Category Archives: Miracles

Bible, Miracles, Power, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A MIRACLE?

GALATIANS 3:5

“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

The closest thing I have seen to a miracle was the birth of my two children. If you have never experienced that, it is truly amazing. How can a living being come from within another living being? How can that little being start breathing air for the first time? How does that little baby know to begin to breastfeed from their mother? It is truly a miracle that happens thousands of times every day.

In today’s verse, Paul continues to ask questions. This time he asked them whether God, Who gave them the Spirit and works miracles among them, did this by the Law or through faith. We know the answer is through faith, right? But what kind of miracles did God work among them? Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says this. “The Greek means not so much ‘causes miracles to be wrought in your midst’ as ‘implants in you miraculous powers.’ The power to work miracles is regarded as a special faculty bestowed by God upon individual Christians.” 

APPLICATION

While we do not know what specific miracles Paul was referring to, we can make an educated guess based on the evidence throughout the New Testament. We know that Jesus performed miracles to draw the unbelievers unto Himself. I love John’s last verse which says, “21:25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.”

God is still performing miracles today. He is working in and through believers to do these. Unfortunately, many of us in the Western world are too busy trying to explain away these miracles. However, in other parts of the world, we hear of miracles of healings and even the dead being raised. Visions are happening all over the Muslim world. Why? To draw unbelievers to Jesus.

So, every time you share the Gospel with someone, you are being used to deliver the miraculous saving power of Jesus. The Greek word for “miracles” is dynamis, which according to HELPS Word-studies means, “for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord’s inherent abilities.” We are simply the Lord’s tools to perform His miracles, if we are willing to be used. Are you?

Lord, use me to perform whatever You want to do. 

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Appearance, Bible, Christ's Return, Deliverance, Devil, End Times, Eternity, Evil, Following, Glory, God's Will, Heaven, Hell, Judgment, Miracles, Return, Scripture

ESCAPE ROUTE

ZECHARIAH 14:5

“And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

I have had the opportunity to participate in a couple of Escape Room experiences. You know – those rooms set up to allow groups of people to problem solve a situation, gather clues and follow directions to get out of that room. There is always a way out if the team can just figure it out. Fortunately, I was able to escape each time, lol.

Look back at verse 4 of Zechariah 14 for a second. It says, “…the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley…” That valley is the one referred to in today’s verse. Azel was obviously a village on the other side of that valley. The earthquake mentioned here is not in historical records but must have been massive for it to have been remembered two centuries later. But the best part of this verse is the last phrase – “Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

APPLICATION

Wow, there’s a lot in that verse, huh? Where do we start? First of all, let’s address the escape route that God will make for the people of Jerusalem on that day. He does the miraculous to achieve His purpose. He is still doing that today. We can all probably recount a story that was nothing less than miraculous. Will you join me in looking around for those today? God is still providing a way out for us. We can share the story of Jesus with someone who is lost today and provide them with that miraculous way of escape from the punishment of hell.

How about the Lord returning with “all the holy ones”? Won’t that be a sight? I plan to be there. These “holy ones” will include His legions of angels and perhaps all the saints. That last part is us, the believers, who are with Him in glory. That is shouting ground. Look at Jude 1:14-15. “14 Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Whether I am with Him or not when He returns to earth to judge it, the fact of the matter is He is coming with authority. He is coming back as King and Judge, not a baby in a manger. He is not coming back to spend years teaching. No, He is coming back to issue forth judgment on the unbelieving masses and on the evil one himself. What a day that will be!

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. And I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace…What a day, glorious day that will be. 

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Accountability, Bible, Healing, Judgment, Miracles, Scripture

THE OUTSTRETCHED HAND

ZEPHANIAH 2:13

“And He will stretch out His hand against the north and eliminate Assyria, and He will make Nineveh a desolation, parched like the wilderness.”

I had great parents who were not afraid to “stretch out their hand” to correct my misbehavior. I was quite mischievous and often got into trouble. I was not a bad kid, but I pushed the limits often. For that, I would get disciplined by my mom and/or dad. I say “and/or” because sometimes my dad determined I deserved a little more for what I had done. Lol

Zephaniah reminds us that God “will stretch out His hand against” all those who come against Him. I am reminded of the story of Exodus when God sent the plagues on Egypt. God said over and over that He would stretch out His hand to deliver these. Just look at some of the verses in Exodus 8:5, 17; 9:22; 10:12. God’s outstretched hand can deliver judgment.

APPLICATION

But God’s outstretched hand can also deliver healing and miracles. Acts 4:30 says, “while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” Matthew 12:13 shows us Jesus healing a man by asking him to stretch out his hand to receive healing. “Then He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand!’ He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.”

So, we see the outstretched hand used to deliver judgment, healing, miracles and to receive healing and miracles. Let me ask you today if you are stretching out your hand to God to receive that healing you need. I don’t necessarily mean a physical healing. It may be a spiritual healing that your soul longs for. God is still doing that. He will stretch out His hand to you.

I felt the touch of God’s outstretched hand when He touched me all those years ago. He reached down, touched me and told me I was His chosen. I responded to that touch and have never been the same since. Sure, I have wandered in the past. I got out from under His outstretched hand. But His hand was still there and welcomed me when I returned. Do you need His outstretched hand today?

He touched me! Oh, He touched, and oh the joy that floods my soul.

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Belief, Bible, Miracles, Scripture, Trials, Trust

MIRACLE SHOW 

MICAH 7:15 

“‘As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles.’” 

I have a couple of friends who are illusionists. They do not like the name “magician” because they will quickly tell you that nothing they do is magic. It is all an illusion. One, in particular, is extremely good. He literally blows my mind each time I see him perform. I know there is an explanation for what he is doing, but I cannot figure it out. 

God did not perform illusions when He set the Hebrew children free from captivity in Egypt. Everything He did was a miracle, doable only by Him. Even when the magicians in Egypt tried to replicate God’s miracles before Pharoah, they fell short. God is reminding Micah’s audience of these feats of years ago. He was still in the miracle working business. 

APPLICATION 

Are you ready for a miracle? I am. In fact, I know I have experienced miracles in my life. I am not talking about pillars of fire or anything like that. I am talking about the everyday miracles of salvation, of physical healings and other things we tend to explain away with human reasoning. 

The problem with us today is we do not think God can still do miracles. We believe they all ended way back in Biblical times. But I have seen the miracle of a transformed life. I know God can do anything He chooses to do at any time He chooses to do it. He may just choose to do one in your life, if you believe. 

It is not magic. It is not some man behind the curtain pulling levers like in The Wizard of Oz. No! God is still in power and will work miracles in our lives when He knows we are ready to receive them. He has healed me twice from a terminal disease. I believe in miracles. Do you? 

I believe in You, O Lord. I believe You can still work miracles in my life and in the life of others today. 

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Child Raising, Child Rearing, Encouragement, Following, Hope, Inspirational, Mentoring, Miracles, Parenting, Testimony

DISAPPEARING ACT

ACTS 12:18

“Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.”

Where did he go? He was chained between us. Did you let him go? Can’t you just hear the soldiers the next morning? Peter had disappeared from the jail. No one could explain where he went. God had done a miracle, and they had missed it. Now, before you jump to conclusions, we probably would have missed it too.

How many miracles do you think you have missed in your life? They are all around us. These soldiers ended up being executed  for not keeping Peter in jail. Missing the miracle of Peter’s release from jail cost them their lives. I don’t think our missed miracles will cost us our lives, but we will miss a blessing.

APPLICATION

Play a disappearing game with your kids. Get everyone in a room one night. Prearrange to have someone in the family “disappear” on cue. Turn off all the lights and allow that person to slip out. Turn on the lights to reveal the missing person. Ask what happened to them. Your kids will be making up all sorts of explanations.

Ask your accomplice to return. Unlike Peter, they do come back to the scene. Read this story of Peter’s disappearance from the jail and ask your children to think how those soldiers felt. Puzzled, confused, scared. As believers, we have no reason to feel any of these. God can and will do miracles all around us. We just have to believe and be watchful. He will reveal Himself.

Do you believe in miracles? Do you think God still performs miracles? I sure do. We don’t build our faith on them, but it is great knowing a God of miracles. God might just use you in His next miracle, like He used Peter.

I am looking for You to do a miracle, Lord. I know You are still a God of miracles and can use me. Thank You, Father, for showing me Your power.

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