The apostle John, in the gospel account which he was inspired of God to write, advises us that NO man possessed the Spirit as an indwelling Entity in human flesh, that is until after Jesus Christ was glorified (i.e., following His resurrection from the dead) (see John 5:39).
While many holy men of olden times (prior to Christ Jesus' glorification) had the Spiritwith them, thereby providing the power which enabled them to perform the miracles which they are credited with having done, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only human being who has ever been endowed with the Spiritwithout measure. (see II Corinthians 5:19)
OK. Then was God also with Pharaoh's magicians?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Well, Timmy, the "short" answer would be yes! However, God was "with" them in a much different sense, in that He "allows" evil to prevail, oft-times for the purpose of showing the superiority of His power; as it was with the magicians of Pharaoh and their actions. If you will note, everything that Pharaoh's magicians did was nullified by the actions which were done by God through Moses and Aaron.
Well, Timmy, the "short" answer would be yes! However, God was "with" them in a much different sense, in that He "allows" evil to prevail, oft-times for the purpose of showing the superiority of His power; as it was with the magicians of Pharaoh and their actions. If you will note, everything that Pharaoh's magicians did was nullified by the actions which were done by God through Moses and Aaron.
By "with", I meant in same way He was with Moses and Aaron. The stated purpose of the rod/serpent miracle was to show Pharaoh that God had appeared to them. God had a backup plan, of course. If that didn't work, Moses (or Aaron) was to do the hand-turned-leprous-and-back miracle. Plan C was to be pouring river water onto the ground to be turned into blood.
Well, plan A didn't seem to work (though it may only be because God hardened Pharaoh's heart -- hard to say). Plans B and C seem to have been skipped, in favor of an even better (I guess) plan, and, well, the rest is "history".
Anyway, back to the issue of indisputable proof. How does that work, again? If a miracle is amazing enough, that proves God did it? How amazing is enough? (A rod turning into a snake didn't quite make it. A snake devouring all the bad guys' snakes did. I guess.)
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
I was also thinking of virtually every episode of Baywatch where someone was rescued by one of the super model lifeguards and given CPR until they coughed up some sea water then got up like nothing happened, all too the applause of the onlookers.
but... isn't just about everything concerning Baywatch fake?????
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
By "with", I meant in same way He was with Moses and Aaron. The stated purpose of the rod/serpent miracle was to show Pharaoh that God had appeared to them. God had a backup plan, of course. If that didn't work, Moses (or Aaron) was to do the hand-turned-leprous-and-back miracle. Plan C was to be pouring river water onto the ground to be turned into blood.
Well, plan A didn't seem to work (though it may only be because God hardened Pharaoh's heart -- hard to say). Plans B and C seem to have been skipped, in favor of an even better (I guess) plan, and, well, the rest is "history".
Anyway, back to the issue of indisputable proof. How does that work, again? If a miracle is amazing enough, that proves God did it? How amazing is enough? (A rod turning into a snake didn't quite make it. A snake devouring all the bad guys' snakes did. I guess.)
Timmy, I am confident that God doesn't need a Plan A, B, C or any other than the one which He devised before the first words of creation were ever spoken, in order that that which He has determined might be accomplished. Thus it isn't that your hypothesis is not only utterly absurd (to say the least), but it evidences the thoughts (i.e., mindset) of one who is (apparently) destitute of understanding the manner in which God does things. I do not state this to belittle, harange, publicly embarrass or humiliate you, but am simply expressing how I understand the meaning or significance of your comments.
Now, with regards to the matter of tendering "indisputable proofs" which serve to evidence God's abilities (i.e., power) to perform or accomplish things which lie beyond the capabilities of finite mortals like you and I.... I am persuaded that God oft-times performs what we might think to be an impossible act, a "miracle" if you will, doing so to make the truth of the matter "unbelievable."
Yes, you read that right! For instance, have you ever witnessed a serpent or an ass speaking as a human being; God speaking from a burning bush which is not being consumed by the flames; a man remaining "alive" in the belly of a whale for 3 whole days before being spewed out upon a beach; or, what is perhaps the greatest "miracle" of all - a lifetime of despicable sinful acts being forever remitted through the seemingly simple act of submission of oneself to immersion in waters and having the baptizer verbally assert that the authority for doing so is by the authority of the "name of the Lord Jesus Christ"?
Such so-called "miracles" as these are simply unbelievable, right? Absolutely... yet they are ALL true! Thus we find that God presents us with the truth by making it, at first glimpse, utterly unbelievable. So what is it, we must ask ourselves, that makes such "miracles" (as well as many others which He has, and does perform) believable? The answer, of course, is pure and simple FAITH, without which it is impossible to please God.
So, concerning the question - what makes the things (i.e., miracles) which God does to be "indisputable" truths? Simply, and only, because I believe it!! That, my friend, is what FAITH truly represents - pure and simple belief of those things which, to my finite mortal mind, would otherwise seem to be "unbelievable!"
I don't suspect that you'll readily accept these musings as truth (albeit I hope that you will).
Timmy, I am confident that God doesn't need a Plan A, B, C or any other than the one which He devised before the first words of creation were ever spoken, in order that that which He has determined might be accomplished. Thus it isn't that your hypothesis is not only utterly absurd (to say the least), but it evidences the thoughts (i.e., mindset) of one who is (apparently) destitute of understanding the manner in which God does things. I do not state this to belittle, harange, publicly embarrass or humiliate you, but am simply expressing how I understand the meaning or significance of your comments.
Now, with regards to the matter of tendering "indisputable proofs" which serve to evidence God's abilities (i.e., power) to perform or accomplish things which lie beyond the capabilities of finite mortals like you and I.... I am persuaded that God oft-times performs what we might think to be an impossible act, a "miracle" if you will, doing so to make the truth of the matter "unbelievable."
Yes, you read that right! For instance, have you ever witnessed a serpent or an ass speaking as a human being; God speaking from a burning bush which is not being consumed by the flames; a man remaining "alive" in the belly of a whale for 3 whole days before being spewed out upon a beach; or, what is perhaps the greatest "miracle" of all - a lifetime of despicable sinful acts being forever remitted through the seemingly simple act of submission of oneself to immersion in waters and having the baptizer verbally assert that the authority for doing so is by the authority of the "name of the Lord Jesus Christ"?
Such so-called "miracles" as these are simply unbelievable, right? Absolutely... yet they are ALL true! Thus we find that God presents us with the truth by making it, at first glimpse, utterly unbelievable. So what is it, we must ask ourselves, that makes such "miracles" (as well as many others which He has, and does perform) believable? The answer, of course, is pure and simple FAITH, without which it is impossible to please God.
So, concerning the question - what makes the things (i.e., miracles) which God does to be "indisputable" truths? Simply, and only, because I believe it!! That, my friend, is what FAITH truly represents - pure and simple belief of those things which, to my finite mortal mind, would otherwise seem to be "unbelievable!"
I don't suspect that you'll readily accept these musings as truth (albeit I hope that you will).
What is my hypothesis that you find absurd? I'm mostly just asking questions, so far. And relating a story we find in the Bible. Didn't think you'd find that absurd.
But now that you have defined "indisputable proof" for me, I definitely have a hypothesis regarding that. To you, indisputable proof is anything that you want to call indisputable truth, on faith. How you choose, I'm not exactly sure, but it seems to be whatever lines up with your interpretation of things in the Bible, for one thing.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
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