# Your explaination for this work of God **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 17, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223 "2011-11-17T14:00:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/41 "2011-11-17T16:14:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. The passage you stumbled across is one you know pretty well-I can only assume that you’ve opened the Bible to that passage before. The conversation with **The Other Waldo Pepper** was on your mind, so it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if you subconscious caused you to open the book there. > . Since you agree that such things add credibility in your other post, though you state a little credibility, but I’ll take it. There are some passages that come up repeatably come up by opening it at ‘random’ yes you can blame the physics of the book and probability for that. But this passage has not came up AFAIK in that context, nor was it on my mind, as I read TOWP’s post after. (oh yes, i don’t think God is such a stickler for spelling or grammar, after all He created a language without vowels.) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/42 "2011-11-17T16:23:39Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I believe the goal is not to correct his understanding, but as pointed out above, to help people see the bigger picture. How God uses any of us in a much bigger way then just a single person working, and usually uses many people - even when that person/people doesn’t believe they are doing His work, or even believe in God. That ‘revelation’ was from a poster, which I believe gave the meaning for this work of God. Okay, fair enough. So if The Other Waldo Pepper never comes to your POV, it matters not. Perhaps a lurker has had their mind changed. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/43 "2011-11-17T16:25:36Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > I could think of a few I suppose. I’m just curious why **you** think God is having you do this quest. Why is He doing this for me? The reason to me has been made fairly clear (which i will get to below). For everyone there is a reason, the reason for me is different then the reason for you or anyone here. It is for our learning, what each of us need to know. Also if we all learn something we all benefit and the glory goes to God, not us. This is the iron sharpens iron that is in OT scriptures and the edifying (building up) each other in the NT scriptures. I used to believe that God doesn’t work much in our world, and saw those who would state otherwise as fools, or interpreting coincidences way to much, so in some ways it is hard for me to post this thread, to stand up in such way that appears foolish. I have to say it does hurt when I read what some posters comment about me in this and other threads. But really I need to be true to God and what He has shown me, and not remain silent when I see His work. I believe my part was to state how I see the work of God in this. It’s the stating that I believe He wants me to learn. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/44 "2011-11-17T16:26:14Z")
**kanicbird** , the co-incidence in the OP is [very easily explained](http://www.skepdic.com/lawofnumbers.html). What would be strange is if thousands of these kinds of thing didn’t happen every day. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/45 "2011-11-17T16:26:57Z")
**Genesis** _Exodus_ Leviticus NUMBERS deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Judith Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes _ **Song of Songs** _ Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea _Joel_ Amos Obadiah Jonah MiCaH Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi There. If I did this properly, the next time you open a Bible, you’re guaranteed to open one of these books, and the name of each one is written in a distinct way. Can you tell me ahead of time what you’re going to read and how it is going to relate to the fonts and colors of the names (which I didn’t pick in any deliberate way), or will you read first and then find a meaning? Because the second one is just an act of interpretation, and we do that all the time. It’s something our brains do, and it doesn’t require divine inspiration. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/46 "2011-11-17T16:35:25Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Why is He doing this for me? The reason to me has been made fairly clear (which i will get to below). For everyone there is a reason, the reason for me is different then the reason for you or anyone here. It is for our learning, what each of us need to know. Also if we all learn something we all benefit and the glory goes to God, not us. This is the iron sharpens iron that is in OT scriptures and the edifying (building up) each other in the NT scriptures. > > **I used to believe that God doesn’t work much in our world** , and saw those who would state otherwise as fools, or interpreting coincidences way to much, so in some ways it is hard for me to post this thread, to stand up in such way that appears foolish. I have to say it does hurt when I read what some posters comment about me in this and other threads. But really I need to be true to God and what He has shown me, and not remain silent when I see His work. I believe my part was to state how I see the work of God in this. It’s the stating that I believe He wants me to learn. Heh, no offense, but it’s kind of funny that if you are right, that God is sort of rubbing your face in how wrong you were, with regard to his working in the world. 😉 In any event, fair enough and thanks for answering. I was genuinely curious and I wasn’t trying to be difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/47 "2011-11-17T16:37:34Z")
I am a Christian myself and I, in fact, do believe that the method in which God “acts” is through the sort of thing that **kanicbird** describes in the OP. The problem is, however, that these sorts of things are only really meaningful to those directly involved, just as with any other personal anecdote. To those who believe it, it is clearly an act of God, and to those who don’t, they will see mere coincidence, subconscious action, confirmation bias, or some other phenomenon or, even if they can’t reasonably explain it, will resolve that there must be a naturalistic explanation. The thing is, these sorts of circumstances are inevitably filtered through our own experiences and our own beliefs and so can’t possibly act as any sort of meaningful proof for or against either view. But here’s my question to you, **kanicbird**. If God has put these series of events before you, what do you feel is his purpose it so doing, not for someone else’s benefit, but specifically for you? By this, I mean, when we interpret these sorts of things as though there is no coincidence, then we have to consider other possibilities of how such things may be accomplished. If, for instance, God only wanted **TOWP** to read it that verse, we could probably come up with dozens of different ways he may have read it without your involvement. Thus, on these assumptions, there is as much a lesson for you to be learned, as for anyone else and, as such, there are lessons for everyone else involved too. Further, what you may believe the lessons may be for others may or may not be what they actually are. However, for those who do believe certain things are coincidence, they may not even search for any particular lesson and may not find it, or the lesson may be a from a series of events, of which that particular event is only one. Or, if we decide there is no lesson for some individual involved, then we must accept that sometimes events simply are coincidence. Either way, I ask the question above because I think that though we should act on things as we believe we should, we can only ever actually effect those lessons into ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/48 "2011-11-17T16:44:50Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I have to say it does hurt when I read what some posters comment about me in this and other threads. But really I need to be true to God and what He has shown me, and not remain silent when I see His work. I believe my part was to state how I see the work of God in this. It’s the stating that I believe He wants me to learn. \*\* kanicbird\*\*, do what you gotta do to make yourself happy, and since you know ahead of time that if you claim The Bible as a reference some of us will check your sources, and some of us will have different translations and different understandings of the information you point to. Disagreement is likely as interpretation varies from person to person. Look at the multiple translations of [Isaiah 45:7](http://bible.cc/isaiah/45-7.htm). In some translations, God claims to be repsonsible for light, darkness, disaster and calamity. (Not a big surprise; if God is responsible for sunny days and moonlit nights, he might as well own the hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes as well.) But many translations have God claiming repsonsibility for creating evil. That is quite a deviation from taking credit for natural phenomena, makes Satan’s role rather redundant, and puts a different spin on the meaning of that verse. The individual’s understanding of the same verse depends on the translation in his lap. It is up to you whether or not you choose to take those differing opinions personally; if feeling persecuted makes you feel closer to Jesus in some way, then don’t complain about it, revel in it. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/49 "2011-11-17T17:17:49Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > I am a Christian myself and I, in fact, do believe that the method in which God “acts” is through the sort of thing that **kanicbird** describes in the OP. Presumably you believe that you’ve experienced these sorts of things, correct? Do you keep track of them? If not, why not? I asked Kanicbird this and he indicated no. I realize that everyone doesn’t have my mindset (thankfully!), but it just strikes me as strange. I mean, sure, God could just be using this act at face value (giving Kanic a verse that he had been dealing with), but what if there is a bigger story there that Kanic is missing? I’m just spit-balling here, but suppose that God is acting in your life, he’s giving you messages. Let’s suppose that all of these messages relate to something specific - maybe the Gospel of John in particular. Now, if you’d written down all of these acts, you’d realize that there is something significant about the Gospel of John and your relation to it. Perhaps God is leading you towards a deeper understanding of that book or is trying to indicate to you that you really need to focus on that book because you have something wrong. Something in that vein. A good way to recognize that sort of thing would be to keep track of the ‘acts’. That’s why I’d do it if I believed that such was happening to me. Is this just simply an absurd way to view such acts? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/50 "2011-11-17T17:46:55Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > \*\* > kanicbird\*\*, do what you gotta do to make yourself happy, and since you know ahead of time that if you claim The Bible as a reference some of us will check your sources, and some of us will have different translations and different understandings of the information you point to. Disagreement is likely as interpretation varies from person to person. > > Look at the multiple translations of [Isaiah 45:7](http://bible.cc/isaiah/45-7.htm). In some translations, God claims to be repsonsible for light, darkness, disaster and calamity. (Not a big surprise; if God is responsible for sunny days and moonlit nights, he might as well own the hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes as well.) But many translations have God claiming repsonsibility for creating evil. That is quite a deviation from taking credit for natural phenomena, makes Satan’s role rather redundant, and puts a different spin on the meaning of that verse. The individual’s understanding of the same verse depends on the translation in his lap. > > It is up to you whether or not you choose to take those differing opinions personally; if feeling persecuted makes you feel closer to Jesus in some way, then don’t complain about it, revel in it. **Troppus** I was referring to the personal attacks that do hurt far more then I typically show. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/51 "2011-11-17T17:48:39Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > I am a Christian myself and I, in fact, do believe that the method in which God “acts” is through the sort of thing that **kanicbird** describes in the OP. The problem is, however, that these sorts of things are only really meaningful to those directly involved, just as with any other personal anecdote. To those who believe it, it is clearly an act of God, and to those who don’t, they will see mere coincidence, subconscious action, confirmation bias, or some other phenomenon or, even if they can’t reasonably explain it, will resolve that there must be a naturalistic explanation. The thing is, these sorts of circumstances are inevitably filtered through our own experiences and our own beliefs and so can’t possibly act as any sort of meaningful proof for or against either view. > > But here’s my question to you, **kanicbird**. If God has put these series of events before you, what do you feel is his purpose it so doing, not for someone else’s benefit, but specifically for you? By this, I mean, when we interpret these sorts of things as though there is no coincidence, then we have to consider other possibilities of how such things may be accomplished. If, for instance, God only wanted **TOWP** to read it that verse, we could probably come up with dozens of different ways he may have read it without your involvement. Thus, on these assumptions, there is as much a lesson for you to be learned, as for anyone else and, as such, there are lessons for everyone else involved too. Further, what you may believe the lessons may be for others may or may not be what they actually are. > > However, for those who do believe certain things are coincidence, they may not even search for any particular lesson and may not find it, or the lesson may be a from a series of events, of which that particular event is only one. Or, if we decide there is no lesson for some individual involved, then we must accept that sometimes events simply are coincidence. Either way, I ask the question above because I think that though we should act on things as we believe we should, we can only ever actually effect those lessons into ourselves. I thank you for posting this, it helps to have support, I answered your suggestion of what to look as to why God is doing this work in my life in post #43 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/52 "2011-11-17T17:54:00Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > Heh, no offense, but it’s kind of funny that if you are right, that God is sort of rubbing your face in how wrong you were, with regard to his working in the world. 😉 God has a sense of humor, and yes He will do exactly these things. Another time while talking to someone very dear to me about God, we were talking about how God needs a day planner, as He seems to be acting very slowly, and perhaps this could help. At Christmas, from another person, I get a day planner, which I have absolutely no use for, which was a bit of a disappointment as I would have liked something sentimental from this person. Next Christmas I get the same thing from this person. I pray about it and get the answer ‘I don’t have any use for them either’. > [@](#): > > In any event, fair enough and thanks for answering. I was genuinely curious and I wasn’t trying to be difficult. Your welcome, didn’t take it as being difficult. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/53 "2011-11-17T17:56:12Z")
> [@](#): > > [WASHINGTON](http://www.startribune.com/nation/134030428.html) - A man clad in black who was obsessed with President Barack Obama pulled his car within view of the White House at night and fired shots from an assault rifle, cracking a window of the first family’s living quarters while the president was away, authorities said about their still-developing investigation. > > Authorities are investigating Ortega’s mental health and say there are indications he believed **attacking the White House was part of a personal mission from God** , according to a law enforcement official who spoke with The Associated Press Is this the same deity here or is this one different? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/54 "2011-11-17T17:59:04Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Is this the same deity here or is this one different? Also, is this the same God that told Rick Perry to run for president? What kind of a douchebag-God would put that poor man through such humiliation? ---
**Author:** ![David42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@David42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David42)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/55 "2011-11-17T19:22:49Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Is this the same deity here or is this one different? There are numerous scripture passages which would show this action to not be the will of Yah. As a result, I look at people with such claims as this very dubiously. In my view the motivating force here is either the man’s mental illness or satanic influence. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/56 "2011-11-17T19:24:58Z")
> [@David42](#): > > There are numerous scripture passages which would show this action to not be the will of Yah. And others that could be taken to say the opposite, I am sure. For that matter, **kanicbird** ’s religious views include some stuff that is definitely not in any Bible. Also… Yah? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/57 "2011-11-17T19:32:26Z")
I thought he preferred to be called, “Daddy.” Kanic? Help a brother out on this one. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/58 "2011-11-17T19:37:06Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Also… Yah? I’m assuming that’s some kind of shorthand for YHVH/Jehovah/Yahweh/Yahuwahu/etc. ---
**Author:** ![David42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@David42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David42)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/59 "2011-11-17T19:38:28Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > And others that could be taken to say the opposite, I am sure. For that matter, **kanicbird** ’s religious views include some stuff that is definitely not in any Bible. > > Also… Yah? Short for Yahweh. Once proper exegisis is applied, I have never found a verse that would support the murder of the president. You got one in mind? ---
**Author:** ![David42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@David42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David42)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223/60 "2011-11-17T19:42:20Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Is this the same deity here or is this one different? Looking at this again, I see nothing that tells me the man thought he was taking his orders from Yahweh of the Hebrew scripture. Could be an adherent of another religion or made his own stuff up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-explaination-for-this-work-of-god/603223.md?page=4)