Ideas about the Kingdom of the Heavens around us and the unity of believers in Christ within it
God gives us tests to use to determine whether a message we hear came from him or from somewhere else. Most of these tests apply regardless of whether the message comes from an internal voice or through the mouth or writings of another person who claims to speak for God. They start with the overarching test “do I recognize my Shepherd’s voice in what is said?”
The blog post discusses various scriptures in an attempt to address the topic of whether God ceased to speak after the Bible was finished. The author contests teachings that this is the case, arguing that scriptures often thought to support this view require numerous assumptions. The post suggests that the divine dialogue continues, challenging readers to approach scripture with less literal interpretation and more open-minded understanding. The author plans to discuss each scripture in greater detail in subsequent posts and videos.
If God is still speaking to us, why don’t we hear him more? This presentation reviews the reasons given in Scripture.
A God who Speaks, Conversation with God, God Acts by Speaking, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's sovereignty, God's Voice, His Children, His Friends, Language and Speech, Must Trust God to Enter, Parables, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Show us the Way of Truth, The Bible, The Kingdom of the Heavens, Through Jesus, Through the church, Trusting sight over God's words, Ultimate reality, What is God's Word, What is sin?
The voice of God as found being spoken to various people in the New Testament, both publicly and privately.
As one who has long had the experience of being aware, at times, of God’s voice, I propose to the Church at large that we should 1) treat spiritual “voices,” in general, as real and not as mere symptoms of mental illness, 2) learn to distinguish God’s voice from the other voices in our world, and 3) resolve to follow God’s voice. #3 is the key, because we will not be able to discern God’s voice unless we are his sheep, who hear and follow it.
A God who Speaks, Compulsory Christianity, Conversation with God, God Acts by Speaking, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, Heresy, Language and Speech, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Social control and statecraft, The Kingdom is all around us, The Kingdom of the Heavens, To be in his image
This post and the linked video discuss a few New Testament passages in which God tells us that he intends to continue communicating with us. This set of passages have at least plausible interpretations that do not require present-time vocal communication. The next video will cover passages that appear to require current-time spoken communication.
A strange thing happened in the 1970’s–we learned for the first time that what we need is a “personal relationship” with Christ. But this terminology is not scriptural, and was left largely undefined, with curious results. That “relationship” became self-defined! What does it mean? What should it mean? What are a believer’s relationships with God? Jesus is our shepherd, older brother, King, teacher and friend, but the word “relationship” is not found. We are called God’s children, house, temple and sheep, but never said to be “in a relationship” with him.
A God who Speaks, Conversation with God, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, His Children, His Friends, Language and Speech, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Social control and statecraft, The Kingdom is all around us, The Kingdom of the Heavens, Through Jesus, To bear fruit
God uses our uniqueness and gives unique gifts and roles. He does not make interchangeable, cookie-cutter believers for our administrative convenience. Examples: the first deacons, Stephen, Philip. Paul and the anomalous New Testament prophets.
The modern emphasis on first identifying my “gift” so that I may then “help” God develop it gets the matter exactly backwards. The important thing isn’t identifying my gift, it is offering my body as a living sacrifice so that the Spirit may exercise any gift He chooses through me. Then any gift I am observed to be actually exercising can be identified as my gift, and its exercise will be genuine and have God’s power.
A God who Speaks, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, Historical Background, In the Church, Meaning of Unity, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Personal Background, Personality cults, Prophecy, Through others, Through teachers, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, To bear fruit, To live in unity
Addresses the subject of the roles of the people said in Ephesians 4 to be “given” to the Church by Christ and the qualifications and roles of church officers mentioned in the New Testament–overseers, officially recognized elders, and church servants (deacons). Also discusses the role of elders–older people in the church–even when not formally recognized as leaders, with application to me, the author of this presentation.