How do you know it was REALLY God?

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ChandlerFan

Senior Member
Jan 8, 2013
1,148
102
63
#21
Eh? Bible thumper? Maybe it means something different where you live...
Yeah, I guess it can mean different things to different people. I'm sure there are some people who would call me a Bible thumper, but I was using it in reference to someone who relentlessly and condemningly chucks Scripture at people (kind of like those people who can think of a song for every situation :p) and cannot be reasoned with because everything they argue that everything they just said came from the Bible (aka like the Pharisees who saw the rightness of their external words and actions but could not see their own wickedness). So yeah...that :D

I appreciate everyone else's thoughts and comments. And the diversity thereof seems to remind me why I have this question, but that may help me realize that nailing down an exact answer isn't so important either. In the meantime, I plan to do some bible digging over situation 2 and situation 1 there's not a lot I can do now except pray and see what happens. I just don't particularly like being in such a position. And perhaps all the advice to turn to the Bible will inspire me to start a thread about verses that seem to contradict each other and how to apply "the whole counsel of scripture" to a situation that seems between those verses. (Example: Gal 6:1 vs. 1 Cor 5:11-13 issue: dealing with fellow believers who sin repeatedly)
Yeah, I can see how it might be a little nerve-wracking to be the person that someone who might be emotionally unstable is coming to in order to dump out all of their cares and concerns, and you should know that those aren't wrong feelings to have. If you are really feeling that some change needs to happen in your friendship with this guy, don't be afraid to initiate it. If there's a way that you could still be a friend and a support to him in a way that feels more safe to you, that would be great.

The only other thing I would say is that God is not a God of confusion, so I believe that if you are really feeling led by Him to do something and you see that leading confirmed in Scripture and by other believers, it is almost without a doubt from Him.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
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#22
Oh, that kind of bible thumper. Yeah, we don't like that kind. I was thinking about the elder saints, elder pastors in particular, that I know and respect. In this region they are sometimes referred to as bible thumpers.


And being able to think of a song for any occasion is a blessing and a curse. It's not something I can help, my brain just does it. At least I don't start singing in the middle of a conversation any more...


Okay, at least not as often.
 

Roh_Chris

Senior Member
Jun 15, 2014
4,728
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#23
This is an excellent thread, Cinder. I will share a few pointers to discern the voice of God. These pointers have helped me even in the crisis that I am in, at the moment. Hopefully, this will help you as well.

Example 1: I met a guy at church and after some prayer on my part, I thought God wanted me to be his friend. We had a lot in common in terms of how we process the world and talk about things, but very little in common in terms of values and lifestyle. Bottom line he’s a mess (possible mental illness, drug and alcohol use, sleeping around, rejection issues, etc.), but early in our acquaintance I really felt like God said he needed a friend that would see the good in him and stick by him no matter what and that that was what God wanted me to do. He moved back to the US a year ago but still writes occasionally and kind of emotionally dumps on me. And I wonder, did I hear God right about sticking by him or was that my own loneliness speaking because I was desperate for a good friend? Should I keep sticking by him and letting him emotionally dump on me or should I try to subtly extricate myself from the friendship through silence? ( I simply do not and don’t think I ever would have the heart to tell him to get lost because he’s too messed up for me to keep being his friend even if that were the truth)
In situations where I perceive there could a conflict between God's voice and mine, I commit my actions to God and I wholeheartedly let Him guide my steps. I then proceed on what seems to be the most convincing option to me and I let God decide the outcome.

For example - if I am applying for a job that looks exciting to me, I say a short prayer before I send out the application. I tell God "Lord, if it is your will then let me be selected for this opening." I trust God to handle the rest of the process. There was one such opening where I was not sure if it was for me or not. I had applied for the position, but I had not heard from the company. Though I perceived that it was an indication from God that it was not meant for me, I wanted to pursue the opportunity to the end. So I called up the HR and persisted with her to let me interview with them. She relented and asked me to turn up in two days' time. I spent my money on the travel/hotel reservations and showed up at the office for the interview. Half an hour into the process, I realised that this was a massive waste of time and money since the opportunity was not what I was looking for. Even before the interview was over, I was praying "Lord, I was so wrong to pursue this opportunity. I should have simply accepted the outcome when they did not respond to my application."

I am not sure if you have tried this approach before. Perhaps it may work for you.

Example 2: Watched a very good video last year that called into question whether a lot of my Holy Spirit experiences over the past decade and a half or so have truly been the Holy Spirit or if they have a different spiritual source (see my first blog post for more details). So yeah if every way I’ve ever been taught to hear God and receive guidance came from people who are now suspect of being under the influence of an unholy spirit, how can I know much of anything? Yet without the experience (can’t say without the Holy Spirit because I don’t intend to live without the Holy Spirit) everything seems so dry and abstract and faith doesn’t seem real life and practical but more pie in the sky wishful thinking.
This is so similar to the situation I am in. In such situations, it is more of the "restlessness" within me. The best guide we as Christians have, is the Spirit of God within us. I experienced the restlessness when I sat through the chaotic worship at my church. I experienced the restlessness when the church people were nit-picking and finger-pointing each other. I prayed about this restlessness for a few days and then decided to ask all of you on CC. The answers I received convinced me that something was wrong.

Considering your church, if you have experienced any doubts after watching the video, you may want to pray about it and then ask a few other people. My suggestion is that you must not take a decision without consulting a few (at least two) different people. I emphasize on asking different people, because it is a good way of preventing age, gender, cultural or income bias from affecting the answer. CC Singles is a fantastic place to ask such questions because you have a diverse sample of God-fearing Christians. Ask your question and then segment the respondents based on their opinion. Find out what are the ones who you generally find acceptable, saying about your question. Then pray about it, commit your decision and your consequent actions to God and proceed. Always believe that God will guide your steps through the path He wants you to take. :)

So how do you (you specifically not the generic you meaning anyone) determine how God is guiding you in the difficult situations where there is no clear cut answer in Scripture? Do you have any checks in place to make sure that your “guidance” isn’t just you trying to justify what you want to do?
Here is the summary to my response along with the helpful points which I had mentioned earlier -

1. Trust God to direct your steps.
2. If you are proceeding on a wrong step, God give you enough of indications (red flags) to turn you back to Him.
3. Should you feel "restless" about a particular issue at church or in your life, ask a few people - trust that God will give you the answer you want to hear.
4. Pray about the decision you have taken and then act on it, committing the rest to God's guidance.

No matter what situation you may go through, Christ is the author and finisher of your faith. He will not let your faith be shipwrecked as long as you keep your eyes only on Him while running your race.

I will pray for you sister. I hope my answer helps you. :)


(P.S. Which is grammatically correct - 'How do you know it was REALLY God?' or 'How do you know it REALLY was God'? Just wondering...)
 
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cinder

Senior Member
Mar 26, 2014
4,327
2,358
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#24



(P.S. Which is grammatically correct - 'How do you know it was REALLY God?' or 'How do you know it REALLY was God'? Just wondering...)
Both are correct depending on your meaning. It was really God is more of a you're sure there was something but now you are questioning whether it was God or something else. It Really was God is more of a questioning the existence of something happening. That's according to the technical rules of English grammar as I understand them. In practical terms 99% of English speakers won't make any distinction at all and both are correct and it's more a question of style.

Thanks for your input brother bear. I guess turn about is fair play and all.
 
J

jer2911

Guest
#25
This may be an over analytical spew session, but I am interested in hearing what others think. Been thinking about the idea of God’s guidance and how we can be certain (or at least certain enough to stick with it through the times when it isn’t easy). A couple situations in my life have me questioning a lot of what I thought was God at the time but now I’m not so sure. I’ll talk about them in more detail as illustrations, but I’m a big picture thinker and not really looking so much for advice on my situations as I am the overarching principle and thoughts that I can apply to knowing what God wants me to do (and yes I already know it has to line up with what God has revealed in the Bible, you don’t need to say that).


Example 1: I met a guy at church and after some prayer on my part, I thought God wanted me to be his friend. We had a lot in common in terms of how we process the world and talk about things, but very little in common in terms of values and lifestyle. Bottom line he’s a mess (possible mental illness, drug and alcohol use, sleeping around, rejection issues, etc.), but early in our acquaintance I really felt like God said he needed a friend that would see the good in him and stick by him no matter what and that that was what God wanted me to do. He moved back to the US a year ago but still writes occasionally and kind of emotionally dumps on me. And I wonder, did I hear God right about sticking by him or was that my own loneliness speaking because I was desperate for a good friend? Should I keep sticking by him and letting him emotionally dump on me or should I try to subtly extricate myself from the friendship through silence? ( I simply do not and don’t think I ever would have the heart to tell him to get lost because he’s too messed up for me to keep being his friend even if that were the truth)


Example 2: Watched a very good video last year that called into question whether a lot of my Holy Spirit experiences over the past decade and a half or so have truly been the Holy Spirit or if they have a different spiritual source (see my first blog post for more details). So yeah if every way I’ve ever been taught to hear God and receive guidance came from people who are now suspect of being under the influence of an unholy spirit, how can I know much of anything? Yet without the experience (can’t say without the Holy Spirit because I don’t intend to live without the Holy Spirit) everything seems so dry and abstract and faith doesn’t seem real life and practical but more pie in the sky wishful thinking.


So how do you (you specifically not the generic you meaning anyone) determine how God is guiding you in the difficult situations where there is no clear cut answer in Scripture? Do you have any checks in place to make sure that your “guidance” isn’t just you trying to justify what you want to do?
Please read the whole book of Habakkuk.

Ask yourself this question: Are you asking for what you want more than what you need? Because he will give you what you need and not what you want. Do you need this person in your life? Or do you just want him to be there in your life? Pray for God to reveal it to you.

Wait for the answer though it lingers. It will come at the appointed time.

Example 2: Though the fig tree does not bud.... Rejoice!.... stay confident it is His story not your story.

PRAY... PRAY .... PRAY... at the appointed time THE ANSWER will come.... but while in the process REJOICE!
 

1joseph

Senior Member
Dec 14, 2014
590
12
18
#26
Woah, deep waters, cinder. & hello!

Differentiating between my voice & God's voice: I don't know what God sounds like, but I know, of course, what I sound like, so when weighing thought against thought it becomes a process of elimination and I readily decide to act on the last remaining intuition, though in hindsight many of those were all me, so really in my opinion it is about being genuine with Him & being honest with yourself.

I'm not a prayer warrior, I just kind of talk to Him all day. I think He can work with everything I choose to do, so my way of accomplishing His will is more free-flowy (sorry for the dumb made-up word), but I counterbalance this by returning to Him in deep solemn reverence, and He makes it work, because (I believe) He sees my heart and kind of honors what I do with lots of grace and a splash of His authority.

Thinking on this makes me want to erect "Sin: Do Not Enter" signs around my heart, just so that the flow between Him and me can be more distinguishable and something I cherish more.
Hi mistah,

I love your post. It relates how easy it is to have a relationship with God. As you said, "...it is about being genuine with Him & being honest with yourself."

Continue in this way and your relationship with Him will grow and grow.:)

Good job, and God bless you.
Joseph
 

1joseph

Senior Member
Dec 14, 2014
590
12
18
#27
"...how do you...determine how God is guiding you in the difficult situations where there is no clear cut answer in Scripture?"

I ask Him and wait for His answer, staying alert.

"Do you have any checks in place to make sure that your “guidance” isn’t just you trying to justify what you want to do?"

Keep an upright heart.
 

Roh_Chris

Senior Member
Jun 15, 2014
4,728
58
48
#28
Both are correct depending on your meaning. It was really God is more of a you're sure there was something but now you are questioning whether it was God or something else. It Really was God is more of a questioning the existence of something happening. That's according to the technical rules of English grammar as I understand them. In practical terms 99% of English speakers won't make any distinction at all and both are correct and it's more a question of style.

Thanks for your input brother bear. I guess turn about is fair play and all.
Thank you for clarifying that for me. I guess changing the position of a word can effect the meaning of the sentence.
 

Atwood

Senior Member
May 1, 2014
4,995
53
48
#29
You and your gay bashing are not welcome here. There are plenty of threads created for that, please take your attitude and self-righteousness there and stop derailing my thread.
Judge not, lest ye be judged.
Do you think that slinging insults advances the rationality of your claims.

22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23 And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto: it is confusion.


24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out from before you; 25 and the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land vomiteth out her inhabitants. 26 Ye therefore shall keep my statutes and mine ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the home-born, nor the stranger that sojourneth among you; 27 (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land is defiled); 28 that the land vomit not you out also, when ye defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29 For whosoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 Therefore shall ye keep my charge, that ye practise not any of these abominable customs, which were practised before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am Jehovah your God.
 

Roh_Chris

Senior Member
Jun 15, 2014
4,728
58
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#30
Some haven't mastered the art of knowing when to talk and what to talk.
 

IDEAtor

Senior Member
Aug 15, 2012
827
19
18
#31
I just read the scripture where Abram told Lot to choose. "You go left, then I will go right. You go right, then I will go left." I think God does the same thing sometimes. He allows us to choose where we will go, but then there are consequences. In Lot's case, succeeding his choice to live in the land of Sodom, his choice led him to a place of endangerment. We learn, however, a chapter or two later, that Abram fights for Lot. Likewise, God will fight for you.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#32
Atwood: Read before you respond. You are making rebuttals against what you THOUGHT someone said. When you just skim over a post and don't read the whole paragraph these things can happen.
 
A

AbbeyJoy

Guest
#33
Been praying for a Job to work at a library for the most part of my life, struggling to find a Job due to some of my disabilities (I'm hard of hearing, have heart condition, and not good with balance and has learning disability) I been struggling to find a job that would accept me. I had ask to work in the library but the owner of the librarian turned me down due to thinking I would be a liability. I been praying a lot and then started working at a special needs home as an activity director due to they wanted someone who needs someone to do activity with the special needs. I liked it but my heart was so set on the library I'd why but I love books and it was hard..soon later we had a couple who been coming to our church who is also a children's librarian. He asked me if I would consider volunteering with him in the children library I said yes and was so Happy and now I been working there since 2011 :) I knew it was God :)
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
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Tennessee
#34
Well, if he is gay, that is nice to be happy & carefree. But methinks you mean he likes to fornicate via the membrum virile in the wrong orifice, not designed for anything but expelling nasty stuff. In which case he is on an abominable path to eternal suffering.

You say "relationship" -- you mean you have been participating in the abominable insertion sin?

If so, know that your need is to trust Christ as Savior.

What must I do to be saved?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ & you shall be saved.
First - this woman you responded to is my wife and I do not appreciate your nasty response to her. Second - you implied that she was participating in some sort of sex act with him which is totally untrue. I know this man and he has been in my home several times and is a kind and decent person. He is no worse or better than any of us.

What must I do to be saved you asked? Well for starters, you can check your crappy attitude at the door.
 
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JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,551
2,171
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#35
Well, if he is gay, that is nice to be happy & carefree. But methinks you mean he likes to fornicate via the membrum virile in the wrong orifice, not designed for anything but expelling nasty stuff. In which case he is on an abominable path to eternal suffering.

You say "relationship" -- you mean you have been participating in the abominable insertion sin?

If so, know that your need is to trust Christ as Savior.

What must I do to be saved?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ & you shall be saved.
Wow! Judge - Mental much? Since you seem to be a little slow on the up take.... let me spell it out for you.

My friend Dan who happens to be Gay and I have a friend relationship...... FRIEND....as in he is like a BIG BROTHER to me. No we have never done anything you would like to be judging me for and in the almost 20 years I have known him he may have had a 6 month relationship with a guy that went badly fast and I have not known him to be a practicing gay for much of the time I have known him.

Did you even bother to read the entire post #8? I was asking God to remove Dan from my life if there was no chance for Dan's salvation meaning God knows if Dan is going to be saved or not. If Dan remained in my life after my prayer for him I am assuming that God is going to save Dan.....

Your response to mine was totally inappropriate for a person claiming to be a Christian - Shame On You. Praying for you also as you need it as much as my friend Dan.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
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Tennessee
#36
I didn't call anyone anything. I asked a question.

If you say I started calling someone a sodomite & an adulteress (when I did not), you need to repent of judging & consider what is the destiny of liars.
Yeah, you did.
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,551
2,171
113
#37
I didn't call anyone anything. I asked a question.

If you say I started calling someone a sodomite & an adulteress (when I did not), you need to repent of judging & consider what is the destiny of liars.
Really? You are going to play the judging card on ServantStrike? I think you need to look in the mirror and pull the beam out of your eye....thank you.....just having been judged by you myself.....and yes, I did pray for you.
 
A

AbbeyJoy

Guest
#38
I hate trollers aka Atwood...
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,551
2,171
113
#39
Judge not, lest ye be judged.
Do you think that slinging insults advances the rationality of your claims.

22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23 And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto: it is confusion.


24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out from before you; 25 and the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land vomiteth out her inhabitants. 26 Ye therefore shall keep my statutes and mine ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the home-born, nor the stranger that sojourneth among you; 27 (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land is defiled); 28 that the land vomit not you out also, when ye defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29 For whosoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 Therefore shall ye keep my charge, that ye practise not any of these abominable customs, which were practised before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am Jehovah your God.
Originally Posted by Atwood
Post #12 Well, if he is gay, that is nice to be happy & carefree. But methinks you mean he likes to fornicate via the membrum virile in the wrong orifice, not designed for anything but expelling nasty stuff. In which case he is on an abominable path to eternal suffering.

You say "relationship" -- you mean you have been participating in the abominable insertion sin?

If so, know that your need is to trust Christ as Savior.

What must I do to be saved?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ & you shall be saved.



Quote JesusLives
I just have one question for you sir....How would you like it if someone/or I wrote a post such as what you wrote to me referring to things like you have listed here in this post?
 
A

AbbeyJoy

Guest
#40
th-3.jpeg ooooohh!! Lol