[SeekAndFind]

How do you argue with God?

What do you say when someone says, God told me to do it?”

I have the same reaction to a man’s “God told me to do it,” as I do to the man who says, “The devil made me do it.” Way down deep something tells me that, whether God or devil, it was the man’s own desires that had a lot to do with it.

I certainly don’t want to second guess God. But neither do I want to give the first guess to a blinded believer. Am I fighting God if I question the man’s claim? Must I get behind him and his project simply and solely because he says God told him to do it? Is his claim my last court of appeal?

A man who flatly says, “God told me to do it,” may be absolutely right. However, the possibility is there that he could be absolutely wrong. He could be “using” God to con me into cooperation. Or, to be more charitable, he could be seeking reinforcement for his conviction because of an uncertainty that nags at him in his own heart. So, by emphatically stating that “God told me to do it,” he “signs” God’s signature to his own idea, and puts me in a position of challenging God!

[sparklite2]

Jeez, you wanna put televangelists out of work?

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Ouch!

[humblegunner]

I talked to Him this morning and He told me that Josh Bruce is a bonehead.

[robroys woman]

I was in a southern gospel band here in central KY for about two years. We played at a lot of those small churches, mostly baptist.

I heard so much unmitigated crap coming from those “lay-prachers” that I had finally had it one day and challenged what he was saying, though very discretely.

The problem is that this was the culture of the rest of the band - listening to preachers yell for a half hour without really focusing on any partucular message, with one of the elders occasionally yelling, “preach it, brother.”

So I was fired from the band. They only kept me in as long as they did because I’m a pretty good bass player and they nicknamed me “The Professor” because I seemed to know a lot of stuff they didn’t know. They already knew I was challenged by a lot of what I was hearing and they knew I was about to blow. And none of them would even listen to what I was trying to say. Not one. i.e. they were part of that culture.

It’s sad that a person can say almost anything from a pulpit and people will just believe it because, well, it’s coming from “God’s house”.

/rant

[ETL]

YouTube: "Percy Sutton [Malcom X's Lawyer] Says Barack Obama Knows And Was Financed By The Racist Radical Muslim And Saudi Advisor Dr. Khalid Al-Mansour, Part II"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIVO8MZYXo8
________________________________________________________

From a special edition of Hannity's America, October 5, 2008
Episode title: "Obama & Friends: History of Radicalism"
YouTube: "Another Obama Mentor [Khalid Abdullah Tariq al-Mansour] Caught Ranting Against Whitey":

“whatever you do to [white people], they deserve it, God wants you to do it and that’s when you cut out the nose, cut out the ears, take flesh out of their body, don’t worry because God wants you to do it.”

[livius]

I hope this isn’t a caucus thread, and if it is, please accept my apologies and delete my post.

But I feel exactly the same way. Hillary Clinton is now saying God told her to do [fill in the blank]. I’m a Catholic, and our heretic Marxist atheist pope is now saying God told him to [fill in the blank].

[real saxophonist]

There was a time when ‘God told me’ I wasn’t done doing something when I thought I was. So I kept on. It wasn’t nearly as simple as it sounds.

[cyclotic]

I can see his point and agree strongly. Whenever I hear someone say “God told me” I pretty much know that what’s coming next will disagree with Scripture, as in, this person got some special “word” from God allowing them to engage in what the rest of us call sin.

[txrefugee]

Revelation 22:18
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.

[Obadiah]

Funny you should post this. I have been having some real concerns about people, mostly those connected with prophesy, who repeatedly say this phrase. Here’s the very serious problem.

First, it conspicuously sets the preacher in the position that God exclusively talks to him, or at least gives that person special information that others are not privy to. This suggests the preacher is on another plain and is to be viewed as such. This is a pride issue, attracting attention to the supposed messenger rather than the message.

Second, it tacitly tells listeners that they cannot hear from God the way THIS preacher hears from God. While all gifts are certainly different, God can and will speak to everyone who calls upon His name.

I am disturbed by seeing this trend more and more.

[Gamecock]

“God doesn’t want me to be unhappy.”
“God told me to (insert some violation of clear Scriptural teaching).”

It goes on and on.

[greatvikingone]

Poppycock. God speaks to us in many ways. If you say “God told me” but He didn’t, then you have a problem.

[Bellflower]

In Scripture you will be finding God giving Paul individual directions as where to go. This was God communicating with Paul so that he would know where to go, not unchanging doctrine, which He often communicated with Paul about. Those who believe like you do haven't realized that God's Word is meant to live off the pages of The Bible. The Bible gives us absolute truth that we must live by. It is full of examples of those who have personal communication with The LORD, always on His terms, and meant to show us what is possible with God.

The Bible is an introduction into a living relationship with the living LORD. A relationship isn't one way, it's two ways. God does communicate to His children. What loving Father doesn't? He will never say or communicate to His children anything that contradicts Scripture. He will say things that are in Scripture, as well as give personal instruction and encouragement.

It is so much easier to live a sanitized, impersonal faith. Nothing ventured, nothing lost. One doesn't run the risk of looking foolish. One doesn't need to be responsible for anything that isn't naturally explainable. One can keep their reputation of being a spiritual leader and not need to produce anything out of the ordinary. Things are all very predictable and very safe. You think that you have Almighty God neatly packed into a little box that you can store under your bed.

Many today who say they hear from God likely do not. They think that their emotions are God. Maybe they have heard from a lying spirit posing as God. This happened many times in the Old Testament, with false prophets giving false words from God. The fact that there were many, many false prophets did not change the fact that there were real prophets. As Christians we are responsible to try the spirits to see what source they really come from, not live a life denying that God does communicate with His beloved children.

[AndyTheBear]

While I share the annoyance you expressed when I see televangelists who worship donations rather than God claim words from God to back their line of bull. I must take issue with you finding a contradiction between the authority of scripture and the possibility of a real revelation in modern times.

There were both true and false prophets in Biblical times, and I see no particular reason to doubt that the same situation exists today.

The Bible, is not at all mute on the subject. It warns us both to heed the words of prophets as well as to disregard the words of false prophets and those that would deceive. The advice as to distinguishing which is real has nothing to do with checking the date of the calendar to see if its modern times or not. Rather it is about validating the spirit that conveyed the message and whether or not it acknowledges the central truths of the Gospel. See 1 John chapter 4 for yourself.

[editor-surveyor]

.
People have many “Gods,” who knows which one is telling them what?

When one says “Thus sayeth Yehova” one takes a great risk.
.

[AppyPappy]

It’s amazing. God always agrees with me. :)

[editor-surveyor]

.
“Sufficiency of Scripture” is a contradiction in terms!

The writings of every prophet violated “Sufficiency of Scripture.”

Prophets do exist, and their message is important, but not every person that says “The Lord told me” is a prophet, and I suspect that they would be hesitant to accept the Biblical punishment for falsely saying those words.
.

[Safrguns]

I think there is a distinct difference between presumption and deception.

Those who presume that “God spoke to them” (when He didn’t) are in error.

Those who TRULY use God’s name in vain are ones who are out and out LYING in order to gain power or wealth (personal gain)

I agree that TOO MANY people are saying God spoke to them when He clearly did not... but they really do believe God was talking. Unfortunately, It does far more damage than it does good, especially when the message itself does not line up with scripture.

At the same time, I do believe there are many who HAVE heard from the Lord... and God has instructed them to share the message with others. It requires discernment to be able to tell the difference, and that can only come from the Holy Spirit.

[Wiser now]

So where in the Bible should my daughter look to see if she and her children should ride out Irma in a shelter or her best friend’s home?
She needs to know soon.
Sarcasm/off

Sorry guys, but God talks to His children all the time.