Subj: The way the Lord does things
Date: 98-12-11 23:25:15 EST
From: Pastor Vitale
Hello xxxx
You may recall that last night I was saying that when someone's heart is hard in an area to the point that they cannot hear what the Lord is saying, he will speak to them through a prophet/teacher. I also said that once the Lord makes a determination to deal with a person through a prophet/teacher in a particular area, he is not likely to deal with that person directly in that area again, even though they have a face-to-face relationship with him and other areas.
What I didn't say last night, is that when the person who is being corrected asks the Lord for a confirmation about a subject that they are really rejecting in their heart of hearts, He will only respond to them directly if the teacher is wrong. silence means that the teacher is correct in what he's saying. this is difficult to understand, especially because in many areas the Lord will give us a personal witness to what is being taught. as far as I know, these witnesses come forth when we are truly neutral, and open to the truth. But as I said above, when there is something wrong in our heart that the Lord is dealing with, it is very possible that he will not give us a personal witness. the thing to keep in mind is that once we are convinced that the Lord has placed us in submission to a prophet/teacher, we are to believe their instruction in doctrine and in righteousness unless and until the Lord tells us clearly that they are wrong.
God bless you.
Love,
Pastor Sheila
