Resisting The Truth

The prophets of old did miracles. Jesus made them commonplace and expected. He was operating in His own authority and not on the authority of someone else’s interpretation of the word. What about today?

Do miracles happen today? Look at this article from a perfectly legitimate Christian website. I’m sure these folks love the Lord, but... "It is absolutely impossible for people to perform miracles today. In the Bible, Christians could not perform miracles unless an apostle prayed for them and laid hands on them (Acts 8:14-17; 19:5-6). Since Paul was the last apostle (1 Cor. 15:8; cf. Acts 1:21-25), there are no apostles on earth today. Since there are not any apostles on earth to pray and lay hands on people to receive miraculous power, it is impossible for people to perform miracles." Yet Exodus 15:26 says, "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."

We know that God is eternal and unchanging. We know that the command was given to the Israelites. But God is the eternal God who heals and He is unchanging. We know that by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5 Peter says the same thing (I Peter 2:24) So what are we to believe - The tradition of a church (of men) or

The Holy Bible? Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." The problem is that people tend to love the world more than the word. When we take the supernatural out of the word of God and the gospel message it becomes just another philosophy. Paul dealt with the philosophers in Athens and they thought he was a babbler with some new philosophy. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Revelation 12:11)

II. Their own High Priest prophesied about Jesus and they still didn’t get it. (49-52) "It is expedient that one man should die for the people." John says that this high priest, Caiaphas, did not speak on his own authority. How can it be that one who does to know the Lord can be used in the Spirit? God can use whomever He wants to give His message. Numbers 22-24 tells us the story of Balaam. He viewed God as just one of many gods but God put words in his mouth. Caiaphas thought he was speaking words of human wisdom, but John says that he was speaking through the office of High Priest and not on his own. How many remember the amazing Kreskin? He was a self - proclaimed prophet and made predictions of the future.

There may or may not have been some demonic activity there. He did not speak from the spirit of God. Caiaphas’ words were from the Spirit, spoken by man.

John gives these words a two-fold meaning. Worldly meaning and an Eternal meaning. Caiaphas did not fully understand what he was saying. Yet it all came true. Though He spoke from a spirit of religion the HOly Spirit still used him.