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=> General Discussions => Topic started by: Cy on May 11, 2006, 02:01:27 AM
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Hi all,
Let's talk about miracles.
First, I think we can all agree that life itself, and all that means is a miracle, that's a given, so let's talk more specifically.
When Jesus and his "first gen" disciples performed miracles, no one argued that he performed them, not even his enemies, they just tried to steal his glory. I've never traveled outside of N. America to a third world nation so my perspective is limited, but it seems to me that in America we call a lot of things miracles, that can easily be reconciled. That's not to say God isn't in all creation, and therefore in all situations, but a cold that gets healed 2 weeks after someone says a prayer can hardly be the kind of miracle, even the Pharasies recognized as undeniable. Jesus never worked with the doctors of the day, he waited until the patient was dead....
I personally have never seen someone, confirmed dead for 4 days, raised, or an amputated leg restored, etc. and I'd like to know if those kinds of undeniable miracles still follow the preaching of the gospel, or if they were only supposed to follow those that were instrumental in establishing the early church and all the scriptures.
I recently listened to a terrible story where a wife had massive instestinal failure, was supposed to die, and underwent extensive surgery, two days later the surgeon looked at her and said, "those aren't the intestines I operated on, God must have given her new ones", then a day later those "new" intestines collapsed and her pastor husband spent months nursing her back to health, via introvenous feeding and slow inflation of the intestines. She is alive and well today. Now that's a horrible situation no doubt, but I'm not sure if calling it a miracle is appropriate. See what I mean? I just can't picture Jesus or Paul healing that way.
There's so much "Christian Physic readings" via "personal prophesy and other seriously diluted gifts of the Spirit like miracles, that it's hard to believe much of anyone.
What are these greater things that were to follow Christ's Ascension?
Does anyone have any solid scripture or personal experience on this?
-Cy
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Hello Cy,
As an engineer and scientist I rely on the law of cause and effect to do my work. Cause and effect is another way of stating the biblical principle of sowing and reaping. That said, to me, any physical effect that can be tied to a physical cause is not a miracle, it's just the way things work. A miracle, to my reckoning, is when God steps in and violates the law of cause and effect. A good case in point is when Jesus changed plain water into fine wine. There is no known natural series of events that would cause such a thing to happen. If it did, we would be up to our armpits in wine every time we went swimming in a lake. The same thing is true with healings and raising from the dead. Recovery from illness is something that God put in us, and in most cases we recover naturally. In the cases of things like blindness or leprosy, which Jesus healed, these were miracles because these illness are not naturally healed by the body. Jesus intervened outside of the law of cause and effect to bring about healing that was unmistakably miraculous.
Hope this helps.
Mark
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I am not an engineer or a scientist, but I am a skeptic. If you read teh accounts of Jesus performing miracles in the Bible, you will find some traits common to them all.
1. Jesus NEVER rented a building for a public show of miracles. His miracles were spontaneous sick people came to him with every conceivalble illness. ( Faith {fake} healers hand pick who comes on stage. Many people in wheelchairs can waslk, and people who are "deaf" can hear.
2. Anyone healed by Jesus, was healed. I don't see anywhere in the scriptures that a healed person got his disease again because he "lost his faith." ( Faith healers never verify that the people they "heal" are healed. Many people who were healed by Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn, Leroy Jenkins, Kathryn Kuhlman, etc. died later. Or, many of them went back to their Drs. for treatment.
3. There are a few ministries who have offered much money for proof of one miracles. They still have their money.
4. If someone takes medicine or has an operation, that is not a miracles. So many of these "healed" people have had operations and take medicine. I think, if someone would sue Benny Hinn for false advertising, he just might be shut down. I wonder if he pays people hush money?
5. As terrible as it is to watch a loved one suffer from an illness, it is far worse to watch them suffer at the hands of a fake healer who won't have anything to do with people who are paralyed. Let them heal a truly paralyzed person and I might believe they aren't total phony hypocrites.
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See where I struggle isn't so much with the Big TV phonies, They are the WWF of Christian TV, and there will always be feeble minded people that have an unquenchable need to believe in them and in the National Enquirer.
I have watched far greater numbers of local churches genuinely believe will all their hearts, that signs and wonders would follow their testimony as it did the disciples, and they'll credit any deemed positive occurance, a miracle, because they want it so badly. They say the bible commands them to lay hands on and pray for the sick, and even the dead, but I just haven't seen the "poof" miracles that are supposed to accompany such actions.
I'd love to KNOW that God is still performing REAL miracles today, that would be great, but I just personally haven't seen it, and all my christian friends get offended that I would even question the "miraculously healed cancer" that was healed by the end of their chemo/radiation treatments.
There is no doubt that everyone Jesus healed and raised from the dead, has since died (although personally I doubt from the same thing they were originally healed from). So being granted a miracle isn't a grant of immortality, it was just to demonstrate the merit of the message of Christ, and maybe to destroy the works of the enemy. Christ was being manifest.
Does anyone see that Jesus was saying that the greater things that would be done, extend to today, or were just during that "first gen" of believers, to validate the scriptures? When signs and wonders followed the message of the gospel as a witness, was that a witness of that message or is it supposed to continue as a witness for the evangelists of today?
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i deleted my post becuase i'd prefer not to talk about this anymore
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Care to share what some of those miracles might be?
I'd like to know that real miracles do still happen, not just things that are hard to explain. One person's difficulty is another's expertise....
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Cy, from what I've witnessed, the greatest miracle God is doing is in our rebirth. Being born of the Spirit, drawn to the truths by our Father, put through the fire, recognizing who the beast is, dying daily to live for Christ are all great spiritual miracles, being created in His image. I see these things and many more that far exceeds physical healings. These are the greater things He spoke of, for He had to die, be resurrected and then restored back to the glory He had with the Father, before He could come in Spirit and power.
Going from the carnal minded to being spiritual minded is miraculous. It's a whole new paradigm. Things become clearer and clearer, brighter and brighter each day, truly amazing.
That is the way I see it, hope this helps.
God bless,
Gary
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I fully agree with your point, however, it is in a different direction than the topic was intending to target. All of your points are well spoken and seem true enough, but bear with me as I try to keep the thread on the exact topic.
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I'm thankful for your faith and would never want to harm that in any way, I pray your life overflow with the knowledge of God and confidence in Him. My questions aren't intended to harm anyone, only to increase my perspective. Thanks for your view.
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I have witnessed several miracles. But like you said Jesus said that we would do greater things. This often bothered me in my early walk with the the Lord. Jesus raised the dead physically. But to share His word with someone and it take root and that person is raised spiritually from the dead I believe that is a greater miracle than raising someone physically from the dead. The flesh profits nothing.
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There's no question the greatest miracle is God's "Big Picture" plan, I think we can all agree on that, but that is not the topic I was trying to discuss, so I'm hoping that we can stick to that. :lol:
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Sorry, Thought that I was sticking to your topic. You asked what the greater things would be. I thought that I answered that :? Does it say anywhere that the greater things would be physical things.
Im sure Benny could answer your question :lol:
Anyway sorry couldnt help.
God bless
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I personally have never seen someone, confirmed dead for 4 days, raised, or an amputated leg restored, etc. and I'd like to know if those kinds of undeniable miracles still follow the preaching of the gospel, or if they were only supposed to follow those that were instrumental in establishing the early church and all the scriptures....
...What are these greater things that were to follow Christ's Ascension?
Does anyone have any solid scripture or personal experience on this?
-Cy
The "greater things" that you asked about has been addressed as "spiritual things" that others have posted here..
I personally have never witnessed a physical miracle as in a persons eyes touched and immediately healed. I do not think that it is what we're supposed to be focusing on or worrying about. It truely becomes spiritual.
Here are examples of the "greater things":
(Matthew 9.1-8; Mark 2.1-12)
17One day some Pharisees and experts in the Law of Moses sat listening to Jesus teach. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem.
God had given Jesus the power to heal the sick, 18and some people came carrying a crippled man on a mat. They tried to take him inside the house and put him in front of Jesus. 19But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they went up on the roof, [a] where they removed some tiles and let the mat down in the middle of the room. 20When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, "My friend, your sins are forgiven."
21The Pharisees and the experts began arguing, "Jesus must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins."
22Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, "Why are you thinking that? 23Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? 24But now you will see that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth." Jesus then said to the man, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk home."
25At once the man stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and went home, giving thanks to God. 26Everyone was amazed and praised God. What they saw surprised them, and they said, "We have seen a great miracle today!"
ALSO:
Matthew 21:21
21But Jesus said to them, "If you have faith and don't doubt, I promise that you can do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do even more. You can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will.
Jesus points out that there is more to the miracles than physical.
So Hopefully I haven't been writing things that you didn't want as off topic like.... sorry if i did...but anyway, these are great verses!
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They are great verses, I agree! I'm just trying to becareful to delineate between the greatness of spiritual wonder, physical miracles, and wanton imagination.
Let me be very clear that at no level am I trying to diminish the wonder and magnitude of the spiritual teachings and life, nor do i disagree with any of the responders to my post, of just how great a thing is the spiritual gift of life!!
But specifically, I'm referring to scripture and experience that ranks with the undeniable miracles, performed by Christ and His disciples, as opposed to what are called miracles by most christians.
Last year my wife needed heart surgery, and she recovered, was it a miracle? Hardly, God made bodies to be self-repairing and the medical team worked with that. My mom has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, but has slowly been improving as she submits to her magnum treatment package. Is that a miracle? I doubt Jesus would be impressed.
Don't get me wrong, I'd be so amazed and grateful if these physical problems could have been miraculously & instantly healed so that even critics could not have questioned it, but it didn't happen that way.
A good friend of mine lost his 12 years old daughter after 4 operations, though everyone prayed for a miracle for her physical body, there was none. She is dead for a couple years now.
I hope this makes my discussion target more clear.
Regards, to all you brethren that have taken the time to respond and offer you perspective, and do so in such a courteous manner.
-Cy
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Interesting topic. Being in the charismatic/pentecostal movement for years I always wanted to see miracles. We would have special speakers who would talk about miracles that happened....at his last meeting, but nothing would ever happen the night I was there. Seems like there is a lot of miracles in Africa-dead raising and blind eyes opening-we were told they are very receptive over there.
Now, this is the truth, one night in the car I was complaining about my hands and how it felt like i was wearing gloves they were so tight. Later that night after the sermon the pastors wife had a "word of knowledge" that some one needed prayer because their hands felt like they were wearing gloves. So I went forward and got prayed for. I quit taking artritis medicine. That was years ago but now little by little I feel it coming back.
My sister-in-law was diagnosed with lymphoma when she was in her twenties and given 3 months to live. We all attacked it with prayer and belief for 30 years! When she died at age 50 we were shell shocked-could not believe it.
A friend of mine finally dragged her husband to a healing service. He was high and didn't mind--well he instantly sobered up and "got saved" and never did drugs ever again. Still serving the Lord since the good ole 70's.
I know tons of these kinds of stories-many happened to me. HOWEVER, :D NOW I still pray for things and people to get well, but I know it is all of God, by God and Through God, so I don't have the same mind set as I did. It is His Will, and If He wills it I will get healed, not if I prayed enough or had "faith" enough.
PS even back then I could not bear the Benny Hinn stuff Oh,....I did get caught up in the 88 ways Jesus is coming back in 88!! :oops:
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:lol: LOL I never heard of the 88 in '88, that'll be something I must read up on, I wonder how it all worked out? :wink:
Thanks for the input!
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Cy, and anyone interested. Someone once asked Ray this same question. The email is entititled "Are miracles for Today?"
Here is the email along with Rays reply - Its from the main page of this site.
Hello Ray,
I have three questions:
I would like to know what you believe scripture to say on the subject of healing for today.
Do you think we are able to do the same miracles as Jesus? If so, why do we not see this more often?
The scripture in John 14: 13, 14. Why don't our petitions get answered like Jesus said?
Thank you for your time,
Cindy
[Ray Replies]
Dear Cindy:
Many assume that the statements that Jesus made to his eleven apostles on the evening of His arrest, were a blanket statement to all believers to follow, for all time. This is not so.
Jesus did do many miracles through His apostles after His death and resurrection. He promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit (Comforter), which would give them faith and power to spread His gospel message.
This came true fifty days later on the Day of Pentecost. The apostles were given the gift of tongues so that they could even speak in foreign languages which none of them had ever studied. They were able to heal the sick. And they even RAISED THE DEAD. Peter and Paul both RAISED THE DEAD.
These special miracle gifts did not follow all generations of the church. Even later in the ministry of the apostles, God began to withdraw these gifts. No one was raised from the dead in their later ministry. Paul said that "tongues would cease" in I Cor. 13. Only "faith, hope [expectation] and charity [love]" were to "NOW remain...." Some of Paul best friends and servants in spreading the gospel were sick and not healed. Paul told his dear friend Timothy, to "take a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine OFT [MANY] INFIRMITIES. God did NOT heal them. Do we think that Paul did not even ask?
Many in the charismatic church try to make a carnival exhibition of such gifts, but I am afraid all they do is deceive.
However, with that said, does God no longer perform miracles or healings? Yes, He does. I have seen and experienced them. Does He always heal? Does He always alleviate our problems and trials? NO. Why should we pray for God to TAKE AWAY all the things that are absolutely NECESSARY FOR OUR FAITH AND PERFECTION?
Don't neglect to ask God for EVERYTHING you feel you should have. But don't be disappointed if God allows you to CONTINUE IN YOUR TRIALS. Sometimes He removes certain trials after a period of time. We do not know when and how or even if God will do this that or the other thing, so we keep praying. I ask for STRENGTH AND FAITH to face my trials and OVERCOME my flesh. I no longer pray for God to make me HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE, with absolutely no price to pay for such privileges.
This site is an answer to prayer. My understanding of the Scriptures is an answer to prayer. Everything I have is an answer to prayer. I pray for others and many times, GOD ANSWERS MY PRAYERS! But I do NOT always heal the sick through my prayers, I do not make people wealthy through my prayers, and I have NEVER raised the dead through my prayers. So don't stop praying!! And ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, thank God for all that you have.
And then, don't WORRY about anything. Phil. 4:6 is a terrible translation in the KJV. Instead of "Be careful in nothing..." it should read:
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING..."
God be with you,
Ray
I don't know if that helps anyone but i thought you might be interested. I found it interesting.
As for miracles IMO, im sure God works them all the time, wether they be small or great, but wether He does or not, shouldn't be the reason for our faith.
People always look for God to manifest Himself TOO His children, but what people don't realise is that God manifests Himself IN His children.
God bless,
Alex.
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Hello,
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Why does Christ say "many" will say unto me? Is it beause there are so "few" miracles preformed today? Why not say the "few" will say to me?
Who are these people that have done many wonderful works, and have cast out devils. Aren't these miracles? I would say so.
Luk 9:49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
Luk 9:50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid [him] not: for he that is not against us is for us.
Yes there are miracles performed in the name of Jesus Christ even today, so that Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2Cr 11:14
These miracles are from God, for Gods plan and purpose, and for no other reason. One must understand that this reason may not be to our liking.
Jhn 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jhn 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Peace to you all
Chris R
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Miracle or not?
when my son was young and probably from birth he had an astigmatism in his left eye that cause the muscle in his eye to atrophy and it turned inward. It was discovered when he was 6. The eye Dr (who also treated his father) said it was genetic as it matched the location and configuation of his father's astigmatism. We had him fitted for glasses and the eye patched. the muscles recovered (cause and effect) and he wore glasses for 2 more years until they were giving him headaches. We returned for a 2 year visit to the Dr who was baffled at the disappearance of the former defect. My son is now 23 yrs old and has perfect vision with no astigmatism. medical misdiagnosis or miracle? We did not ask for anything from the Lord regarding this thing. But we are still blessed to this day by the mercy shown and His great Love. and Yes, his father still wears glasses!
Miracle or not? ( warning: medically graphic)
my other son had his finger slammed in a door when he was 12 months old. and like anyone else, he immediately tried to pull his finger out and so stripped the muscle, nail bed and everything else from the top of his finger so just the bone remained. medical consult resulted in the reccommendation to amputate to the next joint and reconstruct a nail bed-so he would have a short finger but it would still function. Our reaction was "can't deal with this now- because my mother was dying of cancer". so we put it off until things were resolved with my mom. ( which means she died). They warned us of high infection risk with a 12 month old with exposed bone etc.... we were so stressed all we could do was trust that God would prevail somehow. After 2 months, the big ugly black scab fell off one night in the bath and there was a new finger underneath. wow. they said there was no way skin could ever grow over bare bone.
miracle or not- we are thankful to the Lord that we are so fearfully and wonderfully made that he was healed. Today is he is police officer and he never would have made it if he had an amputated finger. God is good.
love,
hart4god
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PS
:lol:
We never went to any faith healers or even prayed fervently for these things they were never put on display for others to see or did we ever brag on such things in our lives.......these little every day miracles were to be treasured in our hearts as an intimate exchange between The Father and us.
I am so sickened by those who try to make merchandise of God's goodness and love. Those are certainly the ones who will hear the fateful words "depart from me, I never knew you". and even now it saddens me that they are deceived and do not know the real Truth
I believe the real miracle of God are happening all around the world for the benefit of those who are calling on His name. and they are done quietly w/o TV cameras or gandstanding.
again,
hart4god
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I believe that healing miracles still happen today. only not in circus shows like
Benny Hinn's. but rather behind the scenes like hart4god was saying the scab just feel off one night in bed and there was a new finger underneath.
Jesus never rented out a place and called people to be healed for fame and fortune like these phony hypocrites do. and God still doesn't perform miracles in the spotlight. if He did, who wouldn't believe? that's the way I see it atleast.
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If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to that mountain,"be ye moved", and it will rise up and be cast into the sea.
Obviously, this would be some miracle, however,we know He was refering to a spiritual mountain in this verse. Otherwise we'd have mountains flying everywhere which wouldn't be a good look, and it would drive topographical map makers insane with Christs faithful throwing them all over the place.
Secondly, He was pointing out again that our own faith is non existent. The only faith we have is God given.
I've had little things happen to me that one might call miracles, and others would call them coincidence.
Example: many years ago while touring with a Christian band out in the bush, it was nealy showtime when I suddenly came down with a monster headache. I couldn't even think let alone play. It knocked me flat. Anyway, the band leader came in and saw me stretched out and saw me in obvious pain. Before I could even say, "I have a thumping headache", he started praying over me, and as soon as he started I could literally feel the thing being dragged out of the top of my head.
God's intervention or a coincidence? I chose to believe the former. But as stated in other threads, there was no "grandstanding" about it. I sat up, grabbed my guitar and went to work. I thanked God of course for freeing me from it.
I am grateful for all things in God, naturally, but here's one that I consider a huge miracle, and one of the "greater things" that Christ spoke of. This was a mountain mover.
I was selling vacume cleaners door to door at the time. We do what we need to do to survive. :wink:
Anyway, I went to this house to do a demonstration. I walk inside and there are statues of the Virgin Mary, pictures of the saints, and of course Christ nailed to a cross everywhere you look. Obviously it didn't take a revelation from God to work out that I'd walked into a Catholic stronghold here, and surprise, surprise, the lady I was doing the demonstration for was Italian.
Now in my job, we weren't allowed to do demonstrations to engineers as it was considered a commercial demonstratoin, and we had other more technically trained guys to do that.
As a born again Christian, performing a conversion in a hardcore Roman Catholic household could be viewed in a similar way. These people are heavily entrenched in their doctrine and shaking them from that requires a real spiritual awakening that is indeed miraculous. That veil is on TIGHT.
Anyway, I got into the demo with this lady, but soon into it something came up and the subject turned to religion. not by me, but by her. She was telling me about some problems in her family and that she'd been praying faithfully to the Vigin Mary and the Saints, but it wasn't doing any good. I just casually suggested, "Have you tried praying to God?"
Words don't do justice in describing the near horrified look on her face.
All she'd say was, "We are not worthy to come before God. We must pray to the blessed Virgin so she can intercede on our behalf. We must pray to the Saints. We aren't good enough." etc, etc.
I replied, " here's the smallest part of your problem. The Saints you pray to are dead and buried as is Mary. You first need someone who is alive to intercede for you. I would suggest the risen Lord Jesus Christ."
The tears welled up in her eyes. I could see the battle that had begun to rage inside her and my heart was breaking for her so I began to pray silently on her behalf that the Lord would set his peace upon this poor woman and calm her spirit that she may hear what He wanted to say to her at that point.
Her lifetime of indoctrination into that false religion needed to be lifted up and cast into the sea.
Guess what?
I swear, less than 30 seconds it took before she wanted to know everything I could tell her about Jesus and salvation by His name.
I arrived at that house at 7pm. She would not allow me to leave until 2am After I had met and sat and shared the gospel with her whole family. There was much coffee consumed and many tears of joy shed that night.
But now here's the kicker...
They didn't buy a vacume cleaner!
A miracle? oh yeah...Big time!
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Mark that was an excellent post.
Would you call that raising the dead? I would
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I agree with Kevin, that was indeed an excellent post Mark. I'm glad that you
were able ( well not you, but through you, God was able) to make her/them realize how wrong and decietful the Catholic teachings are. but they didn't even buy a vacuum? man, what a kicker! :lol:
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Hi you guys,
First I just want to say that you all bless me beyond words!! :wink:
I cannot even begin to tell you how this fellowship is such an encouragement. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I looked up miracle in Strong's 4592, neut. of a presumed der. of the base of 4591; and indication, espec. cerem. or supernat.:-miracle, sign, token, wonder.
So, what constitutes a miracle? How big does a miracle have to be or how small before it is not considered a miracle? Is a miracle relative to the person it happens to? Does a miracle have to be raising the dead, or growing a limb back instantaneously? Seriously, I'm asking. :)
Here's my experience that I consider a miracle. Quite some years ago now, I had a very good friend called Mich (as in Michelob Lite). Mich & I went everywhere. No gathering was complete unless Mich was invited. And with my family you could be darn sure he received a golden invitation.
Even after I had been "born again", Mich was still my constant companion. Why my cousin & I would finish off a case in no time, then we would talk about God "things". (Actually, it was way easier to get my Catholic cousin to open up-that's another story). It drove my husband nuts.
Then one weekend in July, I set about to re-wallpaper my kitchen. Yep, you guessed it-me & Mich. I cracked that cold bottle open & took one swig. I stopped & looked at the bottle & wanted the Lord to take this addiction away from me. I'm talkin' about my whole being feeling as if I was actually turning inside out with desire to be set free. (Did ya ever feel like your insides were your outsides & your outsides were your insides? -It's weird, I'll tell ya. :shock: ) In that instant, I walked over to the sink & dumped the whole thing down the drain; never, I mean NEVER again having even the least little desire to keep Mich's company again. "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!" Jn 8:36
That's my miracle. My husband believed it to be a miracle, too. He never thought he would see the day. It certainly is a wonder & a token of His supreme love. But God is able & He does most graciously answer prayers.
Bless you guys,
Marianne
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Wow this is great. Anymore out there??? Thank you for sharing what Ray has said. I had read it before, but needed reminded. I didn't see any legalism there, did you??Always pray & trust God, but you never know what the answer may be, if there is an answer--you know, the teacher is always silent during a test.
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Some very interesting, and encouraging responses, thanks again for all the feedback, given in a clear spirit of Godly comradery.
I agree completely that the spiritual things that happen defy natural cause and effect explaination, you'll hear no argument from me on the matter, but just to keep the spirit of my original question in mind, what I'd love to hear more about are those natural miracles, that even the enemies of God and Jesus did not deny, but could only try to discredit the source.
I have experienced gross headaches for years, that when in full force take me out of any functional use, as our Australian brother also experienced. I have such a history with them, I know they like to hangout for at least an hour or two per visit, so the time or two that they seemed to release fairly quickly seems an answer to prayer, and to me personally maybe a miracle, but no self-loving pharisee is going to agree it was a miracle, much less acknowledge there was even a headache in the first place.
Maybe the physical miracles I'm polling for just don't exist, but if you hear of any, all of us here would love to hear about it.
-Cy
BTW I'm not trying to discourage sharing of spiritual miracles, just keep driving the focus of this thread.
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Okay Cy,
About 10 yrs ago my wife went to the doctor. They found a cyst the size of a tennis ball on her ovaries. He scheduled an ultrasound for her. A couple of days later she went for this test and the cyst was completely gone.
My middle daughter had a clogged tear duct that wouldnt clear up. They were gonna have to medically treat it. But God healed her before she had to go through that.
My oldest daughter has been healed of asthma.
My youngest daughter was born with a hernia, God has healed her completely.
And me, well Im alive and breathing. If you would have seen me and my life growing up, you would agree that its a miracle that Im here now.
I could go on and on with these physical healings, and I am truly thankful for God for all He has done. For He has healed me physically and spiritually. For He deserves all the glory
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I realize this is an old thread, but. . . .I am new to the forum and feel compelled to anwer.I am sure each of us has probably witnessed a miracle, I know I have been saved from near or certain death several times in my life, and maybe many more that I am not aware of.
My husband and I had been a member of a church whom many of you are familiar. One September we were at a feast site in Virginia beach with our 3 children. We had just arrived in the early afternoon, and decided to take our boys down to the beach to see the dolphins. Our oldest was about 4 (Breck), middle son(Matt) was 2 and youngest(Tim) was 1month old. We were taking photos of the dolphins when the film ran out-yes this was in the pre-digital age. We decided to change the film in the camera under my wool cape. We asked Breck to stay still while we did this, Matt held my hand and Tim was asleep in the jeri-pouch on my hip.. Unfortunately Breck disobeyed, and while our attention was on the camera, he was caught in the tide and rolled in a wave.
As it was early autumn and a little chilly and we were all fully clothed in warm attire. He was brought back to us by 2 teenage girls, soaking wet, sandy, cold and miserable. My husband cheerfully offered to take him back to the hotel a block away and get him changed. he told me to stay put he would be right back.
I stood on the beach with Matt holding my hand and Tim still asleep in the jeri-pouch, now around the front of me. We walked in the ankle deep tide and Matt and I played a game we called "toe sharks" to the tune of "Jaws" and pretended the water was a shark we needed to jump back from. We were alone on the beach.
What we did not know, was that there was a hurricane some miles out to sea which had churned the tides to a fury. It had caused a severe rip-tide, which in one fell swoop grabbed me from ankle deep water and pulled me into knee deep and then immediately to waist deep. I grasped Matt's hand and began to panic. Tim slept soundly in front in the carrier, and over my shoulder was a large diaper bag, filled with those insidious gel type diapers, all our money, ID's, 2 cameras and everything of value we had brought with us.I guarded it with my life as it began to swell with water.
The cuurent was so strong that it dragged me and the boys about 30 feet from the beach in a matter of seconds. I could feel the sand being ripped from under my feet as I struggled to stay upright. I felt my life and the boys' lives were over. This struggle seemed to go on forever while I wrestled with the now saturated diaperbag, which I dare not let go of. I don't know how long I struggled, but I managed to get myself turned around to face the beach. Matt kept threatening to float away from me and the waves were hitting me in the back of the head. I knew Tim must be soaking wet and cold, but could not see him anymore as he was slumped in front of me in the jeri-carrier, and I did not have a free hand to check him.
I am a very good swimmer, swam water ballet and syncronized swimming in high school, but with all these odds against me, and one further fact that I had just had Tim one month earlier by C-Section- Iwas not in a position to save myself or my children. I began to shout and scream at the direction of the beach, there was no one to be seen. Not a jogger or even an old couple strolling in the afternoon sun. NO-ONE at all. I cried, I wailed and then I screamed at God to help me, begged him to save us. I was hoarse from screaming.
Out of nowhere, a fully clothed "man" walked up to the water's edge and stretched out his hand to me. He walked into the tide with no effort. He calmly told me to "let go of the child, and I will save him". I argued that if I let his hand go that he would drown. He told me again, and maybe a third time, to let go. I finally let go of Matt's hand, and he rescued Matt and dragged him to the beach and set him on dry sand. He calmly walked back into this raging riptide and took my hand and led me out of the water to safety. I immediately ripped the jericarrier from my neck to check on Tim, I fell to my knees and saw that he was okay, alive, warm and still asleep. Matt was fine, we were shaken up. I stood up to thank the "man" who had rescued us, and he was gone. Not a shred of evidence that he had been there, not a footprint, or a puddle. He did not remain long enough for me to thank him or to see if my one month old baby was yet alive- he knew.
So there is our story, yes, it as a miracle or 3. And it did and has increased my faith to this day.Still when I recall that day it moves me deeply. All three of our sons are alive and well today at 22, 24, and 26.
Ames
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Wow! What a story Ames. I got goose-bumps reading it, and I praise God for his awesome goodness - His very present help in time of need!
Thanks for sharing.
Marie
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This a wonderful thread CY :)
I have a couple of miracles for you. This time last year, my wife was very sick, her lungs had almost totally solidified because of continued fluid on the lungs. Countless X-Rays indicated that much of the lung tissue had dissolved and she would be on a ventilator for the rest of here possibly short life. She was ready to die.
She had an experience while in hospital and two weeks later, walked out with perfect lungs, she has not needed oxygen once since leaving and we have returned all of the respirators and oxygen tanks. For all that knew her before will attest to the obvious miracle. :)
The other miracle had to do with me and is a little gruesome so be warned. I was in a motorcycle accident with severe head and other injuries. Apparently I lost all my blood for I stopped bleeding and was as white as a sheet by the time the medics arrived. My head swelled to the size of a basket ball due to trauma to the brain; against all odds, I did not die and have no side affects except for double vision (things look "twice" as good)
The unusual thing is that I am a different person that before, and I certainly see things through a different pair of eyes (no pun intended)
I feel privileged to have been part of two miracles; however, I am convinced there are 1000's of stories just like these every day.
Darren
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Thanks for the responses, I thank God constantly for his interventions in our lives. Not just for the physical blessings and helps, but mostly for the fact that he called me and my husband together, and recently our two older sons as well. I pray and wait for the day that Tim sees the light. The truth is the greatest blessing we have, it is the the best motivation to get out of bed in the morning!!! We had recently prayed that we would have fellowship again,and lo and behold I happened quite accidently upon ray's page. After more than 7 years of being alone out here, it is refreshing to find others who are on the same page.
Ames
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Hi. Goosebumps all over!!! Been gone a week so it was great to re read this thread. Just getting thru my son's wedding and move to Florida,and back safe and sound is a miracle to me. I thank the Lord for it!
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Hi! cy I think I have a simple answer,Have'nt you been resurected from the dead and all those on this forum that has died and been reborn in Him,thats the greatest miricle of all .Is'nt that the wonderful works of God? just pondering on what you posted...........jerry
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Hello to all,
Miracles of spiritual healing are "miracles"...are they not?
If someone told you about a young man who went from working in his own small company (landscape contractor), living the "simple life" of disregard for Gods plan for him...being a "good" person, etc...to one year later being a pre medical student with a 3.7 GPA at a major university in one of the largest cities in the US, to working in the neurosurgery department (molecular neurobiology lab.) at one of the top ten medical schools in the world, to working on a technique to implant DNA into specific ventricles of the brain , to being offered a paid internship that would guarantee his acceptance into medical school...in other words...LIVING HIS LIFES DREAM...all within two years. Would THAT be a miracle?
What about this:
Within the next two years seeing it all fall apart. Losing everything. Bankruptcy. Dropping out of school. Marriage falling apart. Sick, depressed...miserable...all the way to putting a shotgun against his head to stop the endless pain of living as a failure...but yet not pulling the trigger. Would THAT be a miracle?
No, they were not miracles...they were just leading up to the real miracle.
That young man was truly saved, his whole life turned around...his marriage saved, his income returned, he's back in school ( different major but almost finished) Gods love is a miracle.
I know that this may not qualify for a "physical" miracle, but maybe he just works a little different these days. I know I've seen a miracle. I AM that young man (well 44 IS young...haha)
I just wanted to add this to the discussion since I love to talk about things I actually know something about, which isn't much :)
It's my first post so please be tolerant of my content.
God bless all,
Chuck
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Chuck,
Welcome to the forum Chuck!
My friend, if that is not a miracle then none that were mentioned prior, were either. :)
Thank you so much for sharing and thank God for his plan for you.
Who can ever know that pain and suffereing that another has seen and or felt. It is truly a sobering thought.
Many Thanks,
Darren
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Sounds like a miracle to me...praise God for His saving love!
I'm sure you'll enjoy the forum, Chuck..welcome.
Marie
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Oh Chuck, ..I wept when i read about the miracle in your life. This is what i feel John was talking about in revelation, the looking back, the recognising the beast in us. Most of the testimonys i read in here are not from people who have led a lovely pleasant spoilt life...they are those who have been through tribulation ......God making them recognise we need Him, because we cant do it ourselves. Whatever it is. What an awesome God. He loves us so much and His will...will be done in our lives. A men
u
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Thanks for the welcome!
I am glad to be a part of this forum. I am here to learn and to help any way I can.
Blessings to all,
Chuck