I know Delia Knox. I used to attend the church where her husband is Pastor and I also have another close tie to her that I won't mention for anonymity. That was definitely a real miracle. It's one of the reasons I could never be a cessationist. I KNOW miracles and gifts are active as I experienced many in that church. Doctrinal issues aside, the miraculous healing happened.
I went to medical school because of all the autoimmune conditions in my family . I then developed an autoimmune co diction, rheumatoid arthritis. I prayed for healing, I begged for Jesus to heal men I then went into alternative medicine looming for a cure. I changed my diet . I was improving. But there is no cure for RA. I was developing so much weakness. I then had a miraculous change in 2017. I asked the spirit to come into me. I started to change. I can say Jesus did help me. But it was not overnight. It was supernatural. The medical establishment would not acknowledge healing fromRA. And I had erosion of bone. Very stances.advanced. My bones are healing and regrowing My bones Fe returning to normal
@@SeanMcDowell Could you provide the English subtitle so I can translate it into Portuguese? I don't understand English and would love to be able to watch this video.
I have been quadriplegic for almost three years after a spinal cord injury in my neck. The accident also took the life of my daughter just before her fourth birthday. Delia’s story has given me a lot of hope, since there seem to be so few who recover fully from paralysis. It’s sad to see people in the comments saying that her story is not reliable. I can understand why she would not want to question her miracle by having it investigated medically, but do you know if she did have a spinal cord injury? I assumed this was the case but someone is saying she had a head injury?
I loved this interview! My friend Lindsay was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma March 2020, she was given a month to live. She was also living a life professing Jesus but not seeking Him out. In the moment of facing death, God unveiled her eyes to her eternal state and she repented and received salvation! Her husband and then her best friend was then saved a week or two later!! She is still alive today 18 months later and no tumor in sight. Her doctors are baffled. And she has grown exponentially in Christ, its amazing to watch!
@@jeffphelps1355 I prefer a skeptic to listen rather than trying to dismiss everything and push back. Just listen. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, when the wise men brought gifts and worshiped him, it says Mary kept these things in her heart. It doesn't necessarily have to be that one tries to resist something as it pertains to God, but he can receive it and keep it in his heart, meditate on it, or put it on the shelf of his mind rather than writing it off so that he can keep viewing these things.
A co-worker of mine, a Christian, said that while he was in the military, serving in a place in Africa, he saw a funeral procession in this very small Christianized town. These African men were carrying a dead woman, singing songs, and probably leading her out to the cemetery. He says that they stopped at a certain point in the procession, laid hands on her, and she returned to life right there. He said that he later talked to the townspeople about what was going on, because he didn't actually understand the context at the time, and thought that maybe they were doing some odd ceremony, but they told him that she had been dead, and that as they were walking, one of them received a messaged from God to lay hands on her and command her to rise. So they did, and she did. He says it's one of the most incredibly things he's witnessed in his entire life.
Around 2005, after I got out of the hospital, I was extremely thin and weak and kind of in shock from the illness I had (ulcerative colitis). I lived in Atlanta and instead of going to my regular church, I started going to Mount Paran Church of God on Wednesday nights and then sometimes on Sundays. To be honest, I don't remember how long after I got out of the hospital when this occurred, but I assumed it had to have been within a couple of weeks after getting out of the hospital. But, I kept noticing something clanking as I went up steps and at other odd times. Well, I realized that I had no strength in my right foot and I could not lift it at all and when I went up steps it was dragging up and banging the steps. That shocked and scared and alarmed me. I had always gone to a Baptist or non-denominational church, so I did not necessarily believe in healing. Out of desperation, I went on a Wednesday night and asked for healing. About 5 elders or pastors pulled me into a room and put oil on me and then all put their hands on me and began praying. I had my head bowed and remained quiet, but I remember fighting thoughts like, "What the heck have I got myself into? Sorry, Lord, I didn't mean it. But this is crazy? Sorry, I am trying to not think this way, Lord, please heal me.." going back and forth and fighting off the foolish feeling I had for being there. We finished and although skeptical, I was still moved by their sincerity and kindness and was very appreciative. After about 10 minutes I tested my leg and it still did not move and nothing had changed and I thought, "Well, as expected. Didn't cost me anything so it's okay." So, I just accepted things and went on home. Then, sometime the next day, I noticed my foot was perfectly fine! I could not believe it. It wasn't like it was a little better, but fully worked. I thought, "Well maybe it's just a coincidence and it would have gotten better like this eventually anyway and last night was when my body got a tad stronger and this is all that has really happened." But what are the chances? And I would think with natural healing, it would be a little stronger the next day when I could start moving it a little or something. But it was fully operational. Just weird stuff. I'm such a sceptic that I struggle with things from God, but it truly is difficult to explain. Thank you, Lord.
When I was in college serving on a ministry team I was injured. That night in a worship service I was praising God and He touched me and physically healed me. Today I am a pastor and many times I have looked back at that experience to help and encourage my faith. I was so thankful then and still thankful now. I do not believe God heals everyone, but I definitely believe in God's power to touch people today.
I was blessed to live in a Muslim majority nation for 14 years. We met quite a few Christians from Muslim backgrounds who had converted. Many of these (I would say most, but I do not have detailed statistics or records) reported some type of supernatural experience (supernatural dreams were the most common) that helped lead them to faith in Christ. Every one of these converts faced a great deal of danger and sacrifice as a result of becoming a Christian. I cannot verify that all of their miracle stories were true, but I certainly believe that many of them were. Also, I myself had some "supernatural dreams" while there which I am deeply convinced were from God to help me with difficult situations and challenges.
My wife witnessed multiplying in a missions trip to Dominican Republic. The group gave away more bags of food than they bought, until everyone waiting got a bag. The same happened with medicine supplies. There were more people to be tested than they had meds for. But when they thought they ran out, they checked and found enough meds for people waiting. It was more than they brought.
That's amazing! One of the pastors as well as volunteers at my church actually had the same thing happen with backpacks filled with school supplies that were being given out to children in need! Truly mind-blowing!
Were any of those people skin and bone,bloted bellies, from starvation?very unlikely, which a lot of people (inc children) have been ,does/did god produce more 'bags of food',or any food
@@frankwhelan1715 I’m not sure what you’re asking… the story is like this: This group of families take their children from USA to a poor neighborhood in the Dominican Republic and bring with them clothing, medicine and doctors. They went to a local grocery store to buy 80 bags of food. The owner of the store decided to participate and sold everything at cost, so they got 140 bags. People lined up to get the bags, at the distribution point. The missionaries counted the people in line and marked the spot after 140 and told people not to stay in line after that. But still people stayed in line after that point. I’m told, quite a few. To the surprise of the missionaries, the last bag was handed to the very last person in line , way beyond the masked point. With the meds it is even more surprising, since the medicine brought was very well counted and kept track of.
I heard a story first-hand about a missions trip. Can't remember where it was. A village had no food. They were probably going to die. During the night, the entire floor of where the missionary was sleeping was filled with baskets of food and the baskets were made using a technique no one knew about. The entire village turned to Christ!
@@frankwhelan1715 When Jesus fed 5000, those 5000 people were not in danger of starvation. Those people were in danger of some acute discomfort. God tells us He is the provider. Always. If His people are going in a mission to improve the life of other people, they are doing His work. And He is going to participate. Not all receivers of miracles will believe. The lepers that were cured did nto come back to give thanks, save for one. The miracles are not a bribe to win people over. It's a natural manifestation of God, a revelation of Him.
My husband and I have both experienced documented healing miracles. Two separate occasions we had people pray and in my case I had vertebrae bone grow back which my orthopedic doctor had never seen in his 30 years of practice. In my husband's case he had a condition that was scaring his lungs and they were healed which his doctors said never happens, once you're scarred it doesn't go away. We were thankful, but not as shocked as Drs were❤️🙌🙏
I have read many of the comments but none (that I've seen) have commented on how precious this brother Craig is! So precise. So careful. So endearing. Thank you for this great book and interview!
I agree, he is precious…humble, with the childlike spirit Jesus taught was necessary. I so value his commitment, his work on scholarship, and again, his humility. He’s not afraid to talk about his struggles. I would love to hear him and J.P. Moreland together. I believe they are friends-no surprise!
I believe He can, I believe He does. He is the same God from the beginning. It’s all about His Grace and Mercy. There is just one thing above our faith on Him: his sovereignty.
The same God? No hes not. Yahweh is the brother to many other Gods and El is the supreme God. The God you worship is most likely a God the ancient cannaites made because they were so near volcanos. Saying hes the same God from the beginning is just you ignoring the history of Yahweh
@@kaiju1412 I respect your point of view, even not agreeing with you. I believe the Lord that says that He is the Alfa and the Omega, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Let me challenge you to pray the Lord and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Ready the Bible, the book of John, than pray asking His Holly Spirit to guide you and to not let you be deceived during your search. If there is a God, and if He’s real, and If our Lord says that whoever comes to Him, He will not drive away, so try Him. Tell Him: “Lord I want to know you as you really are.” Do not tempt the Lord, but experience His truth.
My uncle had meningitis as a baby and lost his hearing. As a young adult, maybe 18 or 19, he went to a gospel crusade in Atlanta and was prayed for. Miraculously, God restored his hearing. (My mom attests to all this.). However, having been deaf for so long, the noise was unbearable for him. He couldn't sleep, even with his pillow over his head. He begged God to take his hearing away and God answered his prayer. For the rest of his life he was content being deaf. This is only one of several miraculous healings that I personally know of.
I do not have to see extraordinary miracles to believe with my whole heart that anything not possible with man, is possible with God and thus a miracle. The problem with people is they do not want to believe in miracles. Until He appears in the sky and then they'll have no choice to believe. For 62 years I have lived through so many daily miracles, that I believe anything is possible with God. God bless you. ❤️
Really enjoyed that thank you. I’m charismatic and have seen numerous healings and a number of miracles but it’s really good to hear other Christians who don’t necessarily expect miracles talking about it with open minds. It’s also good to hear a discussion about miracles outside of Charismatic and Pentecostal circles. Really pleased to see that the book is coming out on audio too as my own health prevents me reading books so audio is a huge blessing.
This is a very encouraging interview. Not that I or someone I love or know could be healed miraculously, but simply that it affirms that Jesus through the Holy Spirit still operates through miracles in this world. It’s not like I suddenly believe this, it’s just a further confirmation of what I, perhaps more timidly, already believed. Only half way through this interview but it’s certainly going to be a favorite to share.
My heart goes out to that individual who asked that question concerning praying, pleading for healing and not receiving it. @53:15. Such a beautiful and encouraging response Dr. Keener.
We just had a member of our church diagnosed with Hep-c on a Friday. We prayed for him on Sunday, and on Monday when he went for his first treatment He no longer had Hep-c
Very interesting, though I noticed you didn’t address the casting out of demons. On the night of Sep 23, 2021, I was delivered from the grip of something, if not outright possession, then it was certainly a spiritual attack. There are a lot of details, but one of the final events involved a very old, tattered Bible that I had found some weeks before in a park, but had yet to start reading. Back when I had found the Bible, I had looked it over and noted that the pages were intact, though missing its back cover. Fast forward to the night in question, after a series of very dark events (the worst of which was almost being blinded in my right eye), I had gotten off the phone to a very knowledgeable pastor, who talked me through the basics of what it means to be ‘saved’ (I’m ever so grateful to him). But anyhow, I was still feeling uneasy as I tried to settle for sleep, so I decided to open this Bible and read a bit. I quickly realised that the last page was no longer attached, but had somehow been inserted like a bookmark into the Book of Luke. I knew then, that this was what the Holy Spirit was guiding me to read. I read those two pages and at the bottom of the second page was the story of the man from the tombs, whose demon says to Jesus ‘I am Legion, for we are many’, before Jesus casts it out into the pigs. I closed the Bible in wonder, and as I was sitting in bed, my cat was being super-affectionate, nuzzling into my bosom like a child. And then all of a sudden, she changed. My normally chilled-out cat ferociously attacked my arm, biting down and not letting go. I understood immediately that whatever had just come out of me, had made its way into her. I managed to pull her off me and got to my knees and prayed like I’ve never prayed before in my life. My cat was no longer aggressive, but was looking very intensely at something moving around in the air, and based on her head movements, it was darting around very quickly. I prayed for both myself and (this might sound silly) I prayed for her too. And then it was over. Peace. Calm. That night, Jesus literally saved both my life and my soul. He even saved my cat! I owe everything to Him.
Glory be to God! Deliverance from the demonic was part of Jesus’s healing ministry, and was something that is also documented in the Acts of the Apostles, so it makes sense that it is still something God would do now.
Interestingly, I also know a Barbara that was miraculously healed of Multiple Sclerosis . She loves to tell everyone about Jesus and how he healed her from this incurable disease.
I was never one to put much stock in miracles. I was never a cessationist, but I'd never experienced one in my 25 years of life, so why would I believe they could happen? That changed one day, two years ago, when my brother's best friend, an atheist (and my brother himself an agnostic) came to our house, crying, because his sister was going to die. She had overdosed, and the doctors said she would either die, or remain brain dead, with no chance of recovery. When I heard that, I felt this urge to pray well up in me. So I did. Quietly, under my breath- to this day, neither my brother nor his friend know I prayed. A week later, he came back, his usual smiling self. I asked him about his sister, and he said she had survived, not brain dead, but that she had retrograde amnesia (like Memento). Again, the urge to pray welled up in me, and I did it again. Another week later, my brother mentioned his friend and I asked if there was any update on his sister. He told me she had made a full recovery. Two miraculous healings, back to back. Nobody will convince me that medical impossibility was a coincidence.
@@jeffphelps1355 Do you think those doctors believe in super natural miracles with Gods intervention or a Miracle that I hit a half court shot backwards and blindfolded? When you think a Miracle happens its easy to confuse the 2.
@@kaiju1412 obvious the doctors are talking about supernatural, right. Science cannot demonstrate how a patient recovered from an ailment so the doctor logically conclude it's is a supernatural event
@@jeffphelps1355 That’s not obvious. There is a difference between a supernatural miracle and just a miracle by coincidence. Just because you can’t explain something doesn’t mean it’s a miracle. That way of thinking is why Gods were created. There’s a God for everything because of this. It’s a miracle we have rain! I can’t explain it so it must be the rain God! You need to be realistic here. A super natural miracle would be everyone being healed at the same time. Not 1 isolated incident when millions die
God healed my gastroparesis after 20 years of being on feeding tubes and a failed surgery. He also called me off hospice for the same condition He hadn't healed me then just told me I wasn't going to die and told me to leave hospice. Then about 5 years after that About 1 year ago He healed me all the way.
Half a year ago I was laying down in bed and a hand came out of nowhere and set down over my left shoulder, on my chest. I was absolutely loaded with joy and energy and light .. it filled my body like a light went on, it was extremely overwhelming. It was unearthly joy, not like happiness at all. At the time my back hurt and I was about to roll over in bed.. But this experience was so overwhelming I wasn't even thinking about my back, I just noticed afterwards that it didn't hurt. Another interesting tid bit.. The hand only stayed on me for about 3 seconds.. and when it went away I said, without thinking, "Thankyou!!" It came out like a reverse gasp, I just blurted it out. Also, the joy lingered after the hand left me. It was like I had stored it like some kind of joy-phosphorescent element.. but it slowly went away kind of like your awareness would if you were to stop breathing. So since this happened I have run into 2 other people online that have almost identical experiences. So to those who say this was a dream, how could I imagine something I have never experienced ? Something I cannot even begin to understand? When I think about healing, it's easy for me to say, it usually doesn't matter. I'm not perfectly healthy, I have weird health problems and whatever, I just want to be with Jesus at the end of the day, I just want Him to like me at the end of the day.
@@kaiju1412 You seriously believe the Bible is telling people to dash little babies against rocks? Do you really believe that....or maybe you're the one cherry picking and not using it in context? hmmm.
Hi Dr McDowell, I just wanted to add to your video that I like the way the word "miracle" is expressed in Chinese : 神迹 it literally means the trace of God or God's trail. Sometimes language can be a barrier to understanding
“Your faith has healed you” This always strikes me that Christ said that, I believe there is a threshold of faith you need in order to have a miracle happen, maybe from someone praying for you or you asking yourself through prayer.
There's a beautiful testimony about a 19 year old woman named Teresa in Chapter 3, of Francis MacNutt's book, The Power to Heal. She had a withered twisted leg that was 6 inches shorter than the other leg. The healing included deep spiritual healing and forgiveness, as well as physical healing. It happened over several days through soaking prayer. Doctors also confirmed the healing. It's a beautiful story.
@@fieldsofthefatherless8193 That still isnt evidence. If you read this comment section you will see people posting their own miracles. Its absolutely insane that you think 1 feel good story is a miracle when millions of others died of starvation during her "healing". That is disgusting cherry picking right there. Its not a Miracle, the human body does a lot of weird things we still dont understand. Its primitive to think it has anything to do with God A Miracle would be seeing all the people who are starving fed out of no where. A miracle would be everyone being healed from their ailments at once. Not anything in this persons book
@@fieldsofthefatherless8193 Hi there! I’ll have to check it out. I’m not referring to you or this story, but I tend to see just anecdotal evidence with miracles in general, but I’ll have to check your story out. It’s tough with accepting miracles as true because you and I would not accept the miracle that Muhammad ascended into heaven, even though it is a good story, and it’s believed by all of Muhammad’s earliest and current followers. You and I would expect some extraordinary physical evidence to believe that. I have kids too and I don’t want them to use a method of just believing someone’s testimony without being able to falsify it. I don’t see that as a reliable means for finding out what’s true. Again, I’m just expressing my view to you, not trying to be difficult. :)
When he said the researcher said "in terms of them being inexplicable and in a theistic context", is his definition of miracle just something that hasn't been explained, and someone has said God did it? What if it isn't in a theistic context?
So I have had many miracles happen, but Actual physical healings? I have 2 that recently happen! They're small but so encouraging to my heart when we're living a very poor city life, and my heart is In the countryside. The first was healing from a bruising thar had formerly happened every time i ever played volleyball. I had to quit because my arms and hands were become to painful to use to hit the ball. But before starting a season of sports at my church, i prayed for them to not hurt. And i played for weeks with very minor pain in one arm! I was so excited and thankful I could play! The 2nd i had stepped on a sliver of glass and it went so deep it was bleeding and ached something awful! It was Saturday before easter and I had a tough night with my kids bedtime. I asked God to heal it up so the pain wouldn't distract me from worship. A while later I realized it didn't hurt anymore, and so i checked ....it was as though all evidence had been erased from my foot! I even checked by squeezing the area hard, nothing. I was really shocked! God loves you and wants to know you. It doesn't matter how unimportant you are to the kingdom work, he still sees you. And he's coming back soon!!
for me since i knew some friends why they experienced miracles, only 1 thing that i know that God wants to use you to spread the Gospel, to ministry others. It never happened only for healing and show off. but He wants to use you and bring more people to Christ.
I couldn't find a single legitimate source for the Barbara Cummiskey Snyder story online. Not one. The only 2 things which resembled evidence was a very poor copy of what looks on first appearance to be a medical report where the text changes font throughout the document and even then, it's pasted into a pdf of a Christian evangelical document with no citations given. The hospital written on the screenshot isn't linked to this case anywhere online. The second was a journal (good start) that documents their process of evaluating the claim. There was no evidence of the eyesight being returned to normal condition, nor of it being that bad in the first place. It was about 30 years later that the first examination was performed after the supposed miracle and that was due to eye issues she was having, though probably unrelated to the original issue. To make matters worse, the authors of the paper have very unscientific methods and are heavily criticised for doing such. They use self reported diagnosis which they accept from people online without ever meeting them or the doctors. The journal that accepted their paper has admitted to having numerous papers accepted that should have never been accepted, they started the process of removing all the papers but eventually said the task was too big and would try to follow better standards for all future papers while leaving all the dodgy ones. The journal has also been caught out accepting bribes on many occasions for businesses selling certain products who wanted to justify claims of healing properties. This would have been very compelling evidence that something took place, whether or not this is a common occurrence would have been my next step, but it appears there isn't even evidence to support the claim in the first place. I would have loved to see actual evidence for a miracle, I spent years searching before realising they don't happen. I'm truly sorry everyone but this case appears to be a fraud.
Thank you for this wonderful, uplifting debate. There should be more like this. We need to be bold and state what happened when miracles occur. Hope is much needed in this world regardless of skeptical criticism.
Dr. Keener, I have great respect for you and always have. But I do have to disagree in one area, 1st Peter 2:24 says that by his stripes says that by His stripes we were healed. That is past tense, if we were healed then we are healed. Jesus did all for us and we manifest it in our body with confessing the Word
Let me just state that I believe in healing and miracles. I am not a cessationist. However, the story of the second Barbara sounds very similar to the Betty Baxter story (1941). Her testimony is easily located on TH-cam. Also, what does Dr. Keener attribute the miracles at Lourdes to? Because appearances of an entity calling itself “Mary” is not scriptural.
If you apply a biblical principle, you will get a biblical result. God does not show favoritism. God does not change. God is not a liar. What God has promised, God will do, IF you meet His conditions. We should not make up what God won't do if He has not said that. This is not hit and miss. This is not throwing a spitball on Buddha's belly and hope that it sticks. All of His promises are YES and AMEN! God is NOT a man that He should lie, or the Son of Man that He should change His mind.
Watch opening scene of movie Dumb and Dumber 2, Jim Carrey plays the character that pretended to be paralyzed for 20 years just to play a practical joke on his friend. This never happens which is why it's in a comedy. Pretty sad that this was the skeptics best guess as to what happened to Ms knox.
It would be interesting to see the reaction to someone getting young again over night, or a man becoming a woman and visa versa ( with no surgery required) . Even someone waking up with long hair when they'd only had minimal hair growth before! With God all things are possible (but not always his will!)
@@michaelbrickley2443 If He did this to your satisfaction, would you then place your trust in Jesus Christ? Some who don’t believe will not be convinced even when their stated objections are answered to their satisfaction. Jesus even said as much during His ministry. Even His resurrection was not enough for such as wouldn’t believe. I don’t believe God is beholden to answer every objection nor to perform every miracle for those who ask for such. He is Lord, not a slavish performer. I wish I could give you a perfect answer but He is good, and can give you new life even as your present life feels burdensome. That has been mine, and millions of others, experience and testimony.
Sean, I hope you do a follow up video to clarify and clear up some things in this video. I fear that skeptics and new Christians might not understand all that is being said here in context of scripture.
Kegan Van Sickle, I was brought back from the dead when it was medically impossible and skeptics say, oh, well, you were in a hospital. The skeptic has to hear the voice of God calling them.
@@michaelbrickley2443 That's amazing. I believe miracles do exist today. That's not what I'm referring to. I'm intentionally being ambiguous hoping that Sean will post a reflection video and point out some things that I think mature Christians would see.
@@KeganVanSickle, I have met a few who were crossing over after dying and being sent back. He is working in a world that has gone blind and the evidence is the amazing worship coming out of Maverick City. We the Kingdom, Pat Barrett, all the people from Passion down in Atlanta…the tide is slowly turning. I just had a skeptic tell me he had learned the truth. This from a guy who thinks Ricky Gervais makes sense. Keep walking towards the Son. He will lead us all home.
Back in 1968 there was an apparition of the Virgin Mary at Zeitoun Egypt which lasted for 3 years. Millions of people saw it and the police and the military did extensive investigations to make sure there was no national security threat. The authorities checked buildings around the church for any kind of lights, projectors, or other types of equipment that might have created the apparition. Nothing was found yet the apparitions continued for up to 3 hours nightly. So where were the skeptics? The skeptics had 3 years and plenty of time each night to disprove the apparitions on their terms. This was the opportunity of a lifetime where skeptics could have set up cameras and laboratory equipment to uncover the source of the apparitions and then show the world that the apparitions were faked, yet no one did that. Why? I think skeptics like Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins and atheist Michael Shermer didn't take the opportunity to discredit the Zeitoun Apparitions because they were afraid they might actually be true. If they had done an extensive investigation, and then, their own evidence showed it was legitimate, how would they play that down? How could they continue to deny God when the mounting evidence showed the opposite was true? Skeptics love to accuse Christians of being closed minded, but by denying their own evidence the tables would be turned against them. So they just ignored the apparitions passing them off as group hallucinations. The lesson learned here is that, in spite of what they say, skeptics don't really want to know the truth. They just want to embrace their own imaginary worldview and ignore any evidence that proves otherwise.
The evidence of miracles is kicking cessationism to the curb. Randy Clark wrote his dissertation on metal disappearing. My favourite testimony is of a lady who had both rods and wire supporting her spine. The rods disappeared giving her increased movement and freedom from pain. But the xray showed that the wire was still there. So there is no way someone could claim the xray was of a different person. He came out of cessationism and has some excellent defenses of continuationism.
Of course! What lots of people (even pastors) don't (yet) understand. God created us according to His own image and likeness. Godly. Mankind/the first Adam fell. The image of God in man got lost. That's why there is all this predicament on earth (selfishness, greed, lust, wars, sicknesses, death, etc). We are all born into that mess. For the fall of man a perfect atoning sacrifice had to be made.... that is what God did in Christ. With His own once and for all perefect sacrifice, He paid the debt for the fall of man for us, so we can be indwelled by His Spirit again and finally receive the divine life of the ages back, the first Adam let got of in the fall of man. An amazing act of grace and love by our creator. That is what you see happening in Christ's first disciples. They too healed all and walked in unselfish love. And yes.... that is still avaible today. The holy blood is in place, the Holy Spirit is here to give us understanding, power and transform us back to origin. Not to be debated about, but to be embraced and be-come. So: The Kingdom of God already came. Through Christ, in Spiritform, in those that understand. Hence the divine healing miracles we experience. God manifested in Christ to give us back the divine life mankind lost in the fall of Adam. Christ, the exact image of the invisible God. The image we were created after in Gen 1. The image we lost in the fall of man. The image that can be freely restored by Christ's blood and Holy Spirit working IN us. What a plan. What a solution. What a love. What a God. Jesus is amazing. It is the ultimate conclusion of the word and plan of God. God came full circle. He Himself stooped down from glory to restore us back to original created value: Christlikeness. Walking in divine healing power and unselfish love. Jesus, born of the Spirit of God, filled with the spirit of God. The "Son" of God, the incarnated word, God in the flesh. For three years He healed all, raised the dead, casted out demons, controlled nature, spoke pure divine truth. He said: "Follow Me. If you see Me, you see the Father. The Father and I are one. The glory I have IN My Father, I give to you. It pleases the Father to give you His Kingdom/Holy Spirit/divine nature. I will send Holy Spirit, the same as Me, He will be IN you, guide you into truth and give you explosive power. The same miracles i do, you will do too, because you will understand that the Father is IN Me and I am IN you. Freely I give you My Kingdom/Holy Spirit/divine nature, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, freely I give, freely share" Etc, etc, etc. I have experienced thousands of beautifull healing miracles through the power of Holy Spirit IN me already. Broken bones, cancers, covid, all kinds of infirmities healed in seconds. Demons manifesting and casted out by a simple "get out, in Jesus name". Jesus. De name above all names. In Him all power and wisdom is sourced and.... He calls us one with Him. God in man and man in God again. C'mon Jesus!! So.... again: God stooped down IN Christ to restore us back to Gen 1:27 were He said: "Let us make man according to our image and likeness and let them have authority.....": walk as Christ. Christ, the exact image of the invisible God. The image we were created after and being restored to by His atoning blood for the fall of man and indwelling Holy Spirit. You are free to receive this original divine life of the ages by Holy Spirit of Christ/God. Ask Him to guide you into truth. Read the Gospel of John and fall in love with your creator. You are not made for the fall of man and its effects, but for the image/glory of God and to walk like Christ. Holy Spirit is the guide and transforming power that will get you there. Amazing grace. A big leap in faith can be made when we start realizing we are already IN Christ, IN the last Adam. Free from the fall! Loved! Growing into awareness of our new (yet old) godly identity. Changing by Holy Spirit. The most fullfilled life ever. Paul healed all on Malta. He understood and wrote: "As in the first Adam ALL died (lost the divine nature), so also ALL were made alive IN Christ to walk in Zoë (= divine life) again". "IN Christ (the last Adam) we are co-cruisified (dead to the fall and its effects), co-raised (justified/made righteousness, holy, blameless, above reproach), co-seated (one with Him)" "The fullness of deity dwells in Christ and YOU HAVE BEEN MADE COMPLETE IN HIM, who is the head of every principality and power". So.... thank you Jesus! Thank you for redeeming me from the fall of man. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that makes this new (yet old) divine life come alive in me. You are amazing! In the shadow of Peter the sick healed... He understood too and wrote: "By Gods power (Holy Spirit) and knowing Christ, we have become partakers of the divine nature and have escaped the fall of man". The divine life of the ages has been returned to us by Jesus once and for all perfect atoning sacrifice for the debt of the fall of man and His indwelling Holy Spirit in us. Jesus/God is amazing!!! Ask Him to give you revelation and change you to the way it was before the fall of man: Christlikeness. He will do so. For it is written: "the Spirit brings forth after His own kind". "I have come to give you Zoë (divine life) in abundance...."
When miracles happened in Biblical times nobody had to investigate to determine whether it was actually a real miracle. Inexplicable only mean that someone was unable to explain it. That’s a whole lot different than God making himself evidence to all who are present.
Not sure why this video has gotten so many negative comments. I think Craig Keener does a great job with the interview. If you don't believe in God because an amputee doesn't have their arm grow back maybe God's withholding it because you're so focused in on just one idea, if this one thing happened you would believe, that you're unable to see the millions of things around you daily that testify of the Creator and His goodness. If this is you, you have been deceived and you truly have blind faith. With the changing of the seasons and, currently, the beauty of the leaves on the trees alone show a continuously changing painting that is drawn masterfully beyond any human ability, and you somehow believe there is no painter. Make that argument about any human painting and you would rightly acknowledge the foolishness.
Yeah, I'm kind of confused about the limbs thing. To add to your point, I was told a story where a pregnant woman lost her child due to taking a tumble down a flight of stairs. The death of the child was confirmed by three doctors-including the chief of staff OB/GYN. It was conclusive that when the mother came in, the child had been dead for three weeks evidenced by the lack of growth and movement (corroborated by four heart dopplers). After that, the mother began to pray (much like Hannah prayed to be able to have a child-who we know now was Samuel) the mother prayed that God would bring her child back. After three hours (a lot of threes to the story haha), she went back in for one more examination before they would remove the child from the womb, and to the shock of a nurse doing one more test, she told the mother that the chief of staff had never been wrong in his 20+ years of practice. It was found out that her baby that earlier had no heartbeat was now miraculously healthy and active as ever. A few months later, the baby was born with no health or neurological problems. Strangely enough, a bit of a side note: the child actually told their mother at 2 years old about playing with her grandparents who had actually passed away before he was born in heaven with Jesus. Through that instance, the mother who at the time was unsure of her former Christian beliefs began her journey back to faith. I know the story sounds a little crazy and I would struggle to believe it myself in a face-value circumstance. However, that story was told to me by my own mother and I was actually that child. In my life, my mother has been the strongest person of faith that I know, and yeesh has she seen even more miracles than that in her life alone. I've also had a friend whose father had a gaping hole in his hand from a carpentry accident walk into a church foyer (while a revival service was occurring) and his hand was miraculously healed right before his eyes. Blows my mind!
A test: does it glorify God or man? Does it edify others? Or, does it draw attention to man rather than God? Is the healing immediate and forever? That would be more like an apostle miracle. Certainly God heals and cures, and even beyond what is explainable by science. Certainly, the "apostle-like" miracles was to evidence their authenticity as representatives of God the Father and God the Son, so their testimony and revelation of "The Word" was validated (Heb 2:4, 2 Cor 12:12, Mk 16:20, Acts 14:3). The miracles today, may truly be supernatural, but not to authenticate new revelation, nor to substantiate anyone involved in praying for the sick, and they do not seem to be of the breed the apostles' and what Jesus did. God will heal under His divine sovereign will and for His purposes only, having noted this, the bible says we need to: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." James 5:14
Years back my mother was legitimately convinced one time when I fell over backwards in a parking lot that it was a miracle I didn't crack my head open on the asphalt. I cringed every time she told that story, as I knew how ridiculous it was sounding to other people. I think claiming that sort of thing only serves to weaken a person's credibility with respect to evangelizing and may harden the listener's heart to faith in the same way we don't take people seriously who claim to be healed by new age crystals. If witnessing something you believe is a miracle strengthens your own faith and makes you feel closer or thankful to God then I think that is a wonderful, wonderful thing. However, I would urge people to consider how it will sound to skeptical ears before making such claims to them. I think this is something a person should be especially sensitive to if they've grown up in the faith and have no experience with what it is like to be an unbeliever.
"...convinced *one time* when I fell over backwards in a parking lot..." Is it possible she got sick of you being a clumsy fool falling in car parks? Perhaps the bump on your head caused you to adopt shallow standards for evidence. I did not fall on the pavement, so your god cancelled gravity for me and did not do it for you. If a Jumping Jehorseless Witless or some other flavour made the same claim, you would rightly think they were stark raving bonkers. I found this comment funny. "... no experience with what it is like to be an unbeliever..." If you have to put gasoline in your vehicle, eat food, and use the bathroom, you have a sense of what ordinary people call reality. The people you comment on have experienced your superstition, but the difference is that they grew out of the tooth fairy and Santa. Easter Bunny is in a few weeks, so I will not jinx myself because I love chocolate. The angle of the earth, in relation to the sun, is the reason for the Easter Bunny season. What's up, Doc?
Can I ask a question? I believe in miracles very much. Years ago- 91- 93 I attended a church in the area (to be slightly vague) of Kane County Illinois. The Pastor, it was said was a close friend/mentee of John Macarthur. Perhaps a sister church. The church teachings drove me absolutely crazy. They didn't seem to believe in miracles nor Gods leading in a personal way. Of course yes the scripture is our guide. (As an aside some men there -not the most mature- would even try to outdo each other on their biblical knowledge. Argue! & disliked if a woman contributed to the conversation, esp when she was knowledgeable or right- lol. Ps I don't believe in female Pastors) It seemed a bit legal istic too. I.e. a sinner doesn't get in to heaven. Of course they don't but we all can struggle. We can't always be perfect we're saved by undeserved Grace. One young man there gave up, determining he wasn't a Christian because he had a challenge with I assume was resisting some sins. My knowledge of 'denominations' & terminology like 'reformed' 'fundementalism' & there definitions is weak. Ive recently been watching videos with John Macarthur & RC Sproul & they seem biblical & on target. Many lift them up as leaders in biblical teaching & truth. Ive not seen anything but biblical truth from them. I guess my question is & thanks if you're reading are there large amounts of doctrinally sound Christians who dont believe that God still performs miracles? To use a less dramatic example God leading and guiding us, giving us strength and the like? Are those things controversial too?? Forgive my rambling perhaps you discern I had some issues with that church. Yet I quite often watch sermons of the men I mentioned.
I think there are a lot of abuses when he comes when talking about healing and God's direction, which is wrong. Some people swing too far in the opposite direction. I believe that if you have the Holy Spirit guides people to be more like Christ whether they're aware of it or not. God works both naturally and supernaturally and people have different experiences of God. Jesus said to love our neighbors and people's different experiences of God shouldn't cause divisions in the church even if people don't agree.
Only one reply in 9 months? We have hundreds of passive listeners but none that would like to experience objective, biblical class miracles in your life? Sad...
A lot of people are asking why limbs aren't restored. That is a good question, but now that I think about it, there is no biblical account of somebody's limb growing back either. I believe God can do it if he wants to but it seems that the miracles Jesus did, and the ones you hear of today, are where something is being restored to health that already exists. So for example in the Bible Jesus heals the man with the withered hand in the synagogue. Or he brings life back to the dead or sight back to the blind or hearing back to the deaf, health back to the body. But it's not like a new creation of a body like is seen in the book of Genesis. I have no idea why this is the case but I'm sure God has a reason. Then again maybe he does do these regrowth of missing limbs, but I've never heard of it myself, but it doesn't mean it hasn't happened I guess.
The Mircles Jesus did were just updated versions of what Moses did. There are other people in scripture who did the same thing Jesus did. What Jesus did isnt special when others were said to have already done it.
@Mr. Rich B.O.B The New Testament are stories that came 50+ Years after Jesus. We arnt really sure what he said. The Bible isnt evidence to anything. Jesus was a Arameci speaking Jew and the Mark was written 50 years later in greek. Im on the boat that Jesus didnt even exist.
When it comes to philosophy, it doesnt even matter if Plato or Socrates existed. We at least have things from possibly them. We dont have anything like that from Jesus. We have a bunch of Platos works and he even mentions Socrates. We have someone mentioning another. This is something Jesus doesnt have from someone who existed during that time. Its plausible that Jesus existed. We just have nothing from anyone who existed during that time. There were a few historians who were alive who didnt say anything about Jesus and that is suspect. Jesus was said to be popular and doing all of these wonderous things, but no one during his time thought to mention him. We have nothing like we have from Plato or Socrates for Jesus. The earliest thing we have for Jesus that is considered outside of Christianity is Jospehus and our earliest copy comes from 11 century Christians and they've already been caught forging Jesus into Jospehus's works.
@@kaiju1412 don’t pay any attention to Kaiju, he is just butt hurt that God doesn’t miraculously heal the brown hordes that are too stupid to stop breeding when they live in an environment that provides very little food or drinking water.
If God answered every prayer, it would be chaotic. Also we humans would think WE have the power. Also God would just be a puppet. So for a miracle to be a miracle, it has to be rare, extraordinary, and in line with God's will
So if someone is a non-believer and they remain a non-believer because they never see a miracle, does that mean God will torture them for eternity? But the lucky person who just so happened to see a miracle and believe gets saved?
Well, I’m a Christian despite not having witnessed a miracle, so it’s possible for this non-believer to still come to believe. It’s also entirely possible for someone to witness a miracle and still remain an atheist, or even to acknowledge the existence of God but then reject him.
@@nanowasabi4421 And some people may believe in Islam, having never seen a miracle with that religion. And you didn't answer the question. So if I never witness a miracle and therefore don't believe, will God torture me for eternity, whereas someone who did see a miracle and believes doesn't get torutured.
@@CJ-oc2ff The question is, is the seeing of the miracle guaranteed to be the thing that tips you over into believing in God? And not just believing in him, but accepting his rule and following him? That's why I brought up the fact that you can come to believe without seeing a miracle, or refuse to believe after seeing one. God knows the amount of his glory that it's necessary to reveal to you in order for you to be able to make an informed decision whether to obey him or not. And in fact, if he reveals his full glory to you and you still reject him, that's a much more serious offense than rejecting him based on partial information. So if you've never seen a miracle, then maybe it's because your heart isn't in a position to accept God no matter how much he reveals to you, in which case, he's being merciful by not revealing any more than necessary, thereby reducing the severity of your crime and of your sentence. To answer your question in plain words, yes, if you never witness a miracle and _therefore_ don't believe, you would be punished for that (because according to the book of Romans just observing the wonder of nature _should_ be sufficient for everyone to come to believe). Fortunately, God is too smart to allow that to happen. If you think that's wrong, and that seeing a miracle would actually change your mind, then by all means, ask God to show you one. Do it persistently, and maybe get some friends to ask for you as well. It's possible that you're right, and God is just waiting for you to ask. It's also possible that asking repeatedly will soften your heart and make you more ready to accept God when he does reveal himself to you. But if you do start asking, try to be prepared to see one. He might give you what you ask for, even if you're wrong and it won't change your mind, making your crime worse.
Most excellent! and much-needed these days! thank you Sean McDowell for a great interview and Dr . Craig Keener for this incredible monumental work. I really look forward to going through it. Purchased audio and Kindle
The messiah's name was always going to be Jesus according to Zechariah Chapter 6... which is the same name as the post exile high priest ,Yeshua! if the concept of Messiah and God are separate then it doesn't automatically follow that sins can be forgiven.. only God can forgive sins. furthermore if the expectation of Messiah is to reverse the events of Genesis 3 Genesis 6 and Genesis 11 then by Definition messiah has to be more than just a man. Jesus being born of Mary but not of Joseph is not a problem according to Jewish history because I believe during the reign of Queen Alexandra Jewish law made Heritage pass on, by matrilineal Bases. A basis for the Trinity can be established in the Old Testament by passages like Amos 4:11Isaiah 48:16.. and Judges chapter 2:1 and Daniel 7:9-14 Support for the idea of God becoming man in Scripture are Deuteronomy 18 verses 15 to 18 Focus of the verse speaks of the coming Messiah coming from lineage of Israel like unto moses. We also have Exodus chapter 23 verse 20 and 21 the context of which is speaking about the future Endeavor of going over Jordan then we come to Joshua chapter 5 verses 13 to 15 and the context of this passage is having just gone over the Jordan into Israel. Another proof of this idea perhaps most glaringly Jeremiah chapter 1 verses 4-10... the first thing you want to pay attention to is titles in verse 4 and verse 9... Hashem and the word of the Lord these titles are used interchangeably there's some definite implication there but the point of emphasis here is verse 9 because it goes a little further than just anthropomorphic language. Now the next concern is did Jesus ever claim to be God? And for this the scriptures I would provide are Matthew 26:64 Jesus directly quotes Daniel 7:13 John 10:34 Jesus claims to be the judge in Psalm 82 referencing verse 6 In John 10 versus Both 11 and 14 Jesus Yeshua says that he is the Good Shepherd and you can cross-reference this with the very first line of Psalm 23. In Mark chapter 6 starting from verse 45 Jesus walks on the water this is something designated in the Old Testament for something only God (job 9:8) can do this separates Jesus from the other people who did miracles. Where another claim would be is in the fact that Jesus forgives sins, off the top of my head is Mark chapter 2 now certainly there have always been Messianic claimants but none of them have ever claimed to forgive sins. Now the question becomes why would Jesus be so secretive? why didn't he just come out and say that he was the Lord God of Israel?... well one scripture off the top of my head of that I would provide here that might be interesting is this Matthew 16:20 "then he commanded his disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ"... my suggestion to you here, would be that the crucifixion had to take place at a certain place at a certain time and under a specific set of circumstances. Please Look into all the scriptures I made mention here I hope this helps even one person Hashem bless everyone of you... in the name of Jesus both son and God of David king of Israel, amen!
Keener's answer to the last question was that "[God] gives us enough evidence to invite us to believe but he doesn't compel us to believe". In other words, Keener admits that all the evidence for God, from miracles to philosophical arguments, is not compelling.
Not really. Some people can see a miracle and still reject it and claim that the explanation is just unknown. It is the easy escape clause for the materialist.
@@Chomper750 Oh the irony of someone named after Hitchens' razor, based on the principle that the most simple explanation making fewest assumptions is most likely true, rejecting not only lacking but even abundant naturalistic/materialistic explanations to argue many events must instead be the work of an invisible wizard and his miracles. Magic, the easiest escape clause for those with the intellect of the little ones.
Two different meanings of “compelling” are being conflated here. One meaning of compelling is nearly synonymous with “forcing” (as in God is not forcing mankind to believe in Him). The other meaning is in regards to a “compelling argument” or “compelling reasoning” which means that said argument or reasoning was well thought out. It is clear that Keener means the former in this context, not the latter. Though even if I did grant you that Keener flubbed a few statements in the hour long conversation, I don’t see why that would be a meritorious argument against him. We know his position and arguments for it regardless. If you or I mistakenly used a wrong word, that doesn’t imply anything about the validity of our arguments, only actual engagement with the arguments in question can do that.
If Keener is using "compelled" to believe as a synonym for _convinced with arguments,_ he is right in saying humans _aren't_ -- for the wrong reasons. Jon, who doesn't seem to have interpreted that word differently or incorrectly, is right: the allegedly compelling evidence/argumentation (for miracles or otherwise) is simply not nearly convincing enough people to be called compelling. Aside from many being worried about their increasingly empty churches, even their own studies show some 90% of christians are instead produced by kids believing whatever their parents/clergy tell them before their age of reason.
@@noneofyourbusiness7055 No, Keener is very clearly using the word “compelled” to mean “forced” in this context as opposed to a “compelling argument”. Did you read my comment or do you simply disagree with me on what he meant? I agree that most of mankind is not Christian, though this is something everyone will readily agree to Christian or not (after all, it is the “narrow path”) so I’m not sure what the relevance is supposed to be for here. There are definitely many who just follow in the path of their parents or whoever else, though we would consider that those people have not really developed faith yet.
I believed in miracles, heard it from a church leader when, they with others church members went for hill prayer as before,but for that particular day's God whisper to once of the participants to collect a mud and all of them say a prayers imminently that mud transformed in cake. They shares among them even bring to church Sunday services to be shares with church congregations.miracles doesn't stop there it self,everytime the church leader slicing the cake to be divides amongst the congregations ...the cake forms back into it original size. I believed the Father Lord Jesus Christ Is the living God with the Holy spirit as comforters..I BELIEVED IN MIRACLES TOO..AMEN.. IN JESUS CHRIST NAME 🙏
I am skeptical of miracles at this time. Although I do believe that God does perform miracles at His will. I do not think He has poured out His spirit as He did at Pentecost yet…we are not quite in the right time for a huge outpouring, but it is coming. I totally believe God reveals himself to those seeking and chosen. There are many Muslims that are seeing Jesus in dreams,so believe that! Also believe that Jesus appeared to children in the turkey earthquake. I just do not accept the charismatic touching on the head, falling over and such stuff. I do totally believe in miracles, but I believe many charlatans take advantage of this and it takes discernment and HS to come to true revelation. I hope you understand were I’m coming from.
Could you provide the English subtitle so I can translate it into Portuguese? I don't understand English and would love to be able to watch this video.
If you're on a ventilator you're not going to be running anywhere or calling "dad, dad". I'm a believer, but stories of those like Barbara does not help make the case. In my opinion.
Actually, listen to Journeyman TV's whistleblower nurse. A guy pulled out his own vent. I didnt come here to argue, but there is medical evidence of this in the recording and interview of a nurse who was not selling anything or even mentioned God once.
This is disgraceful. I'd make just one point. When answering the question about why God never seems to heal amputees by regrowing their limbs, Craig Keener firstly talks about leprosy, then gives an example of someone's stomach / intestines doubling in size. Surely no honest Christian can find this in any way an adequate reply? A common understanding of limbs growing back miraculously would be a missing arm or a leg growing back . . . yet that has never been proven to have happened, and if it did it would be very strong evidence for miracles. If it ever happended it would be worldwide news. Sean should not have apologists like Keener on his show as they devalue any reasonable and honest debate and make Christians look foolish and gullible.
@@agape_apologetics He provided nothing that someone would call evidence. Just because he cant explain something doesnt mean its a miracle... You shouldn't confuse evidence with coincidence. I know you would to prove something but dont
@@PC-vg8vn Thats not what the person is saying. He's saying that Miracles never seem to happen like a leg growing back, someone walking on water and so on. Cancer going into remission isnt a miracle for example even though some people want to claim it is. Miracles dont happen.
@@PC-vg8vn Hi Thanks for your reply. I'm not saying that unless a specific miracle happens then none can happen, I'm simply (and I think understandably) pointing out that a limb growing back would be perhaps one of the most obvious proofs of a miracle, yet it never happens. I hope you agree that, at the very least, the fact that it never happens gives me some grounds for doubting if any miracles happen. A comedian once commented "Why does God hate amputees?". Why does God seem to ignore them when it comes to miracles? Also, I'm constantly amazed by the way Christians praise God for miracles healing someone from a disease, yet ignore the point that an omnipotent God presumably gave them (or at least allowed them to get) the disease in the first place!
@@jeffphelps1355 If you take any claim at face value, that's not rational at all, and there is no validation of a claim. This is easily disproven - claims are not truth: suggest to yourself that you're 1000 miles from where you are by simply closing your eyes and tapping your heels together 3 times. When you open your eyes and are in the same place, this disproves the 'claim as proof' method.
@@jeffphelps1355 what was strawman about evidence of claims? you’re not offering a coherent response. I disproved claims based assertions as valid evidence. Do you have a rational response? If your argument relies on irrational means, you capitulate to lack of reason. That’s a choice!
The fact that hundreds of millions of people believe that they have seen miracles isn't remotely unexpected in a world where miracles don't exist. Most people are really gullible, and you can make way more money as a faith healer than you can as a decent magician, so I would be shocked if hundreds of millions didn't believe it just from people like that alone. But also, hundreds of millions of people would definitely say that they had a personal experience where Allah revealed the truth of the Qur'an, or the book of Mormon, or lots of other things that we can also disregard without giving credence to it just because lots of people thought it happened... And how do you get from "that was unexpected" to "it's a miracle"! What exactly is the connection to the supernatural in those instances?
I was in the church for many years, always hearing about miracles, but never seeing one. What I did see was many people die because they didn't get their miracle, I attended bedside 24/7 prayer sessions of dying people, nobody got their miracle. I also saw people get 'temporary' miracles - one that sticks in my mind is a man that was prayed over and started shouting he could see clearly without his glasses. Next week he was wearing his glasses again and nobody said anything, LOL. How can we be 20 years into phones with video cameras and no miracle is recorded? God is camera shy?
For a Christian, death is not the end. It is the beginning of something better. Death is painful for those left behind, but not for the person who has died. This life is the closest that Christians will get to hell. In Romans 1, Paul points to nature as evidence for God. God doesn't need miracles to prove anything. Whether a miracle happens or not, God is still God and still worthy of praise and worship.
God’s desire is to produce faith. Miracles tend to produce unbelief. Paul, Trophimus, Timothy, etc., were never healed...Miracle Dynamics: God's great miracles through Moses filled Egypt with undeniable evidence for the God of Israel (Ex. 9:27). Yet neither the Bible nor history records Egyptian repentance, only good riddance (Ps. 105:38; Ex. 12:35-36; 14:25). Further and more dramatic, consider the effect of those tremendous miracles on Israel. God followed the 10 plagues (Ex. 7:14-12:30) done on behalf of Israel with the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21-22) and the drowning of the Egyptian army (Ex. 14:26-28). Then daily for 40 years God appeared to the entire nation as a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22; Num. 14:14; Neh. 9:12; Ps. 105:39). The Lord kept their clothes from wearing out (Deut. 8:4), produced water out of the Rock (Ex. 17:2-6), fed the people with angels food from heaven (Ex. 16:4-7) and brought meat on demand, literally filling their camp with quail (Num. 11:31-32; Ps. 105:40). Yet with all this, virtually the entire nation rejected God: For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? ... Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? Heb. 3:16-17 ...and in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation... was gone. Num. 32:13 Jesus did great miracles and crowds followed Him, but mostly out of selfishness. Of thousands who received His miracles, few worshiped Him. Of 10 lepers healed, only one even said thanks (Luke 17:17). Generally, Christ's miracles did not win over the crowds (Mat. 8:34; 11:20; 13:58; Mark 15:8-15; Luke 4:23-28; 8:37; 17:17; John 5:8-10; 10:25-39; 12:29-30). The Lord explained it this way: "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead." Luke 16:31 Why not? With one's eyes one may see a dead body resurrected, but faith does not come by sight. Rather, "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). So even Jesus' own city rejected its miracle-working Messiah (Mark 6:4-6). All this evidence and still we find denominations and individual who who spend their existence searching for another “ miracle.”
I haven't watched this interview to completion as its quite long, but I think its rather important to ask whether miracles happen in all religions, not just Christianity. I am fairly certain that you have the same reports worldwide in Islamic and other faiths, including pagan faiths (witches) and new-age spirituality (I have seen many credible reports on one reddit site I frequent, since I am partial to those beliefs). As such it isn't so much that Christianity is true, but that it points to something else that's sort of remarkable about the world. If praying to the Islamic God results in the same miracle, it kind of invalidates both the Islamic and Christian gods. In the end the only thing that is actually left is new ageism, because that is the only spiritual system that accepts the core idea that beliefs influence your reality, not adherence to any particular God.
I think you’re making too many assumptions. It’s possible that God could have good reasons to respond to a prayer, even if it’s said in the name of a false God. It’s also possible that there are other powerful spiritual beings who intentionally respond to prayers not made to the real God in order to lead us astray. In fact, many religions openly admit that they call upon demons for help. You’re right that miracle claims in and of themselves don’t necessarily point to a specific religion, but the fact that multiple religions have miracle claims doesn’t preclude one of them from being more true than the others.
the ultimate justification for atheism is the ex-Christian who has "been there, done that", and has repeatedly experienced nothing but silence in reply to numerous sincere prayers for even the small things, like protecting children from sexual abuse, or safe passage out of Ukraine, etc, etc. You'll need all the luck in the world to justify pretending that an existing yet completely non-responsive god is still something "important" for people to spend more than two seconds of their time trifling about.
Sean’s credulity is breathtaking. As is often said, the plural of anecdote is not data. Sean’s faith allows him to uncritically accept Kenner’s stories at face value. Anyone wanting an antidote to Keener’s anecdotes should read “The Case Against Miracles “by Darren M. Slade. In his essay “ properly investigating miracle claims “ Slade analyses Keener’s work. He points out that at page 114 Keener declares that he avoided a through fact finding investigation to authentic the credibility and accuracy of the stories. The Templeton foundation has funded tests into the efficacy of prayer. Unfortunately, it is no better than chance, unless of course the recipient knows he is being prayed for, then it’s less than chance . All this can be quickly put to rest if God just show up unmistakably. Maybe Sean will do a series on the Ascension as part of the resurrection story. Apologists tend to stay clear of discussing this miracle. Surely this miraculous gravity defying, cosmology confounding feat needs to be discussed as much as the empty tomb.
If you don't believe in the Resurrection of Jesus then why would you want to spend any time on his ascension? Sounds like you want to debate for the sake of debate.
@@horridhenry9920 No he merely doesn't need to actually have an unfounded skepticism in miracles. Atheists merely dismiss all miracles out of hand and start with the premise that miracles are implausible or unlikely. Hume's bs is nothing more than western hyper-paranoia. Furthermore anecdotes may not be enough to prove general trends but anecdotes are more than enough to prove a universal statement. This is one thing that atheists never quite seem to grasp no matter how many times you explain to them and it's actually quite remarkable: GOD....IS.....NOT.....AN.....IMPERSONAL......SCIENTIFIC FORMULA. He is an agent with free-will you don't need "Data" in the sense of an exact percentage of occurance. ----- Atheists have made a universal statement saying that there is no reason to believe that any miracles have ever happened. Universal statements are the easiest to refute because all it takes is just one. If I say "There are no black people serving in the politics in Glen Ridge New Jersey, all it takes is one." ----- It doesn't matter if Generally speaking white people make up the majority. ------- The Point is obvious I don't have to prove that miracles generally happen. Or explain why miracles don't happen in other cases. If even one miracle is true then guess what? The Supernatural world exists. --------- The odds that every single one of the miracle claims is false grows dumber and dumber the more people keep saying it. Are some of them false? Probably. The odds that every single one of them is either lying, delusional or simply legend is nonsense. A doctor's report on the issue is more than enough and Craig Keener has done this countless times in his book "Miracles" the 1,100 page one. Nothing more is needed and our obligation is not to satisfy hyper-skeptics. Hyper-skeptics about Miracles are primarily western in nature, it's a western self-created problem they start with the presupposion of being hyper skeptical of miracles because they've never seen one. Which is stupid. Anyone who is fair and honest will recognize that at least some of the miracles have to be true. If miracles happen then naturalism is out the window. Does it show that Christianity is the one true religion? No. But it's more than enough to eliminate naturalism from consideration.
You guys are making your god a small one. If miracle is possible, why didn't the god did nothing when the Nazis committed the mass murder and genocide?
who is this barbara character? where are her medical records from before and after she was healed? why isnt this documented anywhere? not even from the templeton foundation who would pay a fortune to document these kind of story?> 2 of the doctors wrote about the story>? where is the other doctor? if it cant be explained that dosent mean god did it.
How would anyone on earth know why God does or does not do something? I’m new to learning about current day miracles (so maybe He does) but, I know God has a reason. I may not know the why but I know that He is always working.
@@sidepot an interesting response. I wonder if you would like to have a real conversation and explain why you feel so strongly about my answer. Leading with empty and substance-less insults isn’t helping me or the questioner.
@@sidepot an interesting response. I wonder if you would like to have a real conversation and explain why you feel so strongly about my answer. Leading with empty and substance-less insults isn’t helping me or the questioner.
I just want to point out to those of us who have responded to this original comment that, this person could be dealing with an amputation. Which is why maybe we shouldn’t have dove in so hard on The philosophical or judegemwntal or downright internet troll responses. Perhaps this person is looking or a genuine answer and I hope that I haven’t ruined a good chance to provide one no matter what some might thin of if it’s validity. I do hope we (the greater internet comment world) can raise the level of discourse so that those who may be asking for very real reasons aren’t lost in the never ending exchange.
Not being able to explain something and attributing it to your specific god is not cool at all. It's so irresponsible to give vulnerable people such false hope.
I know Delia Knox. I used to attend the church where her husband is Pastor and I also have another close tie to her that I won't mention for anonymity. That was definitely a real miracle. It's one of the reasons I could never be a cessationist. I KNOW miracles and gifts are active as I experienced many in that church. Doctrinal issues aside, the miraculous healing happened.
Wow, that’s amazing!
Time stamp?
I went to medical school because of all the autoimmune conditions in my family . I then developed an autoimmune co diction, rheumatoid arthritis. I prayed for healing, I begged for Jesus to heal men I then went into alternative medicine looming for a cure. I changed my diet . I was improving. But there is no cure for RA. I was developing so much weakness. I then had a miraculous change in 2017. I asked the spirit to come into me. I started to change. I can say Jesus did help me. But it was not overnight. It was supernatural. The medical establishment would not acknowledge healing fromRA. And I had erosion of bone. Very stances.advanced. My bones are healing and regrowing
My bones Fe returning to normal
@@SeanMcDowell Could you provide the English subtitle so I can translate it into Portuguese? I don't understand English and would love to be able to watch this video.
I have been quadriplegic for almost three years after a spinal cord injury in my neck. The accident also took the life of my daughter just before her fourth birthday. Delia’s story has given me a lot of hope, since there seem to be so few who recover fully from paralysis.
It’s sad to see people in the comments saying that her story is not reliable. I can understand why she would not want to question her miracle by having it investigated medically, but do you know if she did have a spinal cord injury? I assumed this was the case but someone is saying she had a head injury?
I loved this interview! My friend Lindsay was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma March 2020, she was given a month to live. She was also living a life professing Jesus but not seeking Him out. In the moment of facing death, God unveiled her eyes to her eternal state and she repented and received salvation! Her husband and then her best friend was then saved a week or two later!! She is still alive today 18 months later and no tumor in sight. Her doctors are baffled. And she has grown exponentially in Christ, its amazing to watch!
Wow nicole that's amazing!
I would like to see a skeptic come up with another explanation for this awesome miracle.
@@jeffphelps1355 I prefer a skeptic to listen rather than trying to dismiss everything and push back. Just listen. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, when the wise men brought gifts and worshiped him, it says Mary kept these things in her heart. It doesn't necessarily have to be that one tries to resist something as it pertains to God, but he can receive it and keep it in his heart, meditate on it, or put it on the shelf of his mind rather than writing it off so that he can keep viewing these things.
Her husband and best friend WERE (not WAS) then saved.😉
@@Switzer1234 is that really important? Can we not find better things to critique?😉
A co-worker of mine, a Christian, said that while he was in the military, serving in a place in Africa, he saw a funeral procession in this very small Christianized town. These African men were carrying a dead woman, singing songs, and probably leading her out to the cemetery. He says that they stopped at a certain point in the procession, laid hands on her, and she returned to life right there. He said that he later talked to the townspeople about what was going on, because he didn't actually understand the context at the time, and thought that maybe they were doing some odd ceremony, but they told him that she had been dead, and that as they were walking, one of them received a messaged from God to lay hands on her and command her to rise. So they did, and she did. He says it's one of the most incredibly things he's witnessed in his entire life.
My personal miracle was being a lover of sin and addicted and bound by it, and now a lover of God.
Around 2005, after I got out of the hospital, I was extremely thin and weak and kind of in shock from the illness I had (ulcerative colitis). I lived in Atlanta and instead of going to my regular church, I started going to Mount Paran Church of God on Wednesday nights and then sometimes on Sundays. To be honest, I don't remember how long after I got out of the hospital when this occurred, but I assumed it had to have been within a couple of weeks after getting out of the hospital. But, I kept noticing something clanking as I went up steps and at other odd times. Well, I realized that I had no strength in my right foot and I could not lift it at all and when I went up steps it was dragging up and banging the steps. That shocked and scared and alarmed me. I had always gone to a Baptist or non-denominational church, so I did not necessarily believe in healing. Out of desperation, I went on a Wednesday night and asked for healing. About 5 elders or pastors pulled me into a room and put oil on me and then all put their hands on me and began praying. I had my head bowed and remained quiet, but I remember fighting thoughts like, "What the heck have I got myself into? Sorry, Lord, I didn't mean it. But this is crazy? Sorry, I am trying to not think this way, Lord, please heal me.." going back and forth and fighting off the foolish feeling I had for being there. We finished and although skeptical, I was still moved by their sincerity and kindness and was very appreciative. After about 10 minutes I tested my leg and it still did not move and nothing had changed and I thought, "Well, as expected. Didn't cost me anything so it's okay." So, I just accepted things and went on home. Then, sometime the next day, I noticed my foot was perfectly fine! I could not believe it. It wasn't like it was a little better, but fully worked. I thought, "Well maybe it's just a coincidence and it would have gotten better like this eventually anyway and last night was when my body got a tad stronger and this is all that has really happened." But what are the chances? And I would think with natural healing, it would be a little stronger the next day when I could start moving it a little or something. But it was fully operational. Just weird stuff. I'm such a sceptic that I struggle with things from God, but it truly is difficult to explain. Thank you, Lord.
When I was in college serving on a ministry team I was injured. That night in a worship service I was praising God and He touched me and physically healed me. Today I am a pastor and many times I have looked back at that experience to help and encourage my faith. I was so thankful then and still thankful now. I do not believe God heals everyone, but I definitely believe in God's power to touch people today.
I was blessed to live in a Muslim majority nation for 14 years. We met quite a few Christians from Muslim backgrounds who had converted. Many of these (I would say most, but I do not have detailed statistics or records) reported some type of supernatural experience (supernatural dreams were the most common) that helped lead them to faith in Christ. Every one of these converts faced a great deal of danger and sacrifice as a result of becoming a Christian. I cannot verify that all of their miracle stories were true, but I certainly believe that many of them were. Also, I myself had some "supernatural dreams" while there which I am deeply convinced were from God to help me with difficult situations and challenges.
My wife witnessed multiplying in a missions trip to Dominican Republic. The group gave away more bags of food than they bought, until everyone waiting got a bag.
The same happened with medicine supplies. There were more people to be tested than they had meds for. But when they thought they ran out, they checked and found enough meds for people waiting. It was more than they brought.
That's amazing! One of the pastors as well as volunteers at my church actually had the same thing happen with backpacks filled with school supplies that were being given out to children in need! Truly mind-blowing!
Were any of those people skin and bone,bloted bellies, from starvation?very unlikely,
which a lot of people (inc children) have been ,does/did god produce more 'bags of food',or any food
@@frankwhelan1715 I’m not sure what you’re asking… the story is like this: This group of families take their children from USA to a poor neighborhood in the Dominican Republic and bring with them clothing, medicine and doctors.
They went to a local grocery store to buy 80 bags of food. The owner of the store decided to participate and sold everything at cost, so they got 140 bags. People lined up to get the bags, at the distribution point. The missionaries counted the people in line and marked the spot after 140 and told people not to stay in line after that. But still people stayed in line after that point. I’m told, quite a few. To the surprise of the missionaries, the last bag was handed to the very last person in line , way beyond the masked point.
With the meds it is even more surprising, since the medicine brought was very well counted and kept track of.
I heard a story first-hand about a missions trip. Can't remember where it was. A village had no food. They were probably going to die. During the night, the entire floor of where the missionary was sleeping was filled with baskets of food and the baskets were made using a technique no one knew about. The entire village turned to Christ!
@@frankwhelan1715 When Jesus fed 5000, those 5000 people were not in danger of starvation. Those people were in danger of some acute discomfort. God tells us He is the provider. Always. If His people are going in a mission to improve the life of other people, they are doing His work. And He is going to participate. Not all receivers of miracles will believe. The lepers that were cured did nto come back to give thanks, save for one. The miracles are not a bribe to win people over. It's a natural manifestation of God, a revelation of Him.
The greatest miracle is being born again by the Spirit of God. It is a gift of God. Not by works so that nobody may boast. Jesus is the Savior.
Amen!
Amen
Amen!
@Mr. Rich B.O.B Are you being sarcastic?
Amen!
My husband and I have both experienced documented healing miracles. Two separate occasions we had people pray and in my case I had vertebrae bone grow back which my orthopedic doctor had never seen in his 30 years of practice. In my husband's case he had a condition that was scaring his lungs and they were healed which his doctors said never happens, once you're scarred it doesn't go away. We were thankful, but not as shocked as Drs were❤️🙌🙏
Amen. God is great.
I have read many of the comments but none (that I've seen) have commented on how precious this brother Craig is! So precise. So careful. So endearing. Thank you for this great book and interview!
I agree, he is precious…humble, with the childlike spirit Jesus taught was necessary. I so value his commitment, his work on scholarship, and again, his humility. He’s not afraid to talk about his struggles. I would love to hear him and J.P. Moreland together. I believe they are friends-no surprise!
I believe He can, I believe He does. He is the same God from the beginning. It’s all about His Grace and Mercy. There is just one thing above our faith on Him: his sovereignty.
The same God? No hes not. Yahweh is the brother to many other Gods and El is the supreme God. The God you worship is most likely a God the ancient cannaites made because they were so near volcanos. Saying hes the same God from the beginning is just you ignoring the history of Yahweh
@@kaiju1412 I respect your point of view, even not agreeing with you. I believe the Lord that says that He is the Alfa and the Omega, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Let me challenge you to pray the Lord and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Ready the Bible, the book of John, than pray asking His Holly Spirit to guide you and to not let you be deceived during your search.
If there is a God, and if He’s real, and If our Lord says that whoever comes to Him, He will not drive away, so try Him. Tell Him: “Lord I want to know you as you really are.” Do not tempt the Lord, but experience His truth.
My uncle had meningitis as a baby and lost his hearing. As a young adult, maybe 18 or 19, he went to a gospel crusade in Atlanta and was prayed for. Miraculously, God restored his hearing. (My mom attests to all this.). However, having been deaf for so long, the noise was unbearable for him. He couldn't sleep, even with his pillow over his head. He begged God to take his hearing away and God answered his prayer. For the rest of his life he was content being deaf. This is only one of several miraculous healings that I personally know of.
Yea... this is a fabricated lie.
Wow, before he restored his deafness, did he get himself written up in a medical journal so we can read about the miracle? Didn't think so.
Dumbest thing I’ve read all year
@@kaiju1412 Maybe. But you would only know if were a witness but you could believe it was a lie for many reasons, more than half of them bad.
@@Sajadela And how do YOU access the medical journals of other people? I wish people would think one step ahead instead of blithering mindlessly.
I do not have to see extraordinary miracles to believe with my whole heart that anything not possible with man, is possible with God and thus a miracle. The problem with people is they do not want to believe in miracles. Until He appears in the sky and then they'll have no choice to believe. For 62 years I have lived through so many daily miracles, that I believe anything is possible with God. God bless you. ❤️
Can you provide a brief example of one of your daily miracles? Thanks
Really enjoyed that thank you. I’m charismatic and have seen numerous healings and a number of miracles but it’s really good to hear other Christians who don’t necessarily expect miracles talking about it with open minds. It’s also good to hear a discussion about miracles outside of Charismatic and Pentecostal circles. Really pleased to see that the book is coming out on audio too as my own health prevents me reading books so audio is a huge blessing.
This is a very encouraging interview. Not that I or someone I love or know could be healed miraculously, but simply that it affirms that Jesus through the Holy Spirit still operates through miracles in this world. It’s not like I suddenly believe this, it’s just a further confirmation of what I, perhaps more timidly, already believed. Only half way through this interview but it’s certainly going to be a favorite to share.
God's heart is for the lost. I think all of the miracles I've heard result in faith in Christ for the person or a group of people.
My heart goes out to that individual who asked that question concerning praying, pleading for healing and not receiving it. @53:15. Such a beautiful and encouraging response Dr. Keener.
We just had a member of our church diagnosed with Hep-c on a Friday. We prayed for him on Sunday, and on Monday when he went for his first treatment He no longer had Hep-c
Very interesting, though I noticed you didn’t address the casting out of demons. On the night of Sep 23, 2021, I was delivered from the grip of something, if not outright possession, then it was certainly a spiritual attack. There are a lot of details, but one of the final events involved a very old, tattered Bible that I had found some weeks before in a park, but had yet to start reading. Back when I had found the Bible, I had looked it over and noted that the pages were intact, though missing its back cover. Fast forward to the night in question, after a series of very dark events (the worst of which was almost being blinded in my right eye), I had gotten off the phone to a very knowledgeable pastor, who talked me through the basics of what it means to be ‘saved’ (I’m ever so grateful to him). But anyhow, I was still feeling uneasy as I tried to settle for sleep, so I decided to open this Bible and read a bit. I quickly realised that the last page was no longer attached, but had somehow been inserted like a bookmark into the Book of Luke. I knew then, that this was what the Holy Spirit was guiding me to read.
I read those two pages and at the bottom of the second page was the story of the man from the tombs, whose demon says to Jesus ‘I am Legion, for we are many’, before Jesus casts it out into the pigs. I closed the Bible in wonder, and as I was sitting in bed, my cat was being super-affectionate, nuzzling into my bosom like a child. And then all of a sudden, she changed. My normally chilled-out cat ferociously attacked my arm, biting down and not letting go. I understood immediately that whatever had just come out of me, had made its way into her. I managed to pull her off me and got to my knees and prayed like I’ve never prayed before in my life. My cat was no longer aggressive, but was looking very intensely at something moving around in the air, and based on her head movements, it was darting around very quickly. I prayed for both myself and (this might sound silly) I prayed for her too. And then it was over. Peace. Calm.
That night, Jesus literally saved both my life and my soul. He even saved my cat!
I owe everything to Him.
Glory be to God! Deliverance from the demonic was part of Jesus’s healing ministry, and was something that is also documented in the Acts of the Apostles, so it makes sense that it is still something God would do now.
Interestingly, I also know a Barbara that was miraculously healed of Multiple Sclerosis . She loves to tell everyone about Jesus and how he healed her from this incurable disease.
I was never one to put much stock in miracles. I was never a cessationist, but I'd never experienced one in my 25 years of life, so why would I believe they could happen?
That changed one day, two years ago, when my brother's best friend, an atheist (and my brother himself an agnostic) came to our house, crying, because his sister was going to die. She had overdosed, and the doctors said she would either die, or remain brain dead, with no chance of recovery.
When I heard that, I felt this urge to pray well up in me. So I did. Quietly, under my breath- to this day, neither my brother nor his friend know I prayed. A week later, he came back, his usual smiling self. I asked him about his sister, and he said she had survived, not brain dead, but that she had retrograde amnesia (like Memento). Again, the urge to pray welled up in me, and I did it again.
Another week later, my brother mentioned his friend and I asked if there was any update on his sister. He told me she had made a full recovery.
Two miraculous healings, back to back. Nobody will convince me that medical impossibility was a coincidence.
All while millions of children are starving.
But your coincidence means a miracle happened…
According to Lee Strobel over 50 percent of doctors believe in miracles.
@@jeffphelps1355 Do you think those doctors believe in super natural miracles with Gods intervention or a Miracle that I hit a half court shot backwards and blindfolded?
When you think a Miracle happens its easy to confuse the 2.
@@kaiju1412 obvious the doctors are talking about supernatural, right. Science cannot demonstrate how a patient recovered from an ailment so the doctor logically conclude it's is a supernatural event
@@jeffphelps1355 That’s not obvious. There is a difference between a supernatural miracle and just a miracle by coincidence. Just because you can’t explain something doesn’t mean it’s a miracle. That way of thinking is why Gods were created. There’s a God for everything because of this. It’s a miracle we have rain! I can’t explain it so it must be the rain God! You need to be realistic here.
A super natural miracle would be everyone being healed at the same time. Not 1 isolated incident when millions die
God healed my gastroparesis after 20 years of being on feeding tubes and a failed surgery. He also called me off hospice for the same condition He hadn't healed me then just told me I wasn't going to die and told me to leave hospice. Then about 5 years after that About 1 year ago He healed me all the way.
Half a year ago I was laying down in bed and a hand came out of nowhere and set down over my left shoulder, on my chest. I was absolutely loaded with joy and energy and light .. it filled my body like a light went on, it was extremely overwhelming. It was unearthly joy, not like happiness at all. At the time my back hurt and I was about to roll over in bed.. But this experience was so overwhelming I wasn't even thinking about my back, I just noticed afterwards that it didn't hurt.
Another interesting tid bit.. The hand only stayed on me for about 3 seconds.. and when it went away I said, without thinking, "Thankyou!!" It came out like a reverse gasp, I just blurted it out. Also, the joy lingered after the hand left me. It was like I had stored it like some kind of joy-phosphorescent element.. but it slowly went away kind of like your awareness would if you were to stop breathing.
So since this happened I have run into 2 other people online that have almost identical experiences. So to those who say this was a dream, how could I imagine something I have never experienced ? Something I cannot even begin to understand?
When I think about healing, it's easy for me to say, it usually doesn't matter. I'm not perfectly healthy, I have weird health problems and whatever, I just want to be with Jesus at the end of the day, I just want Him to like me at the end of the day.
🍁An evening blessing for you, “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” Psalms 94:19
Cherry picky scripture isnt good.
Psalm 137:9
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!
@@kaiju1412 You seriously believe the Bible is telling people to dash little babies against rocks? Do you really believe that....or maybe you're the one cherry picking and not using it in context? hmmm.
Hi Dr McDowell, I just wanted to add to your video that I like the way the word "miracle" is expressed in Chinese : 神迹 it literally means the trace of God or God's trail. Sometimes language can be a barrier to understanding
Awesome!
“Your faith has healed you”
This always strikes me that Christ said that, I believe there is a threshold of faith you need in order to have a miracle happen, maybe from someone praying for you or you asking yourself through prayer.
Obviously yes. I was divinely healed by God after suffering for a year and a half with undiagnosed bronchitis.
Great questions, Sean!
Thanks. I really enjoy these interviews!
Any cases of someone who grew back a limb?
There are animals in the animal kingdom that can. Its not a miracle, just biology
There's a beautiful testimony about a 19 year old woman named Teresa in Chapter 3, of Francis MacNutt's book, The Power to Heal. She had a withered twisted leg that was 6 inches shorter than the other leg. The healing included deep spiritual healing and forgiveness, as well as physical healing. It happened over several days through soaking prayer. Doctors also confirmed the healing. It's a beautiful story.
@@fieldsofthefatherless8193 That still isnt evidence. If you read this comment section you will see people posting their own miracles.
Its absolutely insane that you think 1 feel good story is a miracle when millions of others died of starvation during her "healing". That is disgusting cherry picking right there. Its not a Miracle, the human body does a lot of weird things we still dont understand. Its primitive to think it has anything to do with God
A Miracle would be seeing all the people who are starving fed out of no where. A miracle would be everyone being healed from their ailments at once. Not anything in this persons book
@@fieldsofthefatherless8193 Hi there! I’ll have to check it out. I’m not referring to you or this story, but I tend to see just anecdotal evidence with miracles in general, but I’ll have to check your story out. It’s tough with accepting miracles as true because you and I would not accept the miracle that Muhammad ascended into heaven, even though it is a good story, and it’s believed by all of Muhammad’s earliest and current followers. You and I would expect some extraordinary physical evidence to believe that. I have kids too and I don’t want them to use a method of just believing someone’s testimony without being able to falsify it. I don’t see that as a reliable means for finding out what’s true. Again, I’m just expressing my view to you, not trying to be difficult. :)
@@davidlines7 Thanks David, appreciate your thoughts.
For everyone who prays all night and gets sight back. How many people pray all night and get nothing.
Imagine someone who is completely innocent taking the death penalty for someone who is completely guilty , now THATS a miracle
When he said the researcher said "in terms of them being inexplicable and in a theistic context", is his definition of miracle just something that hasn't been explained, and someone has said God did it? What if it isn't in a theistic context?
So I have had many miracles happen, but Actual physical healings? I have 2 that recently happen! They're small but so encouraging to my heart when we're living a very poor city life, and my heart is In the countryside.
The first was healing from a bruising thar had formerly happened every time i ever played volleyball. I had to quit because my arms and hands were become to painful to use to hit the ball. But before starting a season of sports at my church, i prayed for them to not hurt. And i played for weeks with very minor pain in one arm! I was so excited and thankful I could play!
The 2nd i had stepped on a sliver of glass and it went so deep it was bleeding and ached something awful! It was Saturday before easter and I had a tough night with my kids bedtime. I asked God to heal it up so the pain wouldn't distract me from worship. A while later I realized it didn't hurt anymore, and so i checked ....it was as though all evidence had been erased from my foot! I even checked by squeezing the area hard, nothing. I was really shocked! God loves you and wants to know you. It doesn't matter how unimportant you are to the kingdom work, he still sees you. And he's coming back soon!!
for me since i knew some friends why they experienced miracles, only 1 thing that i know that God wants to use you to spread the Gospel, to ministry others. It never happened only for healing and show off. but He wants to use you and bring more people to Christ.
Amen! I think all the miracles I've heard of involve people coming to faith on Christ.
Very encouraging interview 👏
I couldn't find a single legitimate source for the Barbara Cummiskey Snyder story online. Not one. The only 2 things which resembled evidence was a very poor copy of what looks on first appearance to be a medical report where the text changes font throughout the document and even then, it's pasted into a pdf of a Christian evangelical document with no citations given. The hospital written on the screenshot isn't linked to this case anywhere online.
The second was a journal (good start) that documents their process of evaluating the claim. There was no evidence of the eyesight being returned to normal condition, nor of it being that bad in the first place. It was about 30 years later that the first examination was performed after the supposed miracle and that was due to eye issues she was having, though probably unrelated to the original issue. To make matters worse, the authors of the paper have very unscientific methods and are heavily criticised for doing such. They use self reported diagnosis which they accept from people online without ever meeting them or the doctors. The journal that accepted their paper has admitted to having numerous papers accepted that should have never been accepted, they started the process of removing all the papers but eventually said the task was too big and would try to follow better standards for all future papers while leaving all the dodgy ones. The journal has also been caught out accepting bribes on many occasions for businesses selling certain products who wanted to justify claims of healing properties.
This would have been very compelling evidence that something took place, whether or not this is a common occurrence would have been my next step, but it appears there isn't even evidence to support the claim in the first place. I would have loved to see actual evidence for a miracle, I spent years searching before realising they don't happen. I'm truly sorry everyone but this case appears to be a fraud.
Thank you for this wonderful, uplifting debate. There should be more like this. We need to be bold and state what happened when miracles occur. Hope is much needed in this world regardless of skeptical criticism.
please pray for me
What’s up?
Dr. Keener, I have great respect for you and always have. But I do have to disagree in one area, 1st Peter 2:24 says that by his stripes says that by His stripes we were healed. That is past tense, if we were healed then we are healed. Jesus did all for us and we manifest it in our body with confessing the Word
Very informative interview with miracles expert and New Testament scholar Craig Keener.
Many times when the missionary first go into a new area you will see God send miracles.
Praise God for his love and mercy!!!
Let me just state that I believe in healing and miracles. I am not a cessationist. However, the story of the second Barbara sounds very similar to the Betty Baxter story (1941). Her testimony is easily located on TH-cam. Also, what does Dr. Keener attribute the miracles at Lourdes to? Because appearances of an entity calling itself “Mary” is not scriptural.
I NEED A MIRACLE FOR ME MY MOTHER AND MY DAUGHTER CRMINALS TRIED TO DESTROY OUR LIVES AND THERE IS A GREAT INJUSTICE.
If you apply a biblical principle, you will get a biblical result. God does not show favoritism. God does not change. God is not a liar. What God has promised, God will do, IF you meet His conditions. We should not make up what God won't do if He has not said that. This is not hit and miss. This is not throwing a spitball on Buddha's belly and hope that it sticks. All of His promises are YES and AMEN! God is NOT a man that He should lie, or the Son of Man that He should change His mind.
Watch opening scene of movie Dumb and Dumber 2, Jim Carrey plays the character that pretended to be paralyzed for 20 years just to play a practical joke on his friend. This never happens which is why it's in a comedy. Pretty sad that this was the skeptics best guess as to what happened to Ms knox.
28:01 hip socket grew back
the greatest miracle of all is forgiveness of sin .... eve if you are healed you will still die
Thanks alot for that Interview.
It would be interesting to see the reaction to someone getting young again over night, or a man becoming a woman and visa versa ( with no surgery required) . Even someone waking up with long hair when they'd only had minimal hair growth before! With God all things are possible (but not always his will!)
If He wanted to prove Himself, He could restore the limb of an amputee. Why doesn’t He?
@@michaelbrickley2443 If He did this to your satisfaction, would you then place your trust in Jesus Christ? Some who don’t believe will not be convinced even when their stated objections are answered to their satisfaction. Jesus even said as much during His ministry. Even His resurrection was not enough for such as wouldn’t believe. I don’t believe God is beholden to answer every objection nor to perform every miracle for those who ask for such. He is Lord, not a slavish performer. I wish I could give you a perfect answer but He is good, and can give you new life even as your present life feels burdensome. That has been mine, and millions of others, experience and testimony.
I used to have a pain in my right ear, this lasted for years but God healed me. That was even before I gave my life to Christ. Jesus loves me.
Sean, I hope you do a follow up video to clarify and clear up some things in this video. I fear that skeptics and new Christians might not understand all that is being said here in context of scripture.
Kegan Van Sickle, I was brought back from the dead when it was medically impossible and skeptics say, oh, well, you were in a hospital. The skeptic has to hear the voice of God calling them.
@@michaelbrickley2443 That's amazing. I believe miracles do exist today. That's not what I'm referring to. I'm intentionally being ambiguous hoping that Sean will post a reflection video and point out some things that I think mature Christians would see.
@@michaelbrickley2443 Also, thankful you are with us. That's quite a testimony!
@@KeganVanSickle, I have met a few who were crossing over after dying and being sent back. He is working in a world that has gone blind and the evidence is the amazing worship coming out of Maverick City. We the Kingdom, Pat Barrett, all the people from Passion down in Atlanta…the tide is slowly turning. I just had a skeptic tell me he had learned the truth. This from a guy who thinks Ricky Gervais makes sense. Keep walking towards the Son. He will lead us all home.
@@KeganVanSickle, we need people like Sean to keep doing what they’re doing, for sure. Iron sharpens iron, my brother. Shalom
Back in 1968 there was an apparition of the Virgin Mary at Zeitoun Egypt which lasted for 3 years. Millions of people saw it and the police and the military did extensive investigations to make sure there was no national security threat. The authorities checked buildings around the church for any kind of lights, projectors, or other types of equipment that might have created the apparition. Nothing was found yet the apparitions continued for up to 3 hours nightly.
So where were the skeptics? The skeptics had 3 years and plenty of time each night to disprove the apparitions on their terms. This was the opportunity of a lifetime where skeptics could have set up cameras and laboratory equipment to uncover the source of the apparitions and then show the world that the apparitions were faked, yet no one did that. Why?
I think skeptics like Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins and atheist Michael Shermer didn't take the opportunity to discredit the Zeitoun Apparitions because they were afraid they might actually be true. If they had done an extensive investigation, and then, their own evidence showed it was legitimate, how would they play that down? How could they continue to deny God when the mounting evidence showed the opposite was true? Skeptics love to accuse Christians of being closed minded, but by denying their own evidence the tables would be turned against them. So they just ignored the apparitions passing them off as group hallucinations. The lesson learned here is that, in spite of what they say, skeptics don't really want to know the truth. They just want to embrace their own imaginary worldview and ignore any evidence that proves otherwise.
The evidence of miracles is kicking cessationism to the curb. Randy Clark wrote his dissertation on metal disappearing. My favourite testimony is of a lady who had both rods and wire supporting her spine. The rods disappeared giving her increased movement and freedom from pain. But the xray showed that the wire was still there. So there is no way someone could claim the xray was of a different person. He came out of cessationism and has some excellent defenses of continuationism.
Thank you!
I have my doubts about this channel.
Of course!
What lots of people (even pastors) don't (yet) understand.
God created us according to His own image and likeness. Godly.
Mankind/the first Adam fell. The image of God in man got lost. That's why there is all this predicament on earth (selfishness, greed, lust, wars, sicknesses, death, etc).
We are all born into that mess.
For the fall of man a perfect atoning sacrifice had to be made.... that is what God did in Christ.
With His own once and for all perefect sacrifice, He paid the debt for the fall of man for us, so we can be indwelled by His Spirit again and finally receive the divine life of the ages back, the first Adam let got of in the fall of man. An amazing act of grace and love by our creator.
That is what you see happening in Christ's first disciples. They too healed all and walked in unselfish love.
And yes.... that is still avaible today. The holy blood is in place, the Holy Spirit is here to give us understanding, power and transform us back to origin.
Not to be debated about, but to be embraced and be-come.
So: The Kingdom of God already came. Through Christ, in Spiritform, in those that understand.
Hence the divine healing miracles we experience.
God manifested in Christ to give us back the divine life mankind lost in the fall of Adam.
Christ, the exact image of the invisible God.
The image we were created after in Gen 1.
The image we lost in the fall of man.
The image that can be freely restored by Christ's blood and Holy Spirit working IN us.
What a plan. What a solution. What a love. What a God. Jesus is amazing.
It is the ultimate conclusion of the word and plan of God. God came full circle.
He Himself stooped down from glory to restore us back to original created value: Christlikeness. Walking in divine healing power and unselfish love.
Jesus, born of the Spirit of God, filled with the spirit of God. The "Son" of God, the incarnated word, God in the flesh.
For three years He healed all, raised the dead, casted out demons, controlled nature, spoke pure divine truth.
He said:
"Follow Me. If you see Me, you see the Father. The Father and I are one. The glory I have IN My Father, I give to you. It pleases the Father to give you His Kingdom/Holy Spirit/divine nature. I will send Holy Spirit, the same as Me, He will be IN you, guide you into truth and give you explosive power. The same miracles i do, you will do too, because you will understand that the Father is IN Me and I am IN you. Freely I give you My Kingdom/Holy Spirit/divine nature, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, freely I give, freely share" Etc, etc, etc.
I have experienced thousands of beautifull healing miracles through the power of Holy Spirit IN me already. Broken bones, cancers, covid, all kinds of infirmities healed in seconds. Demons manifesting and casted out by a simple "get out, in Jesus name".
Jesus. De name above all names. In Him all power and wisdom is sourced and.... He calls us one with Him. God in man and man in God again. C'mon Jesus!!
So.... again: God stooped down IN Christ to restore us back to Gen 1:27 were He said: "Let us make man according to our image and likeness and let them have authority.....": walk as Christ.
Christ, the exact image of the invisible God. The image we were created after and being restored to by His atoning blood for the fall of man and indwelling Holy Spirit.
You are free to receive this original divine life of the ages by Holy Spirit of Christ/God. Ask Him to guide you into truth. Read the Gospel of John and fall in love with your creator.
You are not made for the fall of man and its effects, but for the image/glory of God and to walk like Christ. Holy Spirit is the guide and transforming power that will get you there. Amazing grace.
A big leap in faith can be made when we start realizing we are already IN Christ, IN the last Adam.
Free from the fall! Loved! Growing into awareness of our new (yet old) godly identity. Changing by Holy Spirit. The most fullfilled life ever.
Paul healed all on Malta. He understood and wrote:
"As in the first Adam ALL died (lost the divine nature), so also ALL were made alive IN Christ to walk in Zoë (= divine life) again".
"IN Christ (the last Adam) we are co-cruisified (dead to the fall and its effects), co-raised (justified/made righteousness, holy, blameless, above reproach), co-seated (one with Him)"
"The fullness of deity dwells in Christ and YOU HAVE BEEN MADE COMPLETE IN HIM, who is the head of every principality and power".
So.... thank you Jesus! Thank you for redeeming me from the fall of man. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that makes this new (yet old) divine life come alive in me. You are amazing!
In the shadow of Peter the sick healed... He understood too and wrote:
"By Gods power (Holy Spirit) and knowing Christ, we have become partakers of the divine nature and have escaped the fall of man".
The divine life of the ages has been returned to us by Jesus once and for all perfect atoning sacrifice for the debt of the fall of man and His indwelling Holy Spirit in us. Jesus/God is amazing!!!
Ask Him to give you revelation and change you to the way it was before the fall of man: Christlikeness.
He will do so. For it is written: "the Spirit brings forth after His own kind".
"I have come to give you Zoë (divine life) in abundance...."
God works!
Got to believe to receive. The Holy Spirit isn’t a miraculous occurence? My healing after the hospital told my family to put me in hospice? A miracle
Thank you for your time, im believing in my miracle why because God is a good God, Amen 🙏
There is a weird slurpy tappy sound in your background of this video that isnt pleadant to hear in earphones!
Just fyi for future
You kind of look like you do not believe what he is saying half the time.
When miracles happened in Biblical times nobody had to investigate to determine whether it was actually a real miracle. Inexplicable only mean that someone was unable to explain it. That’s a whole lot different than God making himself evidence to all who are present.
Not sure why this video has gotten so many negative comments. I think Craig Keener does a great job with the interview. If you don't believe in God because an amputee doesn't have their arm grow back maybe God's withholding it because you're so focused in on just one idea, if this one thing happened you would believe, that you're unable to see the millions of things around you daily that testify of the Creator and His goodness. If this is you, you have been deceived and you truly have blind faith. With the changing of the seasons and, currently, the beauty of the leaves on the trees alone show a continuously changing painting that is drawn masterfully beyond any human ability, and you somehow believe there is no painter. Make that argument about any human painting and you would rightly acknowledge the foolishness.
Yeah, I'm kind of confused about the limbs thing.
To add to your point, I was told a story where a pregnant woman lost her child due to taking a tumble down a flight of stairs. The death of the child was confirmed by three doctors-including the chief of staff OB/GYN. It was conclusive that when the mother came in, the child had been dead for three weeks evidenced by the lack of growth and movement (corroborated by four heart dopplers). After that, the mother began to pray (much like Hannah prayed to be able to have a child-who we know now was Samuel) the mother prayed that God would bring her child back. After three hours (a lot of threes to the story haha), she went back in for one more examination before they would remove the child from the womb, and to the shock of a nurse doing one more test, she told the mother that the chief of staff had never been wrong in his 20+ years of practice. It was found out that her baby that earlier had no heartbeat was now miraculously healthy and active as ever. A few months later, the baby was born with no health or neurological problems.
Strangely enough, a bit of a side note: the child actually told their mother at 2 years old about playing with her grandparents who had actually passed away before he was born in heaven with Jesus. Through that instance, the mother who at the time was unsure of her former Christian beliefs began her journey back to faith.
I know the story sounds a little crazy and I would struggle to believe it myself in a face-value circumstance. However, that story was told to me by my own mother and I was actually that child. In my life, my mother has been the strongest person of faith that I know, and yeesh has she seen even more miracles than that in her life alone.
I've also had a friend whose father had a gaping hole in his hand from a carpentry accident walk into a church foyer (while a revival service was occurring) and his hand was miraculously healed right before his eyes. Blows my mind!
@@banmancan1894 They are irrational and don't care they are blind and can't see because they choose to stay blind.
A test: does it glorify God or man? Does it edify others? Or, does it draw attention to man rather than God? Is the healing immediate and forever? That would be more like an apostle miracle. Certainly God heals and cures, and even beyond what is explainable by science. Certainly, the "apostle-like" miracles was to evidence their authenticity as representatives of God the Father and God the Son, so their testimony and revelation of "The Word" was validated (Heb 2:4, 2 Cor 12:12, Mk 16:20, Acts 14:3). The miracles today, may truly be supernatural, but not to authenticate new revelation, nor to substantiate anyone involved in praying for the sick, and they do not seem to be of the breed the apostles' and what Jesus did. God will heal under His divine sovereign will and for His purposes only, having noted this, the bible says we need to: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." James 5:14
Thank you
Years back my mother was legitimately convinced one time when I fell over backwards in a parking lot that it was a miracle I didn't crack my head open on the asphalt. I cringed every time she told that story, as I knew how ridiculous it was sounding to other people. I think claiming that sort of thing only serves to weaken a person's credibility with respect to evangelizing and may harden the listener's heart to faith in the same way we don't take people seriously who claim to be healed by new age crystals. If witnessing something you believe is a miracle strengthens your own faith and makes you feel closer or thankful to God then I think that is a wonderful, wonderful thing. However, I would urge people to consider how it will sound to skeptical ears before making such claims to them. I think this is something a person should be especially sensitive to if they've grown up in the faith and have no experience with what it is like to be an unbeliever.
"...convinced *one time* when I fell over backwards in a parking lot..."
Is it possible she got sick of you being a clumsy fool falling in car parks?
Perhaps the bump on your head caused you to adopt shallow standards for evidence. I did not fall on the pavement, so your god cancelled gravity for me and did not do it for you.
If a Jumping Jehorseless Witless or some other flavour made the same claim, you would rightly think they were stark raving bonkers.
I found this comment funny.
"... no experience with what it is like to be an unbeliever..."
If you have to put gasoline in your vehicle, eat food, and use the bathroom, you have a sense of what ordinary people call reality.
The people you comment on have experienced your superstition, but the difference is that they grew out of the tooth fairy and Santa. Easter Bunny is in a few weeks, so I will not jinx myself because I love chocolate.
The angle of the earth, in relation to the sun, is the reason for the Easter Bunny season. What's up, Doc?
God doesn’t do miracles to prove Himself. Those who don’t want to believe will give all kinds of reasons.
Can I ask a question? I believe in miracles very much. Years ago- 91- 93 I attended a church in the area (to be slightly vague) of Kane County Illinois. The Pastor, it was said was a close friend/mentee of John Macarthur. Perhaps a sister church. The church teachings drove me absolutely crazy. They didn't seem to believe in miracles nor Gods leading in a personal way. Of course yes the scripture is our guide. (As an aside some men there -not the most mature- would even try to outdo each other on their biblical knowledge. Argue! & disliked if a woman contributed to the conversation, esp when she was knowledgeable or right- lol. Ps I don't believe in female Pastors) It seemed a bit legal istic too. I.e. a sinner doesn't get in to heaven. Of course they don't but we all can struggle. We can't always be perfect we're saved by undeserved Grace. One young man there gave up, determining he wasn't a Christian because he had a challenge with I assume was resisting some sins. My knowledge of 'denominations' & terminology like 'reformed' 'fundementalism' & there definitions is weak. Ive recently been watching videos with John Macarthur & RC Sproul & they seem biblical & on target. Many lift them up as leaders in biblical teaching & truth. Ive not seen anything but biblical truth from them. I guess my question is & thanks if you're reading are there large amounts of doctrinally sound Christians who dont believe that God still performs miracles? To use a less dramatic example God leading and guiding us, giving us strength and the like? Are those things controversial too?? Forgive my rambling perhaps you discern I had some issues with that church. Yet I quite often watch sermons of the men I mentioned.
I think there are a lot of abuses when he comes when talking about healing and God's direction, which is wrong. Some people swing too far in the opposite direction. I believe that if you have the Holy Spirit guides people to be more like Christ whether they're aware of it or not. God works both naturally and supernaturally and people have different experiences of God. Jesus said to love our neighbors and people's different experiences of God shouldn't cause divisions in the church even if people don't agree.
Only one reply in 9 months? We have hundreds of passive listeners but none that would like to experience objective, biblical class miracles in your life? Sad...
A lot of people are asking why limbs aren't restored. That is a good question, but now that I think about it, there is no biblical account of somebody's limb growing back either. I believe God can do it if he wants to but it seems that the miracles Jesus did, and the ones you hear of today, are where something is being restored to health that already exists. So for example in the Bible Jesus heals the man with the withered hand in the synagogue. Or he brings life back to the dead or sight back to the blind or hearing back to the deaf, health back to the body. But it's not like a new creation of a body like is seen in the book of Genesis. I have no idea why this is the case but I'm sure God has a reason. Then again maybe he does do these regrowth of missing limbs, but I've never heard of it myself, but it doesn't mean it hasn't happened I guess.
The Mircles Jesus did were just updated versions of what Moses did. There are other people in scripture who did the same thing Jesus did. What Jesus did isnt special when others were said to have already done it.
@Mr. Rich B.O.B The New Testament are stories that came 50+ Years after Jesus. We arnt really sure what he said. The Bible isnt evidence to anything. Jesus was a Arameci speaking Jew and the Mark was written 50 years later in greek.
Im on the boat that Jesus didnt even exist.
When it comes to philosophy, it doesnt even matter if Plato or Socrates existed. We at least have things from possibly them. We dont have anything like that from Jesus. We have a bunch of Platos works and he even mentions Socrates. We have someone mentioning another. This is something Jesus doesnt have from someone who existed during that time.
Its plausible that Jesus existed. We just have nothing from anyone who existed during that time. There were a few historians who were alive who didnt say anything about Jesus and that is suspect. Jesus was said to be popular and doing all of these wonderous things, but no one during his time thought to mention him.
We have nothing like we have from Plato or Socrates for Jesus. The earliest thing we have for Jesus that is considered outside of Christianity is Jospehus and our earliest copy comes from 11 century Christians and they've already been caught forging Jesus into Jospehus's works.
@@kaiju1412 don’t pay any attention to Kaiju, he is just butt hurt that God doesn’t miraculously heal the brown hordes that are too stupid to stop breeding when they live in an environment that provides very little food or drinking water.
@@freegraceau Your racism is showing
If God answered every prayer, it would be chaotic.
Also we humans would think WE have the power.
Also God would just be a puppet.
So for a miracle to be a miracle, it has to be rare, extraordinary, and in line with God's will
Why are you giving excuses for God? Where in the Bible does it say he doesn’t do miracles because it would be “to chaotic”
I like listening to the Doctor...but he needs a better microphone...or speak up a bit...being soft-spoken...or do my ears need healing?
So if someone is a non-believer and they remain a non-believer because they never see a miracle, does that mean God will torture them for eternity? But the lucky person who just so happened to see a miracle and believe gets saved?
Well, I’m a Christian despite not having witnessed a miracle, so it’s possible for this non-believer to still come to believe. It’s also entirely possible for someone to witness a miracle and still remain an atheist, or even to acknowledge the existence of God but then reject him.
@@nanowasabi4421 And some people may believe in Islam, having never seen a miracle with that religion. And you didn't answer the question. So if I never witness a miracle and therefore don't believe, will God torture me for eternity, whereas someone who did see a miracle and believes doesn't get torutured.
@@CJ-oc2ff
The question is, is the seeing of the miracle guaranteed to be the thing that tips you over into believing in God? And not just believing in him, but accepting his rule and following him? That's why I brought up the fact that you can come to believe without seeing a miracle, or refuse to believe after seeing one. God knows the amount of his glory that it's necessary to reveal to you in order for you to be able to make an informed decision whether to obey him or not. And in fact, if he reveals his full glory to you and you still reject him, that's a much more serious offense than rejecting him based on partial information.
So if you've never seen a miracle, then maybe it's because your heart isn't in a position to accept God no matter how much he reveals to you, in which case, he's being merciful by not revealing any more than necessary, thereby reducing the severity of your crime and of your sentence.
To answer your question in plain words, yes, if you never witness a miracle and _therefore_ don't believe, you would be punished for that (because according to the book of Romans just observing the wonder of nature _should_ be sufficient for everyone to come to believe). Fortunately, God is too smart to allow that to happen.
If you think that's wrong, and that seeing a miracle would actually change your mind, then by all means, ask God to show you one. Do it persistently, and maybe get some friends to ask for you as well. It's possible that you're right, and God is just waiting for you to ask. It's also possible that asking repeatedly will soften your heart and make you more ready to accept God when he does reveal himself to you. But if you do start asking, try to be prepared to see one. He might give you what you ask for, even if you're wrong and it won't change your mind, making your crime worse.
Most excellent! and much-needed these days! thank you Sean McDowell for a great interview and Dr . Craig Keener for this incredible monumental work. I really look forward to going through it. Purchased audio and Kindle
The messiah's name was always going to be Jesus according to Zechariah Chapter 6... which is the same name as the post exile high priest ,Yeshua!
if the concept of Messiah and God are separate then it doesn't automatically follow that sins can be forgiven.. only God can forgive sins. furthermore if the expectation of Messiah is to reverse the events of Genesis 3 Genesis 6 and Genesis 11 then by Definition messiah has to be more than just a man.
Jesus being born of Mary but not of Joseph is not a problem according to Jewish history because I believe during the reign of Queen Alexandra Jewish law made Heritage pass on, by matrilineal Bases.
A basis for the Trinity can be established in the Old Testament by passages like Amos 4:11Isaiah 48:16.. and Judges chapter 2:1 and Daniel 7:9-14
Support for the idea of God becoming man in Scripture are Deuteronomy 18 verses 15 to 18 Focus of the verse speaks of the coming Messiah coming from lineage of Israel like unto moses.
We also have Exodus chapter 23 verse 20 and 21 the context of which is speaking about the future Endeavor of going over Jordan then we come to Joshua chapter 5 verses 13 to 15 and the context of this passage is having just gone over the Jordan into Israel.
Another proof of this idea perhaps most glaringly Jeremiah chapter 1 verses 4-10... the first thing you want to pay attention to is titles in verse 4 and verse 9... Hashem and the word of the Lord these titles are used interchangeably there's some definite implication there but the point of emphasis here is verse 9 because it goes a little further than just anthropomorphic language.
Now the next concern is did Jesus ever claim to be God? And for this the scriptures I would provide are Matthew 26:64 Jesus directly quotes Daniel 7:13
John 10:34 Jesus claims to be the judge in Psalm 82 referencing verse 6
In John 10 versus Both 11 and 14 Jesus Yeshua says that he is the Good Shepherd and you can cross-reference this with the very first line of Psalm 23.
In Mark chapter 6 starting from verse 45 Jesus walks on the water this is something designated in the Old Testament for something only God (job 9:8) can do this separates Jesus from the other people who did miracles.
Where another claim would be is in the fact that Jesus forgives sins, off the top of my head is Mark chapter 2
now certainly there have always been Messianic claimants but none of them have ever claimed to forgive sins.
Now the question becomes why would Jesus be so secretive? why didn't he just come out and say that he was the Lord God of Israel?... well one scripture off the top of my head of that I would provide here that might be interesting is this Matthew 16:20 "then he commanded his disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ"... my suggestion to you here, would be that the crucifixion had to take place at a certain place at a certain time and under a specific set of circumstances.
Please Look into all the scriptures I made mention here I hope this helps even one person
Hashem bless everyone of you... in the name of Jesus both son and God of David king of Israel, amen!
So, the lady was healed from blindness but not diabetes....? 🙄🙄
Keener's answer to the last question was that "[God] gives us enough evidence to invite us to believe but he doesn't compel us to believe". In other words, Keener admits that all the evidence for God, from miracles to philosophical arguments, is not compelling.
Not really. Some people can see a miracle and still reject it and claim that the explanation is just unknown.
It is the easy escape clause for the materialist.
@@Chomper750 Oh the irony of someone named after Hitchens' razor, based on the principle that the most simple explanation making fewest assumptions is most likely true, rejecting not only lacking but even abundant naturalistic/materialistic explanations to argue many events must instead be the work of an invisible wizard and his miracles. Magic, the easiest escape clause for those with the intellect of the little ones.
Two different meanings of “compelling” are being conflated here. One meaning of compelling is nearly synonymous with “forcing” (as in God is not forcing mankind to believe in Him). The other meaning is in regards to a “compelling argument” or “compelling reasoning” which means that said argument or reasoning was well thought out. It is clear that Keener means the former in this context, not the latter.
Though even if I did grant you that Keener flubbed a few statements in the hour long conversation, I don’t see why that would be a meritorious argument against him. We know his position and arguments for it regardless. If you or I mistakenly used a wrong word, that doesn’t imply anything about the validity of our arguments, only actual engagement with the arguments in question can do that.
If Keener is using "compelled" to believe as a synonym for _convinced with arguments,_ he is right in saying humans _aren't_ -- for the wrong reasons. Jon, who doesn't seem to have interpreted that word differently or incorrectly, is right: the allegedly compelling evidence/argumentation (for miracles or otherwise) is simply not nearly convincing enough people to be called compelling. Aside from many being worried about their increasingly empty churches, even their own studies show some 90% of christians are instead produced by kids believing whatever their parents/clergy tell them before their age of reason.
@@noneofyourbusiness7055 No, Keener is very clearly using the word “compelled” to mean “forced” in this context as opposed to a “compelling argument”. Did you read my comment or do you simply disagree with me on what he meant?
I agree that most of mankind is not Christian, though this is something everyone will readily agree to Christian or not (after all, it is the “narrow path”) so I’m not sure what the relevance is supposed to be for here. There are definitely many who just follow in the path of their parents or whoever else, though we would consider that those people have not really developed faith yet.
I believed in miracles, heard it from a church leader when, they with others church members went for hill prayer as before,but for that particular day's God whisper to once of the participants to collect a mud and all of them say a prayers imminently that mud transformed in cake. They shares among them even bring to church Sunday services to be shares with church congregations.miracles doesn't stop there it self,everytime the church leader slicing the cake to be divides amongst the congregations ...the cake forms back into it original size. I believed the Father Lord Jesus Christ Is the living God with the Holy spirit as comforters..I BELIEVED IN MIRACLES TOO..AMEN.. IN JESUS CHRIST NAME 🙏
7:25: he says that miracles in the Bible can’t be defined as violations of nature.. Really?
I am skeptical of miracles at this time. Although I do believe that God does perform miracles at His will. I do not think He has poured out His spirit as He did at Pentecost yet…we are not quite in the right time for a huge outpouring, but it is coming. I totally believe God reveals himself to those seeking and chosen. There are many Muslims that are seeing Jesus in dreams,so believe that! Also believe that Jesus appeared to children in the turkey earthquake. I just do not accept the charismatic touching on the head, falling over and such stuff. I do totally believe in miracles, but I believe many charlatans take advantage of this and it takes discernment and HS to come to true revelation. I hope you understand were I’m coming from.
Could you provide the English subtitle so I can translate it into Portuguese? I don't understand English and would love to be able to watch this video.
Yes unexplained coincidences that are extremely rare do happen.
If you're on a ventilator you're not going to be running anywhere or calling "dad, dad". I'm a believer, but stories of those like Barbara does not help make the case. In my opinion.
Actually, listen to Journeyman TV's whistleblower nurse. A guy pulled out his own vent. I didnt come here to argue, but there is medical evidence of this in the recording and interview of a nurse who was not selling anything or even mentioned God once.
So Frank, you’re a believer, but you don’t believe God can heal someone? Or do you prefer your miracles to not actually be a miracle?
Average, everyday people can experience objective, biblical class miracles.
This is disgraceful. I'd make just one point. When answering the question about why God never seems to heal amputees by regrowing their limbs, Craig Keener firstly talks about leprosy, then gives an example of someone's stomach / intestines doubling in size. Surely no honest Christian can find this in any way an adequate reply? A common understanding of limbs growing back miraculously would be a missing arm or a leg growing back . . . yet that has never been proven to have happened, and if it did it would be very strong evidence for miracles. If it ever happended it would be worldwide news. Sean should not have apologists like Keener on his show as they devalue any reasonable and honest debate and make Christians look foolish and gullible.
I use to be a Christian for 20 years. The only replys you will get are people who sidestep or try and play to your feelings.
@@agape_apologetics He provided nothing that someone would call evidence. Just because he cant explain something doesnt mean its a miracle...
You shouldn't confuse evidence with coincidence. I know you would to prove something but dont
I find the logic of your argument odd. Youre basically saying unless a very specific miracle happens, then no miracles happen.
@@PC-vg8vn Thats not what the person is saying. He's saying that Miracles never seem to happen like a leg growing back, someone walking on water and so on. Cancer going into remission isnt a miracle for example even though some people want to claim it is. Miracles dont happen.
@@PC-vg8vn Hi Thanks for your reply. I'm not saying that unless a specific miracle happens then none can happen, I'm simply (and I think understandably) pointing out that a limb growing back would be perhaps one of the most obvious proofs of a miracle, yet it never happens. I hope you agree that, at the very least, the fact that it never happens gives me some grounds for doubting if any miracles happen. A comedian once commented "Why does God hate amputees?". Why does God seem to ignore them when it comes to miracles? Also, I'm constantly amazed by the way Christians praise God for miracles healing someone from a disease, yet ignore the point that an omnipotent God presumably gave them (or at least allowed them to get) the disease in the first place!
You can't debunk answered prayer
You also can't make a causal connection. A claim/belief isn't evidence.
If you can't find another explanation for miracles/answer prayers then I have no rational to think otherwise right
@@jeffphelps1355 If you take any claim at face value, that's not rational at all, and there is no validation of a claim.
This is easily disproven - claims are not truth: suggest to yourself that you're 1000 miles from where you are by simply closing your eyes and tapping your heels together 3 times. When you open your eyes and are in the same place, this disproves the 'claim as proof' method.
@@desnock call it want you want, build your strawman as big as you want. Skeptics can't disprove miracles so they dance around the subject
@@jeffphelps1355 what was strawman about evidence of claims? you’re not offering a coherent response.
I disproved claims based assertions as valid evidence. Do you have a rational response?
If your argument relies on irrational means, you capitulate to lack of reason.
That’s a choice!
The fact that hundreds of millions of people believe that they have seen miracles isn't remotely unexpected in a world where miracles don't exist. Most people are really gullible, and you can make way more money as a faith healer than you can as a decent magician, so I would be shocked if hundreds of millions didn't believe it just from people like that alone. But also, hundreds of millions of people would definitely say that they had a personal experience where Allah revealed the truth of the Qur'an, or the book of Mormon, or lots of other things that we can also disregard without giving credence to it just because lots of people thought it happened... And how do you get from "that was unexpected" to "it's a miracle"! What exactly is the connection to the supernatural in those instances?
I was in the church for many years, always hearing about miracles, but never seeing one. What I did see was many people die because they didn't get their miracle, I attended bedside 24/7 prayer sessions of dying people, nobody got their miracle. I also saw people get 'temporary' miracles - one that sticks in my mind is a man that was prayed over and started shouting he could see clearly without his glasses. Next week he was wearing his glasses again and nobody said anything, LOL. How can we be 20 years into phones with video cameras and no miracle is recorded? God is camera shy?
For a Christian, death is not the end. It is the beginning of something better. Death is painful for those left behind, but not for the person who has died. This life is the closest that Christians will get to hell. In Romans 1, Paul points to nature as evidence for God. God doesn't need miracles to prove anything. Whether a miracle happens or not, God is still God and still worthy of praise and worship.
Here's a link to the story of Delia Knox
th-cam.com/video/jKHMc_Orn5I/w-d-xo.html
Checkout Nikki Oshenski. Amazing miracle.
God’s desire is to produce faith. Miracles tend to produce unbelief. Paul, Trophimus, Timothy, etc., were never healed...Miracle Dynamics: God's great miracles through Moses filled Egypt with undeniable evidence for the God of Israel (Ex. 9:27). Yet neither the Bible nor history records Egyptian repentance, only good riddance (Ps. 105:38; Ex. 12:35-36; 14:25). Further and more dramatic, consider the effect of those tremendous miracles on Israel. God followed the 10 plagues (Ex. 7:14-12:30) done on behalf of Israel with the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21-22) and the drowning of the Egyptian army (Ex. 14:26-28). Then daily for 40 years God appeared to the entire nation as a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22; Num. 14:14; Neh. 9:12; Ps. 105:39). The Lord kept their clothes from wearing out (Deut. 8:4), produced water out of the Rock (Ex. 17:2-6), fed the people with angels food from heaven (Ex. 16:4-7) and brought meat on demand, literally filling their camp with quail (Num. 11:31-32; Ps. 105:40).
Yet with all this, virtually the entire nation rejected God:
For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? ... Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? Heb. 3:16-17
...and in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation... was gone. Num. 32:13
Jesus did great miracles and crowds followed Him, but mostly out of selfishness. Of thousands who received His miracles, few worshiped Him. Of 10 lepers healed, only one even said thanks (Luke 17:17). Generally, Christ's miracles did not win over the crowds (Mat. 8:34; 11:20; 13:58; Mark 15:8-15; Luke 4:23-28; 8:37; 17:17; John 5:8-10; 10:25-39; 12:29-30).
The Lord explained it this way:
"If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead." Luke 16:31
Why not? With one's eyes one may see a dead body resurrected, but faith does not come by sight. Rather, "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). So even Jesus' own city rejected its miracle-working Messiah (Mark 6:4-6).
All this evidence and still we find denominations and individual who who spend their existence searching for another “ miracle.”
I haven't watched this interview to completion as its quite long, but I think its rather important to ask whether miracles happen in all religions, not just Christianity. I am fairly certain that you have the same reports worldwide in Islamic and other faiths, including pagan faiths (witches) and new-age spirituality (I have seen many credible reports on one reddit site I frequent, since I am partial to those beliefs).
As such it isn't so much that Christianity is true, but that it points to something else that's sort of remarkable about the world. If praying to the Islamic God results in the same miracle, it kind of invalidates both the Islamic and Christian gods. In the end the only thing that is actually left is new ageism, because that is the only spiritual system that accepts the core idea that beliefs influence your reality, not adherence to any particular God.
I think you’re making too many assumptions. It’s possible that God could have good reasons to respond to a prayer, even if it’s said in the name of a false God. It’s also possible that there are other powerful spiritual beings who intentionally respond to prayers not made to the real God in order to lead us astray. In fact, many religions openly admit that they call upon demons for help.
You’re right that miracle claims in and of themselves don’t necessarily point to a specific religion, but the fact that multiple religions have miracle claims doesn’t preclude one of them from being more true than the others.
Delias story when researched shows shes not telling the truth
the ultimate justification for atheism is the ex-Christian who has "been there, done that", and has repeatedly experienced nothing but silence in reply to numerous sincere prayers for even the small things, like protecting children from sexual abuse, or safe passage out of Ukraine, etc, etc. You'll need all the luck in the world to justify pretending that an existing yet completely non-responsive god is still something "important" for people to spend more than two seconds of their time trifling about.
Sean’s credulity is breathtaking. As is often said, the plural of anecdote is not data. Sean’s faith allows him to uncritically accept Kenner’s stories at face value.
Anyone wanting an antidote to Keener’s anecdotes should read “The Case Against Miracles “by Darren M. Slade. In his essay “ properly investigating miracle claims “ Slade analyses Keener’s work. He points out that at page 114 Keener declares that he avoided a through fact finding investigation to authentic the credibility and accuracy of the stories.
The Templeton foundation has funded tests into the efficacy of prayer. Unfortunately, it is no better than chance, unless of course the recipient knows he is being prayed for, then it’s less than chance .
All this can be quickly put to rest if God just show up unmistakably.
Maybe Sean will do a series on the Ascension as part of the resurrection story. Apologists tend to stay clear of discussing this miracle. Surely this miraculous gravity defying, cosmology confounding feat needs to be discussed as much as the empty tomb.
If you don't believe in the Resurrection of Jesus then why would you want to spend any time on his ascension? Sounds like you want to debate for the sake of debate.
@@PC-vg8vn Just pointing out the mountain of absurdities that is Christianity.
@@horridhenry9920 No he merely doesn't need to actually have an unfounded skepticism in miracles. Atheists merely dismiss all miracles out of hand and start with the premise that miracles are implausible or unlikely.
Hume's bs is nothing more than western hyper-paranoia.
Furthermore anecdotes may not be enough to prove general trends but anecdotes are more than enough to prove a universal statement.
This is one thing that atheists never quite seem to grasp no matter how many times you explain to them and it's actually quite remarkable:
GOD....IS.....NOT.....AN.....IMPERSONAL......SCIENTIFIC FORMULA. He is an agent with free-will you don't need "Data" in the sense of an exact percentage of occurance.
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Atheists have made a universal statement saying that there is no reason to believe that any miracles have ever happened.
Universal statements are the easiest to refute because all it takes is just one.
If I say "There are no black people serving in the politics in Glen Ridge New Jersey, all it takes is one." -----
It doesn't matter if Generally speaking white people make up the majority.
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The Point is obvious I don't have to prove that miracles generally happen. Or explain why miracles don't happen in other cases. If even one miracle is true then guess what? The Supernatural world exists.
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The odds that every single one of the miracle claims is false grows dumber and dumber the more people keep saying it. Are some of them false? Probably. The odds that every single one of them is either lying, delusional or simply legend is nonsense.
A doctor's report on the issue is more than enough and Craig Keener has done this countless times in his book "Miracles" the 1,100 page one.
Nothing more is needed and our obligation is not to satisfy hyper-skeptics.
Hyper-skeptics about Miracles are primarily western in nature, it's a western self-created problem they start with the presupposion of being hyper skeptical of miracles because they've never seen one. Which is stupid.
Anyone who is fair and honest will recognize that at least some of the miracles have to be true. If miracles happen then naturalism is out the window.
Does it show that Christianity is the one true religion? No. But it's more than enough to eliminate naturalism from consideration.
You guys are making your god a small one. If miracle is possible, why didn't the god did nothing when the Nazis committed the mass murder and genocide?
who is this barbara character? where are her medical records from before and after she was healed? why isnt this documented anywhere? not even from the templeton foundation who would pay a fortune to document these kind of story?>
2 of the doctors wrote about the story>? where is the other doctor?
if it cant be explained that dosent mean god did it.
Why won't god heal amputees?
How would anyone on earth know why God does or does not do something? I’m new to learning about current day miracles (so maybe He does) but, I know God has a reason. I may not know the why but I know that He is always working.
@@fiftycalguru
How would anyone know you are a complete idiot? Oh yes, whenever you open your mouth. What a dumb fucking answer dipshit.
@@sidepot an interesting response. I wonder if you would like to have a real conversation and explain why you feel so strongly about my answer. Leading with empty and substance-less insults isn’t helping me or the questioner.
@@sidepot an interesting response. I wonder if you would like to have a real conversation and explain why you feel so strongly about my answer. Leading with empty and substance-less insults isn’t helping me or the questioner.
I just want to point out to those of us who have responded to this original comment that, this person could be dealing with an amputation. Which is why maybe we shouldn’t have dove in so hard on The philosophical or judegemwntal or downright internet troll responses. Perhaps this person is looking or a genuine answer and I hope that I haven’t ruined a good chance to provide one no matter what some might thin of if it’s validity. I do hope we (the greater internet comment world) can raise the level of discourse so that those who may be asking for very real reasons aren’t lost in the never ending exchange.
Not being able to explain something and attributing it to your specific god is not cool at all. It's so irresponsible to give vulnerable people such false hope.