Your comments show your desperate attempt to prove your theory.
I don't have a theory; I have facts. The facts of the Bible are the facts that I choose to believe. You have chosen to believe something novel; something that grew out of paganism 100 years ago, and before that time was unheard of except in pagan religions and in cults. You have disregarded 1900 years of Christianity. I believe the Bible; you believe in experiences, emotionalism, and novelties.
You have to have a sign to believe....faith is believing the Word before you see it.
You are wrong on both counts.
I certainly don't need a sign to believe you. I don't need to believe you.
And you are the one that advocates signs and wonders and their availability to others, even though you can't perform one yourself.
That is inspite of what the Bible says. Jesus said:
An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.
You definition of faith is a definition for "fate," not "faith."
It is the Islamic belief, "Kismet." If a Muslim young man straps a bomb on himself and blows himself up in the name of Allah he believes "by blind faith" that he will go to paradise (things unseen). That is fate. It is an Islamic belief and your definition of faith is no different.
Faith is confidence in the word of another, and in this case confidence in God, and His word.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The more you hear the word of God, the more confidence you will have in God and his promises. The more you spend time with him the more you will get to know him. Faith is not blind. It is not fate. It is not a magical toy.
Abraham defines faith:
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being
fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
--Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised, God would do. That is faith. It is confidence or trust in God.
Not all are called to miracles! I have mentioned only a few gifts that have manifested in my life. But this forum is not about me..it is about His Word. So Prophecy has not ceased and no one has shown where it has.
Not all are called.... But you said all gifts are available but you give no indication that you have any of them. You tell others of the great and mighty things they can do, and then sit back and simply tell them (somewhat hypocritically) that God hasn't "called" you to do those things. Has he called you to witness to anyone?
You have mentioned a few gifts, but you redefine them, defining them in your terms rather then what the Bible says. We might as well redefine salvation if we are to keep going down that route. And, this forum is about you. As long as you keep putting stuff up here, you be prepared to defend it. Do you think you can come along and post all this nonsense and then sit back and say: "It is not about me." It most certainly is!! You put it there. You said it. You defend it: personal or not.
I am not the one that is desperate. You deliberately change the meanings of theological terms to make them fit into your mode of thinking; your religion. There is a name for that. It is called neo-orthodoxy. It is taking the traditional orthodox terminology of the Bible and giving them new meanings. Liberal theologians did it, and then cults like the SDA.
No, I am at peace with what the Holy Spirit has shed light to in His Word. Maybe if you would quit attacking my walk with God and stick to defending what you believe with scriptures we will get somewhere...otherwise this back and forth stuff is getting boring!
The Holy Spirit does not lead people to change the meanings of words in the Bible. He put them there for a reason. You have done this with John of Japan and with Biblicist. They give you authoritative sources, accurate definitions, reliable explanations, and you reject it all, and all on the basis of your own authority. You have become your own authority against all these others. The Holy Spirit doesn't work that way.
Everything I have experienced is backed up with scriptures! So lets stick to scriptures!
You don't use the Scripture. I challenge you to use the Scripture. I have been asking you, for example, to give a solid, logical and Scriptural defense for a private prayer language. You don't want to do that. You would rather stick to your experience rather than the Bible. "It is true because I do it, not because the Bible says it."