XPost: alt.christnet.christianlife, alt.bible, alt.christnet.christnews   
   XPost: alt.religion.christian.east-orthodox, alt.religion.christ   
   an.roman-catholic   
   From: .robert@mu.way   
      
   “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto   
   you.” (Mat 9:29)   
      
   Key word here is *according*.   
      
   According to what? Their faith. AKA their belief.   
      
   The Jews were taught to believe but not all did.   
      
   They were taught that when the Messiah came that healings would be one of   
   this signs. Miraculous and mass healings. (Not related to the RCC Mass) That   
   this happens there can be no denial of it as it is recorded in history and   
   scripture,   
      
   That many did not receive healings and some towns or cities that were Jewish   
   ran him out of town and denied Him to do the works of his Heavenly Father is   
   also true, even when he was able to do a few works there, they would run   
   those that were healed out of town.   
      
   Yes, the Jews believed that God was real yet many followed God religiously   
   and not from their hearts as their hearts were far from Him. Just recall the   
   Pharisee’s who being to most religious of all, especially Saul who became   
   Paul was the head of them all. Jesus called them the sons of the god of this   
   world, the evil one.   
      
   Thus showing the hearts of fleshly men then are the same as the men of today   
   no matter their religiosity.   
      
   These religious men like those of today bend their ears to the hearing of the   
   flesh and dwell in doubt and uncertainty. Not like the Blind Beggars who,   
   dwelling humbly, were full of faith, and having nothing to lose and much to   
   gain, asked the Son of David that he would give them eyesight.   
      
   Those who dwelled in the cessation of the gifts and mercy at that time,   
   received nothing of Gods will for them, just like the religious men of today.   
   So cessationists of today receive and have the same ability today as did the   
   men of Old.   
      
   Here is a translation of that verse that may open your eyes to see.   
      
   “Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith and trust and   
   reliance [on the power invested in Me] be it done to you;” (Mat 9:29)   
      
   You see? Jesus was in agreement with them, thus they received their   
   miracle/healings.   
      
   Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever is of the same mindset, to do   
   the will of His Heavenly Father. What you believe is what you can receive.   
      
   Even the heathen believe that prophetic word in that they will often   
   acknowledge that the negative words of men, when such disasters befall them,   
   they call it a ’self-fulfilling” prophecy.   
      
   --   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)