'I Need CONFIRMATION!' Part 2

In the last article, I talked about the rite of confirmation in the Catholic Church, as well as the tendency of many within the modern day Protestant church to 'need confirmation' or seek a sign after they have heard a word 'from the Lord.'

Seeing that I'm a history buff, I always like to do my research and study to find out where a thing or tradition originated from, how did it get started.  It is my conviction that when we do that, we will fully understand the SPIRIT behind a thing and proceed accordingly....WITH CAUTION.

In other words, when we know WHY something was started, if the ROOT of it was GODLY or UNGODLY, then we can make an informed and wise decision to NOT follow it or participate in it if we find it started out NOT FROM GOD.

Is 'needing confirmation,' 'seeking after a sign,' of GOD?

Or is that mindset and all proceeding ceremonies and rites instituted thereafter, a result of RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMING and DECEPTION????

The very first time in the Word of God where a man actually sought a sign from the Lord was in the book of Judges. (Yes, there were times when God spoke to the Israelites with signs and wonders, delivered them by such.  But Gideon is the first account where a man asked God to 'show him a sign.")

We are all familiar with the story of Gideon.

The story is found in Judges 6.  The setting is starting from about Judges the first chapter, Joshua and the generation who remembered what God had done for the Israelites in the wilderness before they reached their promised land had died out.  One of the last things God commanded the Israelites to NOT do is to forget the precepts of God, to intermarry with unbelievers and to worship their gods.

Yet, after God gave them 'their promise,' that is EXACTLY what the Israelites did.  Read Judges 1-3 to understand just where Israel was before Gideon was born.  They were in rebellion and disobedience.  They had forgotten God and all that He had done for them.  They got the bling, the power, the fame and the very allegiance they promised God in the wilderness they gave it to other gods and allowed themselves to 'fall in love' with-and intermarry-with unbelievers.

In the 6th chapther of Judges, God has given the Israelites over to the Midianites.  After hearing their cries for help, God calls Gideon as their deliverer-calling him a 'mighty man of valor' in vs. 12. Instead of responding in faith, believing what God has said, what was Gideon's response?

"...If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me...." vs. 17

The Lord God 'confirms' His Word with a supernatural sign in vs. 21.

Then Gideon LACKED FAITH and TRUST in God again, seeking TWO more signs from God in vs. 36-40, signs that God wanted him to do what He said.

Now, we often make Gideon out to be this great man of faith and valor, taking the scripture completely out of context.  What we fail to realize is that God had already chided Israel because in spite of His MANY signs, wonders and deliverance(s) to Israel, Israel STILL went awhoring after other gods, STILL walked in blatant disobedience and rebellion to the things of God and STILL worshipped other gods.

Because God is long-suffering and merciful, He granted 'confirmations' here.  He sent signs and wonders...to confirm His word to His people...THEN.

But NOW?

God is NO LONGER sending signs and wonders for the purpose of feeding the faith of those who profess to be believers in Him.  God has a proven track record of HIS Faithfulness to man.  He does NOT need to confirm or prove ANYTHING to us.

We simply need to take heed to HIS WORD, trust implicitly in HIM, and NOT seek after signs and confirmations.

We hear preachers preach on the 10 plagues in Egypt.  We hear preachers preach on 'these signs shall follow them that believe...' We hear modern day apostles taut that they are supposed to have signs and wonders following them.

Well, I present to you that those who seek after signs and wonders are WICKED and EVIL.

Matthew 16:4A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it

The Word here actually calls this generation 'adulterous.'  Why?  Because seeking after signs is a form of idolatry!  And God sees idolatry as spiritual adultery.  Without FAITH, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.  When God speaks TO US, we simply must believe it, and act it out accordingly...(of course, trying the spirit is totally different than seeking a sign. God tells us to try the spirits, yes.  But He actually grows weary of people who seek a sign...)

Mark 8:11-12

And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

It greatly displeases God when we keep asking for a sign.  Or even when we entertain 'confirmations' of words heard in the spirit merely by events that happen to occur, supernatural manifestations, prophecies, and the such.

Do you see where the Word says that God will NOT be giving signs to this generation?

God does not want us so caught up in signs, confirmations, miracles and the such in this hour.  We MUST understand that the enemy of our souls can perform signs, miracles and wonders, too.  The enemy can prophesy...ACCURATELY.  The enemy can raise folks from the dead, heal the sick, and the whole nine.  He got ALL kinds of tricks in his bag.

And he is waiting to pull one out JUST ON YOU, if you keep your spirit open to all kinds of confirmations...seeking a word...seeking a sign...stalking prophets and such.

That spirit of unbelief occurs in a people when they walk away from God in disobedience and rebellion to Him.  In sin, one cannot hear the voice of God.  NOT AT ALL.  So therefore, they have to rely on OTHERS to hear FOR THEM!

Whenever you find someone who cannot hear from God, who are always seeking a word, a sign, running from conference to conference, looking for that next prophetic 'fix,' they are in sin in some area of their lives.  SIN IS THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARATES US FROM GOD!

Another reason is that that person is IMPATIENT...which speaks to a LACK OF FAITH.

Faith requires you, at times, to WAIT ON THE LORD for an answer.  When we try to 'make things happen' in our own strength, in our own time, then that shows we don't trust God the way that we should.  So we go about trying to help God out...when HE DOES NOT need our help!

One of the gravest errors of the Word of Faithers is that they believe that if they merely 'utter the Word of God back to God,' then He is somehow 'obligated' to do their bidding, whether it be money, a mate, a job, a ministry, etc.

But when God does not grant them 'the desires of their hearts,' then they go about seeking signs and wonders to 'feed their faith' in a false word.  And religious spirits LOVE to feed false words!  Religious spirits will feed one's 'faith' in a word THEY believe it true ALL day, ALL year long!  By dreams, signs, wonders, prophecies, sermons, by ANYTHING they feel will keep them deluded and deceived.

Do you remember the movie, "Bruce Almighty," in one scene after Bruce gets God's powers, him and Grace, his girlfriend, has broken up.  He thought because he had God's powers now that he could make Grace love him and take him back.  But he finds out he cannot.

So in an attempt to win Grace back, Bruce uses his newfound, supernatural abilities to create all kinds of signs and wonders around her that hopefully will point to her taking Bruce back.  The 'Bruce & Grace Forever' carved on every tree stump she passes on a morning jog.  The numerous TV commercials that play messages that encourages Grace to take Bruce back.  Their dog who gives Grace the phone and encourages her to call Bruce!

That is much how a religious spirit operates.

EVERYTHING around you will seem to point towards 'what God said' or 'what God promised.'  You think, 'I mean SURELY, if ALL of these signs are pointing towards this, this MUST be God, right?'

I know what you're thinking: 'But hey! In the movie, Bruce and Grace DOES get back together..'

Yes.

But that was NOT because of Bruce's supernatural manipulations and control, trying to 'make' Grace take him back.  It had to be her choice.  Anything other than that would have been nothing more than witchcraft...and if the reconciliation began out of witchcraft, it would only be maintained by witchcraft as well.

I go into all this to help you realize one thing.

When we ask God to show us a sign, we are actually trying to control and manipulate Him, attempting to relegate God to be nothing more than our Magician, to do our bidding whenever WE want.  Most of the time, when people seek after signs and wonders, it is out of an unhealthy desire within them for control and power.  Two very powerful yet dangerous entities when combined without the Holy Ghost to temper them both.

And people who seek ultimate power and control REALLY not only lack faith in God, but are weak, and feel powerless over their situations and circumstances.  Instead of trusting God, they trust in their control of things.  This is another form of self-righteousness that nullifies the work of the Cross AND the power of the resurrection in our lives.

And any spirit that does NOT embrace AND confess that the resurrection of Christ is legitimate is of the AntiChrist. (1 John 4:2-3)

We must also be aware that the Antichrist WILL perform signs and wonders.  This is how he will be able to get so many people to follow him. (Revelations 13:13-14)

If you are 'addicted' to signs, wonders and confirmations, it is time to get 'detoxed' from them, FOR REAL!  Continuing to seek after them can cost you your life!

I encourage those who love God to TRUST the voice of God speaking to you.  Try the spirit and see if it is of God.  ALWAYS.