Does God speak OUTSIDE the Bible? - Dreams, Prophecy, Still Small Voice | HEARING GOD'S VOICE PART 1

God has spoken, but he has spoken in his word.

I think it is a demonic satanic deception.

Is he nudging me? Is he controlling me? Does he speak to me? Is he giving me divine impression?

This is a very dangerous situation because you're adding to scripture.

And so whatever he says we should add to this book.

The topic at hand today has caused much hurt, confusion and righteous anger. Many have inflated prophecies, dreams, visions, visitations with angels and other experiences above God's word, causing great harm to the body of Christ.

And that is wrong. And because of this, many have subsequently abandoned the idea completely that God speaks to his people outside of the Bible. Is this correct? I mean, everyone agrees that God does speak through the Bible, but what about prophetic words, dreams, visions, that still small voice? See, whatever you believe, your belief on this will drastically affect your relationship with Goddess. For if you think God still speaks outside of the reading of scripture, but he actually doesn't, then will we not mistake our own imaginations for God's voice? Does this not threaten the authority of the scriptures itself? Doesn't it say that the canon isn't enough and the Bible, the scriptures aren't sufficient? Does it not threaten sola scriptura scripture alone? And will people not think they have some gift of prophecy when it actually no longer is relevant for God's people? If God speaks, how do we avoid becoming another casualty of false prophecy? And doesn't an evil generation seek after a sign? On the other hand, if you think God doesn't speak outside reading the Bible, but in fact he does, you'll silence and miss his voice of direction, instruction and conviction throughout your life. Will you not lack personal guidance going here to dare aimlessly missing your true calling because you're missing his voice? Miss opportunities perhaps for reaching specific people at specific times? Will it not impact your understanding of the Bible itself? Welcome to part one of understanding the voice of God. This teaching is going to consist of two videos, the first part being this one, which is according to the Bible. Does God speak outside the Bible? Part two, we'll be looking at discerning prophecies, dreams, visions and the voice of God in people who state they have received such an experience. We're also going to talk about the dangers of spiritual abuse and according to the Bible, the many ways that he does speak. This video will rely heavily on biblical examples and scripture. Let's get right into it. First, we have to just establish what we do all agree on through biblical history. We all agree that God has spoken in past times. God spoke face to face with Adam and Eve in the garden. God spoke directly to Abraham. He spoke to Joseph by dreams. He spoke directly to the prophets in various ways, like to Noah, Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist. And perhaps most clearly, he spoke through Jesus to us all, but also in a very direct way to those who were his disciples, like Peter, both face to face, as well as after he ascended in a vision that he gave Peter. He also met Paul on the road to Damascus in a vision after his ascension. So we know that God spoke to people before the arrival of Christ, during the arrival of Christ, and after Christ ascended. We know that he desires to speak to people from the beginning and concluding with us being face to face with them in the kingdom to come. But does he today speak to his people in ways outside the Bible? See, the key belief that many hold to is that after the delivery of the biblical canon, when it was sealed, the Bible as we have it today, God decided to stop speaking in many of the same ways he spoke in times past, restricting all of his speaking to occur only through the biblical canon. Here are some examples of what the world renowned scholar pastor John MacArthur believes.

And we do not believe that there is any revelation from God beyond this book. If the preacher is saying, God talked to me and told me to do this and told me to do that, this is a very dangerous situation because you're adding to scripture, because once you allow for revelation beyond scripture, then the idea of authority is cut loose from the boundaries of holy scripture.

Dear friends, if God is still speaking today, in a direct, quotable sense outside of scripture, when you hear people say, God spoke to me and he said, quote, da da da da da, then whatever he says should be just as authoritative as anything in this book, because God cannot speak less authoritatively on one occasion than he does on another. If God is speaking, God is speaking. And so whatever he says, we should add to this book.

One of the greatest concerns that many hold to is that the Bible's sufficiency and authority is threatened by any type of words of God that occur outside of it through a dream or a vision or any such experience. I respect and honor the labors of these pastors. They're saying what they're saying out of a good intention to protect and guard scripture, but is what they're saying in scripture. I want to submit to you that much of this debate and confusion regarding God's voice today stems from a fundamental misunderstanding in the purpose of prophecy, dreams, visions, or other biblical examples. God has spoken to his people historically. The first assumption made is that every prophetic word, prophecy, dream, or even personal word spoken by God to the hearer is for the purpose of the formation of the biblical canon and on the same level of authority thereby as the canon. By that assumption, it is only fair to think that anything that God ever speaks through anyone or to anyone must be recorded in the Bible. We should literally start a new book at the end of our bibles and start writing down the things that people are saying that God is telling them. That makes total sense.

And so whatever he says we should add to this book, we will test.

This assumption against the Bible itself. But first, let's think about the role of prophecy. Another assumption made is that the apostles and the New Testament prophets is to build the foundation of the church. And therefore, since the foundation of the church has now been laid 2000 years later, there is no more need for prophets. Ephesians 219 says, so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. So is it true that since the foundation of the church is finished, the prophets rule is now no longer needed? Only two chapters later, in Ephesians 411, we read further about this office of a prophet, and it says, and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ. It is true that in Ephesians two, the prophets and apostles were important to lay the foundation of the church. But in Ephesians four, he also says that they continue to build up the body of Christ. And he even says, until when? They will continue to have that rule. It says, until we attain to the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Has the church attained the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ? No. We all know we still have a long way to go into being transformed into the fullness of Christ. And so all of the roles, pastors or prophets or evangelists, they all work together to continue to build up the body of Christ into the image of Christ. So if it's true that the office of a prophet still has an important role in building up the body of Christ, what about that first assumption we touched on which says that every prophetic word, prophecy, dream, or even personal word spoken by God to the hearer is for the purpose of the formation of the canon and on the same level of authority as the canon. First, we all agree that numerous dreams, visions, prophecies and even other words of the spirit spoken to individuals are recorded in the Bible. But let's ask the question of why? What made them worthy of being written in the Bible as we have it today? Number one, because they are God inspired. Number two, because they laid foundation for the ecclesia, the church as we have it today, setting forth the standards of God, holiness, and how we ought to conduct ourselves. And then number three, because it was written for a universal audience, the whole world. The Bible serves to communicate, amongst other things, the gospel of salvation that Christ has opened up for the whole world. See, audience matters. There are many things that I speak and use may speak, and yet not everything that we say is intended to be broadcasted to the whole world. And so I want to submit to you that in the same way there are various prophecies from God that were not included in the biblical canon which we will look at soon. They were indeed God inspired, but they did not serve to lay the foundation of the household of God, to put forth the standards of righteous living as we have the Bible do, but they do serve to build up the body of Christ, whether an individual or a church or a country. And number three, these words were not intended for the universal audience of the whole world, but rather for a more narrow audience. And scripture has many, many, countless examples of such prophecies. For example, we see in acts 21 nine Philips daughters. It says, Philip had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. Let's ask a simple question. Where are these prophecies of his daughters and why are they not recorded in the Bible for sure? I mean, if this is the words of God indeed that came forth through these prophetesses, then are those words not to be recorded in the Bible? Since anything that God speaks is to be for the formation of the biblical.

Canon, and we do not believe that there is any revelation from God beyond this book.

Let's look at another example, the prophet Agabus. In acts 21 ten, it says, while we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea and coming to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, thus says the Holy Spirit, this is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. So Agabus was known as a prophet even prior to prophesying all of this to Paul. Why are his other writings and prophecies not recorded in the Bible? It is likely because they were not about laying a theological foundation of Christ, that they were not for the universal audience of the world as the rest of the Bible is. But at the same time, since he was a true prophet, all of the words that he had were God inspired and in this case, a personal prophecy for Paul for building up the body. Let's look at another example, the Antioch prophets in acts 13. Now, there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers. Barnabas, Simeon, who was called nigger, Lucius of Cyrene, manaen, a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And while they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me Barnabas and saul, for the work to which I have called them. So we see another example of these prophets saying a word to set apart Paul for ministry. But where are all their other prophecies? If these were known as these great prophets, why are their words not recorded? Because according to the doctrines of many, if God indeed has spoken, it must be recorded in the Bible.

And so whatever he says, we should add to this book.

I want to give you just a short personal testimony at this moment. See, I myself once as a young man, walked into a home church, and there was a lady who was known as a prophetess, being skeptical even myself of these things, at that time, being raised Dutch reformed, foreign to many of these prophetic ideas. I went and received teaching from the pastor and so forth. And as I left, the prophetess, lady came up to me and prophesied, saying, God calls you into full time ministry. Looking back, I was uncertain. I had never considered that. But yet today, I find myself sitting in that prophecy fulfilled in my life. Just like the Antioch prophets set apart Paul for ministry with Barnabas, so I was set apart for ministry by that prophetess. I see that my life experience aligns perfectly with what happened in the pages of the Bible. But some desire to teach that that cannot be, that God does not speak in that way anymore. So how do we distinguish prophecy from scripture? To answer the question of why don't we just treat all prophecy as the words of God that is to be recorded as new scripture, we have to consider the same reasons that Paul didn't consider all of these first century prophecies in his churches as worthy of being written and considered as biblical canon. We see that Paul in the church of Corinth encourages prophecy among the laymen in the church, and yet none of those prophecies are written in our bibles. One Corinthians 14 five now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues. Unless someone interprets so that the church may be built up. It seems only fitting that we should be asking Paul the same question about these prophecies in Corinthe. Prophecy can be in scripture, but not all prophecy is scripture. There are many more examples of prophecies in both the Old and New Testament from God's people that were never recorded in the biblical canon, such as the sons of the prophets of two kings 438. And yet the fact that these were never recorded was never considered problematic for the authenticity of whether God did speak through these prophets. It is interesting that in one Thessalonians 519, we see an explicit warning that we should not despise prophecies. It says, do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophecies, but test everything and hold fast what is good. By the words of one Thessalonians five, it is expected that after testing certain prophecies, it will be found that they are not true and not what God has spoken. But in the same vein, he warns that we should not cause this reality to be what drives us to forbid prophecies or quench the Holy Spirit from speaking through people. He may well desire to speak through one corinthians 1437 says that if anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I'm writing to you are a command of the Lord. And if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So my brothers earnestly desire to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done in decency and in order. Paul states that God will continue to speak to his people, but we must do all things in decency and order, testing their words. See, God knew that many people would despise prophecies. But those who forbid is not acknowledging the authority of scripture and the command of the Lord itself. For Paul said that the one who considers himself spiritual and may even consider himself a prophet should acknowledge that what he says is a command of the Lord. And what does he say? Earnestly desire prophecy. So therefore, those who teach that God cannot speak outside of scripture because it somehow diminishes the scriptures. Revelation themselves diminish what scripture has to say on this very topic. Because scripture proves that God speaks to individuals, things recorded in the scriptures and also things that are outside the Bible and were never recorded in the scriptures. These things that are outside the Bible are always subject to testing to the standard of scripture itself and were going to talk about some of that more next.

Each prophecy has a specific purpose and audience. For example, the prophetic purpose of repentance when Jonah came with a message of repentance to Nineveh. Or a prophetic message of a divine calling, such as when that divine calling was revealed to Timothy along with his gifts by the laying on of hands. Or the prophetic purpose of guidance given to believers throughout time, such as when Peter received his vision to bring clarity to him, or when Paul was visiting Jerusalem, but yet was warned by the prophet Agabus. Also the prophetic purpose of a supernatural designation of being used by God. In other words, the proof that someone has been sent of goddess. Like when the samaritan women recognized that Yeshua was at least a prophet as he said things about her life he was not supposed to know. Also, you can notice that these prophetic actions have a specific audience. Either it's to an individual, or a prophetic message to a church, or a prophetic message to a nation. Most prophecies have a narrow audience and should not be universalized or published, such as what we see in the biblical canon. Those prophecies are reserved for the world as the audience.

Now you may say, but PD, the.

Examples of prophecies that you're using are in the canon. Of course they are. I'm not using all of these examples to prove that prophecies exist outside the canon. We've already demonstrated that, among other purposes, God included these prophecies in the canon to teach us more about the different applications and audiences of prophecy. And that's all I'm demonstrating in this section. Be careful of the circular argumentation that we may not use the canon to teach on prophecy that may be able.

To occur outside of it.

Because the Bible is my only source of doctrine and the only place I can go. Let's look at what the Bible says about the purpose of the biblical canon two Timothy 315, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is briefed up by God and profitable for teaching reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

So we see that the purpose of.

The Bible, as we have today, is to communicate the commandments of God, the standard of holiness, the desires of God, and the plan of salvation. This is a universal message intended for all of mankind, and it is the standard to which we test everything else.

To whether a dream, whether a prophecy, whether whatever manifestation of the voice of God, everything is subject to what the Bible says. One corinthians 1429 gives us additional guidance on how exactly this is to be done. It states, let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent, for you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. Paul gives clear guidance on how prophecy is to be strictly tested by those who are mature in the word of, of God, so that it can be tested to the word of God. If there was no existence of prophecy within the body of Christ in the people of God, why give such meticulous instruction on how to discern it? So we've been speaking a lot about prophecy, but God speaks to us in more ways than just prophecy. We see, for example, in Matthew ten, how God tells his disciples that in the middle of trial, they should trust that the Holy Spirit will speak to and through them, and that they should not only rely on their own minds. We read in verse 19, when they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that very hour. For it is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father speaking through you. God shows us that there are certain moments when mere intellectual preparation will never be enough. That as much as the word of God is our treasure, that helps us to renew our minds and grow in the knowledge of God, there are certain moments that the spirit will have to speak through us, quickening our minds so that we can say the voice of God, so that the voice of God can become our voice. See, for those who say that God only speaks through the biblical canon, this very scripture is to be disregarded. For according to them, God cannot speak through his people in any way except through what he has only simply revealed in the written word of the Bible. But, yeah, there is a deeper reliance on his holy spirit that I want to submit to you that God is trying to communicate to us. The biblical pattern is not that God is speaking less to us today than he did in times past, but more and more directly. We read in Hebrews one, one long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. Isn't the writer of Hebrews telling us that in past times, God spoke through prophecies, but today he only speaks to us through Jesus? I want to submit to you that the author of Hebrews never states that God is now limited to only communicate with his people through the life of Christ. But only that in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son in a greater, more direct way. Yeshua is the image of God upon the earth. Everything he says is from the voice of God himself. We have never seen God more clear than in Jesus. No prophet coming before was as clear of a representative as Jesus is. And that's what the author of Hebrews is trying to tell us, that today we are more well off than ever before in seeing God more clearly. And Paul even says that there's coming time, that that intimacy with his voice is only going to increase. He sees in one corinthians 1312. For now we see a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part. Then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known ever since the moment that we lost the intimacy in the garden with our father, where Adam and Eve was with him face to face. Face. The father has been on a mission to restore us back to the face to face relationship, where we see and hear him face to face. But I want to show you that even Moses, when he was living, spoke of a time when all of God's people will hear him more clearly and will speak his words more directly. Number 1127. And a young man ran and told Moses, Eldad and Midiad are prophesying in the camp. And Joshua, the son of nun and assistant of Moses from his youth, said, my lord, Moses, stop them. But Moses said to him, are you jealous for my sake? Would that all of the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit on them. Notice how Moses did not forbid prophecy. Even Moses obeyed the words of Paul in the New Testament, who said, do not forbid prophecy. See, Moses could have come and said, I am God's prophet. I have God's words only. What I say is God's words only. What is recorded in the canon, as we are recording the Torah now, is God's word. And that's, in fact, what the community also wanted. They said, Moses, stop these men from prophesying. But yet we don't know what these men said. Their words aren't recorded in the Bible. That's not what the intention of their words even were and why God spoke through them. It was for God to show us all of what he wants to do through all of his people one day. And that's why Moses said, oh, how I long for the day that all of God's people will be prophets. So when is that day that Moses spoke about? See, I want to submit to you that Jesus didn't just die for you to be saved. But the purpose of Yeshua's death and ascension to heaven was to enable God's voice through his people. We see in John 16 seven. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. A few verses later, in verse 13, he tells us what this helper, the Holy Spirit, will accomplish in us. When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. One of the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to speak the words of God and declare to his people the things that are to come. That is the definition of prophecy. And we know that this was fulfilled in acts, chapter two. Acts two states that God is not going to stop speaking, but on the contrary, he's going to be speaking more than ever before to more people and through more people than ever before. Verse 17. And in the last days, it shall be, God declares that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters will prophesy. Young men see visions, and old men dream dreams. Even on my male servants and female servants in those days, I will pour out my spirit, and they will prophesy, and I will show wonders in the heavens above, signs on the earth below, blood, fire and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. Everyone agrees that acts two declares that God's people will prophesy. Ordinary people, young men, old men, daughters, sons, servants. Visions, dreams, prophecies will go forth. But the big question is, for when is this prophecy to be fulfilled? Peter specifically declares, in the last days, God declares these things will happen. So the question is, are we in the last days? I would submit that we are more in the last days than ever before. But certain theologians have put forth that this was fulfilled in times past, in the first century. But it is no longer relevant for us today. And that God no longer prophesies through his people as he did in the first century. In acts chapter two. Since the canon is now closed, there is no longer such a need. They say, I want to submit to you. That Peter specifies exactly when the last days, the timeframe of this prophecy occurs. He says in verse 15, the start date. He says, for these people are not drunk as you suppose, since it's only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel. In Peter quoting this prophecy. To explain to the audience what is happening while they are speaking in tongues. He declares the start of the fulfillment that it is starting to happen in their midst, right there. And then. On the other hand, he declares also, until when this prophecy of Joel will be sustained? He says that there will be prophecy, dreams, vision and wonders upon the earth. And then, he says, the sun will be turned to darkness, the moon to blood. Before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. Therefore, Peter shows us that the period of the last days is established. Until this day, called the day of the Lord, when Christ returns. Therefore, we are still in the last days, and we will be in the last days until he comes down on the Mount of Olives. Therefore, acts chapter two is as relevant today, if not more relevant than it was in the first century. But is seeking a sign evil? See, many say that to seek after these things, a dream, a vision or prophecy, that is, to seek after signs, something that the Messiah emphatically states is a wickedness. Matthew 1238 says, then some of the scribes and the Pharisees answered him, saying, teacher, we wish to see a sign from you. But he answered them, an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. Why does Christ call them an evil and adulterous generation for seeking a sign? If you think about what these Pharisees were requesting, they were coming to Jesus saying, prove to us that you are who you say you are. Prove to us that you are the messiah, that you are the one who can save the world. It was from this insincerity and unbelief in Christ as being the messiah that they asked for a sign, a sign for Christ to prove himself to them. This is very different from believers who are seeking a sincere direction in a certain matter from our Father in heaven. For example, like how Peter received a vision from heaven. About how he can dine with gentiles. And that was something that gave him direction in his calling and in his life, and in his interpretation. Interpretation of the scriptures. Or when Agabus, as we read before, spoke a prophecy of direction to Paul, this was not them questioning whether Jesus was the Messiah, as these pharisees were. That's why Jesus told the pharisees, you're an adulterous generation seeking a sign. Because adultery refers to not believing the Messiah, but rather going after another God that they have made in their own image. But it's also important to realize that God speaks how he desires to speak on his terms. We must be content with whatever voice, in whatever form, in whichever way God speaks to us. We should not have unbelief or be discontented ourselves. But we'll speak more about that in the next episode of this series. As we get to the latter end of this teaching, we have to ask, where did all of this come from? Why are there some who believe that God cannot speak outside the Bible? In a book called God doesn't whisper, by Jim Osmond, Jim proposes that as a college student, he was confused that God wasn't speaking to him in the way that he seemed to be speaking to some of his peers.

I never heard the voice of God as much as I wanted to. And I was in angst over this. I started to question whether or not I was mature, whether or not I was understanding the Lord. And this created a big crisis point in my own life. That the Lord ended up using to cause me to question that theology entirely. Now I wanted to hear the voice of God. I was trying to hear the voice of God. I was listening for the voice of God. But I never heard the voice of God.

And this was a driver towards him writing the book, God doesn't whisper, wherein he puts forth that God does not speak outside of the Bible. In visions, dreams, or prophecies, or any other way. There are many sincere believers like Jim, brothers and sisters in Christ, who I dearly love, who have a passion for the sanctity of God's word. But we all face a danger of trying to feel validated and approved of God. Because he speaks to us in a certain way, because we heard his voice in a certain way. Or when we compare ourselves to others, that he. He has spoken to us in the way he's spoken to someone else. And if we find that God hasn't spoken to us in the ways that he's spoken to someone else, we can question, is there something wrong with me? Have I done something wrong? Or am I not special? You know, does God not approve of me, what's going on, and then we can react out of that. But see, we hold too many assumptions as people sometimes, assumptions like that God speaks to all people in the same way, which he doesn't, or that God speaking to you in a certain way validates your approval in Christ, which it doesn't. The word of God speaks the truth of what he thinks of us, that he calls all men to repent, and that he forgives us as we do, and that he saves us as we do. We do not need some exterior voice outside of what God has declared in scripture to validate our approval and our salvation and God's love for us. Rather, scripture is sufficient in that. Indeed, amen in hallelujah. But none of this is a danger to the reality that God can decide to speak to individuals or to churches or to countries in ways that align perfectly with the scriptures, that is, to be tested to the scriptures at all times, but yet is not simply through the scriptures. And so I am truly sorry if youve witnessed or experienced spiritual abuse of some kind. Perhaps a word of God that someone said was God's word, but was not. Let us also recognize that these were the acts and teachings then of men, and they do not define God's perfect will revealed in the scriptures alone. The scriptures alone reveal to us gods desire to prophesy through his people. So let us not create a theology based off our non experience of God speaking through us or other people in our circles. But what about that scripture alone thing, sola scriptura? Isnt God speaking outside of the scriptures incompatible with sola scriptura? Let me give you just a short history lesson. The Reformation reacted to a certain false doctrine in the catholic tradition. The Catholic Church stated that their catholic traditions and scripture has equal authority, that their tradition should be considered as scripture. And this led to the adoption of Sola scriptura, meaning scripture alone in the Reformation, that the traditions of man do not hold the same authority as the scriptures. Martin Wisa writes about this in his writing of Sola Scriptura, biblical and theological perspectives on scripture authority and hermeneutics studies in reformed theology. He speaks about how Sula Scriptura rejoicing rejects any infallible authority other than the Bible, and in this view, that all non scriptural authority is derived from the authority of the scriptures or is independent of the scriptures and is therefore subject to reform when compared to the teachings of the Bible. This is what many of us believe, that anything outside the Bible must be tested to the Bible, and if it doesn't align, must be reformed into the image of the Bible and the doctrines laid out within the scriptures added as it was preserved for us today. So we see that Sola Scriptura is compatible with God speaking in prophecy, dreams, visions, or personally, as long as we test all things to the word of God. The Bible, Sola scriptura, does not mean that God has restricted himself to only speak within the Bible. John 21 25 even expounds upon this further when he writes, now, there are also many other things that Jesus did where every one of them to be written. I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. So while the Bible is perfect and our standard of holiness, it itself acknowledges that it is completely inadequate to record all of the works and words of God, and that all of the books in the world could probably not contain them. So let's conclude God does speak in the Bible first and foremostly and through it. But he also speaks through his people. And when he does speak, it is always miraculous faith building. It gives us direction and peace of his involvement in our life's calling. As well known reformed theologian John Piper said, I don't see anything in the Bible that would say God can't communicate with us in extraordinary ways outside the Bible. He can. But what's the big deal? And what are the consequences of believing the opposite? You may struggle to mature in understanding the Bible itself if you believe that God only speaks through the Bible. For the spirit of God is now no longer allowed to speak and is rather quenched in reality. The Holy Spirit can quicken our weak minds to understanding the Bible in greater ways, and at times, even so, with dreams, visions, and other ways of speaking. Just like Peter received his vision about what was already revealed in God's word. But God found it important to show Peter a vision to draw Peter's attention to that revelation of being able to mix with gentiles, even though that truth has already been established long before. Number two, individuals who hold to a view that God no longer speaks outside the Bible will have difficulty navigating personalized individual callings. They will find themselves going here or there without clear direction. There are times when God will show us what house to buy, who to marry, what job to take or not take, and so forth. It does not mean that he will always speak to us in such ways about those things. But there are moments where he will decide to become involved in a way where he finds it necessary to speak to us in a miraculous way about such decisions. Number three, such people may miss convictions and corrections. The Holy Spirit desires to speak to them in any way outside the Bible, pointing them to the Bible, stunting their spiritual growth. And number four, they will miss opportunities for reaching the lost as the Holy Spirit desires to specifically direct them to specific people, specific places, and specific times. For example, as Yeshua received a word of knowledge speaking to the samaritan woman about her life as Jesus, as we know very well, was directed to go certain places at certain times and to not go certain places at other times as the spirit spoke to him. Notice how all of the above were things that the Pharisees who came against Yeshua struggled with. And I don't want you to struggle with those things. I want you to be able to grow in learning the voice of goddess, relying on him first and foremostly to speak through the word of God, but also recognizing and opening the door for him to speak to you in other ways in this life. We will speak about more of those ways in the next part of this teaching. But I want to conclude with this the more our personal prayer life suffers, the more we will compensate by absolute reliance on our intellectual stimulations alone. Our relationship with God cannot simply consist of studying his word. His word is so important, and there is a lack of studying of his word in this world today. People are destroyed for a lack of knowledge in this world today. Amen. But also remember that he desires for us to draw near to him in prayer. And when we dont, we will compromise our relationship with him and we will struggle to hear his voice. God is calling his people to a balanced relationship, where theologians learn to pray and intercessors learn to be theologians. And perhaps when we come back to this intimate relationship with our father, we will see him speak to us through the scriptures like never before, through dreams and visions, as acts two promised us, through words of knowledge, the gift of prophecy, as through prophets of old, the interpretation of tongues, as Paul said would occur, and even through significant life events, our own conscience and our prayer time.

But what about all of the imaginary prophecy, prophetic abuses, confusing words and strange behaviors by some who say that they practice prophecy? Please stay tuned for part two, where we're going to be discussing discerning prophecies, dreams and visions, and the voice of God. We're going to talk about dream interpretations, the dangers of spiritual abuse, and to.

Discover, ultimately, according to the Bible, the.

Ways that God indeed does speak. Guys, this has been an in depth teaching. If you want to become a part in making these possible, consider partnering with the ministry so we can continue proclaiming.

How our God does still speak.

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Many blessings to you and shalom.