ARE MIRACLES THE CHRISTIAN'S STANDARD FOR IDENTIFYING TRUTH?
by Dr. Fillmer Hevener

INTRODUCTION

In this Twenty-first Century --sometimes referred to as the post-modern era-- virtually any action is considered morally acceptable by the typical cosmopolitan secularist. Finding himself in such an indulgent society, the Christian must have a lucid, reliable standard for determining moral TRUTH, no matter what the situation.

The working definition of "miracle" in this article is: that action which finds its source in the supernatural world as opposed to the physical, natural world.

The honest person's search for TRUTH is the search for the Creator God's answers to questions about such universal issues as: mankind's origins, the purpose of human life, the human's state after death, and mankind's future.


IS THERE A SUPERNATURAL WORLD?

There are many self-proclaimed sages who purport to have access to the supernatural world, and, thus, to have answers to many universal questions that have perplexed man for centuries.

Let's frame a true-to-life parable in which a religious teacher/messenger comes to your home claiming to have access to divinity and divinity's knowledge. How do you respond? You ask this teacher/prophet for evidence supporting such a supernatural connection.

He says, "Fine, I will give you evidence of my supernatural powers and connections."

He asks if you believe in levitation, a contradiction of the law of gravity. You tell him, "No!"

He, then, proceeds to give you historical evidence that levitation can and has occurred.

First, he walks over to your bookcase, takes down the encyclopedia, and reads to you about one of the most famous levitators, Daniel Douglas Home, who reportedly practiced levitation for over forty-years. In 1868, reports describe Home's levitating out a third-story window and floating back into the building through another window. According to reports, when levitating, Home was sometimes, but not always, in a trance. His levitation was never demonstrated to be a fraud by hundreds of skeptical witnesses and tests.

According to some sources, levitation still exists in India and Tibet. Alexander David-Neel, a British explorer, one day witnessed the flight of a Buddhist monk, who flew a dozen meters over an alpine plateau.

Some ancient reports tell of Saint Theresa, a Carmelite nun, to be among the first to levitate during the Middle Ages. Her flight was "seen by 230 Catholic priests." The nun writes about this "gift of levitation" in her autobiography dated, 1565.

Another churchman, Saint Joseph of Cupertino, was said to have been observed levitating on more than a hundred occasions by various Christians.

In 1960, under somewhat controlled scientific conditions, Nina Kulagina, a Russian psychokinetic, demonstrated the power to levitate such objects as tennis balls and water glasses under structured conditions that made such levitation seem impossible to the scientists observing her. Dr. Alexander
Dubrov, a scholar in biological science, points out that one's biogravitational field is deliberately created by the levitator, who can control that field and change the direction of flight.

Upon presenting you with this "wealth" of evidence, the religious teacher looks at you questioningly and asks if you now accept the reality of levitation.

After hearing this evidence, you, however, are still skeptical that physical objects can levitate, especially heavy objects such as people. The religious teacher sees the doubt in your deep facial lines and questioning eyes and says, "Alright, now I will persuade you."


VISUAL EVIDENCE IS PROVIDED

The teacher gets up from his wooden chair, goes to the middle of the room, sits on the heavily carpeted floor, and crosses his legs in a Yoga position. He starts meditating, goes into a trance, begins to slowly rise in thin air, then goes to about three feet above the floor and stays there for some fifteen minutes. Slowly descending, then coming out of the trance, and with his legs still crossed and his eyes fixed firmly on you, he asks if you now believe in levitation. In honesty, you must answer, "Yes." He then asks if you believe that he has contact with the Divine supernatural source of knowledge. Confused and embarrassed, you mumble a few unintelligible sounds that commit you to nothing.

Not only has this spiritual teacher drastically reduced your skepticism about levitation, but he has also gone far in persuading you that his source of power is, indeed, beyond the physical realm.

He continues, "I see that you are still in doubt; so, please allow me to give you further evidence that I have connections with the divine source of all knowledge. I am going into a deep trance; my breathing will stop for some thirty minutes. During this time, please check my pulse and hold this dressing-room mirror before my nose and mouth to make sure that I am not breathing."

He, then, points to a large leather-bound black Bible lying on the nearby end-table. Looking toward the Bible he says, "After I am into the trance for some ten minutes, take this Bible, which weighs just over eighteen pounds, and place it in my hand of the outstretched arm. Leave it in that hand for at least twenty minutes."

Immediately after speaking to you, he again sits with legs crossed in Yoga fashion in the middle of the room, goes into deep concentration, and within ten minutes is in a deep trance. Using the mirror that he provided, you test his breath. There is no clouding on the mirror. You then reach for his right arm and test his pulse; there is no pulse-absolutely no pulse!

After going through this procedure for at least five times, you must admit to yourself that he is not breathing.

You then see his right arm extend with an open hand. You walk over to the end-table, pick up the Bible, and place it in that open hand. Checking your watch, you make a mental note of the time and wait, Wait, WAIT.  Approximately twenty minutes after you placed the Bible in the hand of his extended arm, he gently lays the Bible on the floor and starts coming out of his deep trance.

After several minutes, he again looks at you with deep-set, penetrating eyes, and asks, "Do you now believe that I am in contact with the source of all knowledge and wisdom?" You stare into space and are too stunned to respond.

He continues, "I have new light from that source." He tells you that he knows you are a Christian seeking truth and that he has been asked by his divine source to relate the following Biblical information to you:

1. The seventh-day Sabbath identified in the fourth commandment is no longer binding. Christians should now keep the first day of the week as a memorial to the resurrection of Christ.

2. Once one has accepted Christ, he cannot be lost; one is predestined to salvation after such an acceptance.

3. A portion of the ceremonial law is still binding; Christ's death did not annul the tithing command in that law.

4. Unlike the apostles who supported themselves by working with their hands and spreading the gospel of salvation free of charge, ministers today should not support themselves with their hands, but should receive a salary from tithe.

5. When Christ ascended into heaven, he went immediately into the holy place, not being permitted, at that time, to enter the Most Holy Place, the throne room of God.

6. Now, salvation is realized by works of the sinner, not through faith in the blood of Christ.

7. Contrary to the apostolic model, the church should have a strong central authority, a hierarchy of administrators, and be highly structured. (1)

Frightened, confused, and not willing to listen to more of this erroneous diatribe against the true doctrines that you know the Bible teaches, you rush from the room, dash across the yard, and jump into your car. Immediately you decide to drive to your pastor's home and share with him this unnerving experience.


YOUR PASTOR COMES TO THE RESCUE

Fortunately, your Pastor is home. You relate to him the entire episode, including the seven errors that the teacher/prophet gave you. Pleadingly, you look at him and say, "Please help me sort out this unhinging experience. How do I determine truth? How do I decide what is the will of my Creator, God?"

After calming you, your Pastor, with confidence and certainty, assures you that there is a way to separate truth from error. Before taking the Bible from his desk, he asks that both of you pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit as you study this vital topic, separating truth from error.

Your Pastor outlines and paraphrases key Biblical texts that he wishes you to consider:

A. 1 John 4:1- Test the spirits because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

B. Mark 13:22- False christs and false prophets will show great signs and wonders (miracles) which will deceive, if possible, the very elect, the best students of the Bible and those having the greatest faith in Christ.

C. Matthew 7: 22, 23- Many will say that they have prophesied in Christ's name, cast out demons, and done many other wonderful (miraculous) works. Christ will tell them that He never knew these workers of iniquity; they must depart from Him.

D. Matthew 24:24- False christs and false prophets shall arise, doing great miracles and deceiving, if possible, the children of Christ.

E. Deuteronomy 13: 1-3- If a prophet works a sign or wonder (miracle) or gives a prophecy that comes true, but then leads you away from God's word, don't listen to or follow that prophet.

F. Isaiah 8:20- If a prophet does not speak according to the law and the testimony of scripture, there is no light (truth) in him; don't follow him.


CONCLUSION

Yes, Friend, there is a supernatural world, and there are two sources of supernatural powers: Satan and the Creator God. How do we Christians separate information from the True Source, from information from the evil source?

From these Biblical passages we see that there is only ONE standard for separating truth from error, and that ONE standard is SOLA SCRIPTURA, the BIBLE being the ONLY inerrant RULE OF FAITH and morals for the Christian. We must reject as our authority both tradition and the proclamation of any individual or organization, religious or secular.

SOLA SCRIPTURA! SOLA SCRIPTURA! SOLA SCRIPTURA! AMEN.