Signs & Wonders

[nahkoe]

I wonder if it's the sort of praying we're doing, more than how much or how intensely. I know the way I've been praying since coming back to church is quite different than how I used to pray...and far more like how I was praying when I was in a time of intense revival in my life. Right now, the how isn't something I give much though to (until someone posts something like this..lol). I'm flat out desperate. I've gotten myself into a situation that there is absolutely no human way out of, and for sure absolutely no human way out of that *I* could manage to navigate. It's God or go back to where I was, and the "where I was" wouldn't be too kind to me if I went back. Kind of changes how one approaches God. It's let go and let God lift me out of this, w/o fighting or struggling or resisting in ANY way, or be dragged into a place of utter destruction of, at least, my soul. I'm still working on the letting go...

I'll let ya know in the next while if I start seeing any signs or wonders in my life. lol (cuz that'll prove my ponderings doncha know?)

Originally Posted by Timmy

Statements like "we need to pray really hard about this" and "call everyone you know and get them praying!" etc. are interesting. The clear implication is that the more prayer, in quantity (both in time spent, and in the number of people praying) and intensity (pray harder!), the more likely God will answer. (And I mean answer in the obviously hoped for way - a healing or whatever. When God answers "no", well that's another topic!)

But is this really true? I guess we'd need a scientific study to answer definitively, with a control group and so on. But, in your experience: is it true? Does God come through for you more often when you spend more time in intense prayer, and/or get the prayer chain going?

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

Anybody consider that God chooses those whom He will heal?????

This was my thoughts exactly while perusing this thread.

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

This was my thoughts exactly while perusing this thread.

I guess one has to pray the magic prayer the correct number of times loudly.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

I guess one has to pray the magic prayer the correct number of times loudly.

God is so not like that...

IMHO

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Ron

I was thinking as I sit here recovering from a broken ankle & pondering things,
if we are supposed to be Apostolic why are there not more divine healings, miracles, signs, & wonders than there is already?

Do we rely to much on modern technology & Modern Medicine?

Do we look to drugs (with my pain killers that I was on@ the beginning of my fall down the stairs I mentioned to a brother that the pills were my-"faith builders!"

Are we not consecrated enough?

Is it not preached enough?

Do we not believe enough?


Anyone want to weigh in on this?

Hi Ron. Others have offered some good thoughts already and from your posts I take you to be a mature believer, so I'm not really too concerned...

... but remember, you took a pretty bad tumble, there's no need to beat yourself up any more than what the stairs did to you. Use the tools and aids for healing that the docs provide. Even when compared to the death rates of the NT times we are doing a lot better at relieving suffering than what the church managed to do then.

Why don't we see more miracles? Well, with the exception of the ministry of Jesus Himself, I think we see the miraculous at about the same rates as the OT and NT peoples did. The book of Acts covers a period of time of over 30 years. Because we can read the whole book in a single night we tend to collapse the timeline.

[OneAccord]

Unity... a pet subject of mine. And yes, I think the disunity among those who have recieved the revelation of the truth is a prime reason we fail to see the miracles among us as compared to 1) the early church and 20 the early Pentecostal movement. Unity did not preceed great moves of God in the Bible, but it was the very foundation of the moving of the Holy Ghost. Unity was a factor, before, during and after Pentecost. The 2nd great move of the Holy Ghost, at Solomons porch, was based upon the unity of the Body. God operates in a united atmosphere.... where people are in one mind and in... well, one accord.

In the early days of the 2oth Century Pentecostal Movement we see that unity was a very important part. Azusa Street, Topeka, Houston, N. Carolina, and so on would never have happened if there wasn't a united purpose. Even the Welsh Revival was a result of a people united in prayer and seeking the face of God. The Healing Revivals were UNITED REVIVALS. Branham... Coe and scores of others had great success in praying for the sick because there was a united atmosphere and purpose to their meetings.

Hence the problem... Most think to be united, we all dress the same, act the same, believe the same, etc. But that isn't the case. As long as we are human we will have differing views, differing understanding. Unity doesn't require that we all look and act the same. But it requires a united spirit. Like this forum. We all have different views... our nationalities and cultures may differ, even our doctrines may differ, but when someone needs prayer (like I did the other day, and still do), we drop everything and run to unite with the one who needs prayer or encouragement. We unite in prayer (seeking God), in power (recieving God's annointing) and in Purpose (reaching the lost) just as they did at Pentecost. When we unite in prayer as the One Body of Christ and seek God's face as one... we will see the moving of God's Spirit.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

I guess one has to pray the magic prayer the correct number of times loudly.

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

God is so not like that...

IMHO

There was typo, Stephen. RD meant to say, "I guess one has to pray the magic hair the correct number of times loudly."

[stmatthew]

The lack of Signs and Wonders is a fruit of where the Apostolic Church of America is today. There is cause and effect in this. Our carnality has caused us to loose sight of the spiritual life, and the effect is that we are found wanting.

Things that are missing in the Church

1. Love
2. Love
3. Love
4. Love
5. Love
6. Love


Get the hint?? The way I see it, we need a very simple rebaptism of the Holy Ghost, because the LOVE of God is shed abroad in our hearts buy the Holy Ghost. Everything in our christian life hinges on Gods Love being present in our hearts. It is not "uncut hair", or "anti beards" that is written in our hearts. It is the Law of the Spirit, which writes Love upon the tables of our heart.

[OneAccord]

Amen, Brother, Amen

Originally Posted by stmatthew

The lack of Signs and Wonders is a fruit of where the Apostolic Church of America is today. There is cause and effect in this. Our carnality has caused us to loose sight of the spiritual life, and the effect is that we are found wanting.

Things that are missing in the Church

1. Love
2. Love
3. Love
4. Love
5. Love
6. Love


Get the hint?? The way I see it, we need a very simple rebaptism of the Holy Ghost, because the LOVE of God is shed abroad in our hearts buy the Holy Ghost. Everything in our christian life hinges on Gods Love being present in our hearts. It is not "uncut hair", or "anti beards" that is written in our hearts. It is the Law of the Spirit, which writes Love upon the tables of our heart.

[stmatthew]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

Anybody consider that God chooses those whom He will heal?????

So God lied when he said that "by his stripes Ye are healed"?? I guess some will have to throw that portion of scripture away, because God is sovereign, and his Word is not for all. I wonder how one could truely pray for healing of a crippled in faith if he is unsure. Its the lottery of healing, I guess.