Chapter 14.7

Mega Mysticism & Circumstances

Table of Topics

A) Introduction to Mega Mystical View of Circumstances

B) No Biblical Support for Mega Mystical View of Circumstances

C) Mega Mysticism Causes Superstition & Divination

C.1) Superstition in Mega Mysticism

C.2) Understanding Divination in Mega Mysticism

C.3) Responding to the Divination in Mega Mysticism

D) Response of Packer to Mega Mystical View of Circumstances

E) Response of Friesen to Mega Mystical View of Circumstances

Extras & Endnotes

Primary Points

• Mega mysticism imposes a great burden regarding the value and need of interpreting our circumstances for a message from God.
• There is absolutely no instruction in Scripture on how to correctly interpret our circumstances as divine revelation. This is because God rarely intends our circumstances to be a divine revelation of anything.
• Abraham’s servant and Gideon’s fleece were not intended by God to be models of divine guidance.
• Mega mysticism is demeaning to Christianity as it reduces it to something no better than the primitive pagan religions which promote the interpretation of virtually every occurrence in life or Nature as messages from the gods. Superstition becomes divine revelation.
• Superstition is the attempt to interpret our circumstances apart from Scripture, in order to discover what God is doing in our lives.
• In a mega mystical world difficulties are interpreted as a message from God. Imagine if Job had been a mega mystic.
• It is through monitoring our conscience that we recognize divine discipline, not interpreting our circumstances.
• Divination attempts to gain knowledge and control that God declares are not needed. When things do not make sense, or the future looks anxiously uncertain, divination is a tempting rival to trusting the character of God.
• Smith: “Christians are often left trying various techniques and methods to find this [extra-biblical] will, and these methods often come dangerously close to a kind of superstitious divination.”
• God spoke of His hatred for any attempt to discern His will beyond His prescribed means.
• Evaluating circumstances to make a reasonable decision is one thing—looking for and interpreting an unrelated “sign” from God is sinful divination in which we seek knowledge in unbiblical ways.

Primary Points

• Waltke: “[Ancient] people put much faith in hepatoscopy [divination with livers] because they all recognized that there is a God, and they all wanted to communicate with Him. It was certainly more bloody, but theoretically not much different, than a modern man or woman who asks God for a sign to guide them. Both are methods of divination that require God to work in a miraculous way to reveal His will.”
• Waltke: “The New Testament gives no explicit command to “find God’s [extra-biblical] will,” nor can you find any particular instructions on how to go about finding God’s [extra-biblical] will. God is not a magic genie. Relying on the first thought to enter your mind after a prayer is an unwarranted form of Christian divination. The reliance on special signs from God is the mark of an immature person.”
• Waltke: “With all of this activity aimed at getting in touch with the will of God, it is amazing how few people seem at peace with the Almighty. The fact is that all of this divination activity has done little more than confuse people.”
• Packer: “Such people spend much time poring over the book of providence, wondering why God should have allowed this or that to take place, whether they should take it as a sign to stop doing one thing and start doing another, or what they should deduce from it. . . . Christians may drive themselves almost crazy with this kind of futile inquiry. For it is futile: make no mistake about that.”
• Friesen: “It is not uncommon to hear Christians say, ‘The Lord led me to do thus and such.’ When asked about the means and details of this leading, they list a series of circumstances that pointed the way to God’s will. However, nothing in Scripture authorizes interpreting circumstances in that way. . . . The only time that circumstances can be read is when a divine interpretation is placed upon them by supernatural revelation. Apart from such revelation, circumstances may be taken to mean almost anything. . . . Why did Paul leave an open door [in Troas to preach the Gospel, 2 Cor 2:12]? If an open door constitutes a sign commanding the believer to enter, then Paul’s action is inexplicable. But if an open door is an opportunity to be judged by wisdom, then the explanation is not difficult. . . . an open door is not a providential command from God.

A) Introduction & Brief Response to Mega Mystical View of Our Circumstances

Throughout Knowing Our God we have defined mega mysticism as: The belief that God is regularly revealing an extra-biblical will for our lives through mental telepathy, or our correct interpretation of circumstances. It is this latter aspect that we will address here. The question is, does God intend to reveal extra-biblical direction to us through our circumstances? Dr. Friesen describes the complexity of the issue:

When, for instance, does a circumstance constitute a “yes” sign? How does one distinguish between an “open door” and one that is only ajar? If one is presented with an “open door,” must that opportunity be taken? Would the believer who decided not to go through such an open door be disobeying God? On the other hand, is an opportunity really an indication of God’s leading, or might it not be an easy way into “God’s second best?” And who opened that door-God, or Satan, or neither of them? Conversely, when one encounters an obstacle in pursuit of some goal, is that obstruction to be viewed as a roadblock, a closed door, or a test of faith? ^[1]

Mega mysticism unnecessarily brings up such questions, but cannot answer them. Accordingly, mega mysticism would impose on us a great burden of anxiety regarding the value and need of interpreting our circumstances for a message from God. First, contrary to mega mysticism, there is absolutely no instruction in Scripture on how to correctly interpret our circumstances as divine revelation. ^[2] Not even a sentence. Accordingly, mega mystics are dishonest to claim they can so confidently interpret the divine intention of circumstances and instruct others on how to do so as well. The reason that there is no biblical instruction on what mega mystics think is so vital to following God, is that God rarely intends our circumstances to be a divine revelation of anything.

Even Henry Blackaby, who, in our opinion, writes a great deal about divine guidance that is unbiblical, at least concurs:

I hear many people say something like this: “Lord, I really want to know your will. Stop me I if I am wrong and bless me if I am right.” Another version of this is: “Lord, I will proceed in this direction. Close the door if it is not your will.” The only problem is I don’t see this as a pattern anywhere in the Scripture. ^[3]

Unfortunately, however, much of what he writes encourages this view.

B) No Biblical Support for Mega Mystical View of Our Circumstances

Many gain a mega mystical perspective on their circumstances from such biblical examples as the servant of Abraham using “signs” to find Isaac a wife, or Gideon putting out a fleece. But as demonstrated elsewhere, in the first instance there are “Several special circumstances [that] indicate that this example cannot be applied to the Christian’s life concerning divine guidance.” ^[4] Accordingly, as Dr. Friesen notes:

The problem with arguing these points from Genesis 24 is that the experience of Abraham’s servant is not normative. Virtually no one is inclined to take it that way. Who would be willing to send out a servant to seek a wife for a son, and then accept that servant’s choice on the basis of a drink of water for man and beasts?

Of course, it could be done. Making cultural allowances, a father could hire a Christian dating agency. He could then send its agent on a search to find a wife for his son. The agent could drive into a service station, offer a prayer, and sign up the first woman who meets his request for a drink by filling his water jug and checking his radiator! The idea sounds preposterous, because Genesis 24 is not normative. ^[5]

As for Gideon’s fleece, we have written:

Understandably, mega mystics use the example of Gideon to claim that we too can give God tests to discern His otherwise extra-biblical, hidden, private will for our lives. Accordingly, Dr. Friesen writes:

For many in the [mega mystical] view, “putting out a fleece” is a method of determining God’s individual will in a specific situation by asking God to guide through a circumstantial sign. Gideon’s fleece has become the basis of a practice among some Christians which is called “putting out a fleece.” In essence, when you put out a fleece you say to God, “If you really want me to carry out plan A, then please make the telephone ring at 9:10 p.m., then I will know that plan A is what you want.” (You can make the “fleece” anything you wish, just so long as it can serve as a “sign” to you). ^[6]

The problem with applying this to our own lives is that it is highly unlikely that we would ever find ourselves in Gideon’s circumstances. The Angel of the Lord had personally appeared to him (cf. Judg 6:11-22) and commanded him to risk his own life and the lives of thousands of others to attack a monstrous army. If you find yourself in a similar situation perhaps God would give you a sign. But notice that Gideon was not simply arbitrarily asking for a sign to make a decision. On the contrary, the sign was intended to authenticate that it really was the Angel of the Lord who had appeared to him. Gideon’s situation does not apply to the way we are to make decisions in our life, unless an Angel has appeared to us and told us to kill a bunch of people and endanger our lives and the lives of a multitude of others. Then we can ask for authenticating signs. Otherwise, to apply it to making a decision in life would be not only unbiblical but foolish and potentially harmful. ^[7]

Accordingly, there is no biblical evidence that God consistently desires to grant us extra-biblical guidance in our circumstances.

Secondly, if God does intend to “speak” to us through a circumstance, He will clearly explain and authenticate it as He did throughout Scripture (e.g. Jonah and Job). And do not miss the fact, as mega mystics do, that those divine explanations of personal circumstances involved obvious, verbal, physical, and miraculous revelations, not mere human intuition.

C) Mega Mysticism Causes Superstition & Divination

C.1) Superstition in Mega Mysticism

Mega mysticism perverts Christianity as it reduces it to something no better than the primitive pagan religions which promote the interpretation of virtually every occurrence in life or Nature as messages from the gods. In such environments, superstition becomes divine revelation.

Superstition is the attempt to interpret our circumstances apart from Scripture, in order to discover what God is doing in our lives. Humans are naturally superstitious, and the more primitive or pagan their culture, the more superstitious they usually are. Humans yearn for divine messages to tell them what the gods think of them, or are doing to them. Unfortunately, the mega mystical belief that God intends our circumstances to be divine revelation greatly encourages Christians to be in bondage to pagan superstition.

Along these lines, the Dutch Reformed theologian Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) wrote:

Religious needs seek satisfaction; and where it is not met in a real revelation from God, it seeks it in the way of “will-worship.” It takes into its service those mysterious powers inherent in human beings or in nature that can bring that need in immediate communication with a supernatural world. Superstition is an illegitimate surrogate for true religion and a caricature of faith. The contemporary phenomena of spiritism, theosophy, telepathy, magnetism, hypnosis, [mega mysticism] etc. are proof of this.

Perhaps they also demonstrate that concealed in the so-called “dark side” of human nature there are forces that can effect a more immediate communication with a supersensible world and can in any case sufficiently explain belief in such communication . . . But the religion of OT and NT absolutely refuses to have anything in common with all these religious phenomena. It is fundamentally opposed to them. ^[8]

In a mega mystical world difficulties are interpreted as a message from God. Sickness, losing a job, or the denial of any kind of blessing we are seeking and asking for are habitually believed to be a revelation of God’s displeasure or discipline for something we are doing wrong. Such a superstitious perspective on life exponentially increases the pain and anguish we experience in our difficulties. The circumstances themselves cause strain, hurt, and fear. On top of that, we desperately search our life for the sin that is causing God to be against us.

How many Christians have been confused and even depressed over trying to figure out if their painful circumstances are caused by God, the devil, or just bad luck? God does not normally answer such questions in Scripture or otherwise, because He does not think we need to know. But mega mystics will not be content with that, but rather try to interpret omen and signs to determine such things.

Imagine if Job had been a mega mystic. He would of thought that he was supposed to interpret his circumstances as a revelation of God’s attitude toward him. And because he had no divine interpretation of his circumstances, he would have been left to his own guess, and he would have guessed wrong. And so do mega mystics.

Thankfully, mega mysticism exaggerates the need for us to interpret our circumstances as divine revelations apart from Scripture. As demonstrated throughout KOG, when God wants to say something, it is never difficult to know He has said it. ^[9] This is why, “The LORD answered Job out of the storm” (Job 38:1) audibly speaking to him in a way that no modern mega mystic even dares to claim for themselves.

Contrary to mega mysticism, God does not whisper, hint, or make mere suggestions. When He “speaks” it is miraculous, loud, clear, and commanding. This is, again, because to miss or misunderstand divine revelation in any form is to sin against God. And sin will never be His fault.

God is, of course, capable of intervening in the circumstances of our lives in order to protect and guide us, but this does not mean we will, or need to, recognize such divine deeds. ^[10] Accordingly, Scripture says, “A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?” (Prov 20:24; cf. 16:9). Again, God does intervene in our lives, but we simply do not often know when He is doing so. Even our most confident guess is only in hind sight.

Accordingly, elsewhere in KOG we discuss some vital considerations on the issue of determining when miraculous interventions have or would occur in our lives. ^[11] In essence, we cannot confidently claim that a circumstance is divine revelation without God telling us they are, through a promise in Scripture, or another miraculous authenticating revelation on the level of what Job experienced. ^[12]

Many may be reminded of the concept of “divine discipline” here (cf. Heb 12:5-11). First, we don’t believe God “punishes” (v. 6) us as often as many think, but normally treats our sin with grace. Secondly, we believe the primary way God disciplines us is through the pain of guilt in our conscience. Anyone who has suffered from such guilt can testify to how miserable it can make a person, and it would normally suffice for discipline. Finally, we believe that it would only be after choosing to knowingly sin against a guilty conscience that God might intervene in our circumstances to punish us.

Nonetheless, if God were disciplining us, how would we know? By trying to interpret our circumstances? No. On the contrary this is why God has given us a conscience. It is because of mega mysticism’s emphasis on extra-biblical revelation that it often ignores the God-given value and purpose of our conscience.

Want to see a demonstration of the God-given power of our conscience? We can again turn to Job. In the midst of calamities that he knew God had allowed, and the understandable accusations of his friends that Job’s sin was the explanation, Job said:

I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live. (Job 27:5-6)

How could Job be so sure that the cause of God removing His protection and blessing was not because of sin? His conscience. And we too can search our consciences to know if there is sin that we should be aware of. Contrary to what can be encouraged by mega mysticism, monitoring your conscience is a much clearer and God-intended way of discerning your sin than interpreting your circumstances.

C.2) Understanding Divination in Mega Mysticism

As noted, superstition is the attempt to discover through the interpretation of circumstances, what God is thinking toward us or doing to us in the present. The sin of divination is closely related to it. It too is an attempt to gain divine revelation through the interpretation of circumstances, but for the purpose of “divining” God’s will for our future. Mega mysticism obviously encourages this sin. Even the mega mystical writer Gordon T. Smith writes:

Christians are often left trying various techniques and methods to find this [extra-biblical] will, and these methods often come dangerously close to a kind of superstitious divination. . . .

First, the Bible explicitly forbids divination, and the fleece approach to signs comes dangerously close to a magical use of time and things. Gary Friesen puts it well when he writes, “Hunches, promise boxes, whatever I think after I pray, dropping the Bible and pointing [your] finger, are quasi forms of . . . divination.” ^[13]

God spoke of His hatred for any attempt to discern His will beyond His prescribed means:

Let no one be found among you who . . . practices divination [qusem: “divination”] or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. . . .

The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination [qusam: “diviner”]. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. (Deut 18:10-12, 14).

OT scholars Keil & Delitzsch help us to define what is meant by “divination” in this passage:

Moses groups together all the words which the [Hebrew] language contained for the different modes of exploring the future and discovering the will of God [apart from ordained means], for the purpose of forbidding every description of soothsaying.” ^[14]

The Dictionary of New Testament Background likewise notes:

Oracles and divination played an important role in the lives of the Greeks from the archaic period until the triumph of Christianity in the fourth century A.D. Divination is the art or science of interpreting symbolic messages from the gods [which includes] the interpretation of signs, sacrifices, dreams, omens and prodigies. ^[15]

Along the same lines, Wikipedia has:

Divination (from Latin divinare “to foresee, to be inspired by a god”, related to divinus) is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual. It is an integral part of witchcraft and has been used in various forms for thousands of years. Diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a [questioner] should proceed by reading signs, events, or omens, or through alleged contact with a supernatural agency, most often described as an angel or a god though viewed by Christians, Jews and Muslims as a fallen angel or demon. ^[16]

The highly respected OT scholar, Bruce Waltke, Professor of OT at Regent College, describes how modern mega mystical practices mimic the divination condemned in the Scriptures in his very good book Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?:

This idea was common in pagan religions. As a matter of fact, it was the preoccupation of pagan kings. Most of our texts from the ancient Near East pertain to divination. The king would never act in something as important as going into battle until he had the mind of the god as to whether he should or should not go to war.

Many Christians follow this same path in seeking the divine mind in decisions. I have talked with people who perform certain rituals before going to God with an important request, as though they could make themselves more acceptable to God and therefore be more likely to get an answer. But that sort of pagan behavior is what Christ saved us out of. . . .

The word “finding” we normally use in the sense of learning or obtaining or attaining to God’s mind. When we seek to “find” God’s will, we are attempting to discover hidden knowledge by supernatural activity. If we are going to find His will on one specific choice, we will have to penetrate the divine mind to get His decision. “Finding” in this sense is really a form of divination. . . .

Man wants to discern the mind of God, gain His wisdom on events and circumstances of the day, and be exposed to the creative genius of the universe. Consequently, history is full of man’s desperate search for God’s mind. As I stated earlier, most ancient texts still extant deal with divining the mind of God. Nearly 80 percent of the ancient writings we have simply offer details and prescriptions for determining God’s leading. It was the preoccupation of the ancient rulers, who feared the retribution of a god disobeyed. They developed any number of methods for discerning the will of their gods.

One of the greatest kings of Assyria, Ashurbanipal, spent much of his life studying livers in order to divine the will of his god. Most of the ancient texts offer explanations for reading the liver of a sacrificed animal, and they include special notations for encountering unique situations. . . .

As silly as it may seem to us now, this was common practice. The people put much faith in hepatoscopy [divination with livers] because they all recognized that there is a God, and they all wanted to communicate with Him. Since the shedding of blood and the very thought of life was wrapped up in a sacrifice, they thought it would offer them a sign from God. It was certainly more bloody, but theoretically not much different, than a modern man or woman who asks God for a sign to guide them. Both are methods of divination that require God to work in a miraculous way to reveal His will.

Another method of looking for a sign was that of rhabdomancy, the use of arrows as a sign from the Lord. An example of this occurs in Ezekiel 21:21: “For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of two roads, to seek an omen; He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver.” The king, unsure of which road his armies must take to conquer the holy land, used three different forms of divination to make up his mind.

There were various ways to use arrows in determining the will of God. They could be cast, or tossed, to see which way they pointed. This may seem like nothing more than an ancient equivalent of spinning a lottery wheel, and that would be a valid analogy. But the people of that day believed in the superintendence of the gods in all matters, so even the direction of dropped arrows could not be chalked up to mere chance. As a matter of fact, at least once in history a king turned his soldiers around and refused to attack the enemy because, even though he had superior forces, the arrows strongly suggested a retreat. ^[17]

Do we see then how a modern day expectation in the miraculous intervention of something like “the direction of dropped arrows” is much like the arbitrary “signs” that modern mega mystics consult to divine an extra-biblical will of God? More specifically, Dr. Smith writes concerning what some refer to as “Bible roulette”:

Some Christians use the Bible as a kind of sign book, seeking some verse or phrase that will become their verse or promise or insight for a time of decision. By chance, it seems, their eyes come across a verse that gives the impression of speaking directly to their situation, and they use this as confirmation of the direction they should go or the decision they should make. In so doing they come dangerously close to abusing rather than using the Bible. The Bible is not a sign book. Further, this approach hints of divination and a kind of magical use of the Bible. ^[18]

C.3) Responding to the Divination in Mega Mysticism

As for a response to the divination practiced in mega mysticism we will first quote Dr. Waltke:

The New Testament gives no explicit command to “find God’s [extra-biblical] will,” nor can you find any particular instructions on how to go about finding God’s [extra-biblical] will. There isn’t a magic formula offered Christians that will open some mysterious door of wonder, allowing us to get a glimpse of the mind of the Almighty [apart from Scripture]. The Bible forbids pagan divination (Deuteronomy 18:10) and invokes severe penalties for those who resort to magic for determining the will of God in this way. Simon Magus was severely rebuked in Acts 8 for seeking supernatural powers, and Christ criticized the perverse generation that always asks for a sign from God.

God is not a magic genie. The use of promise boxes, or flipping open your Bible and pointing your finger, or relying on the first thought to enter your mind after a prayer are unwarranted forms of Christian divination. The reliance on special signs from God is the mark of an immature person – someone who cannot simply believe the truth as presented, but must have a special, miraculous sign as the symbol of authority from God. . . .

With all of this interest in the supernatural, with all of this activity aimed at getting in touch with the will of God, it is amazing how few people seem at peace with the Almighty. The fact is that all of this divination activity has done little more than confuse people. Meanwhile, a loving and patient God waits for His people to turn to Him in obedience [to the Scriptures]. . . .

The apostles never put out the equivalent of a fleece. Moreover, they never even hinted that Christians should look for “signs” as a means of determining God’s will. We should look for signs signaling the end of the age, but that is not the same thing as using signs for “finding God’s will.” . . .

If there were even one verse after Pentecost that talked about divining God’s will, then I would be in favor of all this divination business. But there is simply no statement in the New Testament that teaches me to find God’s will in this sense, nor can I find any instances in Scripture of the early church practicing divination after the Holy Spirit has come. There is a radical change between the Old Testament and the New Testament practice. So the practice of using the Urim and Thummim, or going to a seer, or casting a sacred lot is no longer valid. . . .

There are no examples of explicitly seeking or finding God’s will after Acts 1:24-26, in which the disciples drew lots to select Matthias as a replacement for Judas. There are dreams, visions, and revelations after this, but never in the context of explicitly seeking God’s will. From this point onward it is not divination (seeking to probe the divine mind) but revelation given by God to His people. After Pentecost there is no instance of the church seeking God’s will through any of the forms of divination listed above. . . .

Divination sounds pious, but it may actually be ungodly because it shortcuts the Spirit’s work in developing our character. It assumes you can know God’s mind without having His heart and His Spirit. But discerning the mind of God cannot be done apart from character development. You cannot divine God’s heart, but you have available to you a way to develop a heart like His. He can work in your life through the Holy Spirit and His Word to foster virtue, and then you will have the mind of Christ. . . .

The common idea of divining God’s will is either a pagan notion that we Christians need to let go of or a mode of administration that God no longer uses. God has given us a program of guidance that involves getting to know Him through His Word and letting Him shape our character, our hearts, and our desires. Then as we know the mind of God we can live out His will.

He expects us to first draw close to Him, then allows for seeking wise counsel as confirmation, or taking our circumstances into consideration and using our own sound judgment to make a decision. He never calls us in the New Testament to “seek His will,” but rather to seek His kingdom and do His will. We ought to stamp out of our vocabulary the nonbiblical and misleading expression “finding God’s will.” ^[19]

Likewise, Pastor Bob Dewaay writes:

Fallen humanity desires information that God has not revealed-secret, spiritual knowledge not contained in Scripture. This desire goes back to the Garden of Eden where Eve desired the “wisdom” (Genesis 3:6) that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil offered, but that God had not chosen to reveal. . . .

The Bible says: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Notice that the phrases “the things revealed” and “the words of this law” are synonymously parallel-God’s truth is revealed in Scripture. . . .

The term “divination” is a general term that covers practices that people invent to gain unrevealed information from the spirit world. . . . Divination is to seek unmediated spiritual knowledge.

For example, when Saul refused to listen to God’s word through an authoritative prophet (Samuel, who gave instructions from God to Saul, a valid practice of true prophets in the theocratic kingdom), Saul’s practice was likened to divination: “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king” (1 Samuel 15:23).

Saul’s rebellion was likened to “divination” because Saul had circumvented God’s revealed [biblical] will and found spiritual direction elsewhere (from his own mind). Refusing to acknowledge and submit to God’s boundaries is tantamount to divination. ^[20]

Accordingly, mega mysticism’s beliefs about our circumstances is in danger of being “rebellion . . . as the sin of divination, and insubordination . . . as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Sam 15:23).

Finally, The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch makes some conclusions regarding the meaning and practice of divination in the OT that would seem to apply to modern mega mysticism:

These practices entail rebellion against God (1 Sam 18:13), so God will turn his face from those who practice them and cut them off from the community (Lev 20:6). Divination . . . wreak[s] havoc with one’s relationship with God because at [its] root [it is a] rival religion.

God acknowledged the human desire for spiritual knowledge and foresight. Immediately after prohibiting divination . . . God promised to provide revelation, but as his initiative through his prophets (Deut 18:15-20). . . .

Uncritical acceptance of messages because they were received in a supernormal experience is unwise. Problems also occur when people demand special knowledge or answers from God. There are “secret things” that belong to God (Deut 29:29). Divination . . . attempts to gain knowledge and control that God declares are not needed. When things do not make sense, or the future looks anxiously uncertain, divination . . . [is a] tempting rival to trusting [the character of] God.

Divination [is] . . . dangerous because [it] brings people into contact with evil spiritual beings and forces . . . . These false gods and powers offer short-term benefits, but their abilities fade in comparison to God’s power and provision (Deut 32:37-39). Israel’s later history shows the tragedy of people turning to divination . . . and being led away from God into falsehood and evil (Is 47:13-15; Jer 14:14; Ezek 22:28-29). The choice is between deepening one’s dependence on God, or using impersonal, instrumental approaches in attempting to gain control of one’s life. ^[21]

D) Response of J. I. Packer to Mega Mystical View of Our Circumstances

J. I. Packer has given us a theological framework on which to properly understand circumstances. In his bestseller Knowing God, Dr. Packer helpfully addresses the mega mystical claim that God intends for us to recognize and interpret extra-biblical divine revelation and direction in our circumstances:

Wisdom is divinely wrought in those, and those only, who apply themselves to God’s revelation. “Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,” declares the psalmist; “I have more insight than all my teachers”-why?-“for I meditate on your statutes” (Ps 119:98-99). So Paul admonishes the Colossians: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . . with all wisdom” (Col 3:16).

How are we of the twentieth century to do this? By soaking ourselves in the Scriptures, which, as Paul told Timothy (and he had in mind the Old Testament alone!), “are able to make you wise for salvation” through faith in Christ, and to make us “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:15-17).

Again, it is to be feared that many today who profess to be Christ’s never learn wisdom, through failure to attend sufficiently to God’s written Word. . . . What fools some of us are!—and we remain fools all our lives, simply because we will not take the trouble to do what has to be done to receive the wisdom which is God’s free gift.

But what sort of thing is God’s gift of wisdom? What effect does it have on a person? Here many go wrong. We can make clear the nature of their mistake by an illustration.

If you stand at the end of a platform at York Station, you can watch a constant succession of engine and train movements which, if you are a railway enthusiast, will greatly fascinate you. But you will only be able to form a very rough and general idea of the overall plan in terms of which all these movements are being determined. If, however, you are privileged enough to be taken by one of the higher-ups into the magnificent electrical signal-box that lies between platforms 7 and 8, you will see on the longest wall a diagram of the entire track layout for five miles on either side of the station, with little glow-worm lights moving or stationary on the different tracks to show the signalmen at a glance exactly where every engine and train is.

At once you will be able to look at the whole situation through the eyes of those who control it; you will see from the diagram why it was that this train had to be signaled to a halt, and that one diverted from its normal running line, and that one parked temporarily in a siding. The why and the wherefore of all these movements becomes plain once you can see the overall position.

Now, the mistake that is commonly made is to suppose that this is an illustration of what God does when he bestows wisdom: to suppose, in other words, that the gift of wisdom consists in a deepened insight into the providential meaning and purpose of events going on around us, an ability to see why God has done what he has done in a particular case, and what he is going to do next.

People feel that if they were really walking close to God, so that he could impart wisdom to them freely, then they would, so to speak, find themselves in the signal-box; they would discern the real purpose of everything that happened to them, and it would be clear to them every moment how God was making all things work together for good.

Such people spend much time poring over the book of providence, wondering why God should have allowed this or that to take place, whether they should take it as a sign to stop doing one thing and start doing another, or what they should deduce from it. If they end up baffled, they put it down to their own lack of spirituality. Christians suffering from depression, physical, mental or spiritual (note, these are three different things!) may drive themselves almost crazy with this kind of futile inquiry. For it is futile: make no mistake about that.

It is true that when God has given us guidance by application of principles he will on occasion confirm it to us by unusual providences, which we will recognize at once as corroborative signs. But this is quite a different thing from trying to read a message about God’s secret purposes out of every unusual thing that happens to us.

Dr. Packer goes on to provide an analogy which we believe is vital to our outlook on life. More specifically, we believe the analogy accurately explains what Paul was speaking of when he wrote:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Eph 5:15-17)

Mega mystics interpret “the Lord’s will” here as some extra-biblical desire of God that we must discern in “every opportunity.” On the contrary, we need not concern ourselves with the source of, or reason for, “every opportunity,” but only with wisely and obediently applying God’s written word to them. Accordingly, Dr. Packer writes:

We ask again: what does it mean for God to give us wisdom? What kind of a gift is it? If another transportation illustration may be permitted, it is like being taught to drive. What matters in driving is the speed and appropriateness of your reactions to things and the soundness of your judgment as to what scope a situation gives you. You do not ask yourself why the road should narrow or screw itself into a dogleg wiggle just where it does, nor why that van should be parked where it is, nor why the driver in front should hug the crown of the road so lovingly; you simply try to see and do the right thing in the actual situation that presents itself.

The effect of divine wisdom is to enable you and me to do just that in the actual situations of everyday life. To drive well, you have to keep your eyes skinned to notice exactly what is in front of you. To live wisely, you have to be clear-sighted and realistic-ruthlessly so-in looking at life as it is. Wisdom will not go with comforting illusions, false sentiment, or the use of rose-colored glasses. Most of us live in a dream world with our heads in the clouds and our feet off the ground; we never see the world, and our lives in it, as they really are. This deep-seated, sin-bred unrealism is one reason why there is so little wisdom among us. . . .

For the truth is that God in his wisdom, to make and keep us humble and to teach us to walk by faith, has hidden from us almost everything that we should like to know about the providential purposes which he is working out in the churches and in our own lives. “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things” (Eccl 11:5). “Fear God and keep his commandments” (Eccl 12:13); trust and obey him . . . your part is to use all the good sense and enterprise at your command in exploiting the opportunities that lie before you.

Dr. Packer then shares one of the dangers of a mega mystical view of the world:

The God who rules [the world] hides himself. . . . Many of us need this admonition. For not only are we caught up with the York signal-box conception, or misconception, of what wisdom is; we feel that, for the honor of God (and also, though we do not say this, for the sake of our own reputation as spiritual Christians), it is necessary for us to claim that we are, so to speak, already in the signal-box, here and now enjoying inside information as to the why and wherefore of God’s doings.

This comforting pretense becomes part of us: we feel sure that God has enabled us to understand all his ways with us and our circle thus far, and we take it for granted that we shall be able to see at once the reason for anything that may happen to us in the future.

And then something very painful and quite inexplicable comes along, and our cheerful illusion of being in God’s secret councils is shattered. Our pride is wounded; we feel that God has slighted us; and unless at this point we repent and humble ourselves very thoroughly for our former presumption, our whole subsequent spiritual life may be blighted. . . .

Behind this morbid and deadening condition often lies the wounded pride of one who thought he knew all about the ways of God in providence and then was made to learn by bitter and bewildering experience that he didn’t. . . . .

Such, then, is the wisdom with which God makes us wise. And our analysis of it discloses to us still further the wisdom of the God who gives it. We have said that wisdom consists in choosing the best means to the best end. . . . For what is this wisdom that he gives? As we have seen, it is not a sharing in all his knowledge, but a disposition to confess that he is wise, and to cleave to him and live for him in the light of his Word through thick and thin.

Thus the effect of his gift of wisdom is to make us more humble, more joyful, more godly, more quick-sighted as to his will, more resolute in the doing of it and less troubled (not less sensitive, but less bewildered) than we were at the dark and painful things of which our life in this fallen world is full. ^[22]

E) Response of Gary Friesen to Mega Mystical View of Our Circumstances

Gary Friesen provides some more specific rebuttal of the mega mystical view of circumstances, including addressing verses that speak of “open doors”:

Some proponents of the [mega mystical] view teach that the believer should “read providence” as a means of determining direction from God. It is not uncommon to hear Christians say, “The Lord led me to do thus and such.” When asked about the means and details of this leading, they list a series of circumstances that pointed the way to God’s will. However, nothing in Scripture authorizes interpreting circumstances in that way. If there is no individual [private] will of God, as we have established, such an approach to decision making is flawed. Circumstances do not lead; they are not even intended to give hints about God’s future sovereign [predestined] will or
His moral [prescribed] will. His sovereign will is hidden, and His moral will is already revealed in its entirety in the Bible.

The only time that circumstances can be read is when a divine interpretation is placed upon them by supernatural revelation. Apart from such revelation, circumstances may be taken to mean almost anything. . . .

Solomon made it clear that reading providence makes life confusing at best and futile at worst (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11). It often appears that God favors the wicked rich and resists the downtrodden righteous (Psalm 37:1). . . .

From the human perspective, some things should simply be viewed as happening by chance, just as the Bible does (1 Samuel 6:9; 2 Samuel 1:6; Luke 10:31; see also Ruth 2:3; 1 Kings 22:34). Such events are determined [allowed] by God, to be sure, but they are not to be viewed as signs to be read.

In his essay, “Historicism,” C. S. Lewis refuted those who try to read messages into providence and see an “inner meaning in the historical process.” The attempt may be just a waste of time or “positively mischievous.” “It encourages a Mussolini to say that ‘History took him by the throat’ when what really took him by the throat was desire.”

Counselors know that the most ingenious stories of interpreted providence come from those who have fallen in love. Every detail is further confirmation to them of God’s approval of their relationship. They ask, “What is the chance that out of a hundred people, we would sit next to each other and both be wearing blue?” Don’t answer them. You will only get them going. But they are reading their own hearts, not providence. ^[23]

Elsewhere, Dr. Friesen comments:

These cautions do not mean that circumstances are meaningless. They form the context in which we make choices. Don’t try to read circumstances. Instead, look them carefully in the face, because wisdom must take them into account to make a good decision for this time and this place. ^[24]

Dr. Friesen also engages in a discussion regarding the specific topic of “open doors.”:

The term “open door” is a natural figure for free access or an opportunity to do something. . . . In the scriptural expression “open door,” the nature of the access or opportunity is determined by the context. In Acts 14:27, Paul and Barnabas reported how God “had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles,” meaning that the Gentiles had been given an opportunity to hear the gospel and believe. Most occurrences [in Scripture] relate to some opportunity for gospel ministry.

Understanding open doors is important for guidance, for their very existence implies that a decision must be made. Does an open door constitute direction from the Lord that must be obeyed? Or is it an opportunity that should be judged by wisdom? The answer emerges from the key passages: 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, Colossians 4:3, 2 Corinthians 2:12-13. ^[25]

In 1 Corinthians 16 the Apostle writes:

After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. ⁶ Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷ I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹ because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me. (1 Cor 16:5-9)

Dr. Friesen comments:

At the time of this writing, Paul’s short-range plans called for him to remain in Ephesus for approximately two months. After that, he intended to travel through Macedonia and spend some extended time in Corinth, something Paul was hoping the Lord would permit (v. 7). More significantly for Paul, “a wide door for effective service” had been opened for him and there were “many adversaries” trying to close that door. In short, Paul stayed to utilize the opportunity and neutralize the opposition.

Now the “door” in this case was an opportunity for effective and widespread gospel ministry. The adversaries in question were seeking to hinder the potentially large harvest. It is instructive to see how Paul regarded this situation. He did not, on the one hand, look upon the door as a sign commanding him to stay in Ephesus. The door was not a revealed command, but an opening for the spiritually opportunistic. Nor did Paul view the adversaries as a message from God signaling him to move on to more productive fields of service. To Paul, the excellent soldier (2 Timothy 4:7), the presence of opposition indicated the need for reinforcements.

The combination of opportunity and opposition provided him with good spiritual reasons for an extended ministry in Ephesus. He was making the most of his time and his opportunities (Ephesians 5:16) while combating the enemy with the shrewdness of a serpent (Matthew 10:16). The door was not a revealed command, but an opening for the spiritually opportunistic. ^[26]

M. Blaine Smith also comments on the fact that in the “open door” in Ephesus there was opposition:

Paul’s perception of an open door, interestingly, challenges the supposition of many Christians that when God opens a door it means smooth sailing. Many Christians wouldn’t perceive the open door which Paul did; they would take the adversaries as circumstantial guidance from God telling them not to go ahead! ^[27]

Which is why God’s moral prescribed will in Scripture and our Spirit-liberated reason must be skillfully used to determine the best course of action when life (or God) presents us with an opportunity.

The second reference to an “open door” addressed by Dr. Friesen is Colossians 4:3 where the Apostle writes: “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Dr. Friesen comments:

The one who seeks opportunities to minister for Christ is motivated to pray for them and to seek partners in such prayer. That is what Paul was doing-recruiting the Colossian believers as prayer partners. Since he wrote from prison, this verse could be an expression of Paul’s hope that he would be released after his hearing before the Roman tribunal. Such a release would open his prison door and allow him to resume preaching with complete freedom. It is even more likely that the prayer was simply a request for abundant opportunities to share the gospel, a request that was subsequently answered in a wonderful way (Philippians 1:12-18).

In Acts, the apostles prayed for opportunity to minister the Word and it resulted in the opening of figurative and literal doors (Acts 5:19; 12:11; 16:26). Paul’s prayer was not a prayer for guidance, but rather for opportunity. He needed no providential sign to encourage him to preach. He always looked for an empty pulpit and filled pews. ^[28]

And when an opportunity to do the will of God (like preach the Gospel) arises, it is unnecessary and foolish to ponder if it was miraculously caused by God or more randomly occurred. Not only does it not matter, but you will not know.

Finally, Dr. Friesen addresses 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 where the Apostle writes:

Now when I went to Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, ¹³ I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

Dr. Friesen comments:

Behold, here is an “open door” the apostle walked away from! The reason for his decision can be understood only in light of the historical context. Apparently, Paul had written a “sorrowful letter” to the Christians at Corinth, and had sent Titus to deliver it (2 Corinthians 2:4; 7:8). At a later time, Paul was to leave Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8) and stop in Troas (2 Corinthians 2:12-13) en route to Corinth. He planned to meet Titus in Troas and get a report from him about the Corinthians’ response to his letter. The situation was so serious that the future of the church might depend on their response.

Once in Troas, Paul waited anxiously for Titus to arrive with the verdict. While he waited, he became aware of an open door for gospel ministry. However, he was so concerned about the situation in Corinth that he left Troas, open door and all, and went looking for Titus.

It was a search fraught with fear and conflict (2 Corinthians 7:5). But it ended happily with the rendezvous in Macedonia with Titus and the report that the Corinthians had responded to his letter with sorrow and repentance (2 Corinthians 7:6-12). From Macedonia, Paul joyfully penned another epistle (2 Corinthians) to acknowledge his receipt of Titus’s report and to prepare further for his personal arrival in Corinth.

Why did Paul leave an open door [in Troas to preach the Gospel, 2 Cor 2:12]? If an open door constitutes a sign commanding the believer to enter, then Paul’s action is inexplicable. But if an open door is an opportunity to be judged by wisdom, then the explanation is not difficult. Normally, Paul would take advantage of an open door for ministry (1 Corinthians 16:9; Colossians 4:3). He would pass up such potential only if something more important demanded his attention. And that was precisely the situation in this case. Rather than build a new church (Troas) with available land and materials, Paul ran to put out the flames that threatened the existence of a church (Corinth) he had already built. Some Bible scholars think that he did, in fact, return and establish a church in Troas when he later visited (Acts 20:6). ^[29]

And notice that Paul did not receive some direct revelation to leave the open door for ministry in Troas, but rather used his own private judgment of the circumstances to make a decision.

Dr. Friesen then makes some conclusions:

On the basis of these passages, we can make the following conclusions about the place of open doors in guidance and decision making: (1) the term door refers to an opportunity, usually related to the effective ministry of the Word; (2) opportunities, like everything else, come through [are allowed by, not necessarily miraculously caused by] God’s sovereignty; (3) most of the time open doors should be utilized as part of wise, resourceful living for the Lord (Ephesians 5:15-16); (4) if a greater opportunity or more pressing work is at hand, it is proper to pass by the open door; and (5) an open door is not a providential command from God. Doors facilitate entrance. It is foolish to climb through a back window or tear down a wall when the front door is open.

A final word on so-called “closed doors.” The need for open doors certainly implies the existence of closed doors, though Scripture never uses the term. Paul did not have a “closed door” mentality. If he was sovereignly prevented from pursuing a sound plan, he simply waited and tried again later. He did not view a blocked endeavor as a “closed door” sign from God that his plan was faulty. He accepted the fact that he could not pursue that plan at that time. Yet he continued to desire, pray, and plan for the eventual accomplishment of the goal. This approach is clearly demonstrated in Paul’s attempts to visit Rome (Romans 1:10-13). . . .

With respect to our subject of decision making, Paul was not praying for guidance, but rather for opportunity. He needed no providential “sign” to encourage him to preach in a certain place. He was a “preacher’s preacher” who prayed for an empty pulpit and filled pews. On the basis of such an example, those who have been given a ministry of substantial giving should also pray for such opportunities. Teachers should pray for excellent opportunities to teach. Helpers should seek out and pray for God-given occasions for service. ^[30]

Dr. Friesen particularly addresses Henry Blackaby’s popular view of circumstances and divine guidance when he writes:

[The mega mystical] view claims that the key to finding God’s will is to see what God is doing in the world and then join Him. In Jesus’ case, He kept watching the Father’s activity around Him so He could unite His life with the Father’s activity. The suggested application is that the believer should look for the ways God is working and then join Him, knowing that this is His individual will for that person. God’s work involves things that only He can do: drawing people to Himself; revealing spiritual truth; and convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. ^[31]

The book Experiencing God gives an example of this approach. An evangelistic team was considering whether God wanted them to plant a church in a town where they had conducted meetings. They believed that to make the decision based upon a population survey would be an exercise in self-planning and the application of “human logic.” Instead they wanted to “find out if God [was] at work.”

One team conducted a Vacation Bible School. When several parents attended the closing program on Friday night, the leaders asked a question. “We believe God may want us to establish a Baptist church in this town. If any of you would like to begin a regular Bible study group and maybe become a part of a new church, would you just come forward?” Several people who had been praying for a church responded favorably.

The prospective church planters concluded, “We didn’t have to take a survey. God had just shown us where He was at work!”

I may be missing the nuance of this example, but it looks like they did conduct a survey. They surveyed a specific population, found a fertile area, and did what was wise. ^[32]

So much for Dr. Blackaby’s claim that the people in his example abandoned mere “human logic.” In reality, mega mystics, like everyone else, are often simply using logic and reasoning based on Scripture to assess circumstances in order to “make the most of every opportunity” (Eph 5:16).

Obviously, when a miracle occurs, we know God is working. This is, of course, the case with spiritual conversion. If people are genuinely being drawn to Christ and repenting with the preaching of the Gospel, then we know God is miraculously intervening and we should respond accordingly (cf. John 6:44; 16:8-11; 1 Thess 1:4-5). We know from Scripture that conversions are never coincidences, but the miraculous intervention of God. Accordingly, the Apostles were instructed to stay in a city where there was such a response to the Gospel, and to leave a city where there wasn’t a response (cf. Matt 10:11-14; Luke 10:4-12).

While responses to the Gospel are a biblically prescribed “circumstance” to recognize, interpret, and respond to, we are not to add a multitude of other ones. From a mega mystical perspective, virtually everything in our life becomes a potential message from God, but without any biblical precedent. As noted before, living like this leads to a superstitious life where we are attempting to interpret anything and everything as an omen of something, and leads to the practice of “putting out fleeces” and testing God for extra-biblical guidance which all amounts to the sinful practice of divination. ^[33]

Evaluating circumstances to make a reasonable decision is one thing—looking for and interpreting an unrelated “sign” from God as revelation is divination. As further discussed in chapter 14.9 divination is getting God’s wisdom on a decision in an illegitimate way. An example would be, “If this realtor says the house was owned by Christians, we’ll buy it.” That circumstance has nothing to do with whether it would be wise to buy the house. And expecting God to guide us in that way is the biblically condemned practice of divination.

Extras & Endnotes

Devotion to Dad

Our Father in Heaven, we praise You that your will for us to know is so clearly stated in Your Scriptures. Thank You that we need not anxiously search for it in trying to interpret our circumstances as a message from You. We thank You that You always love us in every circumstance!

Gauging Your Grasp

1. The question we address in this chapter is: Does God intend to reveal extra-biblical direction to us through our circumstances? What is your opinion?
2. We state that there is absolutely no instruction in Scripture on how to correctly interpret our circumstances as divine revelation. Do you agree or disagree? If you agree, what does this imply?
3. How do we define superstition?
4. Why do we say that mega mysticism’s view of our circumstances leads to superstition? Do you agree or disagree?
5. What are examples in which an unbiblical view of our circumstances could put us in bondage to superstition?
6. Why do we refer to superstition as a bondage?
7. What are several things that the example of Job teaches us about circumstances?
8. What is the difference between evaluating circumstances to make a reasonable decision, and interpreting circumstances to receive divine revelation?
9. What is especially helpful in Dr. Waltke’s statements regarding the idea that we are to interpret our circumstances for divine revelation?
10. What is especially helpful in Dr. Packer’s statements regarding the idea that we are to interpret our circumstances for divine revelation?
11. What is especially helpful in Dr. Friesen’s statements regarding the idea that we are to interpret our circumstances for divine revelation?

Publications & Particulars

1. Gary Friesen and J. Maxon, Decision Making and the Will of God (Multnomah, 1980), 133 ↑

2. The emphasis placed on the need and ability to properly interpret circumstances to obtain divine direction would be one critique we would have with Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God materials. ↑

3. Henry and Richard Blackaby, Hearing God’s Voice (Broadman & Holman, 2003), 74. ↑

4. See discussion of Abraham’s servant at section 14.11.B. ↑

5. Friesen, 302-303. ↑

6. Ibid., 213-14. ↑

7. Excerpt from section 14.11.F. ↑

8. Herman Bavinck, Prolegomena, Church Dogmatics, Vol. 1 (Baker, 2003), 326-7. ↑

9. Regarding the obvious nature of miraculous divine revelation see section 10.7.C. ↑

10. Regarding miraculous interventions in our lives see chapter 10.3. ↑

11. Regarding the proper expectation and recognition of miracles in our lives see chapter 10.3. ↑

12. Regarding the need for God to explain and authenticate divine revelation see sections 7.B.4-5. ↑

13. Gordon Smith, 99-100, 103. As illustrated here and above, we have found some things in Dr. Gordon Smith’s book, Listening to God in Times of Choice, to agree with. However, as the title implies, this book takes a fairly mystical view of divine guidance and is therefore, not very helpful and even misleading at times. For example, even as the author condemns the idea of an extra-biblical private will here, he implies it throughout the book. Accordingly, the first sentence of the last chapter reads, “A basic premise of this reflective study is that God still speaks,” (138) apart from the Scriptures. ↑

14. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Electronic Edition STEP Files CD-ROM (Findex.com, 2000), Deut 18:10-12. ↑

15. “Religion, Greco-Roman” in Dictionary of New Testament Background, Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, eds. (Intervarsity, 2000), 920. ↑

16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divination ↑

17. Bruce Waltke, Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion (Eerdmans, 1995), 11, 26, 30-31. ↑

18. Gordon Smith, 104. ↑

19. Waltke, 11-12, 40, 51, 55, 53-4, 62, 168-9. ↑

20. Dewaay, CIC, #97, 1-2. ↑

21. O’Mathuna, 196. ↑

22. J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Intervarsity, 1993), 101-108. ↑

23. Friesen, 209. ↑

24. Gary Friesen in How Then Should We Choose?, Douglas Huffman, ed. (Kregel, 2009), 137. ↑

25. Ibid. ↑

26. Ibid., 210. ↑

27. M. Blaine Smith, Knowing God’s Will: Finding Guidance for Personal Decisions (Intervarsity, 1991), 117. ↑

28. Friesen, 210. ↑

29. Ibid., 210-11. ↑

30. Ibid., 211, 213. ↑

31. Ibid., 61. ↑

32. Ibid., 61-62. ↑

33. Regarding divination in mega mysticism see section 14.9.G. ↑