Hi all,
Let's talk about miracles.
First, I think we can all agree that life itself, and all that means is a miracle, that's a given, so let's talk more specifically.
When Jesus and his "first gen" disciples performed miracles, no one argued that he performed them, not even his enemies, they just tried to steal his glory. I've never traveled outside of N. America to a third world nation so my perspective is limited, but it seems to me that in America we call a lot of things miracles, that can easily be reconciled. That's not to say God isn't in all creation, and therefore in all situations, but a cold that gets healed 2 weeks after someone says a prayer can hardly be the kind of miracle, even the Pharasies recognized as undeniable. Jesus never worked with the doctors of the day, he waited until the patient was dead....
I personally have never seen someone, confirmed dead for 4 days, raised, or an amputated leg restored, etc. and I'd like to know if those kinds of undeniable miracles still follow the preaching of the gospel, or if they were only supposed to follow those that were instrumental in establishing the early church and all the scriptures.
I recently listened to a terrible story where a wife had massive instestinal failure, was supposed to die, and underwent extensive surgery, two days later the surgeon looked at her and said, "those aren't the intestines I operated on, God must have given her new ones", then a day later those "new" intestines collapsed and her pastor husband spent months nursing her back to health, via introvenous feeding and slow inflation of the intestines. She is alive and well today. Now that's a horrible situation no doubt, but I'm not sure if calling it a miracle is appropriate. See what I mean? I just can't picture Jesus or Paul healing that way.
There's so much "Christian Physic readings" via "personal prophesy and other seriously diluted gifts of the Spirit like miracles, that it's hard to believe much of anyone.
What are these greater things that were to follow Christ's Ascension?
Does anyone have any solid scripture or personal experience on this?
-Cy