Half-way through reading a book titled "The Heavenly Man" about a Chinese christian who suffered horrific and extended torture, many times to the brink of death. I am struck by the way the miraculous becomes part of everyday life in these circumstances. Dreams, visions, superhuman endurance, impossible escapes, etc. are all reported and in the circumstances are perfectly believable.
I know many people who long for the 'effects' but is there a price to pay? Is it all the wrong way round? I don't know anyone who longs to be imprisoned, beaten up, electrocuted and starved.
Why do we want such things? Is it to bolster our faith? Is it that fragile?
What of those who stand on a platform in their expensive suits, transported by their limousines and supported by their huge bank accounts,proclaiming to the faithful that such prosperity is their God-given right? The miraculous is their stock-in-trade to prove the validity of their ministry.
And so God weeps for His people.