Can Jesus still visit us physically today?

Blade said:

You know brother that is so true. I know of so many that you find out later in life or after they went home they some some awesome wonderful encounters with God yet.. never said a word. I bet even with you.. there are times I wont share because it points to me not Him. Then can turn into a experience not a true encounter with Christ.

Hes God lol and .. I can't find anywhere in the word where it goes against it. If He can show up so many places in the OT.. I found what HE does for one He will do for all

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Jehovah showed up at times in the Old Testament because He was the pre-incarnate Son of God before He became a man. It wasn't the Father who appeared because the Scripture says that "no man has seen the Father at any time". But when Jesus was resurrected and glorified, he is still a man, and therefore is in one place - at the right hand of the majesty on high, interceding for believers. The next time He will appear in person will be when He will come again to stand on the Mount of Olives.

This is not to say that people haven't had visions of Jesus, but these are generated by the Holy Spirit, and are quite different from actual personal visitations. On the other hand, Satan can impersonate anyone, and as an angelic being, he can disguise himself as an angel of light, Mary, or even Jesus Himself (or some likeness of him as depicted by the many artist impressions of Him).

The problem with those claiming visitations by Jesus is the impression that this person must be special and favoured of God to actually receive a personal visitation and audience with Jesus Himself. But what they forget is that God is no respecter of persons, and someone claiming a personal visitation usually allows him or herself to be put on some sort of pedestal, and actually takes some glory away from Jesus Himself. But they run into another Scripture that says that God will share His glory with no other.

Oscarr said:

Jehovah showed up at times in the Old Testament because He was the pre-incarnate Son of God before He became a man. It wasn't the Father who appeared because the Scripture says that "no man has seen the Father at any time". But when Jesus was resurrected and glorified, he is still a man, and therefore is in one place - at the right hand of the majesty on high, interceding for believers. The next time He will appear in person will be when He will come again to stand on the Mount of Olives.

This is not to say that people haven't had visions of Jesus, but these are generated by the Holy Spirit, and are quite different from actual personal visitations. On the other hand, Satan can impersonate anyone, and as an angelic being, he can disguise himself as an angel of light, Mary, or even Jesus Himself (or some likeness of him as depicted by the many artist impressions of Him).

The problem with those claiming visitations by Jesus is the impression that this person must be special and favoured of God to actually receive a personal visitation and audience with Jesus Himself. But what they forget is that God is no respecter of persons, and someone claiming a personal visitation usually allows him or herself to be put on some sort of pedestal, and actually takes some glory away from Jesus Himself. But they run into another Scripture that says that God will share His glory with no other.

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Oscarr, if a person spends time seeking out GOD more than another,..... that person may just get an answer from heaven beyond the one that didn't.

I hate to use this tired phrase, but don't put yourself in a box, or GOD.

TruthSeek3r said:

Some scripture to back this up:

2 Corinthians 12:1-4 (ESV):

I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.

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Absolutely.

Christianity is not an intellectual endeavor, it's a Spiritual one, and you definitely pursue GOD more after you are filled with The Spirit.

There's always more with GOD, I think you will find that out here sometime Truth.

ARBITER01 said:

Oscarr, if a person spends time seeking out GOD more than another,..... that person may just get an answer from heaven beyond the one that didn't.

I hate to use this tired phrase, but don't put yourself in a box, or GOD.

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"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11).

What this verse tells me is that God doesn't do just anything without limit. He limits Himself according to His will and purpose for us. There is only one Jesus - the Jesus described in the Bible. He is the God-man who is at present seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. He will remain in the heavenly sanctuary until the Father decides it is time for Him to return in person to the world. The Jesus of the Bible doesn't travel around the universe at will. According to God's plan and purpose, He has a role and a duty to remain at the right hand of the Father to intercede for believers.

The notion that Jesus travels back and forth from heaven to the world at will to personally visit people, is having a Jesus of the imagination and not the Jesus of the Bible. The fact that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to represent Him on earth means that it is the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth. The Holy Spirit is so unified with God's plan and purposes, it is the same as having Jesus dwelling right inside of us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus doesn't need to leave heaven and make personal visits. The Scripture says that we once knew Jesus in the flesh, but we don't know Him that way any more. We worship God in spirit and in truth through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Many think that the Holy Spirit is some kind of indeterminate mist that hovers over groups of people - some kind of "presence" that sends goosebumps over people's spines. Actually, this is an insult to Him. He is a real Person who works in us to develop our sanctification, strengthen our faith in Christ, and teach us everything we need to know about the ways of God in order that we are conformed to the image of Christ. He is a full representative of Christ in us, and to see Him as anything less is an insult to Him. He doesn't need Jesus to come and visit people personally. He is quite capable of giving people all the guidance and encouragement they need.

TruthSeek3r said:

Some scripture to back this up:

2 Corinthians 12:1-4 (ESV):

I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.

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I don't think that this passage of Scripture backs anything up. We don't know that Paul was speaking about himself. Many assume that it is about himself, but because it doesn't specify that, it has to remain an assumption - a guess - like one plus one equals three. It is more than likely he was using another man's experience as an example of someone receiving visions and revelations from the Lord.

Also, the passage does not show any proof that Jesus comes from heaven in person and visits people. It shows that a person can have a vision or revelation where it seems that he has been transported to heaven, in the same way that the Apostle John, being in the Spirit on the Lord's day, was transported to heaven in a vision to view events which were happening there. John's vision did not involve a personal visit by Jesus. It was the Holy Spirit giving him the vision and the revelation, resulting in the Book of Revelation.

It is important that we hold to the Jesus and the Holy Spirit who are described in the pages of Scripture, and not to take on an imaginary Jesus who does the things we would like Him to do.

Oscarr said:

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11).

What this verse tells me is that God doesn't do just anything without limit. He limits Himself according to His will and purpose for us. There is only one Jesus - the Jesus described in the Bible. He is the God-man who is at present seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. He will remain in the heavenly sanctuary until the Father decides it is time for Him to return in person to the world. The Jesus of the Bible doesn't travel around the universe at will. According to God's plan and purpose, He has a role and a duty to remain at the right hand of the Father to intercede for believers.

The notion that Jesus travels back and forth from heaven to the world at will to personally visit people, is having a Jesus of the imagination and not the Jesus of the Bible. The fact that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to represent Him on earth means that it is the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth. The Holy Spirit is so unified with God's plan and purposes, it is the same as having Jesus dwelling right inside of us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus doesn't need to leave heaven and make personal visits. The Scripture says that we once knew Jesus in the flesh, but we don't know Him that way any more. We worship God in spirit and in truth through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Many think that the Holy Spirit is some kind of indeterminate mist that hovers over groups of people - some kind of "presence" that sends goosebumps over people's spines. Actually, this is an insult to Him. He is a real Person who works in us to develop our sanctification, strengthen our faith in Christ, and teach us everything we need to know about the ways of God in order that we are conformed to the image of Christ. He is a full representative of Christ in us, and to see Him as anything less is an insult to Him. He doesn't need Jesus to come and visit people personally. He is quite capable of giving people all the guidance and encouragement they need.

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Sorry Oscarr, but you and I won't agree on this. Some believers in the past did amazing things, and GOD plans on doing even more.

Oscarr said:

I fully concur that the written Scripture, being all that God has said or is going to say to mankind, is the moderator for anything that is taught in the church.

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Scripture itself does not agree with this...

John 21:
New American Standard Bible
25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

As a general observation Oscarr, you seem to somewhat divide the trinity up rather than speak of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit acting together.
It is easy to project a 'mechanical model' onto how the trinity works but this is way short of the truth. "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." All are united in action and present in the appointed purpose.

Oscarr said:

Many think that the Holy Spirit is some kind of indeterminate mist that hovers over groups of people - some kind of "presence" that sends goosebumps over people's spines.

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This is indeed the record we have of the Holy Spirit in the temple Who's presence was so strong the worshipers could no longer stand.

Carl Emerson said:

Scripture itself does not agree with this...

John 21:
New American Standard Bible
25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

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That doesn't mean that we can invent things about God and Jesus that are contrary to what has been written. Although John has not detailed everything that Jesus did, he has given an accurate representation of what He did, and what he did not include was not different to what he recorded. It is like viewing a Google list of websites, and at the end of the list there is a statement that there are other websites with exactly similar topics that will produce exactly the same result. If among all the other things that Jesus did there was something vastly different to what he already recorded, he would have included it in his record to ensure that everything he recorded was what Jesus would have done or said.

It is pretty risky to come up with something that was not recorded in the Gospels or Acts about Jesus and make the excuse that it is something that John didn't record about Jesus. People like Joe Smith and Russell have made up all sorts of things to form the basis of their false religions that are found nowhere in the Scriptures. Anyway, what's the use of having a set of Scriptures to be the moderator of sound doctrine if we decide to add all sorts of stuff that deviate from them?

One of the problems with the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement is the belief that everything supernatural has to come from God. This has given rise to some serious errors that have hijacked the movement in recent years (such as the prosperity guaranteed healing movement). The reality is that Satan can impersonate anyone and "words of knowledge" can come as easily from demons as from the Holy Spirit. The problem is that many Charismatics don't know the difference. William Branham is a prime example. He had amazing words of knowledge about people, but these are now seen as suspect because of his deviance into thinking he was Elijah and his modalism doctrine. He claimed he was visited by an angel who commissioned him to ministry. But how do we know it wasn't a demon disguised as an angel of light?

Don't get me wrong. I believe in the availability of the gifts of the Spirit for today, but the recent developments and deviations through Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn have so muddied the waters that I wouldn't know whether an impression I might get comes from the Holy Spirit, or just from the world, flesh or the devil. Because there is no operating manual for the gifts, how can we know? That is the problem nowadays.

Carl Emerson said:

This is indeed the record we have of the Holy Spirit in the temple Who's presence was so strong the worshipers could no longer stand.

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This was under the Old Covenant where the Holy Spirit moved upon selected people and that the presence of the Spirit was experienced in the Temple as a one-time event, not repeated.

After the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within believers. The example of what happened under the New Covenant is found in Acts where the group of believers prayed, the place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word with boldness. The presence of the Holy Spirit was not in the room. He was within each believer. The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost changed everything, and that is why we can't use Old Testament examples of the presence of the Holy Spirit because He doesn't work that way any longer.

We have people saying they really feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in their church services. I don't believe that. It is nothing more than emotion. The real work of the Holy Spirit comes through each member having a psalm, a revelation, a tongue, a prophecy, an interpretation, or encouraging teaching from the Scriptures. It is what people do in a meeting as led by the Holy Spirit within them. All the shaking, jerking, falling down, and other goofy manifestations are not from the Holy Spirit at all. At best it is just emotional froth and bubble; at worst it is demonic hypnotic suggestion brought about by Hillsong type repetitive music and works like "Jesus is here".

TruthSeek3r said:

Then how was the early Church able to discern the lead of the Holy Spirit?

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That is the big question. Although we are told in the Scripture, as you have quoted quite correctly, that the Holy Spirit spoke and guided people in the Early Church, we are not told how He went about it. All we can do is guess how He might have done it.

The problem we have today is that the church is suffering from over a 1000 years of apostacy and hasn't quite recovered from its effects. This has resulted in modern churches being nowhere near the quality and calibre of what the Early Church was in its holiness, unity and commitment to Christ. The only sure foundation on which we can discern God's will are the written Scriptures. Emotions and impressions are the least reliable way of knowing what is of the Holy Spirit and what is of the world, flesh or the devil.

Many writers have declared that they have the winning formula for hearing and knowing God's voice, but when put into practice, most don't work and people are just as confused as they were before trying the formula. The truth is, there is no formula.

So, if you have found the secret of reliably knowing the voice of God, then let us now.

Oscarr said:

Common sense and knowing the unique calling of Paul as an Apostle of Christ.

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Barnabus was also called to be an Apostle along with the 12.

Timothy was called to be an apostle to Asia minor

As for the topic of the thread -

What did Jesus say to Thomas?