Whoa! Who won 5 lotteries in 2 days?
Maggie. 
Originally recounted here, and reprised here. An experience report, never to be dissuaded from.
Wait a minuteā¦ Are we now discussing someone winning the Lotto several times as a miracle or God acting in oneās life? Noā¦ Wouldnāt a more impressive story of God acting in the world involve children and cancer or something truly meaningful?
We all die, so whatās truly meaningful is pretty relative in this life. What is truly meaningful may have more to do with eternity?
Believing God caused someone win the Lotto several times is disgusting. Anyone who would believe it is selfish, ignorant and arrogant.
You havenāt done your homework.
And do you have an explanation for your non sequitur? Is there an insightful connection between those two that Iām not seeing?
I read that one ago. I thought you meant ālotteryā in the literal sense not as a metaphor standing for something else.
1 Like
About that happening in the literal senseā¦
And to @Benjamin87ās point, there is this:
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:33
1 Like
Likely a vision or dreams to Moses.
1 Like
I donāt accept modern miracles or Godly intervention. Unfortunately for anyone that frustrates, I also cannot be persuaded otherwise.
Believing in your heart that Jesus rose from the dead takes a modern miracle, and many of us would say a Godly intervention as well, since the former entails the latter. Or just being gullible.
1 Like
- Okay, so youāre a mortal rock. What brings you here and what else do you have to offer?
Huh? Iām not understanding you.
- I assume youāre flesh and blood and not a bot. Where I live, that makes you a mortal. And my impression is that youāre about as flexible as a rock. Off hand, Iād say that makes you a mortal rock. So, what are you looking for around here, if you donāt mind my asking, and what might you be offering or selling?
Iām after different/better ways to interpret the Bible. Left to my own devices, Iāve been struggling. My mind is made up on some things already. But Iāve made the mistake of getting passionate and debate-y with other forumites here though, unfortunately. I told myself not to, but I never listen to me.
- Cool! Just wondering, though. Correct me if Iām wrong, but didnāt you recently say that you have an āall or nothingā view of the Bible? That itās all meaningful and true, or none of it is? I may have misunderstood you, but thatās the impression I got from stuff youāve posted.
Iām deeply disturbed by the idea that if I cannot reconcile every story in the Bible with reality, somehow. And have it fit theologically, that I will throw my entire faith into question. Thatās just the way I am. I donāt want to throw the baby (Jesus) out with the bath water (the OT). But the bath water is a part of it all. I cannot just pretend the bath water isnāt there. Even though I want to. Miracles are easy, only God can do those, or allow them to be done. If God is real it follows that He can perform miracles. Easy peazy.
But things involving creation, floods, mass exodusesā¦ I hold out hope that there are satisfying and fitting answers to my questions.
But I need those answers. I canāt be satisfied without them.
Too often I get told to just have faith. I do. But my faith is dependent on understanding, on interpretation. Not personal encounters or feelings. I get judged for that a lot. Even here it has happened. I get told I must not be a believer, or try reading the Bibleā¦ I always got that when I went to church too. I donāt take it personally, I know my motives and what I want. Nothing else matters. But that is the way I am. I come across as antagonistic, I know. I often play devilās advocate if it helps gain a better understanding, or better share the idea Iām trying to get across. Trust me, itās all for me though. Iām not selling anything. Iām here to buy.
(Except with that enviro-stuff in a couple other threads. I enjoy pointing out the futility of trying to save the world)
1 Like
If I might interject here. You are trying to apply a modern interpretative method to an ancient text. The original authors/readers would have no problem accepting the stories in the OT as ātrueā even when they knew they didnāt fit reality. Nowhere does the Bible tell us how to interpret the text. Just that we have the Holy Spirit to aid in our understanding.
1 Like
- I suppose thereās nothing wrong with a little perverse pleasure in occasionally pointing out to others the futility of trying to do something, ā¦ as long as you donāt let the desire to make a difference suck you into doing something that gets you kicked out of a bar or banned from a forum.
- āDevilās advocatesā are useful.
- Iām not a big believer in āgoing to churchā, so you wonāt get a push to do so from me.
- So howās that workinā for ya?
- It may seem irrelevant, but Iām reminded of my first girlfriend in my Senior year of High School. Things were great, until our family moved to another state and she quickly moved on. Ha! My problem was that I didnāt have a Plan B. Sadly, I wasnāt āright in the headā for at least 12 years. Met her again at my fatherās Memorial Service about 45 years later. Pleasant person, and a Christian; and I remember thinking: "There is a God!
- Mine is dependent on my experience: being raised by and knowing people who believed in the resurrected Jesus and who loved me more than I deserved. Itās taken me a lot of years to connect the dots and see the patterns, but Iām pleased to believe: with understanding comes gratitude.
1 Like