“Hey, do you think God could really speak today? Could He reveal Himself to someone with a thought, an impression, a circumstance?”
Sure. Shoot, He could do an audible voice if He wanted to. Nobody really thinks God couldn’t do it. He’s God, after all.”
“Great. Glad we’re on the same page about that. So last night, when I was praying, God said…”
“Wait. What do you mean, ‘God said’?”
“I mean that He talked to me, and I heard it. Look here in my journal — I even wrote it down.”
“Oh come on! How do you know that’s God?”
“Same way I know it’s my Mom calling when I hear her on the phone — I know what her voice sounds like.”
“You’re telling me you literally heard an audible voice, and you know it was God?”
“No, I’m telling you God spoke to me in my thoughts, and I know what it sounds like when He does that.”
“Don’t be silly! How could you possibly tell?”
*****
Interesting, huh? Here we have a conversation between two Christians, both of whom profess that God can speak to individuals today — to whomever He wants, anytime He wants. But one of them is certain, in advance of all the evidence, that He didn’t speak to this particular guy last night. This is the difference between theology on paper and theology in real life: only one of them actually expects it to happen. Last night, only one of them was listening in the expectation that God might speak. Big surprise — only one of them heard anything.
Full Contact Christianity 