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Open Forum => Testimonials => Topic started by: lightningninja on August 04, 2009, 05:38:40 PM
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Guys, I'd like to share how awesome God is. Please read, this isn't just another "God is good" thread. It's a real impact.
So I started nationals with a 4-0 record. I was like... "holy crap... I could actually place at nationals!" I was against Gabe... but I typically split games about 50% with him and I had beaten this deck previously. However... I just knew I was gonna lose. After the game (I lost 5-2), I was like "yeah, I lost... no surprise." Then my mom said "why were you so sure you should lose?"
Then it occurred to me. "Ye of little faith," "you have received not because you have asked not." I spoke that I would lose and so I lost. "Ask and you shall recieve." All these Bible verses just plagued me. Even this... I really just couldn't get my faith out there. I ended with a 6-2 record, good enough for top 5 not good enough to place. I didn't take it hard... but of course I was a little dissapointed.
The next day... I prayed. I KNEW I was going to win... not in an arrogant way... I could really feel God directing my playing. He made people draw souls, he made me attack with and draw the perfect heroes, he made everything fall perfectly in place. I ended up a nationals champion... not because I deserved to win because I'm the best... but because he let me win because I prayed to him. I can honestly say that if my faith had not strengthened, I would NOT have had ANY chance of winning multi. As many said, my deck was pretty aweful, lol. It shouldn't have won.
I prayed between rounds, I prayed before every rescue attempt, I prayed whenever it wouldn't stall the game. It helped.
Basically what I'm saying is... prayer really does have power. Not in the "my mom's god" kind of way, not in a "yeah, if god wants to" kind of way, but in a real, my god loves me and wants me to do well kind of way. He is a powerful God... having a person win a redemption tournament is not out of his reach. At all.
Guys... God is moving in Redemption in great ways. I can honestly say that my walk with God was strengthened because of that tournament. Seeing all these Christian people playing a Christian game and being virtuous, it was great. I could, for the first time in my life, feel God's prescence. Guys... pray. That's it.
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Awesome :)
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He made people draw souls, he made me attack with and draw the perfect heroes, he made everything fall perfectly in place.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randomness#Randomness_and_religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randomness#Randomness_and_religion)
3rd paragraph and end of the 4th
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Exactly. I prayed that I play the best I can... and that he changes the things that I have not control over. He did. I NEVER ONCE couldn't rescue a soul.
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very cool testimony LN
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that was a very nice testimony
glad to hear that god was showing you the effects of prayer ;D
keep praying
itzjeff0
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If God cares about lilies and sparrows, then why not about card games. Nothing is too big or too small for God to care about. Thanks for sharing your testimony, and I completely believe that this is possible. Way to give God glory for your win!
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Well, it really wasn't mine. :)
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God really does care about even the minor details of life. Sometimes God makes things (seemingly) go against us no matter how hard we pray, but it is always what is best for his people. Maybe if you lose, it is God humbling you. Maybe if you win, it is a test of whether you will glorify Him or yourself. I don't claim to know the mind of God, but it certainly seems likely to me that God granted your request because you asked with the right motives (see James 4:3). He knew that if he let you win, you would make a post for the whole internet to see regarding his love and care for his people. Not only that, he worked things together for your good in that your initial loss drove you right to him. So through this, it brought you closer to God, and allowed you to share with others. Just bear in mind, if you pray the same way at next year's nationals, and still lose, it is not necessarily that you did anything wrong, or because of lack of faith. Perhaps God wants to teach someone else the same lesson he just taught you.
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Amen! that's exactly how I feel. :prayer:
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Praise God!!!!!!!
He also granted me my desire at nationals. As I always tell others who come down with me, don't expect to win. Just go and have fun (that way they focus on the fellowship part and not the losing part). At nationals, I lost the first five games (two due to time out) but I still had a blast. Then, the next three games were the best three games ever (I used my strategy to it's fullest the first game, I went against Ken (who happened to have a deck that seemed it was built to go against me :P) and then the last game my two main fortresses got nuked and I had to work for my win). Even in boosters where I only had four heroes in my deck (I pulled six but two of them had no enhancements to play with) I still had a blast. God is gracious, even in the little things like this game.
It is always great to read praises to God. It's a blessing to here others who faith strengthened.
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Awesome Testimony!
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Sweetness! God is so good! It's a great feeling to have a person like you who prayed to do the best you could be champ. This is really encouraging!
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i dont agree with this philosophy. one reason it doesnt work is because what if both players of equal faith pray for things to 'fall into place'? moreso, god is not a vending machine. he wont make you win a card game just because you ask for it.
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i dont agree with this philosophy. one reason it doesnt work is because what if both players of equal faith pray for things to 'fall into place'? moreso, god is not a vending machine. he wont make you win a card game just because you ask for it.
Wrong. You don't pray for things to fall into place. You pray to do the best you can. If two people pray to do the best they can (and have utmost faith about it), the game will depend on who can do the best.
God is not a vending machine, but the Bible says if you ask anything according to God's will in Jesus' name, it will be done for you. How can you argue with Scripture?
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He made people draw souls, he made me attack with and draw the perfect heroes, he made everything fall perfectly in place.
'nuff said.
ask god for your opponent to draw lost souls, ask god to draw the perfect heroes...see how far that gets you.
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It won me nationals, that's how far it got me. Your point...?
And you necropost to insult my testimony? That's low.
"You have received not because you have asked not." "Ask and you shall receive." "If any two shall agree on any one thing upon this earth, it shall be granted to them." -- My mom was a part of this.
I'm really not sure where you're coming from.
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no, i responded to a necropost. get your facts straight.
'i prayed to god to make my opponent draw lost souls, and he did.'
'i prayed to god for me to draw the PERFECT heroes every game, and i did.'
'i prayed to god to win nationals, and i did.'
do you realize how selfish and ridiculous that sounds?
i didnt pray to god to win my nationals title...i wonder what that makes me?
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He made people draw souls, he made me attack with and draw the perfect heroes, he made everything fall perfectly in place.
'nuff said.
ask god for your opponent to draw lost souls, ask god to draw the perfect heroes...see how far that gets you.
But he didn't ask for this. He asked to do his absolute best, and his absolute best, obviously, was enough to beat everyone else. What about the Scripture I gave you? What is your counter to that?
BTW, I agree with lightningninja that it is a bit rude to argue with another's testimony. This probably should have been done in PM form.
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He made people draw souls, he made me attack with and draw the perfect heroes, he made everything fall perfectly in place.
'nuff said.
ask god for your opponent to draw lost souls, ask god to draw the perfect heroes...see how far that gets you.
But he didn't ask for this. He asked to do his absolute best, and his absolute best, obviously, was enough to beat everyone else.
if he only asked god to 'do his best', why is it plausible for him to say that god 'made' his opponents draw lost souls, he 'made' him attack with the right heroes, 'made' him draw the perfect heroes, 'made' everything fall perfectly into place? those are variables factored outside of one 'doing their personal best'. if god was doing all the things ln claims and playing for him, maybe ln should have been dq'd, since it wasnt him playing? its completely ridiculous. basically if we all pray to god with earnest faith and ask for trivial things, we will always get them?
there is nothing that needs to be taken to pm. i dont agree with the philosophy, i think using god as a vending machine is wrong, and i am as much entitled to my opinion here as the next man. man up and dont cry everytime someone doesnt agree with your perspective.
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I respect the testimony. Thank you for sharing.
However, I'm going to rant at the ridiculous idea that if I ask God for something with faith I'm going to get it. That's ridiculous. Do I sometimes get things I ask for? Yes. But definately not all the time. I've asked from things in Christ's name all the time that I haven't gotten. And it's probably because the prosperity gospel Ed seems to be talking about is bull. It is no where near true. The verse your paraphrasing has much more to do with asking things Christ would want than asking things then tacking Christ's name on the end.
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I respect the testimony. Thank you for sharing.
However, I'm going to rant at the ridiculous idea that if I ask God for something with faith I'm going to get it. That's ridiculous. Do I sometimes get things I ask for? Yes. But definately not all the time. I've asked from things in Christ's name all the time that I haven't gotten. And it's probably because the prosperity gospel Ed seems to be talking about is bull. It is no where near true. The verse your paraphrasing has much more to do with asking things Christ would want than asking things then tacking Christ's name on the end.
No, you are COMPLETELY misinformed.
It is NOT ridiculous. Calling it ridiculous indicates a severe lack of knowledge of that verse. Look it up in Mark 11:22-26. It clearly proves that what I say is not "ridiculous" in any way, shape, or form. Firstly, what on earth do you mean by "you didn't get it"? You didn't not get it (apologies for the double-negative), you simply judged that it had been too long and God didn't want you to have it. You have to have faith, and not think that just because it's been awhile you can't have it. Examples:
My pastor's wife believed for a diamond ring for 15 YEARS. And she got it.
I believed for a Wii for 1 or 2 years, and I know own a Wii.
One of the people at my church lost their ear-piece out in their backyard. He asked God where it was, and he was led by the Holy Ghost directly to it.
And there is a contradiction to what you say. How can you appreciate this testimony if you believe it was only luck that God allowed this to happen?
Apologies if this sounded rude, I tend to get a bit carried away in discussions like this one.
PS: Just in case, my username is actually meant to be read like eds notofthisworld, not ed snotofthisworld, though calling me Ed is perfectly reasonable. Just wanted to clear that up in case there was any confusion.
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wow. guess i'll be asking for that ferrari and million-gajillion dollars now.
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Yeah, go for it. I pray to God for luxeries, and I will continue to until someone shows a flaw in the philosophy that you ask and you shall receive and show me a SCRIPTURE for how I am wrong. Until then, I'll pray any time I want for whatever I want. That's called a RELATIONSHIP with God. He's my father, and I ask my dad for stuff too. Just God can grant more than my biological dad can. ;D
Also I'm not using God as a vending machine. I'm obeying the scriptures to ask for what I wanted. I wanted to win. So I prayed about it. Do I expect to win every time I pray? Absolutely not. Am I excited that God answered my prayers THIS time? Yeah.
Also, just to clear things up MKC, do you mean that you won nationals completely without God's help, and take full credit? I think we should always give glory to God for our wins.
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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
operative phrase: ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
if you owning a wii is not according to his purpose, YOU WILL NOT GET A WII.
if you winning a nationals is not according to his purpose, YOU WILL NOT WIN NATIONALS.
if you asking for luxuries is not according to his purpose, YOU WILL NOT GET LUXURIES.
get real. stop twisting scripture to meet your own materialistic and selfish desires. its downright abhorrent.
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I think you misunderstood that scripture. Those who are called get what they ask for, NOT anything that is according to God's purpose will be granted. I am one of God's children, aka called according to his purpose. So I am allowed to pray to God and expect results. Not because I'm using Him, but because he tells me to ask.
Also, it was obviously God's purpose for me to win nationals, so I don't really get your argument. Is there anything wrong for praying to God, hoping that what you want is for his purpose?
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you're not praying for gods will. you're praying for YOUR will.
'god, will you please make my opponent draw lost souls?'
'god, can you please make me win this rescue attempt?'
'god, can you please make me draw perfect heroes?'
'god, can i please have a ferrari?'
where in ANYWHERE of this does this indicate gods will be done? seriously, you need to get back to reality. god has said no MANY times to his children in the bible. just because you ask for things does NOT mean you will always get them. read this (http://www.soppministries.org/index13.htm). hope it helps.
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First and foremost, I do appreciate LN's testimony. I agree that God can and does care about the little things in our lives. I know that there are extremes on both sides of the fence in regards to the prosperity teaching. Some say, "It is yours for the taking, just name it and claim it", I feel that this is wrong. Some say, "We are sinful wretches and deserve nothing, material things remove us from God's presence so we should just live in hovels and eat bread and drink water and we will be holy", this is very wrong.
I think we should dwell somewhere in the middle. If we ask and do not recieve, could it be that we ask amiss? If LN asked for God to help him win the games or if he asked for God to help his self esteem, and God just used the card game to those ends, it doesn't matter. God helped him. It was probably not to allow LN bragging rights or to take someone who was undeserving down. It may have simply been to build him up and give him the confidence needed to do something greater down the road. God cannot use a believer who has no confidence at all, and I am living proof that God will use little victories to build up your confidence for something greater.
Is God a "vending machine"? NO. Do we "have not because we ask not"? YES. I hear people complaining all the time that we don't have power like the deciples had. Jesus told them that they didn't have power because of thier lack of faith. If we don't think God will help us in the little things we ask for, how can we trust that he has truly saved us? Yet, we have a dangerous road that we walk, because we ask for something from God, that doesn't mean it is good for us to have. So we mus trust in His infinite wisdom and look to him for our needs first.
LN, you put this in your testimony, "not in a "my mom's God" way", I like that. I have been teaching about the patriarchs for years now and one thing I have noticed is that they all had two specific periods in thier lives. One time when they prayed and said "the God of my father" then after significant experience, "My God", was at the front of thier prayers. We all need that "My God" experience. I am glad that you have made that statement.
Blessings Brother,
Kevin
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I believe God will do whatever ultimately benefits the overall faithfulness of humankind in the way of answering prayers. If you think about it, it really doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. In this case, the fulfilling of LN's prayer was probably an act meant to increase his faith (as well as the faith of those who hear his testimony). My first impression when I read this was similar to MKC's (although I'm never fond of MCK's presentation), in that I don't believe God will answer every prayer you throw at him in faith, and I hope no one gets that impression.
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I believe God will do whatever ultimately benefits the overall faithfulness of humankind in the way of answering prayers. If you think about it, it really doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. In this case, the fulfilling of LN's prayer was probably an act meant to increase his faith (as well as the faith of those who hear his testimony). My first impression when I read this was similar to MKC's (although I'm never fond of MCK's presentation), in that I don't believe God will answer every prayer you throw at him in faith, and I hope no one gets that impression.
I hope I didn't make that impression, it definitely wasn't my intention.
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In answer to MKC,
Get real? That's what I'm doing! What does the scripture say? God gives us richly all things for our enjoyment. I think you need to look at the scriptures and find scriptural proof that what LN and I say is wrong. You won't find any.
True, there are some things you may ask for that God does not want you to have, first of all because it may be ungodly (such things as help with wizardry and witchcraft, help in killing someone for an unjust purpose, or even just a toy or video game or movie that is outright ungodly and devilish), second of all because it may be a distraction to your relationship with God, and finally because it may prevent something great happening that will not happen if you have it. But the Bible says if you ask for anything according to God's will, it will be done for you. Jesus Christ, the master, the Lord of all believers, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, said it. If you didn't look up the scripture I mentioned, you'd better do it.
If the Scripture says we're supposed to be poor, have nothing, and be in lack, then let's do it. But it doesn't say that. If I asked you to name me one Scripture that says that, you wouldn't have any answer. God isn't just our God, our Master, He's our loving Father who cares for His kids. The Bible says He delights in the prosperity of His servant. That's you and me. Jesus says multiple times in the Gospel accounts that you can have what you ask for as long as it is according to His will and in Jesus' Holy name.
To put it simply, if it's not in the Bible, it's not true. Simple as that. Everything in the Bible is completely accurate and true, and thus trumps all science, laws, physics, or anything else. So far you have not given me one scripture to back up your case, and therefore I have good reason to believe what you say is wrong.
Finally, what are you running from? You're being robbed of great joy and contentment that I have personally experienced, and so have many many others! Why would you run away from this without examining it?
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In answer to MKC,
Get real? That's what I'm doing! What does the scripture say? God gives us richly all things for our enjoyment. I think you need to look at the scriptures and find scriptural proof that what LN and I say is wrong. You won't find any.
True, there are some things you may ask for that God does not want you to have, first of all because it may be ungodly (such things as help with wizardry and witchcraft, help in killing someone for an unjust purpose, or even just a toy or video game or movie that is outright ungodly and devilish), second of all because it may be a distraction to your relationship with God, and finally because it may prevent something great happening that will not happen if you have it. But the Bible says if you ask for anything according to God's will, it will be done for you. Jesus Christ, the master, the Lord of all believers, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, said it. If you didn't look up the scripture I mentioned, you'd better do it.
If the Scripture says we're supposed to be poor, have nothing, and be in lack, then let's do it. But it doesn't say that. If I asked you to name me one Scripture that says that, you wouldn't have any answer. God isn't just our God, our Master, He's our loving Father who cares for His kids. The Bible says He delights in the prosperity of His servant. That's you and me. Jesus says multiple times in the Gospel accounts that you can have what you ask for as long as it is according to His will and in Jesus' Holy name.
To put it simply, if it's not in the Bible, it's not true. Simple as that. Everything in the Bible is completely accurate and true, and thus trumps all science, laws, physics, or anything else. So far you have not given me one scripture to back up your case, and therefore I have good reason to believe what you say is wrong.
Finally, what are you running from? You're being robbed of great joy and contentment that I have personally experienced, and so have many many others! Why would you run away from this without examining it?
apparantly you've glossed over everything basically everyone has said. god will provide according to his will, not yours. you say ask for a wii and you will get it. that is not always the case. if he doesnt want you to have a wii, then you will not have it. you make it seem that one must merely ask for it and they will receive it, and you couldnt be further from the truth. this is not saying anyone is to live 'poor', 'have nothing', or 'be in 'lack', because that is not always the case for everyone. but if it is gods will, then it will be so. god allowed the people of israel to go hungry to teach a lesson and prove a point. jesus said no to healing lazarus to later reveal his true plan. nothing you've said previous suggested you asked according to gods will (which you just recently changed to be the case in your latest post), and that was what i pointed out to be wrong. it is materialistic and selfish to ask god to fulfill your own worldly desires. read my scripture again, as well as the article i have linked to, and maybe you'll truly see the position i stand on this.
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mkc you pulled something called a cheapshot btw on responce to the stupid link you don't pray to rengernate the leg you pray to allow them to survive.
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It sure would be nice if we still had moderators. Flame wars in a Testimonial thread? Wow.
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If you ask me, this is the wrong time and place to do this. But for now I will make my arguement clear.
Uh, you just agreed with me. God will provide according to His will (God should be capitalized, mind you). But it isn't selfish to ask for your "worldly" desires. Do you ask your dad for "worldly" things? Of course you do: video games, movies, etc. So, since God is your Father, you can ask Him for that, too.
"I find this statement to be completely blinded and narrow-minded"...Excuse me?!?!? WHAT did you just say? How on earth can that statement be narrow minded? If it is, then you can't guarantee that Jesus died and rose again, which is simply not the case. Thus you can't believe what you just said and know the Bible is true, because if something in the Bible is not true, how do you know any of it is true?
Another thing to add is this: The goodness of God leads men to repentance. Having these great things can be a witness to unbelievers that there truly is a God and that He truly loves His kids. That is not to say they should get saved to get rich and get a bunch of stuff, but they see that God really cares about His kids. Here is a Scripture that completely prove my point, "Whatsoever things you ask for in prayer, believe that you receive them and you shall have them". I don't think that's even a paraphrase. Mark 11:24 KJV. How can you argue with that? You can't. Here's another list of Scriptures:
1 Timothy 6:17
Matthew 7:7-8
Proverbs 10:6
Proverbs 10:22
Proverbs 11:10-11
Proverbs 11:25
And there are many more. What scripture do you have to back up your case?
Again, this is not the proper place to do this: maybe we could open a new thread? And I do not want to appear (once again) rude or spiteful. I enjoy a good debate every now and then, and I also want to show you the truth, not just to prove that I might be right, but to give you new light on what the scriptures say. Please tell me if I'm getting carried away with myself, once again. I don't want to get such a great testimonial thread locked. :-[
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first you said that if you ask in earnest faith, you will ALWAYS receive (prime example: your wii). then you change your argument to match mine (you will receive according to gods will, not your own). no argument here, because you basically changed your argument to mine and proved my point.
as for your scriptural references (which you consistently harp on, upon which i never had a problem with), you take them completely out of context. 'ask and you will receive', yes. what if i ask god for something, yet he says no? that proves this statement false at face value. what matters is the context in which it is used. it doesnt mean you can ask for anything your heart desires and god will always give it to you. god has said no to many of his children. what it means is you will receive according to gods will. that is the point i am trying to make here.
and yes, you are quite narrow-minded. 'if its not in the bible, its not true'. seriously? listen to yourself, consider what you say. 2+2=4 isnt in the bible, yet it is obviously true. there are many things not in the bible that are obviously true.
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You know what I meant by "if it's in the Bible it's not true". You know for a fact I didn't mean 2+2 doesn't equal 4 just because it's not in the Bible. I meant that as far as religious beliefs go. The Law of Gravity isn't in the Bible, does that make it not true? Of course not. Again, I mean that as far as religion goes.
Earlier in the argument I did misspeak, saying that whatever you ask God for you receive. That was my mistake. But my belief was still the same, that you have to ask God according to His will and in Jesus' name. My point is simply that it is not wrong to ask God for something, and it is not a "you just never know" situation. If it is a godly thing that you keep in its proper place in your life, then you can have it. A Wii is not ungodly, and I keep it in it's proper place (a.k.a. not putting it before God), therefore I can have it. If God says no to a prayer, it's because the thing is ungodly, a distraction, or because it is going to hinder something from happening that God wants to happen.
And you still haven't given me a scripture to support yourself this whole time. Until you give a Scripture, I do not have any reason to believe what you say about prosperity is true. So please, in your next post, give me a scripture and I'll delve into it until I find an answer.
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And you still haven't given me a scripture to support yourself this whole time. Until you give a Scripture, I do not have any reason to believe what you say about prosperity is true. So please, in your next post, give me a scripture and I'll delve into it until I find an answer.
ok, thats like me saying until you not provide a scripture, i have no reason to believe what you say. c'mon. enough with the circular logic.
first, ask yourself what im really 'saying about prosperity'. whats my stance? is it different from your position? if so, then ask yourself if i have provided a scripture reference to support my position (if you actually look at previous posts, you will find one).
i do still disagree with your perspective that if you ask for something not 'ungodly', then you will always get it. it seems you consistently change your position on this. first you claimed that if you ask for it, you will always receive. then you changed it to if you ask according to gods will, then you will receive. now, you've changed it yet again to as long as its not 'ungodly', then you can have it. i just cant take you seriously if your arguments change on a whim.
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enough with the circular logic.
I have quietly sat by for the last day or so and watched this debate rage. I feel that I must respond to this. If we say "enough with circular logic" then everything is up for reevaluation.
E.G.
2+2=4 so therefore 4-2=2 is circular logic (cyclical reasoning is my preferred term though)
If the bible is true then everything in it must be true. This is cyclical reasoning.
If history proves the scriptures, then scripture proves history. same thing
In regard to MKC not using scripture as a reference. First, he is stating his opinion and has been very open about that. It is my opinion that the gifts that the Wise men brought to Jesus at his birth was the treasure from Daniel's wealth. I can't prove it scripturaly (without a doubt) so I don't feel I need to offer scripture in support of my opinion. I will also point out that he has presented at least 2 links to teachings, that did have scripture references all throughout. I don't think he would have presented the link if the scriptures presented in the teachings did not support his view.
This thread started out as a guy praising his God for using a small thing like Redemption to help boost his self esteem, it has turned into a poop throwing match and I am not very happy with where it is going. I would like to say at this point that, prayer is a crucial point in all believer's lives. It is not solely used to beg for things. If it is then you should really review your prayer life. Jesus prayed all through the Gospels. I think we should focus on the outline he gave us in the Lord's Prayer.
Praise God- (Our Father in Heaven, You are Holy)
Desire to do His will- (May your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven)
Ask for our NEEDS - (give us this day our daily bread)
Ask for forgiveness - (forgive us our sins)
Offer forgiveness - (as we forgive those who sinned against us)
Ask for Guidance - (lead us away from temptation, and deliver us from evil)
Praise Him some more - (for Yours is the Kingdom and the Power, and the Glory forever)
Conclude - (Amen) {which means "may it be so"}
Not saying that this is the only prayer pattern. Honestly though we should have respect enough for our Father to spend more time praising Him than asking for stuff.
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I try not to ask for things from God because His plan is always better than I could have thought to ask for:
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
I was reminded of the old saying:
I prayed for a Cadillac, and God gave me my choice.
But God had in mind, for me, a Rolls Royce.
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yeah i'v sat on my rear watchin you guys go to each ohoters thoats and i'm SICK OF IT just agree to disagree O.K?
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yeah i'v sat on my rear watchin you guys go to each ohoters thoats and i'm SICK OF IT just agree to disagree O.K?
understood. i apologize if i've come off brash or bull-headed. i just feel very strongly about people trying to use god like a vending machine.
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thank you so thank you again.
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yeah i'v sat on my rear watchin you guys go to each ohoters thoats and i'm SICK OF IT just agree to disagree O.K?
understood. i apologize if i've come off brash or bull-headed. i just feel very strongly about people trying to use god like a vending machine.
MKC, I am proud of you man. You may have been a little harsh, but no more than any other person who got a little emotional. Yet you offer apologies. Good Show Old Man (he said with a bad Brittish accent).
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I agree to disagree.
I also apologize for being rude here. In debates I tend to be very strong-willed, especially if it's about scripture. This whole thing is ridiculous, and is taking away from what LN was trying to say, and that's my fault.
Truce? (waves white flag) ;)
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yeah i'v sat on my rear watchin you guys go to each ohoters thoats and i'm SICK OF IT just agree to disagree O.K?
understood. i apologize if i've come off brash or bull-headed. i just feel very strongly about people trying to use god like a vending machine.
Apology accepted? Maybe if you didn't end with another jab at my testimony. I wasn't using God as a vending machine. That's just your argument again, not an apology. And feeling strongly and being downright rude are completely different. You don't end an apology with a justification of what you did wrong. :P
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i dont feel i did anything wrong in regards to what i believe in. in my last statement, did i say you were using god as a vending machine? no, i believe it was a rather general statement. if you do not treat god this way, then you have nothing to worry about, nor argue incessantly about, now do you?
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I took MKC's statement as a generalization, rather than an accusation. I agree that his apology seemed sincere and rather studly. No wonder his girlfriend bought him a plasma TV. ;)
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I thought that was because he asked God for one?
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I thought that was because he asked God for one?
Zing.
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Pol, that was below the belt. Funny. But below the belt.
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???I think MCK's statement was directed toward me. If not, there was no point in saying it. It'd be like him apologizing and saying "I feel strongly about people who lie". It'd be completely irrelevant. I don't quite see how it could be a generalization.
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it was a generalization. just stating how i feel about people that do that. not pointing fingers at anybody.
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not because I deserved to win because I'm the best... but because he let me win because I prayed to him. I can honestly say that if my faith had not strengthened, I would NOT have had ANY chance of winning multi... I prayed between rounds, I prayed before every rescue attempt, I prayed whenever it wouldn't stall the game. It helped.
Basically what I'm saying is... prayer really does have power. Not in the "my mom's god" kind of way, not in a "yeah, if god wants to" kind of way, but in a real, my god loves me and wants me to do well kind of way. He is a powerful God... having a person win a redemption tournament is not out of his reach. At all.
Guys... God is moving in Redemption in great ways. I can honestly say that my walk with God was strengthened because of that tournament. Seeing all these Christian people playing a Christian game and being virtuous, it was great. I could, for the first time in my life, feel God's prescence. Guys... pray. That's it.
Just wanted to say that, in LN case, God didn't let him win so LN can feel good about himself. Read his testimony again. It is littered with praising God and giving Him the glory. God does things like that in our lives so we can turn around and give God the glory instead of ourselves. Also, LN's faith got stronger due to winning Natz. God's will is always for you to praise Him and grow in Him. If God knew that LN would take all the glory of winning Natz, then LN would have probably lost.
Keep your faith strong LN. May you always seek His presence in everything that you do.
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I try not to ask for things from God because His plan is always better than I could have thought to ask for:
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
I was reminded of the old saying:
I prayed for a Cadillac, and God gave me my choice.
But God had in mind, for me, a Rolls Royce.
YMT,
I don't know you (hope to someday as it seems that you give sound advice) but I caution you in avoiding prayer just because his "will" will be done regardless of if we pray or not. We have power to move the hand of God. This is evidenced by Moses asking God to relent in his desire to wipe out the Israelites again. We too have this power, and God does listen to that. So, just be cautious that you not pray because you feel that you have no say. You do!
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it was a generalization. just stating how i feel about people that do that. not pointing fingers at anybody.
Alright.
All this discussion should be done in the spirit of Christian friendship. I sort of...went outside that. No hard feelings, MKC?
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I try not to ask for things from God because His plan is always better than I could have thought to ask for:
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
I was reminded of the old saying:
I prayed for a Cadillac, and God gave me my choice.
But God had in mind, for me, a Rolls Royce.
YMT,
I don't know you (hope to someday as it seems that you give sound advice) but I caution you in avoiding prayer just because his "will" will be done regardless of if we pray or not. We have power to move the hand of God. This is evidenced by Moses asking God to relent in his desire to wipe out the Israelites again. We too have this power, and God does listen to that. So, just be cautious that you not pray because you feel that you have no say. You do!
I think YMT was simply cautioning against trying to bend God's will to our wants. I can pray for a car over and over, but that doesn't change the fact that God may not want me to have a new car. Or, instead of praying to God to help X political candidate win, we should ask for His will to prevail, whether what we want is right or wrong.
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we should ask for His will to prevail, whether what we want is right or wrong.
100% agree. +1 :amen:
I think HE should be our focus. Spot on Cameron. Spot on.
P.S. Interesting that this subject comes up recently. My pastor just preached on this exact thing this past Sunday. Praise God for working in awesome ways. Also, LN I'm proud of you for giving the glory to God for all that happened. True example.
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The way I always look at it is this: God didn't make LN win. Don't praise him for that. Did God bless him for giving Him the Glory and asking to do his best? Yes. Did God magic up some good draws? No. Did God assist him with the presence of mind to make the best of the draws he got? Probably. Did God give LN a decklist that would be perfect against all the people he would face in the tournament? No. Did LN have a well-constructed deck? Yes. Did God assist him with the presence of mind to make the best of his deck? Probably.
What's the upshot of this? That LN's hard work and ingenuity established the groundwork for him winning that tournament. The furthest God was involved was in honoring him by being with him as he played. Does this mean God was not with the other players? No. Does this mean LN gave more honor to God than anyone else? No. Does this mean that LN deserved to win the tournament because of his deck and playing ability? Yes. Could God have taken his win away if he didn't honor Him? Yes.
To make a long story short, God didn't make him win. But he didn't make him lose, either. From my perspective, all the Glory goes to God, not for winning the tournament for his favorite follower, but for creating LN with the mind and gifts to build a deck and make the plays that would win him the tournament.
To make a short story truly short, Glory to God, God doesn't play favorites, good job LN.