Posted by PS on December 04, 2003 at 19:37:38:
In Reply to: Re: On boy, have you baited me with this one... posted by Bob - the Alien on December 04, 2003 at 15:41:59:
: -Well, there is one key fact that I am leaving out. Because it is the fact that is both the basis of my church, and the reason most people reject us. We beleive that all that history you speak of is unrecoverably convulted due to the lack of God's direct presence. So we skip it. We go straight to the source. We get our answers via prayer. Directly from God via the Spirit. So that is how the answers can be clear.
: Now, there are two choices to be made here -- do you believe that God can communicate directly with us and give us clear answers in today's time or not? If you do... then you can understand why my answers are clear and how I can just skip all the historical jumbles.
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These last 2 sentences infer that all your quick and easy answers here are direct revelation from God! Do you REALLY believe this? Lord, let me reread this again...
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: Now, there are two choices to be made here -- do you believe that God can communicate directly with us and give us clear answers in today's time or not? If you do... then you can understand why my answers are clear and how I can just skip all the historical jumbles.
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This clearly means you think you got those pat answers straight from God! You can thus skip the historical jumbles to check it out--no confirmation is needed for your word--it is certain. Why didn't you say so before?
You have not mentioned the revelation, the terror of the overpowering mysterium tremendum et fascinans, the loss and redefinition of identity, the creatureliness, the words you heard spoken, the holy fire, nothing like that. Maybe it was just a simple audible voice without any real encounter with the Holy?
Is it a feeling, or a burning in your chest, or an impression on your mind? Can you honesty say these are not suspect? Feelings and intuitions are not direct revelation--they are feelings and intuitions. Intuitions may be right a good deal of the time, but they never justify rejecting the wisdom of history which the Bible says is for our learning. Now I have heard a lot from you about dialogue with each other in your church, your discussions and consideration of truth, your group teachings, and ongoing reapplication of truth by your church--but no stories of direct revelation. Now in a church that gets their doctrine so clearly explained by "direct revelation," may I inquire as to the nature of the communication from God?
Now lest you say I wouldn't understand how God speaks--I have had visions and revelations, and received prophecies that came to pass. And I have read the records of other such experiences from many believers. So please explain how you "hear" these things and know for sure that these are God's pat answers. I have been in the Holy Presence, and I got NOTHING like those easy answers; rather, my pat answers were burned up in the holy fire!
Methinks your "direct revelation" is coming not to you "directly" at all, but through others. I have been there, my friend. Really I have.