Today we want to look at “THE SECONDARY WAYS GOD SPEAKS TO MAN!” The most important and only infallible way God speaks to people is through the Holy Bible. It is far superior and less open to human error than the other ways that God speaks to man because it is the only infallible source of guidance from God.
As a result of this uncertainty, it becomes very important to know other ways God speaks to man. These are called secondary ways. They include the ways of:
1. Spiritual Perception,
2. Voices [Inner voice (Acts 8:29) and Outer voice (Acts 9:7)],
3. Visions [open vision, spiritual vision, and trances],
4. Dreams or Closed Visions
5. Angelic Visitations (Genesis 31:10-13, Lk. 1:26).
6. Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7-11 Word of Wisdom; Word of Knowledge; Discerning of spirits; Prophecy; Tongues and Interpretation of tongues),
7. A renewed mind [Sanctified imagination and spiritual reasonableness],
8. Evidences,
9. Creation,
10. Circumstances (1 Sam. 10:1-9; Isa 7:10-14; 20:1-6; 37:30-32),
11. Signs and wonders,
12. Needs observed,
13. Prayerful lots,
14. Fleece,
15. Actions observed,
16. History and
17. People (through counselling – Mal 2:7, preaching and teaching).
Spiritual Perception: What is perception? The word “Perception” is from the word “perceive.” “To perceive” something means to become aware or conscious of that thing through your spirit. The ways of Spiritual Perception include:
1. Revelation Flash: This is in the form of a moving packet of light, revelation or concise knowledge. It moves very fast across your spirit-man. It cannot be held or retained. If you are spiritually alert, you’ll grasp the implication. If not it fades away like a meteor [small solid body from outer space that becomes incandescent when entering the earth's atmosphere; meteoric means a rapid dazzling light]. Revelation flash is particularly useful in the preaching and teaching of obscure spiritual truth, with effective simplicity and clarity.
2. Intuition: This takes the form of knowing that you know. It is like an introductory or summary knowing about a person, situation or place. You just know. The knowledge is not based on any past experience or reason. Details are not known. You rather perceive if sorrow, joy, victory, danger or is or will be involved. This perception serves as one of the earliest warning signals in anything you want to do.
3. Conscience: This is the inbuilt policeman of the spirit-man. It states whether an intention or act is right or wrong. It does not instruct. It accuses or excuses. The conscience helps to minimize or prevent personalized preaching or behaviour that hurts a listening congregation.
4. Burden: This is a weight I the spirit-man demanding action concerning a person or situation. Through burden Nehemiah knew and obeyed the will of God concerning the restoration of Israel (Neh. 1:2-10). Despite the fact that the returned exiles had been in Jerusalem for many years, the walls of the city remained un-repaired, leaving its people defenceless and vulnerable. Upon hearing this news, Nehemiah seeks permission from the Persian king to go to Jerusalem. Arriving in Jerusalem, he mobilizes the people to begin rebuilding the wall. Faced with opposition, both from without and from within, Nehemiah perseveres until the project is complete and the city resettled. Seemingly impossible tasks can be accomplished when God is helping those who honour him and when their efforts are united.
5. Understanding: This is the opening of the eye of your spirit-man to see the ramified implications of a stated truth. This is seriously needed by the teachers of the Word.
Ephesians 1:16-19 says, “I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future He has promised to those He called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to His people.19I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of His power for us who believe Him.”
6. Impression: Like intuition, this is also a knowing. It is the effect (esp. on the mind or emotions). Unlike intuition, this knowing has reasons attached to it. The more our experiences in Christian service, the clearer, richer and more accurate your impressions about people, places and situations will be. It is higher than conclusions from mere reasoning. It is useful in counselling or advising somebody.
7. Inner (or Inward) Witness? This is the king of perceptions. The Inner Witness is the way in which you as a Christian, seeking God’s will, have the Holy Spirit communicate spiritual feelings to your own spirit-man. Your spirit-man then reveals God’s will to your mind. By the “Inner Witness” the Holy Spirit gives you peace or a joy in your spirit-man, when you are doing or mentally picturing doing something which is God’s will. It is also a lack of peace or an horrible uneasy feeling in your spirit-man, when you are doing or thinking of doing something which is not the will of God.
If you wait patiently for God to speak to you, He will direct your path and speak to you about many things. If you are going to learn to be led by the Holy Spirit, through the Inner Witness, you must learn to know the difference between feelings in your physical emotions and body, and feelings in your spirit-man. Paul, Peter, John and many other dedicated Christians learnt how to allow the Inner Witness to be one, but not the only, means by which Jesus guided them. You should follow their example!
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
- Your friend: I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor).
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