Cessationism is the belief, once common among evangelical Christians, that what the apostle Paul called charismata — e.g., prophecy, tongues, gifts of healing — no longer operate in the Church today. B.B. Warfield was a well-known advocate of cessationism in … Continue reading The Kingdom Case Against Cessationism | Book Review
“Many people simply take it for granted that miracles don’t happen,” writes Craig Keener. But is that assumption true? Or is it the case that God performs miracles in the modern world? In Miracles Today, Keener answers those questions by describing … Continue reading An Empirical Case for Miracles | Influence Podcast
No one denies that the Bible contains accounts of miracles. Furthermore, no one denies that people claim to experience or witness miracles even today. The question is whether putative miracles are supernatural works of God or merely anomalies that await … Continue reading Miracles Today | Book Review
Readers of a certain age remember Kathryn Kuhlman (1907–1976). She was “the miracle lady,” whose catchphrase, “I believe in miracles because I believe in God,” inspired millions to seek faith in Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements even described her as the “world’s most widely known female evangelist.” Younger readers are likely unfamiliar with Kuhlman, however. Her miracle services, radio ministry, and syndicated television show, though well attended and widely consumed in her day, lost influence after her death. This decline was not unexpected. The ministries of … Continue reading The Miracle Lady | Book Review
On Pentecost Sunday evening, 1981, a young woman walked down the aisle of Wheaton Wesleyan Church in Wheaton, Illinois. Church attendance wasn’t uncommon in that city, which housed the headquarters of many evangelical institutions, including Wheaton College. And yet, this young woman’s steps elicited gasps from those in attendance. Why? Because Barbara — that was the young woman’s name — had been diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis 16 years earlier. She hadn’t been able to walk for seven years. Indeed, at that point, the progression of her illness was so severe that she was in hospice care at her home, … Continue reading The Case for Miracles | Book Review
Easter is a few days away. Around the world, Christians will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This event, so pivotal to Christian faith, is a reminder that Christianity is an inherently supernatural religion. Unfortunately, in the modern era, many disbelieve in miracles, their skepticism fueled by appeals to science. So, the question naturally arises, do miracles really happen? To answer that question, I interviewed Lee Strobel about his new book, The Case for Miracles. Strobel began his career as the award-winning legal editor for The Chicago Tribune. After his conversion from atheism to Christianity, however, he turned his attention to … Continue reading Do Miracles Really Happen? | Influence Podcast
In the course of my life, I have heard thousands of sermons, and I myself have preached a considerable amount. Some of these sermons–mine and others–have been excellent. Some of them have been unmemorable. And some of them–to be quite frank–deserve to be forgotten. Yet each week, I go to church to listen (on rarer occasions, now, to speak) and expect that God will say something to me through the preaching of his word. Why? In 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, Paul, Silas, and Timothy provide an answer: “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, … Continue reading The Spirit, Preaching, and Listening (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)
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