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A Look at the Present Day Seeking
for supernatural Encounters.
By John L. Parault
Wanting more of God, is that running after the supernatural, or is
it running after God? Doors of deception can be open and are opening
in this arena when we seek and follow after signs and wonders. I
have heard it said that the supernatural is our heritage and we
should seek it. Well, it is for us to know. But what is our
understanding of God’s way of releasing it? Are our hearts,
understandings, motives and desires right concerning them? There are
dangers for all but, more so for the immature who seeks the
supernatural. This can give room or opportunity for the adversary to
deceive with false signs and wonders. Of course even the mature must
stay close to the LORD not to be deceived in this hour.
The
mature and understanding ones for the most part are not seeking them
but they are open to God for them, knowing that they are from Him.
There is no command to seek signs and wonders. We should be open in
faith to receive them from the LORD who is full of wonders. Signs
and wonders are ordained to follow the believer. That is the LORD’S
way.
And
these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. Mk. 16:17
Does
the modern day church know the true from the false? No! But a wise
holy remnant does. Spirituality is not running after miracles.
Neither is it denying them. We must adjust to His timing for the
supernatural to be released, and understand the ways and true
purpose for them to be manifested. I have had some supernatural
encounters, but at that moment I was not seeking them. In truth I
was surprised. God knew that I needed the encounters and He gave
them.
I do believe there are
dangers in just seeking, even sincere seeking, for supernatural
visitations of angels, out of body experiences and other spiritual
phenomenon. Yet, I do believe these things are heaven sent
experiences. But there are counterfeits, and that is no new reality.
That means we must be alert and discerning.
There is much immaturity today; and that means there is a lack of
understanding concerning the craftiness of deceiving spirits. And
yet people in that state of immaturity are told that they should
seek their heritage, which is the supernatural. Even mature ones
have been deceived in moments of desiring more spiritual experiences
and being caught off guard. For example in a moment of curiosity we
do things we should not do. I am not saying that we should not
desire deeper spiritual experiences.
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The deeper spiritual experiences we should be seeking is
intimacy with the LORD. Now if He gives supernatural experiences
in that. Praise the LORD!
Our heritage is to experience the LORD (Yahweh) in the
supernatural for He is the God of wonders. But let us be
responsible, we do have an adversary you know, who desires to
deceive. Let God be God - that is our safety. What I mean by
that is, lets us stay humble let Him alone bring forth the
supernatural not because we seek it, but because He sees it as a
part of accomplishing His purpose in meeting our needs and
reaching our hearts. After all this is his advertisement.
Know this day that the supernatural is not a substitute for
the gospel. The supernatural advertises that the LORD is at
work here. Here He says, “Come to me for by these wonders I draw
you. Believe the good news of My Son’s death and resurrection
And I will to save you from both the penalty and power of sin.
To my house (church) I say in my displayed power, I love you;
believe me for I draw you also.”
As sons of God we
are not to disbelieve the supernatural, and yet many non-charismatics
in the present day church have followed the pattern of unbelief
in the supernatural that the church has displayed for centuries.
They believe in Jesus, but not in miracles; miracles in the
bible yes, but not miracles for today. They believe in angels,
but not in angelic visitations. A powerful church is not seeking
signs and wonders, or private angelic (visible) visitations for
ones own personal thrill. But she is one who is seeking God and
seeking holiness. Then the God of wonders will be present. If
angels are needed He will send them. The truth of the matter is
angels are always with us ministering to us, but not visible. So
seeking angelic visitations is not seeking the presence of
angels, it is seeking visible manifestations of angels.
My position is
that to truly believe in God is to believe in the supernatural
but let God be God as I have said. I repeat the believer is not
to follow signs and wonders. Signs and wonders are to follow the
believer. To follow signs and wonders is a mark of immaturity. I
am not saying seeking to be healed is a sign of immaturity.
Immaturity is a heart issue and the reason is twofold; first,
one may be just young in the Lord. Secondly, one may have been a
Christian for years and sill he is carnal and not spiritual.
There is peril in delayed maturity.
Which
supernatural encounter do you desire? Is it a counterfeit
supernatural encounter with evil or a genuine one with God? I
know you desire the one that is of God. For that to be, you need
to be wise, responsible, and not gullible. By the way, in the
supernatural, God is not in competition with the counterfeit.
All power is of God and He has the right to take it away any
time He desires. He has permitted the evil and the deceptive.
Will we be responsible to trust Him to keep us from it? That is
total dependence for what is real in Him.
All spiritual phenomena
(miracles, healings, and visitations) and doctrines must be
discerned. But how many are in a place spiritually to do so? Has
it even been a practice in our spiritual lives at all for in
this practice comes the gaining of experience? I am not writing
about suspicion that something is wrong, neither guess work or
human reason; but true spiritual discernment that come by the
grace of God. Seek Him for discernment that proves your desire
for purity and the genuine, which means spiritual wholeness in
the church and in you. The church is full of things that are not
of the LORD. They are there because there is no discernment and
no seeking of holiness. Discernment is a guardian gift to keeps
thing pure and in order according to God’s way and purpose. We
can seek spiritual things for ourselves without regard for the
source, the divine order and purity. And the adversary doesn’t
mind presenting counterfeits to hinder the real flow of God,
even to stop it and cause us physical and spiritual problems.
This is an
exhortation to caution and obedience in the sphere of trust to
have only what is of God. I can’t separate faith from obedience.
And obedience and faith demands that you and I do not believe
every spirit, but rather prove them. Trust doesn’t mean that you
and I are passive, but that you and I discern, which is an
active work.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into
the world.
There have been
manifestations of gold dust in meetings, and, feathers that are
suppose to be angel feathers and also gems, and believe me I
have seen some of it. But where is the repentance and
transformation of hearts? The thrill and chills are there, but
all that I have seen is the desire for gold dust and gems-not
God. Is that self-centeredness?
We must be
aware that healings are not always a sign of Gods power. Lying
signs are permitted of God to test His people. They
also become judgments on the conditions of their hearts.
Yes! The LORD sends strong delusions because there is not a love
and reception of glorious truth.
We just came back from Africa, and
we were told by pastors there of the healings by witch doctors,
and the bondage that goes with it.
2Thess, 2:9
Even him,
whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders, 10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved. 11
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie: 12
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Deut. 13:1 If
there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and
giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder
come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go
after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve
them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet,
or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to
know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and
with all your soul
Confusion is at
its height when there is mixture in certain so-called spiritual
movements. There are some things of God and some things of the
demonic realm that are manifesting in some meetings. In this
arena the immature is left confused, disappointed, depressed and
damaged for they do not discern.
We will begin
to see consequences in people’s lives where there is no
repentance for partaking of these movements. They did not seek
the LORD whether they should have even attended these places.
People do not understand they can receive deposits, in their
spirits, that are not of God that can alter their behavior and
thinking, ministries, and the spiritual course of their lives. I
realize that there will be some who will look at this adversely,
but in these days balance needs to be set in.
Leadership
needs to be sure that what they come to receive in these
movements, for themselves and the flock they shepherd, is not
deception. Better yet, know that God said to go and not just
your hunger for the supernatural. Leadership is accountable to
God for what they bring to the flock. Counterfeits are patterned
after the true (the genuine) and it is always intended by the
adversary to deceive in order to alter the course of God in our
lives. If the counterfeit were not a look alike there would not
be a problem. I want you to know this is serious and so be
sensitive to the Holy Spirit. It is not a game dear ones please
believe me!
We are in a day of much
deception and it will continue to increase. We must draw close
to the Lord Jesus so we will not be penetrated in our minds with
the lies of deceiving spirits. Remember pride is an open door
for deception.
Only
fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart:
for consider how great things
he hath done for you. Sam.
12:24.
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