It’s a Miracle

(1 Cor 12:10 NLT)  He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

Is the time of miracles over?  Was it just for the first church apostles? Does God still miracles through His church today?   All of these questions have been asked by many and there have been various answers to these questions.  There are many who would have us to believe that miracles were only performed by the twelve apostles and are no longer a part of the church.  I have also heard a well known national preacher say that miracles are no longer needed today.  There are whole books written debunking modern miracles and ministries that proclaim them.  I can not speak for all the others or try to pass onto you the ideal that I am an expert, but desire to share what I feel and have experienced.

Personally, I can not say I have had any miracles done through me, yet I believe God still works miracles in and through His church.  In past post I have mentioned how I grew up in church.  In all the years of growing up I have been exposed to what I feel are real miracles.  I have seen and been close to some who have received a miracle.  I myself am a living testimony to a miracle.  Let me start with my own story.

I can not 100% prove my story, but I am sure there may be some kind of medical record somewhere.  I do however have the record of my parent’s testimony and I am here alive today.  It was when I was born in Schuyler, Nebraska, February 26 1959.  I was born with a blood condition called hemolytic disease and the doctors told my parents I was not going to survive without a blood transfusion. My parents were both young in the Christian faith, and struggling in their marriage.  I was a child of promise to my mother and the first son.  When the doctors told my father what was needed or my chance of survival was not good, he knew to do only one thing, pray.  After a time I think it was a day or two they noticed improvement and checked my blood again.  My blood type was changed, there was no blood transfusion and the doctors could not explain how my blood had changed.  I went home with my parents a healthy baby. I am a living miracle.  Either for some reason my parents concocted this bizarre story or you have come to late to tell me God does not do miracles. God is still in the miracle business.  

During my lifetime because of my parents and churches I have been in, I have born witness to what I would call miracles. So, what makes a miracle? Webster says: 1: an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs 2: an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment 3 Christian Science : a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law  The creek word used in the New Testament is dunamis, doo'-nam-is; force (lit. or fig.); spec. miraculous power (usually by impl. a miracle itself):--ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. Notice the Webster definition, a divine intervention in human affairs.  Then look at the word used in the Bible and its wide range of use of the word. I think it could just be summed up to say dunamis is God’s power at work through humans.  According to first Corinthians twelve it is God’s gift of holy spirit manifesting in human nature, not God just showing up and showing His power.  Everything God does in this age is through His church which is though us believers.  So if I can say this, miracles happen when someone is obedient and allows God to work through them.

This wide range word dunumis is used in many ways in the Bible so let me share a few.

 (Mat 6:13 NKJV)  And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

(Mat 11:21 NRSV)  "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

(Acts 1:8 NRSV)  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I want to point out here that there were many more than the twelve that Jesus spoke to upon leaving this earth.  This promise of power is a part of the gift of holy spirit to help evangelize with the kingdom message.  I guess my question is this. If there is a need for evangelism still today with the kingdom message, then should there not be a need for the gift of holy spirit and power to be still at work?

(Rom 15:19 NRSV)  by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ.

(1 Cor 2:4 NRSV)  My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

(1 Cor 4:20 NRSV)  For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power.

We should take notice of Paul’s words.  I feel he makes it very clear that the message of God’s kingdom depends on a show of God’s spirit manifesting in the church with power. Yes, we can say it does not happen with everyone all the time.  You can take a journey through the whole Bible and see that.  Like myself, I will say that I have not had a miracle happen by my hands or actions that I am aware of.  Yet, I still believe God is at work and still working His power through His church. Like a well known preacher used to say “expect a miracle today”.  If you refuse to believe and obey God and you never expect God to work in you then guess what, you won’t be disappointed, but that does not prove God is not doing miracles through others.

The main thing we all must remember it is God’s gift to the church and to all those who belong in His church.  It is God that is manifesting not the ability of man.  Yes, there are those who have exploited God’s gift and preyed on spiritually blind people. It is time that the true church and believers arise and claim full heartily what belongs to all those who are born again.  God gave you the gift of holy spirit and as he chooses wants to manifest His power through you, to help you proclaim the kingdom message.  Let’s share more of God’s word on this subject.

(Acts 2:22 NRSV)  "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—

(Acts 8:6 NRSV)  The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did,

Today, there are those who say that this power was given only to the twelve apostles and died with them. Yet, we see God work through people in the Old Testament.  Then we see Jesus make a declaration in Mark 9.39 about a person who was performing miracles outside of Jesus’ group.  Notice, Jesus did not try to stop this person and say this person could not do what he was doing because he was not one of the chosen twelve.  Philip in Acts eight was not one of the twelve, but one of the chosen deacons in Acts six. Then all through human history and church history God keeps showing up by manifesting His power through human vessels.

 (Acts 15:12 NRSV)  The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.

(Acts 19:11 NRSV)  God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,

(1 Cor 12:28 NRSV)  And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.

(Gal 3:5 NRSV)  Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?

It looks like the Galatians had spiritual manifestations as well as the Corinthians.

 (Heb 2:4 NRSV)  while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will.

There are many more scriptures I could add but time and space will not allow.  I grew up seeing miracles and sitting at the feet of many great men and women of God as they shared their stories of God’s miraculous power at work through God’s church. I am not talking about well known televangelist or pastors.  I am talking about old praying mothers and faithful men who expected God to show up and do a work that no man could do.  The stories of how God worked through ordinary men and women of faith for raising the dead to miraculous power.  I have read the stories of men and women who put their very lives on the line in dangerous mission fields, and seen God at work through them for the miraculous. Close to my life, I remember the time when I was a young child; our family had no money and no food.  Dad went to a place in the church to pray and came out with a new twenty dollar bill, he said as he prayed it floated down in front of him. There was no one there but him. 

You see we have a whole world out there that needs the truth about God’s kingdom, and to know God is still who He says He is.  They need to see God loves them and cares about their needs and wants to show His power to heal and set them free.  In my own words saying what Paul said, “talk is cheap we need a manifestation of God’s power and goodness through His children who declare His kingdom message.”