How do you know if you meet God?

[Mannabar]

Some visionaries have said that if you encounter God or receive a message from God, there will simply be no doubt. But many have said that one must learn to recognize God's voice, appearance, etc., to avoid deception by devious spirits or even by oneself.

If you encounter an entity claiming to be God or to speak on behalf of God, how do you know if it is what it says?

If you're thinking of pasting 1 John 4:2, please to read this first. (That's just a part of the problem with that approach.)

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

just from personal experience every time i've met a homeless guy that reminded me of Jesus, He always asked me "are you sure?" before i offered to get him something.

I always have the fear of God fall on me and although i always think i'll ask so many questions i'm always afraid to be near Him for too long so i give him my food and leave

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Some visionaries have said that if you encounter God or receive a message from God, there will simply be no doubt. But many have said that one must learn to recognize God's voice, appearance, etc., to avoid deception by devious spirits or even by oneself.

If you encounter an entity claiming to be God or to speak on behalf of God, how do you know if it is what it says?

If you're thinking of pasting 1 John 4:2, please to read this first. (That's just a part of the problem with that approach.)

We know Him because He makes His Home in the believer through His Holy Spirit. This is the only way. I don't know what a visionary has to do with encountering Jesus Christ of Nazareth, He awaits anyone who desires to know Him and will dwell in them. This is the born again experience not a vision.

John 3
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Blessings.

 

[DragonFox91]

It’s accompanied by overwhelming grace, mercy, love, & the conviction of sin, as well as the desire to worship, accept what youv'e been given, view it as good, & reciprocate the joy it gives you.

Bad spirits don’t have those powers, nor you in your sinful flesh.

 

[BobRyan]

Some visionaries have said that if you encounter God or receive a message from God, there will simply be no doubt. But many have said that one must learn to recognize God's voice, appearance, etc., to avoid deception by devious spirits or even by oneself.

If you encounter an entity claiming to be God or to speak on behalf of God, how do you know if it is what it says?

If you're thinking of pasting 1 John 4:2, please to read this first. (That's just a part of the problem with that approach.)

Gal 1:6-9
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, 7 which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we(Apostles), or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

The Bible is the thing by which the spirits that try to contact us are to be tested.

1 John 4:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world.


Acts 17:11 Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things (spoken to them by the Apostle Paul) were so.

==========================

some examples

Chinese communist atheist direct encounter with Christ -
An amazing testimony by a former Chinese communist who recently converted to Christianity due to a direct encounter with Christ... truly an amazing testimony.



=====================
Must See Amazing Story! Saved from alternate-lifestyle, drugs, suicide, demon worship, and a strict non-Christian faith.

From: Found Rest

• #1

You really need to set aside an hour or so to watch this free online feature length Christian movie / biographical account - a gripping testimony about the miracle working power of God reaching out to the lost where no human hand can reach, nor human mind can persuade. You will meet Christians who are now “on fire” for Christ and it comes through loud and clear in their testimony going from tragic utter darkness to the amazing light of Christ. You and your family and friends will be blessed if you take the time for this.

Share with your friends

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Some visionaries have said that if you encounter God or receive a message from God, there will simply be no doubt. But many have said that one must learn to recognize God's voice, appearance, etc., to avoid deception by devious spirits or even by oneself.

If you encounter an entity claiming to be God or to speak on behalf of God, how do you know if it is what it says?

If you're thinking of pasting 1 John 4:2, please to read this first. (That's just a part of the problem with that approach.)

Take into account what is said, and envision in your mind how this message would apply to all of creation.

If the message does not take into account the basis rule of all teaching then it's not of God.

The basis rule is to love God with your whole existence, and to treat others as you would like to be treated.

 

[Carl Emerson]

My sheep hear my voice...

An encounter with God is transformational.

To ask such a question would suggest you are seeking and have not found, or are worried about falling into deception.

Which is it ???

 

[Mannabar]

@Carl[/url] I suppose it's both, and possibly worse. :(

 

[Mannabar]

Oooooops...

 

[Carl Emerson]

So it is back to basics...

Do you believe God exists.

Do you believe the Bible is His message to us.

Do you believe Jesus came and sacrificed Himself for our salvation?

Have you been born again as Jesus said ?

Lets start there and if by His grace we progress well, your questions will disappear.

 

[Mannabar]

@Carl, no, no, no, and no. The second question is probably the most slippery, since the Council of Nicaea decided which books to include. Still, no.

If I understand where you're coming from, you're of the opinion that one who hears God's voice will have no doubt that it's God's voice. Thus any doubt about the authenticity of the voice is itself evidence of inauthenticity. Is that right? Your old friend Neville (may he rest in peace) seemed to disagree.

Will address other posts later when I have more time.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Your old friend Neville (may he rest in peace) seemed to disagree.

Fascinating - you know us from way back ???

 

[Carl Emerson]

If I understand where you're coming from, you're of the opinion that one who hears God's voice will have no doubt that it's God's voice. Thus any doubt about the authenticity of the voice is itself evidence of inauthenticity.

Consider Paul's conversion...

There is no question about his encounter being with God on the road.

Consider Isaiah being called to the office of Prophet in Isaiah 6

So yes - an encounter with Him leaves one without question. I can identify this happening several times - typically one is rendered speachless sometimes for hours. Significantly what follows is deep humility and worship and thankfullness - Coupled with repentance and a changed life.

 

[Mannabar]

@Dragon, does the absence of any one of those disqualify any experience? Some theists I've known (or known of), including Christians, who have claimed to have met God have said their experiences and the messages they received were of a private nature. And I remember a story by one visionary about a Marian apparition he thought had been sent by God because he had the same sense of "peace" as with an earlier apparition of Jesus, but he later concluded that it was an evil spirit in disguise.

The Bible is the thing by which the spirits that try to contact us are to be tested.

I suppose it's natural for a Christian to distrust any spirit that seems to disagree with his interpretation of the Bible. But don't deceitful spirits tend to "front" as Christians, just as mundane human predators pretend to share their targets' favorite beliefs?

If you can't provide video transcripts for legal or other reasons, it'd be helpful to those of us with limited Internet access if you at least provide some basic information about the contents of the videos. For example, what are the names of the Chinese woman and the drug addict, and when and where did these events happen? What is the title of the movie, and who produced it? Is there somewhere I can download a copy? (Please don't tell me to use VideoDownloadHelper with YouTube, as I don't think I would be allowed to install browser addons at a public terminal...or someone else's private terminal.) If not, maybe I can borrow one. Thanks!

@Michael, by that logic, shouldn't Abraham have suspected the message saying God wanted him to sacrifice Isaac?

@Carl, I read the memoir in which Neville wrote about occasions when he doubted God was talking to him but then later concluded that he was indeed.

Why do you think Samuel didn't recognize God's voice in 1 Sam 3? Do find his story to be more dubious than Isaiah's, perhaps crossing the line between history and legend?

 

[BobRyan]

I suppose it's natural for a Christian to distrust any spirit that seems to disagree with his interpretation of the Bible. But don't deceitful spirits tend to "front" as Christians, just as mundane human predators pretend to share their targets' favorite beliefs?

Yes they do and we have an all-knowing all-powerful God that has made provision for dealing with it

Gal 1:6-9
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, 7 which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we (Apostles), or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

 

[BobRyan]

some examples

Chinese communist atheist direct encounter with Christ -
An amazing testimony by a former Chinese communist who recently converted to Christianity due to a direct encounter with Christ... truly an amazing testimony.

=====================
Must See Amazing Story! Saved from alternate-lifestyle, drugs, suicide, demon worship, and a strict non-Christian faith.

From: Found Rest

• #1

You really need to set aside an hour or so to watch this free online feature length Christian movie / biographical account - a gripping testimony about the miracle working power of God reaching out to the lost where no human hand can reach, nor human mind can persuade. You will meet Christians who are now “on fire” for Christ and it comes through loud and clear in their testimony going from tragic utter darkness to the amazing light of Christ. You and your family and friends will be blessed if you take the time for this.

Share with your friends

If you can't provide video transcripts for legal or other reasons, it'd be helpful to those of us with limited Internet access if you at least provide some basic information about the contents of the videos.

In the first video an atheist chinese woman is giving her testimony about encountering God speaking to her while on vacation in her twenties in China. She had zero knowledge of the Bible or of Christianity. In China God then later leads her to finding a Bible and meeting some missionaries then at some point she starts to witness about what happened to her.

For example, what are the names of the Chinese woman and the drug addict

The drug addict and her brother were muslims that got caught up in drugs and new-age spiritism. God spoke to the woman , freed her from drug addiction and lead her to Christianity. Her brother was into drugs, the new age, LGBT, and his satanic occult practices were making him financially very well off in the area of real estate sales. After first joining a Christian group God leads her to a group that more accurately preaches the everlasting Gospel of Rev 14:7

I will post the website for the muslim example above.

@Michael, by that logic, shouldn't Abraham have suspected the message saying God wanted him to sacrifice Isaac?

Abraham did not have a Bible - all he had was direct connection with God and how well he did or did not know the voice of God, as well as God's pattern of teaching.

Why do you think Samuel didn't recognize God's voice in 1 Sam 3?

The bible does not say that we know God's audible voice. In Samuel's case he assumed it must be Eli.

Do find his story to be more dubious than Isaiah's, perhaps crossing the line between history and legend?

If the Bible is not the word of God for you - then in what do you place your trust? What do you find to be more of a solid anchor other than the Word of God??

more on the next post

 

[BobRyan]

In what do you place your faith?

1. Do you really have "faith that rocks, dust and gas" will eventually come up with "life" , rabbits, a human brain, and a space shuttle, if left to themselves in sufficient mass over a sufficient amount of time??? seriously?

It appears to me that atheism is not an option at that point.

2 Of all world religions - Christianity has the best start, the best explanation for the mess we see all around us, and the best most-logical ending.

3. If there is an all-powerful all-wise sovereign loving God - then He has a solution for the mess we are in, He leaves us a written form of His Word, He sends us Angels and the third Person of the Godhead (Holy Spirit) to shepherd us through this dark hour and lead us to glory in heaven.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Why do you think Samuel didn't recognize God's voice in 1 Sam 3? Do find his story to be more dubious than Isaiah's, perhaps crossing the line between history and legend?

Good question - he was very young of course, but I would have expected he would have been spiritually mentored from a young age.

My first encounter was a 8 years old and I had no issue identifying what was happening, having learned about Jesus in Sunday school and having believing parents.

 

[Lost Witness]

since the Council of Nicaea decided which books to include. Still, no

The LORD GOD Almighty is ABSOLUTELY sovereign.
nothing happens unless it's in his Will for it to happen.
He's in control ALWAYS.

 

[Carl Emerson]

@Carl, no, no, no, and no. The second question is probably the most slippery, since the Council of Nicaea decided which books to include. Still, no.

If I understand where you're coming from, you're of the opinion that one who hears God's voice will have no doubt that it's God's voice. Thus any doubt about the authenticity of the voice is itself evidence of inauthenticity. Is that right? Your old friend Neville (may he rest in peace) seemed to disagree.

Will address other posts later when I have more time.

Underpinning this issue is whether or not we have a Loving God who wants us to know the Truth and not be deceived.

This same Loving God has watched over the presentation of Scripture so all generations have access to His Truth.

I have never said "any doubt about the authenticity of the voice is itself evidence of inauthenticity." in fact commonly one gives the way forward our best shot and we seek direction and correction as we travel.