Relics and Miraculous Bleeding and Weeping
Over the years, I have heard of all kinds of things that are revered and really worshiped. It is claimed that these things have special powers to heal because they belonged to someone in the Bible. Tears, oil and blood have flowed from all kinds of statues, paintings, etc. It is even claimed that the shroud of Christ is still in existence as well as enough slivers of the original Cross that might build a nice three-story home.
I do not place any stock in any of these things nor that which is claimed about them. Indeed, I would very much like to have these things be authentic, but the very premise of these things having special powers is unbiblical. I cite the following case.
II Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. (KJV)
The brasen serpent had no power in itself. It was created for a specific event in a specific time. What saved the people was their obedience of faith to look at the serpent, not the serpent itself. It made no logical sense that if you look at a brass serpent on a pole you would be healed of snakebite. However, God said to look and live. Those that believed Him looked and lived. Those who did not died. After that, it may have been kept as a memorial to the event, but it no longer had any usefulness past that.
However, it seems that many years later when Israel fell into apostasy they turned the thing into an idol and offered incense to it. Incense was symbolic of prayers rising up to God. In essence, they were praying to it as any other pagan idol. They took a thing that God used and made it a God. This is much like the folks in Romans 1:23 who exchanged the real God for one made like man or animals. We have a snake here and since satan is often referred to as a serpent, we could have an example of taking something of God’s and using it for devil worship.
In reality, a Christian does this every time he sins. He takes himself who is bought with a price and pays homage to the devil by rebelling against God and committing that which God prohibits or by not doing what God commands. Heavy thoughts that should drive us all to the floor on our face and cry out as Isaiah, "Woe is me…"
Note what happened to the serpent relic when the King got right with God and started cleansing the land of idolatry. The serpent bit the dust. It was a piece of brass and that is all. I thoroughly believe that this is why we cannot find the Ark of the Covenant and why we cannot get to Noah’s ark, if it really is up on that mountain. We will adore it and make more of it than it is. Besides, we are to be people of faith not sight. All these relics and bleeding. and oozing are sight things, not faith things.
You may be saying that I am a doubting Thomas. Nope, I just know that we live in an age of heresy and demonic deception. If I am a doubting Thomas, let us see what Jesus said to him.
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (KJV)
I would rather have that blessing of faith without seeing though my flesh would love to see flashy miracles and have things that I can touch and be healed or "enlightened." If it is truly Jesus’ shroud, it is a piece of cloth and quite possibly should be burned as it has become more than Christ would have ever meant it to be. He left it behind in the tomb so that the disciples could see that His body was not stolen, but rather that He arose and no longer needed it.
What about bleedings and things? Why are they needed? To win souls? We have his Word and His Spirit to do those things. To increase faith? No, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. When we see God’s promises fulfilled, our faith is increased. Sight things like bleedings or tears or visions on a tortilla may increase our emotions, but not our faith. What happens when they cease or are proven fraudulent? Our "faith" is destroyed. Things of God do not destroy faith. We are to have faith when He speaks and when He is silent.
Matt 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. (KJV)
We live in a wicked and adulterous generation. I believe that the great falling away spoken of in Scripture started in the 1880’s. If I am correct, then we are truly in the last days, and in those days, we are told that the Anti-Christ will deceive with many lying wonders. (2 Th 2:9) So, will there be many precursor antichrists? Sure. Paul said in the 2 Th 2:7 that the mystery of iniquity was already at work in his day. John said that the spirit of Anti-Christ was already in the world. (I John 4:3) So, if everything is already working it is not unreasonable to assume that their will be a build up of lying wonders until we reach the top act of satan incarnate. Therefore, be careful! The Egyptian priest’s snakes looked and acted just like Moses’ snake. The devil can imitate and he does it very well.
Matt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (KJV)
You had better pray like mad for discernment!!! Good people often get wrapped up in stuff because it does look so good and they believe God can work miracles. So do I, but He does not do them for showmanship or shekels. He shed His blood once on the Cross for all eternity. He does not need to drip it or ooze it anywhere else. If any tears are being shed, they are in Heaven because His people lack discernment.
Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (KJV)
Hebrews 1:1-2
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (KJV)
The greatest miracle of all time has already been done. Christ has arisen and His Spirit is poured out in His children. What else do we need? If the Lost will not hear His Word, which speaks of Him and His miracle, they will not believe if they see bleedings, tears, or relics. Where is your faith? Why lean on beggarly elements when you can have the treasure of Heaven? I leave you with a passage from Hebrews. May you have great faith in Him and receive all that He would give you!
Hebrews 11:1-6
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (KJV)
Faith does not need parlor tricks.
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Ironically, this was written back when I was ideologically a "full body tat" Baptist yet it had been posted on the Indian Pentecostal Times. Now, we have many Pentecostal/Charismatics folks falling for similar things.
