Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
No matter how many 'signs' and 'proofs' one exhibits of being a Jesus-follower, even a possibly great one (a "spiritual giant" in LC terms), ultimately one's place is given by God at the end, and not by man today. If it's given by people then sin will at some point interpose itself, and we'll see the result: corruption. A Todd Bentley or a Ted Haggard sins, or David Yonggi Cho or Witness Lee son sins, and then what happens to our NA sand castle? It's ruined.
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I've never been a fan of either Christian News or Local News, and thus have missed out on many a story over the years, of both "blessings" and "scandals." Having become more than familiar with LSM's many "
claims and shames," I guess knowing of that was enough for me, since I had invested so much in their program.
For me it has always been a struggle to discern the many
'signs' and 'proofs' which Christians claim. Yes, the Bible does provide instruction to heed them, (e.g. Mark 16.17; 2 Cor 12.12) but in our day how difficult it is to test them for authenticity. During Jesus time, recipients of miracles were often scrutinized by Jewish leaders, yet the facts were undeniable. (e.g. John 9, Acts 3) These events were so real, that they were willing to endure endless examination and even suffering.
WL made it easy for his followers. First he claimed a past history of miraculous signs, which none of us could verify. Second, he used "numbers" to prove he had the prerequisite "signs" for today, i.e. numbers of churches and numbers of books. Who was I to argue with that?
Recently, while visiting a Bible study in some friends' home, we heard about the "weeping Bible" in Dalton, GA. They have been collecting "anointing oil" from this bible for months, curing all manners of evils. I was told, "
it has to be the Lord, cause how could they fake it?" I tend to believe everything can be faked, yet I still hold out hope, lest I be convicted of an "
evil heart of unbelief."
Fortunately for me, salvation is based on my faith in the greatest sign of all, that Jesus Christ died for my sins according to the scripture, that God raised Him from the dead, and has exalted Him above all.