August 18, 2008 6:41 AM
Sam wrote:
I wonder, just how many bulls and lambs have been slaughtered over the thousands of years since Moses penned this book. Can you imagine, in the US today, if this was still a common practice by us 'religious nuts'? First, the Animal Rights Advocates would have a field day. The church would be labeled a cult. The price of mutton and beef would skyrocket. Hmmmm, the last two ARE true......:-). Of course, today, after Jesus was proclaimed to the world, these practices of killing sheep to appease God are far and few in between. The blood of Jesus was shed so that the animal advocates would be stilled....no, just kidding. His blood was poured out for all of mankind for SALVATION. Our God IS a strange God, for sure. To create what He did, and then set up these types of rules, seems to me to be a bit 'out there'. I guess He did this originally because people thought more about their possessions than they did Him (their cattle, their sheep, their gold, their fine linen). He had them use these things for a different purpose....a purpose of an offering of eternal life, instead of short lived gratification as 'things' they owned. I hope that these chapters are not to 'boring' for you guys...I hope you 'get something out of them'. When words 'bounce off my face', I dig deeper to remove whatever is in front of my face. I know the subjects are somewhat repetitive, with God detailing each act so precisely. But that is what He does. He IS precise...He is PRECISION. He wants us to become more like Him....obviously we will never make it, but He wants us to try. I thank God that he at least used cattle and sheep and not other 'weaker' human beings (that would have been in the day of Moses, and as far as God was concerned, all those who were not considered to be His people. That would have been everyone except the Israelites.) Hmmmmmm, after they get to the promise land, this sorta happens, don't it...the Israelites are handed over their enemies to be slaughtered. Oh well, I DID say earlier on that God IS a strange god. :-) Reply to this
You may have heard this song before. I like the rhythm of it, but…..
I’ve been in only a couple of churches for any length of time. First, the Atlanta Church of Christ (and then it’s ‘satellites’ which were formed when it was disbanded), and now the New Life Christian Church in Douglasville. I visited several before the ACOC, and a few in between it and NLCC. And during all these years (starting around 1995), I have heard several Christians tell of how God speaks to them. In song, in dreams and in words. Most of them seem pretty honest when they say things like: “God told me to do this.”, or “God laid it upon my heart to do this.”, or “God spoke to me and said this.” Well, to be completely honest with you, God has never spoken audibly to me at all, either in song, dreams or words. Am I the only Christian who doesn’t hear God’s voice? Am I even a Christian. As I read the Old Testament in our Bible, I see numerous instances where God spoke to individuals….those HE selected to speak to. I did not see that in the New Testament, except through Angels of God speaking to Paul.
When my friends and even preachers speak of conversing with God (them in prayer and God physically talking back, or simply God giving them some advice, commands or direction with an audible voice either in dreams or otherwise), I wonder why I am not included in God’s circle of conversationalists. What am I doing wrong where God would not want to speak to me? Am I not listening? Is my hearing THAT bad? I DO take my hearing aids out at night so maybe that is why I don’t hear him in dreams!
Oh sure, I understand all about conscience and ‘imaginary’ voices in my head telling me right from wrong, but that’s not the same. People actually tell me they ‘hear’ God. He tells them what to do with their lives. Like our last pastor in NLCC told us all that God spoke with him and told him to move to California. Really???? Doesn’t God have people in California already who could minister to people there?
Do you guys actually hear God speaking to YOU? Do you know someone who will swear upon the Bible that they HEAR God’s actual voice? I just don’t know. I would love to believe it, but it is hard as I have never physically heard Him speaking to me, nor to anyone else (you would think I would be able to overhear conversations with my hearing aids turned up). Are people just saying that to make others think they are more spiritual? Do they dream it? Do they daydream it? Do they ACTUALLY hear God’s voice? I wonder what He sounds like? Is His voice different to different people? Has anyone ever recorded these voices onto tape/cd/memory chip? Ya see why I wonder? Reply to this
August 18, 2008 10:31 PM
Tony wrote:
I don't believe that God speaks to people any more. I think people have vivid dreams or a vivid since of urgency. I think what we call our conscience is the holy spirit. When our conscience tells us, " I should reach out to this person", for whatever reason, and we back down that's the holy spirit trying to guide us to do the right thing. But because we are afraid what someone will think we argue with ourselves, and in a since we argue with God, and we talk ourselves out of it. what would happen if we listened to the "voice of God"? I can't think of one time that my "conscience told me to do something that it would have resulted in a bad action. Maybe God does speak to us but I doubt it is in conversation. Reply to this
August 19, 2008 1:24 AM
Michael wrote:
I think GOD is capable of doing whatever he wants. I also think the he speaks to us through his written word.And in the New Testament God spoke to Ananias Acts 9.You are right GOD spoke to many people in the Old Testament too.If God dosnt also speak to us why would he give all these stories of him speaking to others?Can he not speak like that anymore? That dosnt make sense to me. Why would GOD give us a book of exceptions? "This is how I used to relate to my people,but I dont do that anymore". What good would a book of exceptions do us? Its like if I gave you an owners manual for a dodge even though you drive a toyota.Personally I have never heard him actually speak,but I have had dreams,and sometimes in my quite time I meditate. Something I learned going through a year long spiritual program at church. Not like eastern meditation where you clear your mind of everything. Its a little different. You clear your mind and focus on GOD I like to do it after I read and really focus on a verse that I read or maybe even just one word from scripture. I do this on my knees with my palms facing down. Then when I feel ready I sit up on my knees and face my palms up and just listen. Sometime I get a thought and other times nothing. I know i am weird. I guess my point is i believe in order to hear GOD in whatever way he wants to communicate to you,you have to stop and listen. One thing I do know he wants to have an intamate relationship with all of us. Can you imagine someone asking you "hey what have you been talking to your children about?" and you said "nothing." " I love them very much but I dont talk to them."
I wonder, just how many bulls and lambs have been slaughtered over the thousands of years since Moses penned this book. Can you imagine, in the US today, if this was still a common practice by us 'religious nuts'? First, the Animal Rights Advocates would have a field day. The church would be labeled a cult. The price of mutton and beef would skyrocket. Hmmmm, the last two ARE true......:-). Of course, today, after Jesus was proclaimed to the world, these practices of killing sheep to appease God are far and few in between. The blood of Jesus was shed so that the animal advocates would be stilled....no, just kidding. His blood was poured out for all of mankind for SALVATION. Our God IS a strange God, for sure. To create what He did, and then set up these types of rules, seems to me to be a bit 'out there'. I guess He did this originally because people thought more about their possessions than they did Him (their cattle, their sheep, their gold, their fine linen). He had them use these things for a different purpose....a purpose of an offering of eternal life, instead of short lived gratification as 'things' they owned. I hope that these chapters are not to 'boring' for you guys...I hope you 'get something out of them'. When words 'bounce off my face', I dig deeper to remove whatever is in front of my face. I know the subjects are somewhat repetitive, with God detailing each act so precisely. But that is what He does. He IS precise...He is PRECISION. He wants us to become more like Him....obviously we will never make it, but He wants us to try. I thank God that he at least used cattle and sheep and not other 'weaker' human beings (that would have been in the day of Moses, and as far as God was concerned, all those who were not considered to be His people. That would have been everyone except the Israelites.) Hmmmmmm, after they get to the promise land, this sorta happens, don't it...the Israelites are handed over their enemies to be slaughtered. Oh well, I DID say earlier on that God IS a strange god. :-)
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♪ “I hear God singing to me.” ♫
You may have heard this song before. I like the rhythm of it, but…..
I’ve been in only a couple of churches for any length of time. First, the Atlanta Church of Christ (and then it’s ‘satellites’ which were formed when it was disbanded), and now the New Life Christian Church in Douglasville. I visited several before the ACOC, and a few in between it and NLCC. And during all these years (starting around 1995), I have heard several Christians tell of how God speaks to them. In song, in dreams and in words. Most of them seem pretty honest when they say things like: “God told me to do this.”, or “God laid it upon my heart to do this.”, or “God spoke to me and said this.” Well, to be completely honest with you, God has never spoken audibly to me at all, either in song, dreams or words. Am I the only Christian who doesn’t hear God’s voice? Am I even a Christian. As I read the Old Testament in our Bible, I see numerous instances where God spoke to individuals….those HE selected to speak to. I did not see that in the New Testament, except through Angels of God speaking to Paul.
When my friends and even preachers speak of conversing with God (them in prayer and God physically talking back, or simply God giving them some advice, commands or direction with an audible voice either in dreams or otherwise), I wonder why I am not included in God’s circle of conversationalists. What am I doing wrong where God would not want to speak to me? Am I not listening? Is my hearing THAT bad? I DO take my hearing aids out at night so maybe that is why I don’t hear him in dreams!
Oh sure, I understand all about conscience and ‘imaginary’ voices in my head telling me right from wrong, but that’s not the same. People actually tell me they ‘hear’ God. He tells them what to do with their lives. Like our last pastor in NLCC told us all that God spoke with him and told him to move to California. Really???? Doesn’t God have people in California already who could minister to people there?
Do you guys actually hear God speaking to YOU? Do you know someone who will swear upon the Bible that they HEAR God’s actual voice? I just don’t know. I would love to believe it, but it is hard as I have never physically heard Him speaking to me, nor to anyone else (you would think I would be able to overhear conversations with my hearing aids turned up). Are people just saying that to make others think they are more spiritual? Do they dream it? Do they daydream it? Do they ACTUALLY hear God’s voice? I wonder what He sounds like? Is His voice different to different people? Has anyone ever recorded these voices onto tape/cd/memory chip? Ya see why I wonder?
Reply to this
I don't believe that God speaks to people any more. I think people have vivid dreams or a vivid since of urgency. I think what we call our conscience is the holy spirit. When our conscience tells us, " I should reach out to this person", for whatever reason, and we back down that's the holy spirit trying to guide us to do the right thing. But because we are afraid what someone will think we argue with ourselves, and in a since we argue with God, and we talk ourselves out of it. what would happen if we listened to the "voice of God"? I can't think of one time that my "conscience told me to do something that it would have resulted in a bad action. Maybe God does speak to us but I doubt it is in conversation.
Reply to this
I think GOD is capable of doing whatever he wants. I also think the he speaks to us through his written word.And in the New Testament God spoke to Ananias Acts 9.You are right GOD spoke to many people in the Old Testament too.If God dosnt also speak to us why would he give all these stories of him speaking to others?Can he not speak like that anymore? That dosnt make sense to me. Why would GOD give us a book of exceptions? "This is how I used to relate to my people,but I dont do that anymore". What good would a book of exceptions do us? Its like if I gave you an owners manual for a dodge even though you drive a toyota.Personally I have never heard him actually speak,but I have had dreams,and sometimes in my quite time I meditate. Something I learned going through a year long spiritual program at church. Not like eastern meditation where you clear your mind of everything. Its a little different. You clear your mind and focus on GOD I like to do it after I read and really focus on a verse that I read or maybe even just one word from scripture. I do this on my knees with my palms facing down. Then when I feel ready I sit up on my knees and face my palms up and just listen. Sometime I get a thought and other times nothing. I know i am weird. I guess my point is i believe in order to hear GOD in whatever way he wants to communicate to you,you have to stop and listen. One thing I do know he wants to have an intamate relationship with all of us. Can you imagine someone asking you "hey what have you been talking to your children about?" and you said "nothing." " I love them very much but I dont talk to them."
Just my take on it. I love you guys.
Michael
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again, not much from riks peanut gallery.
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