When People Speak for God

When someone claims they have a message from God, how do you decide whether to believe them?

This question has been with people of faith at least since Abraham heard someone-God, as it turned out-telling him to leave home and go to a place he would be shown. Other people have left their homes thinking God was guiding them, and have ended up with nothing but trouble.

And what about books? When someone claims a book is inspired by God how do you determine whether they are right or wrong? Very often they will be telling you that your eternal destination depends on believing what they say, and yet others will say that their book is right. Is it possible to know?

Interpretations of those books can be equally difficult to judge. People with special interpretations of scripture often claim just as much authority as those who claim to be prophets. If you reject their interpretation, you are rejecting God himself. How do you make a wise decision?

Writer and Bible teacher Henry Neufeld wrestles with these questions in these pages. You may not like some of the answers, but you will be challenged as he calls us each to focus first on the conversation with God and then to each be responsible for learning God's will for our individual lives.