Buddhist meditate simply because that's what they are taught through there belief system. Just like we, Christians, practice what we do which is, or should be, going through out the world making disciples.
Ah, but wait, that's the great commission. During that, Jesus told the disciples to go through out the world, making disciples.... teaching them everything that I have taught you.
Jesus taught the disciple's about the miracles, signs and wonders. So if to what you have previously said, that they do not exist, then why did Jesus tell them to teach them? To that theology, it makes no since to teach something that will not exist in the future.
To your statement about Satan can give experiences, here are some of mine:
, a few years ago, I was diagnoised with suffluxation of the back, where the alignment of the back is all out of whack. Some of the disk, bones, and joints, where in terrible condition, or at least that's what the charopractor said after looking at the test results. He also told me, that some of the nerve endings where in so bad of shape, and in very critical areas, that one move could severe the endings, and cut them off to my lungs and my heart, with the ending results would be death. He started to adjust my back, and scheduled me to come in every week for following adjustments. That next Sunday, at church, I had some people lay hands on me, and pray for healing. Immidiately I felt warmth cover my back, and I knew that I had been healed.
The following Tuesday, was my next appointment. I had The charopractor do another test, when the results where in, every bone, joint, legament, disk, everything in my back, where restored to 100%! He could not believe it. In just one week, I went from walking on the edge of death, to being healed.
Some more expiriences: While I was in Iquitos, Peru during the summer of 2004, others and myself had the oppertunity to pray for this 64 year old man who came to us and asked for prayer. Well he didn't himself ask, he's wife asked for him, cause he was born dumb, couldn't speak. He never made a sound in his 64 years of life. As we prayed for this man, he started weezing, then making really high pitch sounds out of his mouth. These sounds eventually turned into words, words of rejoicing, words of praise, words of love to the one who had healed him, Jesus Christ. He repeatidly said, "My God, My God, I can speak because of the healing power of Jesus Christ."
Another expeirience was in Lima Peru that same mission trip, A great friend of mine, Lauren, and myself prayed for a lady that had come forward in a wheelchair at a church service for prayer. She was pushed up to the alter by her sister. They told us she had a tumor on her back for 5 or 6 years, and she has not been able to walk because of it. She also had cancer of the uterus. After Lauren and I prayed, I asked the lady in the wheelchair, if she felt she could stand, she said she will try. I held out my hands for her to grab hold of, as she stood. She did. Then I told her lets go for a walk. Her walking led into running, her running led to jumping and squating. She even climbed the stairs to the stage to the pulpit to give her testimony of how Jesus had healed her.
Now that sounds like a few miracles, correct. But you might be asking the same question that the Religious leaders back in the days Jesus walked the earth. Which was Satan is healing what he has done, of something to that affect. Jesus simply responded, Why would Satan cast demons out?
Why would God give something to one group of people and not everyone?
Here's the thing, it is said in the bible, that the Gift of the Holy Spirit is for anyone who asks for it. It is for all who desire to have it, but not all will cause they simply do not ask, nor want it.
If you will look in the Bible, you will find no evidence that can hold up to the rest of the scriptures in the Bible that supports the tongues theory. I guarentee it!
My question: you said, "You will find no evidence that can hole up
to the rest of the scriptures in the bible.... Are you saying that the bible contradicts itself, by saying one part of it says this, then it says that it's not?
True, Jesus never spoke in tongues, or it wasn't mentioned in the scriptures. Also, Jesus told the Disciples that He will send the Comforter soon. But there were accounts of being filled with the Holy Spirit before Jesus walked on the earth. Just take a look at John the Baptist. In Matthew, it says that when Mary hugged her cousin Elisabeth, the baby inside jumped, and was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Also, yes Tongues are to be interpreted, for the edification of the believers. Why do we not just know what is being said? I don't know. Something I can't explain, just like allot of things in the bible, that cannot be explained by man.
Now if you look in the bible it talks about 4 different types of tounges. They are I do believe, prayer, worship, prophetic, and ministry. The one that has to have the interpretation is the prophetic, for that is for the edification of the Believers. Prayer is just between the person and God. I have prayed in the spirit several times to God, in private and around others. I did not know what I was saying, but when I did ask God for the interpretation just for me, as I continued praying, and it came forth, it was exactly what I needed. How many times have you prayed, and it seems like you do not know what to pray, or it seems like you are praying the same thing that it sounds like you are a broken record? It happens.
Sorry for the long reply.
