I asked ChatGPT to "compose a sermon on divine healing from the perspective of a Calvinist and charismatic Christian"

 

I asked artificial intelligence ChatGPT to "compose a sermon on divine  healing from the perspective of a Calvinist and charismatic Christian." ChatGPT composed a pretty good sermon.

ChatGPT wrote: 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, we come together to discuss the topic of divine healing, a subject that has been widely debated in the Christian community. As both a Calvinist and a charismatic Christian, I believe that divine healing is a gift from God that is available to us through faith and prayer.

Firstly, as a Calvinist, I believe that God is sovereign and in control of all things, including sickness and healing. This means that ultimately, it is God who chooses whether or not to heal someone. However, this does not mean that we should not pray for healing or that God does not desire to heal us. In fact, we are commanded to pray for one another and to ask for healing (James 5:14-16).

Secondly, as a charismatic Christian, I believe that the Holy Spirit is still active in the world today and continues to perform miracles, including divine healing. I believe that God can and does heal people through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that this is something that we should actively seek and pray for.

So, what does this mean for us in terms of divine healing? As Calvinists, we must recognize that ultimately, God is in control of our health and well-being. We must trust in His sovereignty and His plan for our lives, even if that plan involves suffering or illness. At the same time, as charismatic Christians, we must also believe in the power of prayer and the possibility of divine healing. We should pray for healing for ourselves and for others, and we should have faith that God can and will heal us if it is His will.

It is important to note, however, that divine healing is not a guarantee, and we should not place our faith in healing alone. We must remember that our ultimate hope and salvation is found in Jesus Christ, not in our physical health. Even if we are not physically healed, we can still find peace, comfort, and hope in Christ, knowing that He is with us always and that He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

In conclusion, as both Calvinists and charismatic Christians, we must hold onto both the sovereignty of God and the power of prayer and faith in regards to divine healing. Let us pray for healing for ourselves and for others, but also trust in God's plan for our lives and find our ultimate hope and peace in Christ.

May God bless us and keep us always in His love and care.

Amen.

Listen to the sermon as read by a text-to-speech program

View on Vocaroo >>

The Chapel Service That Launched the "Asbury Revival" (2/8/2023)

 

The chapel service that launched the "Asbury Revival" (2/8/2023). As of the time of the posting of this blog, talk about the alleged revival is all over the internet by 1. those endorsing it, 2. criticizing it and 3. who are taking a wait and see approach.

The Chapel Service that Launched the Asbury Revival 2023

https://youtu.be/VGvvGbgUmMU

See also Gavin Ortlund's video:

Revival at Asbury? A Theological Reflection
https://youtu.be/MwF-d4ghKVA

A Catholic Asks Whether Protestants Have "Saints" Who Have Had Miracles

 

Here's what a Catholic asked on facebook:

Do Protestant folks have any history of Saints with documented miracles surrounding them? Any particular holy people that they look to in imitation of following Christ? I’m sure there are probably many popular authors and preachers who’s words have lasted ages but are there sort of role models similar to how Catholic and Orthodox have the Saints as example to living a holy life?

Here's my quick answer:

I'm an Evangelical generally, but specifically a Calvinist soteriologically, Baptist sacramentally, and a Continuationist/charismatic pneumatologically. As someone else said, we Protestants don't (or at least shouldn't) place our leaders on a pedestal as "[super] saints." Nevertheless, a number of Protestants have operated in the supernatural. I'll list some below. I'll generally be going from the least controversial among Protestants to the most controversial (i.e. Pentecostal and Charismatic). Just because I list someone doesn't mean I endorse all of their theology (including their theology of the supernatural).

Charles Spurgeon (a Calvinist) is well respected among virtually all Evangelicals whether, Calvinist, non-Calvinist cessationist or continuationists. He seemed to have operated in the supernatural (words of knowledge, healing etc.). See my blogpost here:

Charles Haddon Spurgeon Operated in the Supernatural
https://charismatamatters.blogspot.com/2023/02/charles-haddon-spurgeon-operated-in.html

John Knox: https://calvinistcorner.com/john-knox.htm

Robert Fleming: https://calvinistcorner.com/robert-fleming.htm

George Wishart: https://calvinistcorner.com/george-wishart.htm

Andrew Murray was a Dutch Calvinist who is well known for his books on prayer and abiding in Christ. Many of his books are freely online. Murray had a ministry of healing the sick. See his book Divine Healing freely available on various websites like here:

TEXT VERSION: http://hopefaithprayer.com/books/Divine%20Healing%20-%20Andrew%20Murray.pdf

AUDIO VERSION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBE-JRCpc3c

The above are all Calvinists

George Muller is well known as being someone who got supernatural answers in prayer from God. Whether in receiving provision for the orphans he took care of, or in divine healing of people's bodies, or even miracles of weather (i.e. nature miracles). 

See this recounting of a nature miracle in answer to Muller's prayer here: https://www.ronrhodes.org/the-eye-of-faith

There's the well known example of Muller believing God would provide breakfast for his orphans when his supplied just ran out. The above link also recounts the story of the miracle.

See Piper's "George Mueller's Strategy for Showing God"
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/george-muellers-strategy-for-showing-god

Later in life Muller became a "Calvinist" of sorts. See Piper's article here:
 https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-taste-of-mueller-and-his-god

Non-Calvinists:

A.B. Simpson (1843-1919), the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance had a healing ministry. See his books.

1. The Gospel of Healing: https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/books/the-gospel-of-healing.pdf

2. The Lord for the Body: https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/books/the-lord-for-the-body.pdf

R. A. Torrey (1856-1928) 2nd president of the Moody Bible Institute 

"Divine Healing - Does God Perform Miracles Today?" freely online here:
https://charismatamatters.blogspot.com/2013/10/divine-healing-does-god-perform.html

Controversial Pentecostals and Charismatics:

Smith Wigglesworth is one of the most well known Pentecostal preachers who performed miracles. There's lots of stuff about him on the web. There are numerous biographies of him too. Excerpts from his sermons can be found here: https://smithwigglesworth.blogspot.com/

John G. Lake also had a famous healing ministry. It's continued by Curry Blake at the John G. Lake Ministries: www.jglm.org

Charles S. Price had a healing ministry. Here's a link to his book "The Real Faith" which I posted on my blog here:

https://charismatamatters.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-real-faith-by-charles-s-price_6338.html

Lilian B. Yeomans was a medical doctor who ended up having a healing ministry. Four of her books have been collected in the book "His Healing Power" (also titled, "Healing Treasury") available at Amazon.com. 

Here's a short biography of Yeomans: https://healingandrevival.com/BioLYeomans.htm

I could mention many more in the past. When it comes to the present day. There are a number who I believe operate in the supernatural. I'll just mention a few.

For example Ken Fish. He's been interviewed on the Eric Metaxas show multiple times. 

My favorite living/alive divine healing minister is Roger Sapp. 

Here's Roger Sapp YouTube Divine Healing lectures Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyDsjUp0kUk&list=PLk66CkacB5wQTLNLKlkZVoLGjkztMMF-f

Here's my blogpost linking to more Sapp materials: https://charismatamatters.blogspot.com/2014/07/roger-sapp-materials.html

Vincent Cheung is controversial Calvinist and Charismatic. Some would label him a Hyper-Calvinist and Hyper-Charismatic. I think he's too harsh on cessationists. I have a number problems with his theology which I describe in my following blogpost which also includes links to recommended materials by him:

https://charismatamatters.blogspot.com/search/label/Vincent%20Cheung

Charles Haddon Spurgeon Operated in the Supernatural

The Healing Ministry of Charles Spurgeon
https://youtu.be/hysJxAdOCnM

The following is mostly taken from my blogpost HERE

Charles H. Spurgeon (1834 - 1892), considered by many to be the greatest preacher of the 19th century, was officially a cessationist. Yet he testified to experiences which, if true, are best explained as examples of the supernatural. Here are some quotes.
 

Many times the preacher [i.e. Spurgeon] has been guided to say things that seemed almost uncanny in their applicability. He once said that there was a man in the gallery listening to him with a gin bottle in his pocket. It so happened that there was such a man, and he was startled into conversion. A woman of the city who had determined on suicide came in with the crowd to hear a last message that might prepare her to die. The text "Seest thou this woman?" arrested her. The discourse changed her heart, and she confessed Christ as her Saviour.

There was a man who regularly attended the tabernacle whose wife consistently refused to accompany him. But one evening, when her husband had gone to the service, her curiosity overcame her obstinacy. That she might not be recognised she put on some very plain things and, quite sure that she would be unknown, pushed her way in with the crowd. The text that evening was "Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another?" The result was that her prejudices were overcome and she began to attend with her husband. He told Mr. Spurgeon about it, his only complaint being that the preacher should compare him to Jeroboam.

A man was won for Christ because the preacher pointed to him and said, "There is a man sitting there who is a shoemaker; he keeps his shop open on Sundays; it was open last Sabbath morning. He took ninepence and there was fourpence profit on it; his soul is sold to Satan for fourpence." The man was afraid to go and hear Spurgeon again for fear he might tell the people more about him, for what he said at first was all true. But at last he came, and the Lord met with him.

One Sunday evening Mr. Spurgeon, pointing to the gallery, said, "Young man, the gloves you have in your pocket are not paid for." After the service a young fellow came beseeching him not to say anything more about it, and the circumstances led to his conversion. [bold added by me]

This quotation is from chapter 13 of W. Y. Fullerton's biography of Spurgeon which can be freely accessed HERE

Another version of some of these testimonies by Spurgeon himself:

While preaching in the hall, on one occasion, I deliberately pointed to a man in the midst of the crowd, and said, "There is a man sitting there, who is a shoemaker; he keeps his shop open on Sundays, it was open last Sabbath morning, he took ninepence, and there was fourpence profit out of it; his soul is sold to Satan for fourpence!" A city missionary, when going his rounds, met with this man, and seeing that he was reading one of my sermons, he asked the question, "Do you know Mr. Spurgeon?" "Yes," replied the man, "I have every reason to know him, I have been to hear him; and, under his preaching, by God's grace I have become a new creature in Christ Jesus. Shall I tell you how it happened? I went to the Music Hall, and took my seat in the middle of the place; Mr. Spurgeon looked at me as if he knew me, and in his sermon he pointed to me, and told the congregation that I was a shoemaker, and that I kept my shop open on Sundays; and I did, sir. I should not have minded that; but he also said that I took ninepence the Sunday before, and that there was fourpence profit out of it. I did take ninepence that day, and fourpence was just the profit; but how he should know that, I could not tell. Then it struck me that it was God who had spoken to my soul through him, so I shut up my shop the next Sunday. At first, I was afraid to go again to hear him, lest he should tell the people more about me; but afterwards I went, and the Lord met with me, and saved my soul."

Spurgeon then added this comment:

I could tell as many as a dozen similar cases in which I pointed at somebody in the hall without having the slightest knowledge of the person, or any idea that what I said was right, except that I believed I was moved by the Spirit to say it; and so striking has been my description, that the persons have gone away, and said to their friends, "Come, see a man that told me all things that ever I did [Spurgeon is alluding to John 4:29 where Christ supernaturally knows the hidden secrets of "the woman at the well"]; beyond a doubt, he must have been sent of God to my soul, or else he could not have described me so exactly." And not only so, but I have known many instances in which the thoughts of men have been revealed from the pulpit. I have sometimes seen persons nudge their neighbours with their elbow, because they had got a smart hit, and they have been heard to say, when they were going out, "The preacher told us just what we said to one another when we went in at the door."

The Autobiography of Charles H. Spurgeon, vol. 2 (Curts & Jennings, 1899), 226-27 [as taken from the book The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms]