Knowing and experiencing God - encounters and manifestations (I)

If it is true that the invisible God put on flesh and appeared (manifest) in the flesh (John 1:14), was seen, heard and touched (1 John 1:1,2), if that was true back then, should we be surprised if there were not some sort of physical manifestation today? To make manifest, is to make visible or known what has been hidden or unknown. There are those in the church who would say that this does not occur, since signs and wonders and the like, passed away with the completion of the New Testament. To me these are those who, caught up in Western thought, are buying into the debunked notion that reason is the only pathway to knowledge. As I said earlier, three of the ways we know include reason, intuition and experience. And for me, it is a no brainer to believe that God would use all three of these ways to make Himself known!

The thing about signs and wonders (the phrase occurs over a dozen times in the New Testament) is that they cause us to wonder! In spite of this, I hear many in the church proclaiming swiftly, loudly and clearly “That’s not God,” over anything that either makes them uncomfortable, or that they do not understand. Certainly not every manifestation that claims to be of God is of God. And whenever the Lord is at work, we can be sure the evil One is too. But would we not be wise to be not quick to judge? I mean if even as much as two thirds of it is fake, then one third genuine would be a lot of genuine! It's not as thought we don't need things that affirm our faith!

My own encounter with strange manifestations started with me lying on the floor telling the Lord that I did not believe in what just happened (the so called slain in the spirit experience), because I had not seen it in the Bible. Well He showed me (i.e. 2 Chronicles 5:14; Matthew 17:6; John 18:6; Acts 9:3-4 etc.). And so I have learned to be quick to ask “God can this really be of You,” when I encounter things I don’t like, or understand. The Scripture tells us that we will know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:16). One of my heroines, the controversial figure Heidi Baker of Iris ministries, had a significant encounter at the "Toronto blessing" when she found herself essentially stuck to the floor for almost a week. And after she eventually got up she, together with her husband Roland, were then instrumental in birthing over 10,000 new churches in war torn Mozambique.

Father, You do tell us that we need to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21), so we must not be naive. And I do not fully know all what made me initially skeptical of manifestations. Perhaps I was being overly cautious, perhaps it was pride, or fear, or the need to be in control, or a host of other things hidden to me. But whatever Lord, if any of this remains, then I ask You this morning to show me, and to help me deal with it. Please also show me clearly what is of You and what is not. I give You permission Lord, to take me out of my comfort zone in fulfilling Kingdom of God come, will of God be done on earth in Jesus Name Amen