In Big Matters And In Small Things

[Good Cheer]

Anyone have a story to relate about seeing how our creator answers prayers, or intervened in their life or someone else's, or His interventions in the goings on in this world? What have you seen?

[HWooldridge]

Those who believe attribute many things to God's intervention - those who do not believe tend to assign those same occurrences to coincidence or luck.

One of our sons was in the Army during the second Iraq war and stationed in Baghdad during some of the worst combat. I prayed regularly for his safety, and nothing else, just his safety. While on a route clearing exercise, he was in an armored Husky that was blown up by a buried IED. He was severely injured and endured a long recovery but he wasn't killed and now works as an electrician even though he retired from the service on a medical discharge. I choose to believe he was protected by our Lord during the explosion (a 155mm shell went off underneath the vehicle) and he now has a good life, even though he bears scars.

Someone who doesn't believe might ask me why God didn't completely protect him from injury, but I see this as an answer to my prayer, rather than being saved from zero trauma.

[1hole]

Those who believe attribute many things to God's intervention - those who do not believe tend to assign those same occurrences to coincidence or luck.

True.

I can't "see"God but I can see a vast series of imprints of his hands in my life, far too many to even attempt recording.

Long ago, as a callow 16 year old I trusted the testimony of many old folk that I knew to be children of God. Thus, my trust of what I could see in them forged my initial belief in Jesus. He took me to my knees and I was "born again" in my spirit.

On three occasions, doctors have told my wife that I only had a few more hours to live. The first time was a very bad auto accident in 1980; the second was after a badly botched bowel surgery in 2003; the third was a massive heart attack in 2006; I still stand. Each time, the doctors said I lived by the power of greater hands than theirs.

A lot of deep emotional trials and some near unbelievable pain have tempered the weak steel of my spirit but I've never looked back or complained, 'Why me Lord?' In fact, I know no one who wakes everyday as happy and unafraid of what life still holds than me.

Bottom line, by these and many other life proofs, I know whom I have believed and am absolutely persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that last day (2 Tim 1:12). I'm grateful that My 3 daughters, their 8 children and most of my still young great grand kids are also believers. I wish everyone could know and trust our God as completely as we do.

[Rapier]

I guess, there is a plan, could be that my son picked up your son after he was injured by the IED. My son flew 1149 combat rescue / recovery missions and has 947 official rescues. Did 6 tours in Iraq and 6 tours in Afghanistan plus other garden spots in Africa and Asia as a PJ (pararescue) for 23 years. He was medically retired, due to multiple injuries he accumulated on missions, basically all of the bones in his skeletal structure have been broken. The list of injuries is pretty impressive, in one way, he is still walking and talking.

He took the military school in psychological counciling so that he could offer counciling to his teams, members and the recovered. They are supposed to have professional psychological counciling after every operation but had no councilors with a T. S. clearance, so they, the rescuers, themselves could not, by regulations discuss their missions with anyone without a T. S. clearance.

He is a member of the Cristo of the Catholic Church as a Protestant, a story in itself.

[HWooldridge]

I guess, there is a plan, could be that my son picked up your son after he was injured by the IED. My son flew 1149 combat rescue / recovery missions and has 947 official rescues. Did 6 tours in Iraq and 6 tours in Afghanistan plus other garden spots in Africa and Asia as a PJ (pararescue) for 23 years. He was medically retired, due to multiple injuries he accumulated on missions, basically all of the bones in his skeletal structure have been broken. The list of injuries is pretty impressive, in one way, he is still walking and talking.

He took the military school in psychological counciling so that he could offer counciling to his teams, members and the recovered. They are supposed to have professional psychological counciling after every operation but had no councilors with a T. S. clearance, so they, the rescuers, themselves could not, by regulations discuss their missions with anyone without a T. S. clearance.

He is a member of the Cristo of the Catholic Church as a Protestant, a story in itself.

Certainly could be that your son helped mine - Harrison was triaged in Baghdad then sent to Ramstein. They flew him to Walter Reed from Germany then home to Ft. Sam in San Antonio. We were able to support him there at Fisher House while he underwent several surgeries and recovery since we live a few miles up I-35.

Most of his injuries are below the knee and both legs are full of titanium pins - he also suffered a pretty bad concussion but most of that damage seems to have healed. His feet and legs still hurt (and he stands up all day to work). We remain blessed - it can always be worse - one of his closest buddies in the Army was killed a month before he was injured.

[HWooldridge]

Rapier,

FYI, my son got hurt on 2/5/2008, if that helps date it for your son’s service.

HW

[GhostHawk]

I have a neighbor, I tend to call her "Saint Peggy" which embarrasses her a bit.

Now I have done a few things for Peggy before. But I got a call from her. She had taken her van in for brake work.
And it cost a whole lot more than she expected. And they were not going to release the van until at least a big part of that bill was paid.

Peggy is maybe a year younger than I am and still working part time helping those older and in poor condition.
SS alone is not enough to pay all the bills.

So I grabbed 500$ and walked over there. Gave it too her. She did not want to take it.
So I asked her, "Peggy this is not my money, it is money I owe the Lord. Do you STILL not want to take it? How are you going to manage"

Well she took it, and I am walking my little PomChi Casey down the alley when I "heard" words I never ever thought I would hear.

"William Thomas, thou good and faithful servant, WELL DONE. You did not wait for me to tell you Peggy needed help.
You just did what you knew I wanted you to do. Proud of you!"

Yes our Lord and God are real. Yes they care about us, yes they are watching. Yes they give us, all of us, free will. As a result bad things happen some days.
And also good things.

Looking back over my life I can see where time and time again people who did not know me, or who I was, came out of nowhere when I was in trouble and gave me a helping hand. Again, and again, and again.

I can look back and see where the Lord was helping me over the rough spots. And at the time I did not really believe, I was not his sheep, or one of his flock.

[dverna]

Interesting thread and I expected more posts.

I know two people who say they have seen the Holy Spirit. Very rabid believers, but both seem to be "flakes" who may have done too many drugs at one time.

Sometimes I wonder if God "talks" to me, but I always decide it is my brain telling me what Jesus would do. No dreams to relate.

A friend who was an elder at our church relates that God saved his grandson. The baby was born with many issues and the doctors had essentially given up. The father of the boy called the elders to pray for the baby and a day later the baby was on the road to recovery. The MD took the family aside and asked them if they had prayed for the little boy. It seems the MD believed the boy could only have made it by a miracle. The MD told them this had not been the first time when he believed prayer had "worked".

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Both my wife and I experienced miraculous healings. I have related them in detail here before. Many people prayed for our recovery.
I believe.

DG

[Hogtamer]

A good friend, a physician told me recently that it should be malpractice for a doctor to treat a patient without praying for them (or have a believer pray), that the empirical evidence of fervent prayer in healing treatment is overwhelming and that most doctors will tell you so, if in private. The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

[1hole]

I rarely mention it but I've clearly heard what had to be the "voice of God" three times. It was just a normal human voice with normal tone, no theatrical booming thunder or flashing light or roaring wind. Just a very brief but very clear voice with words that meant a lot to me at that moment.

The first said, "Your (very deceased paternal) grandmother loves you, Jimmy." Years later I heard, "For such a time as this." More years later the voice said, "I'm not done yet." Each time was during days of intense emotional stress but, without going into the history, those words assured me that I was not alone and, sure enough, the problems were resolved far better than I could have hoped.

[Good Cheer]

Well, I started this so I may as well jump in.
One day going on thirty years ago, I asked the wife to sit down at the dinner table with the world atlas as there was something I wanted to discuss with her that had come up in my studies, a matter of God telling the story of the Messiah on the surface of the planet somewhat as He had done with the constellations. As the explanation was concluded spirit moved through the room leaving the two of us wide eyed and momentarily stunned. Heh, then we looked at each other and said "Wow!" And took that as a confirmation.
Looking back on it now I can see that we were being brought along in understanding, in our relationship with Him.
And brought along we were. Warned to leave where we lived, we picked up and moved lock, stock and barrel a thousand miles away. He arranged things to give us a new home, to assure that we were financially set. And He tweaked things to show His hand, enough so there's no way we could ever be goofy enough to think in terms of coincidence.

[.429&H110]

If you want to see prayer asked and answered get yourself to a Wednesday night prayer meeting.

Only God can violate cause and effect, He IS cause and effect, what we call miraculous.
Miracles happen every day. We have been taught they don't.

A prayer group can help sort out our "needs" from "wants".
If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.

Has any phrase become more cancelled than "I will pray for you"?

[Good Cheer]

"He IS cause and effect"
What a great way of saying it!

[.429&H110]

Sample program

100 There is a God
200 I am not God
300 Thank you Jesus! else 100
400 There is no end

Does your program hang at 200?
The Wheel of Life is a loop.
Ask any Buddhist, it's their Wheel, and they are trying to get off, too.
Stuck in a rut.

I am not stuck here anymore, Jesus set me free.
I am free to pray, free from fear.

The world's freedom is a right taken at gunpoint, a right only kept in this world at gunpoint.
Ask any Ukrainian. We have a missionary there, we pray for him.
His church was in Kharkiv. He is somewhere in Eastern Ukraine these days,
doing what the Lord sent him to do. He says he will be back in Kharkiv and rebuild.

Sent where the need is greatest,
Good Lord,
Keep the O'Briens from all harm!

Awake the Woke! Their fear has put them to sleep, has put a yoke on their neck.
The easiest way to sell, is to scare. People scare easily but people won't stay scared.
Woke is wearing kinda thin these days, fads fade in newscycles between ads.
We didn't vote for any of this.
Pray for Revival! Wake up America!

His Promise: God answers prayer.

[Ickisrulz]

My take is that who knows what God does vs coincidence?

I do know that God is responsible for creation, our existence, the food we eat, the air we breathe, the medicines we take, etc. All of these are miracles that we should be thankful for.

[BLAHUT]

I was not a strong believer> on December 1,2006 after an operation that lasted about 12 hours, i died> may have been for only seconds> I do not
know> I only Rember trying to get through the vail> i will call it that> when i did> I was here> a very long recovery> tested my resolve> why i am back> i do not know> there is a reason> i know i have no fear of dyeing again> my mother passed many years ago> yet every now and then> i here her call my name> as clear as if she were standing next to me> to let me know i am not alone>>>

[Good Cheer]

Interesting thread and I expected more posts.

I know two people who say they have seen the Holy Spirit. Very rabid believers, but both seem to be "flakes" who may have done too many drugs at one time.

Sometimes I wonder if God "talks" to me, but I always decide it is my brain telling me what Jesus would do. No dreams to relate.

A friend who was an elder at our church relates that God saved his grandson. The baby was born with many issues and the doctors had essentially given up. The father of the boy called the elders to pray for the baby and a day later the baby was on the road to recovery. The MD took the family aside and asked them if they had prayed for the little boy. It seems the MD believed the boy could only have made it by a miracle. The MD told them this had not been the first time when he believed prayer had "worked".

Expected more posts as well.

[Good Cheer]

Well, I started this so I may as well jump in.
One day going on thirty years ago, I asked the wife to sit down at the dinner table with the world atlas as there was something I wanted to discuss with her that had come up in my studies, a matter of God telling the story of the Messiah on the surface of the planet somewhat as He had done with the constellations. As the explanation was concluded spirit moved through the room leaving the two of us wide eyed and momentarily stunned. Heh, then we looked at each other and said "Wow!" And took that as a confirmation.
Looking back on it now I can see that we were being brought along in understanding, in our relationship with Him.
And brought along we were. Warned to leave where we lived, we picked up and moved lock, stock and barrel a thousand miles away. He arranged things to give us a new home, to assure that we were financially set. And He tweaked things to show His hand, enough so there's no way we could ever be goofy enough to think in terms of coincidence.

The wife and I, we're here now. We know the story isn't over. Waiting to see how things develop.

[.429&H110]

Belief in co-incidence is man's way of whistling in the dark.

Co-incidence is meeting your Deacon in a liquor store.
Was it God or Satan, who led you to meet there?
Or was it Jim Beam.

How do we tell co-incidence from miraculous?
Ask your Deacon. We were just there to buy some chips...ya, sure.

We are supposed to look like Christians, and that takes a miracle.
Fortunately miracles happen, but then we call them co-incidences.

Apostle Paul says to pray for your country.
Pray for a miracle.
Amen.

[Pine Baron]

Laying on a gurney in an ambulance, sirens, lights and emt's hooking me up to all kinds of things, I came to peace and thanked God for my salvation, my children & grandchildren, my family and friends. Then I prayed the Lord's prayer and that still small voice said to me "I'm not done with you yet". 4 hours later I was home, like nothing ever happened. Docs never did figure it out. I don't pray for myself, pray for you all.

[Good Cheer]

With the times we are in now, these times being what they are and what it appears they are to become, I've wondered about how many people have been told to move, to relocate. And how many would have listened.

[Good Cheer]

Reading a fun book, "The Premonitions Bureau" about efforts in 1960's Britain to harness the abilities of people who do have premonitions so that a useful warning system could be established. That had to be a frustrating task. Even one person trying to understand the mechanisms involved is well nigh impossible, much less a group of contesting researchers, scientists, management and psychologists.

[Good Cheer]

"The evidence we are living in a Simulation is everywhere. All you have to do is look."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wMhXxZ1zNM

This guy is fun so I'm posting the link to his presentation as it relate to prayers being answered even if that isn't his intent.
Scripture makes it clear that our creator set up this reality to process us through in order to obtain a refined product for His purposes and that the processing is continually being adjusted on an as-needed basis, including in response to prayers. So are we living in a simulation? Heh, simulation is just another word for creation.

PS,
I love it when he gets around to describing how the presence of an observer alters the behavior of light. Not a newly discovered phenomenon but one which speaks to what we are.

[Rizzo]

"The evidence we are living in a Simulation is everywhere. All you have to do is look."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wMhXxZ1zNM

This guy is fun so I'm posting the link to his presentation as it relate to prayers being answered even if that isn't his intent.
Scripture makes it clear that our creator set up this reality to process us through in order to obtain a refined product for His purposes and that the processing is continually being adjusted on an as-needed basis, including in response to prayers. So are we living in a simulation? Heh, simulation is just another word for creation.

PS,
I love it when he gets around to describing how the presence of an observer alters the behavior of light. Not a newly discovered phenomenon but one which speaks to what we are.

Pretty interesting video.
Thanks for the link to it.

With all of the cell phones with cameras out there, people are capturing some pretty weird stuff going on.
Doing a search for "Glitches in the Matrix" brings up dozens of links with pictures and videos that make one go "Hmmm...".
The Matrix, referring to the movie where our existence isn't what we think or imagine it is.

Here are just a couple links that I found interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VnxxCpFNL4

https://www.gosocial.co/20-real-life-glitches-that-prove-we-live-in-the-matrix/

Pretty weird stuff.
Are all of these hoaxes? I do not think so.

The yogis of India, through deep meditation, have stated that we live in a dream world.
Actually, God's creation is His Dream and we, in that creation, have our own dream state of life.
A dream within a dream, so to speak.
How can God create such a beautiful creation out of nothing?....in a dream He can.

None of all of this (living in a simulation, glitches in the Matrix, or "living" in a dream world), takes God out of the equation.
There has to be a source for the root of what is going on.

Some here probably think "It's the devil's work!"
Perhaps.
But, we really do not KNOW, do we.
We have our faith and so we go on with our lives trusting our faith.


Scripture makes it clear that our creator set up this reality to process us through in order to obtain a refined product for His purposes and that the processing is continually being adjusted on an as-needed basis, including in response to prayers.

What scriptures are you referring to that states that?

[Good Cheer]

Scripture makes it clear that our creator set up this reality to process us through in order to obtain a refined product for His purposes and that the processing is continually being adjusted on an as-needed basis, including in response to prayers.

Hi Rizzo.
To answer your question I'm going to start off with basic precepts from scripture because there are bunches of verses involved. There are plenty of verses in scripture to research for the precepts.
So, that said, step by step I think you'll see how I came to my conclusion.
Prior to man being created there were some of God's children that rebelled.
God wiped the world(s) that was(were).
And then set this reality up for man to pass through the waters.
We get to make one trip through.
The dross gets tossed and the good product is kept.
That's the set up and process that I'm referring to.