Conversations With Jesus Part 3

Recently there has been a bit of a disagreement on DebbieLynne's blog about the topic of whether Jesus actually communicates with His saints in ways other than (through divine intervention of His Holy Spirit)  through hearing His voice from the pages of His book, the Bible, and then only during the time while one is reading.

To give a bit of personal background, I have never been in the "Charismatic movement", and what little I have seen and heard from them directed me away from their forms of worship and teaching. I did come from a very legalistic upbringing, then married a Mormon and was involved in that cult for a few years, and then out of that frying pan into the fires of the New Age Movement, out of which the Lord Jesus by His mercy saved me.

DebbieLynne maintains (as many people do) that Jesus does not talk to people in any other way except through His book only during the moments we are actually reading, and to say that He speaks to us in our spirit at other times, is not only inaccurate (or downright false) but very dangerous and misleading, and causes one to only depend on oneself and one's own feelings, etc.

I admit (and also admitted to DebbieLynne) that there are many persons with false agendas who write books to make money that have come up with all kinds of schemes to manipulate God into speaking to us in any way possible, and they are often those who are influenced by pagan types of mysticism and false worship. However, one must be careful when trying to avoid the false, to not thereby go to the opposite extreme and call anything that might have a faint resemblance to the false also false (thereby "throwing out the baby with the bathwater", as the saying goes).

There always is that danger of when trying to avoid something that we know is wrong, of then going to the opposite end of that spectrum in order to avoid making the same mistake. If, however, by doing so, one then blocks out the Holy Spirit's promptings, or even worse, call His promptings "satanic deceptions", we have a problem.

Mar 3:22  And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Mar 3:23  And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
Mar 3:24  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
Mar 3:25  And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Mar 3:26  And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
Mar 3:27  No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
Mar 3:28  Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
Mar 3:29  But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Mar 3:30  Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

Yes, I have seen the above verses used by charismatic "healers" to hide behind, but truly God will judge them, and we have no need to be fearful because of them, and then avoid the above counsel because it will then make us like them. The above counsel IS in the Bible, and Jesus did have it there for a reason. There is a warning there about attributing what is given by God  to the devil. Let us instead be discerning, and thankful to God, for His goodness, and His mercy, and His Holy Spirit who leads us and teaches us. He is not limited in how He chooses to interact with us, His sheep, who hear His voice, and are called by His name. He doesn't require us to do any "quiet listening rituals" or whatever, to hear Him.

Joh 10:25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 

Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.



I'll try not to make this a "hobbyhorse issue" of mine. ;)