Most of us are aware of cults and individuals who have given themselves over to following a belief system that sounds glorious on the surface, but where the surprise outcome for followers is disillusionment, despair, and destruction. Unfortunately, many religious leaders are secretly motivated by money and power instead of the well-being of their followers, and use every means available to entice the unwary. Today, we must become spiritually mature enough to discern truth for ourselves, and not blindly trust in religious leaders. The spiritual health of us and our families is primarily our own responsibility, not our church or pastor.
Spiritual deception is much more effective using candy-coated but poisonous half-truths to destroy people from within rather than outward attacks, since such insidious attacks go largely undetected. The antidote to this deception lies within the Christian Bible, which indicates that miracles will be the greatest form of deception in the last days before the personal return of Christ, and that these miracles will eventually lead many to unwittingly worship a counterfeit Messiah known as the Antichrist. Right now, the world is being prepared for his reign by a focus on spiritual experiences, and miraculous signs in particular, both within the Christian church and in other religions. These signs will continue to increase in scope and power as Christ's return approaches.
According to Christ Himself, multitudes of people and institutions believe they are following Christ, and doing good religious works in His name, but they are in fact deceived, and were never known by Him. For multitudes, miracles will be the Pied Piper that unwittingly leads them to eternal separation from God, so it is vital to understand how to avoid spiritual deception in this area. With no standard of truth, and the enticement of exciting and seemingly good experiences, how can one distinguish between genuine works of God, supernatural signs and wonders of occult or demonic forces, and faked miracles via men’s sleight of hand?
It is essential to recognize and avoid spiritual deception. There are numerous sources of information about miracles from religions and men, but the authoritative source of truth is found in the Bible. To avoid deception when looking at our experiences and information about miracles, be sure to rely on sources that align their beliefs and experiences with God's standard of truth.
About the Author:
Rory Roybal is the author of Miracles or Magic?, and has over 10 years of experience leading church and home Bible studies. He has more than 15 years of executive management experience, leading groups of up to 400 people and $33M+ technical business units. Rory has been featured on the cover of VB Tech Journal and served as editor-in-chief for the Unix System Price/Performance Guide.
More information on Miracles or Magic? is available on the book website http://www.miraclesormagic.com, complete with in-depth webcasts/MP3's Discerning the Works of God in Today's World, with Dr. Noah Hutchings and All About Miracles, with Dr. Theresa Veach !
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by RORY ROYBAL
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