The question cessationists must answer.

[Alithis]

I have had many hard struggles. Depression, fear, anxiety, social anxiety, stress, and other things yet undiagnosed but could be PTSD or Something. I wrestled with that mess for a long time, its a wonder im still alive after all that. Am i healed? No i take meds. DO they heal me? NO, thats why Gods strength and love are so important to me. Never once however, did any "Word Of Faith" type theology ever help me. No it did the opposite actually. It was harmful to my mental health. People trying to say i have demons, and people saying im denying the Lord. That was not helpful at all. I found the Psalms, and the apostle Pauls words to be very educational and helpful in managing my spiritual battles. I have found peace, love and joy. Praise the Lord.

me to .. and Jesus set me free . there be devils . but we can cast them out we have that authority. the lord Jesus i believe in is real

 

[Deborah D]

I am not mocking acts of God because I do not believe they are acts of God. Even though God can heal today I would say that 90% of healings today are bogus. They are either fakes, such as the common leg-lengthening trick, or not miracles at all. Supposed healings that take days or months to occur are not a miracles. Nor are slight improvements in a persons condition that can be accounted for by the natural healing process. The 'healings' that today's faith healers claim to perform are usually unverifiable illnesses such as back pain which are known to be improved by psychosomatic techniques and the power of suggestion. Others are outright frauds such as the leg lengthening parlor trick popular among the charismatic charlatans of today. It is purely an act. There are several Youtube videos that explain how it is performed. If they can supposedly grow limbs on demand then why are they not restoring the limbs of amputees?



I only have your word about you and your daughters healing and don't know enough details to determine whether was a genuine miracle ie. something that defied the laws of nature (eg an amputated hand being restored, or a visible tumor suddenly disappearing) - but I will presume it was. You said it involved prayer. Wonderful, your prayers were answered. I believe in those kinds of healings. But praying for healing is not the gift of healing. If people have to pray for healing it proves they do not have the gift of healing. If they had the gift of healing they would be able to instantly and completely heal people of serious disabilities simply by a command or a touch as the disciples did in the New Testament. They didn't have to pray for healing. They could heal people instantly because they had been given that supernatural ability.

But certainly God can and does perform miracles today in response to prayer. Would I pray for a friend with cancer to be miraculously healed? Sure I would. Would I expect the tumor to instantly disappear without trace? It has happened before so I would be hopeful, but as the millions of Christians with cancer would testify, God does not normally operate that way. Despite intense prayer, many of them are not healed and will often go on to die from their illness. Thousands of charismatics prayed for John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard church, but he was not miraculously healed from his cancer. He had to have radiotherapy. Nor was he healed from his heart disease, and had to have open heart surgery. Shortly after which he died at the premature age of 63. So much for faith healing in the charismatic church.



You are absolutely right. Jesus did perform miracles so that we can believe he is the son of God. As your quote from John 20 says, they are recorded in scripture for everyone to hear and be convinced. Therefore we don't need any more supposed miracles today in order to believe in Christ, especially dubious ones that don't even come close to matching Jesus's miracles. We just need to hear the scriptures. As it says, faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The gospel has been effectively preached in this way for the last 2000 years without 'signs & wonders'.



I can't say I've heard of Angus Buchan before. But I googled his name and his Wikipedia page says he preaches the prosperity gospel, makes claims of healing that are unsubstantiated, and has allegations of financial impropriety. So much like Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and the other charismatic charlatans of today it seems.

I just wanted you to know that I didn’t read most of the foolishness you posted. Save your cessationist garbage for someone who doesn't know the Bible. It's wasted on me!

 

[Deborah D]

Your arrogance and unbelief obviously knows no bounds.
That 3 year old boy is my son, and it was a 1st hand testimony with many witnesses.

The only thing worse than unbelief is arrogant unbelief!

Thanks for sharing about how God used your son. It blesses me when God speaks to us "out of the mouth of babes."

 

[Deborah D]

I have had many hard struggles. Depression, fear, anxiety, social anxiety, stress, and other things yet undiagnosed but could be PTSD or Something. I wrestled with that mess for a long time, its a wonder im still alive after all that. Am i healed? No i take meds. DO they heal me? NO, thats why Gods strength and love are so important to me. Never once however, did any "Word Of Faith" type theology ever help me. No it did the opposite actually. It was harmful to my mental health. People trying to say i have demons, and people saying im denying the Lord. That was not helpful at all. I found the Psalms, and the apostle Pauls words to be very educational and helpful in managing my spiritual battles. I have found peace, love and joy. Praise the Lord.

My prayers are with you, W2L. I pray that you will continue to know God's peace and joy in increasing measure!

 

[SkyWriting]

Hmmm, even AFTER reading your prayer URL, I think 'my present task' is to figure out how 'your opinion', as well as your understanding of one scripture for prayer, in Joh 3:21, lines up with another scripture.

1PE 3:7 Likewise you husbands, live considerately with your wives, bestowing honor on the woman as the weaker sex, since you are joint heirs of the grace of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered.

So, according to 'your POV' was I supposed to honor my wife before 'before He created the world'...as well as her? Or was I supposed to do it AFTER this scripture in 1Peter 3:7 was written?

Please don't answer this post. I'm going to have to admit, that you probably aren't going to say anything that could ever make me think that what you've shared above is right. Besides, my percentage on prayer just way out performs the testimony of your 'prayer URL' percentage, so I really don't see switching to 'your method', I hope you can understand why.

Prayers are for your benefit anytime.
God was always aware of them long before you.
And if you want answered ones, ask God for the correct prayers.
My percentage is 100% success provided I do my part to give
up the results.

 

[W2L]

My prayers are with you, W2L. I pray that you will continue to know God's peace and joy in increasing measure!

Thank you.

 

[Francis Drake]

But you remain powerless and of no personal influence on God's plans.

When the church preaches and believe lies from the pit, is there any wonder that Christians are so powerless and vulnerable to every whim of Satan.

Acts1v8But you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and you will be witnesses for Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.”

 

[SkyWriting]

When the church preaches and believe lies from the pit, is there any wonder that Christians are so powerless and vulnerable to every whim of Satan.

Acts1v8 But you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and you will be witnesses for Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.”

The power to witness is indeed a great power. It comes from the of experience interacting with God and the Helper. Before receiving the Spirit, the disiples were hiding away in a room avoiding being seen. Effective evangelism is a rare gift and not one I claim or take credit for.

 

[Alithis]

The power to witness is indeed a great power. It comes from the of experience interacting with God and the Helper. Before receiving the Spirit, the disciples were hiding away in a room avoiding being seen. Effective evangelism is a rare gift and not one I claim or take credit for.

i would hazard a guess, that is because you don't have the holy Spirit ? if you did you would be an effective witness .. but the thing about being an effective witness is simply .. you need to have witnessed something in order to effectively testify of it .
the other most common cause of not being an effective witness for the lord Jesus is fear and being poorly equipped to do so through many poor and often false doctrines

 

[SkyWriting]

i would hazard a guess, that is because you don't have the holy Spirit ? if you did you would be an effective witness .. but the thing about being an effective witness is simply .. you need to have witnessed something in order to effectively testify of it .
the other most common cause of not being an effective witness for the lord Jesus is fear and being poorly equipped to do so through many poor and often false doctrines

I try not to guess what gifts people have been given.
Sometimes observation works, but even that gift is rare.
The powers of love and Hope being the greatest gifts of all.

Zechariah 7:9-10
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Romans 11:29
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Romans 12:3-8
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ...

2 Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:1-31
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; ...

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

 

[RDKirk]

The power to witness is indeed a great power. It comes from the of experience interacting with God and the Helper. Before receiving the Spirit, the disiples were hiding away in a room avoiding being seen. Effective evangelism is a rare gift and not one I claim or take credit for.

Let me jump in here to clarify something: There is a distinction between "evangelizing" and "witnessing."

"Evangelizing" means telling people what Jesus did for them.

"Witnessing" means telling people what Jesus did for you.

The model we see in scripture is that evangelists must be:

1. Called by the Holy Spirit,

2. Trained in the gospel by the congregation,

3. Commissioned to a specific evangelistic mission by the congregation, and then

4. Held accountable to the congregation, reporting his results at the end of his mission.

OTOH, every believer is obligated to give a witness to the first-hand experience of what Jesus has done in his or her only life. That's what John and Peter said when told to stop speaking of Jesus, but they said (pointing to Leviticus 5) that they were obligated to speak of what they had seen and heard.

Thorough knowledge of the gospel is necessary for evangelizing, but not for witnessing. You can't "witness" to Christ's death and resurrection because you weren't there. That's evangelism.

Your witness is your own first-hand experience with Jesus.

When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, Jesus evangelized--the woman then witnessed. She didn't even know for sure that Jesus was the Christ, only what He had done for her.

The same was true of the man who had been born blind. He didn't know for sure who Jesus was:

He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

Never let any unbeliever in the power of Christ--and that includes cessationists--take away your witness.

One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!

 

[swordsman1]

i would hazard a guess, that is because you don't have the holy Spirit ? if you did you would be an effective witness .. but the thing about being an effective witness is simply .. you need to have witnessed something in order to effectively testify of it .

Scripture says that if anyone does not have the Spirit they are not Christians.

Rom 8:9 "But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him."​

Are you suggesting that SkyWriting is not a Christian?

 

[SkyWriting]

Scripture says that if anyone does not have the Spirit they are not Christians.

Rom 8:9 "But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him."​

Are you suggesting that SkyWriting is not a Christian?

I have no concern that the gift of discernment is not given to everyone. I know that from experience and scripture.

1 Corinthians 12:1-31
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;

James 4:11-12
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

 

[SkyWriting]

Let me jump in here to clarify something: There is a distinction between "evangelizing" and "witnessing."

"Evangelizing" means telling people what Jesus did for them.

"Witnessing" means telling people what Jesus did for you.

Thanks. I had never really learned that distinction.

 

[SkyWriting]

Perhaps, what you need, is a week long vacation walking side by side with a Spirit filled believer. To see what they do, hear what they say, and see how they act. Then come back and tell us you still do not believe. But in the mean time, The Word of God will continue to be preached, through out the whole creation, with Power and Authority, including signs and wonders. Thus it has been written, and thus it shall be so!

 

[SkyWriting]

Tongues, prophecy, word of knowledge signs and wonders are ALL ministry gifts.

They were until the bible was completed including their witness.

 

[SkyWriting]

, The Word of God will continue to be preached, through out the whole creation,

When will this begin? The world is pretty big and even your next door neighbor doesn't recognise you on the street yet. Have you even seen every person in your town?

 

[SkyWriting]

Do you believe in casting out demons and healing the sick like the bible says?:

Mark 16:17-18 King James Version (KJV)
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Those who believe, not only apostles... Why would the Holy spirit stop to do things?

I really do not recommend the snakes and poison drinking.
Really, don't drink poison friend. Recovery is not assured.
Drinking poison is stupid.

 

[SkyWriting]

Where do you find scriptural assertion that there is a difference between those gifts?

Romans 12:6-8
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:

1 Corinthians
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. ...Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;

1 Corinthians 14:22
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers,

1 Corinthians 12
For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit,...

 

[NBB]

I really do not recommend the snakes and poison drinking.
Really, don't drink poison friend. Recovery is not assured.
Drinking poison is stupid.

It's not drinking on purpose, and i don't know if it means animal snakes.