Acts20.com

Yes, I know what it supposedly says in the Bible. But clearly it is wrong, for we know that some ARE going to perish, right? And so we need to explain to people that, if they come to pray for salvation, we can't be sure that God will save them, since we know that some folks died lost. I think we need to make sure that people know this up front. First it will save them (and us) time: If they aren't saved in a matter of minutes, we can just lift their tear-stained eyes from the altar, sadly shake our head, and then point them out the back door. Second, they will come forward not expecting too much. I mean, can you imagine the gall of some evangelists who have preached that God will save anyone who repents??? But if we do it right, they know there is less than a 50-50 chance that God will save them. So if we have to send them out the door, at least they already had some idea that they had a less than even chance, right? Third, it sure saves time on reporting statistics! Obviously these ministers that are reporting great numbers saved are milking things, right? If I've figured it right, I believe God is wanting only about one person in every 200 to actually get saved. So if someone reports 200 saved, figure only one got saved. And if they say only one got saved, well, then you know that NO ONE GOT SAVED. (Of course, from this, it follows that the stats on sanctification--already somewhat twisted--and received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost are also incorrect.)Fourth, once we put out all of these seekers, it makes the pastor's job far easier. Instead of having to put up with 50, 100, 200, or more people, you only have to shepherd no more than 11--after all, the servant is not above his Master--and Jesus was only able to keep 11 on the straight and narrow.And since it is clear that God IS willing that some perish, we know of a certainty that He is more than willing--EAGER, EVEN!--that some people die unhealed. The only reason Jesus healed everyone who came to Him back then was because...well, it was God's will THEN to heal everyone who came for healing, but it is NOT God's will now. Apparently the cross changed everything, because we don't hear of Jesus healing anyone after that, do we? And the apostles were probably just speaking evangelistically when they reporting multitudes and the such being saved, delivered, healed, and so forth. That's the only explanation, right? I mean, we KNOW FOR A FACT that God doesn't want to heal everyone now, because if He did, He would, of course, be healing everyone we prayed for. And don't start that trash about us not having the same faith as the apostles did! Besides, didn't I just tell you that was all probably exaggerated? That's right, we have the SAME LEVEL OF FAITH THAT THE APOSTLES HAD...and yet God is not healing for us like He (supposedly) did them. That right there PROVES the apostles weren't quite so all that, were they? In fact, I wager that if the Apostle Peter or Paul or John were here today, they wouldn't see hardly anyone healed either. You know why? Because God is not doing it now like He was then. That is clearly the ONLY EXPLANATION THERE CAN BE, RIGHT?And since it has been going downhill since the Day of Pentecost, we need to make our folks aware that, probably within the next few months--God won't be willing to heal ANYONE AT ALL! So try to stay well and not get hit by a bus.

I'm just thinking out loud here, but I often wonder if the vast number of miracles recorded in the book of Acts were the result of the expansion of the early Church. The Message of the Cross//Resurrection was still relatively new. The miracles helped to confirm the validity of the message of the Risen Christ preached by the Apostles. There was no NT canon to speak of.Now, the world is proliferated with bibles, churches, and preachers everywhere. And almost 2000 years of testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying that miracles are no longer needed (or that they no longer happen). I just wonder if they were much more necessary in the early inception of the Church.

Just the other day, I felt the Lord gave me a little insight. Now, it's probably completely obvious to everyone else, but I needed it at that moment. It was this: We shouldn't pray for signs and miracles. Why? Because these signs SHALL follow believers!That is, if we are believers, we should see these things. I hear your heart, my brother. I, too, have tried to make some sense of why we don't see what we want so badly to see.

You hit the nail on the head. Good job. And as for why more miraces aren't happening today one only has to look in the mirror da sheik. For your premise is wrong, we need those miracles to continue to onfirm the word of God today as much as it was needed in the 1st century. And remember this, Heb 13:8

Are you suggesting that God's passion for expanding the church has cooled off? Or that the world now needs less validation of the message than the testimony of eye-witnesses to the risen Christ I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!My website: www.bradfreeman.comMy blog: bradcfreeman.tumblr.com/

Aaron,You word of guilt guys like to put everyone down.Since there is no one from Bible days left (that I know of) I guess you must acknowledge that the last thing any believer in Christ feels before dying is guilt - that they did not have enough faith to be healed.Your Jesus is quite a guy for making everyone - and I mean everyone - feel that way.He came that you might have guilt(for lack of faith), and that more abundantly.

So would you call him a woggie???

My friend, I don't feel guilt about not having the faith to see some of the things I would like to see. Why? For one thing, God still blesses me abundantly even if I don't have the level of faith I'd like.Second, instead of feeling guilt, I know I've done the best I can do at this point. As faith develops, more will come, I'm sure. But as for now, all of us should rest in the fact that we have done the best we can do once we have prayed the best we know how. Third, it makes me hungrier to see if a Christian in the 21st century CAN reach a place where those great things we've read of happen in the present day!