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seems like our medical hope is only in science.
I’ve always felt that this was something that happened up until Christ left earth. He raised Lazarus, and if memory recalls, no one else had been praying for him to rise from the dead either? I was raised in a First Assembly church that prayed for healing every week, and many people claimed they were healed of internal health ailments, yet I wondered if anyone that had lost a limb had grown one back? Don’t get me wrong, I do believe God can do anything he desires to do, but in the grand scheme, I believe these kinds of miracles were mostly used to open the eyes of the world to who he was. I’m not so sure how important temporary avoidance of death or being free of physical ailments is in the big picture. Off topic, they also spoke in tongues every week, and gave interpretations of tongues. There was one lady that used the same handful of odd syllables every week, and every week, the interpretation was different. I suppose it’s possible to have a different interpretation for the same syllables on a spiritual level, but the gifts of the spirit and things like these, I’ve always had a hard time understanding.
We pretend we’re logicians who only use the scientific process to conclude anything about anything. We pretend it, but it’s altogether possible we’re skeptics w/ narrowed, compressed worldviews (w/ shrunken heads).
Mike, it sounds like you’ve lived your book, “The Resurrection”. I’m currently reading “The Telling”. I’m liking the latter a lot more.
I dunno….I always thought that such powers would be of use to Christians but I can’t imagine why we don’t see more of it or try to raise people from the dead more often. Maybe because things like raising people from the dead, healing the sick, and casting out demons can be very showy if done in the wrong hands? I remember when Jesus would heal someone or resurrect someone he would tell the people (witnesses) afterwards not to say anything.
I think with so many people trying to go around to show off (Benny Hinn is an example) God may have allowed for raising of the dead or healing to be kinda off limits unless its for a certain occasion but I can’t speak as to what that occasion would be other than to glorify Him.
But to answer your question, perhaps its the lack of faith that is really hindering the resurrection of the dead. If I pray for the sick to well, I don’t pray with the thought of “I KNOW this will get done, this person will be healed in Jesus’s name”. I merely pray in accordance to God’s will, if He wills it the person will be healed, if not then that too is also in His will.
I also wonder if that kind of thinking illustrated above is what is keeping more miracles from happening. I do agree with Wayne Woodall’s comment though as well.
I totally agree, Mike. More belief. More faith. More prayer. Ask. At least: ask.
More “susceptible” to the Gospel?? “Let me contaminate you with Jesus!”
I have no problem believing in miracles. I’ve seen them time and again in large and small ways. I’ve seen the laundry soap stretch to cover a few more loads when we were broke. I’ve seen the block of cheese that ‘must have been hiding behind something else’ in the fridge when we were hungry. God’s hand is everywhere in my life in ways both large and small.
My problem continues to be when people–many times new Christians–are full of fire in the belief in miracles. Their passion mistranslates itself into a belief that those of us who suffer from humanity’s drawbacks are simply too out of touch with faith to have asked God to cure/rescue/etc. us from our problems. Too many Christians believe that illness or financial woes are a symptom of sin, a sign of punishment.
I know that the laying on of hands and anointing with oil by the Elders and Deacons can and does work. I’ve seen a man live a decade past the expiration date his oncologists gave him. I myself was brought back to life many times as an infant due in no small part to the prayers of the faithful.
But I’ve seen other men die from cancer; I’ve seen other babies die. The question isn’t “can God perform miracles?” but rather “why does God choose which miracles to perform and which to belay?”