I Can Still See!

The title of this article may not make much sense to you unless you saw
the last broad cast of the "Word and the Sword" TV program on June 15th.
The purpose of this show was to compare the so-called miracles of today
with the miracles we can read about in the Bible. There are teachers
today claiming that miracles are available to everyone who has enough
faith. How can we know if these claims are true? One way we can test
them is to compare what is being done today with the miracles described
in God's Word.  Where do you see anyone calming storms today? Have you
seen anyone walk on water lately? Where is the person who can feed
thousands of people with only one grocery bag full of food? With all the
hunger that is in the world, where is even one religious teacher doing
this great deed if they really can perform miracles? Where are the
paralyzed being healed today? Where is there any kind of open, visible
miracle being performed by anyone? God is still active in our lives
today. We should still pray and ask God to heal the sick. God still
rules over the nations of men. However, God revealed in His Scriptures
that the miracles were for a special purpose and for only a special
time. If God Himself said the time was coming when He would no longer
enable men to perform miracles, then what right do we have to demand
that God must continue doing them today? This is not to question God's
ability or power! God is still the ALMIGHTY. There is nothing too
difficult for our God. He who spoke the universe into being simply by
His word and continues to uphold His creation by the word of His power
(Heb. 1:3), certainly can perform a miracle anytime and any way He
desires. I am not questioning the power of God, but I am questioning the
frauds, charlatans, fakes, and deceivers who claim to be able to perform
miracles and tell us how much God will bless us if we send them money.
We should not be surprised when we see men who are willing to prostitute
religion for their personal gain. Peter warned the Christians in the
first century that, "there were false prophets also among the people,
even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring
in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring
upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their
pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken
of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make
merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and
their damnation slumbereth not" (2 Peter 2:1-3). During the last Word
and the Sword program, I challenged anyone to strike me blind if I was
wrong when I claimed that miracles have ceased.  This was not to be
presumptuous or to challenge God as some have claimed. Instead, it was
to give strong evidence that the miracles we can read about in the New
Testament have truly ceased. In Acts 13: 6- 12, when Elymas opposed the
apostle Paul, Paul struck him blind for a season.  If the
"miracle-workers" have the ability they claim to have today, then they
should strike me blind just as Paul did to Elymas. If not, why not? I
challenged anyone to strike me blind several times during the program. I
even offered to pay the phone bill if they could call someone long
distance who could strike me blind. The offer still stands. If anyone
can find anyone who can strike me blind, I will even pay for the plane
ticket to get him here. This challenge is not meant to be arrogant or
boastful, but simply to prove a point. The point is: God no longer gives
men the ability to perform miracles like He did in the first century!
Anyone who claims to have this ability is a fraud using religion to rob
you of your money. I am not the only one who has taught this. Read what
John Crysostom wrote back in 370 A.D. concerning miracles during his
time: "But the men of the present day, if they were all collected in one
place, would not be able, with infinite prayers and tears, to do the
wonders that once were done by the hand kerchief of St. Paul." [Acts
19:12] John Crysostom, On the Priesthood (370 A.D.)  Nicene and
Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 9, pg. 67. Around 15 years later, Crysostom
was writing on 1 Corinthians 12:1-2 where Paul began a discussion
concerning the spiritual gifts. He wrote: "This whole place is very
obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts
referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but
now no longer take place. John Crysostom, Homilies on First Corinthians
(381-398 A.D.)  Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 12, pg. 168. A few
years after Crysostom wrote, Augustine, who was one of the most
influential scholars of his day, wrote this while commenting on the book
of John: In the earliest times, "the Holy Ghost fell upon them that
believed: and they spake with tongues," which they had not learned, "as
the Spirit gave them utterance." These were signs adapted to the time.
For there behooved to be that betokening of the Holy Spirit in all
tongues, to show that the Gospel of God was to run through all tongues
over the whole earth. That thing was done for a betokening, and it
passed away... If then the witness of the presence of the Holy Ghost be
not now given through these miracles, by what is it given, by what does
one get to know that he has received the Holy Ghost? Let him question
his own heart. If he love his brother, the Spirit of God dwells in him.
Augustine, Epistle of John, 416 A.D. Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers,
vol. 7, pg.. 497-498. Although Augustine recognized that the gift of
tongues had ceased by his time, he understood that the Holy Spirit was
still working in the lives of Christians. How did he say we could know
the Spirit was working in someone's life? It is not whether he can speak
in tongues or not or if he can perform any other kind of miracle. The
way we know the Spirit is working in someone's life is if he
demonstrates the  fruits of the Spirit, the first of which is love
(Galatians 5:22-25). The Word and the Sword will be broadcast again at
8:00 P.M., Tuesday, July 6. We will be discussing the 13th chapter of 1
Corinthians. Proper understanding of this passage is one of the keys to
understanding the issue over modern day miracles. Please read and study
this chapter before July 6th. Join us and be ready to call in with any
of your questions and we will SEE you then.





Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc