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Published Saturday, January 07, 2012 in Religion
Pastor's Corner: Does God only speak through the Bible?
By DANIEL AUSBUN
First Baptist Church, Moreland
The Bible is inspired by God (II Timothy 3:16).
God speaks through His Word (John 3:34). If you suggest to some people that God speaks to us outside the Bible, you're treading on thin ice.
Make no mistake about the fact that God will never speak to you in a way that contradicts what the Bible says. God is not going to tell you to get divorced when the Bible says we must not separate what God has joined together (Mark 10:9). Our fear might be that we're going to hear from God and it won't be biblical.
If we hear something from God and it doesn't line up with Scripture, then we can be assured it wasn't from God.
If you believe God only speaks through the Bible, you'll miss hearing God's voice many other times. For example, Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands."
God's creation speaks of His greatness. Romans 1:20 reminds us that God's creation testifies of a Creator, and leaves us without an excuse. Creation visible shows us there's a God -- the evidence is undeniable.
Even people who have never heard of Jesus, will stand condemned because of their sin and the truth that creation points to a Creator. Our desire should be to witness to every person who's never heard or never understood the Gospel.
Prayer is also essential to hearing God. In Daniel 10:12, an angel was sent from God and spoke, "Your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers." Daniel's prayer life brought an angel. David cried out to the Lord, and God answered in Psalm 120:1.
We communicate to God through prayer. Communication implies we also hear from God, too. If you don't have a prayer life, you're missing God answering prayers and hearing Him.
God also speaks to us through dreams. When the Holy Spirit came during Pentecost, Peter preached a sermon sharing during the last days God will pour out His Spirit and old men will dream dreams (Acts 2:17). Joseph had decided to divorce Mary but an angel appeared to him in a dream (Matthew 1:20).
I know a woman who had a dream her teenage son was using drugs, and days later he was confronted and it was true. Sometimes dreams can be deceitful. If you're dreaming of adultery or anything the Bible condemns -- God isn't speaking.
Before proclaiming your dream as God's revelation, make sure it isn't selfish, sinful or silly. We live near a railroad. When we first moved here 7-year-old Sherri dreamed of dinosaurs. She later realized it was the train at night.
A fourth way the Lord speaks outside the Bible is by fasting. In Acts 13:2 God spoke to Barnabas and Saul while they were fasting. He called them to become missionaries. Fasting is a period of giving up food to focus on the Lord and prayer.
During times of fasting, others shouldn't be aware, but God knows what is done in secret and will reward you (Matthew 6:18).
The beginning of Hebrews provides a history of how God has spoken to us. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, "Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son." This verse reminds us that we live in the last days and Jesus is the primary voice God speaks through.
Where do we find Jesus? In the Bible.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:15, "Anyone who has ears should listen!" God's primary way He speaks to us today is through Scripture, but it's not the only method. Look and listen for God through creation, prayer, dreams and fasting.
How exciting to hear God speak!
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The bible was actually constructed by the Roman church from a vast group of texts that had been circulating the early Christian church. The Reformation removed the Apocrypha from the Protestant Bible. I'll grant you the genocidal savages for the Old Testament, though. Most theologians do not think that revelation from dreams (Book of Revelation) is literal truth. Living in fundamentalist land might give you that impression, but most Bible scholars do not agree with Baptist/Fundamentalist interpretation that was actually invented in the 19th century, not the beginnings of the faith.
Posted by Chris at 1:32 PM
The Bible is inspired by God?
I do not know that a book of texts assembled by an ancient tribe of misogynistic, genocidal desert savages has much to say to people in the 21st century.
Confirm that one's dreams as revelation are not selfish, sinful, or silly?
The whole idea of revelation through dreams seems silly.
And if I pray, God will send an angel or a Psalm?
Yes yes yes! It is, as you say, exciting to hear God speak.
Posted by Secular Square at 11:04 PM
Daniel, you finally got one right. This article was worth the read. Thanks
Posted by Bonnie Blue at 4:13 PM
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All I have to do, is dream dream dream
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Your comment on the Roman Church is correct regarding the New Testament scriptures. Of course, in the early years of Christian evangelism the only scriptures they used were the Hebrew Old Testament texts assembled much earlier.
And as you say, "dreams as revelation" is a doctrine held only by a small minority of Christians.
But does the concept of divine revelation at all make sense at any rational level? Does a supreme being actually take over the cognitive faculties of chosen individuals to convey some important information? If so, does it come with some prefatory remarks alerting the chosen vessel, like "We interrupt this conscious apprehension of external reality for a message from Almighty God" ?
Posted by Secular Square at 10:47 AM