Bob Mumford’s classic guidance book is still available: “Take Another Look At Guidance”

‘Genius,’

Whining is not the right word. I’m not whining at all. I’m just trying to be careful. I am very enthusiastic in discovering that this book is still available, a book that meant so much to me, personally.

We are in the new covenant, in which the Holy Spirit now lives in believers’ hearts. The norm, the safe way is to hear from God directly. Peter said we would now receive dreams and visions, quoting Joel. Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice.” Paul talked about a word of knowledge and prophecy. Paul talked about determining in our hearts how much to give — which could be called a ‘gut feeling’ or an ‘inner knowing.’ Nowhere are we told to put out a fleece. I mostly agree with what this author states.

From: http://www.johnhamelministries.org/guidance_super_biblical_14_fleeces.htm

Fleecing is a very popular, yet very unscriptural, form of guidance. By studying the life of Gideon today we will see clearly that putting out a fleece never has been and never will be a God-ordained form of guidance. Only one time in all of Scripture do we find someone putting out a fleece. … Gideon was the first and last person in the Bible to put out such a fleece.

Let us describe what it means to “put out a fleece.” Gideon put out a literal sheep’s fleece (wool) to test God’s will. Others may not use an actual sheepskin but they “fleece” in more contemporary ways. Some people pray a “fleecing” prayer like this. “Lord, I don’t know if I should move to Maine or Idaho. I’m going to go to the grocery store. When I get there, if they have Maine potatoes, I’m going to move to Maine. If they have Idaho potatoes, I’m going to move to Idaho.” Others pray a “fleecing” prayer this way. “Lord, if you want me to move to Maine, open the door for me there and close the door in Idaho.”

This is dangerous because Satan is the god of this world and he can put the potatoes of his choice in the grocery stores of his choice. He can also open and close “doors of opportunity” in the natural. (2Corinthians 4:4) Potatoes, open and closed doors and other forms of natural guidance are in the physical or sense realm. God does not live in the physical or sense realm. God is a Spirit. (John 4:24) If you want to communicate with God or you want God to communicate with you, it absolutely must be done through the spirit realm. Insisting on any other way always leads to heartache and deception.

Gideon Put Out a Fleece in Ignorance

The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon informing him that he was to be raised up as a mighty man of valor who would deliver Israel out of the hands of the Midianites. (Judges 6:11-21) Gideon lived under the Old Covenant. He did not have the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence to bear witness of the truth of the Angel’s message. He did not have the “Inner Umpire” to guide him. Therefore, he began to seriously doubt the Angel’s appearance and message.

Not only can Satan manipulate events, but God usually leaves events alone. He’s not likely going to change an event in order to answer this kind of prayer.

Also, demons can actually put thoughts to put out fleeces in people’s heads.

Here is an example from Jean-Jacques Rousseau that I found amusing and really scary, because people actually do things like this. And just a small percentage of people really study the Bible carefully enough, themselves, or get to know God well enough to make sure they are going to heaven — the most important factor in our lives!

From: Confessions, Book VI

I would like to know whether there sometimes pass in the hearts of other men puerilities similar to those that sometimes pass in mine. In the midst of my studies and a life as innocent as one can lead, and in spite of everything they had been able to say to me, the fear of Hell still troubled me often. I asked myself, “In what state am I? If I died at this very instant would I be damned?” According to my Jansenists the thing was indubitable; but according to my conscience it seemed to me that it was not. Always fearful, floating in that cruel uncertainty, in order to leave it I had recourse to the most laughable expedients, for which I would willingly shut a man away if I saw him do the same. One day, while dreaming about this sad subject, I exerted myself mechanically by throwing rocks against the trunks of trees, and did so with my usual skill, that is to say, almost without hitting any of them. Right in the middle of this fine exercise, I took it into my head to make it into a sort of prognostic for myself in order to calm my anxiousness. I tell myself, “I am going to throw this rock against the tree which is across from me. If I hit it, sign of salvation; if I miss it, sign of damnation.” While speaking this way I throw my rock with a trembling hand and with a horrible beating of the heart, but so luckily that it strikes right in the middle of the tree; which, to tell the truth, was not difficult; for I had been careful to choose one that was extremely big and extremely close. After that time I never doubted my salvation again.

“Those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God.” Bob Mumford will also point out, correctly that God can speak through others to lead us. In both cases, He is speaking to people directly: either to us directly, or to another person directly, who then speaks to us. It’s not: “if you do this I’ll then know.”

This is what I was referring to.

Regarding the Apostles casting lots, it’s likely that God told one of them to do this. I doubt if they would do this otherwise. God has never led me to do anything like this in my 37 years as a Christian. This isn’t something we are told to do. We shouldn’t flip a coin and think God will determine its outcome, unless God told us to flip a coin — which I would think would be very rare. If ‘Christians’ often feel led to flip a coin, etc., it’s more likely that they’re being led by demons to do this and not God.

There should be only one voice. If we’re hearing more than one voice, then we should live clean enough and pray in the Spirit enough so the evil spirits go, instead of resorting to other means.

Also, it has been almost 30 years since I’ve read Bob’s book. I don’t remember what Bob says about fleeces. I’m going by what the intro of the book at his site states, which to me indicates that he is for this type of guidance in this book. If he is not, I’d like to know.

jeff fenske