The second difference between the real and false is the authority of Christ. If as a leader you do not have the funds to match the vision then you must consider the possibility that the vision is not from God. The God we serve is not short on cash. He also does not require your seed, your paycheck, or anything monetarily in order to bless you. Authority in Christ is seen in the movement of the Spirit of God in the church, which is manifested with true signs and wonders. This can be a tricky area because a lot of the hucksters fake signs and wonders to convince people that the Spirit is moving; hallelujah pass the offering plate! The first caveat for signs and wonders is that they need to be Biblical. There are no examples in Scripture where gemstones, gold dust, or angel feathers accompanied the preaching of the Word of God. Silly fanciful testimonies of being in the throne room of God without Biblical reverence are simply untrue. The authority of Christ respects the Word of God. The second caveat deals with connecting the signs and wonders to an offering. God does not heal on an hourly rate. We should be wary of any preacher who claims to be healing people and is tying it directly to money in any form.
The third difference is a reverent awe -- we must behave as if we are aware that God is watching us. The Bible says those who bring the Word of God will be held to a higher standard. Is there humility in the man of God? Where is the humility in begging people in debt for 2.5 million dollars? Benny Hinn once said on television that he wished he could find the verse that would allow him to kill his critics. We are losing whatever reverence is left in the church. The seeker friendly and purpose driven agendas have reduced God to a fluffy God who is just dying to bless us. We hear worship music today sounding more like we are worshipping ourselves. Singing to God how much He loves us is not worship beloved. Petulantly drawing circles in the sand when God says no is not prayer. Abusing the people of God for monetary gain is not reverent.
Benny Hinn once said, "God will not move unless I say it. Why? Because He has made us coworkers with Him. He set things up that way. " Wow. God moves whenever God wants to move. God does whatever God wants to do. As for Benny Hinn, he is not a co-worker of God. He is a worker of iniquity. We have to develop better discernment. Beloved, do not fall for charlatans who are only after your money and who seek to make you temporal promises when the eternal promises of God are guaranteed and completely free of charge.
Reverend Anthony Wade -- May 8, 2013
