HEARING GOD
DOES GOD STILL SPEAK TODAY?
Most who read this question will have already made up their minds whether God speaks today or not.
Agnostics will say, "No we cannot communicate with God. He/She/It is beyond us and we cannot have any personal communication with us." These would say that though God may in fact be there and have been the creator we cannot know anything of Him/Her/It. Theirs is a closed universe in which even if God is here it makes no difference.
Most Christians will say "yes God does speak in a general sort of way." They usually say that in the same way someone who is gone can leave a message to be read long after they have departed God has left messages for us even though direct communication "in the now" does not happen. They emphasize that the day of miracles has ceased with the final stroke of the New Testament and now we only hear God from Scripture. Even this communication is only on a "principle" basis. In daily life and decision making we can only apply the principles and hope for the best.
Finally a small group of believers throughout the centuries since the resurrection have believed that God has never been silent and never will be. They give testimony of how God speaks today in the same ways He did in the past. For them the visions and dreams of Ezekiel are still an expected part of Christian life. They expect God to speak and believe he does.
Obviously I fall into that last group. I could never agree with the agnostic for even before the scriptures were recorded God was speaking in His creation:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1
God has never been silent nor will he ever be. As long as the Sun and the moon give their light God will be saying something clearly to all of humanity.
This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar‑‑ the LORD Almighty is his name: 36 "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me."
Jeremiah 31:35
Every time someone sees the stars they can think that God created them for a time when he would speak through them. In this specific case God is saying that His love will remain with His people as long as the sun, moon, stars and sea exist.
But even beyond the speaking in the created order God speaks today through other means:
PROPHECY, DREAMS AND VISIONS
He said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. 7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.
Numbers 12:6
For God does speak ‑‑ now one way, now another ‑‑ though man may not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, 16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, 17 to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, 18 to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.
Job 33:14
The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" 27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
Daniel 2:26
Someone may protest, "Yes it is true that God spoke in those days by dreams and visions but not today. If that is so when are the last days? Sometime in the future? they certainly could not be past! And what does God say will happen in the last days? He says He will speak - exactly as He did in the Old Testament:
"`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Acts 2:17
Even if some would say that the last days were only the days of the apostles, Revelation makes it clear the ministry of the Prophet will continue right into the time of the great tribulation. Beyond prophesy God will actually call them up to heaven by an audible voice:
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." ... 6 These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. 7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.... 9 For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
Revelation 11:3
ANGELS AND OTHER BEINGS
God has always spoke through other beings than humans. These include angels, cherubim, seraphim and even a donkey!
Now Moses was tending the flock... 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up... God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."
Exodus 3:1
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him...23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road... 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" ... 32 The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times?
Numbers 22:21
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:26
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Revelation 1:1
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
Revelation 5:11
Again all these scriptures might be said to only pertain to the time before scripture was finished. But when will the mark of the beast be placed on the foreheads of men? Did it already happen before the Bible was finished? No it will happen only seven years before Jesus returns to destroy the kingdom of the Anti-Christ. It is an angel that will communicate the truth concerning the mark of the beast.
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
Revelation 14:9
AN AUDIBLE VOICE
Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb... 12 Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13 He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.
Deuteronomy 4:10
And you said, "The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.
Deuteronomy 5:24
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Isaiah 6:8
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Matthew 3:16
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
Matthew 17:5
Meanwhile, Saul ....neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
Acts 9:1
"I was in the city of Joppa praying... 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, `Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' 8 "I replied, `Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9 "The voice spoke from heaven a second time, `Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'
Acts 11:5
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Revelation 3:20
In order to believe that God does not speak today we must believe that Jesus cannot or will not communicate with His followers. He himself made it clear that He would lead them and they would follow. The means of His leading was to be, today as much as then, by His voice:
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews 1:1
"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
John 10:1
I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
John 5:25
SCRIPTURE
For us in this time the most important aspect of God's speaking is the scriptures. Peter knew this even though he had heard God in an audible voice on the Mount of Transfiguration:
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
II Peter 1:17
HINDRANCES TO HEARING
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HEAR?
The first question I ask when someone says they want to hear from God is "Do you really want too?" The reason for this is simple. I have learned over the years that people's motivations for hearing from God are not always proper. Several major reasons cause them to not hear or worse to hear from another source.
NOT ENOUGH DESIRE
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD,
Jeremiah 29:13
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
Psalm 119:9
When we set our hearts to hear from God we must be serious. It cannot be a light thing to us. We must prepare our hearts to enter into dialogue with God by being wholehearted in our seeking Him.
LACK OF FAITH
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
If we are going to hear from God we must have faith. We must believe that we are going to hear. Many seek earnestly but in their hearts all their prayers are defeated due to unbelief.
TO HEAR SOMETHING WE WANT TO HEAR
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
James 4:3
Many of our seeking of God comes from our personal needs. There is in one sense nothing wrong with this as long as we are praying as Jesus did "not my will but thine." But when we are asking for needs we must make sure that they are not "lusts."
LUST FOR THE SUPERNATURAL
Often hearing God often does not yield what people think it will. Many people want to hear from God out of what I call a "supernatural lust." They are intrigued with the "glamour" or novelty of hearing from a supernatural being. Often these people start out with a curiosity and then end up with a craving to hear from the supernatural world. Sometimes they have heard from God through others but because the others are no longer in their lives they end up desiring to hear from the supernatural so badly they will turn to witchcraft to hear. Saul was just such a person:
When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urin or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said. 8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name."
I Samuel 28:5
When we think about some of the wrong reasons that people want to hear from God we can see they fall into the categories of I John 2:16:
HIDDEN SIN
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
John 15:22
DON'T WANT TO SEE WHO WE REALLY ARE OR WHAT OUR TRUE MOTIVES ARE
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
Another reason people might not really want to hear from God is because they don't want to who they really are. What they really want is a justification for their actions. If we are not willing to "come into the light" we will not want to really hear from God:
John 3:19
DON'T WANT TAUGHT, REBUKED, CORRECTED OR TRAINED
All Scripture is God‑breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
II Timothy 3:16
Every word from God is working to a purpose. If we really want to hear from God we must submit ourselves to those purposes. We cannot hope to hear from Him if we are not willing to let Him build His character in us. That character is formed by teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.
DON'T WANT TO DO WHAT HE SAYS
Another similar reason why we may not really want to hear from God is an unwillingness to do what He says once we hear it.
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
John 7:16
How very important it is that before we seek to hear the voice of God we settle in our hearts that our motivation will be right, that we will be willing to receive correction and that we and that upon hearing from God we will do what He asks no matter what the cost. Like an athlete who submits to a trainer in spite of the rigour of the discipline his trainer expects from him so we must submit to Gods training program if we expect to hear His instructions for us.
FEAR OF RESPONSIBILITY
"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Luke 12:47
In a certain perverse sense we may feel it best not to hear from God. If we don't hear we are not responsible. Yet the truth is that if we don't hear we will never achieve our potential in God. The ones who sit on the sidelines watching the Olympics don't suffer the untold hours of preparation. Nor do they suffer the potential of losing. Yet they will never know the exhilaration of winning. The fact is that life is giving to only a few things. The only ones that matter are those that are eternal. One day we will face our potential without excuses. Like the man with one talent who hid it in the ground the excuse of not wanting to take responsibility will not be enough. If we want to gain the crown we must strive for it. We must let God speak to us and we must follow - not only in action but in heart and spirit. Only then will we hope to hear the most wonderful words that will ever be spoken to us - "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord."
THREE LIGHTS
The boat was nearing the harbour. It was in the darkest part of the night after the moon had set. The wind crashed waves across the bow. The mist hung heavy over the shore line. The skipper caught the faintest glimpse of the first light. It was set on a reef which in days gone by had claimed the life of many sailors. Relief swept his brow. One sighted only two more to line up. Through his sighting scope he found the second light. It was at the entrance to the harbour itself. "Only one more light and we're on a straight course home boys" the skipper exclaimed. "There it is off to the left" shouted the first mate. "No that can't be it. It's way out of line. Follow that light and you'll end up on the bottom son. There's the third light. It comes from the tower on the hill above the harbour. Sure enough when they made it into a safe harbour the first mate realized his mistake. The other light was a ship anchored on the far side of the reef. To have followed that course would have sunk the ship and possibly have lost the lives of the crew. He asked the captain, "How did you know that was the wrong light?" He replied, "You can always tell your on course just as long as all three lights are in a straight line. If one seems out of place its not the light to follow."
THE WITNESS OF THE WORD, THE SPIRIT AND CIRCUMSTANCES
We have established that we want to hear from God and that we will seek Him with proper heart motives. We now want to understand how God speaks and more importantly how we can be sure it is God.
First of all we must understand that God intends to speak to each believer. He is pouring out his Spirit on all flesh (Acts ). Our young men will dream dreams and our old men visions (Acts ). And each one of His sheep will hear and know his voice. I can confidently say that everyone who is a believer is found somewhere in those groupings. That is not to say that God will always speak the same with each person. Nor is it to say that we have a "right" to demand that God speak to us. When we approach God we never do so on the basis of "rights." It would be an awful thing if God gave us what we really "deserve."
A UNIQUE PERSON - A UNIQUE COMMUNICATION
When God speaks to us it is a unique communication. His speaking to us involves not only His message but our unique personality, culture, sex, age, experience and life circumstances. He will speak differently with each of us. Even when we have a "word" for another we will always reflect some of our own "hearing" in giving it. That does not mean that God's message is compromised by our humanity. Quite the contrary God uses all the uniqueness He has given us to speak exactly what he wants.
For instance the Bible has many authors in the sense of people who God chose to write it for Him. Each one of them choose their materials uniquely, used unique words and has different emphasis in their theme and style. The liberal theologian laughs at our "naive assumption that God is the true author of the Bible. They point to all these differences and say if God were the author then why not a single style? Why not a single theme? Why not a consistent vocabulary. That is because they are so blind to the awesomeness of our God.
The Bible is like a beautiful stained glass window created by a single craftsman. Oh it is true that he uses all kinds of colours, shapes, textures and kinds of glass to produce His work of art. So God uses the different colours, shapes, textures and kinds of men and women to paint His meaning onto the written page. Yet the beautiful window when it is hit by the light of the sun bursts into splendour and is seen not as so many fragments of glass but as one work. So it is with the Bible. When illumined by the light of God stands not as the work of many but the work of the one skilled wordsmith. This view does not diminish the humanity of the Biblical authors but rather emphasizes how our sovereign God can use we frail dustlings to perfectly communicate His message.
This is important to emphasize because one of our foundational principles of hearing God in this era (as opposed to hearing God under Moses) is that we are to hear God for ourselves. Before we start our with a rousing chant of independence and claim that we no longer need any other members of the body of Christ since we now can each hear for ourselves let it be said that God may speak through others - and usually does - even through people we don't like or don't like us. It is for certain that we need others if we are going to hear from the Lord but.... what is meant is that God Himself will bear witness in our hearts to the truth of the communications we receive from Him through others.
Here is the balance. You don't need an intermediary between you and God. He will speak directly to you. Your have access to God's throne room on no other basis than the blood of Jesus (Hebrews ). But God will often choose to speak directly to you through others. In the scripture when Angels or prophets spoke the text often records that God spoke. Sounds like a contradiction? No it means only that God sent His Word through someone else. Our privilege is that when that word is sent we have the privilege (not right) to have God confirm it by His speaking to us again in our hearts.
OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS AND PRIESTS HEARD GOD FOR OTHERS
How do I justify this view biblically? In the Old Testament their were prophets and priests who communicated to God for the people. Moses is the best example of one who performed this task of hearing for others as a prophet:
When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leading men of your tribes and your elders came to me. 24 And you said, "The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him. 25 But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer. 26 For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? 27 Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey."
Deuteronomy 5:23
THE OLD COVENANT'S RESTRICTIONS ARE NO LONGER ENFORCED
The Old Testament priesthood's purpose was over with Jesus. While the Jewish faith continued to have priests up to the time of the destruction of the Temple (a Rabbi is not a priest)
They (i.e. priests) serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. 7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. 10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." 13 By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
Hebrews 8:5
NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS ARE ALL PRIESTS
In the New Testament era the office of Levitical priesthood was done away with. It was replaced by what theologians call "the priesthood of all believers." Protestants made much of this during the reformation. In fact it was the concept that we needed someone to go between as an priest, mediator or intercessor that remains one of the key foundations of the continuing differences between Protestant and Roman Catholic theologians today.
And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
Revelation 5:9
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
I Timothy 2:5
THREE LIGHTS
In guidance we have essentially three areas which must line up before we are sure that we have God's purposes in any specific issue. These three are like the lights on a runway by which a pilot makes sure he is making his nighttime approach correctly. When he sees that the lights form a straight line he can be sure he will land on the runway correctly. If however any of the lights are askew he knows that he is not on a correct approach. If he disregards what he sees he will more than likely destroy his plane, passengers and even himself.
THE WITNESS OF THE WORD -
THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT -
THE WITNESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES -
These three areas interact with one another in an unusual fashion which requires creativity and discernment. In order to look at their interaction together, we must first look at them separately to understand what each does and does not mean.
THE WITNESS OF THE WORD
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Isaiah 8:19-20
Infallibility - This high sounding word simply means the scriptures are totally reliable as the Word of the Lord. Evangelical believers including Pentecostal generally believe that the Bible is the only infallible authority in life.
JESUS'S CLAIM FOR SCRIPTURE:
OLD TESTAMENT
Jesus claimed that the Old Testament was infallible in John 10:35 when he said it could not be broken and in Matthew 5:18 when he said that Heaven and Earth would pass away before on jot or title (the smallest marks) would pass from the Law (the five books of Moses - Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy).
HIS OWN WORDS
Jesus claimed infallibility for His own words in Matthew 24:35 saying that Heaven and Earth shall pass away but his words word not. In the parable of the house on the sand and the house on the bedrock, he gives his own words first priority as the bedrock for establishing one's life (Luke 6:46-49). John 13:47-48 says that it will be Jesus's word that will judge all people. Jesus's word is found today recorded in the Gospels, one passage in Corinthians and several places in the book of Revelation.
THE APOSTLES WORD
In John 13 Jesus claimed that it would be through the Apostles teaching that people would come to faith. With the exception of Paul, Luke and James, all of the writers of the New Testament were either Apostles in the first twelve or taking directly from the teachings of the first twelve. Oral tradition from the second century tells us that John Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark was actually the scribe of the Apostle Peter and that the Gospel of Mark is primarily Peter's story of Jesus.
PAUL, LUKE & JAMES
Both Paul and James were counted as Apostles and were in agreement with the teaching of the first 12 Apostles. Paul's writings were attested to as scripture in II Peter 3:15-16. Luke was the personal scribe of Paul. He drew his materials for the Gospel from Matthew and Mark. He wrote Acts from personal memory of the life of Paul and Peter. James receives his authority in scripture from his relationship with the first 12 Apostles in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 15:13-22).
SCRIPTURE, REVELATION AND CONFIRMATION
Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. To say that no one could have ever believed had the Apostles not written down their teaching would be false for people believed prior to the New Testament being written (Acts 2) or for that matter, Abraham believed God's Word before Moses wrote as single word. The scriptures however are God's Word recorded through history. An academic knowledge of them is essential before one can really hear God from them. this knowledge is spoken of in II Timothy 2:15
This "study" involves a seeking for the whole counsel of God and is not accomplished overnight or even years though it may involve a more concentrated time of preparation like Bible school. It is a lifelong commitment to a study of God's Word written.
Hebrews 11:3 Tells us that the world was created through the Word of God. The scriptures are one aspect of the Word of God, but they point to something other than themselves that existed before they did. That is the eternal Word of God that created the world and spoke the scriptures themselves into existence. We cannot perceive this eternal Word of God unless there is what theologians call "revelation." The word revelation comes from the verb "to reveal" which means to show something which had been hidden or unseen. Our academic study of scripture is meant to be a vehicle of revelation and further to be a "confirmation" of revelation that happens outside of scripture. Romans 1:91-21 says that all humanity have a measure of revelation through the created world in which God placed a witness of himself. Because God created the world revelation can come through it as naturally as us coming to understand much about an architect through his buildings. We may not be able to know his name or his family background but we can surely understand all kinds of things just by carefully observing what he created. It is the same with God and even more so.
There are many sources of revelation - miracles, dreams, visions, angels, other people, donkeys!, other people, God's audible voice, the scripture to name a few. In fact the numbers of ways that God reveals himself are probably countless but one stands at the centre of them all. That one is the revelation of God to which all other revelations point. It is the revelation of God in Jesus of Nazareth. God's revelation to Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah and through your life and mine are partial. The revelation he gives through Jesus is full, perfect and complete. Our humanity will colour the picture of God we give but when we see Jesus we look into the face of God with not diminishing, colouring or distorting the image. To find the Word of God in nature, scripture, the Spirit, or others you must have this revelation in your heart. It does not come by academic study of the Bible, though that is very important. The scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ day knew the scripture better than anyone yet they did not have God's revelation. They could not see who Jesus was. It is never enough to know scripture, you must have as a foundation of all other revelation the one they all point to. You must have a living relationship with Jesus.
You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by studying them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify of me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
John 5:39-40
Beyond this you must have a relationship with the Holy Spirit to illumine the words of God found in every place God reveals himself. Scripture tells the story of faith and presents the absolute moral law of God, but you must see it with eyes of faith in order to hear God speak through them. This revelation is the second sense of scripture and truth. It is always there, but only "he who has eyes to see and ears to hear" can perceive it. This deeper revelation of God himself is the reality to which the scriptures point. It is the revelation of God and of you.
Acts 17:11 Tells us the way to be truly noble. It points to the primacy of scripture in all areas of life. The ones in Thessalonica search the scriptures daily to confirm what was being said to them outside of the scriptures.
The two primary functions of scripture in being led of the Lord are:
1.Giving basic principles to direct our lives in decisions that do not require supernatural direction.
2.To confirm our supernaturally given direction.
This area is where most people go astray in being led of God. Far too often experience is substituted for the clear teaching of scripture or scripture is elevated to where no experience is deemed valid.
The furthest extreme of this on the experience side are those who discard the Bible as being irrelevant and choose some other authority. Liberal theology takes social science as its ultimate authority. Radical charismatic take supernatural "experiences" and words as their authority.
The furthest extreme of this on the scripture side would be radical dispensationalists who say that God does nothing supernaturally today at all and that personal communication with him is impossible. They would say that all supernatural events are inspired from satan.
The balance between the two is not a middle point between them. It is actually a new completely different understanding of the purpose of scripture in relation to the Holy Spirit's work and ministry. The scriptures are meant to confirm the revelation we receive from sources other that the scriptures. Revelation through dreams, visions, insights, inspired thoughts, voices, circumstances, nature and history are all to be confirmed through scripture. Scripture is to be our ultimate authority in life. Our attitude would be that if it is not clearly scriptural then it is not of God. The Spirit's revelation however, is given to bring the Word in scripture to life in the present circumstances and experiences of our lives. the Spirit takes the concepts of scripture and adds that revelational dimension that is spoken of in scripture as wisdom.
SUMMARY
NON-SUPERNATURAL DIRECTION BY SCRIPTURE
Each of us make decisions and act in circumstances each day without needing an unusual Word of God by the Spirit. Some of these decisions are dictated by our bodies (time to eat, what to eat, time to sleep, what to wear....) It is safe to say that the majority of our lives are made up of these kinds of activities and decisions. I call them "no-light" decisions not because they don't need the "light of the world" but simply because they do not require supernatural direction. It is very important to understand that God is what theologians call sovereign over every aspect of life. That simply means that He, like a master chess player, has the wonderful ability to let us move about freely, making decisions, without his direct communication and he is still able to control the outcome of our lives if we are submitting to his directions given in scripture. The Bible also tells us that even the wrong things that others do are not beyond his redemption. He is working all things out for good for those who love him and are following his plans for them (Romans 8). If we are applying God's truth in all areas of our lives we can be confident of his direction even when we do not hear from him supernaturally.
The other side of this is that if we fail to put scriptural principles into action in our lives we will be walking in the "flesh". We will be walking out of God's plan for us because we will be controlled by carnal desires which are all against God (Romans 8:1-9)
Psalm 37:23 tells us that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. The most important principle of any guidance (whether supernatural or not) is "It is not where you are but what you are." I am not intending to say that it is never important where you are, only that it is not the key issue. God can order your path and put you in the right place at the right time (exactly). As you apply the principles of scripture sincerely and consistently to your life you can expect that even when and how you brush your teeth will be working towards God's plan for you and others. This means that there is freedom from the kind of false concept that God must supernaturally guide every choice in your life (including whether or not you eat oatmeal or cream of wheat for breakfast.) Certain of the principles of scripture do involve eating and we may draw practical guidance from this area. We don't need to go beyond a basic health conscious diet unless God speaks through a physician. We can have an assurance that all of the natural functions and desires will be working for God's purpose as we train ourselves to put into practice the principles he gives us in scripture. Colossians 2:20-23 Tells us that we can live free from bondage to man-made rules that seem religious but only enslave us into a false understanding of the world, God's character and his will for our lives.
At this point there may be strong reactions by many since they know that if they were free from the self-made restrictions on their physical desires they would fall into the worst kinds of sin. This simply points to the fact that "what they are" is the real problem. The person who loves God in truth will be being transformed by that love. The person who has lost their love for God must have tremendous self-discipline to keep his or her carnal desires under control, yet God sees the heart. Not only does an outward show of religion without the reality in the heart cover one's true self from others, it can often deceive even us. When love and zeal for God are gone and the heart refuses to acknowledge the true sin, then godless religion in the form of the law must take over or the person falls into outward sin. Either case is the same to God with the exception that those who practice false works without a heart towards God are often deceived into thinking that they are perfectly right towards God. This is the woe of the Pharisees. In fact one of the best tests for a person who has let their first love and is walking in fleshly religion is self-righteousness. The truly righteous person recognizes his or her righteousness comes from God and walks in a spirit of humility. The one whose righteousness is based on their own works thinks they are dependent on nothing, have no need of God's assistance in walking free from sin and they walk in pride.
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard. 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Galatians 3:1-3
Outward works without an inward heart change is seeking to be made perfect through the flesh. To believe this is to be under the spell of witchcraft. We are to be God disciplined. God's discipline yields righteous fruit whereas fleshly discipline yields death (Hebrews 12:5-13) If we are filled with wrong desires (not temptations but actual desires that you are mediating on inwardly) which are barely contained by our own "law" even if that law is seemingly from the scripture, then we must see that our heart is the real problem. We are not truly trusting in God nor do we truly love God. We must repent of our coldness of heart toward God and our fruitless attempt to measure up to his standards without his help. If, on the other hand, we are filled with these same wrong desires and we have simply given up and are fulfilling them outwardly (whether publicly or privately) recognize that a true Christian has power to overcome them through the Spirit.
CONCLUSION
SUPERNATURAL DIRECTIONS
THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Colossians 3:15
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man should teach you:
I John 2:27 a
There are times in our lives when scripture alone cannot give us a specific answer about a specific problem. Scripture is still the guiding principle but we need to have "a word of wisdom, knowledge or discernment." I call these "light" decisions because they need supernatural illumination by the Holy Spirit to show us the specifics that God wants us to know in a given circumstance. The witness of the Holy Spirit falls into three broad categories which I have called 1. Directional, 2. Correctional or 3. Confirmational.
The primary way the Holy Spirit leads is through peace. Other means are through the placing of desires in the heart, thoughts in the mind or convictions in the conscience of believers. Supernatural works of revelation - visions, dreams, the voice of God, prophetic messages, the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, discerning of spirits to name a few - also come by the Holy Spirit.
All Spirit inspired communications will be in line with the whole counsel of God found in scripture.
IN LINE WITH SCRIPTURE
All direction from the spirit realm must be submitted to the scriptures and to the test of circumstance. I have seen many deceived when they put trust in supernatural visitations with out first "testing" them. The first principle of guidance in supernatural revelation is if it contradicts the plain sense of scripture it is not of God. Nothing is more dangerous for a Christian than to elevate his or her experiences above God's Word. The annals of time are filled with the stories of the tragedy that comes when a man or woman begin to believe that they have greater insight than the Bible.
ACCORDING TO THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD
Many offer strange twists of scripture as a basis of their "new revelation." The Mormon church began with an angelic visitor that gave its founder the "new understanding of the gospel which had been hidden for almost 19 centuries. H. W. Armstrong claims that since Jesus spoke to the first apostles no one has heard from him until the day he spoke to H.W. He claims that his preaching, which is often unscriptural, is directly inspired by God and presumably above even the scriptures. These men took "parts" of the scripture but did not keep to the whole of it. Even satan used part of the scripture to tempt Jesus. We must keep to the whole counsel of God not simply pick and choose what we like and throw out the rest.
DIRECTIONAL
Genesis 12:1 describes the call of Abraham. God does not often speak in a supernatural fashion to us. That does not mean he is not speaking just that he reserves supernatural communication to underline very important things. It was very important that Abraham knew the God wanted him to live in Palestine and when he was to move. It was also very important that he go with just the word from God and no other plan. He was not even told where he was going until he got there. This word was directional. It did not keep him on a path he was already on (correctional) but started him on a whole new journey.
We must not limit Gods directional guidance to supernatural communications alone however. Far too often people assume that any major work of God must have supernatural visions, dreams, words, and so forth at its foundation to be of God.
The Holy Spirit can and will lead through very normal ways like speaking through scripture or circumstances to give us a heart to pray, evangelize, to help others, to speak a word of encouragement, to speak a word of correction and so on. We may act on this heart without fear that we will disobey God because we have not had a supernatural revelation. God is speaking when we feel his love in our hearts.
He can also give us "inspired thoughts." These are simply the leading of the Spirit through the renewed mind. Again the tests are 1. Does it line up with Scripture? 2. Do I have peace about it? 3. Is it being confirmed by circumstances.
God created humans in his own image and gave us his creativity. This creativity is hindered by false conceptions of guidance. The false assumption that God must supernaturally command every action of our lives stifles creativity. God allows us - within the framework of scripture - to express the God given natural traits he created us with. He created us with unique personalities, gave us specific spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 9) and specific ministries (Jacob, Jeremiah, John the Baptist...) from our conception. He allows us to respond to life in these God given traits in a way that permits freedom yet remains in his plan. Two people may respond in differing ways to the exact same circumstance yet both can be remaining in God's plan. Even though they approach life differently, God will be manifested and use both of them as they are seeking his will wholeheartedly. His promise is that we have liberty to be creative with the assurance that if we get off track he will speak to us. This liberty obviously does not include the liberty to sin.
So many are convinced that they have no supernatural gift because they don't hear the lightening, earthquake and thunder. They fail to act because they have either been taught or come to believe that motivation that comes through normal channels (like a touched heart, renewed mind or an awakened conscience) are only fleshly. They are afraid that they will simply be submitting "their plans" to God for his approval if they move ahead without supernatural instructions. They believe that they must "wait" for a supernatural word from heaven before they can do anything for God. The truth is that we need not "wait" for a supernatural word but rather take the word that has already been given. All that is needed to do God's bidding is the understanding that he is speaking in the heart, mind and conscience of a believer whose heart is towards him and his word in scripture. We may need our path corrected and we can trust that he will speak to us as we are moving.
There will be times in every believer's life however when God will speak to us like he spoke to Abraham. They may be very few in number - as they were with Abraham as well - but when they come they are to be the guiding vision for our lives. When they are in line with scripture, are being fulfilled through God ordained circumstances and bearing godly fruit they are wonderful reminders that it is God who is doing this work.
CORRECTIONAL
Isaiah 30:21 speaks of the correctional Word of God. It comes only when we are not in the correct path. It comes at the point when we step out of the right way. This is a clear concept of discipline.
An example of this kind of correctional guidance through supernatural intervention is when Paul desired to go to Asia with the gospel. As he was preparing to do so he had a vision of a Macedonian asking him to go west instead (Acts 16). Paul's first desire was to preach the Gospel (i.e. What he was). God permitted him generally to preach wherever he felt right to do so. However there came a time when God had a specific place he wanted the gospel preached in. God then gave specific direction supernaturally telling him where to be.
God does not have to repeat the great commission supernaturally to every believer. It is given in the scriptures and that is enough to evangelize the world with. He will on occasion however speak to us our field but only as we are putting into reality what he has already shown us in the Bible.
Like Paul, whose passion, calling and gift was to preach the gospel, if we begin to walk in the way that God shows us in scripture, our hearts, our renewed minds and consciences we can trust we are being led by the Spirit though we do not yet have a supernatural word. Yet we can also be sure that if we need a word to keep us on the right path it will surely come.
CONFIRMATIONAL
Confirmation of the leading of the Spirit by circumstances will be dealt with later. Here we are speaking of the witness of the Spirit which confirms to the believer that a word that has been given is from God. This occurs in two primary ways 1. Prophecy and 2. Peace.
PROPHECY
We will deal more specifically with prophecy in a little while but a general principle can be offered here. Personal prophecy has been a problem in many situations because it has been assumed to be directional rather than confirmational. People have sold their possession and gone to a remote part of the world expecting spectacular events to occur only to find that they have been led astray by a misguided, though at times well meaning, prophet. Things that have been spoken in the name of the Lord and accepted by others have caused much misery and been the ruin of many Christians. I believe this is because we have elevated prophecy as being primarily directional. It should be understood that every Christian has the privilege of hearing God for him or her self. Prophecy is never intended to suspend our responsibility to hear from God internally before accepting anything external. When we understand this we see that prophecy may light the internal fire that leads to directional guidance it is never in itself to be directional but only confirmational.
Prophecy is to be subject to the Word of God in scripture (II Peter 1:16-21), to others in the church (I Corinthians 14:29) and subject to God's personal leading in your life.
PEACE
Colossians 3:12-17 describes the fruit and authority of peace in the Christian's life. It is to RULE in our hearts. Because of the strength of this scripture I believe that peace is God's primary way of giving guidance by the Holy Spirit to his people. When something rules a person it directs their actions. This is what God intends to do through the peace or lack of peace he gives by his Spirit.
If you do not have a God-given peace in your heart about any action, even if everything else seems correct, don't do it! Keep seeking God until he either gives you peace or until you understand that it is not the course of action he desires for you.
THE WITNESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES -
And Micaiah said If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me.
I Kings 22:28
The issue of timing rests in this last area the witness of circumstances.
The main purposes of God that we can see in the scripture for our individual circumstances are:
1. To create character in the one being spoken to
2. To bring an end to human strength and thus give God the glory for his work.
3. To demonstrate that He is all we need
Creation and history reflect a clear revelation of God's ways and character. He "speaks" through creation and He is seen in history.
Though for the sake of clarity I speak of them separately history and creation are really speaking of the same communication from God. History is limited by the principles God laid down in creation. Each individual person that makes up the record of history has lived under the exact same limitations of creation as another.
We all are born in the same way. We die in the same way. We share a common frailty in the face of the created order. There is a limit to our knowledge and understanding. We share the same range of emotions. We live in the same world with the same sun. moon, animals, water, land, sky, earth .... In a very real way history is simply the working out of the implications of creation and the created order.
The created order and the history of human lives when understood correctly both communicate God and his ways in a clear direct and merciful fashion.
The understanding of God speaking in creation grows from two things about Him which we believe: 1. God is the creator of everything and 2. God is sovereign.
GOD IS CREATOR OF EVERYTHING
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities ‑‑ his eternal power and divine nature ‑‑ have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made...
Romans 1:20
That God is the creator of everything means that His mark is on all that he created or creates. It means that what He creates communicates something about Him or His ways. It means that we can understand things in the spiritual realm through things that God created in the physical realm. This is called communication by analogy. A big word for a simple concept. God created with a purpose. The purpose for each aspect of His creation was to communicate Him and His ways in a "language" we could understand.
WHEN GOD MEETS US TO KILL US
The passage in Exodus regarding the Lord meeting Moses on the road to "kill" him. I have a whole sermon on this particular passages as it is a very clear teaching of a principle that many forget and end up failing in their attempts to follow the Lord.
Moses had been commissioned to a work for the Lord in Egypt. He had a supernatural "word" from the Lord complete with burning bushes and the works. The Lord never said one word about his boy being circumcised or his relationship to his dominant wife. He said go to Egypt and so that's what he did! On the way the Lord literally attacks him with the intent to kill him! Has God gone nuts? Is He a little schizo? What's the scoop?
Here is where it gets so very interesting. God doesn't seem to tell Moses why He's about to do him in. Moses doesn't say anything to Zipporah. Suddenly she decides to circumcise the kid real quick and God relents. Zipporah isn't exactly nice in her speech to Moses but she seems to have saved his life.
All of this means that everyone - God, Moses and Zipporah - knew what God was about. God had given Moses a spoken word - a revelation that was beyond the "Word" already given to Abraham, Issac, Jacob ..... That word was a direction in his life but...... it didn't overule the "Word" already given. So often people really hear from God and they think that because they have a "direct" revelation that it overrides the "Word" in scripture. It does not! Moses was obeying the word he got at the bush but because he was not obeying the "Word", God could not allow him to continue moving towards his end.
Zipporah was the real problem as it is clear that she would not be a party to having her son circumcised. I am sure that Moses had warned her about this but she was your original women's libber. Not to mention the fact that she had Moses under her thumb she wanted to protect her boy from God.
Several important principles grow out of this passage. First, we can have a genuine call of God in our life and God himself will resist it if we are not willing to follow what He teaches in His word.
Once a young lady I knew became very depressed because she couldn't "hear" God's voice like so many of her friends could. I went to the Lord about this problem and He very clearly spoke to me that until we have listened and followed what he teaches in the written word then we cannot expect to hear from Him in other ways.
The reason for this is twofold. First we will not know believe it is God's voice when we have not learned to recognize Him in scripture. An example of this is how Abraham (in the story of the rich man and the beggar in Luke 16) said "if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." No present sign or "word" from God supersedes the Word already given. If they do not follow what He says in the scripture then they will not follow if a sign is given. They will chose to say it is something else.
Another problem with getting words from God is that their reason for wanting a "word" is self centred and not God centred. This was my friend's problem. She wanted a "word" to prove she was special. She wanted to convince herself, and others, that she was "spiritual." Being "spiritual has never been based on getting "words" from God. It is based on our obedience to the "words" we have already been given, first of all in scripture.
Moses was willing to obey the supernatural revelation given on the mountain of Sinai but not willing to obey the one which had been handed down to him through his parents from the patriarchs. He knew that Abraham's covenant with God demanded that every male that opens the womb had to be circumcised. His wife didn't like this particular aspect of his religion and so she stood in his way of following God. Now we can't be to hard on her because you notice that God didn't hold her responsible. God was seeking to kill Moses!
Moses should have taken a firm stand even if it meant that it offended his wife. In this way we see that the crucifixion is in the marriage covenant as well. We must die to even our marriages before God in obedience to Him. Moses had to learn the price of the ministry he was given included dying to making his wife happy where she was not happy with what God desired. God demands perfect obedience to Him even when our spouses don't agree. He will kill us if we choose to honour them and their wrong desires before honouring Him. This can be taken to be an excuse for harshness with our spouses which it is most certainly not an excuse for. It is a warning however that idolatry can even be found in the marriage vow if they mean we will honour each other above God. In fact I learned later from the Lord that I did not have to withhold myself in love for someone in order to love Him supremely.
After God had spoken to me the truth I have just shared I found I would often be aloof and try not to love that "special person" (this was before Carie) so much. One day He said to me "You don't love me more by loving them less, you love me more by loving me more." That set me free to realize that it wasn't Moses’ deep love for Zipporah that led him to be God's enemy but rather his lack of love for God.
It is only when our hearts have a vacuum in our love for God that the loves of this life can enter and take His place. In fact supremely loving God causes us to love all others even more. He is the source of love. Moses did not have to grow cold towards Zipporah to have made sure that his son was circumcised. He simply had to be willing to release her to God and follow his first love. If she would have left because of it then that would have been her responsibility. This is not unloving it is loving God supremely. Imagine what Sarah would have said to Abraham if she'd have known the mission he was on with little Isaac when they journeyed to Mt. Moriah was to kill her son. What he was to do there was not because he did not love her or Isaac or anyone else. Had it been so it would not have been an act of love towards God but an act of hatred of the worst kind. Moses should have loved God more! If he had of then his love for Zipporah would have taken its proper place automatically.
The summary of the lessons here in this passage then is:
1. If you have received a genuine "Word" from the Lord and it is not coming to pass check if you have missed following His written word while seeking to obey the supernatural "Word."
2. Honor God before all others, including those you love the most - they will most likely be the ones who can encourage your heart away into disobedience if you are not steadfast in your love towards God.
3. God never allows us to move forward in Him and His service until we have dealt with the areas He has already spoken to us about. If we do not deal with them we become unusable and His enemy. Many people don't understand why they are far from Him and yet have known His presence in the past. They feel as if He is against them. Often He is. If they have not obeyed His commands He will meet us "to kill us." This does not mean He hates us but rather that He cannot allow us to minister in His name when we have a rebellious heart. Our destruction is better than the destruction we will bring into others lives as a result of our disobedience. In this last point we see that it is even His love that motivates Him to chasten us - even to death. It is His love not only for us but for the lives we will affect.
4. Seeing that another has a greater place in our hearts is not a signal to love them less but rather that we have grown cold to the Lord. No one can ever take Care's place as a woman in my heart as long as our love burns brightly. The only time adultery can enter into a marriage is when one spouse has lost their love for the other. So it is with God. As long as we love Him completely no other "god" can take His place. When one has it is because He has been left in our hearts.
