Riiiing...Riiiing...Riiiing...

Hello?

Paul, this is Danny. You need to come over to my house as soon as possible! You won't believe this!

Paul: What's going on, Danny? Are you okay?

Danny: I'm fine. I visited a new church last night and, and...

Paul: Danny, calm down for a minute. You're talking so fast I can hardly understand what you're saying.

Danny: I can't help it! I'm so excited! You've got to come over as soon as you can!

Paul: Okay. Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes.

Danny: Please hurry!

No sooner than Paul pulled into Danny's driveway, Danny ran outside, jumping up and down, and met Paul as he exited his car.

Danny: Paul, you're not gonna believe this! You'll have to see it with your own eyes! Praise the Lord! This is fantastic!

Paul: Okay. I'm here. What's going on? What is it you want me to see?

"Paul, you're not going to believe this!" Danny exclaimed, as he hurried Paul to the front door. Inside, Danny ushered Paul to a chair and said, "You need to sit down."

Danny: Now, this is not a joke or a prank. I'm serious. I visited a new church last night and, and during worship and praise, oil started dripping from our pastor's Bible!

Paul: What? 

Danny: I know this sounds weird but it's true! I could see it with my own eyes! Then, I stepped on a diamond the size of a marble! I thought it was a rock or something, but it was a real diamond! Then, everybody in the congregation saw some angel feathers floating down from the ceiling, and...

Paul: Danny, please slow down. I'm listening. Take a deep breath and talk slowly.

Danny took a deep breath, but was still excited. 

Paul: Now, please continue and tell me what's going on.

Danny: Okay. Okay. I'll try, but this is fantastic! Like I was trying to say, last night during church service we were blessed with some real supernatural manifestations from God, some of the expensive kind, I might add.

Paul was intrigued by he look of confidence on Danny's face. He had not seen him express this much excitement since high school, when their football team won the state championship. Danny had Paul's full attention, but Paul had an uneasy feeling about his best friend's new discovery.

Paul: "Supernatural manifestations"? What do you mean?

Danny: Miracles! Signs and wonders from God! Haven't you heard?!

Paul: Well, I know what the Bible says, but... 

Danny: I'm not talking about parting the Red Sea. I'm talking about real diamonds, gemstones, oil, gold glitter, angel feathers, and...

Paul: Where did it come from? Did the church have a yard sale?

Danny sat back and squinted his eyes at Paul. He couldn't believe what Paul had said. Paul was quick-witted, but as far as Danny was concerned, this wasn't the time for joking around.

Danny: Paul, I'm being serious.

Paul: Okay. I was just joking. Sorry. Now, tell me what happened.

Danny: Oh, I almost forgot! Real gold glitter appeared in the pastor's hands and hair, and some of the people found angel feathers on the pews and floor! I found some too! Everybody was jumping up-and-down and praising the Lord! You should have been there! I brought some of the stuff home...

Paul: Okay, Danny, hold on a minute. Let me get this straight. You visited a new church, and during the service diamonds, gold, oil, and angel feathers began appearing. Right?

Danny: THEY WERE SUPERNATURAL MANIFESTATIONS FROM GOD! PRAISE THE LORD FOR MIGHTY MIRACLES!! HALLELUJAH!!

Now it was Paul who took a deep breath. He had never seen Danny act this way. Danny was always level-headed, and never prone to sensationalism or wild stories.

Danny: Paul, we're rich! Here, look at what the Lord blessed me with.

Danny opened a white handkerchief and revealed what looked to be a large diamond, a green gemstone, and a feather. The handkerchief was dotted with little specks of gold glitter.

Danny: There they are, brother, supernatural manifestations from God! Aren't they beautiful? Check 'em out and see for yourself.  

Paul hesitated for a moment, then picked up the marble-sized diamond and held it in the palm of his hand, then the green gemstone. He rubbed specks of gold between his thumb and index finger.

Danny: Well, what do you think about that?! Is that amazing or what?! I still have gold specks on my shirt! I hung it in my closet and won't be wearing it again. 

Paul: Uh, well, I'm not an expert on diamonds and gemstones, but if they are real they must be worth a fortune. The gold glitter looks real, but you might...

Danny: What do you mean, "IF THEY ARE REAL?!" They came from heaven! God has plenty of diamonds and gold in heaven, and He gave us some last night! This is a real diamond and this is a real emerald! I just know it in my heart! Look how perfect they are. They are flawless!

Paul: Okay. Be patient with me. I'm just looking.

Paul returned the diamond and emerald to the handkerchief, then picked up the feather. It was pure white and between three to four inches long.

Danny: Well, what do you think? Is that a real feather?

Paul: Well, I'm not an expert on feathers either, but I know that what might look genuine might be a genuine imitation. Looks can be deceiving, you know.

At this point, Danny's patience was running thin. He wanted Paul to share in his joy and excitement. But to Danny, Paul acted as if he didn't believe the manifestations were real. Danny's joy slowly escalated into defense mode.

Danny: Paul, why are you being so skeptical? This stuff just suddenly appeared out of thin air! I can't explain it. Don't you believe me? What's the problem? Do you think I made this up?

Paul: No, I don't think you made this up. You have always been up front and honest with me. The gemstones and the gold dust seem real, but the feather, well, that's a different situation.

Danny: What do you mean by that?

Paul: Gemstones and gold glitter can be imitated and manufactured to look real, but a feather can't be imitated, because only God can create a feather. It seems to be a real feather, but the question is: Where did it come from? 

Danny: I don't believe this! All of this stuff is a miracle from God, and you have the nerve to question a miracle? Are you accusing me of lying?

As Danny awaited Paul's answer, Paul silently prayed for the Lord's guidance.

Paul: Danny, why are you upset with me? Is it because I have doubts? You know I love you in Christ, and I don't want this to turn into an argument. But you might have been conned and deceived. These are manifestations alright, but they might be natural, not supernatural.

Danny: I don't understand. What do you mean by that?

Paul: What I mean is that this diamond and emerald and gold glitter, as you call them, might be man-made, and might have been planted by someone in your church. I've heard of it happening before, and...

Danny: You've got to be kidding me! Somehow, I knew you wouldn't believe me! The pastor warned us that people would attack and mock God's signs and wonders, and now my best friend is calling me a liar!

Danny walked out of the living room mumbling something under her breath. Paul prayed silently. When Danny returned a few minutes later, he stood with his arms folded staring at Paul.

Danny: Paul, I figured that you, of all people, would believe me and be happy for me. Don't you understand? All of these things are supernatural blessings and miracles from God. Why can't you understand that? Why are you attacking the things of God?

As Paul pondered his response, he knew he was faced with losing his friendship and fellowship with Danny. He had two choices: stand his ground, or compromise.

Paul: Danny, calm down and listen to me. We have known each other for years. I don't believe you would fabricate a story and lie to keep it going. You know that I love the Lord, and that I would never attack or mock a true miracle from God. God can do anything He wants, but He is not the author of confusion, and He will not contradict His written word. If the gemstones, gold glitter, and feather are truly from God, then they will stand up to scrutiny and examination. I'm not saying they aren't real, I'm just saying check them out.

Danny: Do you really believe that someone in the church, even the pastor, planted a real diamond and real emerald and real gold glitter for anybody to pick up and put in their pocket? That's crazy! And, what about this angel feather? I saw it floating down from the ceiling of the church! Now, how do you explain that?

Paul: Look, I don't have all the answers. This is new to me, but we can work together to find the answers. God knows the truth behind these "supernatural manifestations," and if we trust in Him, He will reveal the truth. Besides, your friendship means more to me than a thousand diamonds.

An hour passed and neither Danny or Paul would budge. Paul tried to reason with Danny, but Danny kept repeating himself over and over.

Paul: Danny, this is a serious situation, and I take it serious. Let's look at what God has to say about supernatural manifestations and signs and wonders, and allow His word to be our final authority. But first, let's pray and ask the Lord to help us both understand what's going on, and for the truth to be revealed.

Danny: I don't have to pray about it! I was there! I saw what happened with my own eyes! I can't believe you are acting like this!

Paul: Danny, listen to me just for a moment. Remember in Acts chapter 17, where the Apostle Paul went to Berea and preached in the Jewish synagogue?

Danny: Yeah. What's that got to do with this?

Paul: The Bible says that the Bereans were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, and that they received the word with great eagerness, and examined the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Danny: Okay,so what's your point?

Paul: The people Paul witnessed to listened to him intently and put what he said to the test. The Bible says that afterwards many of them believed,

along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

Danny: So, you want me to check something out that I already know is from God. Right?

Paul: All I want you to do is test these "manifestations" by God's word.

Danny: Wait a minute! Remember a few months ago when you needed money to have your car fixed?

Paul: Yes. But please stop trying to sidetrack the issue. We can...

Danny: And you said you were going to pray and ask the Lord to furnish you with some money? So, what's the difference in you praying for money and God sending diamonds and gold from heaven?

Paul: That's not what I said! Please quote me properly.

Paul's patience was wearing thin. To him, this was a bad dream. He wanted to go to sleep and wake up and find everything back to the way it was. But it wasn't a bad dream. It was real, and every fleeting moment brought Paul and Danny closer to losing their friendship and fellowship. Paul wasn't mad at Danny, he was mad at the situation that caused the disagreement.

Paul: What I said was that we don't have to pray about something God has already established in His word.

Danny: Yeah. That's when we were joking around about robbing a bank to get some money to fix your car.

Paul: Right. It was a joke. But the point I made is that it's wrong to pray about robbing a bank, because God has already said, Thou shalt not steal. Certainly, we should always pray for guidance, but not for things that God has said and commanded against. That's tempting God.

Danny: Look, it's been a long day, and night, and I'm tired. Maybe we can talk about this some other time.

Paul: I'm tired too, but let me say one more thing, then let's pray. Okay?

Danny: Okay. Whatever.

Paul: In Matthew chapter 16, the Pharisees and Sadducees tried to test Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. Think about it, mere men figured they would try to outsmart God Himself in human form, the Creator of the universe. It blows my mind just to think about it.

Anyway, Jesus told them they had the ability to discern the difference between good and bad weather, but could not discern the signs of the times. Then, Jesus lowered the boom and told them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.

Danny, think about what Jesus said: An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign... Jesus didn't mince words. He said what He meant and meant what He said.

Danny: So, what's your point?

Paul: Seeking after a sign is sinful. It draws the believer away from the Person and work of Jesus Christ. It's a form of idolatry. Furthermore, where does the Bible say that Jesus, or His apostles, caused diamonds and gold and "angel feathers" to fall from heaven?

Danny: First of all, I'm not worshipping the diamond and gold glitter and angel feather. Second, the pastor said that "God is doing a new thing" and that these supernatural manifestations are a "new revelation."

Paul: A while ago you told me how excited you were to find this stuff and that we were "rich." Were you thinking about Jesus as you crawled around on the church-floor looking for diamonds and emeralds?

Danny's face turned ashen as Paul's words echoed in his mind. Paul knew he had struck a nerve and offended Danny, but just how much he wasn't sure.

Danny: Uh, okay. That's it. I'm tired, man. I've heard enough. That hurt.

Paul: Well? Answer my question. Which were you thinking about? Diamonds or Jesus? And, what are you thinking about right now? Gold, gemstones, "angel feathers," getting rich, or Jesus Christ and the truth of God's written word?

Danny sat silently with his eyes fixated on the handkerchief and its contents. He knew what he had witnessed the night before--the excitement; the laughter; the celebration. The pastor's words, "Look at what God is doing!" and "Don't let anyone rob you of this experience!" bounced back-and-forth in his mind. "This is real! It has to be real!" Danny thought.

In the meantime, as Paul watched his friendship with Danny slowly slip away, he prayed fervently for God to intervene and open Danny's eyes and ears to the truth, and help he and Danny understand what was going on.

Paul: Danny, let's pray about it and trust in the Lord to handle this situation.

As Paul knelt down on his knees, Danny remained silent, sitting in his chair, staring at the contents of the handkerchief.

Danny: Go ahead. I'm going to bed. Lock the door behind you.

Paul's heart sank as he watched Danny collect the handkerchief and its contents, and walk to his bedroom and close the door. For the first time in their lives, their friendship was at the crossroad.  Paul was losing more than his best friend, he was losing his dear brother in Christ, and an anger that he had not experienced in years welled up deep inside his heart. 

Paul was at a spiritual crossroad. He loved Danny in Christ and cherished their friendship and fellowship. They had been through a lot together. But now, Paul's love for the Lord was being tested in ways he could have never imagined.

Paul prayed silently for a few moments. Before leaving, he knocked on Danny's bedroom door, saying, "Danny, I'm leaving now, but it wouldn't hurt to take the gemstones and gold glitter to a jewelry store and have them examined. The feather could be examined at the university. I'll go with you if you want me to."

There was no response from Danny. 

On the way home, the more Paul thought about the situation the more frustrated he became. "Lord, what's going on?" he thought. "You know how close me and Danny are. Why are you allowing this to happen?" 

Paul didn't know the full story of what went on at the church Danny visited, but he knew something was terribly wrong. There was a change in Danny that took place overnight, and he felt Danny was being slowly and methodically swept away into deception.

Before he retired for the night, Paul knelt next to his bed and prayed that the Lord would be merciful to Danny, and quickly open his eyes and ears to the truth, according to His perfect will. Paul climbed into bed, pulled his Bible close to his chest, and praised the Lord as he drifted off to sleep.

Around 1pm the next day, Paul was awakened by a knock on his door. To his surprise, it was Danny, standing outside with his Bible in his hand. As soon as Paul opened the door, Danny stepped inside and told Paul he had some interesting news to share.

Paul: I don't think I can endure another session like we had last night. But before you say anything, I have to tell you that I haven't changed my mind about the gold and stuff. I know you were angry last night. I was too, and I still am. You are my best friend and I love you in Christ, but I cannot and will not compromise my walk with the Lord for our friendship.