Acts20.com

Thought this would make interesting discussion

I only asked God for a sign one time, Rough.When me an momma got married, it took us a little while to adapt to married life. Momma wanted her way and the old timer wanted his way, an as we all know, ever married couple has gotta work through this.Well, me an momma got into a theological/philosophical/anthropological discussion on which one of us should make the coffee first thing ever mornin. She had all her Bible verses laid out an I had mine an we could come to no mutual understandin on the matter. Finally, I ast the good Lord to give me a sign. Just as I said it, momma looked at the ole timer an said the lord had given her a scripture from the book of Hebrews. The moment she said He Brews, I knowed I'd done been had, an I been brewin the coffee all these years.

While pastoring a wonderful church with great folk, a church we had organized. It was the biggest mistake of my life, well maybe just a big mistake.It did not work, I resigned the next Sunday. For me it was STUPID in capital letters. Every once in awhile I get invited back for homecoming. One day I will make it, I am still embarrassed. The church is a great church today, a soul saving station and has produced two REAL leaders in the COG, both post on this forum and probably do not even know nor remember me. Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

What do you believe can we learn from the story of Gideon's fleece?Judges 6:36-40

Gideon was being asked to do something he felt totally unequipped to do. He needed a sign. In fact, not only does God not rebuke his need for a sign, he even tells him the night before the battle to go down to the Assyrian's camp and listen to what they say. He and his servant sneak down and at just the right moment they hear a dream told of. And then, the right interpretation of that dream is given. In a camp of over 135000 people Gideon got to the right person at the right time to hear a story. WHy? God wanted to encourage Gideon as he was about to embark into a battle with only 300 men left from his 32000 man army. Now, Gideon didn't have the Spirit of God within him as we do. Nor was he baptized with the Spirit. His faith was non-existent but God saw a man with potential. We are supposed to have faith in God and His word, even His prophetic call to us. Fleeces are often decried as for people with weak faith. That may be true, but I firmly believe that if God has called you, he desires to encourage you. That is one of the purposes of NT prophecy after all, isn't it. If our faith is not all it should be and even when it may be but we are unsure as to whether it was God speaking to us, it is my considered opinion based upon this story and others, that is okay to ask God for a sign, in order to motivate us to accomplish God's purpose in our lives. Should we be able to do it without a sign? Yes. We have the witness of the Spirit within us. But, sometimes we need help. IF God didn't rebuke Gideon, I don't think He would rebuke us but we shouldn't always have to rely on a sign either. Find the balance. Big Decisions require Big Directions.Here are some of the vital points of the message:AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, “WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR MY LIFE?” OR “HOW CAN I KNOW THE WILL OF GOD FOR MY LIFE?”VITAL POINTS:1. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR EACH OF US.2. GOD WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES TO CONFIRM HIS WILL FOR US.3. WEAK FAITH OR DOUBT WILL NOT CAUSE GOD TO HATE US, HE LOVES US ENOUGH TO CONFIRM HIS WORD TO US WITH EVEN SUPERNATURAL SIGNS.4. THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE TO HAVE WEAK FAITH NOR DOES IT MEAN WE ARE TO ENCOURAGE DOUBT. IT DOES MEAN GOD LOVES US EVEN IN OUR WEAKNESSES AND WILL DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO BUILD OUR FAITH, EVEN STEP BY STEP IF NECESSARY TO FULFILL HIS PLAN FOR OUR LIVES.

thanks, it was well

Well said, brotherjames.

I've encountered people online who argue like this, that Pentecostals and Charismatics are wrong because they want signs and 'an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign' and that no sign would be given to it except for the sign of the prophet Jonah.Actually, they are making the logical error of affirming the consequent, kind of like saying if someone commits suicide, he's dead. Saddam Hussein is dead, so he must have committed suicide. But he didn't. He was hung.Anyhow, the apostles asked for a sign and asked God to do signs and wonders. In Matthew 24, they asked Jesus to tell them the sign of His coming and of the end of the age, and He told them a lot of signs. I think we can conclude they didn't have the same attitude as the 'wicked and adulterous' who were asking for a sign.Those asking for a sign, IMO, were asking for a fulfilled prophecy, the type of sign one would use to verify a prophet found in Deuteronomy. Jesus had just done another kind of 'sign', the miracle of feeding the 5,000. But that's not the same as the fulfilled prophecy sign. His resurrection, the sign of the prophet Jonah, was the fulfilled prophecy type of sign. Jesus gave the sign of his resurrection in the book of John as a sign that He had authority to turn over the tables of the money changers and to deal with the problem of the temple being made a 'den of thieves.' Asking for signs can be a problem if it is done out of an unbelieving attitude. Zecharias saw an angel from heaven there talking to him, and he asked for a sign. Because of his unbelief, his sign was that he could not speak until the prophecy was fulfilled. Apparently, he believed after that and opened his mouth and prophesied. One king of Israel got rebuffed when he was told to ask for a sign, but refused to ask for one because he considered it putting the LORD to the test. Isaiah prophesied to Hezekiah that he would die. Hezekiah prayed and wept, and the Lord gave Isaiah a prophecy that indicated that he would live longer. I can understand why Hezekiah would ask for a sign after this. He did, and the shadow went the opposite way from normal