Examples Of Flaky Brethren

Let us refer to communication from God rather than hearing from God because God treats us all as individuals and in a unique way, but the primary means is the Word of God. ("He revealed Himself to Samuel through the Word..," says 1 Sam. 3:21).

It is my observation that the believer who depends on external means, circumstances, or signs to get a word from God has not yet learned to attend to the Word of God, which is paramount. Who would call Augustine weird because he said that he heard God through the voice of a child--we know what he means. However, there are ways God speaks to everyone including the conscience and getting convictions; but the conscience is not always right--we should, nevertheless, heed its voice [Remember Jiminy Cricket telling us to always let our conscience be our guide. This is good advice if we are like Martin Luther saying, "My conscience is captive to the Word of God, to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.]

When God is speaking: We can quote Him verbatim--it is only in using a broad definition of the phrase (i.e., loosely speaking) that God speaks to us circumstantially and by means other than the Scriptures as a rule of thumb. The key is confirmation or verification. "For whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, to him it is sin" (cf. James 4:17). ("He carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers," says Isa. 44:26--Cf. Jer. 1:12 and Isa. 55:11).

I know of a sincere believer who tells me he is a prophet, yet I've never heard him prophesy so I can judge his spirit, to see if it is of God--we must test the spirits. I heard the story of a believer that was thinking of doing missions in Mexico and he claimed God was calling him there. God always verifies and confirms His Word. For instance, what if his friend had approached him and asserted: "Friend, I think God wants you to do missions in Mexico!" There are no coincidences with God and one would have to strongly believe God is calling him. Some believers go by hunches or premonitions (even nonbelievers get these) and they can become so mystical that they get many private messages from God that no one else seems to get. Remember that God does speak through His Word and expects us to make that our number one source of information and direction or leading. I do not believe that just because we have the written Word that God has retired dreams, visions or audible transmissions, but this is the exception to the rule and we are to be skeptical. I am purely going by personal experience in this manner from my encounters with Pentecostal brethren. Remember, there is a difference between what God can do and what He does do.

God plays no favorites and someone is not God's buddy that God should treat him special. "God is no respecter of persons." In my experience, due to a number of memorized verses, God speaks to me by the recollection of passage and this is legitimate. Sometimes it seems that God speaks through me when I preach or teach or write, but I would not be dogmatic on this, but God can do this. Believers today have become spiritually hard-of-hearing and need to open up to what God is saying: "Let him that has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches...." I have heard of people claiming an existential experience form secular writing ("Oh, I got goosebumps or the chills!") and claim it is God--what it does prove is that you are human.

Indeed, the Mormons claim they get a burning in the bosom from their Scriptures and this is proof it is from God. They are elevating experience above teaching. God couldn't be speaking to them something contrary to the Word, which they claim their books supersede. Some Christians have indeed gone off the deep end and believe in things contravened by sound doctrine unbeknownst to them, just because of their experience. Satan is able to counterfeit almost any spiritual experience and can lead one astray if he is not anchored in the Word and in fellowship with other believers.

Because God has promised to speak through His Word primarily, doesn't preclude the fact that He still does speak audibly on occasion--we are just not to expect is as normative.  
   Soli Deo Gloria!

Hearing God's Voice

I think some Christians are awful mystical and seem to think that they hear God talking to them when they are really mentally ill and need medications. I know of patients who take medications, and it sure seems to cure them. I don't doubt that there are legitimate prophets who are spiritual giants but this is not the norm. The normative way for God to speak to us is through the Word of God. We hear the still, small voice that is the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice...." We may get impressions, hunches, or something may strike us as odd or providential; in the final analysis, God speaks to all Christians in some way, but let's be careful not to get too mystical or open ourselves up to the demonic activity.  Soli Deo Gloria!

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!

Hearing God Part 1

Hearing God through the Word of God, I believe is the main way God speaks today. But I know of one that many times says, "God said to me..." and so forth, quoting him verbatim just like you would hear a voice as clear as any one's. I know that the Bible says not to compare yourself with other believers and this is unwise (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12), but sometimes it seems like we are missing something or not doing something right. It is obviously no measure of maturity to hear God's voice audibly, I recall the words of John that quoted Jesus as saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed ...."  God is impressed with faith, not experience.

Those who have had strange experiences like to brag about them. Col. 2:18 warns against the mysticism of this sort. Many similar cases are mystical or mentally ill, like so many in the asylums who claim to hear "voices."

I guess it could be said, "To whom much is given, much is required." God says, to my heart, "My grace is sufficient for you...." Jack Hayford, a missiologically-oriented teacher (and spiritual warfare specialist to boot) claims to hear from God audibly from time to time.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Voice of God

I think that some Christians are mystical and think they are hearing God when they are mentally ill, or hearing spirits or voices from within, usually medications will relieve this phenomenon. There are some so-called "prophets" who are "in touch" with God in a special way, and to hear from God and can speak "prophetic utterances"; however, this is rare and not the norm.

The normative way for God to speak is through His Word. "In these last days He has spoken to us through His Son" (cf. Hebrews 1:2). Let us not be skeptics, though, and find ourselves opposing God. Even the Pharisees who opposed the apostles said that may be a spirit or an angel had spoken to Paul. Hearing God's voice doesn't necessarily mean superiority, but possibly being a prophet, as David heard God's voice audibly on occasion, but relied on Nathan the prophet.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Mountaintop Experiences?

Do all Christians have encounters with God or do all just experience God? The holiness movement was known for believers being "slain in the Spirit," but this is not the norm. Truly, one would not assert the Billy Graham doesn't have the Spirit or doesn't experience God. We are not to compare our gifts or experiences according to 2 Cor. 10:12. No matter how great an experience you have in the Lord, you cannot walk in the "glow" of the encounter for the rest of your life (you will always need spiritual check-ups).

No matter how much surrender you may do, it is still a moment-by-moment and day-by-day experience and discipline. Like Joshua who "wholly followed the Lord." One mental illness is called bipolar affected, or what used to be called manic-depressive. What goes up, must come down! They were known as "moody" persons who were up and down unpredictably. There are some famous people who have this illness, and it can successfully be treated so that it is not as debilitating as it once was. There are some Christians who have had mountaintop experiences that are just labeled as bipolar.

The Spirit is given without measure so one cannot say that he has more of the Spirit; one can say that he is more yielded, though. Not all believers have unusual experiences to increase their faith, but just like Jesus said to Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen," so, blessed are those who don't need bizarre experiences to rest their faith on, which is wrong, too. Our faith should always be in Christ and we shouldn't test our doctrines by our experiences, but our experiences on the doctrines of the Bible. In summary, mountaintop experiences are no measure of maturity in Christ according to Oswald Chambers ecstasies are no measure of maturity.

When our faith gets mature God expects us to rely less on feeling, though feeling will be there. The order is FACT, FAITH, FEELING. Faith must have an object to be valid, and feelings may or may not always be there. It is not the amount of faith, but that the faith is genuine and sincere.  A word to the wise:  Obedience, not experience or ecstasy is the measure of maturity and God's favor.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Voice Of God

I know of a missionary who heard God say out of the blue, "Go to Mexico!" He wasn't hesitant, but obedient to the heavenly calling and went directly to Mexico without further ado. I believe prophecy is a bona fide spiritual gift and God tells "prophets" messages of exhortation (in agreement with Scripture) to the local church and for edifying of the body. Many Christians claim to be "in touch" with God audibly in the sense of even hearing His voice on occasion, and they seem to have no doubt that it is Him speaking. They are not just having a "hunch" or "getting an impression," but can quote God verbatim (if they can't quote God verbatim something is wrong!).

As for most of us, we have to rely on getting an occasion goose bump or "Aha!" moment in the Word to feel or sense His guidance. God has given us this 6th sense known as faith. David was "a man after God's own heart" who heard God's voice but also depended on the prophet Nathan and others to give him messages from the Lord, and yet he is not any less of a man of God. When God speaks directly to an individual that isn't necessarily meant to be a new revelation or prophecy, it is called "personal address" by theologians.  Though we have the Holy Writ, this doesn't preclude God's audible voice today.

But when Christians rely on hunches or inner voices it gives rise to "fanaticism," as portrayed by Hannah Whitall Smith, the commonsensical Quaker writer. Even though God can speak through the air vents, it is better to seek His voice in His Word.   Soli Deo Gloria!