"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." -- Acts 13:48
Yet even Paul seems to imply that the days of the Apostles is an ending of a sort...
"For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." -- 1 Corinthians 4:9
But I do understand your insistence on the contemporary occurrence of miracles. Maybe it's just semantics. I view so much of life as a miracle that it's difficult to say where non-miracles leave off and miracles begin.
For the Christian, every speck of life is a miracle because it is all leading to our eternal residence with Jesus Christ. For the reprobate, I don't think life holds any miracles and he probably likes it that way.
God certainly forced Himself on Paul, striking him blind in the process so he could see.
If miracles were normative they would cease to be miracles, they would be normals.
I think that there is the fallacy, promoted by the Word of Faith false teachers that if one is not having miracles of healing, wealth and prosperity then one doesn’t truly have faith. But then, their definition of faith is a force in the universe that can be harnessed and attached to words, which when spoken with the force of faith one can create their own reality. Rather than faith being in God, the object of faith, it becomes faith in faith.
Holy Spirit woos, invites, encourages . . .
and even sets up situations to make folks hungry for God.
He doesn’t force anyone, in my observations and experiences,
to accept HIS leadings and instructions as though the person had no will in the matter.
I realize Calvinists have some interesting constructions on reality in general where free will is involved! LOL.
In other words, I used “force”
in the common . . . HEAVY COERCION/DEMANDING, BLACK BOOTED way.
That’s NOT Holy Spirit’s Nature, Character or SOP. And if anyone thinks so . . . I’d be concerned that they’d hooked up with a gross imposter from hell.
PING TO THE 3 SPIRITUAL MUSKATEERS . . . for your wise comments because I value your perspectives on such things:
In other words, I used “force”
in the common . . . HEAVY COERCION/DEMANDING, BLACK BOOTED way.
That’s NOT Holy Spirit’s Nature, Character or SOP. And if anyone thinks so . . . I’d be concerned that they’d hooked up with a gross imposter from hell.
The Holy Spirit "forces Himself on men" about as much as a dearly loved husband "forces himself" upon his very willing and desirous (eager, even!) wife. Love is the most powerful force in the universe, for God is Love and His Will is Perfect, Life-Giving. Love does not "force itself" ever. Love simply is, and by its very nature, simply by being, attracts the beloved.
There is so much more to say, but I'd have to quote the entire Bible, and that would take up so much bandwidth...
I agree. Thank you for this testimony!
God can and does work miracles in this world. I have not said otherwise. But He doesn't do it on Sunday from 10-12 on channel 62. It's not because we have great faith or we have a "special need" (as if others don't). It is based upon His sovereign will to effect His divine plan.
People insists on miracles from God, as if it's something that is due us or that we need some external proof that God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives. I haven't yet heard an explanation as to why we need miracles.