What should readers conclude when two posters claim they got their position from God, yet they disagree?
1) One of the posters is right and the other is wrong? Which one?
2) Both of the posters are right? How can that be?
3) Both of the posters are wrong? Entirely possible.
I tend to go with number three.
But not having to do with what was said, but the fact that they said it.
If one claims to speak for God they are declaring themselves to be a prophet.
You better be 100 percent sure of what you are saying if you go there.
The only words that come directly from God are those quoted in the Bible.
As part of our fellowship with God, we can receive input that we believe comes from God, and to make sure we search the Scriptures to confirm it. When I am discussing issues with the Lord, a Scripture will come to mind (I have never memorized Scripture) that will confirm that the direction I am thinking is consistent with God's view. Just this morning, as I was getting out of bed, I was thanking God for another day, my health, His blessings in my life, the love of my puddy cats, and the fact that I can pray and thank Him. I told Him that I hope He knows me, and that He does listen to my prayers. Immediately the Scripture came back: "The eye of the Lord is upon the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers." To me, that was His confirmation that He indeed was listening to me. Then the Revelation Scripture came to me: "The prayers of the saints are recorded and they rise up like incense before the Lord." Then another verse came to mind: "Truly our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ."
I think it is just great for the Lord to give me three Scriptures just to confirm that my prayers were going further than the ceiling.
But when it comes to giving my views and opinions on CF, I would never take the Lord's Name in vain by asserting that my opinion is from God. In my mind that is manipulation and it is misusing God's authority to give force to what is just my personal opinion.
Even when I give a prophetic word, I never say, "Thus says the Lord", because it is not up to me to assert that. It is up to the hearers to judge whether my prophetic word is from the Spirit or not. Often I will say, "If Jesus was here, He might say this..."
If someone came to me and said, "I have a word for you from the Lord", I would say, "I will hear what you have to say, but I will be confirming with the Lord for myself." If the person gets his or her nose out of joint about that, I will then say, "Sorry, but you can keep your word to yourself, and I will wait to see what God says to me personally about the issue."
My view is that if a person has a genuine word of knowledge for me, God would have had to have said it to me directly beforehand, and the word would be a confirmation of that. We need to be aware that people can use the prophetic to manipulate others, and to me, that is spiritual abuse and people like that should be avoided at all costs!
