False Signs and Wonders

.... In our previous posting we discussed the divine correlation between teachings and miracles, as God endorses specific messages with corre- sponding signs of power (as in Mark 16:20). In some essential way, the concept of the teaching and the concept of the miracle will match to powerfully 'prove' that the message is true; and ultimately, this will reveal something more about the character or nature of God Himself, who is the Divine author of both.

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.... But at the risk of diverting our attention from the true spiritual gifts, we should note that in the end times the correlation between teachings and miracles will also appear in a negative sense:

.... "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders."

(2 Thessalonians 2:9)

.... "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

(Matthew 24:24)

.... In both of these passages we see deception at work with miraculous manifestations of power, as signs and lying wonders occur (2 Thessalonians 2:9). So if true signs are an endorsement over true teachings, to prove they are true, then what is a lying wonder supposed to be? It’s a lawless but miraculous sign that points to an untrue teaching, as if to endorse it as true!
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.... In a key passage, Paul tells is that one day we will see demonic teachings and false miracles paired together, just as true teachings and true miracles are paired together (1 Timothy 4:1). However, the false teachings will point us away from God, rather than helping us draw closer to understand Him better. They may point to the devil, to another person, or even to ourselves, as long as it means turning our hearts away from God. And again, this is nothing new for the Lord our God has allowed this in order to test our hearts:

.... "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’-- which you have not known– ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

(Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

.... So be mindful when you see a miracle taking place! Be diligent, and consciously strive to connect it with the associated teaching, then prove the whole ‘package’ together according to the Scriptures. For better or worse, the teaching and the miracle should match, with the teaching as the key for understanding both in a way that will ultimately point us back to God.

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.... So then, is it pointing us to a relationship with God to serve Him, or has it been flip-flopped to make it look like His purpose in life is in serving us? Or is it pointing to a fancy preacher who seems to stand in God's shoes as a mediator? And is the teaching itself true to the Scriptures? If the teachings points us to God and is true to the Scriptures, then the teaching and the miracle are true. But if otherwise, they are not. We will only know the difference by checking it out in the Bible to make sure, and this will help us discern the source from which both the teaching and the miracles have come.

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Daily Bible Reading: Galatians 3