Spiritism, satan, Demons, Hell and Mysticism, Part Two Doctrinal Misconceptions - Protestant Apocryphal/Teaching Is This True or False, According to the Bible.... - Miracles are a sign of God’s blessing (signs and wonders are proofs that God’s hand is upon a man and that He is using him in a mighty way.) - Praise is not necessarily an indication of the work of the Holy Spirit nor even that those leading in praise are Christians.
Dear Prayer Warriors, Each week, I will be posting a series of true and false questions, with the answers appearing below. The object of these questions is for you to test yourself--not a test of obscure Bible trivia but a test of whether you are holding on to Biblical revelation or to myths and legends passed down by men. You should ask yourself, “If I have believed this myth, what other myths do I believe?” The goal is that you will be challenged to faithfully read and study the Holy Scriptures and base your convictions on the holy, eternal, inerrant, written Word of God.
4. FALSE - Miracles are a sign of God’s blessing (signs and wonders are proofs that God’s hand is upon a man and that He is using him in a mighty way.) Any demon can do miracles. They are not unique. Those who run to this or that meeting, seeking miracles, set themselves up for spiritual deception and demonic manipulation. In I John 4:1 God the Holy Spirit specifically teaches that our first response to a miracle is skepticism – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” In Matthew 7:22-23 our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, early in His public ministry, warns of the aggressive and deceptive nature of these false workers of miracles - " Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'” The proclamation of many so-called miracle and deliverance crusades is that those who attend can both experience and see “signs and wonders,” as if this were proof of God’s hand of blessing—as if this were proof of a mighty working of the Holy Spirit in and through the man. The phrase “powerful ministry” has become equivalent with the ability to perform signs and wonders. God the Holy Spirit specifically addresses this in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 “that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. “ Notice the work of satan in Revelation 13:13-14; 16:14 and Revelation 19:20 “13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.” Revelation 16:14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs , which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Revelation 19:20 “And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.” If you had the opportunity to go to a so-called miracle crusade to witness and experience these miracles versus attending a Bible study, which would you choose? Are you of the class of people whom Jesus rebuked in Luke 11:29 “As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, " This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.”?
5. TRUE - Praise is not necessarily an indication of the work of the Holy Spirit, nor even that those leading in praise are Christians. One of the great dangers of so-called “praise services” and “praise ministries,” when they take place apart from the teaching of clear doctrine, is that they open the door to both demonic and pagan participation. Mormons sell millions of praise recordings. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas, Easter and Patriotic Hymns are perennial best sellers. Yet this is a demonic cult and those singing these hymns of praise are not Christians. Unitarians, likewise, sing hymns, yet are not Christians. Many secular choirs sing Handel’s Messiah, yet are not Christians. Many pagan secular music stars produce Christmas and Easter recordings and Gospel recordings, yet are not Christians. It is a very dangerous trend that the church does not include, nor require, the doctrinal teaching behind the Christian songs being sung. It is a dangerous trend that the church does not demand a clear and unequivocal testimony of doctrine and lifestyle before participating in worship events, buying worship CDs or inviting individuals and groups to perform in their services. By His mercy, II Corinthians 4:1 Rev. John S. Mahon Director – Grace Community Int. Grace Community International goes mobile! The Grace Community International free app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. Now available as well on Android Listen to sermons and workshops delivered at conferences around the world. Keep up-to-date with Rev. Mahon's blog. View Grace Community International ministry photo albums. Search "Grace Community International" on the App Store today!
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gciweb Visit our website for free Bible study resources and messages at www.gciweb.org
Older
Top
