How Do I Know If God is Giving Me a Sign?

I feel as though I received signs from God, but I'm not sure if there from him or not. What should I do. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity by this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can also email us at questions@corechristianity.com will first up today. Israel let's go to Lori who is calling in from Akron New York Lori, welcome to core Christianity from Revelation 22 about the tree of life which bears fruit every month. Which to me indicates time and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations which is so I'm wondering if were being shown. The job then there be time and also healing. If we are glorified. I was wondering if you can shed some light on this passage for me please yeah Lori a really beautiful text of Scripture the end of the story you will. And if you go back a little bit in Revelation chapter 21 you know John begins to describe this this particular vision that he had in the book of Revelation. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband is what John is saying is basically that the merging of heaven and earth, the new creation and so our eternal existence. You know, for all time when bees are floating around in heaven member.

We believe in the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Working to have as you said glorified bodies in the new creation.

You know that the new heavens and the new earth.

And I think were going to experience time and will in one sense, I mean obvious things are going to be very different. Were talking about the new creation. If there's no more decay were not going to age in in the same way are at on the way to be perfected, glorified, and so it's really important that we understand that and it's also really important that we understand just be the genre of the book of Revelation. We were looking here at apocalyptic literature and what what John is is getting us these visions and a lot of times you know the imagery that you have in the visions is highly symbolic and I'm not saying that that there is no tree of life reported that kind of thing, but what are these things symbols of the of the leaves on the tree and and so on and so forth. John says in verse two. The verse you are referring to of of chapter 22 through the middle of the street of the city. Also, on either side of the river. The tree of life with its 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree of life were for the healing of the nations no longer will there be anything accursed with the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him again.

Such a beautiful picture and by the way this this text is really echoing a lot of what you see in the Old Testament, in particular in the book of Ezekiel Ezekiel chapter 47 verses one through 12 where it is. Ezekiel had this vision of the temple of God, if you will with the with the river flowing from the temple into the whole world really what this is is the restoration of Eden.

But even better than even if you remember back in in the beginning of the book of Genesis in the garden of Eden, you had the river of life flowing from the garden into the whole world will hear you have the throne of God in the river of life, going from the throne of of God filling the whole world. The tree of life, and that the leaves of the tree of life for the healing of the nations and I think the symbol there were supposed to gather from this is the fact there's there's peace now. The tension that we experience that we hear about day in and day out. When we turn on the news that's gonna be no more in the new creation.

Imagine we have so much to look forward to and one of the things we have to look forward to is peace, healing between nations that are now at war through the gospel of Jesus Christ and so that's I think we can say about this passage of Scripture want to remember that were looking at apocalyptic literature here were not just thinking about heaven but about the new creation and about the fact that in the new creation. There is no more decay. There is no more sin. There is no more war between the nations. Now there is perfect peace. Thank you for you?

Thank you Lori Gray question Amboy Revelation interesting book to tackle.

I know you talk about in your sermon series before and it's exotics exciting book to get into as well as not yet else. One of those books it's really intimidating I think for a lot of Christians because it is think okay there's there, you know, dragons and beasts and all these things, but how do I interpret this and again we we have to understand the the genre that were looking at apocalyptic literature, but we also need to understand the purpose of the book and ultimately the purpose of the book was you know John is writing for the benefit of the churches, especially the. The church is there in the first century that were experiencing intense persecution. He's comforting them so that they might persevere and hold fast to the faith.

And so the book of Revelation was actually written as a comfort for persecuted believers for believers who were who were struggling with engagement engagement with the world. And so it's a really important book for us.

I think to read to study, to meditate upon his Christians and so was great to get that question from Lori you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question here's the number to call right now it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Ellie in Chattanooga, Tennessee Ellie, welcome to core Christianity hi Ellie, thanks for calling into the core with your question. Like like I have been prevented… Christianity and especially the resurrection of Jesus by what fact that Hannity is the resurrection a lot of things. This is an excellent question. I think sometimes when we have these discussions of work were thinking primarily purely about apologetics defending the Christian faith and people say well proved to me that Jesus rose from the dead scientifically, but it's not something that we can look at under a microscope is that we don't prove it scientifically in the same way that would prove other things scientifically were looking at his history, we have the facts of history, the evidence of history and what were sort of weighing what took place historically and were determining whether or not the account that we have in the Scriptures and and really that you see in in the later centuries. Whether that fits with what essentially the apostles preached they preach that Jesus Christ rose from the dead that he died and that he rose again from the grave that here the that the facts if you will, of the resurrection number one Jesus was crucified in all the Gospels agree with this.

Even that the Jewish historian Josephus talks about this. Another historian ministry name Tacitus refers to this that's a fact. Rightly Jesus crucified. You don't find historians typically denying that whether there Christians are not Christians which have so much historical evidence. Number two, there was an empty tomb. Jesus was not in the tomb after his burial.

Three days later, we believe he rose again. That's what the disciples preached and you had the six just amazing impact that this did this event had on the early followers of Jesus you think of people like Saul of Tarsus, who was converted transformed once a persecutor of the church and now preaching the very gospel that he had tried to to to squelch and so you have all of these events that took place in it the other day what I what I oftentimes point to Ellie. This is what I think is is so compelling about that that the claim of the resurrection. The fact of the resurrection is the very people who were preaching the resurrection were willing to die for what they were were teaching a lot of people say how do you know that this wasn't just you know the idea of a group of people that that came together and they want power. They want money they want control and so they they come up with this fanciful story and then they get people to believe it and then they have all of those things. Power, money and control.

But the reality is the early followers of Jesus who preached the resurrection of the dead was that we were eyewitnesses of this you know they got they didn't get power.

They certainly didn't get money and they didn't control they got persecution. Most of them were killed for what they believed many of them lost everything, including money, homes, family. They laid it all down. Why because they weren't willing to give up what they knew to be true and that was that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and if they knew what they were preaching was a lie that it really didn't happen will then why in the world would they have continued to proclaim it even to the point of their own death and so what we have Ellie as we have that that the history what's given to us in Scripture and even outside of Scripture and we have essentially what took place. This shift is shift through the preaching of the gospel people laying down their lives for the message of the Christian faith because they knew it really happened, you wouldn't lay down your life for something that you knew was a lie that you knew, didn't take place, and yet the very people who claimed to see the risen Lord. They lay down their lives for him. One passage of Scripture that I think is really good for us to go to is Paul's words in first Corinthians chapter 15 beginning in verse three, for I delivered to you as a first importance what I also report received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the 12.

Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep and so is a look these eyewitnesses to the resurrection summer still around. You can go and talk to them. This really happened. They believed in the they realize that it did.

This is true they knew it was true.

And that's why they were willing to give up their lives for it. Ellie thank you for your question. I'm so grateful to hear also that your you're having these conversations with friends and family members and wanting them wanting them to know the Lord and the power of his resurrection as well. A recommendation for Ellie and for all of our listeners who would like to learn more about defending the faith. Christian worldview and apologetics is a book that we mentioned before, it's called the story of reality by Greg Koegel and boy oh boy, that would really be helpful for you Ellie to read that book when you're having these discussions. This is core Christianity by the way, some of the radio stations that air core Christianity air our program at a delayed time. So if you want to talk to pastor Israel live here are the times to call 11:30 AM Pacific 1230 Mountain 130 Central and 230 Eastern time. If you call our number 833 the court at that time you can talk to pastor Israel again. It's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Judy who is calling in from Arkansas. Judy welcome to core Christianity hi Judy, there hey, welcome to the broadcast Judy, what's your question why not let me.

My daughter and my head fight my heart like the heart and my life and I realized after I live so that you know they were reaching out to me and they needed me and my life.

I just let people down.

Mimi, I got you not like the Holy Spirit, draw me when I needed tormenting her heartbreaking, that may just be now that I hurt them by not staying close to them and I just I just watching things happen in Judy one. Thank you for calling it like I can hear the grease and even a great sense of regret burden that you you Barry, that you bear and and I'm so sorry to hear about your your daughter and your husband.

I can't tell you why the Holy Spirit didn't do this or that. I think we can look back on our lives and say, gosh God, why, why didn't I know better in that moment and we have to be careful with that sister because the reality is that you know we can we can look back at difficult things that have taken place and blame ourselves or blame God.

And sometimes God is not to blame, and sometimes were not to blame it. We don't know you didn't know what was going to happen is a what you do in a situation like this, will the only thing that you can do is cast yourself upon the Lord and seek his face and let me tell you this sister that God is a comfort to us when we turn to him when we cling to him.

I think about what the apostle Paul said in second Corinthians chapter 1 beginning in verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. It sounds like you've experienced a lot of loss in that you you maybe even feel guilty yourself for how things turned out, I just want to say look, sister.

That's a burden that you cannot bear ultimately you know that there are things we look back on a less we say I wish I would've done this differently Rex. I wish I would've done that differently in their evening sister we know we've seen were we failed, will you take all of that to God, to the foot of the cross and you say God forgive me, and ultimately Lord I trust in you and I need it sounds like what you need.

Judy is the comfort of the Lord of the peace that only he can give.

And so what I would say to you is we don't have those answers specific answers as to why this or that happened or why we respond in one way or not. Another we can look back and think about it all day long. What we need to do is look up look up to the God who does know all things trust in him, lean on him and receive the comfort that he gives us through his son Jesus. And one thing that I love about Jesus is that he's able to sympathize with us in our weaknesses in the pain that we experience even the pain of death. He is the eternal son of God, who assumed humanity so that he might bear our punishment, our death in his body. He knows what it is to experience death, you can go to him.

You can trust in him, you can lean on him and so Judy may the Lord give you his comfort and his peace and and thank you for calling into core Christianity a man in Judy we will be praying for you and your situation. We appreciate so much the fact your list and we pray that what federal Sarah shared to offer you some some comfort. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

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Just go to our website at core, Christianity.com/kit to sign up. That's core Christianity.com/kit. We would love to send that to you again. It's absolutely free. You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833-843-2670 3833. The core let's go to a voicemail that we received from Rachel. Rachel and I was wondering about. I like I file this time that I get. I don't know their God or the spine from something else.

I just don't know.

I think Rachel that there are a lot of believers who really wrestle with this. Even the question of should I should I ask for a sign. Should I asked for God to guide me to lead me directly now.

First I'll just say I think I think that we can sincerely pray to the Lord and say God I need your guidance. I don't think that every time we asked for a quote unquote sign that it's sinful. I know that that many of us. Many of you, you know, as you seek the Lord as it is you're trying to serve him and honor him in your daily life and make those decisions which are to honor him the most. You want his guidance and so you say God help me and and throughout the pages of the Bible, the people of God have done this. I think of of Gideon. For example in the book of Judges in Judges chapter 6. Listen to what Judges chapter 6 says beginning in verse 36 Gideon said to God, if you will save Israel by my hand.

As you said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor if there is due on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand. As you have said you essentially think God give me a sign like help me to know for sure that your with me that you're going to save Israel by my hand. I don't think he was being sinful there. I think that this was sincere honest but there are instances where you know we can look for signs we can ask for signs in up in a manner that is sinful work testing the Lord sinfully. I think of the book of Matthew, the gospel of Matthew.

What Jesus said in Matthew chapter 16 very beginning there. He says in verse one.

The Pharisees came and said to him to test and they asked him to show them a sign from heaven and Jesus answered them when it is evening, you say it will be fair weather, for the sky is red and in the morning it will be stormy today for the sky is red and threatening. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, you cannot interpret the signs of the times and evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. So Jesus left them and departed. So you have these are two examples of of seeking a sign from the Lord. Sincerely, just asking God for his guidance in our daily lives and then sinfully testing the Lord and sing God, you show me in it. If you don't then I'm just not in a folly that kind of thing. Now how do we sort of parse all of this out and how do we know when God is actually giving us a sign when he really is leading us will I would say first and foremost so often, when God guides us. It's just ordinary providential ways you think of you know God opening up doors to an opportunity or it may be giving you wise counselors people in your life who can encourage you and point you in the right direction. You know, not everything a sort of black-and-white you know some some issues God is really clearly revealed in his in his word, and so we don't we don't ask God for signs related to should I or should I not do this because God is Artie said don't do that to give you an example of this.

II years ago had. It had a dear friend whose parents were going through a divorce and essentially the mother just left that the husband and it was tragic.

My eye, my friend was just crushed and there was really no reason for her to leave her husband and yet she was sort of approaching it in this pious way saying I was asking God for a sign. I was laying a fleece out there and that but what essentially ended up happening was God revealed to me that this was okay. That's not how God gives us signs. God is already spoken very clearly in his word, and so we trust God's word where he spoken, but when it's in it. It's a gray area issue. It is not a matter of sin. We go to the Lord and sake Lord guide me in so often the way he does.

It is just to ordinary means.

Do people do you know circumstances that kind of thing is not always this this voice from heaven. In fact, it made never is really a God can do that. Typically he uses people.

He uses circumstances to lead and to guide you. And so, as you pray to the Lord asking him for guidance. Don't be open to the wisdom of other brothers and sisters in the Lord who are encouraging and who can speak into your life and I trust that God is is going to guide you and lead you. Maybe not by by saying you know this is the way you should go do it but just to circumstances in and through people and I found that that's typically how God works in my life and in the lives of so many.

And as you as you do seek the Lord remember that there are two ways to do it right. We can sinfully ask God for guidance were assigned testing the Lord, we do it with humility sing Lord give me direction. Help me to know how to best serve you and as you pray that prayer sister. The Lord will guide you. He will lead you Laura, thanks so much for your call. Great question and I think all of us at times are seeking God's wisdom, seeking his direction and yet the answer maybe right in front of us in his word as long as were obedient.

That is the key.

I think that that's that's the case, will and it's not even Islamism is, is there as you said Bill in his word and our job is to obey the word of God to listen to what God has said, and that's how we follow God's revealed his will to us Scripture, we need to know it.

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