What could be wrong with learning to "hear God's voice"?
What could be wrong with learning to "hear God's voice"?Recently I heard about a Christian youth conference in Anchorage, Alaska, called Fusion, that drew more than 800 teenagers and church youth workers from across the state. In addition to performances by nationally known music artists, the conference featured "training classes" on a variety of topics to help students grow in their faith. Two of these classes promised to teach them "how to hear God's voice." This concerned me because I know this is a common New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) teaching used to initiate people into their worldview.The problem with learning to hear God's voice, in the NAR manner, is that people are being taught to turn to a subjective impression instead of the objective truth of God's Word. As an example of this type of teaching, I share this link to an audio recording of a talk titled "Hearing God's Voice." It was given recently at Tree of Life Church in Palmer, Alaska, and is representative of similar talks being given at churches throughout the nation.During this particular talk, the speaker, Shannon Johnson, leads attendees in a series of "activation" exercises--i.e., activities designed to help individuals learn how to hear God speak to them directly. The audio is lengthy, so I've noted time stamps where specific teachings begin alongside my comments about those teachings. I didn't list everything I'm concerned about, but just brief highlights. There's a lot more that's disturbing in this audio than I will mention here.
God the 'chatterbox'
00:00 Johnson starts out by directing her audience to doodle on the table they're seated at to or write on a piece of paper what they hear God saying to them. Sharpies, crayons, and markers are provided for this purpose.06:56 Johnson explains that the key to a relationship with God is talking with him, and especially listening to him. This is because he loves them and desires to talk with them. In fact, God talks so much, according to Johnson, that her favorite name for him is "Mr. Chatterbox." Ways he speaks, in addition to Scripture, include audibly and through dreams, colors, music, the senses of taste and smell, "words of knowledge," and "prophetic words."
God the Beatles fan
17:35 Johnson tells about a time God spoke to her by singing a Beatles song to her--the song "Revolution." Through this song he spoke to her about a "love revolution" and how he is "awakening" the bride of Christ (the church). (The "awakening of the Bride" refers to a popular NAR teaching.) She claims that at the very moment she was singing this Beatles song, she received a text message from a friend saying, "I was praying for you and God was singing the Beatles over you. He was singing words from a Beatles song, 'love, love, love' (the harmony from Love is All You Need)." Johnson jokes that God is a Beatles fan.20:00 Johnson cautions her audience that they need to learn to discern what is truly God's voice and what is merely their own voice because their own voice "can sometimes be a little selfish." But her word of caution is undermined by a heavy self-interest throughout the rest of her talk.20:15 She tells people to practice hearing from God through journaling and through prophesying to their friends. She emphasizes over and over that they’ll get it wrong but, no worries, “God doesn’t care at all" because he's excited that they're seeking him.24:05 Johnson prepares her audience to begin the activation exercises by telling them to repeat the words, "I'm open" (expressing a willingness to hear what God wants to say to them). She then tells them to ask God a series of questions and record his responses to those questions. She says they should record the first thought that pops into their head, or the first emotion they feel, or first smell they experience--even if they feel ridiculous doing so. She says not to dismiss these things because God speaks through them. The questions she tells them to ask God include "What is your favorite thing about me?" and "Tell me a time when you were most proud of me."
God the television buff
41:00 Johnson shares times God spoke to her and her husband through television programs. For example, one time God revealed to an acquaintance that she is like one of the main characters in Parks and Recreation.46:50 Johnson tells the audience to put into practice what they have learned by prophesying to the person sitting to the right of them. To aid them, she tells them to ask God to highlight one of the objects sitting on the table in front of them, such as chewing gum, and, through the object, to bring something to mind that will encourage that person.
Editing God
Before the practice session begins, Johnson lays some ground rules: Don't say anything weird and don't say anything negative. I find her "no weirdness" rule to be odd in light of her own her own earlier admission that the thoughts that pop into their head while they're prophesying might seem ridiculous to them. And I find her "no negativity" rule to be equally odd. Regarding this rule, she says that if God, for some reason, says something negative about the person they're prophesying to they should keep it to themselves or ask God to put a positive spin on it. So, she's teaching people to edit God?
Just go with it
A couple last observations. First, throughout her talk, Johnson acknowledges that people in the room might feel uncomfortable with things she's telling them to do, but advises them to just go along with it. Her pressure to do things that make them feel uncomfortable is alarming, but common in the NAR. People need to be aware of it. Second, Johnson's lengthy teaching is remarkably devoid of Scripture. Though she references a verse here or there to assure her audience that God cares about them, she never grounds her teachings and practices about how to hear God's voice in the Bible. This is a glaring omission.The question of whether God still speaks today is relevant and a good one for me to address in another post. But what I want to point out here is that the way people in the NAR are being taught to hear God's voice is nowhere in line with the Bible.--------------Holly Pivec is the co-author of A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement and God's Super-Apostles: Encountering the Worldwide Prophets and Apostles Movement. She has a master's degree in Christian apologetics from Biola University.