End Time Miracles

 In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Acts 2:17 NRSV

When did this happen? ‘In the last days.’ What does that mean? In the last days of the ancient Jewish nation.

But this expression also has another meaning. We are now living in the last days just before the return of the Lord Jesus, the time when the last of all terrible world rulers will appear.

I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. Acts 2:19 NIV

Peter quotes the prophet Joel.

I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls. Joel 2:30–32 NIV

Some Reformed Christians believe that prophecy, signs and wonders were only for Bible times, but Martin Luther and John Knox communicated prophecies that were fulfilled.

In 1909, some conservative Christians in Berlin declared that the signs and wonders in the Charismatic movement came from below.

The Pharisees made exactly the same mistake when they declared the miracles of Jesus to be diabolical.

We see so many miracles in our time. I know a Christian in Germany whose young son played with his guardian angel.

I know a woman in Australia who visited heaven during an operation.

I spoke to a Persian woman in Germany who saw Jesus in a dream when she was a Muslim. Eight years later she converted to Jesus.

A woman I know very well escaped certain death by God saving her from a collision.

It was too late to brake. She could not avoid a collision. Then she felt a terrible heat. The vehicle drove through her car without making any noise, without causing any damage. It was like something out of a fantasy film.

The sensation of heat lasted for several days.

The extreme proliferation of signs and wonders in our time are a problem for many conservative Christians.

Not all stories are true and not all supernatural phenomena come from God.

We need to test revelations, but if we condemn all strange events as counterfeit, we will also reject the miracles of God.

Maybe you come from a conservative background. You find these dramatic testimonies dubious, but you're not sure.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Jas 1:5 NIV

Don't stay where you are. A true disciple is one who always wants to learn from God himself.

C. Peter Wagner was a conservative lecturer at a Bible school in America. He heard amazing testimonies of miracles in Argentina and Brazil.

He attended meetings where poor people received new teeth or gold fillings. He was then convinced that it was not a deception.

Just leave ...

Are you one of those people who is always right?
What does the Bible say about that?

If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:2–3 ESV

Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.
But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognises. 1 Corinthians 8:2–3 NLT

The apostle John said of Jesus, He is full of grace and truth.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NKJV

Truth is so important. Bible knowledge is essential because the Bible is God's Word.

But if Bible knowledge is your first priority, if you think your job from God is to always correct Christians, where is your humility? Where is your Christian love?

John did not say Jesus was filled with truth and grace. He said Jesus was filled with grace and truth.

Grace and truth, not truth and grace.

What did Paul say about Christians with different opinions?

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.

Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. Romans 14:1–5 NKJV

Perhaps you are a trained Bible teacher with impressive spiritual gifts. You have a calling as a pastor or church leader.

Be careful. Being self-righteous is not a virtue. A know all attitude does not come from God!

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 NKJV

Do you always know better?

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 1 Corinthians 13:9 NKJV

But maybe you're not a trained church leader, but your pastor or an elder is authoritarian and expects you to agree with everything he says. You are not obliged to always give in.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 ESV

If the leaders in your church are domineering, if they demand unquestioning submission, if they always put you down when you express your own ideas, then just leave ...

But Paul himself could also be very sharp and dogmatic. He was especially tough on legalism and lawlessness. Some sensitive issues are important and others not so important. We need the wisdom that comes only from God.

But if you experience bullying in a church, just leave ...

Paul himself admonished Christians not to give in.

In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. 2 Corinthians 11:20 NIV84

Healing for Broken Souls

Are you overwhelmed, or perhaps really traumatised?

Maybe you are in a church where they preach the Bible, where you see healings, where you hear good testimonies.

You have learned Bible verses by heart and you quote the promises of God.

But it doesn't seem to work for you. You have really tried to do everything right, but you are still deeply hurt. Your spirit is broken.

The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Pr 18:14

You talk about your abuse and trauma, and they say you simply have to forgive. 

Simply forgive? What do you mean, simply?

Unfortunately, there is no simple prescribed method for healing your soul.

There are preachers and pastors who think their methods are from God, and if it doesn't work for you, you must be to blame.
But this is often not the case.

I believe in miracle healings, even for deep traumas.

In the Bible, Jesus met a demonised man who was running around naked. Jesus told the demons to leave the man and the man was instantly delivered and healed.

In the Acts of the Apostles we see how Peter and Paul performed amazing miracles in Jesus' name, and there are a few preachers today who call corpses back to life.

But please be careful. There are genuine preachers, but there are also false preachers.

Jesus promised that we can expect real miracles.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Jn 14:12

But Jesus also warned against false preachers.

Beware of false prophets. They come like harmless sheep, but in reality they are dangerous wolves who want to tear you to pieces.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 

By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Mt 7:15-17 

Paul warned against preachers who intimidate and dominate Christians.

You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. 2 Corinthians 11:20 NLT 

But we must not condemn all preachers because of this, but it is important to mention this, because deeply broken souls are often manipulated by dominating ministers.

In the New Testament we find false preachers but also good preachers and it is the same today. Those who are spiritually hurt need real pastoral care and sometimes even deliverance.

• But beware of preachers who only see demons behind all the problems of the soul.

• Beware of preachers who demand to control your whole life.

• Beware of preachers who forbid their members to visit other churches.

• Beware of preachers who have only one method of dealing with all spiritual and emotional problems.

• Beware of preachers who claim to be faultless, because this is just not true.

If you are traumatised and cannot find a way out, please recognise that God loves you in spite of everything, that God stands by you, that God wants to accompany you as a friend. 

If you can find good pastoral care, all the better. But if it takes some time to find the right help, ask God to be your guide.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV
 

Fault-Finding is not Good News

Just about everything in our experience is a mixture of good and evil. Even in the natural world, which is God's own creation, we see animals being cruel. Chickens and ducks are often bullies.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now.
Rom 8:20-22

The bible tells us to respect and honour rulers and leaders, but we must also discern corruption and cruelty in authority, and we must not submit unconditionally.

For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. 2. Cor 11:20

Nevertheless, all human leadership and management is imperfect, so to honour those in authority, we must be able to discern virtue in the midst of imperfection and human frailty.

Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. Ps 146:3

We cannot put unconditional faith in human leadership of any kind, even chosen and anointed preachers.

When King David sinned by ordering a census, Joab, the military commander, protested but then obeyed, but he only partly obeyed. He was not punished by David or condemned by God.
(1 Chron 21)

Nevertheless, in spite of his sin in this case, his adultery and murder and his failure as a family man, God called David a man after His own heart. David’s enemies had reasons to oppose him but God forgave David’s sins and promoted him.

Discernment means we must perceive errors and sins but even more importantly, we must look for the gold in the dirt, the goodness in a flawed human character.
There are two aspects of godly discernment, fault-finding and good finding. If fault-finding is our primary focus, we are in serious error.

You can be deceived by not perceiving error but you can also be deceived by focusing on error and not perceiving the gold in the dirt.

There are Christians who put certain preachers or political leaders on a pedestal and uncritically defend and praise everything their favourite leaders say or do. This is dangerous.

There are also Christians who see only evil in the government of their country.

Some Christians also devote a great deal of time and energy to analysing the errors in preachers. 

They say a lot about supposed spiritual poison on the internet, but they provide very little spiritual nourishment themselves. They say a lot about supposedly bad teaching, but they don’t say much about good ministry.

If we look at the New Testament, we see how Jesus and the Apostles had very harsh words to say about flawed religious leaders, but the heart of the message was the Good News, not the bad news.

If our primary focus is not on Good News, we are deceived, and we lead others astray. In our zeal for truth, we can become obsessed with errors. That is bad news.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Heb 5:14