True vs. Lying Signs and Wonders

True vs. Lying Signs and Wonders:

    The Bible tells us that the antichrist would come with signs and lying wonders.

    "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders..."  (2 Thessalonians 2:9)

    It is important to remember that not every person that performs some spectacular miracle is from God.  The Bible tells us clearly that the end times (in which we may now be living) will have numerous false Christs and false prophets, performing great signs and wonders.
    Oftentimes people trade an exciting relationship with God with a quest to communicate with angels and the like.  Some psychics claim that the spirits they communicate with are angels.  Some have been somewhat impressive in their communication with spirits.  Many vulnerable and gullible people accept the psychic’s talent as a gift from God.  In reality they are channeling information from demonic spirits.  Yet these people think or, at least give the impression that they are operating under a gift of God and are in communication with the dead or even angels.

    "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:13-14.)

    Occasionally there have been those in Christian circles that literally charged a fee to someone in need of a word from the Lord or for healing.  That’s nonsense.  Christians should be strong in the Lord, nurtured with sound doctrine.  That way Christians would not be as gullible as some appear to be.  The gifts of God are received free of charge and should be used free of charge:

    “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils:  freely ye have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8.)

    The greatest miracle worker of all—our Lord Jesus Christ, warned that false Christs and prophets would deceive many with great signs and wonders.

    “For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24 and Mark 13:22.)

    There are two dangers here.  Firstly, we may adhere to false doctrines pointing us to false gods, and secondly, we may negate the supernatural altogether.  If there is a false, there must also be a true:  False Christs vs. the True Christ.  False prophets vs. the true gift.
    The rule of thumb is:  Are the miracle workers pointing us to the God of the Bible and our Lord Jesus Christ, or away from Him? 
        We just read in Mark 13:22 that there would be false Christs and false prophets, showing great signs and wonders.  However, three chapters later we also read in Mark about true signs that would accompany the preaching of the Word of God:

    “These signs shall follow them that believe… In my Name they shall cast out devils… they shall speak with new tongues… lay hands on the sick and they shall recover…” (Mark 16:17-18)
    Many good Christian people are so spooked with fear concerning the possibility of being deceived by some lying wonder, that they lose sight altogether of the wonderful blessing that the Lord has for them and through them in the area of The Ministry of Signs and Wonders.  One need not be afraid or overly suspicious of the source of signs and wonders as we mature in the Lord and keep our focus on Him.  When we walk close to the Lord, feeding on the sound doctrine of the Word of God, and become accustomed to the power of God, deception becomes less probable.  Again, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29.)  When these two elements are lacking, error moves in. 
    A real miracle worker points us to Christ as revealed in the Bible, and a false miracle worker steers us away from Him. Therefore, let us be prudent and cautious lest some miracle worker bewitches us with lying signs and wonders.  But let us not allow fear and a lukewarm walk with the Lord, ignorance of the Scriptures, and a lack of the power of God, rob us of the unlimited blessings God has in store for us.
     I liken it to the duel God’s men had with the devil’s men: Moses and Aaron versus Jannes and Jambres.  In Exodus 7:8-12 God tells Moses to tell Aaron to cast down his rod before Pharaoh.  Aaron does it and it turns into a serpent.  However, the Egyptian magicians cast their many rods to the floor; and with their sorceries and enchantments their many rods turn into many serpents.  Initially it seems like they outdid God’s miracle, at least in quantity.  However, Moses’ and Aaron’s serpent gets mean and swallows up their serpents.  What a wonderful example of the superiority of the power of God over powers of the enemy!
    Second Timothy 3:8-9 reveals these magicians’ names as  Jannes and Jambres.  The Bible warns us that false miracle workers like them would appear in the end time.  Paul says that so that we should be aware of false doctrines accompanied by false miracles, but he also shows us the outcome of the end time duel:

    “...As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth.... But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was” (2 Timothy 3:9)

    Just like Moses made an open show of them, so God’s true anointed servants and handmaidens will make an open show of the false prophets of these end times!
    A personal acquaintance of mine is very accurate in prophecy and the word of knowledge.  A radio talk show host or guest made the comment that the end times must be close, because he was so accurate that he even revealed people’s names and addresses while prophesying.  What?  Since when is it that because a prophecy is so accurate that it cannot be of God?
    A false prophet is one who advises his followers to turn away from worshiping the True God.

    “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign and wonder, And the signs or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, and let us serve them;  Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams:  for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3.)

    God’s prophets, the true servants of the One and Only True and Eternal God demonstrate the superiority of God’s power and miracles!

    “Behold, I give unto you the power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19)

    The way to resist lying signs and wonders is not to avoid the supernatural altogether.  Rather, we should encourage and pursue the supernatural and paranormal that originates from the True God and glorifies Jesus Christ.
    There are many people in the world who really do believe in the miraculous, the paranormal and supernatural occurrences.  The only problem is that they are either superstitious, seek the miraculous in the wrong places, or they are confused as to the real source of the miracle when the real true miracle ministry of signs and wonders is in operation.
    Human nature is much the same today as it was in the past.  For example when King Herod heard about the miracles of Jesus, he did not question whether these miracles were legitimate or not.  He was only confused as to the source thereof:

    “And King Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.  Others said, That it is Elias.  And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets” (Mark 6:14.)
   
    This is why people must be carefully instructed by the preaching and teaching of the Word of God as to what or who the source of true miracles is.  We cannot only have miracles.  We need the Word of God to point towards the True Source.
    If that is not done, millions of erroneous opinions will arise about miracles, such as crediting it to “discovering our inner selves,” or to the power of our so called “guardian angels.”  Some could credit the psychic power of certain gifted individuals or so called faith healers.  Some have even erroneously credited the miracles to the Virgin Mary.  But when the Word is preached and taught, people need understand clearly that:

“…His name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all” (Acts 3:16.)

    The disciples asked our Lord:  “…What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”  And Jesus answered, “…This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”  (John 6:28.)  Jesus made it clear that the miraculous is linked with faith in Jesus himself.
    It is important to remember that just a miracle is not an automatic endorsement by God regarding their specific doctrine.  Paul's admonition to the Galatian church can be applied in this sense also:

    “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8.)

    Even if a message was delivered by an angelic being, it must not be accepted if it contradicts the Word of God or replaces the Gospel. 
    The core truth of the Gospel is that the Eternal God became born of a virgin and was clothed with human flesh:  He lived a sinless life, died and rose again.  And that eternal salvation is found by faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross and by receiving Him into ourselves.
    This is the true Gospel and may not be altered or changed even if angelic apparitions, miracles, signs and wonders accompany the ministry of the preacher of such contrary doctrines.

"Miracles for the Multitudes" is a combination of two focal points of Joel Hitchcock's Ministry, namely:

(a) Miracles, Signs and Wonders and (b) Massive Miracle Campaigns
This Blog is based on Dr. Joel Hitchcock's book "Miracles for the Multitudes".  

 
Copyright since 1999:
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Permission to duplicate is hereby granted as long as the complete quote does not exceed more than 1,000 words and that due credit is given to the source.

For the website of the church led by Pastor Joel and Heidi Hitchcock in Georgetown DE, which is an exciting Pentecostal, Charismatic, Word of Faith, Cross-of-Christ preaching church in Sussex County, Delaware, go to www.rivercity.co.

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