Posted by Ben Curran on June 21, 2017 at 03:07:20:
Dear Dr Janson,
It is with unusual hesitation that I approach the posting of this essay. The information upon which it is based has been accumulating in my mind and in my files for many years, but it may be that the essay itself will call down cries of heresy and worse upon my head. But....."What Can Do?" I have been given the information and my understanding is that I must put it together and put it out there. So here it is:
THE CASE FOR MORE MIRACLES.
The Christian church in the Western world is today largely dis-empowered, it seems to me. Or, more accurately, the faith of most Christians does not result in them experiencing much sense of spiritual or physical power because of their faith. Christians do endure being knocked about by experiences of power from all sorts of sources, but only rarely experience being empowered by the Holy Spirit.
How did we get into this state? How is it that, with experience of the infinite power and glory of God available to us through the Holy Spirit, we feel so powerless? How is it that, with all this power available to those who have faith, so few first-world Christians have personal experience of God acting with power in their lives?
Without a doubt the enormous expansion of scientific knowledge and understanding of how the natural world works played a part in discrediting displays of supernatural physical power in this world. The disillusionment of so many men caught up in wars supported by short-sighted elements of the Church leadership probably also played a part. And the resultant majority of women among active church members also likely features in the mix. So - where to from here?
I believe that the first step is to gain an understanding, based in experience, that our God is indeed a God of infinite power in all spheres, including the physical sphere in this world. And it seems to me that the Church in the western world is these days actually teaching a dis-empowered version of the Gospel. Most Christians these days seem to accept that our future occupation in the Kingdom of God is defined by the words "To worship God and enjoy Him forever". I believe that the full picture of the work that God has for us in the Kingdom makes these words look insipid. I also believe that there is enough evidence in the Bible to support a much bigger vision of the nature of our work in the Kingdom.
What is this bigger vision?
We know that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and has been given all power in heaven and earth (1 Peter 3:22/Hebrews 12:2/Col 3:1). And we know that God has called us to be adopted sons and co-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:15-17/Gal 4:4-7/Eph 1:5). What we do not seem to be doing is making the connection between these two statements. Surely the connection is that we, those of us who follow Jesus all the way, will collectively, under Jesus, be given all power in heaven and earth?
The following statement, the origin of which is unclear, might give some idea of the implications of the above:
"The task at hand calls for mankind to prove to the Universe why we are closest to God. Why our vice-regency has been chanted across the cosmos and our very existence and decisions directly affect the energy of the world. They are waiting to see why God demands of them to bow before such lost and easily distracted creations." (This prophecy was spoken into the world by one Elijah Anderson of Baltimore, USA. I quote it, not because I am sure that it is true, but because it opened my mind to what might be God's plan for those of us who follow Jesus all the way).
I believe that those "lost and easily distracted creations...", that is us now. I believe that those who comprise the "vice-regency that has been chanted across the cosmos...", that might be us when we have followed Jesus all the way. And I also believe that God is about to give us an opportunity to prove that we are willing to follow Jesus all the way. I believe that he is calling an end to the Age of the First and Second Covenants and is about to give us an opportunity to join the Army of God, led by Jesus, which will fight the final battle of Armageddon which will close this age (Rev 16:15-16/Rev 19:13-16). But this will be Jesus in his incarnation as Warrior King, as opposed to his previous incarnation as Sacrificial Lamb. A very different proposition, so different that we might have trouble in recognizing him at first (Joshua 5:13-15/Rev 19:11-13).
So why would God the Father choose to give us, collectively with Jesus, all power in heaven and earth? To get an idea of what the answer to that question might be, we need to look closely at some bits of information that the Bible gives us, namely:
* The emphasis that is placed upon the resurrection of the body (Romans 6:5-8/Matt 26:29/Mark 14:25/John 20:27).
* The teaching that it is possible to accumulate treasures in heaven (Mark 10:2/Luke 12:33/Luke 18:22).
* The teaching that 'you are gods' (Genesis 3:5/John 10:34-35).
It would also be helpful to look at some of the things that the Biological Sciences have shown us:
* Evolution culminates in animals with consciousness.
* The evolution of Primates shows a movement fro semi-conscious group-mindedness towards the development of individual ego. It is only a being who has a fully developed personal ego who can take responsibility for decisions made with the free will which God has given us. The majority of us do not appear to wish to take much responsibility at all, but it remains true that it is only with a fully developed ego that taking personal responsibility becomes possible.
I must now try to describe what is possibly God's vast plan for Creation, while struggling to both comprehend it myself, and to believe that He has chosen me to put these pieces of information together. It goes, as far as I can see, something like this:
(Part 2 to follow)
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