❓How Do We Know If God Is Telling Us to Do Something in Our Life? 🤔

The Simple Answer: Is it in the Bible? 📖

Let’s dig a bit deeper . . . 🚜

📜 God’s Law: God instructs us through His Word. If what you believe God is telling you goes against the Bible, it’s not from Him. (See Gal. 1:8)

🐺 Looks Can Be Deceiving: We can’t base the truth of something on how good it looks or sounds because Paul says that the devil disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14)

💔 Feelings Can Mislead: We can’t rely on our emotions for truth, as Jesus says that evil things come from the heart. (Matt. 15:19)

❓ What about the “Messy Middle” where God seems quiet or unspecific? Questions like: Where should I go to college? Who should I marry? Where should I live?

🗣️ God Speaks to Us in Two Ways:

1️⃣ The Mediate Way – through means such as the Bible, church, or your pastor.

2️⃣ The Immediate Way – direct communication, like prophecies where God speaks directly (e.g., to Abraham).

📏 Testing the Validity of Immediate Prophecy:

>> 📜 Does it align with God’s Word?

>> ✨ Can the prophet perform a miracle? (In the Bible, genuine prophecy is often accompanied by miracles.)

⚠️ Note: The devil can do miracles, but he cannot teach in accordance with God’s will.

🔍 Reasons Someone Might Misinterpret God’s Voice:

>> 🛍️ It’s something they deeply desire.

>> 🙈 They want to avoid responsibility for their actions.

>> 📜 They’re seeking justification for something they want to do.

💡 Remember: God’s will for us always aligns with His Word, not just our wishes.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

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✨ What does it mean that God is immutable? ✨

👉 He does not mutate, which means he doesn’t change.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Heb 13:8) 📖

Why does this matter?

1️⃣ He is not a created thing. He is. He exists and will exist forever.

2️⃣ He’s not going to change his mind. This includes His will to save you.

3️⃣ He cannot be changed. God’s love for you cannot be altered. ❤️

What does this mean in light of Jesus being both God and man?

👉 Jesus has the attributes of both God and man, but when these attributes meet in Jesus, humanity doesn’t lessen divinity. ✝️

God is not less God by becoming man. When God becomes man, His human side is mortal, which means He can die on the cross. But it wasn’t just the human side that died; the second person of the Trinity died.

The blood that covers your sin is not just human blood — it’s the blood of Christ. 🩸(That’s huge!)

He promises to join His body and blood under bread and wine for you to eat and drink for the forgiveness of your sins. His body and blood aren’t made less when this happens because God is immutable.

✝️ You can take every wrong thing you’ve ever done and throw it at God, and He picks it up, carries it to the cross, bleeds, and dies for you. His will to save you is absolute and unchangeable.

🎁 It’s a gift that God is immutable. Over and over, you can bring your sins to Jesus. Over and over, His will is unchanged: to forgive you, to save you, to love you. ❤️

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #immutabilityofgod

📖 In Genesis 28, Jacob dreams of a ladder connecting heaven and earth. 🪜
Jesus picks up on this in John 1:51, saying angels will ascend and descend on him, showing how heaven and earth meet in him. ✨🌍
The concept isn’t about us building ladders to reach heaven ⬆️. Instead, heaven invades earth, with Jesus bringing heaven directly to us. ⬇️
As Christians, heaven isn’t just a distant paradise or escape.🌴 It’s God coming to us, through Jesus, who took on human flesh to connect heaven and earth. ✨➡️🌍
This connection doesn’t wait for us to seek it out; it’s delivered to us in real-time through Jesus's actions, teachings, and the promise of forgiveness. ✝️
Heaven, in essence, isn’t just a place “up there” — it’s anywhere God’s presence is, including in baptism and communion. 💧🍞🍷
Going to church, then, becomes less about an escape 🏃‍♂️💨 and more about finding strength and comfort in a world that often hurts.
When we gather at church, heaven meets earth, and forgiveness, grace, and salvation are offered right there. ✨🙏
It's about accessing the “ladder” 🪜 Jesus reveals to be himself. ✝️
Church can sometimes feel ordinary — no glowing lights or dramatic miracles, but every time you enter church, it's a small taste of heaven on earth, where you’re reminded that God’s for you and with you.⛪
Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.
Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.
#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus #heaven