THE CALL TO MISSIONS -
Guidance of the Lord (Other Means of Guidance)
From time to time, God has guided his
followers in various ways listed below.
1. Angels
There are numerous
accounts of angels appearing to people in Biblical times (e.g. Genesis 18:2;
Judges 6:11-22; Daniel 6:22; Acts 5:19; Revelation 1:1).
Angels are messengers that
carry the word of God to prophets and to other people. See Daniel 9:21; Acts
8:26. Angels are ministering spirits, who care for those who will inherit
eternal life. See Hebrews 1:14. Angels guard believers. See Psalm 91:11,12.
Some have encountered
angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2).
Generally people are
unaware of things in the spiritual realm so they do not see angels. But there
are accounts in religious publications of people seeing angels in modern times.
2. Miracles
Supernatural events are
recorded throughout the Bible. For example, God intervened in history by
parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), by healing the sick (Luke 9:11), and by
defeating enemies (2 Kings 6:8-23).
Miracles are reported
today. How can miracles provide guidance? Suppose a terminally ill person
promises God to serve him as a minister if he is miraculously healed. So God
heals the person. The person then keeps the promise, and enters the ministry.
Perhaps God used the illness to lead the person into the ministry.
In the Bible, God used
miracles to bring people to greater faith. Seeing the power of God, people were
sometimes led to trust God in a greater way—to follow Him more closely. See
John 9:25,35-38.
3. Dreams
Scripture shows that God
revealed his will repeatedly to people through their dreams. Some examples
include Jacob’s call to go to Egypt (Genesis 46:2-4), Joseph’s call to flee to
Egypt (Matthew 2:13), and Pilate’s wife receiving a warning that Pilate should
not harm Jesus (Matthew 27:19).
The Bible teaches that in
the last days, God will speak to people through dreams and visions. See Acts
2:17. Almost everyone dreams, and most of the time, God is not guiding people
through such dreams. Scripture shows that those who are guided through a dream
realize that God is speaking to them. In the same way, if God speaks to a
person in a dream today, he will let that person know that he is guiding.
4. Visions
A vision—or supernatural
sight—may be a physical, mental, or spiritual picture that God provides. In
Scripture, there are a number of people were guided by visions. Some of these
include Ananias being instructed to seek out Saul (Acts 9:10-16), Paul being
called to Macedonia (Acts 16:9), and Cornelius being directed to send for Paul
(Acts 10:3-5).
Although visions are not
everyday occurrences, we should not be surprised when God gives a vision to a
godly person. At the same time, we should be sure that the instructions given
in such a vision do not conflict with Scripture. God has given us many truths
in the Bible. Comparing a vision with Biblical truth helps us to know whether
or not our thoughts and visions are from him.
5. An Audible Voice
In Biblical times, God
sometimes spoke to people in an audible voice. He spoke at the baptism of Jesus
(John 12:28,29), and when he appeared to Moses as a burning bush (Exodus
3:4-12).
Today there are people who
suffer from mental illness or demon possession who claim to hear voices—even
thinking they hear the voice of God. Satan wants to deceive people, and he may make
them think they are hearing God.
There are also healthy,
sane people who say they have heard an audible word from God. God may speak to
some people in an audible way. At the same time, let us understand that this is
not an everyday occurrence.
6. Tongues and
Interpretation of Tongues
Let us examine the tongues
spoken in Biblical times. When God initiated the church in Jerusalem at the
Feast of Pentecost, he sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers. These
believers then began to speak and people from various countries understood the
speakers in their own languages. See Acts 2:6.
The tongues at Pentecost
were intelligible. In contrast, people in the Corinthian Church did not
understand the tongues spoken there, unless someone interpreted the tongues. See
1 Corinthians 14:2.
The tongues spoken in the
Corinthian Church were not intelligible.
The Apostle Paul gave
instructions regarding speaking in tongues that are not intelligible to most
listeners.
_ He indicated that
tongues are a valuable gift because he spoke in tongues more than the
Corinthians. See 1 Corinthians 14:18. Such tongues edify (spiritually build up)
the one who is praying. See 1Corinthians 14:4.
_ Tongues are primarily
private prayer languages, and they should be spoken in church only if there is
an interpreter present to explain the meaning of the tongues. See 1 Corinthians
14:19,27,28.
_ The church must not
forbid the speaking of tongues, but only one person at a time is to speak in
tongues. See 1 Corinthians 14:27,39.
Many people in the church
believe that the gift of tongues is no longer given to believers. Some
denominations do not practice speaking in tongues. Other denominations believe
that tongues, like other gifts of the Spirit, are still given and are valuable
today. Let us examine how tongues were used in guiding the church during
Biblical times. The Bible teaches that God spoke through the one who had the
gift of tongues, and a person with the gift of interpretation could interpret
what was said so that the church was edified. So the interpretation of tongues
guided the church like prophesy guided the church. See 1 Corinthians
14:5,6,13,31.
Paul prayed with his
mind—using words that he could understand—and he prayed with his spirit—using
words that he could not understand. See 1Corinthians 14:15. Why would Paul pray
in the spirit? Paul allowed the Holy Spirit to communicate words that he didn’t
know. In the same way, when people are at a loss of words to pray, those who
have the gift of tongues can pray in tongues, and the Holy Spirit will
intercede “with groans that words cannot express.” See Romans 8:26 (New
International Version). Perhaps the Holy Spirit also intercedes for those who
do not speak in tongues “with groans that words cannot express.”
Christians each have
different gifts, and many Christians do not speak in tongues. See 1 Corinthians
12:30. Paul urged people to seek the greater gifts—particularly the gift of
prophecy, and especially to love each other. See 1 Corinthians
12:31;13:1-13;14:1.
(For details and for free course visit
<www.missionstraining.org>)
