Last blog we talked about the sin of wanting God to hurry up, which means we want God to operate according to our plan and our timing. The second part is wanting God to prove Himself so that He would be more believable than just what His word states. Isaiah 5:18 “Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, 19 to those who say, “Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel— let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it.” God does not have to prove Himself to anyone, as He is the creator of everything. Man, who lives in this world, in the time and space God created for him, wants God to prove Himself so that He could be believed in? This is completely audacious which means “to show a brazen lack of respect” for our creator. Creation is all that is needed to believe in God and if you cannot believe the first few words of the bible, In the beginning God…, you will not believe the rest. It really is amazing how many people who call themselves Christians do not believe the creation account. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” The proof is all around us. Romans 1:18 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
The amazing part about God is that He did not just offer the creation as proof of His power, He interreacted with His creation and continued to reveal His power. From the Old to the New Testament, we see the power of the creator God and the power He gives to His servants. Psalm 89:11 “The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. 13 Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.” Isaiah 40:28 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” Psalm 68:35 “You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” Isaiah 42:5 “This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Throughout scripture we see signs, wonders and miracles that attest to God’s power, the power He gives to His disciples and His desire to care for His people who believe. Unbelief always leads to God’s wrath and a lack of power. Romans 1:25 “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”
Today the church is filled with unbelief because most have listened to false teachers teach the gospels of a different Jesus. Most have come to accept a powerless church as truth, while some have come to accept satan masquerading as an angel of light and have been deceived by what they think is God’s power. Overall, the church looks nothing like Jesus demonstrated in the Gospels what the church would be and the early church in Acts. It really is amazing how much resistance there is to the power of God. Paul even said, 2 Timothy 3:1 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” My journey has taken me through the deadness of the holiness movement, of which there is nothing holy nor moving about it. I also saw the damage caused by the charismatic movement. At one point I thought I was missing out on the Holy Spirit, but then came to the understanding that what I was seeing was not God, but satan. Paul also said 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
The damage caused by charismatics has been detrimental to the church, as has the damage caused by the non-charismatics. Most think I want nothing to do with that and they end up accepting dead and powerless gospels. Both the charismatics and the non-charismatics are resisting the truth of the gospel and instead of searching for the truth, most just continue in the ways they have been taught and most will die never understanding or knowing the truth, nor will they see the available power of God given to those who believe. Mark 16:15 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” To read scripture and see the power available to the church and then reject that power and accept the powerless church as the way it is supposed to be is the choice of fools. I say fools because who in their right mind would not want to be part of the power Jesus had given to the church. Look at all the sick people around you and those who have no idea there is good news of the kingdom available to them. What is the church doing about it? This is what the church was to continue to do. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” Also, most have no idea of the massive assault on the church by satan (abomination that causes desolation) and the millions who have been deluded and deceived into following other gospels. To show the severity of these times, Jesus said Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.”
When I started reading scripture as my life source and not with the perspective of the doctrines and theology as taught by the denominations and seminary I was part of, but just started to read and believe what I read, not as a story but an account, and then expected the same; everything changed. I was raised with tell me the old, old stories of Jesus and the redemption He brought to the world. These were wonderful stories of signs and wonders and miracles, healing and demons cast out, but don’t expect that to happen today unless God so moves. That was odd because I was not part of those who said they were cessationists nor had I heard of it, which goes to show you don’t actually have to believe the doctrine of cessationism to believe that God does not do as He once did. Most who call themselves Christians don’t really believe that same power is available even though as Paul prayed said, Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”
As I started to read, I began to see that the old, old stories were to be accounts of today and not just a story of the past. I don’t like to use the word story if I can help it, as I prefer accounts. Story makes it seem like a fable. The charismatics were saying what they were part of was what was seen in the gospels and frankly that was confusing because what you see in the Gospels looks nothing like what the charismatics were doing and the chaos steadily grew. If you looked closely, there was / is no power as described in scripture. When there was power, it was satan masquerading. 2 Corinthians 11:13 “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” Delusion and deception are everywhere in the church, including in the non-charismatics.
To be honest, in my early days the charismatics messed my head up when it came to the supernatural. They were saying and acting as if the power of God was among them, yet it looked nothing like scripture. In one instance of my journey, people spoke in tongues, fell to the ground on their backs and I felt left out, that is until my eyes were opened and I realized that was not the presence of God filling His temple. As my desire grew to see the church doing as Jesus did, so did the opposition and was met with much criticism, even to the point that I must have been out of my mind. How odd is it that because I wanted to see what I read; I was now some sort of lunatic. Mark 3:21 “When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” Jesus said Matthew 10:25 “It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!” So being called a lunatic is okay as far as I am concerned. What is not okay is turning away from God’s word, even if you are not seeing what you are reading. Job said even after all that he had and was going through, Job 23:8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 11 My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. 12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” Job also said to those questioning his integrity, Job 27:2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter, 3 as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, 4 my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies. 5 I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. 6 I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.” Basically, those were words to satan. Job 2:3 Then the Lord said to satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
For me the journey has been long and arduous, with lots of costs along the way. Jesus said, Luke 9:62 “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” When you look back, you will veer off course. Luke 14:25 “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Following Jesus is extreme and not just a Sunday morning outing as church has become. satan’s main goal is to get you to curse God and die, but our job is to maintain our integrity and keep our focus on God’s word, which is Jesus. Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
What actually caught me off guard was the resistance I would face when I shared my expectations of scripture being relevant for today. I told people that I believed that God could still raise the dead, heal the unhealable and any sickness and do it immediately just as Jesus did in the Gospels. I also believed that demons could be cast out. That was a problem as many don’t seem to understand there are still demons. They think the cross took care of them, but Jesus just cast them into some pigs who rushed into the water and died. Jesus did give the church the power and authority to deal with them until their appointed time. As we see following Pentecost, those spirits were still there. Acts 5:16 “Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Acts 8:6 “When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.”
Some people were offended when I said yes, I believe that God could heal any disease which is odd because those same people said they believed Jesus rose from the dead. Since Jesus lives, then this is still true. Matthew 8:16 “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” The same people sang He lives, He lives He’s in my heart today, yet they do not believe what He said and require proof. Others would say, have you ever seen what you are talking about, and I would have to say no, but I have read about it. I have seen the counterfeit, but as with what is counterfeit, there has to be something real to counterfeit. If you counterfeited a twenty-one-dollar bill, you would get laughed at, but a twenty-dollar bill is realistic. I have seen a lot of counterfeits, and I have seen deadness in the church. I may not have been part of true signs and wonders, miracles and demons cast out, but I believe what I read and not only that, I believe that this time of desolation in the church is coming to an end. Daniel 7:21 “As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’” Daniel 9:26 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
Because of rebellion God turned His face from the church. Ezekiel 39:21 “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them. 22 From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. 25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. 26 They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. 27 When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. 29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.” When that happens and God turns His face back to the church, the church will once again do as Jesus did in the same power and authority that was given at Pentecost.
I believe what scripture says and it is not new for people to reject what scripture clearly states. What I noticed was that people wanted proof other than what scripture said, and if they didn’t see it, they refused to believe what scripture clearly states. They then accepted the gospels of the false teachers. When Jesus walked this earth, His own people rejected Him. John 1:9 “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” satan had the audacity to ask Jesus to prove Himself to him. Matthew 4:1 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike our foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Notice there is a similarity to the previous verse spoken by satan. Matthew 27:39 “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.” Jesus didn’t come down off the cross as they wanted but He did rise from the dead and left the tomb empty and they still did not believe, even to this day. John 10:24 “The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”
Yes, the church looks nothing like the Gospels and Acts, but don’t accept the powerless church as how it is supposed to be as that is deception and delusion. Jesus showed us in the Gospels what the church was to continue to do and then empowered the church to do the same. John 7:37 “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” We have a choice, believe or don’t believe God’s word. 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” If you do believe, do not give up. We are talking about the church here. Isaiah 62:6 “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” Matthew 24:10 “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The gospel will once again be preached to the world with the same power and authority the disciples were told to wait for and then would receive at Pentecost. Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” And then the end will come.
Don’t tell God to hurry up or prove Himself to you so that you will believe; believe His word. John 20:24 “Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Many in the church have been taught not to believe the supernatural is possible. They do not expect signs and wonders, miracles, healing and casting out of demons. They just read the old, old stories and say how wonderful. Others have been taught to look for them but have not tested the spirits and have no discernment as to whose power they have fallen for. 1 John 4:1 “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.”
The amazing part of all of this is that returning to God’s word mean that God will return to the church and shine His face upon us once again. Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” When that happens, the kingdom of God will also once again come near which means the church will once again do as Jesus did. Belief in God’s word will lead to power and authority returning to the church. Pentecost came and the church was empowered to do as Jesus did and was supposed to continue doing as Jesus did, but instead of remaining true to God’s word, the church veered off course which started even during the life of Paul and has not returned. As the years go by, the church gets further and further away from the truth, and remains in captivity and totally powerless against our enemies.
Don’t test God but believe His word. This is not blind faith but sincere faith in God the creator of the universe. Romans 4:3 “What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Hebrews 3:7 “So, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” If you believe and are waiting for God to turn His face back to the church, do not give up. Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” 38 And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” 39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”
