Happy new year to you guys!

Just wish to respond a bit here.

God's word is forever. The bible speaks to all generations past, present and future and is our foundation and our testing rod. The biblical word is is not privvy to "time" "fashion" "fads" and does not become old fashioned or outdated - The Holy Spirit is the true author behind it and is eternal. The word applies to the people then as much as it does to people today and sin has become no less serious, regardless of the prevailing voice of our time that accepts and even celebrates many sinful behaviours or treats it as the "norm". Basically the bible doesn't have a "due by date". So we are just as subject to God's commandments as we ever were and the word applies to each of us. Indeed God continues to talk to us, not only through His creation, but within His eternal and Holy word and also when we pray to Him with sincere hearts.

Anything that is in conflict with God's word, adds/omits or causes confusion should ring alarm bells immediately. The bible is a clear testing rod that we can run things past - it is THE authority, not a side dish or addition.

It is essential if we are to discern whether a voice is from God or possibly from the Devil or human ego/error. Otherwise nobody can be blamed for falling for deception. However, it would appear we can be blamed, since God has already given us His word in the bible and most of us have access to a bible. So perhaps we have little excuse to be deceived, since whose word are we really listening to? Whose word comes first? Whose word is above and beyond all others?

Any voices outside of the bible that come to us claiming to be words from God should always be treated with caution. Even if they appear to be "good". Satan only requires a small percentage of lies to deliver a pretty lethal poison and I'm sure he's quite happy to deliver 95% truth to do so.

Such words should not ever be treated as a superior source to the bible, nor should they be in conflict/contradiction, but rather should confirm. If they are not, you can be pretty sure that either demonic deception, human error, or self deception/lies are involved. Certainly, the bible comes first without a doubt.

Sadly, it is so often God's word that becomes subject to scrutiny and criticism and run past lofty liberals, rather than the words of the lofty liberals being run past God's. We have such a problem within our church. It astounds me that anybody claiming to be Christian would ever accept man's word over and above scripture - but it does happen. We have some lofty liberals in our church that give a new age swing to the bible, convincing many there is no hell, there is ultimate punishment for sinning against the eternal God and really Christ's miracles are symbolic. Total and utter heresy and the most dangerous kind. All in complete conflict with scripture and total conflict with the basis of Christianity, which in a sense is grounded in miracles -starting with the miraculous and wonderful conception of Christ through the Holy Spirit, His life on earth, His healings/miracles and rising from the dead. So once you start trying to break people's faith concerning these fundamental truths, it doesn't take long before the rest can so easily come tumbling down. In a sense, such a person can create their own anti-gospel and still look like a "nice guy" Or even be thought of as "enlightened". I can imagine Satan laughing as more souls fall into Hell, because they listened to the wrong voice.

One must ask - who do we believe first and foremost? And who is the authority? Man or God?