Monday's gospel lesson.
Mark 11: 29. The crowds got even bigger and he addressed them, "This is an evil generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah.
30. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be a sign to this generation.
31. On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will stand up against the people of this generation and be their condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, look, there is something greater than Solomon here.
32. On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented; and, look, there is something greater than Jonah here.
Do you ask for a sign?
If so what sign?
:)Peace and kindness,:)
Fred (arcura)

Lol I think we're back to faith again. God draws people to himself, yet we want confirmation before we do anything. We are like 'doubting thomases'. The mindset is, 'i won't believe it until I've seen it myself'. The trouble, is that spiritual things are invisible. Even the fruit they produce is invisible. But it is surely evident, in love, kindness, generosity, compassion, faith, hope, and many more. With those come the effect of less evil.

Are you asking for a sign that it will be Judgement Day very soon?

What about the verse that says no one will know when the Son of God will arrive back on earth? (Sorry, I can't think of the exact words).

cogs,
Yes that is true,
But have you ever asked for a sign, a miracle, a healing?
Peace and kindness,
Fred

Well, healing, I don't really consider it to be proof of jesus. I just know that he's able, and he's generous, so perhaps he'll bless us with a healing.

When I was younger, I asked for a sign, and all I saw was a shooting star at the same time. I discount this, because it's not what I want when I come to god.

I need what he has, freedom and life. I believe he's already working toward this end. It's evident from his actions in the bible.

There were signs given in the bible. I won't quote them. Personally, I'm a little frightened of god's signs.

cogs,
Thanks for the explanation.
Fred

When my father died, an amazing thing happened when I returned to my apartment with some flowers.

But, when I was younger and a Christian, I asked for signs sometimes, but...

There are signs that we can ask for from God. (And I do)

We are not come at God with a majesterial(we being His master) demand... as the church leaders and "religious" ones were doing with Jesus.


Even this, God sometimes accepts. As with Elisha:

2 Kings 2:13-14
13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah ?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
NIV

But not for others:

Mal 2:17
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words.

"How have we wearied him?" you ask.

By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"
NIV

God does give signs:

Deut 4:35
35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.
NIV

Josh 4:23-24
The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God."
NIV

HE EVEN asks us to "test" His promises:

Mal 3:8-12
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.

"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'

"In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty.
NIV


BUT we need to be very careful of our attitude ( that it be like Christ's) or we might get "fleeced" instead of getting a sign as God granted Gideon:

Judg 6:36-40
36 Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew — a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece . This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
NIV

revdrgade,
Thanks for that excellent post.
Peace and kindness,
Fred