What might well appear as arrogance on my part is but the expression of supreme confidence in what I know to be the true ways of God. My relationship with the Most High is one hundred percent genuine. For many years now I have been able to say God is my life.
Realize that there are dozens and dozens of differing, dissenting, contradictory denominations in the “Christian” religion. This being a fact, that means there is a lot of profound error going forth under the color of truth. If one is not totally and completely surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ in every area of his or her life, and fails to really study God’s Word in depth, then it is a foregone conclusion they are going to embrace much error. Satan is a master at his craft. Never forget that. And he has plenty of demonic and human help to assist him in the spreading of his lies and errors.
In the 17th chapter of I Kings is recorded the account of the prophet Elijah’s encounter with the widow of Zarephath and the raising of her young son from the dead, “And he (Elijah) stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, ‘O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come into him again.’ And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came unto him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the (upper) chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother, and Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives.’ And the woman said to Elijah (and note this well), ‘Now BY THIS (by this obvious manifestation of God’s power being present and undeniable) I KNOW THAT YOU ARE A MAN OF GOD, AND THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD IN YOUR MOUTH IS TRUTH” (verses 21 through 24).
“And it came to pass in Iconium that they (Paul and Barnabas) went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. Long time therefore abode they (in Iconium) speaking boldly in the Lord (Jesus manifesting Himself through them), WHICH GAVE TESTIMONY OF HIS GRACE, AND GRANTED SIGNS AND WONDERS TO BE DONE BY THEIR HANDS” (Acts 14:1-3). The gifts of the Spirit (healing, exhibiting the word of knowledge etc.) manifested through Paul and Barnabas cried out to every thinking mind “these men are representatives of Jesus Christ and speak the truth.”
Anywhere the TRUE gifts of the Spirit are manifested God is saying as graphically and loudly as possible: “THE TRUTH IS SPOKEN (OR TAUGHT) HERE!”
When Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar both what he had dreamed and the interpretation thereof, that pagan king declared: “Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods ,and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing you could reveal this secret” (See Daniel 2:47). Real, genuine, spiritual gifts exalt the Most High and declare Him to be the God of all gods, and testify to the fact that those exhibiting such miraculous gifts are truly the Lord’s representatives. Counterfeit gifts do the opposite. They cause those who witness the same to view “Christians” as charlatans and frauds!
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley