Why I Left The Tongues Movement - By Alfred H. Pohl

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REASON # 9

SIGN-SEEKING INSTEAD OF FAITH

At this moment of writing I have before me a clipping from the church page of the Calgary Herald [Calgary, Alberta, Canada]. It is a Charismatic church advertisement for services—with great emphasis on miracles. One meeting is called "Nite of Miracles." The word miracles appears four times in this one ad. And there are others like it. Why this emphasis on miracles, on the spectacular and on the sensational?

I am reminded of the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 12:38-40: "Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from Thee. But He answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Jesus said, "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign !" This sign seeking certainly does not have God's approval! Why? Notice how the Lord continues here in verses 39 and 40. Yes, there was one sign that they should be occupied with—that was the sign of Jonah which pointed directly to the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. That is the great sign that God gave to the world that many generations have and are overlooking.

In 1 Cor. 1:21-24 Paul deals with the very same issue, and is in total agreement with Christ. Notice how he expresses it: "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."

In verse 22 he says: "The Jews require a sign." So what does Paul do about it? Does he produce signs and wonders to meet their craving for them? No!

Though Paul could and did do so as an apostle in God's timing, not simply to satisfy curiosity and cater to the demand for the spectacular (see 2 Cor. 12:12), but to authenticate his apostleship and his message when required. But here to these sign-seekers he has but one sign, verse 23:

"But we preach Christ crucified!" And in chapter two verse two he says: "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

The Christian is not to be preoccupied with signs, wonders, and miracles, but with Christ's work for him on the cross and with His Gospel. That alone is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (1 Cor. 1:24; Rom. 1:16). The Corinthian error, which is being perpetuated today, was that they majored in the spectacular to the exclusion of the simple, yet wonderful and powerful Gospel of Christ that centers in the cross work.

Charismatics talk about "power" in their meetings—manifested in the miraculous and unusual. But is that the "power" that saves men's souls? Only the Gospel of Christ can do that!

Furthermore, the Christian is to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). But the miracle-seeker wants always to see! Remember the lesson that the Lord taught Thomas, who, too, had said: "Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails ... I will not believe." Jesus replied:

"Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed " (Jn. 20:24-29). Genuine faith rests in God's Word, not on sight.

The ultimate danger of sign and miracle-seeking lies in the fact that in the last days Satan will employ the miraculous to deceive the multitudes, culminating in the deceptions of the Antichrist and the False Prophet.

TAKE NOTE OF THESE WARNINGS:

1) Christ's warning in Matt. 24:24: "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Evidently, "signs and wonders" can and will be performed by false Christs and prophets. How many are and will be deceived by them?

2) The warning of 2 Thess. 2:8-12: "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: 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. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

It appears that the basic tool of deception employed by the Antichrist will be his miracle-performing powers. How effective this will be is seen today by the unscriptural appetite of so many for signs, wonders, and miracles.

Could it be that they are being prepared for the great deception that we read of here and also in Revelation chapter 13?

We might well ask ourselves why the Lord will permit this powerful deception. The answer, I believe, is right in this passage in 2 Thess. 2. In verses 10 & 12 we find these phrases: "Because they received not the love of the truth" and "who believed not the truth." Twice the word truth appears here. God permits this powerful deception, this "strong delusion," to sweep over a people who have neglected and rejected TRUTH—God's Word, the Scriptures, and Christ Himself, Who is the TRUTH (Jn. 14:6). Because they have not put the Scriptures where they belong—in FIRST PLACE, but have run after the spectacular, the miraculous, the sensational, to satisfy their unscriptural craving for these things, God sends them "strong delusion, that they should believe a (the) lie."

Dear reader, our recognition of the supreme authority of God's Word (Truth) is all-important! Doctrine is important! Stay close to the Book, the Bible!

All experiences, signs, wonders, miracles must be subject to the Scriptures. Our faith must be based on the unchanging eternal Word of God.

In connection with this thought I suggest that you also read Revelation 13:11-18.

In conclusion, turn to John 4:46-54 where we find the beautiful record of the healing of the nobleman's son. When the father approached the Lord for his son's healing, the Lord said to him (verse 48): "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." Why did he reply like this? I believe it was to test the father—was he like most of the Jews were, sign-seekers, or did he have real faith that could stand on the bare Word of the Lord?

Then, when the Lord simply said (verse 50) "Go thy way; thy Son liveth," he just took the Lord at His word. The verse goes on to say: "And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." How beautiful this simplicity of faith! He did not ask for a sign that his son was healed. He simply believed the statement of the Lord Jesus, without any signs. How this must have pleased the Lord Who was constantly harassed by sign-seekers! May we, too, be found in the ranks of this nobleman! Remember Hebrews 11:6.

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Reason #10--Questionable activities practiced and condoned