Why do Christians think God talks with them?

[Josiah]

CATHOLIC:

The RCC teaches that revelation of DOCTRINE ended with the death of the last Apostle (around 100 AD), so there is no more "revealed doctrine". IF God "speaks" to anyone, it's not to reveal any doctrine or anything "new." Protestants tend to agree. Mormons as well as cults generally, fundamentally (and passionately) disagree. Visions, etc. may (very, very rarely) continue - but no "message" at any variance with the Apostolic Faith can be genuine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_apparition

God especially and infallibly leads just one - the RC Denomination (insists the RC Denomination for it itself exclusively and individually), so God only "speaks" to it itself in any authoritative sense. This is not to reveal NEW things but to continue to teach the Apostolic Faith (as Jesus promised that the RC Denomination specifically and exclusively and infallibily would be taught and lead by God). God MAY speak to you, but such would be irrelevant since God ONLY authoritatively speaks to ME insists the RC Denomination itself for it itself.



PROTESTANT:


"First Wave" Protestantism (Luther, Calvin, developed Anglicanism) generally were very cautious of the whole claim of: "God Told ME - Just Little 'Ole Me - And Told ME _________." And stressed even more than the RC Denomination that God's revelation ended with the Apostles (around 100 AD); they stressed that God's "message" is corporate (to all humanity) and written (in the inerrant, written Scriptures of God to US).

Some forms of later Protestantism stressed emotionalism and continuing revelation (although rarely of dogma, per se). God speaking to SELF (as determined by self) tended to be equal to Scripture. Such SHOULD be very embracing and excited by St. Bernadette of Lourdes (etc.) but ironically aren't. Today, we'll find some Protestants (a very small minority) stressing quite foundationally "God told ME" this or that - at times something quite new or quite at variance with apostolic, orthodox, traditional Christian teachings, but this is not characteristic of Protestantism in general.



Pax Christi


- Josiah



.

 

[Imalive]

Possibly. I would put it differently and say that some people believe what they want to believe.

Several of the posters on this thread have, in fact, said almost exactly that--It was wonderful to contemplate, brought me closer to God, or strengthened by faith, so...I'm gonna believe it was a miracle!

They are entitled to do that, of course, so long as it doesn't involve a heresy; but when they follow it up by insisting that there is something wrong with anyone else who doesn't agree with them, the routine becomes less defensible.

Some? Some are entitled to believe it wasnt God when it was. no problem lol.

 

[Albion]

Ah, yes, the ol "Agree with me or else you are not on the side of God" response.

 

[Josiah]

Ah, yes, the ol "Agree with me or else you are not on the side of God" response.

Thus my pov: it's fundamentally an accountability evasion.

 

[Albion]

Thus my pov: it's fundamentally an accountability evasion.

You mean:

I think individual persons, churches, denominations, cults, etc. tend to do this to evade accountability. "God only (or especially) leads ME!" (with "me" being that individual person, church, denomination or cult). "God told ME (just little ole special ME) and now I'm insisting that I'm the Mouth of God and I'm telling you - thank me very much." It's a pretty big red flag or me.....

Yes. I just think it's that and more.

 

[Imalive]

Ah, yes, the ol "Agree with me or else you are not on the side of God" response.

Lol no just the same response back, like ping pong.

 

[Imalive]

You mean:



Yes. I just think it's that and more.

I agree. That is except when He speaks to ME. Then you must all pay attention. That's serious business.

 

[psalms 91]

I see this thread is alive and well so why do you seem to need to come to a thread set up to avoid this negativity and snide remarlks towards those who do believe? Is it that you really want attention and once we all leave this thread you cant get it?

 

[MennoSota]

CATHOLIC:

The RCC teaches that revelation of DOCTRINE ended with the death of the last Apostle (around 100 AD), so there is no more "revealed doctrine". IF God "speaks" to anyone, it's not to reveal any doctrine or anything "new." Protestants tend to agree. Mormons as well as cults generally, fundamentally (and passionately) disagree. Visions, etc. may (very, very rarely) continue - but no "message" at any variance with the Apostolic Faith can be genuine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_apparition

God especially and infallibly leads just one - the RC Denomination (insists the RC Denomination for it itself exclusively and individually), so God only "speaks" to it itself in any authoritative sense. This is not to reveal NEW things but to continue to teach the Apostolic Faith (as Jesus promised that the RC Denomination specifically and exclusively and infallibily would be taught and lead by God). God MAY speak to you, but such would be irrelevant since God ONLY authoritatively speaks to ME insists the RC Denomination itself for it itself.



PROTESTANT:


"First Wave" Protestantism (Luther, Calvin, developed Anglicanism) generally were very cautious of the whole claim of: "God Told ME - Just Little 'Ole Me - And Told ME _________." And stressed even more than the RC Denomination that God's revelation ended with the Apostles (around 100 AD); they stressed that God's "message" is corporate (to all humanity) and written (in the inerrant, written Scriptures of God to US).

Some forms of later Protestantism stressed emotionalism and continuing revelation (although rarely of dogma, per se). God speaking to SELF (as determined by self) tended to be equal to Scripture. Such SHOULD be very embracing and excited by St. Bernadette of Lourdes (etc.) but ironically aren't. Today, we'll find some Protestants (a very small minority) stressing quite foundationally "God told ME" this or that - at times something quite new or quite at variance with apostolic, orthodox, traditional Christian teachings, but this is not characteristic of Protestantism in general.



Pax Christi


- Josiah



.

Unfortunately there is a long history of the RC adding to the teaching of the Bible. If not, then the RC would be in agreement with Sola Scriptura.

This thread seeks to understand how Christians connect the scriptures to their belief that God spoke to them. So far we have one person who brought up the gift of prophecy as being relevant to today when he shared 1 Corinthians 13 and 14. That was what I was looking for. Is there biblical text to support the claim?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Catholics rarely claim that God spoke to them and if they make such a claim they can expect their bishop and local priest to test their claims. The Story of saint Bernadette is instructive in this matter, though it took place 150 years ago. Today I imagine Charismatic Catholics are as likely as their protestant Pentecostal and Charismatic counterparts to claim that they have heard God or angels speak and yet not be seriously questioned as to the authenticity of their claims.

 

[Imalive]

Lol in one church I came years ago you had all these ppl who during the service gave a prophecy or something and some were just nice and to build up your faith, Jesus loves you, that sort of thing, but LOL one woman had such mean nasty 'Words of the Lord' and everyone could sense immediately that this surely wasn't from God but now it had already been spoken to everyone. So after a few encounters w these sort of mainly women my ex in our church if one came enthousiastically telling they had a Word from God for everyone, he'd say: Great!! Write it down, give it to me after the service. LOL.

 

[Imalive]

Oh lol and you also had the hallway prophets.
Church was finished, time for coffee, a man comes up to me, he got a Word from God for me during the service but he wasn't to say it out loud, no why would you let ppl test it, just give it during the coffee. God told him I was Goldilocks.
:;-D:
Maybe he was one of the bears.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B_XuPXGMpLA

 

[MoreCoffee]

In the Assembly of God meeting that I attended in the past it was common to have one or two people speak out loudly (either standing or sitting) to say something innocuous. They spoke in King James style and said things like "The Lord is with thee to bless thee and make thy seed to grow and thou shalt become a great beacon in the land and many shall be saved because of thy witnesses, amen and amen." Which is more or less consistent with the bible in a vague sort of way. But one thing always struck me as odd in these "words from God". They were apparently addressed to the congregation as a whole and in conversation after the meeting the speaker (who was well known to me) would explain it as a message for the whole church yet the King James style English was all in the singular. The speaker may not have realised that "thee, thy, and thou" are all singular forms intended for personal address one person to another and that "ye, you, your" are the plural forms that ought to be used when addressing many people at one time. And another odd thing was present in the words. The promise of being a "great beacon" and "many shall be saved" never happened. The meeting had around 500 people when those words were said and less than a decade later it was down to 200 and now the same group - having moved to larger premises - is down to 120 and they are struggling to pay their debts so they have taken Government money to run day-care for elderly people whose carers need "respite care" for the ones they are caring for.

If the words are tested by their fruit - did they "come to pass" as the prophet Moses taught - then they were not from God despite the use of King James style English.

 

[Imalive]

In the Assembly of God meeting that I attended in the past it was common to have one or two people speak out loudly (either standing or sitting) to say something innocuous. They spoke in King James style and said things like "The Lord is with thee to bless thee and make thy seed to grow and thou shalt become a great beacon in the land and many shall be saved because of thy witnesses, amen and amen." Which is more or less consistent with the bible in a vague sort of way. But one thing always struck me as odd in these "words from God". They were apparently addressed to the congregation as a whole and in conversation after the meeting the speaker (who was well known to me) would explain it as a message for the whole church yet the King James style English was all in the singular. The speaker may not have realised that "thee, thy, and thou" are all singular forms intended for personal address one person to another and that "ye, you, your" are the plural forms that ought to be used when addressing many people at one time. And another odd thing was present in the words. The promise of being a "great beacon" and "many shall be saved" never happened. The meeting had around 500 people when those words were said and less than a decade later it was down to 200 and now the same group - having moved to larger premises - is down to 120 and they are struggling to pay their debts so they have taken Government money to run day-care for elderly people whose carers need "respite care" for the ones they are caring for.

If the words are tested by their fruit - did they "come to pass" as the prophet Moses taught - then they were not from God despite the use of King James style English.

Have some patience MoreCoffee. The Lord first said the revival was in 97 2000 2001 2007 2012 oh my always these 'this year whole Holland will be saved' prophecies and then if it didnt happen they didnt say oops sorry guess I made that up myself, no, it was a personal revival from 3 ppl. That's what the Lord meant w it.
They taught us to never say 'thus sayeth the Lord', but: I believe God is laying this and that on my heart'.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Have some patience MoreCoffee. The Lord first said the revival was in 97 2000 2001 2007 2012 oh my always these 'this year whole Holland will be saved' prophecies and then if it didnt happen they didnt say oops sorry guess I made that up myself, no, it was a personal revival from 3 ppl. That's what the Lord meant w it.
They taught us to never say 'thus sayeth the Lord', but: I believe God is laying this and that on my heart'.

Yes, they prefer "the Lord told me" to "Thus spake the Lord" or "The word of the Lord to thee is ..." that way it is vague and can be dismissed without any effort because it is "just how that person felt at that time" and "not a prophecy". The thing is that the claim is constantly made that the gifts are present in their meetings today and those "prophecies" and people "speaking in tongues" along with "healing" are the proofs they bring forth when questioned. Yet the prophecies fail time and time again and the "speaking in tongues" really is just gibberish and nearly all the "healing" is not healing.

 

[Imalive]

Yes, they prefer "the Lord told me" to "Thus spake the Lord" or "The word of the Lord to thee is ..." that way it is vague and can be dismissed without any effort because it is "just how that person felt at that time" and "not a prophecy". The thing is that the claim is constantly made that the gifts are present in their meetings today and those "prophecies" and people "speaking in tongues" along with "healing" are the proofs they bring forth when questioned. Yet the prophecies fail time and time again and the "speaking in tongues" really is just gibberish and nearly all the "healing" is not healing.

I don't know. There are some weird churches out there. I read on internet that one guy tested tongues from ppl and 90 percent of the ppl he did that to (they went for counselling) it was either demonic or made up. I was like: eeww. That's why I tested it too. People are not taught to test anything. Or they make fun of the 'religious devils' who want to test stuff.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I don't know. There are some weird churches out there. I read on internet that one guy tested tongues from ppl and 90 percent of the ppl he did that to (they went for counselling) it was either demonic or made up. I was like: eeww. That's why I tested it too. People are not taught to test anything. Or they make fun of the 'religious devils' who want to test stuff.

The holy scriptures urge Christians to "test the spirits" because many "false prophets have gone out into the world". With that advice given to the disciples of the Apostles of Christ it is very dangerous for people 2,000 years later to dismiss it and accept any old thing that is claimed just as long and the people claiming it say it is a word from God and say that they want to praise Jesus.

 

[YESLORDIWILL]

In the Assembly of God meeting that I attended in the past it was common to have one or two people speak out loudly (either standing or sitting) to say something innocuous. They spoke in King James style and said things like "The Lord is with thee to bless thee and make thy seed to grow and thou shalt become a great beacon in the land and many shall be saved because of thy witnesses, amen and amen." Which is more or less consistent with the bible in a vague sort of way. But one thing always struck me as odd in these "words from God". They were apparently addressed to the congregation as a whole and in conversation after the meeting the speaker (who was well known to me) would explain it as a message for the whole church yet the King James style English was all in the singular. The speaker may not have realised that "thee, thy, and thou" are all singular forms intended for personal address one person to another and that "ye, you, your" are the plural forms that ought to be used when addressing many people at one time. And another odd thing was present in the words. The promise of being a "great beacon" and "many shall be saved" never happened. The meeting had around 500 people when those words were said and less than a decade later it was down to 200 and now the same group - having moved to larger premises - is down to 120 and they are struggling to pay their debts so they have taken Government money to run day-care for elderly people whose carers need "respite care" for the ones they are caring for.

If the words are tested by their fruit - did they "come to pass" as the prophet Moses taught - then they were not from God despite the use of King James style English.

Are we still awaiting some biblical prophecies to "come to pass" more than 2000 years later?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Are we still awaiting some biblical prophecies to "come to pass" more than 2000 years later?

Some say so, I am not so sure

 

[MennoSota]

Catholics rarely claim that God spoke to them and if they make such a claim they can expect their bishop and local priest to test their claims. The Story of saint Bernadette is instructive in this matter, though it took place 150 years ago. Today I imagine Charismatic Catholics are as likely as their protestant Pentecostal and Charismatic counterparts to claim that they have heard God or angels speak and yet not be seriously questioned as to the authenticity of their claims.

MoreCoffee, you bring up a new topic worth discussion, which is the vast spectrum of interpretation and experience within the RC.
I have met extremely mystical Roman Catholics who dabble in occult activities, bringing in pagan beliefs to their Cathilocism. One person had a magazine in which he learned various incantations he incorporated into his Catholic traditions. Another came from an indigenous tribe where she mixed her tribal traditional teachings with Rome to create a hybrid spirituality. It is fascinating to me to see such variation in the RC. It's like looking at all the Protestant denominations thrown into a stew, mixed up, and called Catholicism. I would certainly be interested in understanding that dynamic within the RC.