Jeremiah had a whole list of reasons why he was the wrong man for God’s mission. Too young. Too inexperienced. Too afraid. God was not having it. He told Jeremiah to stop making excuses, not to fear, and to trust that He would be with him. Then came the remarkable moment: “Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth’” (Jeremiah 1:9). Now, that was a real encounter—divine, direct, and authoritative. Jeremiah’s words became God’s words, written for all time. It is on this basis that we believe the Scriptures to be inspired and inerrant. But it raises a modern question: does God still speak to people today in that same way? And if He does, why do so many who claim to speak for Him seem to get it wrong?
I once had a local pastor burst into my office uninvited to deliver a “message from God.” He declared that unless I repented, God would close my church. I did not realize I was living in the Old Testament! Ironically, a few months later, it was his church that closed—after he was caught in an affair with a parishioner’s wife. The issue is not whether God can speak—He can do anything—but whether He does speak to us today with the same kind of authority. I believe He has already said everything He intends to say in His Word. As Paul wrote, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is complete, sufficient, and reliable. When people start claiming new divine revelations, we should reach for our Bibles, not our wallets. As Philip Ryken put it, “Be careful how you talk about getting messages from the Lord.” Saying “God told me” can be a form of spiritual blackmail. It shuts down dialogue and elevates opinion to revelation.
In the New Testament, Jesus is called “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14). God speaks to us now through Him—clearly, completely, and compassionately. The writer of Hebrews said it best: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets… but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1–2). We do not need new prophets; we need to listen to the One already sent. When Jesus speaks through Scripture, He does not need to say, “God told me.” He simply says, “Truly, truly, I say to you.” That is enough.