Why Doesn’t God Perform Biblical Signs and Wonders Today?

Why doesn't God work signs and wonders as he did in the Bible that is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi uncle Mira Loma, Pastor Israel Sanchez. This is a radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. I would love to hear from you. You can call us with your question.

At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673, as always, you can post a question on one of our social media sites you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com. We also receive voicemails and here's a voicemail we received earlier this week I so ask a question about like there's just a lot of measurements that people think about all the Gospels it here, so could you let us know what they're talking about that question. All of God's word is profitable for us, even the stuff related to the tabernacle in the instruments there in the tabernacle you get to the end of the book of Exodus and you do have a lot of instruction about you know here so you want to make the table in the end of the bowls in this that and the other think it can sort of seem like it what what what is all this, why, why is this here will a couple of things. First, we need to recognize that God is giving Moses no direct instructions for how to how to make this this building if you will, and it was supposed to be a replica of what you had in heaven of love that the heavenly temple the heavenly sanctuary. If you will, so that when a worshiper entered into this space. It was as if they were being transported into the very throne room of God into the very presence of God had loved the holy hope the holy of holies in these these really an important connection. I think there for us to make because it teaches us about worship and the significance of worship. And in what God is trying to communicate to his people and the other thing that that's so important for us to understand about is you get to know that the book of Exodus the end of Exodus. In particular, leading us into the book of Leviticus we are going to have all sorts of instruction about the animal sacrifices and the different offerings that were made. This is all you if you if you start the story in Genesis, we have the creation then you have the fall and that you have got calling his people to the patriarchs and giving them these promises it's it's God calling his people back to dwell in his presence. And so when you get to the end of Exodus. You have essentially God calling his people back home welcoming them back in and in the tabernacle you had this this sort of not just this this picture of heaven, but this replica of Eden disregard and imagery.

You have the, the, the lampstand, with the tree of life if you will, the menorah, they're burning in in the sanctuary of of God.

So is it was this picture also of restoration and that restoration came to what we see in Leviticus that the animal sacrifices. God making a way for his unclean people to be cleansed so that they might dwell in his house and so all of it really is a great picture of redemption of the gospel and that since as you know we we learn atop a lot.

We can take take away a lot from from the stores and went when Jesus shows up on the scene on the beginning of John's Gospel, John John the Baptist is behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and we know what that means we understand what that means because of some of the background that we get in places like Exodus and Leviticus and so that's what's important for us to understand these things and so I encourage you is your is your reading through the Bible is your is your you know going to the Old Testament particular reading in light of the whole story of redemption, especially how it culminates in Jesus Christ. God bless your listing to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez would love to receive your questions about the Bible or the Christian life.

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Christianity does go out to our inner core members first. You can learn more about becoming a member of the inner core by going to our website which is core Christianity.com/inner core was due to a voicemail. We received from one of our listeners. This is from Bob. No, why God was so back in the day, but now you are you show by him. I would just curious about that by yeah you read through the Bible and it seems like God is just talking to people left and right mean calling Moses from the burning bush you think about the book of acts and the experience of the apostles like Peter and Paul that healings the miraculous healings that were taking place, or just the ministry of Jesus. One thing we have to understand brother is that when were looking at the Bible were looking at the history of redemption. If you will. It's easy, as were reading this to think of this is just sort of the everyday experience of the people of God, but even when Jesus was performing miracles in the Gospels and of the people around him were saying no one is ever done anything like this that this was not the common experience for Jews for Israelites and so typically in Scripture what you have is an influx if you will of miraculous activity of divine speech whenever God is accomplishing redemption so you think of him delivering his people from Egypt, and in that the crossing of the Red Sea, or you think of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and his his earthly ministry. His death and resurrection you think of that that the church and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in the early days if you will, whenever redemption is being accomplished in history you have God speaking miraculous activity. Why don't we see that as frequently today. What we do when we see miracles that it is not to say that God can't work miracles today and that he doesn't work miracles today because I believe that he does. It's just not our everyday ordinary experience will. The reason I believe that that that is is because redemption has been fully and finally accomplished. There is no more redemption that needs to happen. Jesus by his once for all, offering resurrection from the dead has accomplished redemption for all time. So were knocking to be getting new Revelation in the year. This influx of miraculous activity because Jesus is has has sealed the deal. If you will, again, that doesn't mean that God is an active today, speaking and working and moving by the grace of his Holy Spirit.

It just means that we should expect it to be just like we see in in Scripture with an old that the these redemptive historical events and one passage of Scripture that I would that I would point you do is what the author the Hebrew says in Hebrews chapter 1 verse one long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son to the other Hebrews is is trying to give us is this definitive Jesus is the ultimate prophet was speaking to his people. So God is speaking today clearly to you and to me to us through Jesus, his son, the prophet, if you will, who is seated at the right hand of the father and how is he speaking to us through his holy and inspired word illuminating by the grace of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And so if you if you want to hear God speak to you be immersed in Scripture and and pray for understanding. Pray that the spirit of God would reveal the truth of God more and more to you as you study the word of God. The issue is not that God is not speaking today. The issue is that were often looking to hear them in in the wrong places was or will God. Weren't you speaking to me. You know from a cloud in heaven like you did to Jesus at his baptism well.

Will God. God has chosen to speak to you through his word.

The question is are we to take it up and and listen to him. God bless.

Great!

Another encouragement for all of us to be digging into God's word on a daily basis and learning how to apply those truths to our lives.

This core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

Let's go to Brett calling in from Texas, Brett, what's your question for a drill radial.

Thank you so much for all that you do a button on your program. My question today when my wife and I first got married we we met and we attended and met and believe a bit more, a prosperity gospel in the church was very much at prosperity gospel in AR type church and then we you know where we met there. We got married there and then I have kind of ended up coming more to and understand more orange understanding of the faith, and my wife my like has not come to that same conclusion in this is caused quite a bit attention in our marriage and and whatnot a little bit about people and I really I was really just more public person counsel on on on the situation. Well let me let me pray for you. First, brother.

Sounds like you know difficult situation nonreceipt you know we we want to be unified with our with our spouses on the same page, especially when were thinking about where to attend church, someone you prefer for just peace for you for wisdom and peace in your marriage as well. God, I lift Brett up to right now. Thank you for his question.

Lord, thank you for his desire to follow you to serve you to know you to be in a church that is faithful to your word and I pray God that you would fill my brother with your Holy Spirit, that he would exhibit in his life. The fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, even in the situation as he communicates with his wife, would you would you be at work in her as well. Would you help them take to get on the same page and would you get them plugged in Lord to a church that is faithful to your word where they are going to mature, more and more in their faith in their marriage and their relationship with you and so I just ask God for your blessing on my brother on his marriage and his family.

Pray for wisdom for them and for peace in his home. In Jesus name, amen. Yeah. So I think is a situation where were obviously in a you you you you do want to be on the same page now if if the church is teaching something that is that is completely out there.

The prosperity gospel, for example, then then just for for your own spiritual well-being.

You need to get out of there because it's you know there's there's poisonous doctrines that can begin to seep into our lives and be detrimental to us spiritually. False teaching kills it. It destroys now it could be. I mean, I don't know the specific church you're part of it could be that may be that the church your part of his and is in all the way.

That way, but they're just things that you do differ on with them and then there's a struggle.

There ought I would say look you want to be patient with your wife you want to have these conversations about the word of God.

I was just think it is you are talking you know of what Paul told Timothy in second Timothy chapter 4 verse one this this solemn charge that he gives to Timothy saying I charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom preach the word be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths has for you.

Always be sober minded, enduring suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

That's the support what he highlights or is the problem that were singing in the world and the church. Today's people just want to have pastors spiritual teachers that are just cannot tickle their years. Tell them what they want to hear a God want you to be happy and healthy and and and wealthy their preaching all sorts of things may be self-help. You know with her not preaching the word.

And if I could if I could speak you know to to your wife I would.

I would just want to say sister you want to be somewhere where you are going to hear the word of God faithfully taught, purely presented word Jesus is going to be exalted, and in your eyes are to be continually fixed on him in on his work for you and so often in churches that have embraced the prosperity gospel. Some of these other other doctrines that you referred to Brett that doesn't happen. And as you seek to to care for your family and to lead your family you want you want to be in a place where you're going to be nourished by the pure gospel of Christ by the pure word of the Lord as I would just encourage you in that way and I would encourage your wife in that way. And in that doesn't mean you just are you ripping that you know that her out from one church and just going to know you is something you talk about and you do and and working together praying together may be visiting some some churches in your your area in your neighborhood that are faithful to the word of God and and and praying about it together and in building relationships, people, and in those churches is the right way to go but they God be with you Brett, thank you for for your question and may the Lord just lead you in this brother some good counsel. Thank you for that Israel.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, one of the ways you can ask us a question is by going to our YouTube channel. You can actually watch a drill live on YouTube every day at 11:30 AM Pacific time.

Just translate that into your own time zone starts at 11:30 AM Pacific on our YouTube channel and you can shoot us a message. We have one from Hector who is watching on YouTube, and Hector says how do we receive Jesus Christ and what do we have to do to receive him.

I love this question Hector so practical, so simple, so important we receive Jesus Christ by faith alone. What is faith. Faith is it is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon him as he's offered to us in the gospel. It's that free grace of salvation that free gift of salvation like to think of faith as a sort of an empty hand right is it's not something that you do, but were not talking about a work that you do and symptoms.

We talked about receiving Jesus. You know it we can sort of talk about it as this as this work will you gotta go through this process and in unit take the steps and know it's it's simpler than that we receive them by the hand of faith and and what kind of a hand is that while it's it's an empty hand it, if it has anything it has our sins he know that were holding up to the Lord and saying to him, God be merciful to me a sinner and we realize in that moment that he is indeed merciful to us sinners that we can lay hold of him by faith that the picture that that I like to go to in the Gospels is in Mark chapter 5 for you have a woman who has had this issue of of hemorrhage for a period of 12 years and in that day, she would've been ceremonially unclean.

Probably an outcast in society, and in Luke's gospel tells us that she had spent all of her money done know everything that she she could to try to get better, but only grew worse and worse and so here's here's a woman who's at the end of the at the end of her rope if you will, has suffered immensely, has been ostracized from the community and she just things if I can just grab a hold of Jesus's robe. I'll be healed and of course you know you know the story. I hope you do if you don't read Mark chapter 5 but Jesus is walking.

There's a great crowd around him and she sort of crowds. Her will way that gets her way through the crowd. She grabs a hold of his robe, and Jesus stops and he says who who touched me and Peter says to him, Lord, here only the people around you and me who touched you. Don't you see the world bumping into your nieces know know who who touched me. I perceive the power went out from you and the woman came forward, trembling and afraid and she told him everything and how when she grabbed a hold of his his robe. She was cleansed and Jesus says to her, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease. What is what is faith friends. It's an unclean hand. It's our unclean hand grabbing a hold of the righteous robes of Jesus Christ and when we do we experience that cleansing that that forgiveness. It's all we have. That's all we we we bring to the table. Hector and so if you're wondering you know what I got do.

Had I received.

I would just say man lay hold of him by faith receive him for the forgiveness of your sins and that doesn't mean that but you know the story ends there. We continue to grow in our faith were called to be to be baptized in to get plugged into a good church a solid church and so I would encourage you to do all of those things. If you received Jesus Christ.

God bless you.

Thank you, Hector.

What a great question. We appreciate so much your listing the core Christianity in your desire to learn more about the faith. This is core Christianity and once again if you'd like to join our inner core. You have an open invitation to do that and our special virtual meeting is coming up in April. You can find out more by going to core Christianity.com/inner core that's core Christianity.com/inner core.

Here's another YouTube question a drill. This is from one of our listeners, who says how can we appropriately speak the gospel to my family who are Roman Catholics. I find it difficult because they adore Mary very much and they put her on the same level as Jesus, will yeah that would be a significant issue right because Jesus is the eternal son of God, the second person of the holy Trinity. There is no one equal to or with with God and so I would say you share the gospel with them.

In one sense like you do with anyone else, focusing on the grace of God towards sinners. You know, there are many people and in churches in evangelical churches and Roman Catholic churches and Eastern Orthodox churches who really just can't simply articulate what the gospel is if you asked them what is the gospel they would have a hard time giving you an answer. They might say well I think it's you. Don't be a good person. Love your neighbor, so on and so forth will that's actually not the gospel that's that's the law. With so God calls us to do, but that that's not the gospel. And so I would just say maybe beginning with that question. What is the gospel. What is the good news of the Christian faith. And then maybe seeing based on the answer that they give where to go from there if if they say well it's you know me love God.

Try to be faithful to him. You know, adore the Saints are mad.

I do know what they would what they would say, but it's it's just an open door an opportunity for you to be able to soon let me tell you what, that the good news is way better than all of that hit it. It isn't be a good person and try harder right that sexy not very good news because we all fall short of that week we sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, of God's law. The good news is we've sinned, and yet God is made a way for us as sinners to experience his love and communion with him through his son Jesus, who live the perfect life of obedience, righteously fulfilling the law of God.

Every step that he took and then suffered and died for our sins so that freely not on the basis of anything that we've done not on the basis of our merits are our own inherent righteousness on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ given to us, we might be justified in God's sight by that's that's such good news that you know oftentimes are thinking when when we talk about the gospel we miss that we we communicated his word were trying to convince you of our middle religion so you can start following all these rules that kind of thing.

No brothers and sisters impulses and in Romans chapter 1, the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes this is life changing stuff this is experiencing communion with God himself, by the power of the Holy Spirit to the forgiveness of sins. We should tell people about it. We should say, your sins can be forgiven through Jesus lay hold of him by faith. It's a free gift. That's the good news. And so I would focus on that. It's easy to get in the conversations and in debates, even about some of these other things you know that the role of Mary or the intercession of the saints.

Those those kinds of things and and and there's a time and a place for that to focus on the gospel on what Scripture says about salvation on on who Jesus is and our relationship to him. That's what people need. That's winging it sounds like that's maybe what what your family needs. In this situation and so I would just encourage you to prayerfully humbly graciously articulate these things asked asked these questions and then and then as you're having these conversations going straight to the work of Christ for you for them and placarding that before them because that's how the book the spirit of God works the spirit of God works through the word of God. The word of the gospel and as people hear the gospel, it's the spirit that opens eyes and hearts.

And I pray friend that the Lord would do that for your family and so God grant that may God be with you and be with them as you have these conversations. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer.

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