Chapter 7. 12
Miracles
What’s
the purpose of a miracle?
If
it happens often, is it still a miracle?
First Word
The
mission of the world is to remove the supernatural from the Bible. If this can be done, then Christ was just
another good man who lived a commendable life.
People react to miracles differently, some hear the voice of God, and others just
hear thunder.[1] Some praise God for what they witnessed,
others run and call the cops.[2]
Some hear and understand the spoken word
of God while others hear drunken men speaking gibberish.[3]
Miracles, Wonders, Signs
a) Satan can
produce miracles.
b) Some miracles
are not immediate.
c) They are a sign
that is easily observable.
d) They must be
visible events; this is essential to their purpose.
e) They impress the
beholder with the nature and attributes of God.
f) They exist that
men may believe the Lord, the God of their fathers.
g) They demonstrate
His greatness, power, mercy and miraculous punishment.
h) They are events
in the “outward” world, not “inward” workings of providence and
grace.
Acts
Men of
NIV
Division
of Miracles
Miracles have three distinct divisions
1) POWER OVER NATURE
Water: The Red Sea, The
Jordan, Marah, Merabah, Rephidin, Jericho waters, swimming ax head, Carmel,
stilling the storms, water into wine, walking on water, pool at Bethesda.
Fire: Pillar of
fire, Shenkinah fire, Carmel fire, fiery furnace
Oil: The Widow’s
cruse, oil in vessels.
Sun: Joshua, the
dials of Ahaz and Hezekiah, the last days
Food: Manna, meal in
the barrel, feeding hundreds or thousands.
Natural Elements: Thunder, hail,
rain, floods, earthquakes, withered trees, opened doors.
Animate Realm: Frogs, lice, flies, murrain, locust, ravens,
lions, fish, swine and vipers.
2) POWER OVER SICKNESS AND DISEASE: Boils,
leprosy, poisonous serpents, deadly pottage, withered hands, sickness, fevers,
issue of blood, dropsy, blindness, deafness, dumbness, lameness and
infirmities.
3) POWER OVER DEMONS: The witch at Endor, demoniacs, lunacy,
unclean spirits and even Satan who is on a leash like a dog and cannot go
beyond divine permission.
Categories of Miracles
Miracles were divided into five categories.
1)
Divine: Each person in the Trinity exercised miraculous
power.
2)
Angelic: Delegated
beings to carry out God’s will and work; Gabriel, Michael and others.
3)
Jesus
Christ:
To whom ALL power was given; who prophets foretold as “The Son of Man”.
4)
Prophets: Human Agents; Servants of God performing
miracles as they were delegated; Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Samson, Samuel, Elijah,
Elisha, Isaiah, Peter, Stephen, Philip, Paul Barnabas and other Apostles and
Disciples.
5)
Evil
Agents:
Counterfeit miracles are designed to support false religions. Satan and those he controls have power to do
counterfeit miraculous wonders.
The spirit world is divided into two realms:
1)
Satan
and his demons: The evil spirits not only temp us to sin, but
also makes us suffer from sickness and diseases.[4] So both sin and sickness have a common
demonic origin.
2)
God
and his faithful angels; Christ came to
destroy the works of Satan.[5]
Counterfeit
Miracles
In the Old Testament
we can see the magicians using their secret arts to
produce what seem to be miracles, signs and wonders.[6] Every miracle should be examined to determine
the origin of the work.[7] Does it line up with the Bible? Is it a sign for the unbeliever? What is the
wider implication of the sign?[8]
These wonders are so convincing that even the Christian can be deceived
if that were possible.[9] (So
study the Word)
Genuine miracles
are always “signs” that teach a lesson. Every miracle of God is a part of God’s great
integrated system of revealed truth.
Miracle
Definition
The word Miracle comes from the Latin word “miraculum” meaning a marvelous
event or an event that causes wonder.
They are historical events or natural phenomena which appear to violate natural laws, but point to
the hand of God acting for mankind.
Spoken of as; Signs and Wonders, Display of Power, Distinctively Wonderful, Mighty, Powerful, Marvelous Works, Significant, Extraordinary,
Astonishment, Amazement, Marvelous Things, Strange Thing, Great Thing.
No one term can possible describe all the
significance of a miracle. All the terms
emphasize the exercise of Divine power.
They are visible emblems of what He is and what He came to do. They are a token and indication of the near presence and working of God.
Webster says: An event or action that apparently
contradicts known scientific laws and is hence thought to be due to
supernatural causes, specifically an act of God.
It’s a work
wrought by Divine Power for a Divine Purpose by
means beyond the reach of men.
In the OT, the word SIGN denoted a miracle that pointed to a deeper revelation. The wise men followed a sign in
the sky; a star, a deeper revelation; a king.
A miracle must be above nature; like the
resurrection of Lazarus or outside of nature; like the multiplication of
the loaves of bread which nature can do, but not in the manner that actually
occurred.
To the Christian a
miracle or sign is
a)
An extraordinary event, inexplicable in terms of
ordinary natural forces.
b)
It is an event that causes the observer to
postulate a superhuman personal cause.
c)
It is a sign of
implications much wider than the event itself.
Matthew 2:1-2 –
A miracle, a SIGN, a STAR, a KING
2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold,
there came WISE MEN from the east to
2 Saying, Where is he that is born KING OF THE
JEWS?
For we have seen HIS STAR in the east, and are
come to worship him.
KJV
Ordinary
Works or Activity of God
Miracles are different
from “the Providence of God” who is
the guiding power of the universe; To the Christian this supernatural
guiding is God’s “Ordinary work”. Miracles must be separated from the ordinary
reoccurring works of God such as a sunrise, a shoot from a planted seed or the
birth of a child. For the Christian
there are answers to prayers that certainly show the hand of God in action in
their life, but do not necessarily have a “demonstrative sign” for the unbeliever. However, for the person who no longer in
pain, they certainly feel like their healing is a “miracle”.
Special
Works or Activity of God
Miracles are scattered
though out the Old Testament and especially appear in connection with Moses,
Joshua, Samuel, Elijah and Elisha. The miracles
were the special activity of God showing Him as being in control of guiding history down through the ages; every moment, every
circumstance.
Miracles
are events which dramatically reveal this living, personal nature of God,
active in history not as mere Destiny, but as a Redeemer who saves
and guides
His people. He reveals more and more of
His design for “the
plan of salvation” as the stages of history unfold with each stage
building on the previous. Seldom did God
introduce miracles
into the course of day to day events.
Purpose
of Miracles
There are about 40 “recorded”
references of miracles of Jesus in the NT and many more that were not
written down. Signs, wonders and
Miracles testify of the authority of God and the work of His Son.[10] Sick people gathered in the Temple to have
the Apostles lay hands on them for healing convinced that these “Christians”
were serving God.
The reason miracles, signs and wonders were done was so that we might
believe on Jesus as the son of God and obtain life through His name.[11] The miraculous multiplication of the loaves
and fishes, the calming of the storm, walking on water. These types of miracle stories are actually “epiphanies”
which reveal something about the hidden and more profound character of Jesus.[12]
Most miracles are produced by the “agency” of God through His representative to
confirm and authenticate the message that His representative brings. They are proper proof that the miracle-worker
could claim “he was accepted” by God.
They are mainly wrought for the
sake of the “unbeliever”.
Jesus Himself regarded His miracles as
evidence that He was from God, and was God.[13]
If we do not believe in Miracles, then our faith is dead. The miracle of Christ’s resurrection from the
dead is the HINGE PIN of our FAITH.[14]
A miracle was not only proof of God’s existence, but also testified of
His faithfulness, His saving love and Holy justice, His power, protection,
salvation and glory.[15]
Frequency of Miracles
There were three periods or “Epochs”
of miracles recorded in the Bible.
a)
During the exodus of Israel from Egypt and their
taking of their new land.
b)
During the time of the prophets and they guided
Israel.
c)
During the time of Jesus ministry.
Epoch one: the years of
the exodus,
the miracle of manna from heaven must have seemed quite common place as it occurred every day for 40 years[16]….
But it hasn’t happened since.
Epoch two: the time of
the prophets,
a widow’s jug of oil and jar of flour stayed full day after day during the
prophet’s stay in her home;[17]
this was a daily occurrence of the same miracle.
Epoch three: the time of Jesus,
the laws of gravity was suspended for Peter as he walked on water, dead people
came back to life. We haven’t seen much of that lately.
There is no uniformity of frequency for when miracles occurred or the
quantity of them. There have been long periods of time in scriptures, two,
three, or even four centuries where there were no recorded miracles.[18]
Does God do
“demonstrative miracles” today? Most ministries and Godly servants of God do not
exhibit miracles of God, only the message of His “Miracle of Grace”. There is no
conclusive proof that miracles have actually
taken place since the apostolic times. However,
God may provide a miracle today if He so chooses; we certainly will see many MIRACLES when He returns.
Miracles Have Witness’; the miracles and miraculous works of the
prophets and Jesus were not done in secret, but were done in FULL VIEW
of the witnessing public.[19]
John 18:20 – Teaching were taught openly
20 "I have SPOKEN OPENLY to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in
synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I SAID NOTHING IN SECRET.
NIV
Gifts of the Spirit - A Miracle
On the “Day of Pentecost” God poured out
His Spirit and the believers received the gifts of the Spirit as the Holy
Spirit determined.[20] Each believer had at least one gift and all
the gifts were present in the body of the believers. They were for ministering to the common good
of the church body.[21]
Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge,
Special Faith, Gifts of Healing, Miraculous powers, Discerning of Spirits,
Speaking in Tongues, Interpreting Tongues, Serving, Prophesying, Teaching,
Encouraging, Giving, Leading and Mercy.
NOTE: Gifts of healing is “plural” suggesting that
there are different kinds of healing. I desire and seek the gift of healing cancer
and that of discerning good and evil spirits.
We are told to
desire and seek the best gifts. Even
with that, they cannot be “achieved”,
they are given as the Holy
Spirit wills according to God’s Plan.
Speaking in
Tongues: There is much said today about the USE AND MISUSE of this gift and
was addressed by Paul in his letters to the church.
There is much debate over whether the miracle was an “Unknown”
language spoken that the listener understood or that the Disciples actually
spoke in their “Known”
language and dialect; and another question is, has the gifts ceased.
My BS,
my Belief
System; reading of the scripture indicates
that the listeners heard the Disciples speak to them in their own “known”
language and dialect[22]
which the “scoffers” or unbelievers didn’t understand therefore they thought they
were just drunk.
Prayer
Language: About 30 years ago I found myself while in
prayer uttering words I did not understand; I shared this with my pastor and he
said he also had a prayer language.
Prophecy is a better
gift to study; the Bible word is “Propheteuo” which means “to magnify God;” “To speak of divine things”,
and has nothing to do with foretelling the future, but of witnessing to the
grace of Jesus Christ and magnifying His name.
So when you read about people “prophesizing” they are praising God’s name and
His attributes. Paul wanted everyone to
prophesy.[23]
Miracles
are a SIGN to the pagan,
the unbeliever; they are a “convicting experience”. The miracle of people speaking in tongues are
a SIGN to the
unbeliever.[24]
Can we operate
with miracle spiritual gifts today? YES, as the HOLY SPIRIT determines.
NOTE: Because
we see very little of the gifts displayed, most believe that the gifts ended
with the Apostles. However, I do not
find anywhere in scripture that the gifts were recalled; in fact I find that
they are forever.[25] These gifts were given so that compassionate
believers could minister to others, but it is “as the Spirit willed”. The Gifts of the Spirit will cease when Christ returns.[26]
Sin and Sickness
Sin and sickness go hand in
hand; Jesus had authority over both.
In the four Gospels alone, of the 35 miracles reported, 23 of the
miracles were of healing. The majority
of miracles were acts of mercy and compassion.
Although the healing miracles were an act of the “compassion” of Christ; they were
all a sign
that pointed back to the message of “The Good News”, which was the deeper and wider
implication.[27]
Considering the demon possessed man, the leper
and the resurrection of the
dead, the miracles had a twofold purpose; 1) to show the
authority of Jesus Christ over the “physical” body and 2) His authority over the “Spiritual”
world, which was the deeper and wider implication.
ARGUMENT
– THE CAUSE
It is our knowledge,
or rather perhaps lack of knowledge; our ignorance that makes an event a
miracle. The eclipse of the moon to an
astronomer who knows the cause, believes this is a normal event, but to a
rustic, who does not know the cause believes it to be a miracle.
In a sense, the cause of a miracle is
something done outside the order of the entire created nature. The cause of a miracle is hidden from all
people, and this cause is GOD.
If we can “understand” the cause, then
it’s not a miracle.
The
Miracle of God’s Incarnation
The Bible begins by telling us Jesus was at
the creation of the world[28]
and became flesh and dwelt among us.[29] Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would bear a
son; He would be called Immanuel meaning “God is with us”; He would be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.[30]
The angel Gabriel was sent to Mary, a
virgin to announce to her she would have a child that would be the son of God[31]
and not the son of Joseph.[32] Men in their meanness would ask Jesus “Where is your
father?”[33] Implying
Jesus was a bastard child.
Today men say that Mary was just “self-fertilized”
like a plant louse, like fungus, like an alga, or she was shocked into
conception like some female rabbits have been reported to do. The world today is “hell
bent” on removing the supernatural from the Bible in an effort to nullify our faith.
The Miracle of Regeneration
It is not our knowledge of God that saves us,
nor our actions
toward others, nor our participation in Bible studies, choir,
programs
nor activities
or work
in the community; it’s a changed heart. When it occurs it is an observable phenomenon.[34]
A rat cannot fly like a bird or a turtle outrun a deer, nor a dog plow
like a mule without a “change in their nature”.[35] Therefore it must be understood, that man dead in sin
cannot be alive in Christ unless
there is a “change
in his nature;”[36] he must be born
again.[37]
Jesus Answers the Question – The Good
News Is Now Preached
Why
did Jesus do miracles, signs and wonders?
He
performed miracles with the most unlikely people, the lame, blind, the dumb and
the leper. They were a sign that the Messiah’ kingdom as foretold by the
prophets was now being fulfilled.[38]
Jesus refused to do miracles just to prove
that He was the Son of God. His death was the proof. He did no miracle to benefit Himself or His
disciples when a normal means of provision was available.
He consistently
refused to give a sign from heaven or to work useless and spectacular wonders as many false conjurers of the “secret arts”
were doing.[39] He never did a miracle just to astonish people,
but always to provide aid or give relief to the needy.
The crowds were more interested in the miracles
than the teachings
of Jesus. The working of miracles is
directed to a deepening of men’s understanding of God. You can distinguish from the FALSE miracle by the fact that the TRUE harmonizes with the rest of the
revelation of Christ and with the knowledge of His word that believers possess.
Signs,
wonders and miracles were God’s way of authenticating His apostles. Jesus demanded from His Disciples; faith, trust,
“a decision” and participation in
the signs and miracles.[40]
When Faith was not present, He could do no mighty
work
[1] John 12:28-29 – Some
heard voices others heard thunder
[2] John 11:45-46 – Different
strokes for different folks some praise God others call the cops
[3] Acts 2:13 – Believers
heard a their language, un-believers said they were drunk
[4] Acts 10:38 – Sickness is
from Satan
[5] 1 John 3:8 – Christ came
to destroy sin, sickness and diseases.
[6] 2 Thessalonians 2:9 –
Counterfeit miracles
[7] Revelation 13:14-16 –
Satan gives men power to his workers deceive -- Exodus 7:11 – The secret arts are given by Satan -- Exodus 8:6-7 –
Magicians use sleight of hand and secret arts
[8] Revelation 16:14 –
Demonic spirits perform miraculous signs
[9] Matthew 24:24 – False
prophets and workers will produce miracles so great so as to deceive even the
elect-if that were possible
[10] John 20:30-31 – The
purpose of miracles was so that they might believe in the One God of Israel
[11] Hebrews 2:3-4 – Signs,
wonders and miracles point to His “salvation
[12] Acts 5:12 – Apostles
performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the believers; Christians
were doing the work of God
[13] John 14:23-24 – Jesus
said my words are from God
[14] 1 Corenthians 15:17-19 –
The hinge pin of our Faith; No resurrection, we are lost -- 1 Corenthians 15:13
– No resurrection miracle; then Christ is not raised -- John 11:25-26 – Christ
is the miracle of the resurrection.
Acts
5:12 – Apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the
believers; Christians were doing the work of God
[15] John 5:36 – The miracles
testify that God has sent the son -- John 10:36-39 – Believe the miracles; know
and understand the Father is in me
[16] Exodus 16:4 – The Miracle
of Bread every day for 40 years -- Luke
4:25-27 – Miracles follow no pattern of time from years apart to everyday for
40 years
[17] 1 Kings 17:15-16 - Jar of
oil and Jar of flour stayed full as long as the Prophet Elijah stayed with the
woman and her family
[18] Luke 4:25-27 – Miracles
follow no pattern of time from years apart to everyday for 40 years
[19] Acts 26:26 – The miracles
were not done in secret
[20] 1 Corenthians 12:11 – The
Gifts are given as the Spirit determines.
[21] 1 Corenthians 12:4-11 –
Many kinds of gifts, many kinds of service, ,many kinds of working,
but same Spirit, same Lord, same God;
message of wisdom, message of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers,
prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.--
Romans 12:3-8 – Here are some more gifts; prophesying, serving, teaching,
encouraging, contributing, leadership, and mercy.
[22]
Acts 2:1-13 –
Speaking in Tongues – Believers heard in their own language and dialect
[23] 1 Corenthians 14:1 –
Desire the gift of prophecy -- 1 Corenthians
14:39 – Be eager to prophesy -- 1
Corenthians 14:1-2 – Eagerly desire the gifts especially the gift of prophecy -- 1 Corenthians 12:31 – Be eager to
desire the greater gifts; prophecy, the forth
telling the attributes of God
[24] 1 Corenthians 14:22 – The miracle gift of Tongues are a SIGN not for
believers, but for un- believers
[25] Romans 11:29 – The gifts
and calling of God are irrevocable
[26] 1 Corenthians 13:8-10 – When Jesus returns the gifts will cease
[27] Matthew 9:2-8 - Sin and
sickness go hand in hand; sins forgiven, body healed
[28] John 1:1-2 – Jesus was in
the beginning
[29] John 1:14 – He became
flesh and dwelt among us.
[30] Isaiah 7:13-14 – Prophecy
– A virgin shall give birth to a son; Immanuel
-- Isaiah 9:6 – The names of Jesus; Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
[31] Galatians 4:4-5 – God
sent Jesus to redeem us.
[32] Luke 1:31-33 – You are
going to give birth to the Son of God -- Luke 1:35 – The Holy Spirit will come
upon you Mary
[33] John 8:19 – Hey Jesus; who’s your daddy?
[34] 2 Corenthians 5:17 - You
become a new creation in Jesus Christ
[35] John 3:5-7 – You are born
of flesh not of the Spirit
[36] Acts 4:12 – Jesus is the
Way; there is no other way -- John 11:25-26 – Jesus is life, whoever lives and
believes in me will never die.
[37] John 3:12-13 – How can
you believe spiritual things if you don’t understand physical things?
[38] Isaiah 35:5-6 – Isaiah’
prophecy; the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf
unstopped. -- Matthew 11:4-5 – The blind
receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor -- Isaiah 61:1 – Preach the good news to the poor.
Mark 6:5-6 – Jesus was
amazed at the lack of FAITH
and could do few miracles
[39] Matthew 12:38-40 – We
want a sign - NOPE
-- Luke 11:29-30 – A wicked generation requires a miraculous SIGN.
[40] Matthew 9:2 – Jesus
required Faith in order to receive from Him -- Matthew 17:20 – He required
their participation in FAITH
-- Matthew 9:33-34 – Jesus required a DECISION
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