There are examples of miracles in Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts, but relatively few examples of God providing special directives to His people. In the next few weeks, we will explore these instances in the sequence Luke gives them. Jim Osman’s book, God doesn’t whisper, offers fourteen examples that we will explore. He takes these from Greg Kouki’s list in “Stand to Reason.” We are not discussing miracles, here. Instead, we are looking at examples in which God gives direct guidance in a certain path. Of these fourteen, keep in mind that they cover a period of approximately thirty years.
Furthermore, we may group these examples if we classify them according to the situation that required the directives from God. Two pertain to Philip’s work near Gaza, occurring close together and two occurred around Saul’s conversion on the way to Damascus. Two more are connected with Peter and Cornelius, two are connected with Paul taking the gospel to Macedonia,and two more tied to Paul’s time in Jerusalem and arrival in Rome. Grouped in this way, there are only nine separate occasions during a thirty-year period that any record is given of specific guidance. This is not to suggest that only these were actually given. But, these are the only ones of which we have a record.
The supernatural guidance given came through visions (5 times), speaking of the Spirit (4 times), angelic messenger (3 times), prophecy (1 time), and the voice of Jesus (1 time). Of these, seven are given to Paul, two to Peter, and one to the apostles, totaling ten of the fourteen. The other four include two time with Philip, and Ananias and Cornelius (both of whom were connected to Peter and Paul’s work. Philip was closely connected to the apostles’ work in Jerusalem and was one of only three non-apostles to perform miracles (Stephen, and Barnabas, Acts 9:6-7, 14:3).
Again, another characteristic of these fourteen supernatural examples of direct guidance, only one is not directly related to the spread of the gospel (Acts 12:7-8). Still, this was another case of an apostle and his release is tied to his work. In fact, all the examples are connected to the work and ordering of the apostles who were to be eye-witnesses and ambassadors for Christ.