Challenging God

[Guest Bobtep23]

Where's my post?? I put a post on here quoting scripture...Where has it gone?

[Matthitjah]

Brethren Wayne and Beau,

God bless again I learnt soemthing new here. As always thanks for your edifying posts.

Maybe a better Scripture to study at this point is 2 Timothy 2:14, which says "Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen."

This one in particular is a God send.

Mcm,

I simply pray the unsaved doesn't misunderstand WISDOM'S post and goes around saying "GOD show yourself to me" and when no answer comes, says "there is no God"

Hmmmm?

Sister is He not capable?

I ran around for thirty years all the while He was showing Himself to me. I just denied it.

So as He has led a seeker here by His Spirit and hand. He is also quite able to reveal Himself to her. Not only by our word, but by our witness! Also He is God and quite capable of revealing Himself physically. Or are we on the road to Emmaus?

It is simply an act of Faith on her part to accept His leading and ask that He be made real. To accept His very gift of Grace. She is not sure of all He is doing and actually questions whether or not she is even worth his time. The Spirit is working her over.

Now if she were to jump in front of a train and say Jesus if your real stop the train? That would be a different story. To simply say Jesus, I hear the call on my life and I have heard your witness'. I ask according to their testimony please reveal Yourself to me so I can see You? Please open the eyes of my heart? I want to see you! I desire to know why I am worth it. They have told me why yet I can't believe it.

Isn't that Faith building? Isn't that an act of Blind Faith?

So the Lord is calling her and has brought her here. Out of what little Faith she has she has asked. The Lord is building her Faith. Has she tested us? Aren't we supposed to be prepared in season and out? How much more so our Lord and His Spirit when we need Him? So when we pray and ask for guidance to answer her are we lacking Faith and putting the Lord to the test?

Or is He simply being Faithful to His Word?

That if we mix our Faith with the Word of God? We will not die in the desert but will cross over into the promised land. That He will show up and He will work miracles in our favor, for His Glory. If we turn from our unrighteousness , Humble ourselves and seek His face?

I mean no disrespect.

Who is greater God or man? If it weren't for Him revealing Himself to every single one of us. Abraham, Israel, Mary, etc... on down thru the ages. We would not even be having this discussion.

Speak Lord for Your servant listens. Was that a test? Or did God call to Samuel first?

Would Be-Real be testing Him or did He call to her first?

Peace,

Dave

[WISDOM]

But Wisdom went on to say:

Go before HIM just as you are, and ask HIM to make HIMSELF real to you. HE delights in those moments. HE is a GOD of Truth, and reaches for the non-Christian who reaches for HIM.

mcm42, did you mean Mat 4, where Jesus is being tempted by Satan? In that verse Jesus is quoting from Deutoronomy 6:16 "you shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted him in Massah", where the Israelites questioned if God was with them. I think it's fine to challenge God, as long as you are ready for the results. And that fits well with the context that WISDOM made that statement. We "challenge" God with all our prayers of supplication.

edit added:

In Mat 4 Satan was tempting Jesus to test God by throwing himself off the temple; surely he would be saved. I think Jesus was in essence saying, if you test God you had better be ready for ALL possible outcomes.

Very good. Your understanding is quite clear on my statement when what I said BEFORE and AFTER the quote taken out of context is all meshed together. Unfortunately people have a tendency to take Scripture out of context the same way. Why? Simple....they don't read what was said before and after. Sadly, some do this intentionally, and have blocked the Gates of Heaven to many sincere seekers.

[WISDOM]

I think what Wisdom was saying is that the person asking the question in the original thread should "Put the Lord to the challenge" by asking God who He is. This is not akin to testing the Lord the way that He was tested prior to His death, however.

When I asked the Lord to reveal Himself to me, it was not a challenge to Him at all. It was a challenge to me.

And you thought correctly bro, for that is EXACTLY what I was saying. I am thankful the HOLY SPIRIT does open the eyes and ears of those who truly seek honest and sincere answers in Christian love!

[WISDOM]

I certainly don't mean to speak for our brother WISDOM, but this I do know - he is not saying to TEST God. There is a difference in what he is saying and what the scripture says.

Our Lord wants to reveal who He is to us. He has already done so in nature. He has done so in His Word. He has done so through our changed lives. He is not hiding Himself from us and will joyfully come to us if we are truly seeking.

Testing God begins in our hearts, and it usually starts with rebellion or pride. Like an obstinate child stomping his foot demanding something. Like a powerful king sitting on his throne and looking over his vast empire and wanting more. Like a prideful "Christian" who wants to be elevated in his peers' eyes by the wondrous things the Lord publicly does for him.

It's a heart issue.

Thank you Sis!

You know me better than anyone does on this Board!!

[WISDOM]

Isn't this an example of a challenge? Remember, we are talking about a non-believer here.

Mark 12:28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

So could it be that many first come to the Truth with a challenge? It seems to me that God is capable of handling and responding to all challenges from the faithful and non-belivers alike. Who amoung the faithful challenged God yet were later blessed? Abraham... Job... Jacob even wrestled with God...pretty much a challenge from my understanding saints.

Once again, we sometimes get hung up in semantics. Yes, one word can have many meanings therefore they must ALWAYS be taken in context to the body of the text.

Maybe a better Scripture to study at this point is 2 Timothy 2:14, which says "Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen."

Bless you saints,

Wayne

Point well taken, Wayne (concerning Jacob's wrestling with the LORD all night)....and don't forget Gideon (with the Fleece).

[WISDOM]

Just a quick question: What's the big deal? I think this is a simple misunderstanding of Wisdom's post. 

I simply pray the unsaved doesn't misunderstand WISDOM'S post and goes around saying "GOD show yourself to me" and when no answer comes, says "there is no God"

It will not be on my conscience.

Our Heavenly FATHER knows my heart, and understands that my efforts to win the lost are always sincere. Unlike man, HE doesn't look at the outer character. HE views the spiritual heart. You can let your conscious rest my brother/sister. We're both on the same team, with the same COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, the LORD/SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.

So let's put this to rest, and move forward not giving the Enemy a crack to attempt to pry open. We'll stand next to one another and discuss this some more after the BEMA, ok?! *smile*