The Holy Spirit A WARNING FOR THE ELECT
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. Matt. 24:24.
Some people rise and fall with appeals to the emotions through the sensational and spectacular. This will always be a clever ploy in the hands of the enemy. I'd like to remind you that miracles and sensational happenings are no proof of the power of God.
Revelation 13 makes clear that there is an apostate power that does great wonders, even making fire come down from heaven on earth in the sight of men, and deceiving them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles that he has power to do in the sight of the beast. This power says to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast that has the wound by the sword and did live. This power has the ability to work miracles--not just feats that look like miracles, but miracles. And those three unclean, froglike spirits, the spirits of devils, do work miracles and go forth to the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God.
In Luke 3 we read of a woman who was bound by Satan for many years. Jesus released her on the Sabbath. The people in the crowd griped and complained. Jesus said, "Isn't it sensible to release this woman who had been bound by Satan?" If Satan has the power to bind people, then it would be reasonable to expect that in certain cases he would have the ability to release the bonds.
We know that Job got boils, and we know from whence his boils came. And if the devil can produce the stimulus that will make boils, he ought to be able to stop the stimulus, and let the natural miracle-working power of the human body bring healing. We know about Pharaoh and the magicians in the courts with Moses and Aaron. We know about their rods turning into snakes. We have some evidence, based on the premise that the devil cannot create, that the magician's rods did not really turn into snakes, but only appeared to. But if he cannot create, he certainly can counterfeit closely! All of which leads us to this conclusion: Our basis for faith must be in Jesus and in the faith relationship with Him, not in the spectacular.
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. Matt. 24:24.
Some people rise and fall with appeals to the emotions through the sensational and spectacular. This will always be a clever ploy in the hands of the enemy. I'd like to remind you that miracles and sensational happenings are no proof of the power of God.
Revelation 13 makes clear that there is an apostate power that does great wonders, even making fire come down from heaven on earth in the sight of men, and deceiving them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles that he has power to do in the sight of the beast. This power says to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast that has the wound by the sword and did live. This power has the ability to work miracles--not just feats that look like miracles, but miracles. And those three unclean, froglike spirits, the spirits of devils, do work miracles and go forth to the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God.
In Luke 3 we read of a woman who was bound by Satan for many years. Jesus released her on the Sabbath. The people in the crowd griped and complained. Jesus said, "Isn't it sensible to release this woman who had been bound by Satan?" If Satan has the power to bind people, then it would be reasonable to expect that in certain cases he would have the ability to release the bonds.
We know that Job got boils, and we know from whence his boils came. And if the devil can produce the stimulus that will make boils, he ought to be able to stop the stimulus, and let the natural miracle-working power of the human body bring healing. We know about Pharaoh and the magicians in the courts with Moses and Aaron. We know about their rods turning into snakes. We have some evidence, based on the premise that the devil cannot create, that the magician's rods did not really turn into snakes, but only appeared to. But if he cannot create, he certainly can counterfeit closely! All of which leads us to this conclusion: Our basis for faith must be in Jesus and in the faith relationship with Him, not in the spectacular.
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