ARE COUNTERFEIT MIRACLES FAKE – OR ACTUAL WORKS OF DARKNESS?
There is a lot of attention being drawn to sexual predators in the church these days, and rightly so. But even as these horrendous sins are coming to the forefront, the Lord has alerted me to another danger that is just as destructive, if not far more detrimental to the Body of Christ than just sexual immorality and spiritual abuse. This may take a bit to unpack…but it will be worth the read:-).
Many of these predators are now being exposed as false messengers who have used their spiritual gifts to deceive and defraud their followers. But many who are decrying them are assuming that the signs and wonders they produce are simply fake. They aren’t real. All the healings were staged. All the words were false. The deliverance never took place. But is that really true? Is that what “counterfeit” actually means? Or is it something worse?
In Matthew 24:24, the writer points to a time when false prophets will arise and perform “great signs and wonders” that are so miraculous, they will deceive even the elect. I believe that’s because not all of these “wonders” are fake. In fact, some are very real. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9, it states, “…the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false (lying) signs and wonders.” What makes the signs and wonders “false” is the fact that their source is not from the Holy Spirit, but a demonic one. They produce real results, but with deceptive and even destructive consequences.
I believe that many of the counterfeit signs and wonders being performed by these false messengers are actually healings and deliverances that are demonically-driven. They are very real, but coming from a place of darkness, not light. What’s just as alarming is the fact that some of these false messengers are so deceived themselves, they don’t even realize what they’re producing. They have become so enamored with their own press, they have no clue that they have become puppets of the enemy. This should raise even more red flags as to why these fraudsters must be removed from any stage or platform. This is not just a matter of shutting down misrepresentation of the gifts, falsifying works and miracles, or even predatorial activities, but shutting the door to demonic activity within the Church.
The prophet Samuel stated that rebelling against God is the same thing as divination/witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23). John said that when someone “makes a practice of sinning,” that person is “of the devil” (1 John 3:8). This means that when a spiritual leader is intentionally rebelling against God and continuing to practice sin, that person is opening the door to – and potentially operating in – witchcraft and deception. THIS is what these false prophets, apostles, and teachers unleash upon the flock. By operating in rebellion to authority and persistently doing their own thing, they are releasing spirits of deception and destruction upon all whom they minister to.
As I have been considering the seriousness of this issue, the Lord took me to Matthew 10:28 where it states “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” I felt the Holy Spirit calling us to account. Have we been so desperate for a prophecy, a deliverance, or even a healing, that we have traded our very souls for a temporary fix? Have we given greater priority to our physical health and happiness at the cost of our spiritual condition before God? Perhaps this scripture could just as easily say, “And do not pursue those who can heal the body – but kill your soul!” Have we blindly allowed these frauds to pray over us, not realizing the kind of spirit they are operating from?
This truth is not meant to spread unnecessary fear or cause undue anxiety, because those whose hearts are fixed on the Lord will be kept safe (1 John 5:18-19). But this should be an alert to those still sitting on the fence. It should actually put the fear of the Lord upon us. We are not just dealing with compromised leaders who are causing physical and emotional harm to innocent victims. We are dealing with demonic powers that are working through compromised vessels in hopes of bringing great deception and darkness into the middle of our congregations and fellowships. The reason we are being warned is because signs, wonders, and miracles are very real. This is why Satan tries to copy them. And this is why we must look beyond the sign itself, and consider the direction it points us.
“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)
The ultimate test of discernment is not whether we are healed, delivered, or get an impressive word. The test is how we will respond with our time, our attention, our money, and our worship. Those who are led by the Spirit of God and produce HIS signs, wonders, and miracles, will cause us to pray more fervently, worship Him more deeply, and study His Word more passionately. The fruit and character of Christ will become our goal and righteousness will be our desire. This should be the true test of which Spirit is at work.
If any messenger fails to point us in that direction, it’s time to cut off their mic and remove them from their platform. There’s too much at stake. Toxic deception is being spread in the name of signs and wonders. Let’s place greater value on our spiritual condition and the fruit of our lives than on any desperation for miracles. Perhaps then we’ll be positioned to recognize and receive the real thing that will far outlast any false messenger.
