Lying signs and wonders
As mutual members in the body of Christ, we must first subject ourselves to the Chief Cornerstone (James 4:7, Ephesians 2:20), and secondly subject ourselves one to another (1 Peter 5:5), so that we may be clothed in humility; "for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble". We must be united in spirit. We must be united in our beliefs. If there are any disagreements among us, we must stand to reason with one another (Isaiah 1:18), arguing and pleading together (Isaiah 43:26) until we come to a mutual understanding.
Christians frequently reference Proverbs 27:17; Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. But true sharpening only occurs when there is friction. We cannot be sharpened unless we encounter abrasion. I pray through this encounter, all of our swords will become sharper (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12), and despite any initial disagreement or hurt feelings, we will remain united in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10).
Jesus sends a sobering message in Matthew 7:21-23. He states, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
He then proceeds to tell the parable of the two builders in verses 24-27; "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
We must build our faith, our ministry, and our message upon the Rock. The Rock is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). He is the living Word that was made flesh (John 1:14). The Word of the Lord is the Bible. Jesus himself represents God's Word. He is the Rock we are commanded to build upon. We are commanded to preach the Gospel and to build our doctrine upon the scriptures.
To follow the Word of God is to follow Jesus Christ. His word is The Way of the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24). The bible is our guide and our lamp in this dark world (Psalm 119:105). It must be our witness, our source of teaching, our guiding force in life, our message to the unsaved, our foundation in all things. Our job is to preach the Word of God to all nations. It alone is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes (Romans 1:16).
We are not called to build our faith on modern prophecy. We are not called to build our doctrine upon spiritual experiences. We are not called to slay believers in the spirit like products in an assembly line, or to display miracle healing shows, charging attendees a $40 entrance ticket. We are called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yes, supernatural experiences do happen. Yes, our God is a God of miracles (John 2:11) and a God who defies the word impossible (Mark 10:27). But we are not called to build our doctrine or ministry upon these spectacles. We are not called to preach the supernatural. When we do, we are building our houses, not upon the rock as Jesus commands us, but upon sand. Having an over emphasis on dreams and visions, on visits to heaven, on encounters with angels, on our own understanding, above the Word of God and the doctrine of Jesus Christ, is to establish one's church upon the sand, doomed for destruction amidst the coming storm.
The miraculous, the fantastic, and the supernatural, are all intoxicating to the human being that does not normally see these things. It's very easy for us to be led astray by these experiences, because they are so sensational to us. But our minds are carnal (Romans 8:7). As Colossians 2:18 warns, these experiences can lead to a "puffed up" disposition. Satan is full of pride (Isaiah 14:12-15), and pride cometh before the fall (Proverbs 16:18). Jesus is meek and lowly (Matthew 11:29). He did not come to earth as God to be exalted (Philippians 2:8). He did not come to show off his miraculous power (Zechariah 9:9), for the whole earth already declares his glory (Isaiah 6:3, Psalm 19:1). We are called to be humble, just as Christ was humbled (John 13:14, Matthew 18:4). Abiding in God's Word will ensure one's humility. Abiding in the works of the flesh, the miraculous, and the supernatural, will ensure the development of one's pride. Build upon the Rock, do not build upon the sand. Follow Jesus, not the world.
God himself states that He magnifies His Word above his own name (Psalm 138:2). If God magnifies His Word above himself, shouldn't we do the same? When Jesus Christ performed a miracle, did he magnify those works? Absolutely not. More often he told the recipient(s) of the miracle to "tell no man" (Mark 1:44, Matthew 8:4, Luke 8:56). He did not come here to perform miracles alone, but to preach the Gospel (Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1). The miracles, while necessary to prove his Lordship and fulfill the scriptures, effectively turned him into a celebrity, which impeded his ability to preach God's Word (Mark 1:45). He was unable to enter towns without a frenzied mob pursuing him, when all He wanted to do was teach (Mark 6:34). Let us follow His example in magnifying the Word of God. Signs and wonders, although sensational, will eventually be forgotten, just as "The grass withereth" and "the flower fadeth"...however, "the word of our God shall stand for ever", Isaiah 40:8.
John 6:26-35 teaches the exact precepts above in Jesus's own words. It's not the miracles that we should focus on, but it's Him. It's the Word of God. He tells his disciples not to focus on the bread that was just miraculously multiplied in Tiberias, but rather focus on Him, who is the bread of life. The bread of life is the Word of God given to us from heaven (Deuteronomy 8:3). This bread lasts forever, and will cause us to hunger no more (John 6:35).
When it comes to our Christian faith, it is wisdom to rely upon the scriptures rather than our own understanding. It is better to teach the doctrine of Jesus Christ found within the pages of His Holy Book, rather than to preach of spiritual experiences we encounter in life. The scriptures are pure. They are founded in truth, in history, established by the blood of Christ and His martyred disciples. The scriptures cannot be broken (John 10:35). The same cannot be said of our personal experiences.
Reliance on the scriptures is critical in our walk with the Lord, especially when it comes to ministry; but the wisdom found within God's Word is rendered useless, unless we truly understand what is being taught. Once we develop understanding, then we can accurately teach and spread the Gospel; becoming the salt which flavors the bread of life (Matthew 5:13) and the light that shines in the darkness (John 8:12, Matthew 5:14).
Jesus sends another foreboding message in the parable of the 10 virgins, Matthew 25:1-13. To summarize, there are 5 wise virgins, and 5 foolish virgins. All of these virgins are waiting patiently outside the wedding hall for their bridegroom to arrive. The bridegroom is Jesus (Mark 2:19). The virgins represent all Christians, which personify the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7). Each of these virgins (Christians) are carrying a lamp with them, which represents the Word of God (Psalm 119:105). The virgin has a lamp. The Christian has their Bible. In order for a lamp to produce light, first it needs fuel or oil. Oil represents wisdom, which is found within the Bible (Psalm 104:15, Ecclesiastes 8:1). So the story goes, as each virgin is waiting outside for their bridegroom, the 5 wise ones already have oil with them to trim their lamps, while the 5 foolish ones have none. Now, all of the virgins were sleeping when the bridegroom came. Upon his arrival, they woke up and realized the time had come. The wise were ready to go and immediately entered the wedding hall with their lamps lit, but the foolish ones were unprepared having no oil, so they had to rush out to fill their lamps. By the time they returned, the door was shut and Jesus would not open to them (Matthew 25:11-12). It was too late for those Christians.
Being a Christian is more than being saved. It is to abide in Christ and truly understand his teachings. We are called to study and meditate upon the scriptures constantly (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2). We are called to subject every single thought we have to the Word of God (2 Corinthians 10:5), so that we can truly understand it (Psalm 119:130) and live it (Matthew 7:21). When we have a genuine understanding of Jesus' teachings, then the Holy Spirit can work through us as vessels of Christ, igniting our lamps with fire (Acts 2:3-4), producing a bright light in the darkness (Genesis 1:4, 2 Corinthians 4:6).
The parable of the 10 virgins is told in the context of Matthew 24 (The Olivet Discourse). This parable proceeds Jesus' description of the end times signs and the circumstances of His second coming (Zechariah 14:4, Isaiah 2:12, Acts 2:20). He says it will be like it was in the days of Noah (Luke 17:26) and the days of Lot (Luke 17:28). Jesus says that before his second coming will be the darkest hour the world has ever seen: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21). Just like in the days of Noah, the heart of man was so full of evil, that God had to destroy the earth with a flood (Genesis 6:5). Or with Lot, in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, the men were so wicked that God had to destroy the city with fire and brimstone (Genesis 13:13, 19:24). The last days will be even darker than these times. That is why it is so important for us to understand the Word of God, so that we can provide that burst of light in the darkest hour of the world. If our lamps do not produce light, we'll be left in the darkness with the foolish virgins.
While Jesus' Olivet Discourse does warn of extreme tribulation and persecution, He warns far more so about deception. Verses 4, 5, 11, 23, 24, 26, all speak of the deception that will take place in the end. Verse 4 kicks off saying "Take heed that no man deceive you". We then see that false prophets and false christ's will rise up, that these false teachers will perform great signs and wonders that are so convincing, the very elect may be deceived. Which makes sense that the people who "cast out demons" and "prophesied in Jesus name" in Matthew 7:22-23 were denied access to salvation. These were not true followers of Jesus, but were likely false teachers, workers of iniquity, children of the Devil (Isaiah 1:4, John 8:44). If Jesus Christ, the God of the universe is warning us repeatedly about deception and false teaching...we better hear Him.
Jesus warns us that there will be many false prophets that go out into the world (1 John 4:1). We are ordered not to believe them (Jeremiah 23:16). He says there will be false apostles and deceitful workers that transform themselves into the apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13). Even Satan is transformed into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). So are we to believe in angels over the Word of God? Are we to rely on experiences we have with the supernatural? Heavens no. Nor are we to preach about such encounters, potentially misleading others. Satan sends his false ministers into the world specifically to corrupt and pervert the Gospel, leading many believers astray (Acts 13:10). We have to distinguish ourselves from these devils. We have to refine our doctrine so that the truth stands above the lies of our enemy, incorruptible (1 Peter 1:23, 2 Corinthians 2:17). Notice this last verse; "we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God." The key words, "as many", proves that the majority of preachers do corrupt God's Word. True teachers of God's Word are in the minority, and will be increasingly more so as we get closer to the end (Amos 8:11).
We can not give these deceivers a seat at our table. We must expose them, and purge them from our midst (Ephesians 5:11), the same way Jesus drove the money changers out from the temple (John 2:15). If we deeply understand God's Word, the impostors are easy to spot; Kathryn Khulman, Benny Hinn, Reinhard Bonnke, Kenneth Copeland, Sid Roth, Joel Osteen, Chris Oyakhilome, Rick Warren, Pope Francis, TD Jakes, Joyce Myer, Beth Moore, Oprah, are a few of the most obvious examples out there today.
The Devil is a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). He is the most crafty and subtle beast of the field (Genesis 3:1). He is the Father of Lies, and a master deceiver from the beginning (John 8:44). We must remain steadfast and vigilant, protecting the flock of Christ (Acts 20:28). Pastors that teach false doctrine are ravenous wolves dressed in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15). These are Satan's ministers warned of in 2 Corinthians 11, sent to lead many astray, disguised as apostles of Christ.
We are commanded to cast these enemies out before us (Deuteronomy 6:19). We are commanded to identify and mark those who bring in destructive heresies and cause divisions between us (Romans 16:17-18) so that we are not deceived, nor divided (1 Corinthians 11:18). We are commanded to judge and test those within the body of Christ, so that our doctrine and fellowship remains pure (1 Corinthians 5:12-13). We must remain united in the truth, embodied in Jesus (Psalm 133:1, Judges 20:11). We cannot keep deceivers in our ranks; for what fellowship does the light have with the darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14)? They and their doctrine must be swiftly corrected (Titus 1:13) and immediately shut down (Titus 1:11). Treat deceivers the same way Jesus did; with fierce rebuke (Matthew 23:13).
Why are there so many different sects of "Christianity" in the world today (well over 10,000 and counting)? Because the body of Christ has already been infiltrated by false prophets, apostles, pastors, and teachers; all agents of Satan masquerading as Christian leaders preaching false doctrines (2 Peter 2:1), approved by the congregations (1 Corinthians 11:19), none of which possessing the courage or understanding required to correct the lies being taught (Ezekiel 13:19), allowing Jesus' well of living water to become polluted with corruption (Proverbs 25:26).
We cannot allow the Lord's wells to be poisoned by false teaching, and we certainly cannot support or partake in it (Ephesians 5:7). We must remain separate and pure, undefiled by the devil's doctrine and beliefs (2 Corinthians 6:17). Otherwise, we will be cast off with them by participating in their lies (Jeremiah 23:34,39). Christ is perfect. He is the truth in totality. Anything less than the complete truth is a corruption which the Lord will cast off into the fire (1 Peter 2:22, Matthew 13:50). If we are not with the Lord, we are against Him (Luke 11:23).
I write these words to you because none of us are beyond the deceptions of the evil one. Jesus tells us that the elect will be deceived (Matthew 24:24). It doesn't matter if you've been a Christian for 25 years or 25 days. Even Saint Peter, taught by Jesus in the flesh, witness to his countless miracles, fell into temptation and denied the Christ three times (Matthew 26:75). Satan influenced Peter to the point of his own destruction, but for the grace of God he was saved (Mark 8:33). Are we to believe we are above Satan's influence? Are we that foolish or boastful to think we have understanding superior to the very apostles? Yet even they were guilty of spreading heresies, bound for devastation were it not for the reproof of the brethren.
We are all commissioned to be overseers of Christ's flock (Acts 20:28), and it is our responsibility to feed His flock. Peter was the first disciple commanded to feed the flock of Christ at the end of the four gospels (John 21:15-17), and even he allowed false doctrine to creep into his teaching.
Galatians 1 begins with Paul chastising the church from straying from the truth (verse 6). He accuses them of perverting Christ's gospel (Galatians 1:7). Then proceeds to curse every man who preaches this false gospel (Galatians 1:8-9). This was a fatal accusation given by the Holy Spirit through Paul, but it gets worse. Paul just proclaimed anyone who preaches false doctrine to be accursed, and Peter falls under this judgment in the next chapter. Paul blames Peter for the evil teaching that spread in Galatia, and minces no words; not only cursing him but also calling him a false brother. This doctrine would bring the flock back under the bondage which Christ called us out of (Galatians 2:4). He then addresses him as a man, face to face, the way God commands us to address one another when in error (Galatians 2:11).
We need to embrace Paul's confrontational attitude, as it is the very attitude of Christ. Christ chastens and rebukes those whom he loves (Revelation 3:19). And the wounds of a friend are far better than the kisses of an enemy (Proverbs 27:6). It is our duty as Christians to purge out the leaven from our midst, so that we can feed the flocks with the pure word of God (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Jesus describes false doctrine as the "leaven of the Pharisees" and tells us to beware of it (Matthew 16:6,12). God tells us that anyone who eats of this leaven will be cut off from Israel forever (Exodus 12:15). If Peter himself, the first man appointed by Jesus to feed his lambs was found guilty of spreading leaven, we all must remain vigilant of this danger. It is not only our own souls that may be destroyed by false teaching, but the souls of all who receive it (James 3:1, Jeremiah 23:34). Our people perish for their lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). And we are destroyed for our lack of understanding (Jeremiah 4:22). It is the duty of the shepherds to ensure the proper teaching of sound doctrine (Psalm 81:16), so that Christ's flock is not led astray or destroyed.
A little bit of leaven leavens the whole lump (Galatians 5:9). Did you know that it only takes twenty minutes for the amount of yeast cells to double in the baking of bread? The reproductive rate of leaven increases exponentially every twenty minutes. This is why there are 10,000+ sects of Christianity today. This is why there are so many false teachers in the world. It only takes a little bit, and once that false teaching enters in, it spreads like a cancer or wildfire, destroying all that was once pure.
This is why we must only preach sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). The time will come when the people will no longer endure sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3-4), but it is our duty to correct them. We are commanded to feed Christ's sheep. We have to preach the Word, reproving and rebuking false teachers, urging the people to turn back to the truth (2 Timothy 3:16). This is why it's so important to remain watchful, ready to confront deceivers, purging our households of leaven, so that our ministries are full proof (2 Timothy 4:5). If we do not defend against the plague of false teaching, the flocks will remain scattered (Jeremiah 10:21), and their shepherds destroyed with them (Jeremiah 23:1). We must hold fast to the faithful word we've been given (Titus 1:9), so that we have the wisdom to recognize false teaching and put a stop to it immediately. For the Word of God is like a fire, and a hammer that smashes through the lies of the enemy (Jeremiah 23:29). The Christian must wield his hammer and sword valiantly, utterly destroying the pack of wolves ravening after the flock (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Thanks be to God that Paul was able to correct his brother Peter (Hebrews 12:11), saving his soul and the soul of this church from destruction. Praise be to the Lord that this false doctrine was cast into the fire immediately upon discovery. Many lives were rescued by the diligence of (The Holy Spirit) Paul; and we are called to follow his example, while learning from Peter's mistake (2 Peter 3:16-17).
If we are stumbling in our discernment today, what is going to happen when times get especially dark at the end (Jeremiah 12:5)? If we are fooled by the charlatans of modern TV evangelism (the "benny hinns" referenced above), how are we going to fare when the false prophet and the antichrist take the scene (Revelation 13:12)?
The end is going to be darker than any period ever experienced on earth (Matthew 24:21). There will be vicious persecution, specifically against Christians (Matthew 24:9). We are the Devil's target...his only target (Daniel 7:21). And we have to be prepared for war (Revelation 13:7). In this war, our only weapon is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus shows us how to wield the sword of the spirit in Matthew 4; where He rebukes Satan after he tries to tempt Him three times by referencing Deuteronomy 8:3, Deuteronomy 6:16, and Deuteronomy 6:13. Each time Jesus rebukes Satan, he emphasizes the Word stating; "It is written" (Matthew 4:4), "Again It is written" (Matthew 4:7), "for it is written" (Matthew 4:10). There is nothing as important to the survival of the Christian as the proper understanding and wielding of God's Word. It is the power given to us to defeat the enemy. It is the power unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Even if we do not personally live to experience the end (which I believe we may), it is our duty to prepare the next generation, so that they can endure all the way (Matthew 10:22, Proverbs 22:6). Not feeding them the leaven of the Pharisees, or misleading them with an experienced based doctrine, but rather helping to build their foundation upon the Rock, which is the written Word of God.
Before the great persecution against Christians takes place, first there will be an apostasy, where most of the Church falls away from the faith. The Spirit tells us that people who depart from the faith at the end are those who give into the doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1). These great deceptions will cause many who are not built upon the stable rock of God's Word, to perish, and God himself will allow this (2 Thessalonians 2:10). This is how he separates the wheat from the chaff (Isaiah 48:10, Job 23:10, Revelation 3:18). God uses the Devil to send us a strong delusion (Revelation 12:15), proving whether or not we will believe the lies he feeds us (2 Thessalonians 2:11), or remain true to His Word. This great delusion will cause many self-proclaiming Christians to fall away from the faith, and once they do, then the Devil will make war with the last ones standing, the true saints (Revelation 12:17), which are only a small remnant whom he attacks with a mighty fury (Revelation 12:12). All of this evil is led by Satan's antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3), and only occurs after the deception causes a falling away within the Church.
But what exactly causes these Christians to fall away, being misled to their destruction? Miracles, experiences, signs, and wonders. Satan performs all of those too, just like the Most High.
Everything that Satan does is a counterfeit perversion of God and His power (Isaiah 14:14, Isaiah 29:16). While he does possess greater power than any other living creature, there is only one God, almighty above creation. Nonetheless, Satan does everything he can to "be like the most high". The antichrist is going to have the same power as Satan, as he is going to be spiritually possessed by him, just like Judas was (Revelation 13:2, John 13:27). With that power comes many lying signs, miracles, and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Be not deceived (2 Corinthians 2:11, Revelation 12:9).
The antichrist will set loose demonic spirits that will go forth performing miracles; deceiving the fools, while gathering the saints for battle (Revelation 16:14). The false prophet will be given the power to call fire down from heaven (Revelation 13:13), exactly like the Prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:10). Just as God performed many miracles in Egypt (Exodus 7:3), so did the false prophets of Satan (Pharaoh). Just as Moses and Aaron cast forth their rods, turning them into serpents (Exodus 7:9), so too did the false prophets (Exodus 7:11). Just as Moses and Aaron turned the Nile river into blood by the power of God (Exodus 7:20), so too did the false prophets by the power of Satan (Exodus 7:22). Just as God flooded the land of Egypt with frogs (Exodus 8:6), so too did the false magicians (Exodus 8:7), and so will the false prophet at the end (Revelation 16:13).
Most of God's people will be led astray by these sensational experiences, miracles, signs, and wonders (Mark 13:22). This is why Jesus and the Apostles warn us repeatedly about deception. This is why it is so important to truly understand the Word of God (Romans 15:4). Just as Jesus miraculously heals the blind, the sick, the deaf and the dumb, so too can the Devil. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, suffering grievous wounds, so too will the antichrist be raised from the dead, healing from a deadly wound (Revelation 13:3). This miracle will lead many Christians astray, believing in the sign and wonder, not heeding God's warnings within the Scriptures (Revelation 13:4). We cannot place our faith in these experiences alone. We cannot preach a gospel founded upon visions and wonders. We cannot teach doctrine that magnifies miracles, rather we must only magnify the Word of God (Psalm 138:2). Otherwise, we and the flock will be susceptible to deception (Matthew 7:21-23).
We can no longer be tossed about by false doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). We may not be misled by experiences (Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 14:12). We must not preach a doctrine of wonders and signs, rather we must build upon the rock (Psalm 18:30). Of course experiences do happen. Of course we all have our own testimonies, otherwise we would not believe in our Christ with such fervent zeal (Exodus 13:3). Always remember the day the LORD brought you out of Egypt. That is your testimony. But our testimonies are only an introduction to the faith and to Jesus Christ. From there we are required to build our understanding and teachings upon the written Word of God. Experiences will deceive God's people in the end. Only the wise virgins will be ready to enter into the wedding hall. The rest will not make it (Matthew 7:14).
The Scriptures explain and interpret themselves (2 Peter 1:20). Even Peter, who witnessed Christ's transfiguration with his own eyes, tells us that the written word is more sure than the miracles he witnessed (2 Peter 1:19). All scripture is given to us from God in heaven, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). His Word is eternal, and is as living and active today as it will ever be (Hebrews 4:12). Even Paul was questioned by the Bereans, and they used the scriptures to prove everything he was teaching. Paul did not admonish them for this behavior, rather he applauded them and called them more noble than the other churches (Acts 17:11). Let us follow the example of the Bereans, relying on scripture rather than man or experience.
It is with great love and care that I write these words, and I pray that these moments of abrasion will not cause us to separate, but rather serve to sharpen one another (Proverbs 27:17). I pray that each of us walk worthy in the vocation in which we were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3). If there be disagreements among us, we must stand to reason together (Isaiah 1:18), yet remain united in the end (1 Corinthians 1:10). I hope to remain united in the truth with you, now and forever, and pray that the Lord be with you always. Amen.