Alikat

Alikat,

Thank you for your post. I was truly hoping you had real evidence, other than hearsay, that the dead are being raised in Africa, or anywhere else.

The story you told about the man and his daughter was interesting indeed. Perhaps it is true, perhaps not. I sincerely respect your right to believe it if you wish. I would need to know much more about the man and his ministry team, especially their theology, before I could trust the veracity of his incredible claims. The information you presented did not convince me that his story is authentic.

You made a statement that concerned me. “But truth will always prevail to those who pursue it, if they do so guided by Godly wisdom and a sincere heart.”

I do not trust my own heart. I know it is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (see Jer 17:9). I know you understand this, because you acknowledged the “inherent wickedness” of your own heart. My point is that we must rely on the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit to discern truth, not our 'sincere hearts and Godly wisdom'. Solomon was perhaps the wisest man who ever lived, yet he still fell into grievous error when he abandoned the Scriptures and followed his heart when he worshiped the false gods of his foreign wives. (please see 1Kings 11:1-6). It’s always tempting to follow the small, still voice we hear inside ourselves. I’m not saying to discount it, but I am saying to rigorously test it against the Word of God.

From many of your posts, you have demonstrated excellent discernment. However, I am going to exhort you to push yourself still more vigorously in your pursuit of the Truth. It’s obvious you can see lots of the deception that has crept into the church. The ministry I described in my post was certainly a counterfeit. As counterfeits go, I’d call it a ‘three dollar bill.’ Many ministries and churches proclaiming false gospels and false doctrines are like that-—three dollar bills. Three dollar bills should be easy to spot, even by novices, but I am astounded by the millions of people who are fooled by ‘three dollar bills’ that pass for religion today. Things like pride, doctrinal illiteracy, relativism, pluralism, syncretism, ecumenism, 'the whim of the crowd', and a desire for supernatural experiences have a curious way of occluding our vision when it comes to discernment.

Our adversary is a master counterfeiter. In addition to ‘three dollar bills’, he is also permitted to pass imitation ‘bills’ that appear to be genuine. If Satan can masquerade as an angel of light, he can also appear as humble man from Africa who claims to raise the dead and empty hospices.

Raising the dead was our Lord’s greatest miracle. His own resurrection was the greatest of all. God is Sovereign and He can still raise the dead today if He chooses to do so. Some people make the bold claim that the dead are being raised today in Africa. So far, no one has presented any real evidence of this. Before you make that claim, please be sure that:

1. The dead actually are being raised, based on more than hearsay.
2. The people doing the ‘raising’ are truly God’s elect.

God also permits satan to work counterfeit miracles. What would you do if an obvious ‘false prophet’ actually did appear to raise someone from the dead at a major ‘healing crusade’? Would you be able to resist the whim of the crowd on that day? Most of the world would marvel at this, would you? What if it weren’t a ‘3 dollar bill’ crusader, but rather it was a humble, trusting simple man who performed great signs and wonders….would you painstakingly test his theology to be sure he was speaking according to the Word of God?

You have an intellect for putting things under a microscope and dissecting them. Good. God gave you that intellect for your good and His glory. Often a microscope is necessary to spot the work of a master counterfeiter. All counterfeits are not three dollar bills. While your intellect may not take you to greater spiritual heights, it will serve to keep you from doctrines of demons and falling into apostasy. I agree with you that faith is necessary, but faith is a gift (Eph 2:8-9) of God to His children and it comes by hearing the Word of God (Ro 10:17).

I agree with you when you say you have no reason to doubt your God, but you do have every reason to doubt sinful flesh, no matter how humble it appears. I exhort you to test the spirits and prove all things. The next time you see that nice man from Africa, please thoroughly question him to be sure he is theologically sound, then kindly ask him if he or his missionary team would raise the dead and empty some hospices here in North America. With all of the deception that abounds today, North America is fast becoming one of the world’s most neglected mission fields.

You closed with a curious statement: “And at this point in my life, when what I see around me in the world hardly brings a hope, I rather err on the side of faith that too much "healthy skepticsm" on the side of unbelief. Sometimes that's the best place that my discernment can take me to.”

I contend that there is no need to err in these matters. We are not of this world. Our hope is only in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is the source of our hope and joy, not signs and wonders. I don’t discount signs and wonders, but God is Sovereign and He will give them to whomever He chooses, according to His will, not ours. Since a master counterfeiter is afoot, we must determine the authenticity of all such supernatural activities. Jesus Christ came so that His children would know the truth. You can know the truth and the truth can set you free. I agree that we need to beware of dead orthodoxy just as much as we need to beware of those who profess ‘spiritual gifts, faith and love’ but speak not according to the Word of God. Healthy skepticism is not only associated with unbelief. Along with things like repentance, grace, faith, hope and love, healthy skepticism/discernment is indeed an integral part of the True Christian walk.

I will leave you with a few verses from God’s Word.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1Pe 5:8-9

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. 2 Co 11:14-15

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, `Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Mt 24:24-27

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. 2 Th 2:9-12

"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Mt 7:21-23

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jer 17:9

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. 1 Kings 11:4-6

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Acts 5:3

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mk 9:24

Dear friends, 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. 1Jn 4:1

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Isa 8:20

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Jn 8:32

Deception in the Church