Author Topic: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion? (Read 2538 times)

Gracey · « **on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 06:42:31 »

I should preface this by saying, I believe in Prophecy, in the Gifts of the Spirit and in the power and loveliness that occurs, when the Holy Spirit starts to move in our lives.

I needed to say that because what follows is a bit of a rant about their mis-use and in particular, people who either post on websites or stand up in churches and say, 'God told me this...'

To give you an example, I was recently in a service, when a person gave a 'word' to someone else, along the lines of, 'God says you're like an orange, all wrinkly on the outside, but he wants to peel you and show you how juicy life can be'.

I thought to myself, 'Really...the Creator of Heaven and Earth said THAT??'

It disappointed me and seemed to me, to people putting Almighty God into this silly little box, who says nice, palatable things that make us giggle. Where is the power, the authority and the revelation? And why do we never question these things when they happen?

I have been in services where it's been clear, by the hushed awe, that God was hugely at work and speaking through people. In my experience, when God speaks, it's unique, it's unusual and there is just something of the 'other' about it.

And so, Peeling fruit and pictures of chickens and broken ovens and clouds in the sky, I'm afraid do not cut it for me, if that is what 'God' is saying.

So, what do you think? Am I being judgemental here? If I am, I'm willing to be told (nicely, please!!). Does God speak in such seemingly simple ways, about oranges and whatnot, or really is this just a case of a 'nice thought'. The problem of course with 'nice thoughts' is that they can't really be challenged by Scripture....after all, it's true to say that God probably does want to show us life in all its fullness or 'juciness'. So, in that sense, it's not heresy....but is it REALLY GOD?
Any thoughts?

Jimmy · « **Reply #1 on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 06:52:44 »

Any time someone says to me, "God told me.....", my response to them is, "God told me you are full of beans and pay no attention to you."

Willie T · « **Reply #2 on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 08:07:10 »

What's it matter? If it's for you to hear, you'll know. There will be a definite reaction within you... maybe positive, maybe negative. But even negative reactions on your part do not mean what was spoken was not prophesy. And true.

Perhaps what was said was something you would rather resist, or not deal with... or it could have been something someone else was meant to hear and fully understand.

Do you know that "...the Creator of Heaven and Earth" once told some men to kneel down and lap water? A fairly "common" word. And Naaman sure didn't think the prophet had spoken the word of the Lord when he said to go dip in a puny, dirty little river.

Red Baker · « **Reply #3 on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 08:11:30 »

Quote from: Jimmy on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 06:52:44

Any time someone says to me, "God told me.....", my response to them is, "God told me you are full of beans and pay no attention to you."

Amen, Jimmy!

RB

Alan · « **Reply #4 on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 08:22:35 »

I'll admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but when I witnessed prophecies that contained detailed accounts, and others that came to pass I was amazed and believed that the Lord gives these spiritual gifts to people in this day. Some of these words were delivered by people that had no way of knowing what was going on in another individuals life, or their circumstances but the word delivered was bang on.

About the orange, it's quite possible the message God wanted to download was that of a renewal, that peeling that tired old skin can reveal the fruitfulness of life with God.

Gracey · « **Reply #5 on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 11:11:53 »

Quote from: Willie T on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 08:07:10

What's it matter? If it's for you to hear, you'll know. There will be a definite reaction within you... maybe positive, maybe negative. But even negative reactions on your part do not mean what was spoken was not prophesy. And true.

It matters because people who don't have a maturity in their faith (and there's plenty of them in church) end up with this view of God as this insipid, powerless being, who talks about oranges.

I hear stuff like that and I cringe. I have to be honest!

God DOES say crazy things, He's said crazy things to me....and the Bible is full of Him speaking to people in a way that defies logic. But I am concerned when people confuse their pretty thoughts with 'words from God'. It can cause a lot of harm and I think it needs to be tackled in churches.

Willie T · « **Reply #6 on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 11:24:55 »

Quote from: Gracey on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 11:11:53

Quote from: Willie T on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 08:07:10
What's it matter? If it's for you to hear, you'll know. There will be a definite reaction within you... maybe positive, maybe negative. But even negative reactions on your part do not mean what was spoken was not prophesy. And true.

It matters because people who don't have a maturity in their faith (and there's plenty of them in church) end up with this view of God as this insipid, powerless being, who talks about oranges.

I hear stuff like that and I cringe. I have to be honest!

God DOES say crazy things, He's said crazy things to me....and the Bible is full of Him speaking to people in a way that defies logic. But I am concerned when people confuse their pretty thoughts with 'words from God'. It can cause a lot of harm and I think it needs to be tackled in churches.

In ours, it is. There is a reason God had written, "Work out YOUR OWN salvation...."

Gracey · « **Reply #7 on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 12:53:11 »

Quote from: Willie T on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 11:24:55

In ours, it is. There is a reason God had written, "Work out YOUR OWN salvation...."

Yes, thankfully, in mine it is too. Our minister recently said he wanted to grow spiritual gifts in the congegation, but he wanted to first test drive it in a small group. The idea was that we could all work this out and feel free to get it wrong, but in a safe setting, before being unleashed on the wider chuch.

There IS an element of learning when it comes to these types of things.....it's a journey definitely. :)

Willie T · « **Reply #8 on:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 13:36:18 »

Quote from: Gracey on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 12:53:11

Quote from: Willie T on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 11:24:55
In ours, it is. There is a reason God had written, "Work out YOUR OWN salvation...."

Yes, thankfully, in mine it is too. Our minister recently said he wanted to grow spiritual gifts in the congegation, but he wanted to first test drive it in a small group. The idea was that we could all work this out and feel free to get it wrong, but in a safe setting, before being unleashed on the wider chuch.

There IS an element of learning when it comes to these types of things.....it's a journey definitely. :)

You'd be surprised how many Christians don't understand this. The usual assumption is that OT and NT prophesy are the same things.

Stucky · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri Feb 01, 2013 - 15:43:48 »

Quote from: Gracey on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 06:42:31

I should preface this by saying, I believe in Prophecy, in the Gifts of the Spirit and in the power and loveliness that occurs, when the Holy Spirit starts to move in our lives.

I needed to say that because what follows is a bit of a rant about their mis-use and in particular, people who either post on websites or stand up in churches and say, 'God told me this...'

To give you an example, I was recently in a service, when a person gave a 'word' to someone else, along the lines of, 'God says you're like an orange, all wrinkly on the outside, but he wants to peel you and show you how juicy life can be'.

I thought to myself, 'Really...the Creator of Heaven and Earth said THAT??'

It disappointed me and seemed to me, to people putting Almighty God into this silly little box, who says nice, palatable things that make us giggle. Where is the power, the authority and the revelation? And why do we never question these things when they happen?

I have been in services where it's been clear, by the hushed awe, that God was hugely at work and speaking through people. In my experience, when God speaks, it's unique, it's unusual and there is just something of the 'other' about it.

And so, Peeling fruit and pictures of chickens and broken ovens and clouds in the sky, I'm afraid do not cut it for me, if that is what 'God' is saying.

So, what do you think? Am I being judgemental here? If I am, I'm willing to be told (nicely, please!!). Does God speak in such seemingly simple ways, about oranges and whatnot, or really is this just a case of a 'nice thought'. The problem of course with 'nice thoughts' is that they can't really be challenged by Scripture....after all, it's true to say that God probably does want to show us life in all its fullness or 'juciness'. So, in that sense, it's not heresy....but is it REALLY GOD?
Any thoughts?

I like your post, Gracey. I've had dreams that I, personally, believe sere sent to me by God. Long ago I was really concerned with whether or not I was really saved. I had a dream one night that Jesus and I were on a Jeep ride (I was into exploring my area of the Ozark Mountains in a Jeep at the time) and I was driving when Jesus suddenly told me to turn left, which I did, and we were suddenly going steeply uphill and driving over big bolders and Jesus told me "This is what your life is going to be like, a constant uphill struggle with huge problems to overcome but you will make it to the top. In the dream we then reached the top of the mountain. I was convinced that this dream had come from God but, who knows (other than God Himself)? I am now 70 and I wont go into the problems I've had in life but I succeded to the pinnacle of my earthly life and am now waiting to reach the pinnacle of my spiritual life. I also had a dream where I was flying way up high in the sky, just going straight up, my point of view was watching ahead of myself, when suddenly my perspective changed and I was looking at my face. It was radiating a reddish color and I was in amazement saying "I'm seeing the face of God". Was this also a dream from God? I thought so, but only God knows. All I know is that I know with 100% certainty that I am saved, born again and will be with Jesus in Heaven.

Truthlady5 · « **Reply #10 on:** Mon Feb 04, 2013 - 18:25:51 »

Quote from: Willie T on Sat Jan 19, 2013 - 11:24:55

Quote
I think it needs to be tackled in churches.In ours, it is. There is a reason God had written, "Work out YOUR OWN salvation...."

I agree !!!

Wycliffes_Shillelagh · « **Reply #11 on:** Fri Feb 08, 2013 - 15:18:19 »

"Why do you doubt your senses?"

"Because," said Scrooge, "a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"

-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

makahiya · « **Reply #12 on:** Wed Feb 20, 2013 - 12:23:37 »

Dr. Hugh Ross
August 22, 2003

Unique among all books ever written, the Bible accurately foretells specific events in detail
many years, sometimes centuries, before they occur. Approximately 2500 prophecies appear
in the pages of the Bible, about 2000 of which already have been fulfilled to the letter-no errors.
The remaining 500 or so reach into the future and may be seen unfolding as days go by.

Since the probability for any one of these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance averages less than one in ten (figured very conservatively) and since the prophecies are for the most part independent of one another, the odds for all these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance without error is less than 1 with 2000 zeros written after it.

Gracey · « **Reply #13 on:** Sat Feb 23, 2013 - 04:16:32 »

Quote from: Stucky on Fri Feb 01, 2013 - 15:43:48

Was this also a dream from God? I thought so, but only God knows. All I know is that I know with 100% certainty that I am saved, born again and will be with Jesus in Heaven.

Stucky...your dream, when I read it, seems to have something of the 'other' about it. It's profound, very meaningful to you and was an answer to prayer. I don't doubt for a second that God can and does speak to us in ways that may not make sense to others....but I guess that when a person says something publicly, in a meeting, they need to be careful too, that it doesn't sound really ridiculous or dishonours God in some way.

I believe God has spoken to me in dreams too - some of them (if repeated out loud) would probably sound a bit mad, but they spoken directly into my situation. I long for more of that and more of that 'real stuff' in our churches too.

BF · « **Reply #14 on:** Thu Mar 28, 2013 - 08:56:29 »

Quote from: Wycliffes_Shillelagh on Fri Feb 08, 2013 - 15:18:19

"Why do you doubt your senses?"

"Because," said Scrooge, "a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"

-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

So true. We are bodies and spirits and our minds work in strange ways sometimes. My mother used to scold my brother and I for making fun of Ernest Ainsley (I believe that was his name).."Just place your hand on the television.." She said you never know when God is working. But I am always a tad skeptical because many people are all about the attention or see way too much in a dream or thought that passes through their head. I don't like hearing it affirmed "God told me..." either. It makes me cringe. I believe it's often taking the Lord's name in vain and assuming you got Him in your pocket. I do believe in the gifts, but think way too many practice one they ain't got. We all worship differently, and I don't even attend church anymore, but one of the most moving services I ever attended was a Mennonite one. Quiet, hushed, hymns sung acappella and verrrry slowly-so slowly I actually focused on the words. I was incredibly moved and in awe of the Lord. A charismatic friend exclaimed how dead their services were. All in the perception and I guess God reaches us in different ways. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God is much more moving for me than I'll Fly Away

Happy Homemaker · « **Reply #15 on:** Thu Mar 28, 2013 - 09:20:05 »

I think that this was why Jesus spoke in parables, so he was speaking to people in a way that they would personally understand. So, I think it's possible that if God does speak to someone and works through them to give another person a message that he would have them do it in a manner that would make sense to them. Although, "how juicy life is..." sounds silly! lol I agree...

KingArthur · « **Reply #16 on:** Sat Mar 30, 2013 - 15:35:45 »

I have heard "the still small voice" and there is no mistaking it. My wife was on a nominating commite and my name had come up for the position of Elder. I was home alone, and looking out the window at the day. A very clear voice said to me, "They have not selected you."

I accepted what I was told, and noted the time.

When my wife came home I stopped her and told her, "They did not select me and it came to a vote at 3:03PM"

She looked surprised and said, "How did you know?"

I said matter-of-factly, "God told me."

God still speaks, if we are willing to listen.

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Author Topic: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion? (Read 2538 times)

Gracey

Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion?

Jimmy

Re: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion?

Willie T

Re: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion?

Red Baker

Re: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion?

Alan

Re: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion?

Gracey

Re: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion?

Willie T

Re: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion?

Gracey

Re: Is it REALLY Prophecy...? Or just indigestion?

Willie T

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Stucky

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Truthlady5

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Wycliffes_Shillelagh

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makahiya

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Gracey

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BF

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Happy Homemaker

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KingArthur

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