The more I study people, the more I remain assured of one dominating fact about them, they want more, every one of us, without exception. What we have is only satisfactory until it becomes commonplace, a “new” item does not even need to be coveted, just the knowledge that what we have is no longer satisfying is enough for the desire for more to become a reality, a force if you will, in our lives.
The things, the materialistic items of the world, wear out and in some cases must be replaced, unlike those who walked the wilderness who clothes did not wear out, (Deut. 29:5) we at times require certain items to be replaced, but that is not the topic of this letter to you. More of God is.
There are those, specifically of the Charismatic persuasion, who do not want more of God, they need more, for it is what they have been convinced, though deceived would be a more apt word, to believe is the proof of their growth in Christ, the signs, if you will, that are the validation of their faith. Dreams, visions, prophecy in the incorrect terminology, emotions are their needed portal to what they consider a “true” faith.
I would ask you to consider Joseph, the son of Jacob here, not once did the Lord speak verbally to him, but he was given the ability to discern dreams. (Gen. 40:8-13) He did not witness any of what could be considered miracles, he did not eat manna, his clothes wore out, but he was blessed by God for only one reason, his abiding faith in every circumstance, without once verbally hearing the voice of God.
Not so the Charismatics, no dreams means the Lord is not speaking to them, undesirable circumstances means His favor has been removed, the inability to speak in their misinterpretation of tongues is a sure sign that you are not “filled” with the Holy Spirit. It is a religious cult based entirely upon God proving Himself to them in ways that they have determined that He should. It is nothing more or less than any other religion of works, one in which a few verses from the Scriptures have been pulled out of context and turned into a gathering place for those who will not live by faith, but require their sight to believe. (John 4:48)
One of the main verses that is their foundation is of course the three instances of speaking in tongues, and along with this is the misunderstanding of 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” One of the words that they use to attempt to refute what has been written here is that word knowledge, for they do not understand the context of it. Knowledge, is the proper context here, is the complete and revealed knowledge of the Word of God, which is of course the Bible, but they have much difficulty believing this. It would mean that everything they have believed for so long is incorrect, and that realization goes against the grain of every man, saved or lost.
The generation that our Lord was speaking about in Matthew 16:4, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed,” is the generation from the empty tomb to the rapture, it is the only sign that we will be given, it is the only sign we need, the resurrection and redemption, no other sign is necessary, and to believe that there is, is to deny the greatest gift ever given to mankind.
Those in the time before Christ, and those that must endure the tribulation period have and will receive signs, great and terrible reminders of the power and majesty of the Most High, we have faith, and we are to live by that faith, not by signs, not by sight. The proof of a man’s salvation is not in these so-called signs today, it is in the fruit that he bears, (Matt. 7:16) it is in the works that he does solely for the glory of God, (Matt. 7:20) it is validated by a transformed mind, (Romans 12:2) by a life devoid of self, (Matt. 16:24) of a life that has been crucified with Christ. (Gal 2:20) No “sign,” no “dream or vision” can compare to these truths.
