Miracles – for real or just for the reel?

Not long ago we had a movie released here which portrayed miracles and healings as completely scripted and fake, everything was just showbiz and a means to make a fortune for some.It’s a sad reality that such tricksters and frauds do exist and try to deceive many people with their counterfeit miracles.

It is hence, also true that some people take the name of the Lord in vain for their own benefit.But, this is not something new that it should surprise us.Throughout the Bible, we see such people and Jesus warns us ahead of time against them.

Mathew 24:24 – For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Acts 8:20 – Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

1 John 4:1 – Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 – The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.

we see that such false teachers, sorcerers, wizards, witches and magicians were there even during that time, trying to mislead the people.God alone is Omnipotent – almighty and able to do all things beyond what any “gods” of this world can duplicate.

We need to be aware of the means by which the miracle happens and not blinded by the result. The end result does not justify the means, but the means should justify itself.

Let us be wise and discern such people and not fall into any such deception. 1John 4:1-3, James 1:5

So, having said the above, we come to some basic questions:

1. Are miracles for real or just hyped up stories that are hollow inside?
2. Are they the most important factor of the Christian faith and all that it comes down to?
3. Can we conclude about a local church solely based on the healings and miracles that happen there?

The answer would have to be – not really!
There is much more to the church of God than just miracles. Miracles are God’s witness to His word. They do not replace the word nor do they subsume the word. Signs and wonders are not the power of God unto salvation, but they testify to salvation.
The word of God is what brings salvation as stated clearly by Paul.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Romans 1:16

So, if a church is all about miracles without proper teaching from the word, then something is wrong there and needs to be checked.
Kathryn Kuhlman was an American evangelist known for hosting healing services. She said that the biggest miracle that she had witnessed was this – “the salvation of a soul”. When a sinner realizes the need for a savior and accepts Jesus into his life and believes that God has forgiven his sins, a miracle takes place on the inside of that person which is beyond the miracles we can witness with our naked eyes.

“What is more important? – that you see miracles and get what you want in this life or you learn the word of God and understand that there is more to life than this world and all its needs ?“

If everything you need is in this world and nothing beyond it, then what do you really gain? Mark 8:36- What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

So, what is it that can save you?

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James 1:21

Can it be that there is proper teaching of the word and still no miracles happening in a church? There definitely will be miracles in a church where the word is being taught and preached in the correct way because the word of God is powerful to bring about change. We do not have to enhance it in anyway. There is nothing anyone can do to make it less or more powerful. It is what is it – the word of God! Not the skill or ability of the preacher but simply that the Word is powerful in itself!

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”
Isaiah 55:11- so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Psalm 107:20 – He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.
1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

We see Jesus was always eager to teach His disciples when He was with them. He did miracles out of compassion and love for the people, which was part and parcel of their lifestyle, but He was more focused on teaching them about the Kingdom of God and what they need to be doing to build it. Miracles were an outcome of what they were learning and practicing. It was not the focus of their ministry. The focus is to learn and have a relationship with God. Miracles can be a tool by which the nonbeliever comes to believe in God.

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

John 14:11

Not to get awed and run behind miracles but rather to run behind God and miracles will follow because it is a way in which God bears witness to His word among us.

Professor Wayne Grudem defines Miracle as:
“A less common way of God’s working in which He arouses awe and wonder in people and bears witness to Himself.”

As much as I can quote a bunch of miracles from the Bible (the 4 gospel accounts gives us around 37 miracles of Jesus that have been recorded and mentions that others have not been recorded because there were just too many -John 20:30, Luke 7:21), wouldn’t it be interestingif we can look at sources outside the Bible as well?

Like the Bible, the Quran mentions Jesus healing the blind and the lepers in al-Imran (3) 49. Muslim scholar and judge al-Baydawi (d. 1286) wrote how it was recorded that many thousands of people came to Jesus to be healed, and that Jesus healed these diseases through prayer only.

Roman historian, soldier and senator – Marcus Velleius Paterculus describes a scene that he allegedly witnessed, in which a prophet and teacher that he names Iēsous de Nazarenus, resuscitated a stillborn boy and handed him back to his mother.

1st-century Jewish Historian Josephus who identified with the Pharisees states the below about Jesus:
“At this time, there appeared Jesus, a wise man. He was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. When Pilate, because of an accusation by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so. And up until this very day the tribe of Christians, named after Him, has not died out.”

The miracles of Jesus are the supernatural deeds attributed to Jesus in Christian, Islamic and historical texts. The majority are faith healing, exorcisms, resurrection, control over nature and forgiveness of sins.

Why did Jesus do all the miracles he did?

Fame?

Time and again we see Jesus telling the people He healed not to spread the news. Jesus did not want them to spread the news about healings because crowds of people came to Him just to get healed and their focus was only on the immediate benefits.
John 6:26 – Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
But Jesus came to teach and preach about the gospel and the Kingdom of God. Many a times Jesus and His disciples had to withdraw from the crowds so that He could teach them.
Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
Mark 7:36 -Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.

Money?

One characteristic shared among all miracles of Jesus in the Gospel accounts is that he delivered benefits freely and never requested or accepted any form of returns for his healing miracles.
Mathew 10:8 – Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Jesus was moved by compassion, by the faith of the people, when He did a miracle.
He never did a miracle for His own benefit but for the need of the people.

so what does all this have to do with me?

Jesus does miracles and rightly so because He is God!
well, let’s try and break this down a little.
If you believe in Jesus – that He died for your sins and that God the Father raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved! (Romans 10:9)

saved from? – sin – a condition where you are a slave to your flesh and its desires and not able to live life to its fullest meaning by having a relationship with the Creator(Ephesians 2:1-3)

saved by ? – grace through faith in Jesus ! – no, not by your good deeds!No good deed is or will ever be good enough to reconcile you back to God the Father, which is exactly why Jesus died for you and me.(Ephesians 2:7-9)

so, when you are saved you become a son/ daughter of God. Now this makes you a co-heir with Jesus. (Romans 8:14-15)
Now if you are co-heirs then you can operate in the same Spirit and authority with which Jesus operated.
Romans 8:11, NLT: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
John 14:12-14-2 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

“This means that all the miracles that Jesus did can be done through us because of the same Spirit that can work through us – The Holy Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 6:17 says , But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit
The word tells us that we are one in spirit with Him. Therefore, the authority that we see in the life of Jesus is the authority that we have been given. only if we believe that God can use us – in all our brokenness and weakness, for the display of His glory. (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Miracles are not for the glorification of a person or organization, rather it is God displaying His power to us who believe in Him.

Ephesians 1:19-20

“If you believe in God, then miracles will be something you witness in your life too. It is not because of any power that you have but rather God’s power on display for you.When we experience miracles in our own lives, we must be careful. Sometimes telling others will encourage them to find out the truth about Jesus for themselves. But sometimes it will lead to bitterness when God does not give them exactly what they want. We need to have the wisdom from above to know the difference and sent out the right message – It is not the miracle we are to sought but God who does the miracle.”

Over the years, I have experienced and witnessed miracles in my life which I can share about. But what’s better than experiencing them for yourselves! Trust God to see a miracle in your life as you follow Him – The Miracle Worker!