“In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk! And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” (Acts 3:6-8)
What exactly caused this man to be healed? Modern day faith healers would say it was the FAITH of Peter, John and the lame man – and/or the collective prayer of the Saints…as if prayer and faith are currency given to God in exchange for the lame man’s healing. However, it clear to me that the lame man was healed BECAUSE IT WAS GOD’S PLAN TO HEAL HIM. It had nothing to do with the purchasing power of PRAYER or FAITH. You cannot can buy stuff from God.
So why did God miraculously heal him? Well the context of Miracles in the Bible is always to confirm the word of God. So in this case it would have been to demonstrate to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. These miracles to confirm the Word of God ceased, it seems to me, when the Word of God was completed and canonized into what we now call the Bible. I do not see men with the gift of miraculous healing today. What I do see is men claiming to have that gift, failing to heal, and blaming it on the lack of Faith of those who need it.
To the extent God reveals something he is going to do, we can be certain it will happen because when it does, it will CONFIRM the Word of God. It does NOT happen because of PRAYER or FAITH that it will happen, but because God has said it is His will to do so.
Men often lie, or are deceived into believing God has spoken a promise to them when it is simply a desire of their heart…or for money in the case of modern day faith healers.
Sooo for me, I do not assume, expect or am I convicted that what men say is a Word from God…I have been disappointed too often by such men, even those with the best intentions. HOWEVER, in my personal study of the Bible I cannot recall anything I have read therein that God promised which has not already happened as promised, OR could happen in the future – like the restoration of Israel the resurrection of the dead and the salvation of all mankind.
“…the God of peace Himself sanctifies you entirely; and your spirit and soul and body are preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
Just believe the Bible’s own definition of Faith…
“Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed.” (Hebrews 11:1 CLNT)
What exactly caused this man to be healed? Modern day faith healers would say it was the FAITH of Peter, John and the lame man – and/or the collective prayer of the Saints…as if prayer and faith are currency given to God in exchange for the lame man’s healing. However, it clear to me that the lame man was healed BECAUSE IT WAS GOD’S PLAN TO HEAL HIM. It had nothing to do with the purchasing power of PRAYER or FAITH. You cannot can buy stuff from God.
So why did God miraculously heal him? Well the context of Miracles in the Bible is always to confirm the word of God. So in this case it would have been to demonstrate to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. These miracles to confirm the Word of God ceased, it seems to me, when the Word of God was completed and canonized into what we now call the Bible. I do not see men with the gift of miraculous healing today. What I do see is men claiming to have that gift, failing to heal, and blaming it on the lack of Faith of those who need it.
To the extent God reveals something he is going to do, we can be certain it will happen because when it does, it will CONFIRM the Word of God. It does NOT happen because of PRAYER or FAITH that it will happen, but because God has said it is His will to do so.
Men often lie, or are deceived into believing God has spoken a promise to them when it is simply a desire of their heart…or for money in the case of modern day faith healers.
Sooo for me, I do not assume, expect or am I convicted that what men say is a Word from God…I have been disappointed too often by such men, even those with the best intentions. HOWEVER, in my personal study of the Bible I cannot recall anything I have read therein that God promised which has not already happened as promised, OR could happen in the future – like the restoration of Israel the resurrection of the dead and the salvation of all mankind.
“…the God of peace Himself sanctifies you entirely; and your spirit and soul and body are preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
Just believe the Bible’s own definition of Faith…
“Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed.” (Hebrews 11:1 CLNT)