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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Hearing God Part 2

Many Spirit-led believers get "impressions" or hunches from the Holy Spirit, but some actually quote "their God" verbatim, for instance, "Turn right at the next intersection!" One can be in a near death experience and explain how God saved him. They don't seem to be mentally ill, but I wouldn't rule out hearing voices like a schizophrenic person claims. I don't believe his experiences make him any better of a Christian and that this is highly unusual and not the norm. Our experiences are not the measure of our maturity, but our obedience is.

Some claim to have been "slain in the Spirit" (like falling backward in the power of the Holy Spirit). So they are really into having experiences and talking about them.

I don't think they claim to be prophets with divine revelation, just that God speaks to them with an audible voice on occasion with messages that have no doctrinal relevance. I don't buy into everything so-called self-proclaimed prophets say. Samuel, the founder of the school of the prophets, was the first "prophet" who talked with God as did Moses and Joshua and Gideon and the prophet Nathan relayed messages to David, the man after God's own heart, who was God's anointed, had great faith and also heard audibly from God on occasion.  Soli Deo Gloria!

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