What are the tell-tale signs to look for if we are to identify fake miracles and miracle workers today?

1. Fruit of their life
Jesus repeatedly said, 'by their fruits you shall know them' (Matt. 7:16)

The fruits of a man's life is much more than the work he doing. A sinful, ungodly, lying, adulterous and greedy preacher is not from God, in spite of any miracle he might be doing. A preacher that teaches that whatever you do with "'our body doesn't really matter since you are a new creation is fake and far away from God, despite claims of miracles. A preacher who messes around with women in hotels and comes around to preach, pray and perform spurious miracles is clearly a fake, unreal and devilish. Once you cannot find fruits of truthfulness, righteousness, holiness, sincerity, humility and integrity in a preacher, run away, even if mighty miracles are happening through him or her.

2. Manipulative and Arranged
Fake miracles are usually arranged and manipulated. People are told to testify of what had not happened to them There is a lot of pushing, pulling and pressing people down in the name of ministrations.

In one of such places, someone walking with the aid of a stick was asked to sit in a wheel chair and be pushed to the front and then will stand up to testify that God had healed him of lameness. What a joke! Imagine someone who had ever seen before and the moment he receives his sight is already identifying colours! Or someone who had never walked before, immediately he testified of being healed, he started running with the preacher! These are some of what usually happen in many of the meetings of our tele-vangelists. They are all arranged and manipulated to deceive the public for gain and profit. '

3. Pride and Show off
Another good sign of fake miracles is the display of pride and show off by the miracle worker. Many preachers project themselves as the miracle workers. They usually comment 'I will heal you'. I even heard one who said; 'when I do my miracles'. Well, in reality, they are his miracles, not that of the Lord. He is the one doing them through secret
powers, not through the Holy Spirit of God. .

When preachers promise miracles, signs and wonders to people in their advertisement of a coming meeting, then you should smell a rat. In reality, nobody can promise a miracle because it is not the prerogative of man to do it, but that of God. Genuine miracles are the sovereign move of the Holy Spirit of God. But when a preacher arrogates that power to himself or herself, then, it is going to be fake and spurious.

4. Twisted Scripture
To identify a fake miracle worker, you only need to weigh his commitment to the truth of the word of God. Preachers that twist the Scripture to mean other things rather that face value interpretation are all fake and sinful. Preachers that give people license to commit fornication because of the doctrine of eternal security are all workers of iniquity. Pastors that do not preach against sin, evil and unrighteousness are all fake. Preachers that only talk about financial miracles without balancing it with righteous living are all fake and ungodly.

Preachers that encourage divorce, immoral living, stealing and sinful tendencies in people without standing on the word of God against such are all agents of Satan to damn the souls of men. Preachers that do not really preach, but only sing, pray and take testimonies of 'miracles' in their meetings are fake apostles, pastors, bishops and prophets and they will lead to hell and eternal regret. The true and undiluted word of God must be the yardstick for every preacher, ministry and ministration. Once it is contrary to the word of God, it is fake, substandard and subject to rejection.

5. Occultic and Magical
The way some preachers demonstrate when they are about to perform miracles always goes to show that they !are fake. I heard a 'prophet' who had a large following from South Africa, Europe and everywhere, saying he is going to the sixth and seventh heaven to procure miracle for someone he was ministering to on television. What a sacrilege and occultic manipulation of the highest order!

There is nothing like sixth or seventh heaven in the Scripture. When a preacher murmur strange names, "shakes violently and cries loudly, it only shows that he is trying to conjure some certain powers different to that of "God. Inaudible incantation and mentioning of angelic names are all signs of occultic and magical practices. Using special soaps, baths, candles, waters, clothings and anointing oil are all occultic and magical in nature. Glorifying witches, wizards and showing respect unto them are all tell-tale signs of fake miracles and miracle workers.

The same 'prophet' had the habit of giving his portrait size photograph to women looking for the fruit of the womb to pray with before they sleep. They should called the name of Immanuel, not Jesus. Well, many women did this and they had dreams of the prophet coming to sleep with them and they become pregnant, not with babies but with fib rod!

6. Using Means and Addition to Faith
You will easily identify fake miracles when you are asked to bring things that will aid your
miracles. Some Pentecostal preachers secretly ask people to bring candles, eggs, cloths, coconuts, animals and the likes of special anointing oil that has the power to do the impossible. All these are tell-tale signs of phony miracles.

When the word of God, the name of Jesus and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not enough to perform miracles, then know assuredly that strange and occultic powers are at work. When the faith of people are being placed in other things than the infallible word of God, then such miracles cannot but be devilish in nature. Churches that add to the faith and turn water, handkerchiefs, anointing oil, candles, a certain river, place and practise into doctrine and object of worship for miracle shall surely play into the hand of the devil. True miracles from God doesn't need any addition and artificial means of man.

7. Monetised and Financial Lucre
You can easily identify a fake miracle and miracle worker by their emphasis on money and giving. In very many cases, you pay to procure your miracle. You are asked to make a pledge or sow a substantial amount to the 'work of God' so , to quicken your miracles. Some goes to the extent of collecting money on crusade grounds. How close you are to the altar is how much you'll pay for special touch of the 'man of God'. Sometimes, you have to pay or buy something to gain access to the presence of the 'man of God'! All these are spooky ways of shortchanging people and deceiving them Many have gone through all these, yet their miracles never came.

8. Bondage to Sin and Evil
Fake miracles always lead people into bondage unwittingly. Many fake miracle workers have led women to sexual bondage through deceptive prophecies and practices. I've seen cases of women being asked to stripped and pray nakedly if they are to receive their miracles. Some Prophets, Pastors and Apostles sleep with women in name of passing the miracle anointing into their system.

Some use their male organ to do 'deliverance' for the private parts of women. What a nauseating and ungodly way of taking advantage of gullible people in the name of miracles!

It has been noted also, that many people are still in 'bondage to sin and evil in churches where miracles are purportedly happening. The 'man of God' is worshipped and venerated to the extent that nobody dare question him on anything. Every service is miracle time and nothing is being said about the sinful and ungodly lives being lived by the leader and his people.

Several years ago, Jesus of Oyingbo was in this kind of mess. In recent times, Prophet Emeka King has also been discovered. Unfortunately, there are still many of such leaders in Pentecostal, Charismatic and Evangelical churches. In the last few weeks, it was reported in the papers about a particular pentecostal church where all the women will pray naked during the services. Why? They want quick miracles and answers to their prayers. All these are ungodly ways, and phony miracles are the outcome.

9. Relapsing Miracles
You can identify fake and spurious miracles and miracle workers by the high rate of relapsing of the conditions of those purportedly healed. Fake miracles only result in temporary relief before the condition will worsen than before.

A miracle worker claimed that two Nigerian famous footballers were healed in his church. But the sicknesses never really went away. One had to be operated upon later and the other had to retire from active soccer as a result of the injury that the miracle worker claimed he had healed. Many of those who come to Lagos for healing and claimed to receive their miracles from these miracle workers, later died of the same sickness when they returned to their Countries.

I know of one personally who was brought from Nairobi to Lagos to attend a healing service for one month. Well, there was a temporary relief and she went back to Nairobi. But she later died a few weeks later due to the same illness. In France, South Africa, Holland and all over, the story is the same.

Fake and phony miracles do not last. It always come back more forcefully than ever before, because of the high occultic power involved. Well, the devil doesn't give a free lunch. He will always get much more back from such people. Unfortunately, many have died due to their desperation and ignorance.

10. God is not Glorified
Whenever a preacher displays an air of importance, superiority complex and boastful language as a result of the miracles happening through him, then know that he is fake nd phony. Whenever a preacher demands for unquestionable obedience and submission from people, he is fake and phony. When a preacher feels offended by those asking probing questions and runs away from prying eyes and is very secretive, then he is not really from God.

Prophets and Bishops that dominate, subjugate and rule over others, using prophecies and claims of being led by the Lord to hoodwink and abuse people are not from God but are serving their own selfish purposes. All these practise's do not bring glory to God and they are sure signs that they are from the flesh and devils.

You should not be deceived. Whenever you see any of "these tell-tale signs, either in your life, ministry or in that of life, ministry or in that of others, then you must know that the devil is at work. Whenever you have a tendency to operate in any of these ten ways, it is the deceptive spirit at work, wanting to use "you to ruin and destroy souls, now and forever.

Unfortunately, many Bishops, Prophets, General Overseers are in this mess today. I was told the true life story of a particular General Overseer, who went to a herbalist to procure power to perform miracles in his church. He left his Associate Pastor in the reception and went in with the herbalist until the following morning. He came out the next morning with a calabash in his hand. Upon enquiry by the innocent Associate Pastor, he said, 'Yes this is 'juju' and we are going to use it to perform miracles in the church. When people come to the church through it, we will preach the gospel to them'. What a shame and a sacrilege! Thank God, the Associate had to resign there and then. God doesn't need occultic power to draw people to Himself, neither does He need our fleshy, demonic and occultic help!

I'm sad to report that this is not an isolated case today. I have many of such stories documented in my files. In actual fact, some herbalists and occultic practitioners have refused to come to Christ because they claim that many top 'Pastors' patronise them in the dead of the night for power to perform the miraculous in their ministries and ministrations.

The end of such fake miracle workers is judgment and hell, if they fail to repent. God will expose them sooner or later to open shame. It has happened and will continue to happen as the age runs to a close. No fake miracle worker will go scot-free, God will judge them here and hereafter. (Amen)

* Dr. Bola Akin John is a Church growth expert. You can reach him and or buy this book at his website: http://www.churchgrowthafrica.org