Why few christian meet Jesus like Paul did on the road to Damascus

[Curiousmind]

Hi,

Paul met Jesus on his way to Damascus. Some people also met Jesus in a dream or vision. For example Muslims and Jews.
This convinced them that Jesus is the truth the life and the way.
Why doesnt God give every christian this kind of experience ?

Br,

 

[Shemiyah]

Perhaps He is waiting for those who can recognize and submit to one another as in Eph 5:21. These are those who can confess and discern the body of messiah.

 

[timewerx]

Jesus actually told us not to believe anyone who claims to have seen Him.

For they are all false messiahs and false prophets.

Here are the verses in Matthew Chapter 24:

23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.



Because when the genuine appearance of Jesus takes place, it won't be just 1 or 2 or 5 or 10 or even a thousand people will see it but everyone will see it, all the billions of people around the world will see it.

Lots of Christians are falling for the false appearances because of ignorance of scriptures.... Don't!

 

[lismore]

Why doesnt God give every christian this kind of experience ?

Hello! The bible does say: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).

I think Paul was a special case, he was called to be an apostle and to go through much suffering for the sake of the gospel: Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Many muslims are also in particular circumstances. When they accept Christ they may be disowned, even murdered by their family and neighbours. Perhaps because the stakes are high therefore the Lord pushes the envelope. God Bless You

 

[Lukaris]

It seems that the Lord works for us in our given circumstances. Prior to the Cross, there was centuries of revelation ( Luke 24:44-45), the completion of the old covenant as testified in the account of Lazarus & the rich man in Luke 16:19-31, verses 28-31 in particular. In Acts 17:16-31, St. Paul told the Greeks that God permitted humans leeway ( probably corresponding to Romans 2:6-16, probably still in effect for those honestly unsure of the truth). There were gentile God fearers like Cornelius in Acts 10, Acts 10:1-4 in particular and as St. Peter says in Acts 10:34-35. Not to mention the experience of Jonah and the Ninevites also. Ezekiel 18:4-9, says there is a general accountability towards God even if not well understood.

I think for Christians, our situation of accountability is similar to that of Thomas in John 20:24-29. To a lesser extent the previous example of the Jews having the law & prophets in the account of Lazarus & the rich man ( we have the New Testament in which all is revealed ( Colossians 1:12-21 etc.).

For those who have no other recourse, I believe the Holy Spirit is working on a personal level in dreams, visions etc. These are probably not the way for those of us who have the Bible (in general, not entirely) but for Moslems etc. matters are different. I believe this may be explained as in the work of the Spirit in John 16:7-14. Examples like:

How Muslims meet Jesus in dreams and visions - Jesus.net

Almost 25% of Muslims that come to Jesus encounter Him through dreams and visions. Check out these encouraging testimonies!

jesus.net

 

[timewerx]

For those who have no other recourse, I believe the Holy Spirit is working on a personal level in dreams, visions etc. These are probably not the way for those of us who have the Bible (in general, not entirely) but for Moslems etc. matters are different. I believe this may be explained as in the work of the Spirit in John 16:7-14. Examples like:

How Muslims meet Jesus in dreams and visions - Jesus.net

Almost 25% of Muslims that come to Jesus encounter Him through dreams and visions. Check out these encouraging testimonies!

jesus.net

I actually meet Jesus in dreams and last year, I was meeting Jesus in dreams more than once a month.

And I'm also reading the Bible a lot. Have read through the whole Bible a few times already.

The Bible can never take the place of the Holy Spirit in anything. Not even remotely close. There is no rule where if you have easy access to a Bible or read the Bible a lot, the Holy Spirit will not show up to you (in dreams). There's no such teaching.

But to see Jesus physically manifest is something Jesus Himself quite strongly warned His disciples against in the Bible. Although Jesus would physically manifest eventually - again - this event will be simultaneously witness by all the people in the world, not just 1 or 2 or 5 or even a thousand of people but all the billions of people in the world will witness that event all at the same time.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Jesus actually told us not to believe anyone who claims to have seen Him.

Do you apply this to Paul's conversion ?

I think Jesus was referring to an age in the future when there will be false messiah's

This is a different matter than ruling out encounters with Jesus altogether.

 

[timewerx]

Do you apply this to Paul's conversion ?

I think Jesus was referring to an age in the future when there will be false messiah's

This is a different matter than ruling out encounters with Jesus altogether.

Most interesting question.

I think this is a good time for me to get back to studying the Bible for things I have possibly missed.

I don't actually remember Jesus saying about the future time frame.

But from the way Jesus is talking, the time when false messiahs will appear starts after Jesus leaves His disciples following the resurrection.

Also Jesus described the circumstances of His next return. "As lightning is visible from the East to the West". Seen by all at the same time. A huge public event (not a private one that only a handful of people saw that Jesus exactly warned us about).

 

[Carl Emerson]

There are plenty of solid Christians that have encountered Jesus in various ways, however they are unlikely to talk about it on a forum such as this.

 

[Carl Emerson]

I have noticed that particularly among Muslims and encounter with Jesus is the event that gives them undeniable reason to convert to the Christian faith.

I can give examples if you are interested.

 

[timewerx]

I have noticed that particularly among Muslims and encounter with Jesus is the event that gives them undeniable reason to convert to the Christian faith.

I can give examples if you are interested.

Conversion is not genuine if the circumstances surrounding the conversion contradicts scriptures.

Sadly those Muslims only converted to another false religion.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Conversion is not genuine if the circumstances surrounding the conversion contradicts scriptures.

Sadly those Muslims only converted to another false religion.

The weight of evidence in this case would suggest your interpretation of scripture is at odds with what Jesus is actually doing today because you have confused the warning about false messiah's with His intimate communion with His faithful, and the work of the Holy Spirit drawing the unsaved to Him.

Yes - flee from those who claim to be Him.

But don't deny that He personally speaks to His own, and communes with them in various ways.

Also don't deny that He personally calls the unsaved to Him like He did with Paul.

 

[LoveofTruth]

Conversion is not genuine if the circumstances surrounding the conversion contradicts scriptures.

Sadly those Muslims only converted to another false religion.

What scripture did Abraham Noah, Abel, and many others who had saving faith have? Yet the gospel was preached before unto Abraham.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Mmmm...

Paul clamed to encounter Jesus so his conversion was false and he henceforth perpetrated a false religion.

That is a big call...

 

[LoveofTruth]

Jesus actually told us not to believe anyone who claims to have seen Him.

For they are all false messiahs and false prophets.

Here are the verses in Matthew Chapter 24:

23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.



Because when the genuine appearance of Jesus takes place, it won't be just 1 or 2 or 5 or 10 or even a thousand people will see it but everyone will see it, all the billions of people around the world will see it.

Lots of Christians are falling for the false appearances because of ignorance of scriptures.... Don't!

Believers don’t know Jesus after the flesh now, but we know him in spirit. And as Paul saw Jesus he saw also a light and Stephen saw Jesus as they were stoning him and John saw Jesus in Revelations on a few instances and I believe Jesus can appear to sone in visions dreams and even in a spiritual image if he wants. There is no scripture that says he can’t . The verses about false messiahs is speaking a different issue.

I was in a gathering in a home once and we decided to pray all holding hands as we sat in a large circle. We didn’t usually hold hands. My eyes were closed and I could see in a vision the room we were sitting and Jesus stood in the midst with his hand stretched towards me and his other hand towards my brother Tim across from me . He was engulfed in a light. But I could make out features. My eyes were still closed, but then Jesus turned to ther right of me and frowned at two brothers sitting among us and something was wrong . I opened my eyes in wonder at this and told the brothers and sisters what I saw. Then I said that Jesus look to the right of me and frowned . As I looked the two brothers who were sitting on the right did not hold hands they had bitterness towards eachother there was a break in our gathering and Jesus pointed it out . We had to address that anger one brother had for another.

That was in a vision. I can only speak of things I have seen and heard.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Jesus actually told us not to believe anyone who claims to have seen Him.

For they are all false messiahs and false prophets.

Here are the verses in Matthew Chapter 24:

23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.



Because when the genuine appearance of Jesus takes place, it won't be just 1 or 2 or 5 or 10 or even a thousand people will see it but everyone will see it, all the billions of people around the world will see it.

Lots of Christians are falling for the false appearances because of ignorance of scriptures.... Don't!

Jesus said this before the crucifixion and He was referring to the times at the event of the second coming.

We know this for sure because He appeared several times to the disciples after the crucifixion, and it was genuine.
It was not seen by billions of people in the world as you insist.

John 20:25
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

So your insistence that claimed appearances of Jesus are all fake does not wash.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Hi,

Paul met Jesus on his way to Damascus. Some people also met Jesus in a dream or vision. For example Muslims and Jews.
This convinced them that Jesus is the truth the life and the way.
Why doesnt God give every christian this kind of experience ?

Br,

Faith comes from encounter with Him.

He gives faith according to the pre-prepared plans He has for them that they may walk in them.

So levels of faith differ according to calling - see Romans 14.

Paul had a lot to do so the encounter was profound.