The Stampede of the herd

 The attraction of signs and wonders has reached a pinnacle in the church.

What we hear is that all power that was given to Jesus is also given to the church. No, All power is given to Jesus alone (Mt.28), he does not share this power with sinful men.

The idea that everyone in the church can do the same miracles or greater, exceeding the apostles is absurd. You can’t do what Jesus did if you don’t know what Jesus actually said

Are we to judge or test the miracles men claim to do? Yes. How are we to do this? By their doctrine. What do they teach, do they present the real gospel?

How many that are in the signs and wonders movement actually take the time to explain the gospel to do the great commission? This is what Jesus said ALL believers can do, give the gospel message. The gospel is not all the words in Scripture, but certain words. So many think the gospel is the whole New Testament, the gospels letters, book of Acts and the Epistles, it is not.

It is the message of reconciliation contained in the Scripture: the death burial and resurrection (1 Cor.15:1-4).  It is also about Jesus’ deity, that he the son of God, God who came in the flesh.

When was the last time you heard teaching from these men who claim to have power to heal on how to give the gospel? They go around and claim they can heal everyone, the stories are endless but they can’t give the gospel to cure their soul?

The devil has a mouth for miracles, he boasts in it. What he can’t do, is teach is correct doctrine, especially for any length of time. But he wants you look at the outward, which is the easiest way to counterfeit.

Isa. 8:20 "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” This has not changed

It was William Branham gave latter Rain messages and popularized the movement, “Signs and wonders is what vindicates God, always. And He said it would be in the last days the same thing.” (55-0117, How The Angel Came To Me, And His Commission, Lane Tech High School, Chicago, IL)

Completely Untrue.

People today ignore what Jesus WARNED on pursuing power, he never offered it in the way they present it (all power). Why did Jesus say Luke 11:29-30, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.”

 The sign of the resurrection, is the third point of the gospel. It is God the Fathers stamp of approval on Jesus’ sacrifice for sin. Jesus dying for our sins was not complete without him being restored to life, glorified and exalted.

This is the commission given to the church- to give out the gospel that will save people from the judgment of their sins. That is priority one that the Lord is concerned with. And if you claim to know his will, his heart you would be concerned with it also.

Consider these three scriptures

Matt 24:23-24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

The only way these can deceive in this degree is to look like the genuine. How can we tell the difference? Knowing doctrine.

2 Cor. 11:14-15 “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness” 

Whatever the Devil can produce to deceive people into other ways he will use, even if some have benefits.sb

2 Thess. 2:9-10 “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders”

ALL power, there it is. The very thing they claim for today, the authority given to he church. When you believe such a lie. What was the first lie given to Eve? You will be like God. To think you may have the same authority and power of God is exactly what so many are being taught today.

Do we still not understand that Satan is a supernatural being and angel of the highest magnitude.

These are those who can end up in the end following antichrist because they have been predisposed to following those who do miracles. So if one can produce them and say they are of God use Christs name they will be behind them 100 %.

 Don’t think this is possible? It’s already occurring as many are enamored with William Branham and are willing to become that Elijah company spoken of on the Elijah list.com

It is the same with teaching false doctrine, except it is far more convincing with one sees a miracle accompany the person.

Matt 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” What is Gods will? To give the gospel when we can

Jesus goes on to say  Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Three things said, prophecy, demon casting (deliverance ministries), wonders / miracles. These are same three that are the most popular today, at a time when the lord is coming. Coincidence?

 I’m not saying that there is no prophesy, deliverance or miracles.

What I’m saying first is that the church has its eyes on the wrong priorities, practicing power for healing. Why? They hear the voice of a certain teacher that resonates with their desire and they follow them to receive power to do miracles. They do not check if what is being said is really aligned with the Bible, they only hear Bible words and that is good enough. They want to be taught how to have power and do signs and wonders, to heal, to do miracles which they are told is initiated by their faith. They pay to go to school to learn to prophesy, Neglecting the very words of Peter who said to Simon (Acts 8:2) that this gift can’t be bought. It is sovereignly dispensed by the Holy Spirit  (1 Cor.12:11) “distributing to each one individually as He wills. “

There is no need to identify the people’s names that promote this particular latter rain teaching. They are addressed in depth throughout our website.

If all Christians can do signs and wonder and miracles and healings what would be the purpose of the Holy Spirit distributing these gifts to us as individuals? It says “as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:11) not as your teacher wills.

What I’m referring to is the unbiblical doctrinal promise that we can all do the same signs and wonders Jesus did and more when the apostles themselves could not.

Doesn’t the Bible says in John 14:12, "He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works.'

The Bible speaks of Greater works, not greater miracles, not greater signs and wonders. No apostle did a greater miracle than Jesus, yet we are told we can?  And you can be taught in classes and universities for a fee.

The apostles did not "feed the 5,000" or "still a storm" or "walk on water" or "appear and disappear at will." The apostles who were personally trained by Jesus were unable to exhibit all the power Jesus did (Acts 27:9-44).

No one should buy into the Latter Rain message that originated from Branham, that they can do the same greater miracles than Jesus. It's not based on Scripture.

Can we expect as sinful men to do miracles that only the sinless Son of God could do? The promoters of this Latter Rain teaching say it is all because of the anointing. Were not the apostle anointed? It does not say of the apostles that volumes of books could be written of all the miracles they did as it says of Jesus in John 21:25. Some say Philip baptizing the eunuch and disappearing "should be" common occurrence for today's Church -- even though it wasn't for the apostles or the early church! When Dorcas died, the believers that were there did not raise her, they sent for the apostle Peter to raise her from the dead (Acts 9:36-41). The Bible is consistent in teaching the majority of "signs and wonders were done through the apostles" (Acts 2:43), or those directly under their authority. The apostles were those who were with Jesus, who saw Jesus physically resurrected, or as Paul who said he was the last apostle to see him in his glorified resurrected state (1Cor.15:8).

Today we are not hindered to pray for God to heal or do a miracle. But this is not what Jesus meant by him saying, "the works I do" you will do (works Gr. ergon), means to work; toil as an effort or occupation; an act of labor. Greater works, meant a more extensive ministry. The book of Acts shows that the church carried the gospel to the ends of the earth. Jesus is NOT saying we will do greater miracles than He did, but will do a greater work in extending the kingdom to outside Israel, his people that He came to.

The apostles never preached signs and wonders to attract the multitudes that did not believe, nor were they preached for those who already believed, the church. They did not use their power to convince people of the gospel message. The gospel was first in all that the apostles did to the unsaved. The apostles did not embellish stories or exaggerate to bring attention to how God is using them. We should be careful not to use any deceit in representing the Lord or to further the gospel.

Anyone who goes out to other peoples and nations to bring the good news is participating in this greater work. In our outreach we may see miracles occur, but the genuine miracle take place because the words of Jesus are preeminent.

The way of victory is to know thy enemy. The enemy of mankind, an Angel, not just any angel but the greatest creature God made showed up in the garden and said to Eve you will be like God.  She knew God made the world she lived in and made her and Adam. Yet she listened to him tell here you can like God.

 He says to others today “you will be like Jesus.” You will have power and authority you never dreamed of. And he is able to deliver, just as he told Jesus Matt 4:8-10  the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."

Whatever the Devil can produce to deceive people into a false way he will use, even if some have temporary benefits of power.

Those in position of authority, can get carried away with their own importance and think everything they do is right or ordered by God. Pride can overtake a person when they are not grounded in humility. It is keeping to right doctrine that helps keeps one grounded (1 Tim.6:3; Titus 1:1 Its practicing what is right in our life that makes godly.

It is easy to get fooled when you look on the outward and do not look at the substance and use the Bible to discern. Jesus said a servant is not greater than his master. We should not covet power to do the supernatural. But be content in what God has given us.

It’s much safer to directly go to the word than rely on men telling you what the word says, especially those who are trying to hype certain doctrines and activities. I hope those who see the conflicts of what they are being taught don’t give up on Jesus but learn from their mistakes and become stronger in their discernment and love for the truth.