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Modern Miracles — Lying Signs And Wonders
As a student of the Bible and human behaviour, I am often amazed at what many people term a “miracle.” It can include virtually anything we ascribe to God — a beautiful sunset, surviving a natural disaster, childbirth, or finding a lost child. But assigning the term “miracle” to anything we consider astounding or unusual is not correct. The dictionary defines a miracle as something outside the laws of nature or the “supernatural.” But the Bible goes further. It describes miracles as “signs” and “wonders” which were undeniable and which fulfilled a purpose — to confirm the word of God. The miracles recorded in the Bible showed that God approved the speaker’s message. Please notice these passages: "And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following.” (Mark 16:20). “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his will?” (Heb. 2:3-4). “And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.” (Acts 8:16). What most things folks ascribe to a miracle from God is simply the Providence of God. God works every moment in our lives, providing for our physical, mental and spiritual well being. Upon reflection, the ordinary things of this life, such as breathing and drinking, in and of themselves, are just as amazing as surviving a tornado. “Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17). We could not survive a moment without the loving hand of God. “Who provideth the raven his food? When his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.” (Job 39:5). The miracles of the Bible were undeniable. For example, no one ever challenged the authenticity of the miracles Jesus performed, though his enemies tried. He helped people who were born blind (John 9). He miraculously fed thousands of people on at least two occasions. He raised the dead—even his friend Lazarus who had been dead four days. (John 11). Contrast the miracles of the Bible with the “faith healers” of today. These religious con men (and women) desecrate the Bible and God by their shenanigans. It is a sad and disgusting thing to witness the depths of trickery into which some will sink, using the name of Jesus Christ. I recently watched a British documentary on cable television entitled A Question of Miracles (April 15, 2001). It concerned the antics of two Pentecostal preachers — Benny Hinn and Weiner Bonnker. Hinn is a well known television evangelist in the United States and Bonnker is a German born evangelist from West Africa. Both men were exposed by this documentary as duping their audiences into believing they can heal the sick and afflicted. The Scriptures inform us that the First Century A.D. miraculous gifts have ceased. (1Cor. 13:10). The documentary accurately displayed the thousands who attend these sideshows, expecting a miracle. Some are hustled across the stage limping and jumping. All claim some miraculous healing — ranging from cured cancer to the casting out of demons. This false healer usually blows on them or pushes them over and claims they are “slain in the Spirit.” The documentary’s producers asked Hinn for a list of those he claimed were healed that night in Portland, Ore. After several weeks, they received a list of five. They checked out the list carefully and found that all five were still suffering from their original illnesses and most were worse. One person had died from cancer, but all of them still fervently believed they had been healed. Is this not Scripture brought to life? “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.” (2 Thess. 2:9-10). Yet, equally pathetic were the hundreds in that night from all parts of the state who desperately wanted to be healed! They were not allowed on stage, One immigrant family had a small son who was paralyzed and blinded by inoperable brain tumors. At first, Hinn would not let him on the stage. But he finally relented at the insistence of the television reporter. Hinn laid his hands on the boy and prayed fervently, but nothing happened. A few weeks later the boy died. The reporter interviewed the family. They still believed in Hinn and were going to send him $2000.00! “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” (2 Thess. 2:11). In an interview with the reporter at Hinn’s lavish home, Hinn readily admitted that he received a large salary and had a private jet. “I would literally wear out if I did not have it,” he added. Hinn felt no remorse about receiving the money from the immigrant family, saying that, “all donations were accounted for.”Equally repugnant was the coverage of Weiner Bonnker’s. Before a crowd — estimated at 500,000 — the sweating con artist worked the hand-waving mass into a frenzy, claiming to heal and cast out demons, while shrieking “Hallelujah!” every few moments. Behind the stage was a large crowd of amputees, cripples, and sick people. Bonnker’s aides were desperately trying to heal them, reciting their standard jargon over and over again, to no avail. The documentary tried to explain away all this as a form of religious hysteria. One psychologist said it can all be reproduced by manipulating the frontal lobe of the brain with electrical discharges. Another scientist credited it all to mass hypnosis like Adolph Hitler practiced in Germany. But I found myself agreeing with a Jewish rabbi who said, “God has a special place in hell for men like Hinn and Bonnker.” Amen. |