Then we have the early church. How did they do? Did the signs and wonders stop after the 12 apostles? Did the early fathers and churches, bishops, experience miracles signs and wonders? Of course they did. 

Augustine

“In the same city of Carthage lived Innocentia, a very devout woman of the highest rank in the state. She had cancer in one of her breasts, a disease which, as physicians say, is incurable. . . . This lady we speak of had been advised by a skillful physician, who was intimate with her family, and she betook herself to God alone in prayer. On the approach of Easter, she was instructed in a dream to wait for the first woman that came out of the baptistery after being baptized and to have her make the sign of Christ upon the sore. She did so and was immediately cured” (The City of God 22:8 [A.D. 419]). ^[1]—supernatural healing.

And that’s Augustine! He’s no shallow healings seeking charismatics, using today’s terminology.. He’s the prime theologian that influenced the world as par excellence in the Reformed world, Catholic world, and any worlds! And that’s taken from one of his most famous books in history and Christendom, “The City of God”. 

Jerome

On coming thither he made the sign of the cross over the bed and fevered limbs of each [child] and called upon the name of Jesus. Marvelous efficacy of the name! . . . In that very hour they took food, recognized the mourning mother, and with thanks to God warmly kissed the saint’s hands” (Life of St. Hilarion 14 [A.D. 390]). ^[2]—supernatural healing

Ambrose of Milan

During the translation a blind man was healed. . . . [Arians] deny that the blind man received sight, but he denies not that he is healed. He says: ‘I, who could not see, now see,’ and proves it by the fact. . . . He declares that when he touched the hem of the robe of the martyrs, wherewith the sacred relics were covered, his sight was restored” (Letters 22:1–2, 17 [A.D. 388]).^[3]

Ambrose of Milan, famous big name bishop , in fact he baptized Augustine! A blind man ‘s eyes opened! That would have blown away every evangelistic meeting or church meeting even among the charismatic, Pentecostal circles. Seriously, there is any hardly blind eyes opened miracles these days across the board. And that’s by Ambrose, not in some Azusa St of Los Angeles, or some healing crusade meetings of today, which is unfortunately also tingled with prosperity health teachings so sadly marred the supernatural.

Tertullian

“[When a scorpion stings someone’s heel] we have faith for a defense, if we are not smitten with distrust itself also, in immediately making the sign [of the cross] and adjuring and besmearing the heel with the beast. Finally, we often aid in this way even the heathen, seeing we have been endowed by God with that power which the apostle [Paul] first used when he despised the viper’s bite [Acts 28:3-5]” (Antidote Against the Scorpion 1 [A.D. 211]).^[4]

The healings of someone beaten by vipers.

Eusebius of Caesarea

This being immediately done he prayed over the water and with firm faith in the Lord commanded them to pour it into the lamps. And when they had done so, contrary to all expectation, by a wonderful and divine power the nature of the water was changed into that of oil. A small portion of it has been preserved even to our day by many of the brethren there as a memento of the wonder” (Church History 6:9:1–3 [A.D. 312]).^[5]

Water changed into oil! Wow, I haven’t ever read that in modern Pentecostal churches movement or any charismatic circles for the last centuries and in 21^st! And that’s by Eusebius who is spoken of in many of our seminary papers, among reformed circles who teaches cessationists. 

The list goes on. Need we anymore early church proofs where early fathers opened eyes of the blind, change water into oil? Healed the sick instantly, cast out demons? All these were done not by the apostles, but by bishops, leaders, theologians like Augustine, Tertullian, Ambrose, Eusebius! As Reformed teachings says that miracles and signs were works of the apostles, and after them they ceased. Tongues ceased.

The answer is : God is still demonstrating and doing all the signs and wonders, as Jesus says, “Greater works than this you shall see”. 

John 14: “¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

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^[1] https://www.catholic.com/tract/do-miracles-still-occur

^[2] Ibid

^[3] Ibid

^[4] Ibid

^[5] Ibid

Evangelism is probably the hardest thing in the world, and ironically, the most important thing in the world too! What a paradox in life. Most Christians feel tightened and uncomfortable when we talk about evangelism and yet we know we should be doing more evangelism. Why? Because the society is so hostile towards Christian values and faith, let alone listening to you evangelizing, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many Christians have opted for the passive Christian lifestyle evangelism. It’s like I am living out the godly life, and I show compassion to non-believers, kindness to them, and hopefully by my kind deeds, they will be open to the gospel and asked about our faith. Doesn’t that sound lame? And yet, that’s the most comfortable posture default in our lives, and we hope we can alleviate then the guilt of not fulfilling the Great Commission as in Matthew 28 :28-30 “Go and make disciples of all nations…” How can we go and make disciples, if we sit still in our posture, social life? And if we socialize, we can’t even mention God and religion in our workplace in America, because that’d be too sensitive. So where does that leave us? Christian faith has been pushed to the edges about to fall off the cliff! That’s why there are talks that its actually easier to evangelize in the third world, before the enlightenment of Europe hits a country. 

There is really nowhere to turn practically and realistically. And most have such sentiments. Except we learn the skills of bringing up God organically, naturally like Elizabeth Pippert says in her book “Stay Salt”. 

I like to take a road back to Jesus and the early church and see how they evangelized and how Christianity grew so rapidly. 

Jesus evangelized rapidly and he is a class of his own, unmatchable. His miracles drew big crowds. He doesn’t need Alfa course, he doesn’t need the 3 spiritual laws, he doesn’t need the friendship evangelism, his feeding of 5000 men and women broke the straw, his raising up the crippled on sabbath rocked the boat, his cleansing the leper shook the very fabric of the Jewish society, and the list goes on. In a passage, folks were running everywhere bringing the sick, the lame, to Jesus for him to heal them. You see, physical needs come first in everyone’s mind. One parent begged Jesus to heal his seizure boy, and he got what he wanted; one woman with years of bleeding problem and pushed her way through a crowd of men to touch Jesus only to be healed, and she did. The woman by the well, when told by Jesus that she had 5 husbands, and the man she lives with now is not her husband, was so stunned by him that she went around and told every that she’s met the Messiah! The healed, the touched, were the most effective and powerful agents of evangelism and spreading the gospel for Jesus! That’s the kind of supernatural power that spreads his name wide and deep. He needs no crusade; he needs no website announcement. His healings is the announcements, better than all Google and Facebook and Twitter combined can ever do. We the church today needs to recover that to some degree!

Then comes his amazing stunning teaching packed with authority, he speaks as one with authority, the crowds said. There is one time, Jesus went up to take the scroll and read “I have come to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord”, and then he sat down, saying today in your hearing this scripture has been fulfilled. The congregation in the synagogue was stunned, as he spoke as one with authority. You see Jesus didn’t say this is going to be fulfilled, he is saying I am the fulfillment! He is God incarnated.

There is no way for us to do what Jesus did. We can’t even agree doctrinally to believe in the gifts of healing, between the cessation’s, and the continuist. Many with great doctrinal knowledge and minds, do not believe in the gift of healing, sad. The only group that’s probably believing and exercising the gift of healing is the Pentecostal or charismatic group.  But even among them, it’s also not too easy to see healings too, though they do happen at least. People’s greatest and number one longing is their needs met. And many times, their physical and emotional needs demand the first and foremost attention.And meeting needs evangelism is actually Jesus style of evangelism, but with such power and authority! Don’t talk about the gospel, if you can’t meet their needs. And that’s why Pentecostal churches are the fastest growing churches in the world, the global south!  But of course, now that I am in seminary learning all the richness of reformed theology, I will not be satisfied with just a big size church with no depth of Christ centered teachings, cross centered teachings. 

Then we have the early church. How did they do? Did the signs and wonders stop after the 12 apostles? Did the early fathers and churches, bishops, experience miracles signs and wonders? Of course they did. 

Augustine

“In the same city of Carthage lived Innocentia, a very devout woman of the highest rank in the state. She had cancer in one of her breasts, a disease which, as physicians say, is incurable. . . . This lady we speak of had been advised by a skillful physician, who was intimate with her family, and she betook herself to God alone in prayer. On the approach of Easter, she was instructed in a dream to wait for the first woman that came out of the baptistery after being baptized and to have her make the sign of Christ upon the sore. She did so and was immediately cured” (The City of God 22:8 [A.D. 419]). ^[1]

Jerome

On coming thither he made the sign of the cross over the bed and fevered limbs of each [child] and called upon the name of Jesus. Marvelous efficacy of the name! . . . In that very hour they took food, recognized the mourning mother, and with thanks to God warmly kissed the saint’s hands” (Life of St. Hilarion 14 [A.D. 390]). ^[2]

Ambrose of Milan

During the translation a blind man was healed. . . . [Arians] deny that the blind man received sight, but he denies not that he is healed. He says: ‘I, who could not see, now see,’ and proves it by the fact. . . . He declares that when he touched the hem of the robe of the martyrs, wherewith the sacred relics were covered, his sight was restored” (Letters 22:1–2, 17 [A.D. 388]).^[3]

Tertullian

“[When a scorpion stings someone’s heel] we have faith for a defense, if we are not smitten with distrust itself also, in immediately making the sign [of the cross] and adjuring and besmearing the heel with the beast. Finally, we often aid in this way even the heathen, seeing we have been endowed by God with that power which the apostle [Paul] first used when he despised the viper’s bite [Acts 28:3-5]” (Antidote Against the Scorpion 1 [A.D. 211]).^[4]

Eusebius of Caesarea

This being immediately done he prayed over the water and with firm faith in the Lord commanded them to pour it into the lamps. And when they had done so, contrary to all expectation, by a wonderful and divine power the nature of the water was changed into that of oil. A small portion of it has been preserved even to our day by many of the brethren there as a memento of the wonder” (Church History 6:9:1–3 [A.D. 312]).^[5]

The list goes on. Need we anymore early church proofs where early fathers opened eyes of the blind, change water into oil? Healed the sick instantly, cast out demons? All these were done not by the apostles, but by bishops, leaders, theologians like Augustine, Tertullian, Ambrose, Eusebius! Contra the Reformed teachings that says miracles and signs were works of the apostles, and after them they ceased like the canon is closed. I disagree. Tongues didn’t ceased. Healings of modern days go on, and yes Jesus says:

John 14 ¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Their evangelism is powered by miracles too! 

---

^[1] https://www.catholic.com/tract/do-miracles-still-occur

^[2] Ibid

^[3] Ibid

^[4] Ibid

^[5] Ibid

Psalms 105:41 (ESV) 41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.

As I was fasting tonight and praying to God, this verse hit me about the exodus of Israel out of Egypt. The power of God was so mighty striking Egypt that, the strongest nation in the world at that time, Egypt with its Pharaoh, the mightiest king of earth, was glad when Israel, the slaves of Egypt left them!

Psalms 105:37-38 (ESV) 37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it.

Egypt was GLAD when Israel departed from Egypt for dread of them had fallen upon it!

They were on the way out , they went through wilderness, desert, they ran out of food, water, v41 described one of the most amazing verse, miracle happened! God opened the rock, and water gushed out. This is a miracle! Water gushing out of a rock, right in the middle of a desert. This is not an oasis. This is God showing the impossible happened by his miracle, so that Israel will truly know this is humanly impossible, and the only way is God! Have you ever felt you needed a miracle from God? Many of us have, and some do. I do. That’s our God! He is the God of impossibility! When men despair, when Israel and Moses went into despair mode, crying out to God, God stepped in and provided the most miraculous way. He could have commanded water to flow from the sand, but no, from the rock!

Not only that, v41b says it flowed through the desert like a river.

Not only did water gushed out from a rock, and you thought you would be lucky to get a couple of buckets, but no! Again, another convincing and convicting miracle of the immensity of God, the God our providence, caused the water to flow through the desert like a river. Can you see the contrast between a rover and a desert? The two most unlikely things become partners in the grace of the miracle of God!

I am so convicted, and whatever I asked from God, seeking him for his strength,

Psalms 105:3-5 (ESV) 3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! 4 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles

Those who seek the Lord rejoice!

Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually!!

Why we cannot make our own choice or freewill decision to accept Christ? 

Morally Corrupt

Romans 8:3-8 (ESV) By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those, who are in the flesh, cannot please God.

We cannot respond to God’s love, salvation, from our hostile mind towards God 

To judge sins, God must condemn sins in the flesh of mankind. But to do that, there will be no end of destruction of mankind, because, on their own strength, no man can measure up to the righteous decree of God. Eventually God sent his own Son, and condemned sins in the flesh or body of his own Son Jesus Christ!

Before knowing Christ, we all were living according to the flesh, meaning to our human desires, nothing to do with God. And if that’s so, as we lived or live in the fleshly human desires, devoid of God, v5 says that we would set our minds on the flesh or human desires, and v6 says that the consequence of setting our minds on the flesh is death! V7 The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, and it does not submit to God, indeed cannot.

That’s the key words here: the minds that’s set on the flesh, cannot submit to God. This explains why humans on their own, cannot submit to God, and hence never be able to accept Christ as Lord and savior, because his/her mind is hostile to God! You can see why free will of yours can never bring you to accept Christ! Because without God, our minds are hostile to God, and our minds will not, and indeed cannot submit to God.

You can forget about on our own will ever can submit to God and therefore accept Christ into our lives. The notion that we can do that on our own free will is now swept away! Simply not biblical!

But some may argue that when we are moved by the Holy Spirit, we will submit to God and accept Christ! That moved by God, is God drawing us to Christ first, and then we respond to what God is doing in us. 

Okay, I think we can be clear that we cannot respond to God’s love, salvation, from our hostile mind towards God as clearly expounded above from Roman 8:6-7. 

Now do we have free will to choose God, to choose Jesus Christ? 

When we say yes Lord, “I receive you into my life, and accept you as my personal Lord and Savior,” is that from our free will? I would say it’s our will power to choose Jesus after God moved our heart, or the Holy Spirit moved our heart. On our own, we will not, and cannot submit to God on our own as our minds are hostile towards God as per the point apart.

We only choose God after God moved our hearts. Jesus says in John 6: 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” If the Father doesn’t draw you, you won’t be coming to Jesus on the first place. Do you see that? It’s God who makes the first move, not you. Now, God only draws those who are pre-determined by God. 

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…..4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. 

God chose us BEFORE the foundation of the world.

God predestined us for adoption.

The drawing of souls by the Father is chosen by God before the foundation of the world! Before the world was created!

God predestined us for adoption! 

So you can see if its free will to choose after God has done the choosing and predestination. We are responding because God moved us in his predestination before the world was even created.

Amen.