17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover. ~ Mark 16:17-18
I saw a video the other day about a con man who faked prophetic gifts back in the 80s. His wife would tell him who was coming up to the platform, where they lived, what their prayer request was, etc. in an earpiece. So, as they came up, he pretended that God revealed to him all of that information and that they would receive whatever it was that they were praying for. He conned thousands of thousands. Sanctuaries were packed with people seeking something more than the average Christian walk. They were seeking prayers answered and words from the LORD. They were seeking after signs, wonders, and healings.
The worst part is, these people weren’t just random people from the world that don’t know any better. These were church members. They were church going Christians. Men and women who should have known better, but yet, they were still deceived. See, as Christians, we are to know the Scriptures and put them into practice to apply them to our lives. We are to judge the actions of others by those same Scriptures. One promise from the LORD is that we don’t have to rely on man in order to hear from the LORD (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Another is that our prayers will be answered if we ask in the name of the LORD Jesus (Matthew 7:7-11). That healing is the children’s bread (Mark 7:24-30). There are so many promises in Scripture, so why don’t we see them come to pass?
Because each one has a prerequisite. We have to draw near to God and THEN He will draw near to us (James 4:8). Our prerequisite is that we have to give up the things of the world in order to gain the Kingdom of God, which is difficult. It’s hard to deny and crucify the flesh. It’s hard to give up the world that we can see, for the world that we can’t. So, instead of seeking the LORD and going first after His Kingdom and all that comes with it (the blessings, prayers answered, closeness with the LORD, words from the LORD, healings, etc.), we follow those who say they can give it to us for something as simple as money.
It’s easier to write a check than it is to spend an hour in prayer. It’s easier to throw in a hundred dollars than to spend time in worship. It’s easier to follow a man who requires nothing more of you than the currency of this world, than to follow God who requires the currency of the eternal world. So, instead of signs and wonders following us, we follow those who say they have these gifts. We try to have our cake and eat it too. We try to cheat the system. When in reality, we’re only cheating ourselves.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Avoid The Con.