Why didn't the Apostle see this coming?

[_Themis]

Why should God worry about Ebola? It's not news to God. And the thing is.... God knows none of us is going to get out of this life alive. That's right, folks: we're all going to die. So what if it's by Ebola or the Bubonic Plague? We're all still going to die.

Yes, but I assume most would rather die a little later when they have a good amount of grey hair and have experienced much of the good things of life, and then die from a massive heart attack while sleeping.

[_mentalgymnast]

MG, can you describe what you class as the kind of micro intervention you believe God has a hand in?

I think that unless someone feels as though their individual "God interventions" are to be shared, they are not. These interventions are, like I said, at the micro level in which others are not going to be the observers. For example, I will share one micro intervention that I believe was from the other side of the veil. I am hoping, without a great deal of confidence, that this experience will not be casting pearls before swine, so to speak.

Years ago I taught at a school about a half an hour away from our home. Twice a year we had parent/teacher conference. It was the day of the second conference for the school year. Very snowy, icy, and cold. I worked all day at the school and then stayed into the evening for conferences. As the day wore on I started getting a bad case of the flu. Chills, elevated temperature, and the like. I was in my first few years of teaching and didn't feel like I could skip the conferences. So I persevered. I felt like s***. By the end of the evening I was totally wasted with very little energy/strength. As I basically dragged myself out to the parking lot I saw that it had snowed during the evening and it was going to be a long drive home. I think it was still snowing (?). A thirty minute drive home. Feeling like death warmed over. I sat down in the front seat and offered a heart felt prayer that somehow I'd be able to drive home. Again, I had elevated temperature and general 'gomboo' symptoms. At the moment I finished saying the prayer I became alert, responsive, and my symptoms were alleviated/diminsished to the point that I was able to drive home successfully and without incident. After having said the prayer I felt and instant change in the way I felt...for the better. Instant response time. I have never forgotten that 'tender mercy' that was handed to me at a moment that I was truly in need and really didn't think I could accomplish what needed to be done on my own.

So it is these kinds of micro interventions that I am referring to. My guess is that you've had a few yourself but have now, years later, redefined them to be something other than a tender mercy from the Lord. Maybe I'm mistaken and you haven't had these micro interventions/witnesses that God loves you and cares about you individually. Only you know for a fact whether you've had an experience that you have a difficult time wrapping your mind around and trying to explain it as a strictly physiological, emotional, and/or mind...brain experience.

The experience I've shared here was imprinted on my mind as being something much more than what can be explained through natural means. It happened too fast. Like I say, it was immediate. Mind and body healing/changing from one moment to the next. Adrenaline kicking in and having a healing/changing effect? Well, I suppose that's possible. But a prayer was said, and the change came right away. Coincidence? I don't believe so.

I've had other experiences, not many, that I would put in the same category of micro answers to prayer.

I've mentioned on this board that I haven't been blessed...yet...with an overwhelming micro intervention, in a spiritual manifestation sense, when it comes to specific questions that I've asked God in regards to the truth claims of the CofJCofLDS. But I've had more or less 'macro' experiences along the way that have spiritually/intellectually kept me connected with the church as a conditional/hopeful/faithful member. I think some of us are apparently 'built' that way. It seems to run in my family. Maybe a genetic defect for spirituality? I don't know. But I'm willing to be patient because of experiences along the way that cause me to believe that there is something beyond this so called objective reality.

Anyway, enough said.

Regards,
MG

[_SteelHead]

Quite the deity, this god of yours.... Intervenes for you, ignores these kids.

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Quite the deity, this god of yours.... Intervenes for you, ignores these kids.

According to an Apostle of the Lord®, these spirits got what they worked for in the pre mortal life.

[_mentalgymnast]

Quite the deity, this god of yours.... Intervenes for you, ignores these kids.

At what exact point of time and in what place in the chain of events that led up to the point in time at which this picture was taken should/would God have stepped up to the plate and intervened in such a way that this picture would have shown healthy children rather than malnourished children? And what are some suggestions for God as to how He could personally change the course of events, including the actions of evil dictators, germs, pure water management and distribution, food production and distribution, etc.

Specificity would be nice. You get to play God for a day.

Regards,
MG

[_Themis]

Quite the deity, this god of yours.... Intervenes for you, ignores these kids.

At what exact point of time and in what place in the chain of events that led up to the point in time at which this picture was taken should/would God have stepped up to the plate and intervened in such a way that this picture would have shown healthy children rather than malnourished children? And what are some suggestions for God as to how He could personally change the course of events, including the actions of evil dictators, germs, pure water management and distribution, food production and distribution, etc.

Specificity would be nice. You get to play God for a day.

Regards,
MG

Your story of having the flu is a good one, but I think physiology is a fantastic explanation. Instantaneous changes can happen quite easily. I have experienced them as well. The body is capable of doing just that. Thoughts can create immediate changes. What is also interesting is that your story of having a non-threatening virus is in the same thread in which the topic is one of the most deadly virus's known to man. I am sure most of those people prayed and ask God to heal them. Would God telling them he cannot or he will tip his hand to humanity that he really exists console those who will die from the virus. How about God saying if they had a non-life threaten virus God would at least make them feel better. I am not sure I would like this kind of God.

[_SteelHead]

Easy peasy chicken breezy; god rained down manna from heaven for the children of Israel as they wandered in the desert for years and years, surely he could rain manna down on these kids. At what point? When they woke up each morning. Poof! Manna!

Your intervening god of the immaterial miracles is an ass. Helps you with a warm fuzzy, provides manna for Israel in the desert, ignores starving children.

[_ludwigm]

manna for Israel

--- but not for negroes today ---

Acts of the Apostles 10:34
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons
Romans 2:11
For there is no respect of persons with God
Ephesians 6:9
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him
Colossians 3:25
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
James 2:9
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

and last but not least (search the verse...)
- And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
- Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth
- Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly

[_canpakes]

At the moment I finished saying the prayer I became alert, responsive, and my symptoms were alleviated/diminished to the point that I was able to drive home successfully and without incident. After having said the prayer I felt and instant change in the way I felt...for the better. Instant response time.

This sounds familiar. I have had a 'real' flu perhaps three times in my life. In each case, the illness worsened to the point where chills become pretty severe and my condition was somewhere in the barely-functional, half-conscious range... and then, like a light coming on at that worst point, the chills instantly stopped and I felt remarkably better... as in almost back to 'normal'. I always considered that to be what folks were referring to when they'd describe a fever 'breaking'. Come to think of it, this 'breaking' is how I've concluded that these particular illnesses were more flu than common cold, because they ran this odd course.

I am not posting this to invalidate your experience or conclusion, rather to offer the possibility that this may be a more common experience than you might imagine. But, if this helps to solidify a testimony, then there's nothing wrong with that in and of itself, as far as I'm concerned.

Still, I could never assume that God would have initiated this sudden change of state because I always figured that regardless of what my particular situation is, there are - and always will be - scads of folks across the face of the earth with real problems deserving a spot far ahead of me in the 'celestial favors' line.

[Guest]

Hi MG, I'm going to invent a neighbour for you, let's call him Bill.

Bill has three kids, the eldest of whom has just started to drive.
One evening Bill's eldest rings him up and explains that he's in a bit of a bad state with illness, he shouldn't really have gone out in the car but could Bill come and help him out as it's starting to snow? Sure thing says Bill, takes the directions down and heads off with a can of Red Bull to give to his drowsy offspring. On his way out of the house Bill's middle child is being sexually abused in the front room by another extended family member. Bill ignores her pleas because he has to take the can of red bull to his eldest son who's a bit stuck in the car. As Bill leaves the house he sees his youngest lay stricken on the front lawn, suffering severely from malnutrition and on the verge of death. Despite knowing he could nip back to the fridge and give his youngest some food that would save their life, Bill ignores their pleas and walks off down the road to make sure his eldest gets the much needed energy boost to ensure he gets home with the car safely. In hindsight it is clear that Bill had the capacity to solve all three dilemma's but specifically chose to only fix the least important.

Would you worship Bill?

With the greatest respect MG, stories like yours make me sick.
They smack of entitlement and superiority and a total disregard for humanity.
I'm sure you're a great guy, but if your version of God is the kind of deity that will provide the equivalent of a divine caffeine shot to someone who stupidly endangered himself, other road users and pedestrians and rescue workers by driving when he wasn't properly able in inclement conditions whilst others whom He could help are starving and being abused through no fault of their own, then you believe in (worship) one immoral, cruel, abusive sonofabitch.