The Reason You are Told that God No Longer Speaks.

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,769
3,678
113
Your Bible is your idol. Everything that my “imagination” has spoken to me has been 100% verified in the Bible.
So which is greater...Scripture? or your imagination?
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
If you hear a spirit say something contradictory to Scripture, do you follow it?
That's how cults operate. They first empty your mind (from previous teachings) so they can fill it (with their garbage).
No thought has ever entered my head contradicting scripture during meditation. Are you comparing the process of renewing the mind by the Holy Spirit with a cult? Is that blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:10)?
 
Apr 9, 2020
136
30
28
God has always required obedience to His mandates. Prior to the written word His requirements were provided verbally. God is not limited. He even said that man is without excuse because nature speaks truth.

The thief on the cross was under the Old Testament. The New Testament did not begin until the Holy Ghost fell on the Day of Pentecost. Peter gave instructions that require everyone's obedience. It was he that Jesus gave the Keys (plural) of the Kingdom. (Acts 2:38-39)
My understanding is, that God makes us obedient when He regenerates us. I also believe there';s a very fine line between the "works gospel" and the "gospel of sovereign grace".
We can easily put the horse before the cart and conclude that we are saved by our obedience and works, but my understanding is that we obey and do good works because we are saved and not to be saved.
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,769
3,678
113
Why do you assume the sheep can’t hear the Shepherd?
Please answer the question...
"So which is greater...Scripture? or your imagination?"
If you have studied sheep you'll soon find their 'imagination' gets them in big trouble including ending up as 'wolf food'.
 
May 23, 2020
1,558
313
83
If you hear a spirit say something contradictory to Scripture, do you follow it?
That's how cults operate. They first empty your mind (from previous teachings) so they can fill it (with their garbage).
Crossnote, you are correct. The cults, Hinduism and probably othes encourage one to empty the mind. We are told to love God with our mind so it is the opposite of this to turn off the mind or empty it.

I have heard this advise though from Christian "worship leaders" and I think it is hindu mysticism creeping into Christian thought. Along with this comes visualizing what one wants. If you want the presence of the Lord just imagine you are before the throne and you will experience God. God doesn't even have to show up. You just imagine whatever you want and you will get the experience you want. I call it creeping Hinduism.
 
May 23, 2020
1,558
313
83
My understanding is, that God makes us obedient when He regenerates us.
IF God makes us obedient whether we want to be or not, how come there is still sin and sometimes pretty grevious sins in the church? How come we need preaching at all if God is doing this?
We can easily put the horse before the cart and conclude that we are saved by our obedience and works, but my understanding is that we obey and do good works because we are saved and not to be saved.
Those who obey the living God in real life have moved on beyond being concerned about salvation. They are after relationship.
 
Apr 9, 2020
136
30
28
The bible as well as the Holy Spirit is what will lead mankind in to all truth. (John 16:13) The Spirit will NEVER contradict the Word of God. The problem with denominations is that people only accept what they have personally experienced or what they want to obey. Many have decided that if they have not received what the bible depicts as necessary, such as the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, then there personal experience trumps God's word. They profess to be right regardless of what is clearly expressed in God's word. WRONG!

The ONE and only common salvation can be found by earnestly searching out what was delivered to the saints/disciples as recorded in the word itself:
"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

Jesus declared that the repentance and remission of sin would be preached in ALL NATIONS and would begin in Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47) What event directly parallels Jesus' words:

Beginning in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, Peter told those present that they had crucified their messiah, Jesus. Upon believing Peter's words they asked what was required of them. Hear his words, "Repent, and be baptized EVERYONE of you in the name of the Lord Jesus FOR the remission of sin, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He went on to say that the promise of receiving the Holy Ghost upon obedience was for AS MANY AS THEY LORD SHALL CALL. The message started in Jerusalem would be carried by disciples into ALL NATIONS. This is going on even unto today.

Many ascribe to the words of "church fathers," etc. Relying upon personal interpretations of human beings no different than you and I is foolish. If their understanding does not comply with the actual written word it is useless in determining truth.
It still comes down to which interpretation we hold to. Every denomination claims that they hold to the clear teaching of Scripture, but the sad reality is they all have different views which are very different.
I believe God saves people from all denominations, He doesn't hold them to account if they have been deceived by false doctrine. So I would never say that one is saved by possessing the correct interpretation.

Everyone's understanding and interpretation continues to evolve as the learn more. Even Bible scholars discover a new meaning to a verse they may have thought that they understood perfectly for many years.
We could easily spend our whole lives studying the Bible and there would still be so much to learn. So I don't believe that salvation has anything to do with a correct interpretation of scripture.

I believe salvation is all of the Lord, from start to finish and we can't add anything to His work.
 
May 23, 2020
1,558
313
83
No thought has ever entered my head contradicting scripture during meditation. Are you comparing the process of renewing the mind by the Holy Spirit with a cult? Is that blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:10)?
What do you meditate on or how do you meditate? And, how well do you know the Bible so that you would know if this occured?
 
Apr 9, 2020
136
30
28
IF God makes us obedient whether we want to be or not, how come there is still sin and sometimes pretty grevious sins in the church? How come we need preaching at all if God is doing this?
Those who obey the living God in real life have moved on beyond being concerned about salvation. They are after relationship.
We don't receive our perfect sinless bodies in this life, so we will continue to sin every day of our lives because we're still in our corrupt bodies. But we have been forgiven for all of our past, present and future sins.

I agree we still have grievous sin in the Church, but I don't believe that a saved person deliberately plans to sin. We fall into sin unwittingly, then repent and God is always faithful to forgive us.

There is no sin that God won't forgive, except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
 
May 23, 2020
1,558
313
83
We don't receive our perfect sinless bodies in this life, so we will continue to sin every day of our lives because we're still in our corrupt bodies. But we have been forgiven for all of our past, present and future sins.
How does this fit in with your understanding that God makes us obedient when He regenerates us? If future sins are already forgiven, how can God be regenerating us? God who is perfect is supposed to be doing the work of regenerating us in your view and yet you admit that we will continue to sin in the future. Is God unable to unwilling to regenerate us such that sin is not such an easy entered into choice?
I agree we still have grievous sin in the Church, but I don't believe that a saved person deliberately plans to sin. We fall into sin unwittingly, then repent and God is always faithful to forgive us.
.
If we merely fall into sin unwittingly, then it is not our fault. It was an accident right? Nothing to forgive.

I ask these questions because I think the idea that are automatically changed in our sleep as it were is not the biblical standard, not what happens in real life, and it leads to passively letting sin continue unabaited in our lives. We are not taught to struggle against sin but accept these wrongs we do to other people God has already forgiven so no big deal.

Do you feel the same about those who sin against you? That they are already forgiven before they did the wrong deed? Does it help you to tell yourself that they unwittingly did that wrong against you?
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
Please answer the question...
"So which is greater...Scripture? or your imagination?"
If you have studied sheep you'll soon find their 'imagination' gets them in big trouble including ending up as 'wolf food'.
Really, is there a sheep study that actually concludes that? I didn’t answer your question because my “imagination” is not my imagination. The answer was right in the phrase you quoted. If my “imagination” is 100% scripture based and scripture is 100% scripture based, which is greater? Why do you find it so hard to think God speaks to His children? How are we supposed to know where God sending us if He doesn’t tell us?
 
May 23, 2020
1,558
313
83
Really, is there a sheep study that actually concludes that? I didn’t answer your question because my “imagination” is not my imagination. The answer was right in the phrase you quoted. If my “imagination” is 100% scripture based and scripture is 100% scripture based, which is greater? Why do you find it so hard to think God speaks to His children? How are we supposed to know where God sending us if He doesn’t tell us?
How is your imagination not your imagination?
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
What do you meditate on or how do you meditate? And, how well do you know the Bible so that you would know if this occured?
I find peace and in that peace I open my mind to the Father and pray for wisdom in Jesus name. I just shut up and let the Spirit tell me what He wants to tell me. If I have a question He already knows. He explains everything to me. I chose the name Hungry because of my insatiable appetite for knowledge and wisdom. My chief desire is to know Him more each day.
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
How is your imagination not your imagination?
You have to go back. Somebody told me I didn’t hear God, I heard my imagination. I said if so then my “imagination” was 100% in line and accurate about things in scripture I hadn’t considered until told. So someone pursued that route.
 
May 23, 2020
1,558
313
83
I find peace and in that peace I open my mind to the Father and pray for wisdom in Jesus name. I just shut up and let the Spirit tell me what He wants to tell me. If I have a question He already knows. He explains everything to me. I chose the name Hungry because of my insatiable appetite for knowledge and wisdom. My chief desire is to know Him more each day.
I would suggest you memorize a piece of scripture and meditate on that instead. The other poster is right and simply opening up your mind is opening up the gates to your soul with no guard at the door. The mind is sent off elsewhere. There are other spirits that speak and they sound very peaceful and soothing.

I used to meditate on the scripture, that is, I memorized a chapter and thought about each word and I found it washed my mind and gave me insight. If you tell us that he tells you nothing that is not in the Bible, it means you have to have a thorough knowledge of the BIble to be able to know this. Only you would know this but if you do not know the Bible well from cover to cover, you would not know if what you hear/think is in line with the BIble or not.
 
May 23, 2020
1,558
313
83
You have to go back. Somebody told me I didn’t hear God, I heard my imagination. I said if so then my “imagination” was 100% in line and accurate about things in scripture I hadn’t considered until told. So someone pursued that route.
Are you saying that your imagination is 100% in line with the scripture all the time? Do you thoroughly know the scripture so you would know this?
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,502
2,707
113
I find peace and in that peace I open my mind to the Father and pray for wisdom in Jesus name. I just shut up and let the Spirit tell me what He wants to tell me. If I have a question He already knows. He explains everything to me. I chose the name Hungry because of my insatiable appetite for knowledge and wisdom. My chief desire is to know Him more each day.
That truly is a beautiful thing. I recall how when I was first saved I devoured his word like I had not eaten for weeks and the hunger you speak of is something I know very well, Father knows I am a hungry child XD
 

UnoiAmarah

Junior Member
Jul 28, 2017
908
142
43
But to preach healing without healing is a lie.
That's right, believing something is true doesn't mean it is true.

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; ..."
John 3:11

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

Acts 4:20

How can you prove healing for today without any healing?
God, being eternal, is the same yesterday, today and for ever, therefore to preach that the evidence proves that healing does not occur today only fills in the blanks for whether anyone was healed in the past or will be healed in the future since there is no variableness nor shadow of turning in the eternal God