I thought this article by J. Lee Grady of Charisma magazine was worthy of note, especially considering many of the posts here at Cerulean Sanctum on charismania:
I thought this article by J. Lee Grady of Charisma magazine was worthy of note, especially considering many of the posts here at Cerulean Sanctum on charismania:
I could nod my head and say “Amen!” to this article. And I could say our churches do not see revival because American Christians, by and large, have what they want: the American Dream. Even if they do not have the house, spouse, two to three children, two cars, and retirement package, they have the more-or-less free market capitalist process they can utilize to acquire it. So they pray, not for revival, but for a better job, entry for their children into the best schools, etc.
However…
Having met many foreign ministers, I think claims of mass revivals in foreign lands may be exaggerated, if not outright lies in some cases.
IMO kind of hits the nail on the head.
Dan:
Do we really need the axe head or do we really need
The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17)?
I ask this question in genuine seriousness because even though what Grady has stated is correct, I still see a mentality permeated in that article that is still obsessed with chasing after a sign, an anointing, and a wonder than yearning to sit down and really study the Word of God and learn to be still, learn stability, and learn consistency.
The miracle of the axe head is part of the sword of the Spirit. Its inclusion in the Old Testament is an example to us. Consider: The son of the prophet was less concerned that the work was impeded by the lost axe head and more concerned because the axe head was borrowed. How many American Christians are leveraged to the hilt and more worried about making the house payment, the car payment, the student loan payment, and the credit card payment, than in the work of the Lord?
The story of the axehead is part of the sword of the Spirit. It is an example to us. Consider that the son of the prophet was more concerned that the axehead was borrowed than that it was lost, thereby impeding the work they were doing. How many American Christians are more concerned about paying off mortgages, car loans, student loans, and credit cards, than they are about the work God would have them do?
And they never realize, or are taught, if they put God first — in all things, life just goes easier.
The point that I think is lost in all the argument about dispensationalism is that miracles are for the edification of the body. We tend to desire miracles for our personal desires, wants or needs. If we ever thought of ourselves as being a small part of a larger body, I think we would “keep feeling a sense of awe” because we would be seeking to “build up” (edify) the body. Most of the arguments I’ve seen when discussing the weakness of the church in America is that we are not doing enough to edify ourselves, yet that is the weakness that I see in Charismania: Self-edification.
So in the story of the Axe-head: Why did Elisha feel the need to perform a miracle (one of a known limited set) to recover a material possession? The answer to that will, I think, point to the reason there are so many who believe the age of miracles is over. While the author does come close, he has, as usual, veiled it in the mysterious language of the Christian community.
So let’s be blunt: We are not a body, we are a bunch of people with a similar, but not identical purpose. We are a mass, we are not One.
Where in the Bible does it say miracles are for the edification of the body? And why is it bad to desire a miracle for myself? If the second questiohn is true then why did Jesus graciously grant miracles to the people he delivered and healed after they asked? Just wondering.
Wouldn’t you consider any gift of the Spirit to be miraculous? Wouldn’t any result of those gifts be miracles?
I Corinthians 12:7-11 (ESV)
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
All the gifts, including the working of miracles, are given for the edification of the body, not for our individual ego-building. Which is what we see way to much of in the “miracle ministries” of today, that seem to be more about the personality of the featured speaker or getting a “feel-good” sensation than about the common good.