Why Doesn't God Talk To Us Any More?

[Rainbow.]

I mean in a physical sense, and not the spiritual. In the bible there was a time early on when God did speak to various people. Many people have lost the fear of God, and it's easy to become a luke warm Christian when over the years so many things in the bible get diluted by the modern way of living.
I don't doubt God at all, but it makes me so sad to see some of the suffering in this world, and many people who commit crimes, see nor hear the evidence of God so they therefore dismiss God. Im sure that must make them feel less guilty in their evil. Surely if God punished evil doers in some of the ways years ago, people would think twice about the way they live. Also years ago there seemed more miracles such as Fatima in Portugal, And St.Bernedette to name a couple.
Is God still speaking to us in a way we can't understand nor hear?. I know the various disasters in the world could be down to God trying to reach us all before it's too late, but i just wish at times God would show himself to the evil and cruel people of the world so that the fear of God's wrath ,may make them be kinder towards people and stop the sick crimes that we see daily happening around the world!. It's so heartbreaking when people choose not to believe in God because they can't see him. Because of their lack of faith in him, it's hard for them to understand a God that allows cruel things to happen in this world. Yet God suffered as much as many people have, he didn't stop the cruel and terrible murder of his only child, so can we really ask that he stop the rest of the worlds cruelty to spare us?
My faith allows me to believe that one day, i will know why i, and others have suffered in the way we have in out lives, but my love and trust in God helps me get through days when the world seems so lost and broken. If i didn't believe in God, this world and it's cruelty would make no sense to me at all.
I praise the Lord for all the wonderful blessings in my life, and the help i get in my days of struggles, sadness,loneliness,doubt,worries...etc.
Without God, i would be truly lost.

 

[Heinrich]

Wow, ok, great!

mmm touching on a great deal of topics hear.
Firstly God does indeed still speak to us. He speaks throught dreams, visions, prophets, vioces and in our spirits! It is pretty sad that this has become so uncommon, yes indeed. There is reasons for this and mostly it's not God's fault.

I want to warn you. Don't just pin disasters and stuff on God. It's not his doing. He might use it yes. But God would never will somebody to get raped, kill or tortured. He would not will a company to go down and 100's of people loose the jobs. These things happen because we live in a fallen world. The story about how this happens is in the beginning of Genesis. (When God made the world everything was perfect but then we messed it up by believing a lie of the devil) And he is still lying. He says "There is no God" And he says "Look what God is doing to the world, he doesn't care" and best of all "I don't exist" WELL these are ALL lies of the DEVIL!!!

If you say your developing a heart for the lost this is VERY good! You are becomming more like Jesus. You might even become evangelistic.
Yes without God man is truly lost in this world.

About the thing that people does not believe there is a God... well if you look at the bible it assumes everyone knows there is a God. You are designed to search for God. God build that into each of us.

Elajah prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant, and he did! He's servent saw an army of fire chariots on the mountain ready to strike the enemy!

Isn't it perhaps time to ask God to open our eyes again?

 

[Rafael]

Your eyes are open to the mess this world is in, and that is good that you can see this and have a heart about it. Remember that God allowed man a choice in the beginning to make us a creation that He could have fellowship with that would not be robots. Man failed to follow God and death came into the world. You are seeing the results of that fall, but there is great news in that He had a plan from the beginning to save those who would accept, by faith, the work done by Jesus. The whole point of history is the revelation of the Church of believers that will come out of it as a bride to go and spend eternity with God as family. While we are here, we are to learn about Agape love in serving those around us and becoming vessels fit for His use. It developes character in us and the fruit of the Holy Spirit - love, longsuffering, patience, kindness, self-control........Galations 5:22

All the suffering and injustice of the world will be dealt with in due time. God suffers the existence of evil in that it will reveal His goodness and glorious victory. There are good reasons why things are the way they are, and our job is to have faith that God will make all things right at the perfect time - since time means little to those who have entered into His kingdom of light.

Feel free to PM

 

[endure]

rainbow

i remember in the bible one time when Jesus had some greeks brought to him, and suddenly a voice came from heavon, a literal voice and it spoke to them and Jesus. i remember in the bible Jesus did miracles, raised the dead cured the sick etc. i remember when his disciples and followers raised the dead and did miracles etc.
but Jesus stood and spoke to the pharisees and said "YOU DO NOT KNOW MY FATHER! AND YOU DO NOT KNOW THE SCRIPTURE!"

it is very very possible to live a life of no miracles, not know God, see no power, no anointing, a life full of problems and disaster know absolutely nothing about God and be so far from him...but that doesnt mean he isnt there. just like the pharisees not knowing God, didnt mean God couldnt be known. becuase at the same time that pharisee was so far from God, Jesus and other men were elsewhere walking with God and full of power.
becuase God was there on the earth, Jesus had him, his disciples had him...why didnt the pharisees?
you can probly answer that in many ways.

but the point is, nothings changed, Gods still the same, dead men can be raised today too, and the voice of God can be heard today too...but we must change.
we are the pharisees in this picture.
ya know what i mean?

also read this scripture from joel 2.12-13

therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning.
and rend your heart and not your garment...

and these two in daniel 10.12 and 9.3

10.12
then he said unto me, fear not daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself....thy words were heard.

9.3
and i set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.


there is a way to seek the Lord, not just anyway will work.
there are things that a backslidden people must do in order to be changed, there is a process they must go through and things they must do in order to chasten themselves and change themselves so that God can do great things in their life.

look at your life habits and daily activities and the lives of men and women you know.
and then compare them to the lives and activities of men like Jesus, daniel etc.
what is diffrent?
those things matter.

Jesus didnt pray and fast and do what he did becuase he was Jesus and like it.
he did that, because that is the only way to know God.

people may think that im focusing on things that arent as important.
but those men of God prayed, fasted, weeped, mourned for a reason.
laying before God in prayer all night long or having a daily set prayer time, and knowing the word of God extremely well and fully, was not strange to them.
we do not do those things, and we are surprised that we dont have their relationship with God? why?

most people cant quote more than a few scriptures, why not?
when the word of God is whats supposed to change us and save us, but we dont even read it more than a few mins like a nice little hobby we have? we read it becuase we think God will cry if we dont. its our lives that are broken, hes not sad becuase we didnt read his little book for goodness sake becuase we didnt want to brake his little heart.

most people dont pray very much, why not?
when the bible tells us that when the men of God of old sought to understand something or needed something they prayed, in such a way that it seemd their lives where on the line if they didnt... they prayed for days, they prayed for hours...
we dont do those things. few people even like to pray in public, becuase they arent familair with prayer and all will find that out as soon as they open their mouths.
you cant know God like that.

and Jesus stood and told the pharisees YOU DO NOT KNOW MY FATHER! AND YOU DO NOT KNOW THE SCRIPTURE!
and we are the same way...

and if a real man of God did walk into your life, a man who was what he was supposed to be, part of you would want to be ashamed and not be around him, becuase youd suddenly be thrown into truth about the way youve been living, becase hed be so very diffrent. true exposer.
its a good thing, we all need it, but its never easy, and the fleshly part of us hates it.

well im not trying to discourage, but encourage.
there is way to see the power of God, but there is only one way.
and most people could tell you all about how to make it in our busy society and buy cars and homes and raise nice families and do the dry cleaning, pick up the kids, wash the dog, cook dinner, go to the movies and even clean the car all in a single day...but cant tell you a single thing about how to know a God that to them is totally unheard of, quote a single scripture, pray a single effective prayer or tell you how to fast.

 

[Heinrich]

Funny how in some family's places you can come home with drugs or alcohol and it would be ok to drink yourself into a coma every weekend.

BUT DONT COME HOME WITH JESUS!!

Yes the world is evil, but don't despair! We are on the winning side!

 

[Rainbow.]

Wow, ok, great!

mmm touching on a great deal of topics hear.
Firstly God does indeed still speak to us. He speaks throught dreams, visions, prophets, vioces and in our spirits! It is pretty sad that this has become so uncommon, yes indeed. There is reasons for this and mostly it's not God's fault.

I want to warn you. Don't just pin disasters and stuff on God. It's not his doing. He might use it yes. But God would never will somebody to get raped, kill or tortured. He would not will a company to go down and 100's of people loose the jobs. These things happen because we live in a fallen world. The story about how this happens is in the beginning of Genesis. (When God made the world everything was perfect but then we messed it up by believing a lie of the devil) And he is still lying. He says "There is no God" And he says "Look what God is doing to the world, he doesn't care" and best of all "I don't exist" WELL these are ALL lies of the DEVIL!!!

If you say your developing a heart for the lost this is VERY good! You are becomming more like Jesus. You might even become evangelistic.
Yes without God man is truly lost in this world.

About the thing that people does not believe there is a God... well if you look at the bible it assumes everyone knows there is a God. You are designed to search for God. God build that into each of us.

Elajah prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant, and he did! He's servent saw an army of fire chariots on the mountain ready to strike the enemy!

Isn't it perhaps time to ask God to open our eyes again?

Thank you for your reply.
Maybe i didn't make it clear, but i know God isn't at fault when it comes to the evil in the world.I was just saying one day we will understand why some people on earth suffer, as God himself has.
It would be great if we still had the prophets of days gone by, maybe we do but no one listens to them any more.
The point you made about God speaking to us in dreams, is an interesting one, because when i was telling a friend about the Precognitive dreams i have (Including one on the eve of 9/11) She said it was not from God but the devil!
So im comfused.Without going into lots of details, many things have happened to me that i would have used the word pyschic or along those lines, but the bible warns against this, so i try and block strange things which have happened, for which there is no explaination. Yet on the other hand if i tuned more into the dreams and other experiences i have, maybe i am getting messages which i am blocking out.I will pray to God to help me with this.

 

[Rainbow.]

rainbow

i remember in the bible one time when Jesus had some greeks brought to him, and suddenly a voice came from heavon, a literal voice and it spoke to them and Jesus. i remember in the bible Jesus did miracles, raised the dead cured the sick etc. i remember when his disciples and followers raised the dead and did miracles etc.
but Jesus stood and spoke to the pharisees and said "YOU DO NOT KNOW MY FATHER! AND YOU DO NOT KNOW THE SCRIPTURE!"

it is very very possible to live a life of no miracles, not know God, see no power, no anointing, a life full of problems and disaster know absolutely nothing about God and be so far from him...but that doesnt mean he isnt there. just like the pharisees not knowing God, didnt mean God couldnt be known. becuase at the same time that pharisee was so far from God, Jesus and other men were elsewhere walking with God and full of power.
becuase God was there on the earth, Jesus had him, his disciples had him...why didnt the pharisees?
you can probly answer that in many ways.

but the point is, nothings changed, Gods still the same, dead men can be raised today too, and the voice of God can be heard today too...but we must change.
we are the pharisees in this picture.
ya know what i mean?

also read this scripture from joel 2.12-13

therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning.
and rend your heart and not your garment...

and these two in daniel 10.12 and 9.3

10.12
then he said unto me, fear not daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself....thy words were heard.

9.3
and i set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.


there is a way to seek the Lord, not just anyway will work.
there are things that a backslidden people must do in order to be changed, there is a process they must go through and things they must do in order to chasten themselves and change themselves so that God can do great things in their life.

look at your life habits and daily activities and the lives of men and women you know.
and then compare them to the lives and activities of men like Jesus, daniel etc.
what is diffrent?
those things matter.

Jesus didnt pray and fast and do what he did becuase he was Jesus and like it.
he did that, because that is the only way to know God.

people may think that im focusing on things that arent as important.
but those men of God prayed, fasted, weeped, mourned for a reason.
laying before God in prayer all night long or having a daily set prayer time, and knowing the word of God extremely well and fully, was not strange to them.
we do not do those things, and we are surprised that we dont have their relationship with God? why?

most people cant quote more than a few scriptures, why not?
when the word of God is whats supposed to change us and save us, but we dont even read it more than a few mins like a nice little hobby we have? we read it becuase we think God will cry if we dont. its our lives that are broken, hes not sad becuase we didnt read his little book for goodness sake becuase we didnt want to brake his little heart.

most people dont pray very much, why not?
when the bible tells us that when the men of God of old sought to understand something or needed something they prayed, in such a way that it seemd their lives where on the line if they didnt... they prayed for days, they prayed for hours...
we dont do those things. few people even like to pray in public, becuase they arent familair with prayer and all will find that out as soon as they open their mouths.
you cant know God like that.

and Jesus stood and told the pharisees YOU DO NOT KNOW MY FATHER! AND YOU DO NOT KNOW THE SCRIPTURE!
and we are the same way...

and if a real man of God did walk into your life, a man who was what he was supposed to be, part of you would want to be ashamed and not be around him, becuase youd suddenly be thrown into truth about the way youve been living, becase hed be so very diffrent. true exposer.
its a good thing, we all need it, but its never easy, and the fleshly part of us hates it.

well im not trying to discourage, but encourage.
there is way to see the power of God, but there is only one way.
and most people could tell you all about how to make it in our busy society and buy cars and homes and raise nice families and do the dry cleaning, pick up the kids, wash the dog, cook dinner, go to the movies and even clean the car all in a single day...but cant tell you a single thing about how to know a God that to them is totally unheard of, quote a single scripture, pray a single effective prayer or tell you how to fast.

Thank you for your post.
Well, i have changed many things in my life for God, and still struggle with things every now and again. (Who doesn't?!) lol.
Speaking of fasting, i was thinking of this the other day, as it's more prominent in other religions, than in Christianity. Im trying meditation at the moment, and im really trying to reach God and be the best Christian i can be.
In fact, im proud of a lot of things i have changed in myself, and i certainly feel the closest to God than ever before in my life. I just think that people interpretate the bible in so many different ways i get confused at times, and if i ask three Christians a question on the same subject, i will get three different answers! lol
The path im on now is a lot more bumpy and hard than the life of guiltless sin which i lived before. However, im more at peace with myself and my life is so much better and i have a new set of friends to fellowship with, and i feel that God is gently steering me down the right path.

 

[Rainbow.]

Funny how in some family's places you can come home with drugs or alcohol and it would be ok to drink yourself into a coma every weekend.

BUT DONT COME HOME WITH JESUS!!

Yes the world is evil, but don't despair! We are on the winning side!

My faith stops me from despairing Heinrich.Without it id be a gibbering wreck! lol

 

[Peter]

God does still speak to His faithful. And we have our prophets, our spiritual fathers who guide us in the faith. These holy one's have been seen in prayer and and not touching the ground (St. Mary of Egypt comes to mind), their hands have become fire as a sign to the unbeliever, walked on water as a sign to an unbelieving village, they have the gift of insight into a person's soul and know when people are coming to visit them before the person arrives because God told them. They have been miraculously transported from one place to another (in some cases 1000's of miles). These same holy people have been witnessed to divert a falling tree to avoid having it hit another individual.

All of the promises Christ made to His disciples have come to pass. The power He gave to His disciples has been passed on to the passing generations.

Like Paul's towel and Peter's shadow that healed, and the prophets bones that brought one back from the dead, we have holy relics that also have been associated with healing and raising some from the dead.

And one of the greates miracles any where is that of the Holy Fire. Every year, on Pascha (Wetsern Christians call it Easter) the Patriarch of Jerusalem goes into the very tomb our Lord was laid in and rose from. He goes in with two candels, unlit. He prays. Then a mysterious light appears and his candles are lit by this light. Some gathered to watch also have their candles lit by this light. For some time after this miracle occurs, one can bathe oneself in the flames and not be burned, just like Moses' bush. And this happens EVERY YEAR ! But it only happens at this one tomb (The Church of the Seplechure) and only on Eastern observance of Easter.

If you are looking for a place where God still speaks, raises people from the dead, has holy men and performs real miracles, you don't have to look far.

Peace.

Peter

 

[looksgood]

So why does He not speak out audiably?

Hebrews 12:26
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

He has said He will shake the earth ONCE more. His voice shakes the mountains. If He were to speak like that again it would be judgment day. Because with the sin in the world the entire planet would be moved.

I do however know for a fact that God still speaks though. I heard His voice many times. It is an unmistakable voice. When you hear it there would be no question as to what it was. It is not like sound. It is clear as a bell, but it is not sound. It is still words though. I didn't hear Him with my ears, but with the ears on the inside. He convicted me with the words "Do you really want to chance it?"

He comes in dreams as well. I have had my share. When I couldn't hear Him in any other way I asked for a dream if nothing else. He gave me one and filled it with instruction.

He speaks through the bible. Many times I have read something and all the suddan other scriptures are brought to my rememberance. Next thing I know the dots are conected and I find wonderus words. Things like prayer. If you can't hear His still small voice maybe it is time to get back to the sweet hour of prayer.

The conviction a sinner feels is also God. He knocks at the door. He sayes you need me. If anyone hears Him and opens the door..........well you know the rest. So He speaks through conviction.

I am glad I serve a God who will talk with me.

 

[Rainbow.]

He speaks through the bible. Many times I have read something and all the suddan other scriptures are brought to my rememberance. Next thing I know the dots are conected and I find wonderus words.

This is true, ive just been reading passages in the bible, that when i first read i couldn't quite understand.Having just read them again the words are crystal clear! I hear God spirtually, as i have asked many questions i then have the answer to a day or so later, so i know this is God working. My question was based more for the unbeliever as i already have faith in God.

 

[Rafael]

I thought to add, that we should remember, too, that God does speak to us with so much more than with just words, but with life itelf. How awesome and wonderful the language of life......no words can describe such a gift. If we have eyes that can see and ears that can hear the masters voice, we are blessed - having that gift of faith in Him. All around us, His wonder and beautiful design is evident, but it has suffered and groans under the weight of sin. Our minds can't even imagine how great it will be to live with Him forever as His family.

Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

 

[looksgood]

My question was based more for the unbeliever as i already have faith in God.

Yes well, the unbeliever also hears, by conviction. The problem is they don't understand. Having their understanding darkened. You see, they are not of the light so they don't know His voice. They will not willingly walk into the light.

 

[icebreaker]

Thank you for your reply.
Maybe i didn't make it clear, but i know God isn't at fault when it comes to the evil in the world.I was just saying one day we will understand why some people on earth suffer, as God himself has.

About why innocent people suffer I always talk about John 9:3 It might do you some good to read it. My sister is a prime example of John 9:3 and I will be more than happy to share with you if you PM or email me.

 

[Eleana]

There are many ways God can speak to us. For some of us, we are kinetics, meaning that we hear God through the things we see and observe in our surroundings as we walk and move around. Others might hear God just by sitting at a corner and listening to the sounds around them. God speaks to believers through fellow Christians, dreams and visions, circumstances and through the prompting and impressions by the holy spirit.

It is certainly possible for God to speak to us in an audible voice if He chooses to do so. However, His primary means of communicating with His children today is through His Word, the Bible. In the Holy Scriptures, we find all we need to know to live an abundant life, to obey and please our heavenly Father and to understand and anticipate our blessed eternal life to come.

If one continues to seek God and pray fervently, God will definitely see them through their problem. However, one will have to be sensitive to God's voice and the various ways He can speak to us.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. -Matt 7:7

Come near to God and he will come near to you.
-James 4:8

 

[repentandbelieve]

It would be great if we still had the prophets of days gone by, maybe we do but no one listens to them any more.

A lot of people didn't listen to the prophets in biblical times either.

I believe that the gift of prophesy is a spiritual gift that God continues to bestow upon certain people and that God still uses prophets to speak to His people.

The gift of prophesy is mentioned of many times in the New Testiment. However, the bible also says to beware because there will also be "false prophets".

I believe the biggest reason God doesn't speak to people individually today is because we are too absorbed in the world around us. There is so much going on that attracts our senses or deverts our minds from God that he doesn't communicate with us.

 

[Rainbow.]

About why innocent people suffer I always talk about John 9:3 It might do you some good to read it. My sister is a prime example of John 9:3 and I will be more than happy to share with you if you PM or email me.

Yes, im familiar with this passage. In fact ive suffered the lose of many people in my life. (for someone my age). I usually find peace to ease my suffering in the bible.

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

Rainbow-

God does talk to us, but not in the old ways. General revelation is over. It is closed. Now God talks to us as individuals through private revelations. This is done in a variety of ways. Sometimes through angels, sometimes through the Blessed Virgin, sometimes through direct communication from the Most High.