/showthread.php?t=12013
posts 6-10, 17 & 18.


I?ll start this by saying there may be someone who read that title and thought, ?This guy says God speaks to him. Who does he think he is and why hasn?t God ever spoken to me?? There is a verse that says, ?without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.? And another that says, ?You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.? I have been seeking after Him for going on 40 years. The good thing is, it?s never too late to start.

Ok, so some background that will help this make sense:

My wife and I make homemade bread. (Why is this guy talking about baked goods? Don?t worry, it will all fit together). I mean real, made from scratch, ground in the mill*, sweet, whole wheat bread that?s as soft as Wonder Bread. Well, word has gotten around and we have several folks at church that we take bread to every Sunday. Two Sundays ago, we had three loaves and Mrs. GBIA went to deliver one of them. She came back and said, ?Rosemary?s not here this week,? to which I replied, ?Crap, she told me she wouldn?t be here this week, I forgot!?

Immediately, the Lord said, ?Give it to Jason.? Not in an audible voice, but just as clearly. You (RABID) wanted to know the entire conversation. That was it, in its entirety. I think He knows I?m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so He keeps it simple for me. I repeated to my wife, ?Give it to Jason.? So, off she went to give it to Jason and his wife.

At this point you?re probably asking, ?How does he know it was God and not just a thought he had?? Good, reasonable question. Two reasons:

#1. I recognize His voice.

I know His voice due to practice (or maybe a better word would be experience, though there is certainly an aspect of putting in time and effort to listening for it). There?s a verse that says, ?My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.? It?s true.

You may just flat-out not believe that, but, if I may, I?d like to interject a thought here. If I told you that I could do a windmill, two-handed, behind the head dunk, you?d probably not believe it. But what if I said I am 6? 6? and my father was a professional basketball player who could actually jump for a white guy and he taught me how to do it? That would make it more believable, right? Well, I?m only 6? 2? and dad wasn?t a pro basketball player, but he was a pastor and he spent his life teaching me how to listen for God?s voice. Dad passed away last October and I had the honor of speaking at his funeral. DVD?s are free upon request! :tup:


Reason #2. The statement goes counter to my natural way of thinking.

I would have thought about giving it to a young, struggling couple with kids or perhaps someone out of work to help them out. Jason and his wife are doing well, so they wouldn?t have fit into that category.

Or, I would have started thinking marketing. ?Let?s give it to someone who hasn?t had our bread yet and maybe we?ll garner a new customer? would have been my natural thought. Jason had had our bread previously, so he wouldn?t have fit that group either, He?d a been outta luck if it were up to my thinking.


Ok, so here?s ?the rest of the story.? Later, Mrs. GBIA says, ?You have to go ask Jason about the bread.? So I did. He says, ?My wife and I had been discussing for some time making a sizable donation to the church. She was really struggling with giving it and, finally, this morning went ahead and wrote the check. I told her as we walked out of the house, ?God will supply our bread.? . . . and here it is.?







So, if you?re a numbers guy, what are the odds that I just happened to hear this statement when all of these disconnected issues came into confluence? And that Jason would use those exact words to reassure his wife, ?God will supply our bread.??


This event not only confirmed to me that I heard correctly and Jason was the right one to give it to, but he, and even more so, his wife, got a tangible sign that they don?t have to worry about giving to Him because He will supply their need.

This is just a ?little? story and the most recent. Stories like this happen on a fairly regular basis. After some discussion regarding this story, I could tell you about some that were mathematically impossible, such as how I got to Atlanta to begin with, how God once spoke through me, or how I came to marry my beautiful wife.

I will answer any reasonable questions.

Jesue spoke in parables and this is a prime example of that.



DC 33

 

[Sbee]

You worded that as if someone other than God wrote the Bible. He wrote what is true about Himself, just because we know-it-all humans don't agree with the way He does things doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do. How many times do kids disagree with and say they hate their parents because they can't do what they want (which many times would be harmful and that's why pops said, No) or they don't understand why parents did what they did? We are in the same relationship with God. Just as a 15 year old kid can't understand the totality of life, neither can we understand the totality of Life.

No amount of discussion about myriad issues will change either of our minds. What I am saying (in addition to responding to RABID's assertion that we are "wackos") is that just the mathematical odds of the things that happen to me regularly make it worth a look.

The new testament was written 200 years after jesus died. I doubt its historically accurate but the overall theme is valuable.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

You saw the antenna and the strips of material whipping around and concluded that it might break the antenna. It's that simple.

The couple didn't NEED the bread. The bread confirmed what he told his wife just half an hour before he received. You don't see the difference between your ONE observance and multiple converging occurrences paired with the specific information I heard?

No I didn't, I said it as we were waiting in line to enter the car wash. It wasn't based on anything observable. Why would a child say this out of the blue like that?

 

[Sbee]

This is a pointless discussion really, you cant have a rational discussion about religion since religion defies logic.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

A book is not proof of existence. But, if I am to judge God, then the only thing I can go by is His words and actions in the book He supposedly wrote. I don't find those words to match up with my own set of morals.

So you want to make God in your image. That's nothing new, mankind has been doing it for millennia. We all do it to different degrees - "I know better than God does so He needs to change and do things my way." It's called pride.

But the great thing is that He loves us anyway.

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

The new testament was written 200 years after jesus died. I doubt its historically accurate but the overall theme is valuable.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Less than 200, half of that as a matter of fact. The writing of Matthew has been much discussed, but no convincing reason has been given for discrediting the traditionally accepted date of A.D. 37. And the date for the writing of Revelation has been determined to be A.D. 96.

I used to have a link for a site that compared the historicity of the Bible to other very old works (The Iliad, The Odyssey, etc) and found to be something like 50 times more reliable in its origin. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

This is a pointless discussion really, you cant have a rational discussion about religion since religion defies logic.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Not true.

You probably believe that Christians have "blind faith," with nothing to base their beliefs upon other than hoping that they are right. The only ones who think that are non-Christians. We exchange stories on an ongoing basis that go way beyond statistical probability. I know that's foreign to you.

I have to admit I am coming from a standpoint of having heard "impossible" happenings all of my life, but to the guys here it's a new concept that I am asking you to consider. I have to remember that as I post.

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

No I didn't, I said it as we were waiting in line to enter the car wash. It wasn't based on anything observable. Why would a child say this out of the blue like that?

For the same reason my nephew would ask out of the blue, "Does God pee?"

 

[Monster]

So you want to make God in your image. That's nothing new, mankind has been doing it for millennia. We all do it to different degrees - "I know better than God does so He needs to change and do things my way." It's called pride.

But the great thing is that He loves us anyway.

Im not doing that at all. What I said is that I judge the book and Him by the content and what He has done. Why would I follow a book with as much disgusting, immoral content as the bible? I will not follow a murderer. I will not follow an egotistical psycho. Yes, I hold myself to higher standards. I am a good person without the promise of Heaven and the threat of Hell. If that's not good enough for God, then maybe we should start realizing that Heaven is a members only club and not a place where all the good people go.

 

[Monster]

For the same reason my nephew would ask out of the blue, "Does God pee?"

Does God pee? If u have anything that mentions that, I'd love to see it.

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

Im not doing that at all. What I said is that I judge the book and Him by the content and what He has done. Why would I follow a book with as much disgusting, immoral content as the bible? I will not follow a murderer. I will not follow an egotistical psycho. Yes, I hold myself to higher standards. I am a good person without the promise of Heaven and the threat of Hell. If that's not good enough for God, then maybe we should start realizing that Heaven is a members only club and not a place where all the good people go.

Again, you place yourself above Him and you said it yourself twice now, you judge Him. You hold yourself to higher standards than God? That is the quintessential definition of pride.

Getting to heaven has nothing to do with "being good." We can't earn our way there, otherwise why would Christ have to die?