Miracles are all throughout Scripture. I believe God loves to demonstrate His power and authority over and over again, and I think He enjoys our reactions to them. Although a lot of the time they seem rather random, I believe they are not. Because of the diversity of miracles, the somewhat randomness of the who, what, when and where, there are a lot of misconceptions. On the flip side there are a few things we can learn and a framework we can lay down. Personally I have been down many roads on this and I will share some personal stories, but for each person I believe there needs to be their own story. Just as we have covered in a covenant relationship, each person’s relationship is different and so will each persons experience. Just because one person experiences something does not necessarily mean it will also be experienced by another. That is probably the first and foremost thing to remember when exploring miracles. Can there be fake and deceptive miracles? Sure, but unless there is come compelling evidence that is the case, I have learned to accept and rejoice with them instead of being critical and suspicious.
One of the first things to tackle is the idea that God no longer does miracles. Other than the fact there is absolutely no support in Scripture to justify that, just look around. Unless you live in a hole I am sure there is at least one person you have met that will talk about a miracle in their life.
Second is the other extreme. I have seen, listened to and met may people that go out and pray for healing and miracles. There are a group of them that teach healing or miracles by trying to copy specific miracles in in Scripture, and they also will say things like “Every person Jesus commanded healing to was healed, and since we have been giver that power every person we command will be healed if you have faith”. Let’s explore that because there is was flaws in that logic. First, before I dig into that, let me make it clear, God does heal through prayer (sometimes), He does heal through faith (sometimes) and He does healing though those with selfish motives (sometimes) IF that is what His will is. Just because you think someone is a heretic does not mean God cannot use them to demonstrate His power and have a miracle occur. There is a purpose for miracles, and we will get to that. One of the biggest miracles mentioned that Jesus did is often overlooked that shows clearly a role of a miracle is the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5. That is a well known passage, but what does not seem to be well known is some of the significant details overlooked. Fist mentioned is that pool is a common place for those that are lame to gather because the waters are known for healing power. Basically Jesus walked into a hospital and healed everyone there, no?? He healed only one person there? So when you hear about a person that is going around healing people and you say “if it was for real, why does he just not go to a hospital”, well, Jesus went to a hospital and only healed one person. So here is a perfect example that Jesus did NOT heal every sick and lame person he met. He probably walked past and even over others. How do we know this? By the man’s answer that he could not get healing because someone would always beat him to the pool. Did the man need to be a believer to receive healing? No. Actually he had no idea who Jesus was at the time. What was the role? In the end the man became a believer, and speculation has it a disciple.
Are there any other examples? Yes, Jesus Himself said he could not do many miracles once, and that is another example of the role of a miracle. Matthew 15:38 – “And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.”, the passage did not say there was a lack of miracles to be done, it said there was a lack of belief. That tells us that miracles are done for a reason, and a testimony. Jesus refused to do a sign to appease the Pharisees (Matthew 12:39) because the request was not from belief but for a show, and we see from the story of Lazarus in Luke 16, verse 30, He points out that even if someone is raised from the dead they will not repent. Jesus never wasted His effort on the hardened hearts. If a miracle was not going to be received, He didn’t do them.
There is absolutely one definite requirement for a miracle to happen, and that is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. In every example in Scripture the Holy Spirit was present. We know Jesus said Himself – John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.”, that would be the reason every time He spoke for a miracle it happened. If a person is so in tune with the Holy Spirit, and we should be, then if the Holy Spirit says something is going to happen, well, its going to happen. To get into that kind of close relationship takes work, and I cannot deny a lot of work. I cannot say I am that close myself, but I do believe there are those who are to some decree or another.
There are so many miracles that can be covered and studied in Scripture, but there are ones personal to me that have meant a lot. Those are by no means any basis for you, unless you want them to be, but I want to share them with you as part of my journey. One being my son, and if you know all the details should not be here. After 19 years of infertility and other obstacles, he was prophesied to us in July of ’19, and bourn July of ’21 after two miscarriages. Beside him, there are two other ones that have a lot of meaning to my life.
My wife use to have a lot of sciatic nerve pain. Up to about 15 or so years ago every so often it would cripple her. There was one episode it went out so bad she could not move and I believe I ended up going home from work early and I remember thinking about what I am going to do the next day because I figured I would need to stay home. That night she was scrolling though the TV and ended up watching The 700 Club, mostly because there was nothing else on. If you don’t know what the 700 Club is, its a Christian variety show with interviews, music, teaching, news and such. At the end of each show there is a guy that comes on and starts praying for people as he feels lead by the Spirit. This time he started to talk to those with back pain, describing her pain exactly and it caught her attention. He directed the listeners to place their hand where the pain was, she did, and he prayed. Her back where her hand was got so hot she had to let go. He then told the listeners to stand up, she did, and there was no more pain. She has not had a sciatic nerve issue since. That is very significate because she would not not been able to carry our son if that was not taken care of all those years ago. After he was born she had x-ray’s done, the chiropractor was astonished she did not have any back issues with the pregnancy or sciatic issues based on the x-ray. Also I just had to find out, that episode was a re-broadcast. It was not live, God gave healing through a recording. Mind blown.
We went to a conference in October of ’19 and it was three days. On Friday night, the first day, we sat to listen to the first night and after the music and when the speaker started I noticed this annoying sound. It was a hissss-slap-pop. I then noticed across the isle was a man in a large wheelchair/mobility chair. Strapped to the chair was a big oxygen tank and the noise was the breathing machine. I remember being annoyed that I have to listen to this for the next couple of hours. At some point I noticed the sound went away, he was still there, did not spend much time thinking about it, just a mental note that the sound was gone. On the last day there was a time for people to go on the stage and share testimonies. We had something to share (funny I don’t even remember what it was) and after we shared a man with a cane and someone behind him came up. He said he was on oxygen for the past few years and has not been able to walk on his own also for years. Then on Friday, during the service, his machine stopped working and no one noticed and his oxygen monitor never threw a alert. He was now off oxygen. He also after the service stood up and walked, and even walked onto the stage by himself (he had a nurse or someone behind him just in case). I then just put two and two together, again, mind blown. I was in full shock. it took a lot of thinking and praying to get that sorted out in my mind. Nothing could of prepared me for that. That was a legit healing, there is no way that was faked.
Those, and others, lead me down a rabbit hole of healing. I needed healing, so where was my healing? I am not going to go though the whole process as that would take a lot of time, but that is where I discovered most of what I already covered. The role of a miracle is a testimony for a softened heart to change, and validation of who God is. It is not for a show or because it’s something we want. It is nothing for God to do a miracle, so can He do one for me? Yes, but without His will for it do be done it will not. Paul addresses this in 2 Corinthian 12:9. There is a lot of speculation on what that thorn may be, but one thing I know Paul had was bad eyesight (Galatians 6:11), and God could of healed him, Paul performed may miracles himself, but Paul was given the answer that “My Grace is sufficient”. So I also have come to the understanding of the role of a miracle, and that God’s Grace is sufficient. I can be glad in the shadow of the miracles of others, I don’t need a miracle to know God’s Grace. If He decides to bring healing to me one day, great! But I no longer chase it as that is not what I was called to do.
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