How do you know when you have heard the Counselor?

I'm very relational with people, and I experience God more so than not through conversations that I have with other people, believers, and non-believers.
When I was younger I had a mentor who spent time with me over coffee, listening to my garbage conversation topics and trying to act like I was bigger than I was. He had a heavy influence on me, and what he had to say to me always carried a weight with it. One of the conversations we had consisted in him saying, "either you're going to take your crap seriously (concerning my faith) or I'm done wasting my time with you" and left me there to think. Now, that's not a bellowing voice from heaven telling me what to do, but I felt like I was communicated to and convicted through that conversation I had over coffee.

Looking for something like that or a little more on the supernatural side?

Jesus said the "His Sheep would KNOW His voice". Consequently if you DON'T KNOW who's voice you're listening to - then it's NOT HIS.
Simple as that.

I get a burning in the blossen

RDKirk said:

In order to obtain fruitful discussion for Christians:

How have you known when God has communicated something to you, when you have heard the Counselor?

Not so much looking for rules, but looking for experienced examples of the convincing indicators you have experienced.

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I am not a frequent reader of this forum (as you can tell since I revived a dead thread), but your post seems more appropriate for one of the more supernatural-minded forums. In any event, my thoughts are probably better suited for one of those forums. Sorry, if I have misunderstood the context of your question or gone off track for this forum. The church has an important role teaching about what I've written about, though.

My impression is that people are born with a certain degree of supernatural sensitivity. It's probably associated with their predisposition to trust, but I haven't discerned that myself. As a result, they get a greater or lesser quantity of impressions, words, spontaneous understanding from the spiritual realm, some of it Good and some of it evil. As God grows our faith, the door opens wider, but both more Good and more Evil comes through. My guess is that this is why direct connection with God remains thin until we have devoted ourselves to growing in our knowledge of God through learning Scripture and obedience (James 1:22—to not be deceived in one's interpretation of Scripture). Genuine belief combined with Truth is the key, but it is only through obedience that we learn the genuine Truth and by which God grants genuine belief. We need to be able to test what we receive against Scripture. Anything that is contrary to Scripture we reject.

Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, 1984 NIV)

One test is revealed in the following verse:

But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. (1 Corinthians 14:3, NASB)

If this is how God speaks to a person through a prophecy, I wouldn't expect him to speak directly to that person any differently (besides which, the three purposes cover most everything God might want to say, anyway).

Through practice in testing the Spirits we learn to recognize God's voice more easily/clearly.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14, 1984 NASB)

Another test can be applied in retrospect: has what you heard from God drawn you/others closer to Jesus? This is always a test for everything (if one can take a long view [wisdom]) as in Exodus 3:12. This is a valuable test because it eliminates a whole bunch of stuff that seems like it might be from God, but isn't. It requires experience leading to wisdom to exercise, though. I believe what we discover is that God always speaks out of love for you, people, or mankind, is always consistent with Scripture and his character as we see in Scripture (note Hebrews 1:3a), and also conforms the patterns of God's words/behavior in Scripture. This is a kind of "voice" which we can learn to recognize.

Note that it is important to be aware of what authority God has given us, though. Just because God wanted Joshua to kill kings doesn't mean he might tell you to do something similar. Our present authority from God is best seen in the NT. The authority to turn the other cheek, share what we believe, move to another place to share the gospel, do good, humble ourselves unto death, etc. And certainly just because God did something in Scripture doesn't mean we or any human has the authority to do it. It is often appropriate to look at the earthly authority structures to see what we can and can't do (because of Romans 13:1).

There's book that cover what I've only mentioned briefly in this post.

Hebrews 1, in this dispensation or in these times, God speaks to us through the Bible.

God doesn't speak in words, but impressions. Our brains then translate these impressions into words. If this ever happens to you, it's so qualitatively different that you will have no doubt that God just spoke to you.

RDKirk said:

In order to obtain fruitful discussion for Christians:

How have you known when God has communicated something to you, when you have heard the Counselor?

Not so much looking for rules, but looking for experienced examples of the convincing indicators you have experienced.

Click to expand...

This is what 1 John 4:1-3 is for. Spirits give thoughts. Thoughts come from either A) God B) Satan C) your own spirit. Test the spirit giving you thoughts to see if it's from God. I do this by praying, listening for God's still,small voice, and then saying "Spirit telling me [A,B,C].... has Christ Jesus come in the flesh?" If it's from Satan, it will say "NO!" or remain quite. If it's from God it will say "YES!" or even better, "I AM". This is how I discern the spirits that speak into my spirit. After a while, you learn what God's Voice sounds like, and what KIND of things God says. For example, God usually talks to me using specific Scriptures that come to mind, sayings of Jesus, etc. But Satan can even quote Scripture, so you need to put spirits to the test by pressing them to make the GOOD CONFESSION mentioned in 1 John 4:1-3 above. You only have this Power if you have the Holy Spirit of God, so you must ask the Father for the Holy Spirit FIRST. Only those Born of God can TEST spirits. Discerning spirits is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Flesh does not have authority over spirit, but spirit over flesh and THE Spirit over all the spirits.

Cults redefines terms so they can say Yes. Mormons claims,

"Latter-day Saints are Christians on the basis of our doctrine, our defined relationship to Christ, our patterns of worship and our way of life.

What Do We Believe About Christ?

• We believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh (John 3:16). We accept the prophetic declarations in the Old Testament that refer directly and powerfully to the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of all humankind. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the fulfillment of those prophecies.
• We believe the accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament to be historical and truthful. For us the Jesus of history is indeed the Christ of faith. While we do not believe the Bible to be inerrant, complete or the final word of God, we accept the essential details of the Gospels and more particularly the divine witness of those men who walked and talked with Him or were mentored by His chosen apostles.
• We believe that He was born of a virgin, Mary, in Bethlehem of Judea in what has come to be known as the meridian of time, the central point in salvation history. From His mother, Mary, Jesus inherited mortality, the capacity to feel the frustrations and ills of this world, including the capacity to die. We believe that Jesus was fully human in that He was subject to sickness, to pain and to temptation.
• We believe Jesus is the Son of God the Father and as such inherited powers of godhood and divinity from His Father, including immortality, the capacity to live forever. While He walked the dusty road of Palestine as a man, He possessed the powers of a God and ministered as one having authority, including power over the elements and even power over life and death.
• We believe Jesus performed miracles, including granting sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, life to some who had died and forgiveness to those steeped in sin. We believe the New Testament accounts of healings and nature miracles and the cleansing of human souls to be authentic and real." What Mormons Believe About Jesus Christ

RDKirk said:

In order to obtain fruitful discussion for Christians:

How have you known when God has communicated something to you, when you have heard the Counselor?

Not so much looking for rules, but looking for experienced examples of the convincing indicators you have experienced.

Click to expand...

I usually consider it for a while and wait for fruit to appear agreeing with it being from the Holy Spirit. The gospel suggests 2 or 3 witnesses, but I like to be sure, so sometimes I Gideon it.

If it's something simple like, get on that bus, I just go to see what happens.

Since discernment is different for each person, "feelings" cannot really say anything about it. However, if the way it is expressed implies it's not God speaking .. you can take it as a signal to pray instead.

Michael Collum said:

I usually consider it for a while and wait for fruit to appear agreeing with it being from the Holy Spirit. The gospel suggests 2 or 3 witnesses, but I like to be sure, so sometimes I Gideon it.

If it's something simple like, get on that bus, I just go to see what happens.

Since discernment is different for each person, "feelings" cannot really say anything about it. However, if the way it is expressed implies it's not God speaking .. you can take it as a signal to pray instead.

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Deuteronomy 17:6
On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

The 2 or 3 witnesses thing is taken out of context and is misapplied too often by too many people online. To my knowledge the misapplication was by Bill Gothard.

Daniel Marsh said:

Deuteronomy 17:6
On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

The 2 or 3 witnesses thing is taken out of context and is misapplied too often by too many people online. To my knowledge the misapplication was by Bill Gothard.

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I'm not sure who Bill Gothard is, I might have learned it from people Bill Gothard learned it from though. Who can really say?

I find it helpful when hearing from God by keyword (or scripture repetition) through other humans to use as many contexts that are separated from one another.

If one context influences the other, then it is contaminated and doesn't count as an additional witness.

Another good thing this is helpful with is figuring out if your pastor is spying on your life and trying to pose as God's messenger.

Daniel Marsh said:

Hebrews 1, in this dispensation or in these times, God speaks to us through the Bible.

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That's not what your scripture quote says.

Open Heart said:

God doesn't speak in words, but impressions. Our brains then translate these impressions into words. If this ever happens to you, it's so qualitatively different that you will have no doubt that God just spoke to you.

Click to expand...

Don't limit God to your one experience.

Undoubtedly God does speak via impressions, something I have often experienced, but He also speaks with definite words, which I have also experienced.

He speaks deep in the secret place of our hearts, and he has also spoken loudly enough to wake me from sleep.

"How have you known when God has communicated something to you". Wow.. been talking about this today. You know that you know that you know. Thinking now of some of the times.. .. I never even doubted or wondered. If I have to then its not Him talking. Jesus that only said what the Father told Him. Said my sheep YOU and ME know...now wonder not guess but know His voice.

He is HOLY.. what are we thinking, watching, hearing? Are we walking by faith? Knowing He is for us not against us that all good things come from Him? That we have His peace.. His armor.. His strength...His joy? Do we know that greater is He that is in us than He thats in the world? Do we walk by feelings or again by faith? Do we every moment bring all things before Him in prayer? Are we praying always? The more of this world we let in.. Our GOD does not share..its ALL Him!

You and I need to know He is for us.. loves us happy with us.. at anytime the enemy causes doubt.. just repent.. ask Him to put you back on the right path.. BAM! You are! If He said.. my sheep KNOW my voice.. NEVER question it. As the soldier said to Him "you just speak the word". That soldier knew Christ had authority that if this Christ said it.. It will happen.. and so much faith Christ saw..

Faith...there is no END to the Father..that word is His will. Keep your mind ON Him...let HIS peace..HIS joy ..His strength come. Put no limits on Him.. never go by what man says..or anything I say.. JESUS and the Father and the sweet sweet Holy Spirit are SO real. For me.. anything of God He always backs it up with His word. Has to go in line flow with the word...

Put this out there.. I was asking prayer from someone most would know. I know how they believe so i asked them.. just on the web site.. I guess I could have called anyway what I got back.. seemed they didnt read it at all. I could be wrong I asked within my self...did they even read what I sent them? As clear as day.. God said" I read every one".. I was not even asking Him. I pray this really helps those that wonder if anyone reads there prayers when they post them... KNOW Your Father does.. every one!

RDKirk said:

In order to obtain fruitful discussion for Christians:

How have you known when God has communicated something to you, when you have heard the Counselor?

Not so much looking for rules, but looking for experienced examples of the convincing indicators you have experienced.

Click to expand...

I was born again at 7 years old. Without a doubt I KNEW God wanted me to run to the altar and give my life to him. No words, I just knew.

I think I lived a typical Christian life until I was perhaps 35 before I heard His voice. I learned a valuable lesson. I was bugged about those verses in Mark 16: the signs of the believer. So I started bugging God about them. I don't think I missed a day for 6 months, asking God about why I did not see these signs in my life. Looking back, it MUST have been the Holy Spirit helping me, because I am not that consistent!

Anyway, one day I took a prayer walk, as was my custom, and started to bug God again: "GOD..." That is as far as I got. God spoke. I heard His voice and His words. He explained why I did not see those signs. Yes, I was a believer, as in "Missing hell and making it into heaven," but I did not believe those signs would follow me!

I learned a valuable lesson: if one is consistent in asking God, He will always answer. I believe that was God the Father speaking that time. I have also heard Jesus speak to me many times, and I am sure I have heard the Holy Spirit. God the father's voice was so full of authority! I was "in the spirit" the moment He spoke. Jesus' voice has authority also, but it is different. The Holy Spirit's voice is gentle.

One must be VERY careful here: one could be like Joseph Smith and DEMAND God speak. You would certainly hear something, but it would not be God! One could desire greatly to hear a voice, and again, one could hear. There are so many voices in the world. Many times, people hear their OWN SPIRIT and don't recognize it is their own spirit speaking. We need to learn to recognize our own spirit. It would be like "a still, small voice" like God speaks sometimes, but it is our own spirit speaking.

How to tell? For those who have followed God's instructions in Acts 1 and received the mighty baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of praying in tongues, hearing from God is easier. You see, when anyone prays in tongues, or prays "in the spirit" as Paul wrote, there is a place, a connection, where our spirit speaks. God the Holy Spirit creates the tongues, passes them to our human spirit, and our human spirit speaks the tongues out. In reality, it is God the Holy Spirit creating prayers for us to pray out.

My point is, when someone prays in tongues frequently, as God has instructed we do, one can learn to listen in that same location where one hears the tongues. It is the connection (I cannot think of a better word) between our spirit man and our soul. And that is the place where God always speaks from. He always speaks to our spirit person, for God is a Spirit. Praying in the Spirit is really the human spirit speaking. When one receives this baptism in the Holy spirit, God creates a connection between our spirit man and our mouth, BYPASSING our brain! When one is praying in tongues, they have no idea what they are going to say until it is said.

When someone prophecies, it is the same way, only it is in the learned language: but again, it bypasses the speech center of the brain so the one prophesying has no idea what he or she is saying until the words are said.

For those that DO pray in the spirit, pray hard for a few minutes, and stop suddenly: you will hear the tongues continue in your mind. Locate that location or connection! That is where you will hear God's voice. Demonic spirits CANNOT speak from inside your human spirit. ONLY the human spirit or God can speak from that location. All the "voices" a believe might hear from other sources come from outside. This is the best way to know the source of voices.

For those that cannot pray in tongues, why have you disobeyed God's command in Acts 1?

RDKirk said:

In order to obtain fruitful discussion for Christians:

How have you known when God has communicated something to you, when you have heard the Counselor?

Not so much looking for rules, but looking for experienced examples of the convincing indicators you have experienced.

Click to expand...

Most posts on this thread are a bit more complicated than necessary, because the church hasn't done a good job, historically, of providing a simple, clear, cogent theory of Direct Revelation.

Click here for a 10-point defense of Direct Revelation. Points 1 to 3 explain how Direct Revelation works - how God let's people (such as the prophets) know when He is speaking. To summarize, the Spirit convicts (convinces) us, thus causing us to feel certain that the message is authentic. Indeed that's how the Inward Witness works, and how Paul got saved on the Road to Damascus. It's not complicated.

When we feel uncertain of something, the appropriate fix is to continue waiting on the Lord for more certainty - waiting upon Him for more Direct Revelation.

Everything is always well and good until someone comes along and tells others that he absolutely knows that God has personally spoken to him, even though the revelation he has received flatly contradicts the Bible. Thus, we get folks such as Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, Ellen White, Father Divine, et. al., et. al., et. al.

bbbbbbb said:

Everything is always well and good until someone comes along and tells others that he absolutely knows that God has personally spoken to him, even though the revelation he has received flatly contradicts the Bible. Thus, we get folks such as Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, Ellen White, Father Divine, et. al., et. al., et. al.

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Yet, it is written, My sheep hear my voice. It should be unusual that believers DON'T here, not unusual that someone DOES.

Can you not see how hypocritical and illogical these accusations are?

bbbbbbb said:

Everything is always well and good until someone comes along and tells others that he absolutely knows that God has personally spoken to him.…….

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Are you serious?
For nearly 2000 years, the church had crushed anyone who listened to the voice of God, many of them being burned at the stake. Yet without any prophetic voices, all on their own, theologians managed to split the church into thousands of denominations and sects.
With no help from the prophetic, each one of those divisions was created by expert theological argument.
ie. If even one of them was correct, there were thousands in error.

No my friend, you don't need prophetic voices to destroy the church, you've managed quite well without it so far.