Quote:
Originally Posted by KWSS1976
But if we are apostles none of us have the power to perform marculous (sp) signs and wonders
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It's not about "power". It's about "calling" and "faith". That's what Simon Magnus couldn't understand.
Miracles are not the product of power. They are the product of a combination of "calling" and "faith". Some have the "faith" but not the "calling" to perform a miracle. Others have the "calling" but don't have the "faith". I have a wonderful book on every miracle on the Bible. It charts how the outbreak of miracles comes as a result of a move of God. For example, you see many miracles in the Exodus as God was delivering his people...but then miracles seem to become fewer and fewer as Israel's history progresses. Sure, there were small instances of miracles...but by and large these were exceptional instances, most didn't see or receive a miracle. There was miraculous providence throughout this historical period but few real "miracles". Then you have an extraordinary outbreak of miracles around the time of the prophets Elijah and Elisha as they issued the "Word of the Lord" to the people. TThen after Elijah and Elisha other prophets spoke and there were miracles but miracles were fewer. Then there was a famine from hearing the prophetic utterance altogether. A 400 year famine. Then came John the Baptist preparing the people for their Messiah. Then Jesus unleashed the power of the Gospel on the scene. After Christ's death the Spirit moved mightily in the Church, as she preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, just as with Israel, history marched on, the church institutionalized, apostatized, and miracles become fewer and outbreaks were sporadic in distant pockets among the nations. Then various men of God spoke and often miracles were reported in their wake. Then we see a mighty outbreak once more as the Pentecostal experience brought forth the restoration of the Apostolic Church and the Apostolic Gospel that was preached by the Apostles. But again, as with Israel, we've seen fewer miracles as we've become institutionalized and taken the message for granted.
Here's the deal...miracles don't happen at will. They don't happen for our benefit. They are not a promise and they are very infrequent historically speaking. No one has the "power to work a miracle". Miracles serve one purpose and one purpose ALONE...miracles glorify God and validate a message. It might be a message from a prophet, it might be the message of Christ himself, the message of the Church that Christ is risen, the message of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the message of Oneness, the message of
Acts 2:38. This is why miracles are seen more in "revivals" than daily church activities and functions. Because if a man is a REAL man of God he has a REAL message and the Spirit validates that message with miracles and miraculous happenings. It's about glorifying God and validating the message. When miracles taper off....the message is lacking, neglected, or taken for granted. This is why more miracles are seen in the mission field where the full Apostolic Gospel is being preached for the first time. So first, one needs the "calling" to deliver a REAL and TIMELY message to set the stage of a miracle.
Second, there must be faith. If the preacher's faith is lacking, he could have a message...but not the faith to let it be validated by the demonstration of miraculous power. Sometimes the preacher as faith...but the people don't. In those instances you will see few miracles.
So miracles are something I believe we misunderstand. They serve a purpose during a specific moment when the Spirit moves on a man to do or say a certain thing. They are not "powers" to be used at will like those found in super hero comic books. Sadly this misconception cuts both ways. It causes skeptics to wonder wear the "power" is....and it frustrates true saints who think these things are "powers" to be used at will. The key is understanding that a miracle serves a purpose and it's all about validating the message to the Glory of God. The questions I ask are...is this the right time for a miracle? Is there a message to validate? Is their faith in the preacher and the people to receive the miracle? Those are key.
Just my opinion. It's very complex and there are different elements to this, but the above is a very general expression of my understanding. Hope that helps out some. God bless.