Do you ever cringe when someone says that God “told them something?” I think I’ve decided to put my fingers in my ears and stop listening.
“Preachers” can be the worst at this telling me that God has “laid something on their heart.” I am still a firm believer that the task of a pastor, when he gets up to speak to the church, is to communicate the intended meaning of the Scriptures.
If (and this is a huge if) God has “laid something on your heart,” then it sure better line up with the revealed message of God from the Scriptures.
renrutkram 
Most of the time when God lays something on my heart it is in the area of asking me to fill a need. Example this week in church I just could not shake the feeling that I was needed back in the infant room. Now I have a 9 month old so that is a definite possibility, my beeper had not gone off though. I thought to myself that this was probably nothing, but I walked back to the infant room and low and behold there was my son crying his eyes out and 10 others with him and the two nursery workers were each holding 2 babies themselves. My two arms were needed and God knew that so he put it on my heart to go and check on my little guy. That is how God usually works in my case.
“I am still a firm believer that the task of a pastor, when he gets up to speak to the church, is to communicate the intended meaning of the Scriptures.”
Why the pastor? Shouldn’t that be the task of everyone who speaks to the church from Scripture?
-Alan
Alan,
Absolutely (I read your blog and know where you’re going here :-)). I was a little unclear in my post and was really trying to disabuse those who consider themselves pastors/teachers from “preaching from the heart” more than preaching from the scriptures.
You are right, though. Anyone who tries to teach/admonish/encourage the church should be faithful to the Scriptures not, necessarily, their feelings.
I’m glad God laid that on your heart. It needed to be said. =)