The Bible says that, in the last days, there will be many signs and wonders. "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. " Matthew 24:24
Today, there is no shortage of "signs and wonders" in many churches. I have heard of tales of "gold dust and feathers" floating from the ceilings of church services. In several religions and denominations across the board, there seems to be no shortage of "mystical orbs, crying statues, apparitions, gold dust, holy laughter, and many other "signs and wonders."
While I in no way want to discredit anyone's experiences or insult anyone's religion ,the Bible says that we are to "test everything against the Word." Also, Click here to read my article The Teachings of Jesus vs. The Teachings of Religion.
I firmly believe in miracles, but I question many of the displays of power that are present in many churches. The Bible says, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God." It is important to know and understand that just because we have had an experience does not mean that it was from God.
In the book of Acts, we learn about a man called, Simon the Sorcerer. Consider the following verses.
" Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw."
In the verse, we can see that people perceived Simon to be a man of God because he was performing "signs and wonders." However, Simon was using the power of Satan (sorcery) to amass a large following of people. Simon, later revealed himself by offering the apostles money when he saw the true power of God and the Holy Spirit. Click here to read my article about money and the church.
One thing that I have found is that people will often flock to places to look for Christ. People are willing to drive thousands of miles because they perceive that a move of God is happening. Consider the following verse:
At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. Matthew 24:23-24
If Christ is truly living in one's heart, one need not go on a quest to find Him at various locations. Christ is neither here nor there. Christ is a spirit that lives within us. If we seek Him, through prayer, the Bible says that we will find Him. He sends His Holy Spirit to us, and that Spirit lives in us.
There are many people today who are seeking a sign. Many people think that signs come in the form of "signs and wonders." However, Jesus criticized the Pharisees for seeking signs.
THINGS JESUS NEVER SAID
Do not worry about the homeless man on the corner. As long as you are rolling on the floor in uncontrollable laughter, you are in MY divine will.
There are many powers in today's churches, but the greatest power that the world has ever known is the Power of Love. When Christ fills our hearts, we become love. .
Don't feel the need to seek a sign. Jesus criticized the Pharisees when they demanded a sign from Him.
Many church leader's look powerful. Many claim to have "special" anointings. Some can knock you down with the wave of their coat.
The Bible says the world will know that we are His "by our love for one another", not for our "signs and wonders"
Many people who experience "powers" in churches are missing the gospel. Many are turning a blind eye toward the least of these, and focusing on the "men with the powers."
Do not be swayed by powers. Simon the Sorceror in the Book of Acts had great powers and the people perceived that he was from God. He was not. Powers are no indication of "special" anointing"
Jesus said, You will know them by their fruits; patience, love, kindness, gentleness, long suffering, generosity.
Click here to watch a video, called "What's wrong with Cessationism" Hint: the gifts of the Spirit are alive and well today
Please consider the following videos. It has been a long while since I watched them, but I remember that they made an impression upon me at one time.
Today, there is no shortage of "signs and wonders" in many churches. I have heard of tales of "gold dust and feathers" floating from the ceilings of church services. In several religions and denominations across the board, there seems to be no shortage of "mystical orbs, crying statues, apparitions, gold dust, holy laughter, and many other "signs and wonders."
While I in no way want to discredit anyone's experiences or insult anyone's religion ,the Bible says that we are to "test everything against the Word." Also, Click here to read my article The Teachings of Jesus vs. The Teachings of Religion.
I firmly believe in miracles, but I question many of the displays of power that are present in many churches. The Bible says, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God." It is important to know and understand that just because we have had an experience does not mean that it was from God.
In the book of Acts, we learn about a man called, Simon the Sorcerer. Consider the following verses.
" Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw."
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
In the verse, we can see that people perceived Simon to be a man of God because he was performing "signs and wonders." However, Simon was using the power of Satan (sorcery) to amass a large following of people. Simon, later revealed himself by offering the apostles money when he saw the true power of God and the Holy Spirit. Click here to read my article about money and the church.
One thing that I have found is that people will often flock to places to look for Christ. People are willing to drive thousands of miles because they perceive that a move of God is happening. Consider the following verse:
At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. Matthew 24:23-24
If Christ is truly living in one's heart, one need not go on a quest to find Him at various locations. Christ is neither here nor there. Christ is a spirit that lives within us. If we seek Him, through prayer, the Bible says that we will find Him. He sends His Holy Spirit to us, and that Spirit lives in us.
There are many people today who are seeking a sign. Many people think that signs come in the form of "signs and wonders." However, Jesus criticized the Pharisees for seeking signs.
In my experience, the greatest sign is that of a life transformed by the power of Jesus. When Jesus lives and dwells in us, the old is made new. He changes us and makes us into His image. To me, that is the most powerful and the most fruitful "sign."
I do believe in miracles, and I do believe in the power of God. Even the Bible says that God gives us a spirit of "power." Consider the following verse, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. In this verse, we can see that God does give us a spirit of power. I can personally attest to experiencing the power of God. I have personally experienced demons for most of my life, but Jesus showed me that, as Christians, we have authority and power over them through His name. Click here to read about a few of my experiences.
Lately, I have been thinking about the book of Revelation. It talks about an "anti christ" who will rise up. People will have to get a mark on their hands or foreheads in order to buy or sell anything. One day I was thinking about what the anti christ will look like. I don't believe that he will be a hated figure, but rather a man "who appears as an angel of light." There is a good chance that he will perform signs and wonders. I am sharing this post because it is important that we have discernment and recognize that not all powers are from God. If we read Exodus, Chapter 7, we can see that there is a counterfeit. I will discuss this later in the post.
Earlier I mentioned that there are many powers in our churches today. I asked myself, "how could satan benefit from these powers? This is what I truly feel that Jesus showed me. I encourage you to test all things.
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If I were the devil, I would create a religious system that places men above God. People would begin to place so much faith in their leaders, that they would forget to follow Jesus or to be "doers of the word, instead of hearers only.
If I were the devil, I would create religious systems that tell people that if they attend a service once a week and hear a message from a leader, then they have done their "christian duty." The people wouldn't realize that God speaks to them. If people realized that God spoke to them directly, then my kingdom would be in peril. Many people would continue to walk in lies, anger, unforgiveness, and sin, but feel as if their works can save them.
If I were the devil, I would convince people that in order to be accepted by God, they must first give Him money. This will distort their perception of the true God and diminish His loving nature. If I were the devil, I would create "goats" of God's children by telling them that they will be cursed by God unless they fund their pastor's lavish lifestyle. The people would give all of their resources to one man, and forget to clothe the naked, and feed the hungry, and to "bear one another's burden" (note: pastoral role in Bible is different that lots of what we see today)
If I were the devil, I would create religious systems that tell people that if they attend a service once a week and hear a message from a leader, then they have done their "christian duty." The people wouldn't realize that God speaks to them. If people realized that God spoke to them directly, then my kingdom would be in peril. Many people would continue to walk in lies, anger, unforgiveness, and sin, but feel as if their works can save them.
If I were the devil, I would convince people that in order to be accepted by God, they must first give Him money. This will distort their perception of the true God and diminish His loving nature. If I were the devil, I would create "goats" of God's children by telling them that they will be cursed by God unless they fund their pastor's lavish lifestyle. The people would give all of their resources to one man, and forget to clothe the naked, and feed the hungry, and to "bear one another's burden" (note: pastoral role in Bible is different that lots of what we see today)
If I were the devil, I would deceive congregations into believing that their leaders had "great powers." The people would be moved by "great signs and wonders" They would begin to put their trust in these "men of God." They would perceive that God was doing great and mighty things in their midst. Meanwhile, in the midst of all of their fervor, their hearts would grow complacent. They would see that "god" was moving among them, and they would abandon reading their Bibles.
If I were the devil, I would convince people that the men with the power are the "anointed ones." They would, in turn, forget that the Bible says that we are EACH anointed and, as Christians, we each have certain gifts. If I were the devil, no one would be using their gifts..If the Body started using their gifts, then That would be chaos for my kingdom... So, I would try to keep the Believers so caught up in revelry and in "movings and outpourings" that they would forget the words of Jesus. Instead, they would listen with open ears to anything that the man says, because they believe that he is a powerful man. I would fill entire stadiums full of people, and they would see such a great "outpouring" that they would forget to test all things against the word. All of the people's attention would be on the man in the front and center. He would preach a wide path message of hope, comfort, and prosperity and people would forget or disregard the call for self denial and the Cross would lose power among the people..
You see, If I were the devil..Once the people forget the power of the Cross, then they are already mine.
If I were the devil, I would use strange manifestations in the Body of Believers to create fear in the lost and unsaved world. I would distort the character of God by convincing people that shaking, convulsing, and even barking like dogs is a sign of His power. Thousands of the unsaved would laugh at such things and never know that the true manifestation of the Holy Spirit is in the form of the most perfect love. You see, if people knew that..then my kingdom would be in severe danger. People would start sharing and loving and my kindgom of hell would be doomed because people would grasp the great nature of the love of God.
If I were the devil, I would see to it that people were "puffed up" and prideful because they perceive that God is in their midst because they see these great powers. They would begin to compare themselves to other denominations, and hatred and division would increase. They would see that these "great signs and wonders" are only happening among their denomination, and they would perceive that their teachings are true.
Oh, and churches..ha! I would create thousands and thousands of churches. Trillions of dollars would be spent every year on brick and mortar buildings because the people don't know that the Body of Believers is about people! Meanwhile, millions of people around the world will continue to live in hunger and extreme poverty, and the needs of the other believers would go unnoticed and unmet.
If I were the devil, I would counterfeit miracles and other gifts of God so that people will more readily put up with unsound doctrines. Because you see, I disguise myself as something good. The Bible even says I appear as an angel of light. If I were the devil I would rejoice! Because it says that in the last days, that people would be vain, lovers of money, lovers of self, immoral, lovers of pleasure... and I would see that my Believers no longer follow the gospels, do what it says, or even read their own Bibles..Then, the whole world would look like chaos and millions or billions, who have fallen for lies, and do not carry the power of the Cross, will inherit my kingdom.
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3
If I were the devil, I would convince people that the men with the power are the "anointed ones." They would, in turn, forget that the Bible says that we are EACH anointed and, as Christians, we each have certain gifts. If I were the devil, no one would be using their gifts..If the Body started using their gifts, then That would be chaos for my kingdom... So, I would try to keep the Believers so caught up in revelry and in "movings and outpourings" that they would forget the words of Jesus. Instead, they would listen with open ears to anything that the man says, because they believe that he is a powerful man. I would fill entire stadiums full of people, and they would see such a great "outpouring" that they would forget to test all things against the word. All of the people's attention would be on the man in the front and center. He would preach a wide path message of hope, comfort, and prosperity and people would forget or disregard the call for self denial and the Cross would lose power among the people..
You see, If I were the devil..Once the people forget the power of the Cross, then they are already mine.
If I were the devil, I would use strange manifestations in the Body of Believers to create fear in the lost and unsaved world. I would distort the character of God by convincing people that shaking, convulsing, and even barking like dogs is a sign of His power. Thousands of the unsaved would laugh at such things and never know that the true manifestation of the Holy Spirit is in the form of the most perfect love. You see, if people knew that..then my kingdom would be in severe danger. People would start sharing and loving and my kindgom of hell would be doomed because people would grasp the great nature of the love of God.
If I were the devil, I would see to it that people were "puffed up" and prideful because they perceive that God is in their midst because they see these great powers. They would begin to compare themselves to other denominations, and hatred and division would increase. They would see that these "great signs and wonders" are only happening among their denomination, and they would perceive that their teachings are true.
Oh, and churches..ha! I would create thousands and thousands of churches. Trillions of dollars would be spent every year on brick and mortar buildings because the people don't know that the Body of Believers is about people! Meanwhile, millions of people around the world will continue to live in hunger and extreme poverty, and the needs of the other believers would go unnoticed and unmet.
If I were the devil, I would counterfeit miracles and other gifts of God so that people will more readily put up with unsound doctrines. Because you see, I disguise myself as something good. The Bible even says I appear as an angel of light. If I were the devil I would rejoice! Because it says that in the last days, that people would be vain, lovers of money, lovers of self, immoral, lovers of pleasure... and I would see that my Believers no longer follow the gospels, do what it says, or even read their own Bibles..Then, the whole world would look like chaos and millions or billions, who have fallen for lies, and do not carry the power of the Cross, will inherit my kingdom.
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. Matthew 24:24
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Consider the following exerpt that I wrote for a webpage. It's a little blunt, but here goes:
THINGS JESUS NEVER SAID
Go ye into the all the world and flock to laughing revivals featuring superstar preachers.
Do not worry about the homeless man on the corner. As long as you are rolling on the floor in uncontrollable laughter, you are in MY divine will.
One whose religion is pure is one who performs the most signs and wonders.
Friends, "do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God."
There are many powers in today's churches, but the greatest power that the world has ever known is the Power of Love. When Christ fills our hearts, we become love. .
Don't feel the need to seek a sign. Jesus criticized the Pharisees when they demanded a sign from Him.
Many church leader's look powerful. Many claim to have "special" anointings. Some can knock you down with the wave of their coat.
The Bible says the world will know that we are His "by our love for one another", not for our "signs and wonders"
Many people who experience "powers" in churches are missing the gospel. Many are turning a blind eye toward the least of these, and focusing on the "men with the powers."
They are giving their resources to the "men with the powers," and ignoring the suffering needs of those around them.
Do not be swayed by powers. Simon the Sorceror in the Book of Acts had great powers and the people perceived that he was from God. He was not. Powers are no indication of "special" anointing"
Jesus said, You will know them by their fruits; patience, love, kindness, gentleness, long suffering, generosity.
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There are true powers of God. The Bible says that these signs shall follow those who believe:
Mark 16:17-18
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
I have personally experienced some of these powers. They are real!
For the next segment of the blog, I would like to briefly discuss real and counterfeit powers.
Consider the following verses from Exodus Chapter 7.
"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”
10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said."
In the verses, we can see that there are true powers that are from God, but we can also see a counterfeit, Satanic power.
Many believe that counterfeit powers are only in the demonic realm. However, I have experienced counterfeit powers in church settings. The Bible says that "even Satan appears as an angel of light," and I believe that there are "wolves in sheep's clothing" in some churches that are showing signs of "power" but are not from God.
Consider Matthew 22:
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in You rname, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’…
In this verse, we can see that there will be those who appear to men of God. They will be performing miracles and signs and wonders. However, this verse clearly tells us that they won't be of God.
Also, consider the following verse from Matthew 24:
At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
Did you know that "Christ" means "anointed " one? Today, there are many that boast in their special anointing, but the bible says that, as Christians, we are each anointed. We are all important in the Body of Christ. The apostle Paul referred to those who boasted in his day as "super apostles." (2 Corinthians 11:15)
Today, we can see no shortage of super apostles, and it is important to remember that the mark of a true Christian leader has nothing to do with fame or popularity. Jesus only had 12 followers and was killed by the religious leaders of His day. Fame and money are no indication of good "leadership."
Now for the discussion of real and counterfeit powers.
Prophecy vs. Psychic powers
Prophecy is described in the Bible as a spiritual gift. If is a gift of knowledge. In John Chapter 4, Jesus meets a woman at a well. He begins to tell her that things about her life. He tells her that she had 5 husbands and that he knows that she is having an affair. The woman was amazed and knew that He was a prophet. Click here to read the verse.
I have had many pastors and members of the Body of Christ tell me things about myself that there is no way that they could have known. Prophecy is alive and well today. I could tell you countless supernatural God stories of how Jesus used other people to tell me something at a particular moment in time that was an answer to prayer.
Similar to prophecy, but a counterfeit power is psychic power. Psychic power is real. I had a dream before September 11. I dreamed of planes flying through a city. I was in a plane and I could see smoke all around and buildings that were on fire. I don't know if my dream was "psychic" or prophetic but it was haunting, nonetheless.
I have also had things said to me in church settings that almost ruined my life. It's a long story that I'm not going to go into, but I'm stating it for the simple fact the we must learn to test everything against the word. Not every statement said to us in a church is going to be true.
Someone in a church once told me something that caused me immense fear. It messed me up for a very long time. However, the Bible says that "he has not given us a spirit of fear" so I came to realize that what was spoken to me was not from God. Wolves in sheep clothing are not going to look like wolves. The Bible says that they will be "among us" meaning that many wolves are going to be in the churches.
True healing vs. Counterfeit healing
I believe that Jesus heals. I have heard numerous stories of people getting healed from people I trust. I believe in the healing power of Jesus. Similarly, I once went through a time of demonic affliction against my body. (video coming soon) This affliction caused me physical pain, depression, temporary blindness, weight loss, and I could go on. However, Jesus showed me that what I was experienced was demonic. Now, every time I feel demonic affliction coming against my body, I cast out the demons in the name of Jesus. Jesus is real!
Just as there is real healing, there is Satan's counterfeit. People often flock to places like Sedona, Arizona because they say it brings healing. Sedona is a place that is rampant with psychic powers. I have been there and I can tell you that it is a very dark place. Very beautiful, but very dark. I also read a book by Corrie Ten Boom, called "Defeated Enemies." In her book, Corrie tells about her experience with demons and darkness and how we have authority over demons through Christ Jesus. In her book, she described a woman that was wearing an amulet. An amulet is a "healing" necklace. She said that the woman wearing the necklace was possessed by a demon but did not want to take off the necklace because it provided healing for her body. Corrie convinced the woman to take off the necklace. The woman became very ill, but Corrie, through the power of Jesus Christ, cast the demons out of the woman, and she was healed of her affliction.
Real Tongues vs. Demonic tongues
I believe that there is a real gift of tongues. I also believe that there is a counterfeit demonic tongue. I once watched a video of a demon possessed woman who was speaking in what sounded like a tongue. I have even been in the presence of a demonic spirit that whispered to me in what sounded like a foreign language. At first, this experience frightend me, but now I realize that God is much bigger than Satan and his demons and we have the authority through Christ to cast them out.
Holy laughter
I was once watching a famous televangelist. I knew that many of his teachings were false, and yet there were many "signs and wonders" at his "revivals." People were experiencing "holy laughter." I truly believe that this was a false, demonic power that was present.
I once had someone tell me that they were angry at someone. They started praying and began laughing. The anger immediately left and they forgave the person. This leads me to believe that there could possibly be a real holy laughter as well as the counterfeit.
I was once afraid to question these kinds of things, but now I realize that questioning our experiences does not mean that we are questioning God. The Bible tells us to "test everything" " DO not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God."
I am telling you these things so that you won't assume that all powers are from God. I am telling you so that you might pray for discernment.
Click here to read an article called, "Vision of True and False Revival." It provides some serious food for thought.
Click here to read an article called, The Danger of Strange Fire. It provides a warning for believers.
Click here to watch a video, called "What's wrong with Cessationism" Hint: the gifts of the Spirit are alive and well today
Please consider the following videos. It has been a long while since I watched them, but I remember that they made an impression upon me at one time.
This is Part 1 of my video, "My Experience with Holy Laughter and the Demonic
This is Part 2 of my video, "My Experience with Holy Laughter and the Demonic. The video appears to end, but I come back on for a short part 3.
My Experience -Conclusion and Final thoughts. Important vid
This is a video by David Wilkerson called, "Weird Manifestations" in the church.
This is a video by brother Doug Perry, called "Chi Master? Slain in the Spirit? What is this?
I believe that there is a real slain in the spirit and a counterfeit. This video talks about this and shows a chi master causing people to fall backward.
This video is about a very dangerous counterfeit movement in many churches. The video is about the Python/Kundalini Spirit. Highly recommended video! Thoughts?
This video is about a very strange practice in the church, called "grave soaking."
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