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Discussion Forum : General Topics : Regarding signs and wonders. A question.

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AbideinHim
Member



Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Re:

Krispy,

I have seen the Lord move many times to prevent a disaster from happening. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't even be writing this if it wasn't for the keeping power of God.

In 1992 there Hurricane Lily had already done much damage and was heading for Louisiana. Many people were evacuating Lake Charles La. and moving further north as it looked like the storm would hit us head on. We had been tracking the storm and even the day before it hit the decision had been made to begin shutting down the Citgo Refinery where I work. I later learned that this was taking place throughout La and Southeast Texas. At about 10:00 P.M Wednesday night the storm began to take a more easterly course which took Lake Charles out of harm's way. As the storm approached the coast it began to weaken. The wind speeds were up to 145 m.p.h. and there was nothing to slow the storm down, because it was still over warm water. The meteorologists were completely baffled and the story in the paper the next day was that this is the first hurricane that they had ever seen implode before it hit land. The wind speed actually decreased from 145 to 100 m.p.h.

This is an excerpt of the article that appeared in the Lake Charles American Press the day after the storm hit:

WEAKENING OF STORM CONFOUNDS EXPERTS

"Stephen K. Rinhard, head meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Lake Charles forecast office, said that Hurricane Lili is the first storm that he's ever seen "implode" as it approached the coast."

"I've seen storms explode before, but to my knowledge this one is the first I've seen do this," he said. Hurrican Opal in 1995 is an example of a hurricane that exploded as it approached the coast." But in an overnight transformation even the forecasters could not fully explain, Lili weakened from a 145-mph, Category 4 hurricane to a Category 2."

"And after its center crossed land at Marsh Island, the storm's winds dropped again, falling by midday to 75 mph, barely a hurricane."

"A category 4 storm could have created a life threatening storm surge of up to 25 feet. Instead, more manageable surges of 6 to 10 feet blew in."

"This storm went to a Category 2 before it came inland and that kept the storm surge to 5 to 10 feet in Vermillion Bay. If it had to happen, that was the best place for it because there is a lot of buffer around the bay, Rinard said."

I believe that this disaster was averted as a direct result of the prayers of the saints.

Another time I was working the evening shift at the plant and we noticed a large vapor cloud that was moving into our unit. This vapor cloud was the result of a propane line that split open. We have furnaces in our unit, and we knew that it was only a matter of minutes before this vapor cloud would hit one of the furnaces, and there would be a violent explosion. We all took off running away from the unit. We found out later that for some unknown reason the wind shifted and the vapor cloud was being directed right between two units that had furnaces. Even the plant manager, who was not a Christian, had to admit that there was a higher power that shifted the wind and prevented a disaster from taking place.

Before I started working an inside console job operating the units, I was an outside operator in the Sulphuric Acid Plant. I was making a round one day and part of my job was to run an acid dilution on the 98% acid to determine the acid strength. I was standing underneath a large acid line which was directly overhead. For some unknown reason I moved away from this acid line. The line ruptured and sprayed acid directly at the place where I had moved from. The amazing thing is that I did not have any reason to move away from this line not knowing that it was going to rupture.

The Lord does keep us and deliver us, and I do believe that the Lord saves us from many disasters. I believe every word of Psalm 91.

"Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91:9-16).



_________________
Mike

 2011/8/12 14:26Profile
Aussiedler
Member



Joined: 2005/2/14
Posts: 109
GERMANY

 Re:

we are getting off topic, the question was not about answers to prayer, but if there are signs following the preaching.

 2011/8/12 16:37Profile
JB1968
Member



Joined: 2009/8/31
Posts: 416
Ohio USA

 Re:

The greatest sign and miracle is a person being saved by the power of God. The devil can't dispute a changed heart and life. He can imitate many other things, but not a changed holy life.


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James

 2011/8/12 16:48Profile









 Re: Tedtimonies

I have reframed from sharing any personal experiences realizing some may doubt what I share. But Abide shared some personal exprrieces about God working so here goes........

A friend who lives in Hawaii called me. She said the islands were under a hurricane watch. They were in the oath of a cat 3 storm heading their way. As we prayed over the phone the Lord had us rebuke the storm in the name of Jesus. Just as Jesus rebuked the storm we took authority in his name and rebuked the hurricane. The hurricane shifted to the north and disappated in the colder waters of the Pacific. Hawaii was soared. To God be the glory.

After the Chilean earthquake 2 years ago the tsunamie warnings went off around Hawaii. I was part of a prayer call that was convened to pray for the islands. God put it on our hearts to take authority and disapate the tsunamie in the name of Jesus. We did this. Projections were for a 30 foot wave. After our prayers there was a 3 foot swell. To God be the glory.

I live on the edges of tornado alley. There have been times when the tornado sirens have gone off. God h!s put it into my heart to rebuke these storm on the name of Jesus. He has done so. To God be the glory.

I am reminded that Jesus said that anyone who has faith in him will do what he has bee. doing. He rebuked the storms..If he leads we can to. I know some of you will take issue with my rxperiencrs. But what I have shared is true. I am not lying. In all the above examples God gets the glory.

Submitted by Blaine Scogin.

 2011/8/12 17:23
twayneb
Member



Joined: 2009/4/5
Posts: 2256
Joplin, Missouri

 Re:

Quote:
I keep hearing in this forum that a wicked and adulterous generation ask for a miracle.

This sentence is what stuck in my mind the most, Didn't Jesus rebuke the Pharisees for doing the same thing?



I would submit that Matt. 16:1-4 is not dealing with the question of whether or not God still confirms His word with signs and miracles or whether or not we still see signs and miracles today. Jesus claimed to be Messiah, who the Jews were eagerly anticipating and who most of the Jews still look for. The Pharisees and the Saducees rejected Jesus as Messiah because He did not fit their idea or interpretation of old testament prophecy. So, they asked Jesus for a sign. He told them that they were a wicked and adulteress generation that sought a sign. Basically they said, "If we are to believe you, work some sort of miracle for us." Interestingly enough Jesus had worked many miracles and the Pharisees saw them and still did not believe. They would not have believe had Jesus done some mighty work at this time either. Remember that they looked at demons cast out and said Beelzabub was responsible. He simply told them, "You will know because I will rise from the dead in three days." Of course most did not believe then either.

This is to me quite a different discussion than asking whether God through His Holy Spirit still works miracles and signs and wonders today. Remember Jesus' words in John 14. The same things that I do and greater will you do because I go to the Father (implying the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower us).

It is important to remember thought that the working of miracles, gifts of healing, etc. are for the purpose of manifesting the love and heart of God in ministry, not for "proof" or for show. I don't even believe we seek these things for their own sake. We seek to have God's heart toward people and we minister to them from His love. He then empowers us to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as He wills. The gifts are a manifestation of His love not an end in themselves.


_________________
Travis

 2011/8/12 17:47Profile









 Re: Back on topic

Brother Aussiedler is right. The question is do signs and wonders accompany the preaching of the gospel today. The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 2 that God confirmed the message of the gospel with signs, wonders, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. The cessionist would say no they do not accompaniy gospel preaching today. The signs and wonders were only meant to autheticate the gospel in the first century. Now that scriptures have been written and canonized the word is all you need. If memory serves I believe this position is held by people such as John MacArthur, Al Martin, perhaps Steve Lawson. Steve Lawson used to be my pastor in Little Rock. He was a Dallas Theogical Seminary graduate. This seminary has tra#itionally taught that the sign gifts have ceased after the first century. Steve may still hold to that position. I am aware that traditional Calvinistic hold to the cessionist view that tongues, healing, and prophesy ceased when scriptures were canonized. I think it can be said that traditional evangelicalism does not hold to miracles accompanying the preaching of the gospel. The only thing is I am not convinced by the exegetical evidence the cessionist offer. I believe there is greater scripture support to show signs and wonders do accompany the preaching of the gospel. I believe Travis gave an excellent scripture post at the beginning of this thread to show such. It is worth your attention.

The other thing I would call your attention to is the persecuted church. There have been many credible reports of Jesus appearing.g to Moslens in dreams and visions. This has often resulted in them coming to Christ. There have been other reports of healings and deliverances taking place when the gospel is being preached. VOM, Open Doors, Gospel for Asia report such miracles on a regular basis. What would the cessionist say? Please do .it attrition its these miracles to the enemy. These are the miracles that are bringing people to Christ.

So do miracles accompany authetic gospel preaching in 2011???? I say yes. But some may disagree. State your case.

Submitted by Blaine Scogin

 2011/8/12 18:08
carters
Member



Joined: 2011/5/24
Posts: 138
Australia

 


_________________
Mrs Carter

 2011/8/12 19:01Profile
AbideinHim
Member



Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Re:

"I gently said to him after that for me the greated miracle is when the Holy Spirit changes someone's heart from stubborness to gentlessness/teachablity or someone who suffers from anger submitting to God and being changed into someone who is gentle and kind, no longer being a slave to anger.
- those things are what impress me the most."

Brother, I am in total agreement with you that when you witness someone that was displaying the works of the flesh, in bondage to sin, and now they are producing the fruit of the Spirit and living a holy life, this is the greatest miracle. The new birth experience in which one becomes a new creation, is delivered from the power of darkness and translated to the kingdom of God's dear Son, far surpasses any outward manifestation.

It is the ministers that are making signs, wonders, and miracles a main priority in their ministry and are not emphasizing the need for belivers to live a holy, consecrated life that has caused many believers to discredit any kind of supernatural manifestation of the Sprit.

Getting back to the orgiginal post, the full gospel of salvation needs to be preached once again that Jesus Christ has not only come to save us from the penalty of sin, but the power of sin. Signs and wonders will follow those that believe the whole council of God. Our lack of seeing the power of God in our churches should not cause us to come to the wrong conclusion that God is no longer moving as He did in the early church and in various moves of God, but it should cause us to ask the question: Why isn't it happening? Where have we missed it? I have witnessed many fine Christian men and women that loved the Lord that have gone to be with Jesus as a result of dying of cancer, and have had to ask the Lord: why is this happening? I know that God hasns't changed, but we have.

Mike


_________________
Mike

 2011/8/12 21:18Profile
Lysa
Member



Joined: 2008/10/25
Posts: 3699
East TN for now!

 Re: JB1968


Quote:
JB1968 wrote:
The greatest sign and miracle is a person being saved by the power of God. The devil can't dispute a changed heart and life. He can imitate many other things, but not a changed holy life.


I agree that a changed life is a miracle but even Jesus didn’t stop at saying, “you must be born again.” Did He? No, He went on past that and set the captives free, the blind eyes saw, the lame walked, the deaf heard, demons were cast out, etc!!!

He made a way where there seemed to be no way to live, not just to live a life but to live an abundant life! We are His disciples in the 21 century, will we continue on to follow Him or not?

God bless,
Lisa


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Lisa

 2011/8/12 22:03Profile





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