Does God speak to you personally?
Actually, this is one of the things I cannot accept. Because I don't feel I'll be sane anymore if this happens to me. Thus this has never happened to me.
As for those of you who claim that God speaks to you - how do you know it's really God?
Yes--in a voice outside of me-- a handful of times over the years, the most beautiful male voice I've ever heard--telling me what to do in times of extreme danger or crisis--giving an order which, when I ignored the order the first time I heard the voice, it was repeated immediately in an even louder voice which could not be ignored--and my life was saved because I followed the order. In one case, someone else's life was saved by me because of it.
Was it God? Was it Jesus? Was it the angel of God? I only know for sure it was 'of God,' sent to me to protect me and guide me. How do I know? You will know them by their fruits.
Other than that, he guides me through the Bible, and through life, showing me things, answering my questions with the Word. But this is done in a subtler way, by direction of a Spirit, and thought to thought, not a voice.
Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, they follow Me, and the voice of a stranger they will not follow." I'm personally baptized with the Holy Spirit and speak with other tongues, so all I know to tell you (which probably won't make any sense to you if you're not "there") is that His voice in English comes out of the same spot within me (the opened window of heaven) as the tongues come from when I speak in other tongues either in private devotional tongues or in public tongues and interpretation of tongues. The voice never contradicts the Scriptures and often "brings me into remembrance of all He's said." There are Scriptural ways of cleaning the spiritual wax out of the ears, like claiming all of the promises where He said He'd speak freely with you, or that He'd open your ears, etc. Fasting helps. Keeping every single care rolled over on Him is key and paramount 'cause you'll often not hear Him if you're in turmoil. I nearly started a thread like this a few days ago, but got too busy to organize my thoughts and Scriptures on it. He's my best friend. He's more real to me than anyone else. He doesn't always answer immediately. The Scriptures that say to wait upon Him, while still expecting you to hear from Him totally reconcile. But it makes for a richer relationship 'cause it's soooo uplifting when you're "startled" with the Clarity or that Clear Word. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I'm personally actually questioning my sanity when I'm in that uncomfortable place of having to press in closer and closer and closer to hear Him with greater clarity 'cause I'm either very very faintly hearing something or just have an aggrivation in my spirit that He's trying to get through to me with something and I'm not catching His drift about something. Daily Bread and Cup with John chapters 6 and 10 and various other passages related to the covenant, the provisions, and His voice really really helps with developing a stable flow of hearing with clarity. Christians at all levels of maturity should be able to hear Him with equal clarity 'cause we're His kids. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the Sons of God. You've probably heard Him [quite a few] more times, B_T, than you think.
What scriptural evidence is there that in the new covenant a true direct voice of God will be something that God does?
I am not doubting that God uses our current physical understanding to communicate, and he does that through the holy spirit.
This to me is along the lines of people claiming to be taken directly to heaven or hell. You cannot really prove that it didn't happen because we are told "all" things are possible, but I doubt it because I think the fact that it cannot be disproven aides in the deception of it.
Quote from: B_T on August 08, 2008, 12:36:59 AM
Does God speak to you personally?
Actually, this is one of the things I cannot accept. Because I don't feel I'll be sane anymore if this happens to me. Thus this has never happened to me.
As for those of you who claim that God speaks to you - how do you know it's really God?
I know God speaks to me, and how I know it is really God is because of the fruit it delivers. I hear the voice of God many times, and though I am not always mature, it is godly advice.
At age 4, I met Jesus in person, whether in a vision or reality, he saved me from a sexual abuser.
At age 18, He humbled me when I thought I knew it all and needed a Church which could was speaking the truth. He visits me in person, whether in a vision or reality, he explains to me that I knew nothing at all and if I did want to know something, I had to know why, what and how, not just Who.
At age 20, He shows up in my car when I commit suicide. He gives me a choice live or die, and I go through a mini-scrooge moment where I saw the past, present and the future in consideration to if I die that night. I choose to live, seatbelt miraculously appears, car totalled, and I walk away with a scratch on my head which came when I got out of the car.
Age 24, My father tells me about Universal Salvation. Bothered that my father was going to hell after 20 years of sharing the gospel, I get mad at God and demand clarity to correct my father, so that he can understand hell is real and that many are lost. God puts me through a three day experience, first day the Bible has no life, Scripture doesn't speak the truth and is just a history book of the Hebrew Culture. Second day, the bible is violent, evil, and disgusting, as God torments and tortures people who do not listen to Him, God is seen as a selfish God who cares for none but those who fall in line even then He doesn't really care. Third day, Love covers all iniquity, what grief God causes He repays in lovingkindness, all are saved. God then shows up, whether in vision or person, I do not know, and tells me not to learn from anyone but Him for six months concerning Universal Salvation. By the end, I am a convinced biblical Christian Universalist.
Craig
The problem is that I fear God to speak to me not only because I fear about my sanity, but I also fear he will tell me things like: "Eternal torment is real" or he will give me a freaky vision of hell as the famous "23 minutes in hell". I have heard that during a sermon a whole group of people had the same vision about hell. I don't want this to happen to me.
Quote from: B_T on August 08, 2008, 10:52:38 AM
The problem is that I fear God to speak to me not only because I fear about my sanity, but I also fear he will tell me things like: "Eternal torment is real" or he will give me a freaky vision of hell as the famous "23 minutes in hell". I have heard that during a sermon a whole group of people had the same vision about hell. I don't want this to happen to me.
While you still have those fears of Hell, you're sorta already set up for something weird along the very lines of your fear coming to pass. Eternal Hell would never be true, so don't misunderstand me on that. But I mean about being told something weird by something weird and mistaking it for God. Right now, just focus on the Scriptures regarding the Universal Restoration until you've come to that place of peace and rest in your heavenly Father to where you know that He'll never hurt you. Sounds like a trust issue with Daddy, and like you never have yet entered into His rest. Don't feel beaten up or beaten down about that. Just go through the New Testament, perhaps a new copy with a highlighter, and highlight every promise you find of the Universal Restoration. Along the way you'll probably come up with new questions to research on the main Tentmaker.org website or to ask about at the boards. But it's important for you to see what the Bible says to you since that is the voice of your heavenly Father speaking to you. 2Peter chapter 1 calls the Scriptures a more sure Word of prophecy than an eye-witness encounter with Jesus Christ in all of His transfigured glory. So, find the promises of this grand restoration of all things that all of us have been talking about, in your own copy of the Bible, and just read those aloud over and over and over again until they quiet all of the fears, remove all of the doubts, reveal their wonderous depths to you, and renew your mind with the mind of Christ on the issue. There is no lasting peace in this world without the Scriptures. They're the source of a sound, stable mind and the power to live in the new life that Jesus Christ has given to you.