RE: The Holy Spirit tells me stuff all the time
How do we know that it is the Holy Spirit telling someone and not their personal impressions?
I have been in the Baptist Ministry for going on 40 years. I have a standard response to the statement “God told me...” I always begin by getting the details, i.e. “Did you hear an actual voice?” “Well no,” they always say. And so continuing: “Where were you exactly? What time of day? Were you alone? What did he say exactly? How did you know it was Him and not some demon?”
I have never received a straight answer to these questions. Instead the normal reaction is anger and an attack on my Christianity. The line, though sure there are some few who are perfectly sincere using it, is actually intended to intimidate people may otherwise question the conclusion which it justifies.
“Well yes,” I might say if we ever got so far in the conversation, “He probably is telling you to do that so you can suffer His judgement and chastisement. But don’t worry. If you repent, I am sure He will forgive you!”
One woman told me, “God told me to get a divorce.” “What about when Jesus said it was wrong?” I asked. “She replied, “He does not want me to be unhappy!” End of conversation.