Comments on: Hearing God’s Voice http://henrysthreads.com/2007/03/hearing-gods-voice/ Thoughts on Religion in the World from a passionate, moderate, liberal charismatic Christian Tue, 15 May 2012 14:29:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Threads from Henry’s Web » Blog Archive » Hearing God’s Voice Redux http://henrysthreads.com/2007/03/hearing-gods-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-30408 Threads from Henry’s Web » Blog Archive » Hearing God’s Voice Redux Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:13:34 +0000 http://www.energionpubs.com/wordpress/?p=638#comment-30408 [...] Methodist Blogroll « Hearing God’s Voice [...] [...] Methodist Blogroll « Hearing God’s Voice [...]

]]> By: Henry Neufeld http://henrysthreads.com/2007/03/hearing-gods-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-30299 Henry Neufeld Sun, 25 Mar 2007 03:12:46 +0000 http://www.energionpubs.com/wordpress/?p=638#comment-30299 Bob, I agree substantially with what you are saying here. I resonate with the experience of hearing God's voice in and through scripture. The problem that I see is that quite frequently people who have no knowledge of or patience with the Bible itself claim to learn all kinds of new things through direct revelation. My own experience in hearing the voice of God through scripture resonates fully with the words that Piper wrote. I do not, however, intend to deny that God can and will speak in other venues and of other topics. Bob, I agree substantially with what you are saying here. I resonate with the experience of hearing God’s voice in and through scripture. The problem that I see is that quite frequently people who have no knowledge of or patience with the Bible itself claim to learn all kinds of new things through direct revelation.

My own experience in hearing the voice of God through scripture resonates fully with the words that Piper wrote. I do not, however, intend to deny that God can and will speak in other venues and of other topics.

]]> By: Bob MacDonald http://henrysthreads.com/2007/03/hearing-gods-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-30222 Bob MacDonald Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:50:24 +0000 http://www.energionpubs.com/wordpress/?p=638#comment-30222 Henry, on that site, the pastor wrote: "Something is incredibly wrong when the words we hear outside Scripture are more powerful and more affecting to us than the inspired word of God." I think that we need to be aware of both auto-suggestion and doctrinal bias. If the gentiles have the law written in their hearts (Romans) then though a person's joy may be great as God shows that person wonderful things out of the Law, that same person's bias towards only hearing Biblical words has to be humbled. The last time my God spoke to me in a form of direct words, he said "We don't do things that way". I loved the communication because although I could have made it up I probably wouldn't have. I was miserable, and the reproof strengthened me - it was chesed, loving kindness, in the shape of a reproof (BDB allows this as a rare translation and later it informed my translation of Psalm 23). I agree that the presence of the Lord in his word is wonderful, but he is also present in additional surprising ways in word and deed - known and unknown, perceived and not perceived. We do not have to think like a pastor or a scholar or know the authority structure of a religion to hear and know God. I learned what I have learned about presence through the death of Jesus for me and in me by faith - so I am a Christian, but such experience is not confined to that tradition. Henry, on that site, the pastor wrote: “Something is incredibly wrong when the words we hear outside Scripture are more powerful and more affecting to us than the inspired word of God.”
I think that we need to be aware of both auto-suggestion and doctrinal bias. If the gentiles have the law written in their hearts (Romans) then though a person’s joy may be great as God shows that person wonderful things out of the Law, that same person’s bias towards only hearing Biblical words has to be humbled. The last time my God spoke to me in a form of direct words, he said “We don’t do things that way”. I loved the communication because although I could have made it up I probably wouldn’t have. I was miserable, and the reproof strengthened me – it was chesed, loving kindness, in the shape of a reproof (BDB allows this as a rare translation and later it informed my translation of Psalm 23). I agree that the presence of the Lord in his word is wonderful, but he is also present in additional surprising ways in word and deed – known and unknown, perceived and not perceived. We do not have to think like a pastor or a scholar or know the authority structure of a religion to hear and know God. I learned what I have learned about presence through the death of Jesus for me and in me by faith – so I am a Christian, but such experience is not confined to that tradition.

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