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NASB | Matthew 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 7:16 "By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? [Luke 6:43, 44] |
Bible Question: A certain well-known TV preacher in his address to a very large congregation related his conversation with God concerning some question that he, the preacher, had. In telling of the experience, the preacher repeatedly sprinkled his narrative with "God said (so and so) and I said (so and so). Then God said (so and so) and I said (so and so)." Thus he continued on and on with his account of his conversation with God. My question is, Is this the way God communicates with man today? Do Hebrews 1:2, 2 Timothy 3:16 and, for that matter, the entire Bible, have any relevancy in our time? Or can we, like the preacher reportedly did, strike up a conversation with God as we would with our next-door neighbor and get from Him personalized and instantaneous answers to our every question without having to bother to search the Scriptures? What does Scriptue say about how God communicates with man and man with God? --Hank |
Bible Answer: Hank While I never had a conversation quite like the one you describe. I have had God give me answers as fast as I could think of the question or in my case the objection for not doing something. I have had God reveal something to me, giving me a direction. As that came into my mind, I raised an objection as why someone else would be better than I to accomplish the task. At which point God met that objection with his reminder that I moved not in my strength but by His. To which I asked for more detailed direction. And God responded giving me almost step by step what I was to do and say. Again my mind voice an objection and again God responded that He would make a way. While this might sound like a fairly lengthy process it occurred almost as fast as I could comprehend what was to be done. What I'm saying is, yes I think God at times comes to us in a still small voice, encouraging, edifying, exhorting us to accomplish His will. And in doing so he will respond to our questions or objections in a firm but loving way. I have even went to the extreme of repeating an objection to which God responded, "enough" At which point I quickly and completely submitted to His will and did what He revealed to me. No God has never told me to tell some one to buy the blue Buick. But He did have me encourage a young woman who was being abused by her husband. God clearly told me to tell her that He knew of her problem and if she trusted in God He would handle it. I never knew what was going on until years later. About a year after I told her this, her husband was in a car accident and placed in a full body cast. During his healing God showed him his dependence on God and his how his wife that he abused loved him. This soften his heart, he accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, he begged his wife's forgiveness and their marriage was restored. She testified that God had healed her husband, her marriage, her life. That her husband had begged forgiveness for his abuse and to this day goes out of his way to make her feel loved and treats her as a princess. EdB |