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really cool !

Amen. "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you what ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called." Eph. 4.1

Whata Guy. The only problem I have is hearing a "voice". Subjective revelation is problematic in that it is secondary to the objective revelation of the Scripture.

This one will drive the atheists nuts....
But it's good spiritual exercise.

Kudos, and nice shirts.

" The only problem I have is hearing a "voice". Subjective revelation is problematic in that it is secondary to the objective revelation of the Scripture. "..............................

are you stating that a child of God cannot hear God's voice ?

This is a difficult situation to really assess. I always admire anyone who is willing to make bold statements about his or her commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. But I resonate with Sterling’s concern. Saying that God has SPOKEN to us regarding something can have unexpected, even negative consequences. One phrase says, “ . . . he HEARD God ask him, ’Would you be willing to walk across the country for me.’ “ The question that naturally arises from this statement is: did God speak audibly to him, or just give him a leading within. Either way, it would have to be earnestly prayed about and shared with the elders for confirmation; although the audible version would be more compelling.

The Scriptures make it clear that we don’t go off half-cocked to do whatever wells up in our subjective mind without peace from the Spirit, confirmation and advice from the elders (Acts 13. 1 – 3; 15. 1 & 2 – and many other places) AND cconformity with the principles of Holy Scripture. If this process was true for the apostles, it MUST be so for us today as well.

In a day when Christians can be self-satisfied and complacent, it is always good to hear that someone is full of faith and has a desire to publicly exalt the Lord and the Gospel. And so, I’m not criticizing Danny in terms of heart motive; but I think we have to be sure that what we are doing is actually of the Lord, and not of our own impulses, be they ever so ardent and well meaning. If some such leading is not sinful, or grievously in error, the Lord may just use it anyway; whether it is the ultimate in biblical priorities or not.

There are a couple of things with the idea of unity. He is right, in that genuine, regenerate Christians, filled with the Spirit, should not be doing and saying things that break Christian fellowship and cause unnecessary division in the Body, but as Paul said, “For there MUST also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.” I Cor. 11. 19). In other words, only by the prayers and discernment of the elders and the Body can varying views be evaluated, and a god-led decisions be made. The Spirit works in and through this process, not individual prerogative.

And what if Luther and Calvin had not stood up for the Word in the decadent and error-filled Church of their day? Division happened, but it was necessary that the truth might prevail. Or the Southern Baptist conservatives today: division has happened, but it was necessary to preserve the essentials of the Faith. Jude expresses this principle in the third verse of his epistle: “I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to CONTEND earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Unity cannot be based on subjective feelings and heart alone; it must also be built upon theological truth; otherwise, we can easily drift into error – warm fuzzies notwithstanding. Our brother may have received the approval of those to whom he is accountable, and he may have squared it with Scripture as he sees it. If so, who am I to judge? God leads people in very different ways to accomplish His purposes. But in a day when there is such a need for doctrinal integrity, and off-the-wall “leadings” do occur, it behooves us to use great caution in doing something unusual. But, like I say, God uses all kinds of things to accomplish His goals.

My personal take, however, for what it’s worth, is that the most powerful thing we can do to achieve unity in the Body is to communicate with others in the local Body of Christ, strengthening our doctrinal agreement, allowing in love for our differences (unless they affect the core of the Faith) and “love one another fervently from the heart.” And so, I do earnestly pray for our brother, Danny, that God would assist him and enable him to do His will, using it for His honor and glory.