Miracles today...

[mif_slim]

We read about all the miracles in the Bible from splitting the sea, waking to dead, water turn to wine, etc. My question is, of it were to happen today, would you believe that its the truth or say its some hoax?

Simple question right?

[teg33]

Tricky question, it's a trap

[Just Dave]

We read about all the miracles in the Bible from splitting the sea, waking to dead, water turn to wine, etc. My question is, of it were to happen today, would you believe that its the truth or say its some hoax?

Simple question right?

Miracles happen all the time, the biggest ones I've witnessed were healings and transformed lives.
However, skeptics will always try to explain miracles away no matter what type they are.

Tricky question, it's a trap

Yup, closed ended question.

[mossy]

"Faith healers" that made fake cripples walk and fake blind see poisoned the well.

[colossians323]

"Faith healers" that made fake cripples walk and fake blind see poisoned the well.

How so? they have been around forever and are documented in the bible. The more things change the more they stay the same

[Just Dave]

The biggest healing is the broken relationship between God the Father and humanity. Jesus healed this relationship when He went to the cross.

[mif_slim]

^ true, but the question still stands.

[RAMCLAP]

While miracles do still happen, Christ is the ultimate Revelation. Thus the need to be a pillar of smoke or fire, or parting of the seas is simply not necessary any longer. Besides, the reason for miracles was so that people would believe. Now we are called by faith not by miracles.
Matthew 12:38-40 [Full Chapter]
[ The Sign of Jonah ] Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

[Just Dave]

While miracles do still happen, Christ is the ultimate Revelation. Thus the need to be a pillar of smoke or fire, or parting of the seas is simply not necessary any longer. Besides, the reason for miracles was so that people would believe. Now we are called by faith not by miracles....

Exactly!

Miracles can cause people to come to Jesus for all the wrong reason. People should come to Jesus based on who He is not what He can do for them.

[Not a Cook]

We read about all the miracles in the Bible from splitting the sea, waking to dead, water turn to wine, etc. My question is, of it were to happen today, would you believe that its the truth or say its some hoax?

Simple question right?

The Scriptures tell us that God works miracles... but so can Satan. Consider Exodus 7. God worked a miraculous sign of turning Aaron's rod into a serpent, but the magicians of Egypt likewise turned their rods into serpents but their miracle wasn't of God.

John 20:30-31 (NKJV) says,
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Likewise, John 5:36 (NKJV) says,
But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Christ's miracles were signs that testified of Who He is so that we may believe and receive new life in Him. However, this does not mean that all miracles point to Christ. Some miracles are demonic and are intended to deceive people. Such demonic miracles are counterfeits of God's true miracles, much like the Egyptian magicians' counterfeit rod-to-serpent miracle.

Consider Christ's instruction/warning concerning the coming Great Tribulation found in Matthew 24, which includes these words in Matthew 24:24 (NKJV):
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Revelation 13:13-14 says that the beast from the earth will deceive folks with signs (miracles). Revelation 16:14 speaks of demons performing signs to deceive. Revelation 19:20 speaks of the false prophet performing signs to deceive.

Therefore you need not only question/discern whether any purported miracle is real, but if it is real, it is even MORE important to discern Who (or who) it is behind the miracle.

Also, for those that seek miracles/signs, let us not forget what Christ clearly said in Matthew 16:4 (NKJV),
A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
That sign is Christ's death and subsequent resurrection from the dead. That is the ultimate miracle, the ultimate sign.

[unobvs]

But Perhaps

The book of Acts, however, is full of records of God's miracles in this administration, after the resurrection and ascension and day of Pentecost, and many apparently believed in response to such miracles. Christ promised that the Comforter would bring with it Power from on High, and Christ promised that those that believe would be able to do that which he did, AND MORE, in this new era of having Christ within.

So I expect such things, and so might you if you look at the Word and not what the world is always saying about it.

[mif_slim]

Thanks for all the replies but I think its still partially not answered. Of course we are to believe with faith but the question is, "if it were to happen today..."

Look at it like this:

We hear of a person speaking about the Gospel in Socal. He comes up to Sacto and spreads the word and does miracle. Walks through a hospital and everyone is healed by his touch. His teachings are consistent with other Gospels...so, would you believe he is an Apostle or would you wait to see if he is false?

[Not a Cook]

Thanks for all the replies but I think its still partially not answered. Of course we are to believe with faith but the question is, "if it were to happen today..."

Look at it like this:

We hear of a person speaking about the Gospel in Socal. He comes up to Sacto and spreads the word and does miracle. Walks through a hospital and everyone is healed by his touch. His teachings are consistent with other Gospels...so, would you believe he is an Apostle or would you wait to see if he is false?

The Lord can and does still perform miracles. Were you under the impression that He had stopped performing miracles? If so, why?

What do you mean by "an Apostle"?

• Do you mean "an apostle of Christ"? If so, then my answer would be "no". The twelve plus Paul were the only "apostles of Christ". "Apostles of Christ" were personally and uniquely commissioned by Him and they were personal eyewitnesses of the physically resurrected Christ and were personally equipped by Him for and sent out by Him for a specific purpose. Be forewarned: many charlatans today TRY to claim authority they DON'T have by claiming to be "an Apostle of Christ", but they obviously don't meet the requirements to hold that office (hint: if they didn't personally see the resurrected Christ, then they aren't qualified and if He didn't personally equip them - and the pattern was for three years - and send them out then they are NOT what they're claiming to be).
  
• OR do you mean "an apostle" of a particular congregation? If so, then that it is a possibility, as there are many such apostles (e.g. Barnabus as recorded in Acts, or modern missionaries sent forth from a congregation to evangelize others). Remember: an apostle is literally "one who is sent out". The term has a relatively broad definition.

Regarding the hypothetical miracle-worker you ask about: discernment is required. Before believing that any particular miracle-worker is faithfully representing Christ, I would be diligent to prudently investigate the matter. There's a lot to such an investigation, but it's relatively straight-forward: first, are the supposed "miracles" some sort of trickery? Second, if they are not merely trickery but actually supernatural occurrences, what is the outcome of the supposed miracles? Do they glorify God? Or do they point toward, or glorify, or honor some mere person or organization? Third, is the supposed "miracle-worker" doing everything (not only the miracle, but whatever he says and whatever else he does) in keeping in line with the Scriptures?

As I previously noted, God can and does still work miracles BUT so does Satan and the other demons. The mere working of a miracle does not indicate that the "miracle worker" is a faithful servant of Christ - the "miracle worker" may also be working by the power of demons to deceive folks by means of the miracle.

Remember 1 John 4:1 (NKJV):
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

[mif_slim]

Oh no, I'm not doubting miracles at all. I've seen with my own eyes what the Lord has done. I'm just asking because during a mediation in the Word, i came across the thought that today, we know more than they did during the time of Jesus and the apostles. I mean to really think about it, it was only 1600-1800 that the questions to really challenge Christianity and other religions really arose.

With the "equipment" that we have today as well as Scriptures, i think that if the apostles really lived during our time, they would be labeled as false prophets.

The Pharisees had the OT to use against Jesus and if a modern day apostle were around, we would have the OT as well as the NT to use against him.... we as in this generation.

[Not a Cook]

Oh no, I'm not doubting miracles at all. I've seen with my own eyes what the Lord has done. I'm just asking because during a mediation in the Word, i came across the thought that today, we know more than they did during the time of Jesus and the apostles. I mean to really think about it, it was only 1600-1800 that the questions to really challenge Christianity and other religions really arose.

With the "equipment" that we have today as well as Scriptures, i think that if the apostles really lived during our time, they would be labeled as false prophets.

The Pharisees had the OT to use against Jesus and if a modern day apostle were around, we would have the OT as well as the NT to use against him.... we as in this generation.

I'm not sure I totally understand what you mean.

If someone raised someone else from the dead, or gave sight to the blind, or made the lame walk, or walked on water, or fed more than 5,000 with five loaves.... would it not be equally as miraculous today as it was when Christ and the apostles did so?

Human nature hasn't changed. Technology has progressed, but people are the same. Consider the prophetic passages I posted previously: there will be MANY folks who will be deceived by the demonic miracles that they discuss.