Does God speak to His people?

What does it mean to hear God. Seems like such a simple question. You would imagine that no Christian would object to "hearing," God speak to them. That small still voice, the voice of the shepherd speaking to His sheep, and His sheep recognizing His voice. The Holy Spirit whispering into the hearts of believers. The Holy Spirit leading and guiding and magnifying the Lord Jesus in our hearts.

These simple phrases that I have just used seem to terrify a certain segment of Christianity. If it does not terrify, it brings about jokes and ridicule. Chuck Swindoll, in the Book "The Mystery of God's Will ," makes this joke in reference to a person who had heard from God "Was it a Baritone voice?" If you read the whole chapter you will see that it was dripping with sarcasm. How is it, that this well respected author and teacher and Christian could pour such scorn on the simple act of a brother hearing from God. Now, just to make the point certain, it was not what he heard, it was the fact that he claimed to hear the Lord speak to him. Very sad.

Here is the very essence of hearing God. A man I know of, went into the supermarket to buy his wife a rose. It was his practice to do this every week. He picked the rose that he wanted and made for the checkout lane. As he walked toward the line , the Holy Spirit spoke to him, that small still voice from the Shepherd. "Give the rose to that woman." Immediately the man resisted. "Lord, that makes no sense. What is she think I am hitting on her? What is he thinks I am crazy? What if other hear and think I am a weirdo?"

There was such a resistance in his flesh, yet he knew the voice of the Lord, and he knew he had to be obedient. So, he took a deep breath and walked over to the lady and said to her "The Lord wanted you to have this rose." The woman looked at him for a second, then looked at the rose, and as she reached out to take it, she began to weep. She explained."My husband died several months ago. Every week , for years, he would buy me a rose. This morning I was feeling so lost and forgotton, I cried out to God and asked Him if He had forgotton me, I told Him that I needed to feel loved." The man cried too.

Nothing very complicated about that story, just a very simple, beautiful story of how the Lord cares for His people, how He hears our cries and how He answers them. Sometimes with a rose, sometimes with a whisper into out hearts, sometimes with a word from someone, sometimes from the Scriptures. .......

1 Ki 19:11-12 And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke the rocks in pieces before Jehovah. But Jehovah was not in the wind. And after the wind was an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake was a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire. And after the fire was a still, small voice.

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

The Lord speaks in many ways to His people, if they have ears to hear. One day I was feeling very low , much like the example I gave, and I cried out to the Lord(in my heart) seconds later a truck passed by with the bumper sticker saying "Jesus loves you!." Co-incidence? Perhaps. I looked heavenwards and smiled. To me, often times the miraacle is not in the event itself, but it is in the timing

http://scottishwarriors.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/the-miracle-is-in-the-timing/ .........Frank

Yes... God speaks to His people. It's called the [b]Bible[/b].

Krispy

Yes Krispy, and He also speaks into the heart of His people, and it never contradicts the Word. Ours is not a cold theology, its a warm relationship of love and communication. He is the Shephard, and His sheep know His voice, that small still voice............brother Frank

I understand that, but in todays church full of believers who never read their Bibles (much less "study" to show themselves approved) most believers go with their feelings instead of the Word of God. Therefore it needs to be stated very clearly that the Word of God is the [b]main[/b] way that God speaks to His people.

You say that He speaks into the heart, and that is true. You say He never contradicts His Word, and that is true.

But I say the vast majority of Christians don't know His Word, and therefore can't tell if what they hear "in their hearts" contradicts His Word or not.

And the result is the mess we see in the church today, with all of our false teachers, prophets, doctrines... and worst of all... mass apostacy.

The Word first.

Krispy

Well...we finally agree brother :) According to Barna, this is the most Biblically illiterate generation in almost 300 years. There are many "good," "pentecostals,' out there who live and stand upon the Word of God. Good Pentecostals and good Evangelicals should work together for the common vision of reaching the lost for Christ..........brother Frank

Well... since we agree on this, let me again say that God speaks to His people today thru His Word. And until one has learned His Word to the point where they can discern between personaly feelings and His voice... they should rely on the written Word primarily.

Krispy

Hi Krispy...

I would be interested to know what you thought of the example I gave in the original post, the man in the supermarket. Did God speak to his heart? ...........brother Frank

It's not my place to make such judgements.

Krispy

Hi krispy...I was looking for your opinion, not a judgement. I used to think to myself, why did Jesus do so many things on the Sabbath, was He deliberatly trying to upset the Pharisees?

Joh 9:14 And it was a sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
Joh 9:16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath. Others said, How can a man, a sinner, do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

Joh 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked. And it was a sabbath on that day.
Joh 5:10 Therefore the Jews said to him who had been healed, It is the sabbath. It is not lawful Joh 5:16 And therefore the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day.

Did Jesus care more about the person or about the particular interpretation of the Pharisees? Did the Pharisees care about these people?

If we stand upon the Word of God, and you and I agree upon that Krispy, and we also agree on the chaotic mess out there because people are running around all over the place saying "thus sayeth the Lord, then what Scripture would say God does not speak to His people anymore? So what is a person to do? Deny that God speaks to His people? Or test everything by the Word of God? My own particular view is, because the Word of God says it, is that we must test everything in light of Scripture, and when we do, we can quite easily discount the peddlers, the word of faithers and the Todd Bentley's of this world.........with much love...brother Frank

No, my view isnt narrow... you simply dont understand what I said.

Krispy

I would like to add for all who are reading this thread.
I think it's clear that God "speaks" to His people. "Speaks" to His born again children. This does not mean that he continuely has verbal conversations everyday with all his people all the time. Many of us can know what God is saying to us through His word as well as what He has taught us and impressed upon our heart and mind over the months and years.
We should ALWAYS confirnm the communication if it be His voice,our feeeling or impression or sign, ALWAYS CONFIRM WITH HIS WORD, THE BIBLE. Test the spirits.
This is just my thoughts on it. I'm not wanting to get into debate on it. Thanks, John

Amen Krispy, I couldn't agree with you more.

If you know his heart, then you have discernment. If you know all the right doctrines, but don't have the heart of Jesus.. What's the use.

Ok, I am going to restrain myself here....I am weary of hearing/ reading statements like this. I used to say things like this myself until I began to understand HOW IMPORTANT DOCTRINE IS!

My first question is...why do we assume that people actually know doctrine. Are you trying to tell me that the church in America or the west is so given to doctrine that we have missed the heart of God? That's the reason?

Do this for me. Go to 5 people in your church or fellowship or house church, etc. and ask them if they know what they believe about the bible and why they believe it.

Ask them if they can explain what it means to be justified.
Ask them if they can explain what sustitutionary atonement is.
Ask them if they can explain what propitiation is.
Ask them if they can explain what faith is.
Ask them if they can explain what Grace is.(Biblically)
If you can find 5 people in your church that can do that then maybe I can believe that we ...THE CHURCH are so doctrinal that we have missed the heart of God.

These truths are the FOUNDATION of the church. The foundation of the Church is the teaching...the doctrine of the Apostles and the Prophets, Christ being the chief cornerstone...It all points to Christ!

I am not opposed to occasionally being led by a still small voice, but I can tell you this...I have had more sorrow in my life by trying to listen for a voice, than by seeking God in His Word. And the problem with stories about hearing the voice of God outside of His Word is that they are anecdotal at best.

Let us resect each others opinion, and if we disagree, then we can always agree to disagree. I personaly think that semantics has a lot to do with misunderstandings. Seeking God in His Word and knowing His voice is not mutually exclusive, they operate in harmony. Just because there are Pharisees out there and just because there are crazy people out there does not change how God communicates with His people....brother Frank

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And though I have prophecies, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and do not have charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I give out all my goods to feed the poor, and though I deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, I am profited nothing.
1Co 13:4 Charity has patience, is kind; charity is not envious, is not vain, is not puffed up;
1Co 13:5 does not behave indecently, does not seek her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.
1Co 13:6 Charity does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth,
1Co 13:7 quietly covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.