Author Topic: Personal encounters with God  (Read 29688 times)

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Offline Ħ

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Personal encounters with God
« on: May 20, 2012, 02:54:28 PM »
Has anyone had a real encounter with God? I've been talking to friends who say they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit (which is a Biblical feeling) and it imparts an incredible feeling of warmth and peace.


There are anecdotes of experiences with God all over the place. I've never had any kind of definitive experience. Never heard an audible voice or indescribable warmth or anything. Any feelings I've ever had have been potentially been self-imparted, because I forced myself to get in the God zone. It would be great to have a real heart-to-heart, face-to-face revelation, though.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline Scheavo

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2012, 03:15:09 PM »
Honestly, if you hear a voice in your head, and you think it's God, it's time to go get diagnosed as a schizophrenic.


Offline Ħ

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2012, 03:16:50 PM »
Honestly, if you hear a voice in your head, and you think it's God, it's time to go get diagnosed as a schizophrenic.


What if there is a God that talks to people that way?
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline rumborak

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2012, 03:20:43 PM »
Has anyone had a real encounter with God? I've been talking to friends who say they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit (which is a Biblical feeling) and it imparts an incredible feeling of warmth and peace.

I remember when I finally got my Master's degree in form of a document and an official handshake. For the next three days I was kinda filled with a warm fuzzy feeling, it felt like walking on air.

rumborak
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Offline Scheavo

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2012, 03:27:02 PM »
Honestly, if you hear a voice in your head, and you think it's God, it's time to go get diagnosed as a schizophrenic.


What if there is a God that talks to people that way?

Then he has a sick sense of humor, becuase he makes every schizophrenic say different things; and the one's who "talk to God," usually make themselves out to be special "prophets," and such. If all schizophrenics were saying the same thing, I might be swayed a little. But they don't. That means either God is an asshole, or we sh could accept psychology and neuroscience which can pretty much identify what goes wrong with the human brain to cause these apparitions.


Offline Ħ

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2012, 03:34:00 PM »
Honestly, if you hear a voice in your head, and you think it's God, it's time to go get diagnosed as a schizophrenic.


What if there is a God that talks to people that way?

Then he has a sick sense of humor, becuase he makes every schizophrenic say different things; and the one's who "talk to God," usually make themselves out to be special "prophets," and such. If all schizophrenics were saying the same thing, I might be swayed a little. But they don't. That means either God is an asshole, or we sh could accept psychology and neuroscience which can pretty much identify what goes wrong with the human brain to cause these apparitions.


I'm sure some people are schizophrenics. But what about your everyday non-psycho who claims God spoke to him?
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline theseoafs

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2012, 03:35:26 PM »
But what about your everyday non-psycho who claims God spoke to him?
How do you tell who is crazy and who is an actual prophet?

Offline Ħ

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2012, 03:39:05 PM »
But what about your everyday non-psycho who claims God spoke to him?
How do you tell who is crazy and who is an actual prophet?
I don't mean prophets, necessarily. I'm mostly just talking about things like God telling people that their purpose in life is to serve in India, for example.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline Scheavo

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2012, 03:42:35 PM »
Ya... you'd have ot prove that those such people exist (a friend who you don't believe is schizophrenic is hardly proof). Come back to me when you've done brain scans of someone claiming to talk to God that both shows they're not schizophrenic, and that they're not lying. Both of those can be seen in brain scans, so it's actually possible.

But I severely doubt you'll find that. Plus, why would god make schizophrenics, if they're going to drown out the people he's truly speaking through? He likes to give himself a challenge, he likes to try and make a rock that even he could not lift?

There's one possibilty I will admit. Someone who misidentifies what their conscious is. If you want to label your conscious as God, then ya, I spose "God" is talking to you. But again, seeing as how people's conscious changes from one person to another, it becomes evident that the source isn't "God," but an individuals own mind/brain/body.

I don't mean prophets, necessarily. I'm mostly just talking about things like God telling people that their purpose in life is to serve in India, for example.
[/quote]

And how exactly do you know that's God? That's just an assumption.

Offline theseoafs

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2012, 03:45:02 PM »
@H: Same question, then: how do you tell who is crazy and who has legitimately heard a voice from God?

All around the world, people are having religious experiences. Some claim the Christian God spoke to them; others, Allah or Yahweh or any number of little-known tribal gods. God is telling an American right now that he has to build the world's largest nondenominational Christian church while simultaneously telling someone on the other side of the world that it must be destroyed.

At some point you have to ask yourself what exactly constitutes a true religious experience and what is just wishful thinking.

Offline Ħ

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2012, 03:49:49 PM »
Sheavo - I guess there'd be some way to know it was God talking to you. Maybe signs, external confirmation...or maybe it's just some innate feeling of knowledge and confidence. I have no idea. It's the reason I started the thread.

Mr. Oafs - I'm not saying a religious experience proves anything one way or another. I think it counts for something, though, if you yourself have had an experience.

I'm just wondering if anyone here on DTF has had an experience where they found God, or something similar, and if they could talk about it.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline theseoafs

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2012, 03:52:30 PM »
Mr. Oafs - I'm not saying a religious experience proves anything one way or another. I think it counts for something, though, if you yourself have had an experience.
What exactly does it count for if religious experiences don't prove anything?

Offline Ħ

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2012, 03:56:26 PM »
I mean, someone else's religious experience shouldn't mean anything to you. But if you personally heard an audible voice saying, "This is God, follow me", would that count as anything for you? It doesn't have to, but it would for me.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline Jaffa

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2012, 03:58:45 PM »
If I had a religious experience like that, it would mean a lot to me.  I'd probably get my brain scanned just to be on the safe side, but if it turned out that I wasn't delusional, I would be overjoyed. 
Sincerely,
Jaffa

Offline snapple

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #14 on: May 20, 2012, 04:00:17 PM »
Honestly, if you hear a voice in your head, and you think it's God, it's time to go get diagnosed as a schizophrenic.

The one time someone gets it right.  :|


@theOP

There are different spiritual gifts outlined in the Bible (you can just google "spiritual gifts" and be greeted by websites giving you all sorts of evaluaters things). I personally believe (not because of websites) that God has gifted me with discernment. I've always believed in the power of prayer, and I feel that I have a clear communication path with God, I guess. I'm not some sort of seer or prophet or anything special. I just sort of "know" when God is telling me something.

I think the most recent-ish example of this was about 8 or so months ago when my mom had applied for a job in NC. She asked me what I felt and I said "I don't really think you'll be going". I never got the feeling that she would. However, as soon as she told me she applied for a job in Texas, I felt that God was telling me "this is it, she's going to go there". And she's in Texas, now.

Offline Ħ

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2012, 04:04:30 PM »
Thanks Snapple, for the share. I definitely think spiritual gifts are biblical and were real at least at one point in the past. It's a debated issue, though, in theology, and I dunno where to stand.

I just sort of "know" when God is telling me something.

I felt that God was telling me "this is it, she's going to go there". And she's in Texas, now.
Could you elaborate on these? Was it otherworldly knowledge? Was it a feeling you would never feel in a normal setting?
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline eric42434224

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2012, 04:18:30 PM »
Honestly, if you hear a voice in your head, and you think it's God, it's time to go get diagnosed as a schizophrenic.

The one time someone gets it right.  :|


@theOP

There are different spiritual gifts outlined in the Bible (you can just google "spiritual gifts" and be greeted by websites giving you all sorts of evaluaters things). I personally believe (not because of websites) that God has gifted me with discernment. I've always believed in the power of prayer, and I feel that I have a clear communication path with God, I guess. I'm not some sort of seer or prophet or anything special. I just sort of "know" when God is telling me something.

I think the most recent-ish example of this was about 8 or so months ago when my mom had applied for a job in NC. She asked me what I felt and I said "I don't really think you'll be going". I never got the feeling that she would. However, as soon as she told me she applied for a job in Texas, I felt that God was telling me "this is it, she's going to go there". And she's in Texas, now.

I was golfing today.  I had 150 to the front of the green, and 160 to the pin, and no wind.  Usually, 150 is a standard 7 iron, but I hit it longer than most.  Cant put a spin on it, so I need to hit 150, and let it roll to the green.  So, Im thinking 8 iron right?
Then, a voice in my head says, no...hit the 9 iron.  Wait, what?  Well, it wasnt a voice I could literally hear, because that is a clear sign of a mental disorder, but a very clear feeling that I need to go down 2 clubs.  Well, I hit the nine, and put it 3 feet from the cup!!!!  Clearly there was something that was giving me clear direction to go down 2 clubs.  Not only that, but that 2 club formula worked the rest of the round!

Am i being a dick?  Maybe.  But Im just proving a point of view that these types of conversations and directions can happen to everybody, everyday, everywhere, and are self generated.

What makes your scenario with your Mom's job different than mine with golf?  Nothing, except that we each have our own interpretation of inner dialogue.

IMO
« Last Edit: May 20, 2012, 04:31:04 PM by eric42434224 »
Oh shit, you're right!

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Offline Rathma

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #17 on: May 20, 2012, 04:50:48 PM »
What's up with all the backlash in this thread? People have had spiritual experiences for thousands of years, including what some describe as encounters with God. There'll be no progress in understanding human nature or religion if our interpretation of these claims has to be either they're mad or they actually did converse with God =_=

Offline Ħ

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #18 on: May 20, 2012, 04:53:41 PM »
One idea I've been toying with is that prayers should be spoken aloud, even when you're by yourself. I think the same can be expected of God - in the Bible, he spoke to people outside of just being inside their heads.

I'm not confident in that position, but it makes the most sense to me ATM.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline theseoafs

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #19 on: May 20, 2012, 04:56:06 PM »
What's up with all the backlash in this thread? People have had spiritual experiences for thousands of years, including what some describe as encounters with God. There'll be no progress in understanding human nature or religion if our interpretation of these claims has to be either they're mad or they actually did converse with God =_=
At the end of the day you have to rule out a number of religious experiences - you can't accept all of them.

Offline Scheavo

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #20 on: May 20, 2012, 05:04:21 PM »
There'll be no progress in understanding human nature or religion if our interpretation of these claims has to be either they're mad or they actually did converse with God =_=

There's one possibility I will admit. Someone who misidentifies what their conscious is. If you want to label your conscious as God, then ya, I spose "God" is talking to you. But again, seeing as how people's conscious changes from one person to another, it becomes evident that the source isn't "God," but an individuals own mind/brain/body.


@snapple:

Humans are naturally biased towards self-confirmation. I'm willing to bet you have numerous "instincts" every day, which don't turn out true, but ou forget about those becuase they didn't turn out to be true. Also, the fact that your mom asked you what you felt, and you said you don't think she'd be going, could easily ahve swayed her to not go for that job, especially if you believes you when you believe you're talking to God. Also, the fact that she asked you what you felt about that instance, and no the Texas incident, implies to me that she had some reservations about going to NC, or that job.

I remember an event, let's see.. 7 years ago where at 3 am, some prostitute (I mean "stripper") knocked on the door of the house I was staying at. Kept asking for "Steve," and I kept telling her there's no one fucking named Steve. Knocked again 15 minutes later asking for Nathan. Again, no fucking Nathan. As I was going to bed, I remembered that two dickish friends were headed to the strip club that night, and Steve and Nathan happened to rhyme with me and my friends names (Reeve and Mason). I guessed that they called the stripper. Turns out I was right. God? Or an educated guess?

I'm gonna go with educated guess.

It really wouldn't be all that hard for God to proves he exists. External confirmation alone is suspect, being what we call the external world is really our own creation (which is why schizophrenia is possible in the first place). To really prove he exists, you'd have to bring in other people to disprove it's not a fabrication of your own mind. Like, tell 4 people the exact same phrase, to meet in the exact same place, on the same date, and to greet each other with the phrase your supposed to say. Ya know, something which shows universal communication, and not simply one guy saying one thing, another guy saying something else, etc. This is what we would consider the Truth, so it seems to be that God should be related to the Truth.

Offline Ħ

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #21 on: May 20, 2012, 05:06:42 PM »
Perhaps God isn't interested in performing magic tricks with the information he chooses to give.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline rumborak

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #22 on: May 20, 2012, 05:10:20 PM »
Isn't it weird for a being that created the world to hide in the dark corners of the human mind that are easily confused with mental disease?

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Offline Scheavo

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #23 on: May 20, 2012, 05:10:36 PM »
Never said magic trick. I said that the "communication" people hear would have to be more than just something they alone can hear, it would have to be backed up by other persons.
« Last Edit: May 20, 2012, 05:49:41 PM by Scheavo »

Offline orcus116

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #24 on: May 20, 2012, 05:42:48 PM »
What's up with all the backlash in this thread? People have had spiritual experiences for thousands of years, including what some describe as encounters with God. There'll be no progress in understanding human nature or religion if our interpretation of these claims has to be either they're mad or they actually did converse with God =_=

They are described as encounters with God because there was no other way to describe these occurrences. However, we as a species have gotten to a point where many of these same experiences have actual natural explanations whether it be mental disorders, drugs, or whatever. You can believe something is spiritual nowadays but more often than not there is a perfectly valid logical answer that exists in our natural world. I mean everyone thought the Oracle at Delphi was some great prophet but it turns out she was just having hallucinations off the gas coming out of the chasm she used to sit on and spewed jibberish.

Offline Rathma

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #25 on: May 20, 2012, 05:45:25 PM »
What's up with all the backlash in this thread? People have had spiritual experiences for thousands of years, including what some describe as encounters with God. There'll be no progress in understanding human nature or religion if our interpretation of these claims has to be either they're mad or they actually did converse with God =_=
At the end of the day you have to rule out a number of religious experiences - you can't accept all of them.

I know this probably isn't really what you meant, but you can't rule out the religious/spiritual experiences themselves without good reason. The problem I suppose is when people use those experiences to spread dogma, like those people who've had near death experiences and claim to have gone to hell and come back, then go around giving speeches on the reality of hell. Their experiences were likely very real (though there's sure to be exaggeration) but that doesn't mean that what they got out of it has anything to do with objective reality that applies to everybody.

Offline senecadawg2

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #26 on: May 20, 2012, 05:51:41 PM »
I have had countless 'encounters' with God. Every thought or feeling, is an act of the god within me. God is love, in its truest form. Nothing more, nothing less.
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Offline Scheavo

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #27 on: May 20, 2012, 05:58:27 PM »
I think there is a fair distinction to be made between religions like Buddhism, and theological religions. "God" is a terribly fraught concept, but I don't necessarily think the general idea of "spirituality" is all that absurd. Don't feel like potentially breaking the forum rules, but I'll just say people should watch the movie: "DMT: The Spirit Molecule." It's hardly proof of anything, but it's also a complete enigma, and science can't currently explain the eery similarities in the experience.

Offline senecadawg2

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #28 on: May 20, 2012, 06:01:44 PM »
"God" is a terribly fraught concept, but I don't necessarily think the general idea of "spirituality" is all that absurd.

Very true.
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Offline snapple

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #29 on: May 20, 2012, 08:38:11 PM »
So I don't have to quote a bunch of people...

I won't really be debating the topic too much. I honestly believe that God gifted me with the ability to discern situations and such. I'm rarely wrong in the situations. I don't keep a running tally. However, I was just answering the OP's question. I was hoping some would see my post as "okay, this is what he believes and he's just trying to be helpful". None of you guys were rude at all  :lol Just thought that I would be able to sneak a post in here without getting into a debate.

edit: about my mom not getting that job, she wasn't even offered. I was/am getting married. why does it matter what my opinion is on whether or not she leaves?

Offline Zook

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #30 on: May 20, 2012, 09:00:31 PM »
If I heard a voice inside my head that wasn't my own, I'd freak the fuck out.

Offline snapple

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #31 on: May 20, 2012, 09:02:14 PM »
If I heard a voice inside my head that wasn't my own, I'd freak the fuck out.

I should say it has never been a voice. Just a feeling that is indescribable. Kind of like the shit you take after chugging a bottle of habenero sauce. "Lava" is the best word, just doesn't do it any real justice.

Offline Scheavo

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #32 on: May 20, 2012, 09:15:16 PM »
I should say it has never been a voice. Just a feeling that is indescribable. Kind of like the shit you take after chugging a bottle of habenero sauce. "Lava" is the best word, just doesn't do it any real justice.

I just don't see why one's intuition implies God, or anything supernatural. 

Offline snapple

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #33 on: May 20, 2012, 09:17:53 PM »
I should say it has never been a voice. Just a feeling that is indescribable. Kind of like the shit you take after chugging a bottle of habenero sauce. "Lava" is the best word, just doesn't do it any real justice.

I just don't see why one's intuition implies God, or anything supernatural.

it's just different. It starts getting into the faith part that won't be agreed upon.

Offline jammindude

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Re: Personal encounters with God
« Reply #34 on: May 20, 2012, 09:26:52 PM »
The beginning of Hebrews points out that God at one time spoke through the prophets...but now he has given us his Son as a perfect example.   The implication (to me) being that now that we have a *PERFECT* example in Christ...prophets are no longer necessary. 

Anyone who was hearing voices telling them anything at all I would question it.   But out of respect, I wouldn't want to call them crazy out of the gate.   I'd probably try to get them to reason out some scriptures.   Such as the first chapter in Galations where God inspired Paul to write that "...even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to YOU as good news something beyond what we declared to YOU as good news, let him be accursed. As we have said above, I also now say again, Whoever it is that is declaring to YOU as good news something beyond what YOU accepted, let him be accursed."   

So that's pretty black and white that if *ANY* voice told you to do *ANYTHING* that was not in harmony with what the Bible says...it is to be immediately rejected.

Also the gift of the spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians also say that those gifts would eventually be done away with if you read the whole thing.   With all these scriptures in mind...I don't buy into prophets, faith healers, or anyone who claims to have heard a message from God. 
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