Why Don’t We See Miracles Like the Apostles Did?

sharkwhales · Jan 10, 2017

I think we do see miracles like they did, especially during revivals.

However I think much of it goes unnoticed because of the sheer inertia of a self-interested world and the information it generates that drowns out news of something beyond it. I think the same was true back then -- you will notice in the Bible, not everyone immediately came to Christ in spite of all the works of the NT.

Stunnedbygrace · Jan 10, 2017

Depleted said:

Miracles don't happen much today in the western world because too many Christians find it easier on them to not take God at his word and not trust him to simply step out of the comfort zone and be used by God. They fear, "but what if I say something, what if I pray, and no miracle happens? Then everyone will look at me as a fraud and I would be less in their eyes. What people think of me IS more important than maybe God will do a miracle."

The thing is when we do step out of our comfort zone, it is often true. We do pray for a person and the person isn't healed. What does that cost us? Cost? We're not paying, we're obeying! We gain something for stepping out of that comfort zone.

What it might cost the person who is sick and really hoping for that miracle is a little lost trust in God maybe. But, no. Not really. As a disabled person I am disappointed God hasn't healed my back. BUT I count it all joy too, because God not doing the miracle on my back also means I have to lean on him more than I would if my back was good. Our aim is to lean on God 24/7, so a little more is better than a little less, right?

And yet, people come up with all sorts of excuses to not pray for another's miracles. They blame the Bible's wording. They blame God. They blame lack of apostles. They blame anything and all things except for the one true thing -- it is them. They would rather be comfortable then live in the discomfort that is our best relationship with God -- trusting him.

Notice the miracles in the Bible. Jesus used spit and dirt to give a blind person sight. He rubbed the mud on the guy's eyes, so he touched him. He put in a little extra effort even though he's God, so all he had to do was think it and ALL blind people would have seen that day. Not his plan!

The woman touched his hem. Martha and Mary pleaded to him. An action has to happen for a miracle to happen. Not that God needs any action, but as a sign of faith. THAT's the sign talked about. The sign so many use as yet another excuse to avoid stepping out of their comfort zone.

So to do nothing? Yeah, well, no wonder miracles happen less now in the west than it used to be. When you don't trust God enough to lay hands, anoint with oil, or to even expect God of doing anything, God can't use you for that miracle. One less miracle.

Multiply that by as many times as you had the opportunity to trust God for that. Then multiply that by how many others you talk out of leaving their comfort zone, and what do you expect but nothing? THAT was your plan all along, right? Nothing! Don't think God wants me to change simply because I say I follow him. It's just words, right? No action required, right?

God has used my hubby and me five times for miracles. Thousands of times there was no miracle when we stepped out. But there wouldn't even have been five times if we didn't take him at his word. There also wouldn't be "we" anymore. Just me wilting a little more because of this New Age teaching that miracles don't happen.

Miracles happen still. Unless you make sure you avoid them.

I tried to send you a rep note but can't but I want to say that the Spirit washed over and over me as I read your post. He is still doing so. This is like Him saying to me, listen to her, listen, she is speaking truly about Me!

The other day when I was reading Revelation and He said to the one church, you have a little power and you have not denied Me. And I thought, why a LITTLE power? Had the Spirit been hindered in some way?

Stunnedbygrace · Jan 10, 2017

I think it's high time to take back land we've given to the enemy of our souls.
I have been complicit in this by...judging God by some of the shenanigans of others.
They can do their shenanigans but it doesn't mean I have to reject the truth because they're playacting and prancing around on a stage for gain.

valiant · Jan 10, 2017

Depleted said:

It is my problem. Would that they did happen! But they are very rare. I have prayed for one, and prayed Lord I believe, Help my unbelief. Yet He does not hear.

True.

Who says it doesn't die? Antibiotics kill them. This is not gravity.

But cancers regress by themselves. It SEEMS like a miracle but it is normal.

it might simply be the exception that proves the rule.

He didn't ignore them He merely said REAL miracles are very rare, which you agree with. He merely pointed out that many claim miracles but don't DO them.

He doesn't do them for me. and I trust Him. There is much talk on this forum. Where is the man and woman who will pray in faith for me and my wife? They all dry up when I ask that.

plainguy · Jan 10, 2017

garee said:

Look up what martyr means again. Your definition doesn't come close. It seems that many here simply consider them "twelve of the apostles". But Rev 21:14 calls them the twelve apostles of the Lamb whose names are written on the twelve foundations of God's city.

Rev 21:14 ... The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Christ is the chief cornerstone of the foundation that God has laid for His church. Nobody would disagree that all is nothing without Christ. But it is clear that God chose (hand-picked) the twelve and saw fit to write their names on the (12) foundations of His city. But to you and many others apparently, this is no biggie, huh ? We are not apostles in this context. And we are not prophets either. God chose whom He chose to lay the foundation for His church.

Ephesians 2:19-20

You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of His household .. (20) ... built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.

Stunnedbygrace · Jan 10, 2017

valiant said:

It is my problem. Would that they did happen! But they are very rare. I have prayed for one, and prayed Lord I believe, Help my unbelief. Yet He does not hear.

True.

Who says it doesn't die? Antibiotics kill them. This is not gravity.

But cancers regress by themselves. It SEEMS like a miracle but it is normal.

it might simply be the exception that proves the rule.

He didn't ignore them He merely said REAL miracles are very rare, which you agree with. He merely pointed out that many claim miracles but don't DO them.

He doesn't do them for me. and I trust Him. There is much talk on this forum. Where is the man and woman who will pray in faith for me and my wife? They all dry up when I ask that.
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I will pray for you, brother. What are you and your wife facing right now?

PrynceNY · Jan 10, 2017

There are miracles still happening. However if you expect the media and mainstream outlets to report on it it's not going to happen. They try their best to mock God & deny his existence to keep the lost blinded.

Blain · Jan 10, 2017

PrynceNY said:

True it's not like the news is going to show all these things and you can look up such things on say youtube and find many of them easily but a lot of people assume it's fake and it's very possible it is it just depends on how much you trust the validation of videos as these things can easily be faked

oldethennew · Jan 10, 2017

Jesus shows His miracles to whom He wills...

Stunnedbygrace · Jan 10, 2017

Stunnedbygrace said:

I see that you are offline, brother. I want to bump this so you don't miss it. I hope you come back soon. Even not knowing what you both might be facing, I have prayed nonetheless, because God knows what you're facing.

Rondonmon · Jan 10, 2017

Awakened said:

We see far more in reality, but we actually have brothers that call them "FAKE"

How can God do Miracles id we refuse to believe they are miracles.

Joidevivre · Jan 10, 2017

Since I am going through cancer of the mouth at this point, with treatments harsh and cruel (chemo and radiation and surgery), many people are praying for a miracle to happen. Not to mention that I have strong faith for one.

But today as I was praying about a miracle to happen, the Lord spoke to me very strongly "YOU are the miracle". "It is how you are going through this with my grace upon you, with my joy always seen in you, with my peace never leaving".

It has been a revelation. We always look for God to do this and do that - take that away - change this, change that - heal instantly, etc. before we see the miracle. Not ever seeing that WE could be the miracle. It has given me much strength to know that.

plainguy · Jan 10, 2017

Joidevivre said:

Since I am going through cancer of the mouth at this point, with treatments harsh and cruel (chemo and radiation and surgery), many people are praying for a miracle to happen. Not to mention that I have strong faith for one.

But today as I was praying about a miracle to happen, the Lord spoke to me very strongly "YOU are the miracle". "It is how you are going through this with my grace upon you, with my joy always seen in you, with my peace never leaving".

It has been a revelation. We always look for God to do this and do that - take that away - change this, change that - heal instantly, etc. before we see the miracle. Not ever seeing that WE could be the miracle. It has given me much strength to know that.

Add another to the list of those praying for you. God's peace in Christ is always our greatest comfort. May it be yours in abundance. And may God bring healing to your body.

Stunnedbygrace · Jan 10, 2017

I have a funny miracle, believe it or not.

A few days after I believed, I prayed to God about a friend who had come to my house crying the night before, very upset about something involving her children and a neighbor. I had just so recently believed that I did not know how to pray for her so I just asked Him to show me what I could do or say for Him, to her.

The next morning I was driving to work and an odd thing happened. I suddenly understood many things at once. I knew why what had happened to her happened, why the man did what he did to her sons, what she should do, and a whole lot more. I wasn't even thinking about her. All this information and knowledge just dumped into my brain from somewhere.

At the same time, I felt waves washing over me and extreme goosebumps even though it was very hot outside. This happened simultaneously with the information. I didn't even have time to be shocked or wonder at this new thing I'd never felt before in my life that had me crying and laughing at the same time. I just said, without any thought: okay, I'll tell her!

I continued down the road and was marveling over what this feeling was. It kept washing over me very strongly and I just basked in it. At some point, I was thinking I couldn't wait to get home to tell her what God had given me to tell her, and a crash happened (not a car crash) in which I began to think: oh...she will think I am crazy. Who just walks up to a person and says, God explained such and such to me and wants you to know thus and thus?

So I said, God, I know that was You just then. But I DON'T know for sure that I am supposed to tell her all this. I don't even know if she believes in you because I haven't even told anyone that I do now. So unless you specifically let me know I'm supposed to tell her, I'm not going to.

At that exact second, traffic stopped and I was sitting under an underpass, thinking hard about how foolish I would look or even how insane I would look. So I said again, yeah, I won't do it unless you specifically tell me I should. Then traffic started forward and I saw the license plate in front of me. It was: HVN SNT. And the waves, that had stopped, began again, with goosebumps and tears.

I know it sounds funny, but that was my miracle. HVN SNT...heaven sent.

CS1 · Jan 10, 2017

Awakened said:

I would say that I see them all the time

. I think we are way to much liking to keep God in a box and say "miracles happen by our understanding and not only what the Bible says .

A "miracle" is a Super Natural action done in the natural. Also known as Divine intervention. Salvation is a miracle !!! and it is one we should see more in our churches if we would do what God said to do.

Grace777x70 · Jan 10, 2017

CS1 said:

I agree...sometimes we are so busy looking for the "spectacular" that we miss the "supernatural" work of God. God always works supernaturally and sometimes it is spectacular to the naked eyes.

jb · Jan 10, 2017

trofimus said:

What absolute nonsense!

notuptome · Jan 10, 2017

CS1 said:

What are you advocating? Believing God that when His word is preached men will be convicted of sin, righteousness and judgment to come? Give up all the theatrics and just declare the word of God in the church? Disciple believers to serve the Lord as a witness and testimony to His saving grace? Live holy and pure lives like they did in the fifties?

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Depleted · Jan 10, 2017

valiant said:

As a counter to your comment about antibiotics, yes. I agree. And yet, I was healed of a recurrent infection after all the antibiotics did was lessen it for a couple of weeks over and over again for two years. That was the miracle.

All my examples (except someone being raised up despite gravity lol), were taken from things people said on this thread. In each case, (except maybe the boy who was healed of a headache, because that really could have been the placebo effect), they were nothing short of miracles.

As for why you really responded -- you want a miracle for you and your wife -- what kind? What prayer do you ask?

I will not pray for something God doesn't tell me to pray for. (Like I won't be praying that you get the winning lottery ticket blowing down your chimney, just because you'd like that), but I will pray for God's will in all things.

There's a warning in that. By all accounts, my husband should have died on November 21, 2015, and I did ask for prayers for him. Not that he'd live, (although, duh now! I really really wanted him to live. I wasn't hiding that), but that God's will work out to his glory and hubby's good. By all accounts, (ask any one of his doctors, nurses, or therapists if the man should be alive, and everyone will tell you he shouldn't. And they'll go on to tell you he shouldn't be able to do quite a few things he can do also), he should be dead. He is not. That is God's will.

AND, if he was supposed to die, that too would have been God's will.

I not only hope for miracles to be God's will, I live with my husband today because a miracle happened. And I also know I don't get hubby forever. Some day, and probably soon, he will get what God wants all his children to get -- to come home. I will lose hubby. God will take him and keep him then.

So, that's what I pray. What do you want prayer for? I cannot lay hands on you and I cannot bring out the oil, but I can, and will pray with you. God tells us to do that!

Stunnedbygrace · Jan 10, 2017

Joidevivre said:

I had something similar happen to me, although what I went through is nothing like the cancer treatments you are enduring.

Someone physically assaulted me. They had me backed into a corner, hitting me, and I was panicked. I got free and fled. I went to a Walgreens parking lot and sat in my car.

I wasn't distressed, and I wasn't crying, but I was...confused. And I said, where WERE you, Lord? Where were you?
And He spoke to me strongly, like you describe. He said: I was right there. You didn't hit her back, did you?

Why Don’t We See Miracles Like the Apostles Did?

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