How should we analyze Brian Clark’s amazing story?

[didactics]

From a cessationist point of view is it possible to receive a vision from God or by an angel if it’s for the purpose of preserving one’s life? I understand that visions aren’t necessary if we have God’s Word; He can instead lead us to hear His Word preached. Any thought’s on this would be appreciated, thanks!

This story was featured on The UnXplained with William Shatner.

 

[sandman]

God can’t do less than His Word…. and whatever it is… cannot contradict His Word.... but he can always do more than what is written.

 

[didactics]

So in this Ligonier podcast, the guy mentions Numbers 12:6-8.

Does God Speak to Christians Audibly? — Ask Ligonier

God spoke to Moses face to face, but He spoke to the prophets through visions and dreams. I get the sense that cessationism teaches all visions and dreams have ceased. But MacArthur pointed out in an old sermon, who is himself a cessationist, that an exception could have been what took place during WWI.

“Had he answered prayer by sending His invisible army and given those people at least a glimpse of His hosts? Very possible.”

Angels: God's Invisible Army, Part 1

Sometimes it is tough for me to understand what cessationism teaches on a more nuanced level.

 

[SkyWriting]

From a cessationist point of view is it possible to receive a vision from God or by an angel if it’s for the purpose of preserving one’s life? I understand that visions aren’t necessary if we have God’s Word; He can instead lead us to hear His Word preached. Any thought’s on this would be appreciated, thanks!
View attachment 315569

This story was featured on The UnXplained with William Shatner.

Successful people practice talking to themselves for encouragement.
They have an inner voice they use. It really works.


And there are two "thinking systems" in the brain.
One works instantly behind the scenes, the second one is analytical and slow.
The fast one tells the slow one what to think about, but without any details.
The instructions are like "Run now! You can always think about what's happening later."

 

[didactics]

Sometimes our subconscious mind works, making us think we are just being random. For example, I remember scanning a room once while waiting around, and I wasn’t consciously reading anything, but my eyes glanced at the these words—I read a word in my head faster than I processed that I looked at the word! It sounds kind of stupid I know. But whether or not I realized I thought something random, I still knew it was my own voice inside my head.

What gets me about this story is that Brian Clark heard a voice that was not his own, and a mysterious push to go down stairway A. The one thing I am skeptical of is people claiming that you can practice hearing the voice of God. I don’t think that’s how it works. I don’t think there is anything we can do to make God speak to us. If He wants to speak to us He will, but it has nothing to do with us. God spoke to an ungodly man in the OT through a talking donkey! I don’t think he was trying to exercise hearing the voice of God.

 

[Yarddog]

From a cessationist point of view is it possible to receive a vision from God or by an angel if it’s for the purpose of preserving one’s life? I understand that visions aren’t necessary if we have God’s Word; He can instead lead us to hear His Word preached. Any thought’s on this would be appreciated, thanks!
View attachment 315569

This story was featured on The UnXplained with William Shatner.

I kinda feel sorry for cessationists. It means that they haven't experienced God as fully as those that have God's spiritual gifts.

 

[didactics]

Not all of God's spiritual gifts have ceased. Justin Peters explains it well in this Tweet.
https://twitter.com/NatePickowicz/status/899029051658076160?s=20

 

[Yarddog]

Not all of God's spiritual gifts have ceased. Justin Peters explains it well in this Tweet.
https://twitter.com/NatePickowicz/status/899029051658076160?s=20

I would say that none have and only those who haven't experienced God's spiritual gifts say they have ceased.

 

[didactics]

Well yes it is sad when cessationists say there are no continuing spiritual gifts. But at this local church which affirms cessationism, they also put this in their statement of faith—Berean Community Church believes that every believer has received at least one spiritual gift, which is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of serving and edifying the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:7, 11-12, 26; Rom 12:3-8).

A Protestant charismatic believes that apostleship continues today. They might say it is unlike the Twelve of course, but they are mostly in agreement that some form of apostleship is still in office. Catholics believe the pope is the succeeding line of the apostolic. I personally don’t think there are apostles today, minor or otherwise.