Signs of the Times

Acts 9:39 "Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. 42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord."

The Book of Acts of the Apostle's has some of the most spiritual "acts" found anywhere in the Bible!  Why is it that most churches skip over such a wonderful book? They fear that preaching on this book makes them a Pentecostal. Face it, disciples at that time did speak in tongues! People were filled with the Holy Ghost. Some were resurrected. Paul was bitten by a deadly snake and didn't die! Acts did happen. The Holy Ghost has power. It's necessary for him to comfort Christians!

Look at the scenario. Jesus had just been killed and ascended. He was no longer with them, so they thought!  He was no longer there to rally them. The people hated Christians then as they do now. There were false teachers and preachers then as there are now. The Christians needed someone to comfort them! They needed convincing! For that reason God came back, so to speak. Actually, the Holy Ghost  never left. He just had remained silent for a time.

Even Baptists don't preach much from Acts. They fear that they will be accused of being a Pentecostal. However, this book is full of comfort. Because a person believes in the Holy Ghost doesn't make them a Pentecostal! Some even have a problem with "ghost", changing it to "Holy Spirit". They are one and the same! Check the definition.pneuma is "Jesus' own spirit". He's gone in body. It's his "ghost" which remains!

One of the mysteries of Christ is that he has always been and always will be. He was with us on Day One and will be on Day Last. It was Jesus who spoke to Abraham, it was Jesus speaking on the Mount and it's Jesus' who spoke to the disciples on the day of Pentecost! All scripture is all about Jesus!

However, because the new church did things, does not make that the norm. Be assured that people who handle snakes may be faithful, but many of them have died! No one in post-apostolic times have raised people from the dead as Peter did as proof that God exists, and no one spoke in tongues after Christianity was firmly planted until modern times! (This is a 20th Century Phenomena).

It's clear that in the early church many things were done to convince people that Jesus wasn't dead. In this case when Peter raised Dorcus " many believed in the Lord" (verse 42).  Who are the :many people? It's the Jews!

Throughout the Bible time after time the Jews required miracles to believe. Moses did many miracles to convince the Jews with hardened hearts that God is their Lord. Paul said this about miracles:

1 Corinthians 1:22 "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom..."

God has two different ministries for two different peoples. Jews don't believe unless they see the power of God in action. Acts is "action".  The Acts of the Apostles were to give the Jews the first chance! They needed to see evidence of the Spirit (Jesus) to believe that he was still alive. They needed to see the power of God at work in resurrection because many didn't believe that it could happen. Those with Paul needed to see that he was poisoned by the viper, but lived.

Can these things still happen? Most assuredly. God does not live in our little box. He does what he needs to do to suit his purpose. What was his purpose in giving Peter the power over death? It was to make believers of the Jews!

With Paul the ministry was different. He minimized miracles and taught truth. This is what he meant when he said "the Greeks seek after wisdom". Those Greeks are us gentiles. We don't need miracles do believe, we need convincing! Reason, Paul realized, is the nature of the Greeks. Do modern Christians need miracles to believe. No! We believe by faith. We believe because of the witnesses who left a deposition to the reality and works of Jesus. I didn't need snake handling to believe, I didn't need a resurrection to believe and I didn't need speaking in tongues to believe! I believe because the evidence builds a strong case for Jesus!

My faith isn't based on emotion. No where does scripture say that I must have an electrical trickle running down my spine, tears of ecstasy or shouting nor being astounded at things that I can't explain! It does say that as a result "many believed in the Lord" (verse 42)!

What causes you to "believe"? That's to have confidence in the truth or in the existence of something. In this case it's confidence that Jesus (God) spoke truth and that God truly exists. Not only God the Father, but God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Jews needed "signs" to build their confidence. As the magicians with Pharaoh, signs can be faked. That doesn't help me. I need something which makes sense. It's knowledge reasoned out called "wisdom" as to why I believe!

Wisdom would dictate that there must be something more to life than death. As such I want eternal life! How do I get eternal life. Jesus says that he is the Way and only way. It makes sense for me to want eternal life and to get it from the "gettin' place". I believe in Jesus because he told me that eternal life is through him alone!

Now, doesn't it make more sense to believe what Jesus said in plain old Aramaic than what some say in Yiddish?  I'm not denigrating that Jews needed signs to believe, but wise people don't. I believe in Jesus although my preacher doesn't raise people from the dead nor even do faith healing. It's my faith in Jesus which heals me. I'm made "whole" through belief as the woman with a blood disease was made whole. Likewise, I'm made spiritually whole as the same woman was by mere belief. She was healed before the miracle because of her faith in Jesus. It wasn't the miracle that saved her, but belief!

Most of us are Greeks. We believe without signs. Some are still Jews and need signs. God will use whatever it takes to convince doubting people. It seems that most believe without miracles. For others it may take miracles. My position is that I won't put God in a box, manufactured by me, how he must do things. He did quite well with his creation without man's input and he can save souls without me insisting that he do it my way!

Doctors now revive those who are technically dead. Does that convince me to believe in Jesus? No. It's science which does that. God allows it, and it may make some believe. They aren't resuurected, but their functions once idle, now restored. But, that's not the norm. Most people go ahead and die!

Do people still speak in tongues? Only God knows the authenticity of it. That's between them and God. I'm not going to grieve God with my pride.  If that's what it takes, God may do that with some, but it's not the norm! Mankind didn't need it for two thousand years, but now maybe they do! That's not for me to say. Why do I not speak in tongues. Why doesn't my preacher resurrect the dead? Because I don't need that evidence. I believe Jesus just because he spoke truth!

Excuse me for a second. A snake is trying to bite me and I don't need that! (smile).