My God Is Real
It was a Pentecostal worship standard.
“There are some things I may not know
They are some places that I can’t go
But I am sure of this one thing
My God is real for I can feel him in my soul!”
(Cue the boogie woogie piano)
It was the joyous boogie woogie piano that got Jerry Lee Lewis kicked out of bible college.
“The Killer” had imbibed too deeply in the joy of the Lord.
It was the theology that makes the old standard unsingable in doctrinally “sound” churches.
Evidently the joy of the Lord should never create the urge to dance, nor should that joy ever be felt…only thought about.
A Mona Lisa smile is permissible, but still suspect.
You know what they say…never trust an experience.
We have the Bible now…no need for anything else.
This doctrine must have badly confused those who saw a sea part, a Messiah transfigured, or an empty tomb.
I say all that to tell you this.
I received a phone call from Germany this morning, where a boy is receiving treatment for Lyme disease.
He has been healed of that scourge there, but more healing, a different kind of healing… was also needed.
So, God came and visited the boy.
He didn’t come just in the form of a doctor, family, or friends, though He has done that as well.
He came in person….or more accurately, personally.
There was no book involved, nor any readings.
Those will come later…
The details are sacred and not for sharing…but the reality of what happened is undeniable.
Despite this, denials will come.
There will be attempts by both the carnal and the faithful to question the experience and reduce the pure joy felt to a sliver of a smile.
Some will deny it completely.
We simply cannot have a God that jumps out of the book and shows up unbidden to bless us.
But we do…
My instructions to the boy were to tell no one… as some would feel it their Christian duty to deny that he had a life changing, faith making, experience with God that God Himself initiated without the aid of the English Standard Version, bread, wine, water, or clergy.
I’ll play him that song when he gets home.
“My God is real for I can feel him in my soul!”
Maybe we’ll have company that day too…
Make your own application…
Hallelujah!
<3
Wonderful!
well, i’m jumping for joy right now 🙂
been there done that and i must say that he is a target, so pray, pray, pray – pray against all the wiles of the devil, the chief of which are the naysayers IMHO
what’s that verse about good news from a far country – God gifts us with such precious gifts and so many of them are so personal that they just can’t be shared – thank you, Michael for sharing your gift with the PhxP today
Sometimes…you just have to testify. 🙂
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! Amen.
THIS is glorious news… a real testimony of what is really important in life –or death–
Jesus Is Real.
Praise God.
So happy for you and Trey.
I debated hard whether to write this up…but someone out there needed to hear it.
He’s real.
He really cares.
That’s all I’ve got.
The dude’s story will fly in my coop.
We won’t parse the story to death or until it passes the word tests.
We will just dance.
But
Your advice is probably sound
Very Good News Indeed!
God is real, and sometimes we are a bit uncomfortable of having someone else tell us that – when we know it to be true, and wish that He would manifest His presence to us more often or in a “bigger” way.
When I used to teach a Bible study, and God had spoken to me in a powerful way during the prep work on one point, I didn’t understand why others didn’t get blown away as I did on that point. That’s when I learned that that point….was just for me….
Papias,
That’s what I told T…this was for him to remember, not for others to judge.
Take the gift and run as fast and quietly as you can away from skeptics.
AMEN!
I have had enough similar experiences in my own life to have learned to take them at face value, not questioning their validity. There is little analysis that is helpful aside from whatever was imparted at that moment.
The joy of the Lord is our strength.
“There is little analysis that is helpful aside from whatever was imparted at that moment.”
Exactly.
Great news!
And for the kill joys:
“As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.” [There’s more and it gets better.]
Well, I couldn’t love this more!
May you all be visited with this joy.
I’m going back to my cave now. 🙂
“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
Beautiful…
I am not a kill joy and I would not deny another person’s experience.
But God is real not because of our experience, but because HIS Word says he is real.
But I give 2 thumbs up. I would say Hallelujah as did Xenia – but Lutherans are not allow to say the word during Lent 😉
God is not real because His Word says he is real.
His Word exists because he is real.
In this chicken egg scenario there is no ambiguity.
I AM is the basis of it all.
The Word of God only exists because the Living Word revealed it.
Revelation is the basis of faith not the record of the revelation.
Well, my point is that God’s existence does not depend on my experience. God has revealed his “realness” to us in his Word.
“Revelation is the basis of faith not the record of the revelation.”
Yes, true.
“But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
“Well, my point is that God’s existence does not depend on my experience. God has revealed his “realness” to us in his Word”
It doesn’t do us any good, until it his “realness” is applied to us individually.
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Well, since God was real before I was, I will just rest it there.
God’s realness chose me before the foundations of the earth – now I am old, but not that old. 🙂
Praise You, Lord, for revealing Yourself to Trey, both in healing and in person. May You continue to do great and mighty wonders in his life.
I am not a big journal type guy, however, you may consider telling Trey to write his experience down, so when the big questions come later on in his faith or he is doubting, he can re-read this and get back on track.
That is so good to hear about!
SJ’s words are wise ones … especially in these times
maybe Trey should get a tattoo (that’s a joke BTW)
@21 agreed
“I am not a kill joy” – MLD
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
MLD’s #19 is comfort for us that have never seen nor heard God outside of His Word. It’s not a kill joy at all.
IT may not be, but MLD certainly is.
Josh, you can try to kiss up to me, but it won’t work 😉
🙂
Awesome news, thanks for sharing.
Sorry to derail to pick at MLD.
This is great news. I’m praying the same for my son.
Michael, I am glad to here this news. Even though I am a big skeptic, I have no problem believing such things. My Christian walk began 45 years ago immediately after I was visited by a demon in the middle of the night. In my adult life I have had many experiences. I have seen the risen Christ. I have heard the audible voice of God. My personal experiences are as real to me as they were to the many men who wrote the Scriptures that we read. There is a good kind of skepticism and a bad kind. The good kind will look at the syncretism between Christian theology and “Modern Philosophy.” The denominations from the time of the Baptists bought a doctrine demons teach hook, line and sinker. I am very skeptical about that kind of theology for a good reason.
“My instructions to the boy were to tell no one… as some would feel it their Christian duty to deny that he had a life changing, faith making, experience with God that God Himself initiated without the aid of the English Standard Version, bread, wine, water, or clergy.”
I would note two things:
(1) In two places, Luke tells us that Mary “treasured” up God’s Word that had been revealed to her.
(2) James refers to the “implanted word” of God.
I think one can and should say that Christ came to the boy by his Word. He didn’t have a revelation of Jesus Christ apart from ever having heard the Word before, right? However, something “clicked” within his spirit at this particular time, apart from hearing or reading the Word contemporaneously. However, that doesn’t mean that the Word wasn’t there, inside him, the Spirit interceding for him.
“Baptists bought a doctrine demons teach hook, line and sinker.”
I don’t understand Mr. Jesperson. Which doctrine is that?
Josh, I noticed how you edited my comment to make it appear like I said something different than I really did. The Doctrine is Cessasationism, which I would call just a small part of a bigger mindset from Modern Philosophy which denies the supernatural in general. Of course, if you deny the supernatural, you have to deny Jesus and the Father. The doctrine neuters God in a way that is most likely very insulting to the Holy Spirit. But do not take my word for it. Study the history of “Modern Philosophy” yourself. Note the time frame when it was new, and how it overlaps with denominations that have preached Cessasationism since they were first formed. These are the same folks that would give Michael a hard time over Jesus visiting his kid in a hospital.
OK. Still don’t understand what you are getting at with modern philosophy and cessationism, but that’s OK. I’m not a cessationist and all Baptists believe in the supernatural.
All good. Just wanting to see if you had an actual point about my folks taking the doctrine of demons hook, line, and sinker. Nothing to see here. Hate away.
“Modern philosophy” = common sense
John 20:29
Will Rogers was quoted saying “Common sense isn’t so common anymore.” 🙂
Do you get what he is saying Joel? I honestly do not. I know it is something negative about the Baptists, but beyond that…?!?!
Do you think he means that modern philosophy is good or bad?
Sorry Josh, I do not get what you are saying. I talked about the mixture between the Church and “Modern Philosophy” which is no longer very modern. That makes me a hater? I did not even throw a bomb at the Baptists. Study church history if you do not understand but actually want to. I am making a personal observation from my own study. I am not hating anyone.
I think its bad according to Mr. Jesperson. I confess I have a problem with Pentecostal beliefs.
I think if anyone of us has any faith in Christ at all it’s the Spirit’s working in us, whether we’re “cessationist” or not.
I still don’t understand your point. Are you saying modern philosophy is bad?
“The denominations from the time of the Baptists bought a doctrine demons teach hook, line and sinker. ”
How can that be taken as any way but negative?
Then, you clarified that the doctrine was cessationism and that people (like these baptists) would shoot down Michael’s story…but that was odd, because it was one post after I said I pray my son has the same kind of experience.
It’s not that I’m angry, I just have no clue what you are talking about. (And I’ve studied church history a good bit. Have Bachelors and Masters in Biblical studies, working on a Mdiv) None of my studies from church history talk about Baptists, cessationism, and modern philosophy. I’m just lost on this.
I don’t speak in tongues and think 90% of all that is just goofy acting out. But that is not cessationism. That’s discernment.
I believe God moved in the situation Michael described above, and that God is still alive and moving in his people.
I take Michael’s word for it and hope that your son has the same kind of experience with you Josh. God’s peace to you and him.
Praise God!
Josh, I think you are doing a good job of illustrating why Micheal likely did not want to bring the subject up. And I agree that 80 -100% of what goes on is most pentecostal churches is fake. I been there, I know. But the Gifts belong to the Holy Spirit. According to the scriptures these gifts are given to others while they are alive. There His gifts. This doctrine comes from demons because they insult the Holy Spirit. The doctrine neuters Him. The doctrine also makes out everyone who uses these gifts, like myself to be a liar. You must take your own rose color glasses off and look at this from someone else’s perspective. Modern Philosophy polluted the Church’s teaching long ago, just as Post-Modern Philosophy is doing today. That is my only point. Not interested in a long debate.
Well, I’ve already said I’m not a cessationist, so I don’t know what else you are talking about. I’m the reason that Michael didn’t want to bring it up? I have said that I love it, it’s great, and I’d pray the same for my own son.
You posted a confusing shot at baptists and I asked for clarity. You haven’t offered any, but that’s OK. We can drop it.
Josh I’m the reason Michael didn’t want to bring it up. I’d give anything to see the risen Christ. I’ve prayed for signs and sightings or words that never came. So when I hear these things I do have trouble believing them. I will have to settle on the Sacraments until I see him after I die.
I want to believe these things happen. I really do. Help me with my unbelief.
“But God is real not because of our experience, but because HIS Word says he is real.” the elaboration here has probably gone on long enough…. and the above is true
but i must say that, although a supernatural One on one from God is far from the norm of our pilgrim journey – pray that all our children would be so blessed – what a lovely blessing to have God “Personally” reach down where you are…
JoelG, rest assured – and i mean this – if God concluded that a supernatural event affirming His reality was really necessary, it would happen … yet, sometimes, I think He just does these things because He’s God and He can 🙂 forgive me, Lord
Boy, did this go south.
I debated posting this for a number of reasons, none of which have anything to do with Josh.
Josh probably respects and cares about me enough that even if he thought this was pure nonsense he would say little, because it involves family.
What he did was share in my joy.
My own tribe are historically cessationists, as was the vast majority of the church until 1900.
You find cessationist arguments going back to the early church…and they have nothing to do with philosophy and everything to do with scarcity of them being used biblically.
I believe that these events should mostly be private, especially when they involve someone else.
Sometimes, they discourage as many people as they encourage.
Finally, they raise theological arguments that I’m simply not up to undertaking and truly could care less about in the face of what happened.
I do not believe that this sort of experience is normative in any way…I’ve believed for years that something similar was exactly what T needed.
God had mercy…
JoelG, Trust me, I understand. I sincerely sought these experiences for about ten years. It was exhausting. It never happened, and I always felt like less of a Christian because it hadn’t happened for me. Depending on which charismatic group you are hanging with, some will say if you don’t speak in tongues, you aren’t saved. One day the Lord spoke to me in some inaudible way and told me that I was accepted. I stopped chasing, and turned baptist.
Still, I’d say in my 22 years as a Christian, I’ve had 4 or 5 completely unexplainable, totally supernatural experiences. I can’t discount those experiences. To some degree they have sustained me for 22 years. But I also can’t tell anyone else to expect these things, because I have no clue when or if they will ever occur in my life again. I also have no clue why they occurred. Trust me, if I could bottle the Holy Spirit, I would.
So, when a kid like we read about above shares his story I can easily believe him. He has nothing to gain. Not like he’s going on TBN to sell prayer hankies. Something happened that affected him in a positive way, and he wanted to share it. The problem would come in if Michael wrote a book “5 Ways To Have this Kind Of Experience” or something like that.
As for your life – I think the word and sacraments are a great way to live the Christian life. You may yet have some sort of supernatural experience. Who knows? I certainly can’t predict when the Lord is going move in some new way. There isn’t any formula to force his hand. So you just keep being faithful. You are doing fine. You are accepted.
Thank you Em and Josh. Michael I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to turn this into a selfish pity party. Just trying to work these things out. I rejoice with all here about this. Forgive me. ?
Michael, I don’t think it has gone too bad. I shouldn’t have questioned Jesperson, I honestly just did not understand. I should have been more sensitive.
Let me give just a little insight into my family to explain some of my comments. My daughter is about to be 13. From the time she could talk, she has spoken about the Lord to all her friends and family members. Often to their annoyance, but its just the spirit she has. At 13, she is one of our most committed servant at church. Loves it. Wants to be there all the time. Plays keyboards for me leading worship. After I teach youth, she’ll often ask if she can teach the kids. I let her, and she gets so excited.
My son is 8. GREAT kid. Well-mannered, sweet boy. The things of the Lord are a burden for him. I pray that he will one day know and serve the Lord, but he has not had that natural inclination like daughter. Not at all. I share with him as much as possible without pushing him too hard, but it just doesn’t get through to him. That’s why I pray for something else. An event like your kid had. Something to let him know that the Lord is real, and the Lord loves him dearly.
I am very thankful that you shared this post. It is a word of hope. “Aslan is on the move.”
JoelG,
There’s nothing to forgive, you’ve never offended me in the least.
This came out of the blue…trust me, it was nothing that was sought after in any way.
T seeks after a lot of stuff, but religious experiences are not currently on the list. 🙂
He was as much unnerved as blessed…
If I’ve taught him anything, it’s that we work our faith out through cats…
May God speak to you in a way only you can hear, my friend.
Josh,
Bless you and your boy, as well as the rest of your family.
Keep praying…and like I wrote above, this was utterly unexpected.
I knew someone needed to hear this…and I’ll be quite happy if it was you.
@ 40
Mr. Jespersen.
Talk about editing, nice work restricting a belief system. Simply rubbish.
Tell me, what is modern philosophy?
Thank you Michael. The Lord speaks through you. And all here on the PP. I’m seeking Him in a Lutheran church…many thanks to MLD.
Josh it sounds like your boy couldn’t be in a better family.
JoelG, glad to hear you are going to a Lutheran church. May God bless you in your journey.
Thank you Josh
Good for you, Joel
The LCMS needs to start sending me a commission… 🙂
I will send the bill to my Pastor ?
Praise You Jesus for healing this brother. You know I need You. Lyme is killing me. Please, do it again, LORD.
Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
This is a majestic God. Trey gets to absorb and digest that and let it flow through his whole being.
Karen,
If you need more info on the treatments you can reach me phoenixpreacher@gmail.com
Thank you, Michael. Just messaged. Thank you.
What a wonderful description of God’s great grace in action! Thank you, Michael for sharing this. It calls to my mind times in my own life when God has reached out to me rather than the other way around, which is truly amazing grace when you think about it.
it’s tangential, but this post has, for the last 24 hours, had me trying to get a ditty out of my head… I guess there’s an old song that youth groups used to sing “I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart….” My grandmother laughingly told me of their version waaay back when that went “I have the BYPU spizzerinctum down in my heart….” I don’t recall what the ‘bypu’ stood for, but I just looked up that word and it is a very useful one – one we should use more (not what it sounds like it would deal with)
God give Michael a big dose of spizzerinctum now, please Lord
Michael shared something exciting and uplifting. So I am happy for the good news. If that was my son or grandson I’d be over the moon. God is good.
I’m late to reading this, but Michael – this brought me such joy and I rejoice with you and Trey on this Easter weekend!!! 🙂 We (meaning us silly little humans) tend to limit God far too much and try to keep Him in a nice little box with well-defined parameters…and then criticize others who are more open to the supernatural and experiential aspects. Our God knows a thing or two about miracles… Rejoicing brother!
Great news Michael! Also loved your comment above (comment 60) about working our faith through cats!
Chris Long, my reading of the Bible shows that God keeps himself in a box – that his nature is sure and that he won’t run off in some tangent and do something that is variant to his nature or his promises.
Unlike some, I am not into a “free style” God.
MLD, his nature IS sure and the Word shows us His nature and His promises as you mention. And IMO that nature as showcased involves Him doing lots of miraculous/supernatural stuff (the Bible is full of it…) and those promises indicate that He can meet any need that I have and I don’t see any limiting to the WAY that He can meet that need, unless it is something that directly contradicts something else He has said. In that sense, I suppose He limits Himself. But otherwise, He’s God and can do what He wants…I have no problem with Jesus personally appearing to someone.
Goder Himself is without limit but He has given us limits as to how we worship Him.
Oh how I hate auto correct.
GOD Himself is without limit.
if God choses to visit you, He will … He sends angels & emissaries Acts 10:30-31
and from what I read this morning, I think St. Peter agrees “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:” Acts 10:34 KJV … so?
So, I think that would probably include our opinions also, as we have no place speaking with adamancy regarding miracles, eh? 🙂
Oh MLD,
Our God is not a tame personage held in a box. He’s alive and wild sometimes. Some have even described Him as capricious, when you look at some of the stuff in the OT. I bet Abraham and Jacob could attest to this wild nature in our God. Jesus could be pretty wild too, walking on the water and throwing out the money changers in the Temple. It is true that He won’t do anything contrary to his nature but that’s just the point. His nature can be pretty wild.
OK, one point so I am clear and can feel free to speak. I want to remove Trey’s experience from the conversation as I don’t want anyone half way through the conversation throwing that at me and causing Michael grief.
My point is NOT that God is in my box – but that God has placed himself in his OWN box. Simple example;
Box 1 = God cannot destroy the entire earth and it’s population in judgement by sending a worldwide flood again.
Box 2 = God cannot do anything that is against his nature
I am sure I could list a dozen more but I just got off my elliptical and have oxygen deprivation 🙂
MLD,
Thanks for the clarification and good examples.