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| "What people actually mean when they say, 'God told me...' " |
I decided to devote an entire post to the claim I consider the biggest credibility bomb of them all. If you really want to lose every shred you've got, simply say "the Lord told me...," followed by anything not written in scripture. We are living in times when the claim of extra-biblical revelation makes every Joe Schmo a prophet. Even among Southern Baptists, who used to be clear about these things, there's been a charismatic infection of celebrity authors who claim they can train you to hear the mumblings of God if you listen very carefully... very, very, very, carefully. Not hearing anything? Guess you'll have to buy the book, bible study or video series. One thing is sure, it won't come cheap! Duh.
Why do you suppose folks want to claim divine authority for their feelings and hunches? Is it possible that they have completely mastered the entire content of the Bible and just need a little supplementary material? In the words of Carnak the Magnificent: Manipulative, Delusional, Deceived. And the question is: (Oh, come on... I'll bet you can supply the question.)
Yah, sure, you betcha.
ReplyDelete~the Iowegian
so I'm guessin you don't believe the devil "MADE" me, do all those unspeakable thing either.
ReplyDeleteNope, not exactly. James tells me that I'm tempted and enticed by my own desires. They conceive and give birth to sin which brings forth death.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Anonymous. I appreciate your visit and input.
Great post! You are right. The Lord has revealed as much of His will in His Word as He has chosen, but He does not speak to anyone today. Revelation has ceased.
ReplyDeleteIf you really want to lose every shred you've got, simply say "the Lord told me...," followed by anything not written in scripture.
ReplyDeleteAmen and Amen!! :-)
Is this post in reference to me??????? Or is it just concidence that it was after our lunch............. When I said God told Randy he had to marry me it was in fact straight from the Bible. I had a charismatic aunt that believed she was a prophet and she lost all credibilty - But I'm still a bit confused?
ReplyDeleteYou aren't suggesting that in your relationship with the Lord you are the only one that's talking, right? Seriously, the Holy Spirit moves in me always and that includes hunches and feelings because trust me without Him I am really not a very nice person. Help me out here - it can't be that literal!
No Bar, I had this post in mind when I began this series on the loss of credibility. I know what most of us mean when we say, "God told me." We usually mean the equivalent of "as it is written..." Certainly, when we act in obedience to God's word, in a sense we can say, "God said." That's what I mean in this: "the Lord told me...," followed by anything not written in scripture.
ReplyDeleteAs for the second point you raise... Yes, that is what I'm suggesting. There's nothing wrong with hunches and feelings, they just aren't God breathed. Think about all the times you've had a feeling that turned out to be wrong. It's easy to say "Oh, that one wasn't from God," but therein lies the problem, right?
I'm going to e-mail you with a link to check out. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
thanks for clarifying - we can definetly get into trouble doing "good" things that aren't God things. Discernment is something we all pray for -
ReplyDelete