I have an idea...it's very easy to talk negative about another person, especially when he can't defend himself. A good quote from Bill Johnson comes to mind when he says..."Anybody digging can find dirt, it takes skill to find the gold."

So let's just take David completely out of the equation because I know he stirs a lot of people's water and 350 raised from the dead is a large claim. Let's bring it down to reality, where we live:

I think the crowd around here is different than other message boards. Let's all discuss our fruit from our own obedience to Matt 10:8. Instead of talking about other people's numbers, let's talk about our own. I'll go first.

Heal the sick: I've prayed for 9 this past month after deciding to "Go" according to verse 7, none of them instantly healed.

Raise the dead: 0 [never attempted]

Cleanse the lepers:0 [never attempted]

Drive out demons: I've tried, but 0

Sounds like I have some work to do, don't you think?

I've been on purpose seeking God with diligent prayer and a fasting lifestyle for the past 2 years. God has taught me a lot, but I don't have any fruit. I finally realized that God can't heal anybody while I'm in my closet. So last month I decided to just go out there and see what I could do. I grab my homemade tracts, my wife and son and we go out to the public to see if God will show up. This is what I do, I look for any visibly sick or hurt person and that's my cue, I go up to them and talk about Jesus and ask if I can pray for their healing.

So far I've probably let about 50 people walk by without me doing a single thing! You know why? Fear of man, I never knew I had it so much until I went to pray for the sick. I've done Ray Comforts method and it's easy, you just follow the steps, but this is different. You're no longer relying on yourself but you're FORCED to rely on God because there is NOTHING in you that can heal a broken arm or leg. It MUST come from GOD.

Uhoh...what happens when nothing happens?? Is it God's fault? Nope, read what happened when the disciples couldn't heal the boy at the bottom of the mountain. It's my fault. There is a bottleneck somewhere, and it's somewhere in me. Does that mean I stop, no. It means that I press forward and deal with my problem of unbelief.

Listen, the world deserves the demonstration of the Kingdom! Not just self-help principles and a different way to live their life. They deserve to see God. That's exactly why Jesus came. The Father DESIRED to show Himself to the world. And He did!! Jesus said His miracles were a witness that He was from the Father...what is our's?

I just put up a new quote on my blog where David talks about whether people will believe what he's saying is true or not...he says that you won't really believe until you get out there and make a decision to do it yourself! My old pastor said "any truth without experience will remain in doubt".

There is also another brother in Georgia (Ryan Lawson) who is influenced by Hogan and is out there on the streets presenting the Kingdom with truth AND power. Seeing miracles in the streets of America. (I;m not sure if I can link him or not, if Greg says it's ok I will, if not you can PM me). He told me "nothing can substitute just doing it." and my favorite "anything worth doing is worth doing your worst." He's the reason why I left my closet.

So let's get out there and make ourselves like fools for Christ and try to bring the Kingdom to this world!

Or, would you rather argue about it on computers?

Paul

oops..this was supposed to go under the David Hogan thread...sorry.

Paul

Brother,

I might be totally wrong, but it seems to me as though you think people will not believe without demonstrations of power. Romans 1:16 says the GOSPEL is the power of God unto salvation. It is the miracle of God to regenerate a man through the Holy Ghost by the preaching of the Gospel. Not by signs and wonders (although these accompany Gospel preaching), but by the bold proclamation that all men are sick with SIN and deserving of hell, and that the only cure is Christ crucified and risen.

Let's stop comparing ourselves with other ministries, and stop following in the footsteps of men. Let's follow Christ and Him alone.

_________________
Joe Auvil

As i said, signs do accompany the preaching of the Gospel, but the signs should not be thought of as what causes people to believe. When Jesus healed the paralytic, it was to prove that He had the power to forgive sins.

_________________
Joe Auvil