What do I make of this?

[blakerussell]

A couple of years ago, when I was undergoing much trial and affliction (I'll spare the explicit details), something happened to me and I'm still not sure what to make of it.

I had somehow convinced myself that i had committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I went into a starbucks with a journal and bible in hand. I asked God a few things. I asked Him to show me that i was still one of His Children. I asked God to water my fleece. I told God I was going to be like Gideon.

About thirty minutes after this prayer, a young man came up to me and started
"prophesying" over me. He said several things which were true of me, and some of which were questionable.

But more than anything He said "God wants you to know you are His child and He loves you."
I had never met this person. I didn't say anything to Him whatsoever, He just came up to me and started all these things. The "experience" itself was extremely uplifting and edifying.

Immediately, during the middle of all this, the scripture came to mind, "test the spirits" and so I prayed silently on the spot "God, how can I know that all of this is from you."

Not five seconds after I prayed this prayer, the young man said, "God wants you to know you are a Gideon"

This was only thirty minutes after I had prayed "Lord, I'm going to be like Gideon, I'm going to ask you to water my fleece."

What do I make of this? What does it mean? I've had several experiences similar to this one, and I'm just not sure what they mean, especially with the claims of cessationism .

Can any of you shed light on this particular situation? I can share more if need me.

-Thanks, Blake.

 

[OPC'n]

I think you shouldn't depend on things like that. Your faith needs to be on the accomplished work of Christ Jesus and only on Him. Do you believe that He is God the Son who died on the cross for your sins and resurrected for your eventual resurrection? Faith in HIM is all you need!

 

[blakerussell]

I never said I depended on such a thing.
I was simply asking, what do I make of it.

Those words don't mean a hill of beans if I've not trusted in Christ. I recognize that.

 

[Christoffer]

Great question. I've had experiences like that, never knew what to make of them, but I felt greatly encouraged and edified by it.

It also freed me from condemnation, so I could live more by faith and be joyful. (temporarily of course, condemnation always seeps back in with time for me)

I guess as long as they don't lead to theological error you can take them for what they are, no need to try to invalidate the experience then. my two cents of course (does that statement violate the confessional position on cessationism?)

 

[OPC'n]

I never said I depended on such a thing.
I was simply asking, what do I make of it.

Those words don't mean a hill of beans if I've not trusted in Christ. I recognize that.

I guess what I was trying to say is that first you shouldn't be praying for extra outward signs that God has saved you. You state that if you haven't trusted Christ then those words don't mean a hill of beans and yet there you were putting out a fleece showing God and others that you really didn't believe until this "outward sign" was given to you. The fact that you were putting out a fleece instead of believing the word of God shows that you were putting your faith in an outward sign instead of Christ. A better thing to do next time is find out what it really means to commit the unforgiveable sin and go from there. I believe it sinful to tell God that you're putting out a fleece for Him to prove to you that your His child. That shows doubt that He has done what He actually said He has done which is a sin that we all are guilty of, but then you go on further in sin by asking for a sign He hasn't commanded you to ask for. He has commanded that you get your assurance from Scripture when you read of Christ and place your faith back on Him. We are constantly having to do this every day so you are not extraordinary. You need to get that encouragement from Scripture and also tell a trusted believer your struggles that he might also encourage you through the Scriptures.

 

[Michael Doyle]

When I was converted nearly ten years ago, I had a slew of supernatural events occur at or shortly after my conversion, including a physical healing and others. I have, from the very beginning been very careful as to put too much in to this and as a result my wife rebuked me for denying their origin. Nonetheless, I am convinced the Lord can do as He wills and am grateful for His power on display in the incarnation, resurrection and ascension. His works within me are mighty but I need never, at this point in my life and for eternity, any more than His revealed Word. The Christ of the scriptures is all sufficient.
What were those things? God knows but I can only trust in the finished work on the cross for my salvation and assurance. He is my all and all.
My advice to you Blake, for what it is worth, as I am no authority, is to glory only in Him from this day onward and magnify your Redeemer as He has revealed Himself to you in His written Word. Rejoice in He who has pulled you from the fire and made Himself known, all that is not given, by His Word, set aside graciously and give Him, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...the God of the scriptures, your worship.

None of this is in any way to insinuate that you don't do that already, I am just giving my two cents from what the Lord has done in me.

 

[CNJ]

Adding to Scripture is not the way to go. You said some of what he said was questionable--not the marks of a true prophet!

I had an acquaintance when I lived in California open the book of Acts and point to the word "Straight". This led her to believe that she should go to the Haight-Asbury hippie haven in San Francisco! Haight rhymes with Straight you know--right there telling her while she has her own private message at the end of her finger!

People take pride in their private interpretation, but no Scripture has private interpretations. 2 Peter 1:20,21

 

[JennyG]

God is very good, and nothing is outside his control- not even dodgy random guys who may themselves be misled!!
CNJ is quite right, but it does seem you were looking to him at the time and not wanting to seek leading outside of his word. Sometimes he just does temper the wind to the shorn lamb and send encouragement, whether small mercies, answers to prayer or even more out-of-the-way things such as this. So long as we don't get hooked on the things themselves, but continue focussed on the giver, as you are, I don't see much danger in simply thanking him and going on our way rejoicing!
At a very early stage of my walk with God, I was once driving, needing to get somewhere as fast as possible, when I caught up with two snail-paced heavy lorries on a narrow country road. The moment (literally) I asked God to let me be in time, both indicated and turned aside out of my path, - and I was.
I agonized over it a ridiculous amount at the time. "They would have anyway, it was just chance" ... "why would God grant such a trivial thing" and so on.
I think now that those thoughts were from Satan all right, but the lifting of anxiety by that (very) small miracle was straight from the Lord - together with the encouragement it gave. It has grown in my memory too, causing wonderment at the sheer, all-encompassing goodness (not to mention giving new meaning to the phrase "Thank Heaven for small mercies")
What happened to you was much more striking but that should only give cause to be proportionately happier about God's thought for you!

 

[Blue Tick]

Blake,

The "experience" was nothing more then a experience.

Be careful to ask God to show you things apart from His revealed word, i.e., show me a sign, let this happen, bring this to pass, confirm that you love me, etc. God has revealed and confirmed all of this by His Holy Word.

The problem with "experience" is the experience becomes the standard for truth instead of the Word of God and promises of God are the standard for Truth.

His Word is sufficient and unchangeable remember 2 Timothy 3:16

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Consider 2 Corinthians 11:1-14

I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

12 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

 

[ewenlin]

What should you make of it? My :

A devious work intended to distract you from the truth that nothing can be your sure encouragement other than the Holy Spirit's comfort through the preaching and reading of the Word of God, and that feelings, however badly or good they feel in encouragement or discouragement, are still just feelings and will wax, wane, increase, and fade just like the rising and lowering on the roller coaster; hence, they cannot be ultimately trusted as some kind of confirmation of right/wrong. No one can deny your experience, but experience doesn't establish or validate truth.

All that to say, simply, make nothing of said situation. Find your comfort, assurance, and steadfastness in the promise of Christ to save those to the uttermost who call upon Him and cling to His righteousness, while casting themselves wholly upon His mercy.

Two very valuable cents.

 

[carlgobelman]

A couple of years ago, when I was undergoing much trial and affliction (I'll spare the explicit details), something happened to me and I'm still not sure what to make of it.

I had somehow convinced myself that i had committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I went into a starbucks with a journal and bible in hand. I asked God a few things. I asked Him to show me that i was still one of His Children. I asked God to water my fleece. I told God I was going to be like Gideon.

About thirty minutes after this prayer, a young man came up to me and started
"prophesying" over me. He said several things which were true of me, and some of which were questionable.

But more than anything He said "God wants you to know you are His child and He loves you."
I had never met this person. I didn't say anything to Him whatsoever, He just came up to me and started all these things. The "experience" itself was extremely uplifting and edifying.

Immediately, during the middle of all this, the scripture came to mind, "test the spirits" and so I prayed silently on the spot "God, how can I know that all of this is from you."

Not five seconds after I prayed this prayer, the young man said, "God wants you to know you are a Gideon"

This was only thirty minutes after I had prayed "Lord, I'm going to be like Gideon, I'm going to ask you to water my fleece."

What do I make of this? What does it mean? I've had several experiences similar to this one, and I'm just not sure what they mean, especially with the claims of cessationism .

Can any of you shed light on this particular situation? I can share more if need me.

-Thanks, Blake.

Blake,

It's a very interesting story. You are correct that you ought to test the spirits.

All I know about your situation is this: Nobody coming up to you 'prophesying' over you can say whether or not your a child of God. John's gospel says this:

But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he [Jesus] gave the right to become children of God.

Do you believe Jesus? Do you receive Jesus? Then the Bible says you're a child of God. It doesn't matter how you feel or what others say, God's promise is all you need. The Holy Spirit creates this regeneration in people through the proclamation of God's word (cf. Romans 10:17).

 

[blakerussell]

Thanks for all the replies. I've always thought the mentioned event was interesting. There's plenty of good things to take from this thread.