A Problem in the Camp

Defending Signs & Wonders

The Wounded Prophetic

Years ago, just before I left Morningstar. I realized that because there were so many fake people in leadership within the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement. Many sectors of Christianity were going to be going against not only Charismatic Christianity, but the manifest power of God as a whole. Somewhere around that time, a prophetic woman I know had a vision of a withered, black pinky finger. As soon as I heard it, I knew the Lord was saying the pinky is the prophetic, and it’s going to be a while before it gets healed.

Fast forward to today. A lot of ministers have been exposed, fallen, and some of them are showing evidence that they were never a part of the House of God to begin with. They were peddlers for profit. Many of the people who were under them are shocked and in disarray. Many have become scattered over the land for various reasons. Some are lost, some were absorbed by bad groups, and others sit in the sovereign hand of God, waiting.

Are Signs Just Witchcraft?

But now the attacks have come in quietly from different corners. These attacks are meant to keep people away from the power of God with half-truths, innuendos, and self-serving misuse of scripture.

There are many YouTube channels that have already jumped on the bandwagon, and now I see books by “ex-newagers,” claiming to be Christians who are exposing the “truth.” Is it not strange that these newagers are coming out now and diverting people away from the Power of God?

One of their arguments is that looking for a Sign is just another form of divination (AKA Witchcraft). Well, I don’t think Moses and Gideon were practicing Witchcraft.

Gideon twice asked for confirmation with his fleece, and Moses was given signs by God to confirm His word.

Examples of People Looking for Signs:

Gideon (Judges 6:17-22): Gideon famously asked God for a sign using a fleece. First, he asked that the fleece be wet with dew while the ground was dry, and God did so. The second night, he asked for the opposite: for the fleece to be dry and the ground wet. 

Moses (Exodus 4:1-9): God gave Moses many signs, such as turning his staff into a snake and back again, to confirm His word to him, the Israelite’s, and Pharaoh.

Israelite’s (Deuteronomy 7:19): This passage describes the “great trials” and “signs and wonders” that God did so that the eyes of the people could see. This was done as a testimony to the Israelites and their descendants.

Acts 2, the pouring out of the Spirit. This was a sign to the Apostles that the words of the Prophet Joel were unfolding right in front of them.

Acts 10, The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles amazed Peter. It was a sign that the Gentiles were also included in the new covenant.

Reasons for Seeking Signs:

Confirmation of Truth: People like Gideon sought signs to confirm that God was indeed speaking to them and giving them a directive. 

Confirmation of God’s Word: In His grace, God also gives signs to help those who are struggling to believe. As confirmation of His promises and future guidance. 

Doubt and Unbelief: Sometimes, seeking signs can come from a place of doubt or lack of trust, as seen with the Pharisees in the New Testament who were demanding signs from Jesus when he said, “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.” Matthew 16:4 Notice, they were still getting a sign; they were just not going to like the sign that he gave them.

Signs and Wonders are a testimony of God to the people. They are “Trans-rational,” meaning that they, like any miracle, go beyond the rational mind and testify directly to the person’s soul.

Falling under the Spirit: Fake or Real?

Many believers are rightly wary because they’ve seen emotional manipulation and fake manifestations. These concerns are real. Such abuses and counterfeits have led many Christians to reject signs, wonders, and physical manifestations of the Spirit. But Scripture shows that God Himself gives signs and can physically overwhelm people, so we must learn discernment—not abandonment—of His power. Because the remedy for abuse is not rejecting what is biblical, it’s learning to discern between the genuine and the counterfeit.

One of the arguments against this is that we are to be sober and controlled by the Spirit. When this argument is used, it implies the idea that falling under the spirit is not authored by the Holy Spirit. Yes, this is one of the easiest things in all of Christianity to fake. I remember after becoming well acquainted with the power of God. Someone dragged me off to a “happy hunter” meeting. (Charles and Frances Hunter)

This meeting was absolutely fake from top to bottom. They put me in a line, and Charles came along yelling and pushing people. Some guy jumped in behind and tried to pull me down. I resisted them both and kept standing. There was NO power of God going on in that room, only human hype.

But that experience did not make me believe that falling from the Holy Spirit was fake, just the Happy Hunter ministry.

Biblical Examples

Apostle John on the Island of Patmos: John fell at Jesus’ feet “as though dead” after hearing a loud voice and turning to see Christ in his glorious form, which demonstrated an overwhelming and life-draining presence of divine power. 

Daniel’s Vision: Daniel fell to his face after witnessing a powerful vision, becoming helpless and unconscious before a divine figure who then touched him, restoring his strength. 

The Transfiguration: The disciples Peter, James, and John fell on their faces to the ground, overwhelmed and frightened by a bright cloud and a voice from heaven that declared Jesus as God’s beloved Son. 

Dedication of Solomon’s Temple: Priests were unable to stand and minister before the altar because the glory of God filled the temple so powerfully, indicating God’s presence could physically overwhelm people. 

Saul’s Conversion (Paul): While traveling to Damascus, a light from heaven shone around Saul, causing him to fall to the ground and hear a voice from Jesus, marking his radical encounter with God’s power. 

Jesus’ Confrontation in the Garden: When Jesus declared, “I am he,” to the soldiers who came to arrest him, they all fell backward to the ground due to the divine force of his presence. 

The argument is that we are to be sober and controlled by the Spirit. But these people would like you to ignore that it was the Holy Spirit who did these things. Don’t be taken in by the “ex-witches” claiming to be Christians, or the many powerless bible-thumpers protecting their kingdoms.

The power of God in your life is what you need for the days ahead so that you are not tossed about by the winds and the waves. “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14

Question

#1: Charismatic excess has hurt people deeply; would it not be safer to avoid all of this and just ban its use?

Although historically, many congregations have banned or limited the use of Spiritual Gifts. This was done mostly out of fear of the unknown. Leadership tends to want to control what it does not know. But honestly, the body of the Lord not working in such things is like a Carpenter showing up on a job with any tools.

#2: God gave signs then, but that doesn’t mean we should expect them now.

Believers who started out in their early years without being exposed to the workings of the Holy Spirit have learned to adjust to a form of cultural Christianity that has little impact. I heard one Christian state that they grew up reading about such things, but in the back of their mind, they regarded it to be stories, more like a Harry Potter movie. They were shocked one day to discover it was all real.

This has been proven over and over again in various studies. But when examined, the bulk of scripture demonstrates that this activity is still working today. If it were not, then why would Paul dedicate over three chapters in 1 Corinthians to help us understand this?

There is also the promise of Acts 2 and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Gentiles in Acts 10.

There are ministers, prophetic, evangelists, pastoral, and more who are all trying to keep the old model of prophetic ministry alive. They do this out of what they know, what they were trained in. I get it, they need to pay the bills. But, the image that was shown was of a withered, black pinky finger. That means it’s dead, and life can only come from the sovereign hand of God now.

So does that mean they should stop? No, according to Paul, they just need to add Wisdom and Love. If they are truly the Lord’s Prophets, you will see over time their methods and ways changing because the Holy Spirit has been talking to them. And that will be exciting.