Every now and then I look at CIP.nl. Sometimes it contains good articles from reliable Christians. But very often unbiblical nonsense is being preached from the charismatic or spiritual angle. Everything that comes along shows what things are being preached in Christian Netherlands.
Prophecy + Understanding God's Voice + Intimacy with God
This week there came another story like this from someone who is holding a conference on "Prophecy" sometime soon. Now I understand that such an article on CIP is limited and does not say everything. But the most important things that you want to get rid of will probably be there. The terms and reasoning used are more or less standard; you find them everywhere. The story is broadly as follows.
If you want to prophesy (pass on the words of God) you must first learn to 'hear God's voice'. After all, you can only pass on what you receive, right? But understanding God's voice is not easy either, so they say you need an 'intimate relationship with God'.
Before we go any further
Before we get into the article, a few more comments.
- The Lord Jesus is missing! First, again, the sad observation that the entire article does not mention the most important thing there is. dè most important, Christ the Crucified, is missing. Why always?
- It is with this subject as with many others that are prevalent in Christendom. It is about things that are not part of the teaching that the apostles give in the New Testament. People often go back to things described in the Gospels or in the book of Acts and think that they would also apply to us. While the same things are missing in the teaching of the letters. The idea of 'Prophecy + Hearing God's Voice + Intimacy with God' occurs in the teaching of the apostles in this sense ('the teachings of the apostles') not for that matter.
Understand God's voice?
A first quote:
“It is essential for a Christian not only to pray and read the Bible, but also to truly hear and discern the voice of God from the many other voices that come at us. (…) According to the pastor, God certainly speaks and Christians should make it a priority to understand Him. He tells you how to do that. “God speaks to us,” he says, “but unfortunately many don't listen. They get impressions or hear God speak, but they don't realize that God is talking to them. And that distinction is very important.” A little further on he says: ““The main thing is that many people are not trained. They get impressions and dreams, but they don't realize it's from God. If you can't discern that, you're not necessarily a bad Christian, but it must be 'unmasked' so that you can be effective in your walk with God.”
Let's start by stating that the Bible is the Word of God and that He has laid down everything His children need in this life. God's Word speaks and His Spirit makes it clear for us to understand and believe. That is 'understanding God's voice' and that is what the Lord Jesus means when He says 'My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me' (John 10:27). The context of this text – the Lord's conversation with the unbelieving Jews – makes it clear that it is about believing who the Lord Jesus is and what He has said.
“Really understand the voice of God” is apparently something different and also more important than reading the Bible and praying (about it), because according to the pastor it is necessary to learn to understand God's voice'have priority in our lives‘.
It is striking that the apostles did not mention this theme at all when they preached and wrote the epistles. On the contrary, they call on the believers again and again to abide by what they have learned, by sound doctrine and by the Word of God.
Prophesy?
It is also believed that when you learn to hear God's voice, you will hear things that can help others. For example, the pastor tells the following story.
“For example, he relates that God showed him that a woman he met had severe pain in her spine. “I told her and she was amazed. "How do you know, are you a scientist?" she asked. I replied, "No, I hear from the Lord and I would like to pray for you." (…) I said, 'There is a God who loves you and He showed it to me – and I believe He wants to heal you.' I was allowed to pray for her and her back was completely healed and she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord.”
This and another incident is cited as examples of how prophecy can supposedly "be effective in your walk with God and in evangelism." So you get a message about something that usually concerns another person and that you cannot know about yourself. You pass on that message and what you apparently often see is that something miraculous is happening. A 'healing' or fulfillment of something you have predicted.
Am I wrong when I say that the Bible calls this "divination" and "witchcraft" (Deuteronomy 18:10). Then surely it is impossible that the God who disapproves of this would give it to His children to be 'effective'? In addition, the New Testament (not even the Old, for that matter) does not teach how to do this.
Tune in?
A few more quotes.
“(…) God is a God of relationship and He wants to speak. (…) His 'waves' come at us, just like waves from a radio transmitter.
The point is that your receiver must be tuned correctly. This way you not only hear the sounds of the natural, but also of the spiritual. (…) At the conference, the pastor talks about how to receive 'those waves' well.” A little further on it says: “Find a place of rest, get close to God and worship Him. Position yourself that way and then tune in. Listen to what God has to say.”
“(…) Prophecy can also cause people to get hurt. Many people do have negative experiences. There are many do's and don'ts in the prophetic, which many Christians do not keep.”
If it weren't so serious, you'd almost laugh at these follies. But aren't these human inventions? Where in the Bible does it say that "you"You have to install yourself properly to catch 'the waves', 'sounds of the spiritual'”?. Nor does the Bible contain 'do's and don'ts of prophecy', tips that make it 'work' better.
Intimacy with God?
Another quote at the end of the story.
“It is important for a Christian . . . to grow in a healthy way of prophecy, says the pastor. He mentions some tips.
- “The first step is intimacy with God. The Psalms say that God shares His mysteries with those who fear Him. Find a place of rest, get close to God and worship Him. Position yourself that way and then tune in. Listen to what God has to say.
- Then when you get images or impressions, put it next to the Word of God. If you have to kill someone, or leave your wife, realize that it is not from God because it is not in line with His Word.
‘Intimacy with God' is an unbiblical concept. It indicates that one is pursuing an inner state of deep feelings of love and harmony. A transcendent state of higher consciousness, in which one supposedly experiences 'God', the one who lets man know that he is 'a beloved child of God'. In the charismatic movement, 'intimacy' is a core concept that keeps coming back. You obviously have to experience this again and again before you can progress. The same can be found, for example, in the triad “Intimacy – identity – authority”. Another triptych of charismatic inventions.
What do you hear?
The quote above talks about how in that 'intimacy' you can hear things from God that go against God's Word. You have to test them – according to the pastor – against the Word of God. But could this really come from the God of the Bible? Imagine you are "close to God" and then He tells you to leave your wife or kill someone. You don't hear that from God, do you? To a believer who is born again and loves the Lord Jesus, this is nonsensical folly.
The conclusion is therefore that in such a state of 'intimacy' it is apparently also possible for another (evil) spirit to give you ideas. Sometimes contrary to the Word and sometimes according to the Word. But it is never the God of the Bible who makes His will known to us in this way.
The Bible is not unclear. What Christians today call "intimacy with God" is made by the Word of God"idolatry' named.
About prophesying
1 Corinthians 14 is often quoted when it comes to prophesying. Let us briefly consider what Paul means there.
“Pursue love and pursue the spiritual (gifts) and especially (there) that you may prophesy. (…) He who prophesies speaks to people (words of) edification and exhortation and comfort. (…) I would like you all to prophesy, (…) that the church may be built up.” (1 Corinthians 14:1,3,5)
In chapter 12, Paul talks about the 'gift of prophecy' that not every believer possesses, because “the Spirit distributes to each one as He pleases” (1 Corinthians 12:10,11). Then in chapter 13 he talks about something that every believer has, namely the love of God, which we should show and live out and which is beyond any gift of grace. It's this love of Godthrough which we love the Lord Jesus, love God's Word, and love our brothers and sisters.
In 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul encourages all believers to strive for that love to become visible in our lives. And where is this mainly expressed? In that we prophesy, that is'speaking for edification, admonition and comfort'. Passing on a word of God from the Bible that is appropriate to the situation of the hearer or hearers. Any child of God can do that, who knows God's Word.
The Lord Jesus desires that everyone who is His own love Him and love God's Word. The Holy Spirit will then do His work in his heart, increasing his love and giving light from God's Word. Then what Paul says to the Colossians also becomes true:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teach one another and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to the Lord with thanks in your heart” (Colossians 3:16)
Then we can pass on the word of the Lord Himself to others for the building up of the church. That is what we are called to do. And for those who have received a spiritual gift in this regard, what Peter writes is still valid as 'words of God' should be (1 Peter 4:10,11).
“Now the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, may He Himself, after a little while of suffering, equip, confirm, strengthen, and ground you. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.“ (1 Peter 5:10,11)
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