Month: November 2024

Hollywood and Autism Part 5

What about the Good Doctor and community? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

This is the show I probably resonate with the most.

Shaun Murphy is a brilliant surgeon on the spectrum who has a special gift of envisioning different ways to do surgery. When he enters “vision mode” he stares up and you get to see different parts of the body flowing together in his mind. After that, he comes out and he has the solution to the problem.

While that is always fascinating, what is most fascinating is getting to see Shaun grow as a person in the show. At first, the doctors either don’t want him to perform, or they handle him with kid gloves. The exception is a mentor figure he has in the show who has known him for years, Dr. Glassman.

Shaun learns from the staff and from his patients that come in. While he is brilliant in medicine, he is constantly struggling in social relationships. He asks those around him regularly what he should do in a certain situation.

The biggest part that reaches me is when he finds love and yes, winds up getting married in the show. He marries a neurotypical girl who takes the time to understand him and his condition. She is a perfect complement to him and when I see them together, it leaves me thinking about what I really want to have someday.

At times, Shaun does have breakdowns when things get hectic for him. I am thankful that I am not one who has this struggle, at least not in the sense that I tend to share it externally. Fortunately, his lady and Dr. Glassman are often both there to help him through these struggles.

At times, Shaun is often blunt and can see only the data and miss the emotional connection that his patients often need. This is again, something that he grows in throughout the show. I am not done with the whole series yet, but eventually, he even gets put in charge of other doctors under him and has to learn how to be a manager.

The big thing about this is community. As a seminary student, I find myself often communicating with others around me trying to understand. If I want to understand more about women, I will often go to women on the campus I know who are either married or in committed relationships. I will go to my professors to pick their brains on various topics and many I now consider not just my professors, but my friends as well.

Community is absolutely essential. As I am in therapy, my interest in gaming is something I point back to and my theme in therapy now is the theme to Final Fantasy IX, a song called A Place To Call Home. Home is where you are accepted just as you are and people do understand your silly little quirks, but also want to see you grow and succeed on your journey.

Friends are great, but of course, the real hope is to find a special lady again someday. When I see Shaun with his, it does develop in me a longing for the same. I am fine with a neurotypical girl provided she does understand that she’s marrying a man who is rather odd in many of his ways.

Well, that concludes my look for now at Hollywood and Autism. We’ll see what next week brings.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

Hollywood and Autism Part 4

Can love be hard to find? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

Atypical is a series I never got to finish as divorce started becoming a reality in my life around that time. It involves a young man named Sam on the spectrum in the middle of his teenage years who decides it’s time to get a girlfriend. His family is unfortunately dysfunctional and his main friend helping him is a perv and he develops a crush on his therapist. I plan to start the series again as I never got past the first season.

Sam has a problem in that he seems to let everything out immediately. He goes to a girl that he is interested in and has been arranged to date in some way, and starts listing off a long list of character flaws of his and includes he’s never had sex. The girl says “You’ve never had sex?” She invites him back to her place and he is sitting on the edge of a bed nervous and she comes over and starts putting the moves on him to which he pushes her off. At that, she is angry and tells him to get out.

Yeah. That doesn’t go well.

So let’s talk about what it’s like on the spectrum.

My ex-wife and I met through a mutual friend and our first conversations were through this ancient service called AOL Instant Messenger. I’m really thankful that we started that way and were introduced by a friend because speaking in person to someone like that is quite difficult. My therapist and I have decided that while many people use small talk to engage with others, I use humor. I have a reputation and I have been told I am one of the funniest if not the funniest guys on campus.

That is doable, but just a regular conversation is extremely difficult. When I go out and do evangelism which I have to do weekly for my scholarship, I have to have someone else join me (We go in pairs anyway) to start the conversation. Once it’s started, I can try to find a way in.

If I go to the grocery store and want one of the sticks used to separate orders, I find it nigh impossible to go to someone in front of me and ask for the stick. I usually wind up gesturing wildly. Strangest thing, but they never seem to notice that.

Thus, when people come to me and say “Just go up to someone and ask her out”, I wish it was that simple. For a guy, it is saying “Go up to someone and throw yourself on the line and admit those difficult emotions and risk total rejection once more.” Any of those are hard to do for a neurotypical guy. It’s much harder to do for an neurodivergent guy.

What would make it easier? If I had some sign that there would be a positive response possible back. Unfortunately, men struggle with understanding when a woman is flirting and when she is not. It is again, much harder if you do not understand social cues to begin with. “Hey! That lady smiled. Is she flirting with me? Is she being polite? Is she possibly interested?”

Now once I have a relationship, I usually do quite well. Believe it or not, being on the spectrum does not mean you’re an emotional rock. I am actually quite the romantic. I like to do everything I can to put a smile on a lady’s face.

Yet like the initial conversation, that initial contact is difficult, and force of will often does not seem like enough to do it. It is also one of the reasons I am in therapy right now. I am working on building up those skills and learning how to communicate better.

When I did watch Atypical, I did relate to Sam and his struggles. I am curious what else will happen as he continues his journey. I also pray my journey is successful.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

Hollywood and Autism Part 3

What can we learn from Adam? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

When I was a student at Southern Evangelical Seminary, the movie Adam came out in the theaters. I went to see it with a friend of mine. I was dating the girl who is now my ex-wife at the time, but she lived in Atlanta around 200 miles away so our seeing it together wasn’t exactly convenient.

The movie is a romantic comedy as Adam is on the spectrum and he meets a woman named Beth and they fall in love. Beth has to accommodate a lot due to the way Adam is. Adam will often speak bluntly and sometimes, it is inappropriately. He asks Beth at their first meeting if she feels aroused and when the two go to an event together a lady asks them if they want to see some baby pictures. Adam says “No.”

There is another scene that resonated especially with me and there are many people on the spectrum who are like this and that is Adam going to his cupboard to get out a meal. It is largely filled with mac and cheese. Again, not everyone on the spectrum is like this, but some are. For me, I only eat foods I can eat with my bare hands. Others go by texture and other attributes to determine what they will and will not eat.

Not only that, but meal situations make me extremely nervous. Recently, there was an alumni event here on campus. I thought I should go so I can meet people and perhaps possible donors to my own ministry.

Unfortunately, it was a meal.

As I approached the cafeteria, I felt nerves coming over me. I even tried to find the backway in so I could avoid all the people. When I got to the room itself, I was immediately quiet and didn’t really know how to respond to anyone. I used to be a lot more capable of handling this, but I also had my ex-wife with me at the time. That was a stabilizing factor that helped me overcome the anxiety.

You really lose so much in a divorce.

I remember when I joined my church here, and I have told my pastor this, that it was myself and three other single guys. The pastor pointed that out and said “What these guys would most appreciate”

And I’m standing there thinking “Yeah. Give us some single ladies that we can meet.”

The pastor continued, “Is for some of you to invite them over to your house for a nice meal.”

Inside, I’m screaming.

Unfortunately, when you struggle with social situations, this makes it even harder as when do most people connect socially? Unfortunately, it’s at meals. I try to go to these kinds of events on campus to interact, but it’s extremely difficult. Crawfest where everyone had crawfish, a staple apparently in New Orleans, had me just with my head lowered the whole time not looking around at anyone or anything as all the smells and sounds and sights were just repulsive to me.

In the movie, when Beth and Adam go to a restaurant together on a date, she orders a meal for him in another language. When it arrives, what is it? Mac and cheese. For me, this is the kind of thing I would appreciate with a lady, though not mac and cheese for me.

When you meet someone on the spectrum, I recommend not making assumptions about food until you get to know them better. They could have sensitivities and idiosyncracies in that area. I personally would much rather connect over a game or an intellectual conversation than I would over a meal.

I won’t tell you how the movie turns out, but next time, I will cover a series that is all about romantic relationships.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

Hollywood and Autism Part 2

What about Rain Man and routine?

“So are you Rain Man or something?”

I get this kind of comment a lot. My former father-in-law used to joke he wanted to take me to Vegas sometimes.  In reality, I do happen to be very good with numbers. My boss at work when needing to get some mathematical totals together will just ask me instead of using a calculator. I tell people if they pull one out in my presence, it’s an insult, unless they’re demonstrating I’m right.

The thing with Rain Man is he seems to live in his own world oblivious to what else is going on. He walks in on his brother having sex not even realizing what is happening. Rain Man is not at all capable of functioning on his own in the end world.

If there is one area that I can definitely relate to Rain Man in, it’s routine. I am not as extreme as he is. Rain Man and his brother have to interrupt another family of strangers just so that Rain Man can watch Judge Wapner on The People’s Court.

Routine is a way of providing order to life and I live by a strong routine. There’s nothing unusual about having a similar bedtime and having the alarm go off at the same time. What is unusual is that when I am on my work days, you can expect the same schedule. I have a snack at 10, noon, and 2. I will be going to the rest room at 11:30 and again at 3:30. On the way the second time, I will stop at the cafe in the seminary and get a tea. It will be a large with three Splendas and honey and they will tell me what kind they chose when I get back. I have a water bottle with me and I put a flavor enhancer in it and start drinking at 1:30. I absolutely do not leave until it is time at 5. I start closing routines at 4:55.

Sometimes, due to when the mailman arrives or other circumstances, there can be minor variations, but overall, this is how everyday goes for me there. I get home and call my folks on my Echo first. At 7, I get a shower in and then when I’m out, I watch an episode of a TV show on the Echo while I play Animal Crossing on the Switch. Two hours before bed I shut things down and get on my computer for some work, including schoolwork. An hour before I go to bed, I get ready with brushing teeth and emptying Shiro’s litter box. I play a word game on my tablet until around 10 minutes before the hour while listening to an audio book. When the lights go out, I normally spend a little bit of extra time looking up something online on my tablet and then go to sleep.

Friday night, I am asked by a student if I can give them a lift to the airport. They say they want to leave at 5:30. I don’t want to let them down, but wait. I need to wash my towels that day which I had planned before I got this. He is negotiable with the time so I eventually get him to push it back a little bit so I can get the towels in the dryer before I head out. That way, I can still get my shower in at the same time.

That might sound bizarre to you, but in my world, having a switch in my routine leaves me just anxious. If I know in advance something is coming, that’s not really a problem. I can work with it. If I do not know that, that can be a struggle.

That being said, I do not become catatonic in at least any external way. I have had years of experience hiding some reactions to things people say or do. Keep in mind in all of this, I am saying the way I relate as someone on the spectrum to someone like Rain Man. I know others are different. This is again the danger with Hollywood. Not everyone is alike.

Also in fairness to Rain Man, I can also be incredibly naive to what people are saying and doing at times. This is definitely a concern when it comes to women as if someone was flirting with me, I do not think I could tell. Your average neurotypical men struggles with this. How much more someone who is neurodivergent?

That being said, while I have only seen Rain Man once, it is a film worth seeing. Watch it, but remember it doesn’t describe everyone on the spectrum. Because someone doesn’t act identical to Rain Man doesn’t mean they’re not on the spectrum.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

Hollywood and Autism Part 1

Does Hollywood get Autism right? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

Recently, I was asked if I would take a fellow student to the airport. On the way, we start talking and I explain being on the spectrum. I later say that I am watching The Good Doctor now as I had stopped watching due to life events. I tell him it’s about a surgeon with autism. He asks me if I think that Hollywood gets autism right.

Fascinating discussion!

So why not blog about that?

So let’s answer the question straightforwardly. Do they get Autism right?

No.

Do they get it wrong?

No.

The problem with the question is that there is no one right way to represent Autism. Am I Rain Man? No, but I can see similarities. I can see similarities with me and Shaun Murphy on The Good Doctor. I can see ways I relate to Sam on Atypical. I understand some of what happens with Adam in Adam.

But there are also ways that I am vastly different.

The danger with any Hollywood presentation on such a complex spectrum is that people will look at you and think that you must be like that person. For some people, it will be abundantly obvious something is different about them. For others, it could be harder to tell. I recently sat down with one of the staff here at the seminary and was saying I could speak at churches on Autism and Christianity and I am highly qualified.

“Really? Why?”

I could have been knocked over with a feather at that point.

That’s only because I’ve spent years trying to learn social skills and how to blend in. In many ways, being in society for me can be like trying to play a game and everyone else around me knows the rules of the game and I have to try to wing it. I really think an interesting look that Hollywood could do with autism is a day in the life of a high-functioning person. Just show them even being greeted in casual conversation and then take a trip inside their head as time freezes and they start asking all these questions of what to say and how to interpret every single bit of body language they see.

That being said, the problem with being on the spectrum at times is it is an invisible condition. I’m at work at the seminary post office. The Fedex man comes in and expects me to talk like a regular person and respond to greetings. I can tell he is puzzled by my silence. Am I being intentionally rude? No. I just do not know what to say and even if I do, knowing what to say and being able to make myself say it are two different things.

I take a YouGov survey and at one point I am shown a picture of a woman’s face and asked “What is this woman feeling now?”

I look and look and look.

My answer?

“I am on the spectrum and I have no clue what she’s feeling.”

I really don’t.

Or picture being single like I am and wanting to remarry and yet not knowing what to do in your relationships with women you are interested in.

“Is she interested in me? How can I tell? Will she reject me if I say something? Will I look like a creep? How do you express something like this? Is she smiling because she likes me or because she’s being friendly?”

I could go on and on, but it’s a real struggle.

So this is just scratching the surface, but over this week I plan on trying to look at various ideas of Autism from Hollywood and how I relate to them. Since I have mentioned four different versions of Autism, I can do the next four days covering them and hopefully, you all will understand better the world I do live in and the world your autistic neighbors live in.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

Concluding Thoughts On Priscilla Shirer

Should you read Shirer? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

No.

Well, tune in next time for….

Oh. You want to hear more. Right?

The problem with people like Shirer is they have a horrible way of misinterpreting Scripture, which everyone agrees comes from God, and then asks us to trust their judgment on subjective experiences, which we don’t know come from God. This causes a focus on one’s self and makes your own life the center of the story. That should never be. Jesus is always the center of the story.

Right now, I am reading God Doesn’t Whisper on this topic. Today, I read this great quote from Jim Osman, the author:

They write entire books teaching us how to discern the meaning of a whispered impression but they cannot discern the clear meaning of a written text! They think they can discern the meaning of God’s whispers in signs, impressions, and inner promptings, but they cannot accurately discern the plain meaning of the inspired Word. If they cannot rightly interpret a passage as objectively clear and straightforward as John 10, why should we trust them to teach us how to interpret our vague, subjective, and unclear impressions?

Osman, Jim . God Doesn’t Whisper (pp. 67-68). Kootenai Community Church Publishing. Kindle Edition.

There is a lot of danger in this movement. Think especially of Christians who are suffering. I have spoken to a man trying to save a marriage who told me that he doesn’t feel God’s presence now. This is not uncommon when people are suffering.

If you read people like Shirer, you will think the problem is you. If you are suffering, the last thing you need is to think that God does not care about you in your suffering. That can lead you to even more despair.

Christian suffering. God loves you. He cannot not love you. He cannot change in His love for you. He cannot lessen in His love for you and He cannot grow in His love for you. You have the Scripture and you have the Spirit. He has promised He is there with you.

It is hard to realize that at times when you are suffering and your emotions are out of control. The good news is that your emotions cannot tell you anything about God. Nothing. It does not mean your emotions are useless, but they are meant to tell you something about what’s going on with you.

Writers like Shirer will move your focus away from Scripture and lean them to yourself. It is an awful system that has you looking at every event in your life and every emotion to try to find out what secret message God is telling you. Friends. God has not kept secrets important for your life from you. They are there in the Scripture.  Go back to that.

Personally, when I hear anyone tell me God is leading them to do X or anything of that sort, I disregard it. They need to establish it on other grounds. Those of us who are Protestants remember that the movement has been to the sources, the Scripture.

Abandoning that for subjective feelings and events will only lead to chaos. We go with what has stood the test of time. We go with Scripture.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

Book Plunge: Discerning the Voice of God Chapter 14

What do we expect? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

It’s the final chapter!

This chapter is all about expectations. Towards the start, Shirer tells us to be expecting and she has a Scripture for this.

But when we truly expect, He incredibly delivers. I will stand on my guard post and station myself
on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see
what He will speak to me.
Habakkuk 2:1

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 199). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

But wait! There’s more!

Yep. Shirer left off the rest of the verse. Why would she do that? Maybe because the rest of it makes her look bad if she shows it.

I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.

That last part sure changes everything.

Habakkuk is a rare prophet in that most prophets spoke to the people on the behalf of God, but Habakkuk seems to spend more time speaking to God on behalf of the people. In these cases, he is actually complaining to God.

Either Shirer did not see that in the verse and is horrible at reading it.

Or she intentionally hid that part.

Unfortunately, she makes it worse:

Then into this revealing moment, with my heart and doubts and attitudes sufficiently exposed, God directed my Bible study into the slender opening of Scripture called the book of Habakkuk, where He used the descriptive message of this prophetic account to teach me an important lesson—a lesson I knew but didn’t really know until this occasion. With the promises of one simple yet profound verse, the Lord encouraged my pursuit of His word and affirmed His promise to give me counsel. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.
Habakkuk 2:3

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 200). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

See? Now it is not just Shirer exegeting the book. It is God doing it. Now God is telling her about what the passage means. This should be seen as a serious claim. If she says God is telling her this is what the passage means and she is wrong, by implication, God is wrong.

Do you not realize, Shirer, how seriously it is to claim God in this? If you are wrong, then you are wrong, but if you attribute it to God, then if you are not right, you have taken God’s name in vain.

Sadly, she has done just that.

God goes on to describe in verse 6-8 of this chapter what He is talking about:

“But soon their captives will taunt them.
They will mock them, saying,
‘What sorrow awaits you thieves!
Now you will get what you deserve!
You’ve become rich by extortion,
but how much longer can this go on?’
7 Suddenly, your debtors will take action.
They will turn on you and take all you have,
while you stand trembling and helpless.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
now all the survivors will plunder you.
You committed murder throughout the countryside
and filled the towns with violence.

He is speaking about a specific prophecy that will take place at a specific time. He is not making a general comment about Shirer’s laugh. I keep coming back to thinking she must be someone incredibly egotistical to think all of this is about her.

First, new vision. Then, new confidence. The result: a second wind to wait with. I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me and how I may reply when I am reproved. (2:1)

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 206). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

So why didn’t she quote the rest of this earlier? She knew about it. Is she waiting to be reproved? Well, I’m not going to claim God has told me to do it, but this is my reproof of Shirer.

I have regularly dealt with atheists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Muslims, and others that take Scripture out of context. I see much of the same in Shirer. I would not trust her at all with Scripture.

Tomorrow, I will give concluding thoughts overall.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

Book Plunge: Discerning the Voice of God Chapter 13

Are we being disobedient to the Lord? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

Shirer shows us the danger of her idea of hearing the voice of God early on. She does not think she is doing that, but she is. She talks about her friend Monica who seems to have things work out for her. What does Shirer say?

And while every account is unique, each one is woven together by a similar theme. A consistent thread. She and I have often talked about this—why some believers like her seem to experience God’s supernatural power more often than others, while many Christians can live their entire lives without really witnessing God’s handiwork. Her soft, humble answer is this: “I think the reason I see God’s activity so clearly in my life is because I’ve decided that the only appropriate response to Him is complete obedience. I am committed to obeying His leading, no matter how illogical His instructions may seem to be. From giving when I didn’t have enough, to making an effort when I was completely out of strength, I’ve just chosen to do what He says.” He speaks; she obeys.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 182). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Wonderful.

So are we to say that the person who loses a child to cancer is not living in complete obedience?

Are we to say Christians being martyred all over the world are not living in complete obedience?

Are we to say that a couple struggling with finances or infertility or anything else is not living in complete obedience?

It’s sad that Shirer has the exact same mindset as Job’s friends. See how well Monica’s life is turning out? She hears. She obeys. The implication is that if she disobeyed, her life would not turn out well. Shirer would likely never say that, but it is an easy conclusion to reach from her methodology.

Yet she goes on later on in the chapter to take this further.

God, who knows our hearts, doesn’t do much speaking into a person’s life who isn’t dedicated to obeying Him.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 183). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

You don’t think you’re hearing the voice of God? Obviously then, you’re not obeying Him.

So if you’re crying out in pain and the heavens seem silent, you’re being disobedient.

I have had someone contact me before about marriage difficulties. Seeing as I have walked through divorce, I strive to help other men hopefully to save their marriages, but if not, then through divorce. This man told me about the heavens seeming silent. I told him he should not expect to hear the voice of God. We had some back-and-forth, but he did respect that I stuck by my guns.

Had I had Shirer’s mindset, I would have thought that my friend was being a disobedient Christian obviously. A guy who has a marriage falling apart does not need more guilt heaped upon him, but it is the outcome of what Shirer says. Not hearing from God? You’re the problem!

Not only that, the whole thing is just wrong. Paul was busy trying to destroy the church and God spoke to Him quite clearly. On the other hand, it was quite clear that God had spoken in the contest of Elijah at Mt. Carmel, and yet Jezebel still wanted to kill Elijah.

The Scripture makes clear, over and over again, that the prerequisite for experiencing God is obeying Him.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 185). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

I dread the thought of anyone going through a hard time in this book thinking they need to feel the love of God and life seems cold and reading this. Shirer is not a wise writer. She is heaping stones on people who are already suffering. Not only that, but again, it’s wrong.

For one thing, not all experience of God is good. You can experience judgment and you certainly aren’t obeying God then. Moses had the experience of hearing God describe Himself as “I am” when all he was doing was just being a shepherd. Meanwhile, Joseph was obedient to God and wound up being thrown in prison for two years.

Now Shirer tells us again about, surprise once more, herself! She talks about a time her son had a horrible cough that was keeping her and her husband at night and at 4 AM, she woke up to it and was under the impression she should go and personally pray for her son. Okay. I do not have a problem with praying for your son, but notice what she says here.

For ten minutes or more I debated with God on the wisdom of this strategy.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 185). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Whoa.

You think you are talking with God and you are debating with Him?

How arrogant must you be!

We can say Moses and Jeremiah offered pushback, which I think could have been Semitic humility, but Shirer goes beyond that. She is debating. It is hard to not see this as her thinking she is more wise than the one who is Wisdom. Besides, I thought obedience was necessary to experiencing God and hearing His voice. Here she is arguing with Him and still hearing His voice apparently.

Now she does say that after the prayer, the cough went away, but again, was that God? Maybe. I don’t know, but I do know there is not a guarantee, or else St. Jude’s would have a whole lot less sick children today.

On the other hand, believers who always have an escape plan—another option waiting in the wings, a plan B to revert to—are what the Scriptures call “double-minded” (James 1:8). And they can never expect to fully know and experience the power and presence of God. They can never experience the full disclosure of divine activity that is available to those who are all in. They shouldn’t even anticipate that they will “receive anything from the Lord” (verse 7), not the least of which is His continued direction and guidance. So if you aren’t hearing from God very clearly or regularly, ask the Lord to reveal whether or not any double-mindedness is the culprit—any sense of holding back, any initial resistance that blocks your full acceptance and obedience of His message to you.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 187). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

If Shirer was heaping stones on the reader before, now she is throwing them in the tomb and burying it. Sorry Shirer, but you should always have in mind what to do if a plan fails. Read Paul’s letters. In the end, he will often talk about what he wants to do, but he has other things in mind if they do not pan out.

Remember that story about how she argued for ten minutes with God about something? This is the same lady who in this same chapter says this:

We’ve talked before in this book about when it is appropriate to delay an upcoming action or decision until you’ve heard from the Lord. There’s much biblical wisdom and prudence in that perspective. But once you’ve heard from God, delay is no longer an option—only instant obedience is.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 188). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Ten minutes of arguing doesn’t sound like “instance obedience.” Maybe Shirer is an exception.

And yet on the very next page:

When the Lord gives me directives that I don’t particularly care for or I’m afraid to carry out, the last thing I want to do is get up “early in the morning” to do them. I procrastinate. I think about it. I pray about it. I talk to friends about it. And if I’m not doing any of those, I usually just try to ignore it.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 189). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

This doesn’t sound like instance obedience.

And in one final example from this chapter, she writes about continuing a pursuit of higher education at Dallas Theological Seminary.

But while I was driving to the seminary to hand in my application, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to my heart. “I didn’t tell you I wanted you to go back to school,” He seemed to be saying. “You came up with this idea all on your own. I have other plans for you.” Whoa. Wasn’t expecting that. I mean, here I was, on my way to campus, my crisp packet of materials resting in the seat beside me, and now I was being met with an about-face directive from God that was so strong, I had no doubt He was speaking to me. Caught in the moment, I thought about just going ahead and dropping off the application anyway. After all, I’d come this far and could always call back later and request that they disregard it. Once the stuff was turned in, I’d go home, talk it over with Jerry, and if we came to this same, unexpected conclusion—even at this late date in the process—I’d call and cancel it. No problem. But if, on the other hand, we determined that I was mistaken in what I thought God was saying about changing course, then finishing my errand would save me another trip out here and I wouldn’t miss any deadlines.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (pp. 190-191). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

So let me get this straight.

You have no doubt that God is speaking to you, but you think you need to go home and discuss it with your husband and see if you two reach the same conclusion. How does this work?

“Honey. I am absolutely sure God was speaking to me.”

“What did He say?”

“He does not want me to continue higher education.”

“Okay. I think we should discuss this message you are absolutely sure is from God and see if we agree.”

“Yes. No need to rush on this. We should make sure God is right before we proceed.”

Oh. Not only that, it looks like she has a back-up plan in this as well.

Rules for thee, but not for me.

This chapter does not tell me a lot about God.

It tells me a lot about Priscilla Shirer and none of it is good.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

Book Plunge: Discerning the Voice of God Chapter 12

Does God have a plan for your life? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

I work at the Post Office at my seminary and many times, new students come in to get a Post Office box. I often ask them what they plan to study. Sometimes, they do not know. They just want to go “Where God leads them.” I instead ask them, “What do you want to do?”

This is a far better question to ask because the former tends to assume God has a plan for your life and actually, for everyone’s. God has a blueprint laid out and you need to follow it for optimal living. I would hope many of us would realize in a momentary reflection that if such a plan existed, we have already messed it up. Not only that, but by messing it up, we have messed up everyone else’s plan that involved us. If one person marries the wrong person, then exponentially going down, no one can marry the right person.

Yet do not count on Shirer to recognize this. She is still caught up in this idea that God has a plan for your life. She quotes John 7:17 in the NLT.

Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.

The NLT is a paraphrase, but even then, Shirer is doing massive eisegesis. The will of God Jesus is talking about is not an individual will for your life. A look at BibleHub shows several translations of this verse. The idea is that if people really want to do what God wants, they will recognize Jesus as being from God. This is a verse about Jesus. Shirer makes it a verse about us.

Shirer then goes on to talk about waiting on God to do things in His “perfect timing.”

But, boy, it hasn’t always seemed like God was operating with perfect timing in my own life. I’ve sulked and fumed more times than I can remember when I’ve needed clarity about a specific circumstance yet felt as though He wasn’t providing it.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (pp. 173-174). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

In reading this, I just see Shirer as a petulant child whining. It is quite a pathetic claim to read. Shirer. God does not owe you anything. Instead of whining, why not do what Scripture says and redeem the time and follow the path of wisdom?

She then quotes John 16:13 saying the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. First off, this was said to the apostles. Second, are we to think that this would mean the apostles would become omniscient? After all, would not all truth mean all truth? Of course not. Jesus has in mind that which is relevant to their high personal calling that Jesus Himself gave them.

The same does not apply to Shirer.

Let me reiterate: on the occasions when you are pressed for time and a decision has to be made “by noon tomorrow,” choose the option that, to the best of your knowledge, will give God the most glory and cause your relationship with Him to flourish.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 178). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Sigh.

So if God does not show up on your timetable, just do what you think based on what you know will give Him the most glory.

The problem is that should be what is said EVERY TIME!

Shirer misses it. She is so caught up in her ideology that she does not see what is going on. Would that she spent as much time cultivating wisdom, which Scripture tells us to do, as she does using an unscriptural methodology that Scripture nowhere tells us to do.

Oh. If you want to know what God’s will for your life is, it is really simple. It is to conform you to the likeness of Christ.

Do what you think will get you towards that goal.

Two more chapters to go!

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)

 

Book Plunge: Discerning the Voice of God Chapter 11

What does God sound like? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

Initially, I somehow hadn’t highlighted anything in this short chapter, so I decided to look through again.

The things I do for you people.

At the start, Shirer asks what it is that God’s voice sounds like. I don’t know why this is a hard question. If you think you are hearing from someone regularly, how can you not know what their voice sounds like? Then again, in this crazy system, Shirer has it that the voice could be the voice of the devil or your own voice.

Kind of sad when you don’t know where the source of that voice is or how to recognize it. Especially considering how different the first two should sound.

Shirer talks about why God speaks and one reason she says is God wants to have friendship with His people. I wish she would say what exactly this means. After all, do we mean to say that God was lonely and just wanted someone to hang out with? If so, that’s pathetically weak. After all, am I to think that the company of the Trinity is insufficient for the Godhead? Can I supposedly meet some lack that God cannot meet in Himself?

Historically, Christians have held there is no real relation, in the sense that God produces a change in me and I produce a change in God. I cannot change God. My honoring, worshipping, and loving Him does not change Him one iota. I cannot benefit Him in any way. I can be of service to the Gospel, but I cannot improve God at all nor can I worsen Him.

This does not mean that He loves me. If anything, this means His love is the least selfish of all as He gets no benefit from it. All of our loves we have on Earth to some extent will be beneficial to us, and that’s not wrong. God is the only one who breaks that rule.

This means that anything we hear from God will be designed to glorify Him and reveal His very nature to us. Absolutely nothing we hear from God through the Holy Spirit will contradict His nature or His Word or seek to detract from our intimacy with Him. His personal word to us will inevitably reveal who He is.

Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (p. 158). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

And once again I come to my refrain. I know Scripture comes from Him. I know that is trustworthy. I do not have any reason to think that what Shirer presents is. Since this is the case, why should I focus on the uncertain and unfounded claims when the certain and reliable ones are right there?

Shirer says God speaks so we can experience Him and know Him. Am I to think that Scripture isn’t sufficient? Remember, Peter had a great experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, but then said “But we have the word of prophecy made more sure.” Shirer would likely have the reverse. She could say “I have what Scripture says, but then I got the transfiguration so I could experience Him.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I think I’ll side with Peter.

She then talks about a lady she knows going through a divorce and says she’s the innocent party and says God is leading her to pray  for her husband and that he’ll come back home.

Well, as one who has gone through divorce, this really hits hard, and yet I have this idea. You really need a personal revelation from God to know to pray for your husband who has wronged you? We are already told to pray for those who hurt us. I still pray for my ex-wife and for her blessing and it’s not because of a personal revelation, but because I find that’s biblical. It also helps me to release any anger I have towards her. It’s hard to be angry with someone when you’re praying for them.

Shirer says she doesn’t know how this will work out. It may work out in her friend’s favor or it may not. Now were it me, I would tell her friend to get a good lawyer anyway and get herself involved in DivorceCare. I have no problem with her praying for her husband in this time. I commend that. I think she should be taking steps of preparation just in case, and you don’t need a divine word to know that. You need wisdom, something we’re told to have anyway.

But that could lead to a question in an unknown situation. Do we have a plan to follow? (By the way, was her friend “led” to marry a man who would treat her in a way that would end in divorce?) Let’s discuss that next time.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)