Ok, catching up with this thread has taken a bit of time...but I think I'm understanding you rightly in that Christ’s miracles were for a purpose and time...and I agree with that.
However, I do think that Miracles can occur today, but I am most assuredly critical of the ‘name it claim it healers’ and their services we see today, which creates allot of unnecessary emotional hype...especially if they do so in their presentation.
There are people who have been healed today...didn't ask for it... and keep it to themselves and God pretty much. Jesus knew mens hearts for what they are and He knows them still today.
When He heals, why broadcast it as if it's showtime in Las Vegas?.... And what are you going to say to the throngs who walk away not healed?....we know how that goes... they suffer terribly emotionally and psychologically trying to work up “enough faith” to get their healing...as if it's their fault....or God doesn't care enough for them. It's a tragedy that should not be, and God does not work in that manner IMO.
But can He heal, certainly, or He cannot be God...but
There is something to also say about those in third world countries, so often caught up in spiritualism of the dark side. Many third world people are highly emotional to begin with, unlike the constraints our society requires for the most part. So they might possibly have a very emotional and striking conversion and healing might come with it.
However, just as the flamboyant so called healers in our country, it did not take long for those “power seekers” in those countries to “get the spirit” to perform on their stages...and it has taken off there as well. In fact in Haiti and some of the countries they actually combine Christianity with their Voo-doo mumbo jumbo...and it's perfectly acceptable and in fact encouraged.
I guess my point is...Yes, God heals, but I do not see His working in the way so many of these charlatan's present themselves, nor the healings they profess occur....
.....we do have after all, an enemy who counterfeits everything of Christ he can possibly do.
[[However, I do think that Miracles can occur today,]]
I beleive they can too- I do beleive However God has chosen not to for His own purposes and I beleive this is exactly why Christ said it will be mush harder for man to beleive today because we won’t have the same supernatural miracles that the peopel of the bible got to witness first hand and know betyond a shadow of a doubt that ONLY a sueprnatural act coudl have caused what they just witnessed-
[[When He heals, why broadcast it as if it’s showtime in Las Vegas?.... ]]
That’s an excellent point- Jesus told those He healed to tell noone (The lepers He told to go to temple to have htem declared free of the disease as per Jewish rules- but He did tell them to tell noone else)
[[And what are you going to say to the throngs who walk away not healed?....we know how that goes... they suffer terribly emotionally and psychologically trying to work up “enough faith” to get their healing...]]
That’s precisely why I brought up the fact that hte apostles healed EVERYONE that was brought to them- they didn’t call names out of a crowd and only ‘heal’ certain folks- they healed EVERYONE no matter whether the healing that was needed was of a supernatural kind (Raising dead)- Nothign was too great for them to handle- but apparently soem htigns are too great for today’s healers to handle which is why we don’t see exampels of supernatural miracles which violate natural laws-
[[I guess my point is...Yes, God heals, but I do not see His working in the way so many of these charlatan’s present themselves, nor the healings they profess occur....]]
That’;s been my point all along really- I truly beleive God does still heal and heals wodnerfully and spectacularly in some peopel’s lives- but that for now, He has chosen for His own purposes to heal only within the cofnines of natural law and not to step poutside to produce sueprnatural miracles which violate thsoe natural laws until the end times when these thigns will once again happen- (And just for the record- the healings done in the new testament where the elders are to pray over the sick, and to annoint htem with oil- it was NEVER the ‘faith of the sick person’ that healed that person- but it WAS the faith of the elders- thsi was made clear in God’s word- possibly even to try to prevent just what toyu describbed, placign such a heavy emotional burden on the sick person IF they were not healed so that they woudl not think “Great- not only am I now stil la sick person- but now apapprently I’m also a wretched person of no faith Because My illness is still here” (and I also beleive the elders are to pray Saying ‘as Thou Will” to God if I’m not mistaken- so just because they pray over the sick it doesn’t mean that sick person will be healed-