Miracles I

I. Definition -- a miracle is an effect or occupance which surpasses all known human or natural powers, and which most would attribute to a supernatural cause... a wonder or marvel. The Bible overflows with miracles.
        But some people say that miracles can't be. This is a problem.
        You have a choice. You can believe in miracles and take God at His word, or you can remain a skeptic living in unblief.

II. Have any of you here been a witness to a miracle?
        Who has seen a miracle?
        Who has had a miracle in your body personally?
        Who has been miraculously protected?
        I know that miracles are real.
        These witnesses would be suitable evidence in most courts of law.

III. There are three spirits in this world, the spirit of man, the spirit of satan,
        and the spirit of God. So also there are three apparent kinds of miracles,
        miracles of man, of satan, and of God. We need to differentiate these.

IV. The miracles of man are just illusions, for man has no authority to
        overrule the laws of nature, even temporarily. There are many fakers - magicians who try to decieve the unwary, some even using hypnosis. They do no true miracles.

V. The miracles of satan are also lying miracles, illusions. For satan has no
        creative power and therefore no authority over the laws of nature. The seeming miracles of satan are always lying deceptions, illusions designed to lead persons away from the truth of the Word of God.
        1) The Scripture warns us to be wary of false prophets and miracles.

Lev. 21:27 "a man or a woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stone..."
Deut. 18:9-14 "devination, enchanter, witch, consulter with familiar spirits...
        these are an abomination unto the Lord..."
Mark 13:22 "False Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs
        and wonders, to seduce if it were possible, even the elect."
I John 4:1 "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.

        2) Particularly in the end of time:

II Thes. 2:7-10 "... with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all
        deceivableness of unrighteusness in them that perish; because they received no the love of the truth, that hey might be saved..."
Rev 13:13-14 "he (the antichrist) doeth great wonders, so that he makes fire
        to dome down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth..." God, the saints in heaven and the angels are not deceived, only the men on earth are deceived.
Rev. 13:3 "And I saw one of his heads as is were wounded to death, and his
        deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast."

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        3) Decieving spirits have been at work ever since the garden of eden. Demonic manifestations are always intended to deceive. For example:
        a) Demons pretend to be the spirits of the dead when they manifest as ghosts to the eyes. They want people to believe that the spirits of the dead remain on earth after death, not having to face God in judgement.
        b) Demons manifest as wonders in the heavens, today called UFOs,
        seen as either lights in the air or as illusions in the minds of encounter witnesses. These present the idea of aliens from other worlds, which suggest that God's word is imperfect, evolution is real & glorifies high technology or aliens as the answer to man's problems.
        c) Demons manifest in seances, in Ouija board sessions, when dowsers
        seek water or burried pipes, when tea-leaf readers, palm readers, card readers and other deviners tell secrets. These demons and their human clients want us to believe that they are the key to revealing mysteries and secrets. They do many seeming miracles to decieve.
        d) Demons manifest as accusers & deceivers, speaking directly to the mind to disturb and comdemn, and convincing some that they are going insane.
        e) All decieving spirits are our enemies. They come with the purpose of:
John 10:10 "The thief (satan) cometh not but to to steal, and to kill, and to
                 destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have is more abundantly."
        Believing a lie is dangerous. Lying wonders lift up false gods.

        4) There are many lying worders and the Lord wants us aware of the
        enemy's tricks.
Matt. 10:16 "I send you forth as sheep among the wolves; be ye therefore wise
        as serpents, and harmlesss as doves."
Eph. 4:14 God would "That we be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
        carried about with every wind (satan is the prince and power of the air) of doctrine, be the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

VI. True miracles, the miracles of God, serve His purposes, always glorify Jesus, and build up the body of Christ on the earth. True miracles are not to convince the unbelieving, nor are they to build up our faith, but true miracles are the gift of God to those that are already acting in faith, those who are doing His work of preaching the gospel and testifying of the truth of His word.

Mark 16:17-18 "These signs shall follow them that believe, In my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues ..."
Acts 2:22 "Jesus a man approved of God ... by miracles and wonders and signs."
Acts 5:12 "by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders
        wrought among the people." True signs and wonders!
Acts 14:3 Peter "speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto
        the word of grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands."
        Jesus rebuked them that would not believe without seeing.
John 4:48 "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe."
        Jesus rebuked the unbeieving jews because they needed a sign to believe.
John 20:24-29 "except I see in His hands the prints...Jesus said ... blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed."

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        If a miracle glorifies Jesus then it is of God and it is a true miracle.
VII. I can testify of these true miracles:
         1) Tornado did a right angle turn 50 ft. from a praying church
         2) My fall on concrete on hip, no bruise, no pain (on witness trip).
         3) Collision between my head and an iron rod, no bruise or pain.
         4) At the age of about 4, I ran into the side of a car going about 25 mph.
         5) Broken hip little pain, sat in wheel chair for nearly an hour
         6) I've seen the dead raised twice, once very close during worship, with
                nurses as witnesses.
         7) My former wife healed of epilepsy, agonizing periods.
         8) Tucson near roll over auto collision, car on two wheels for 150 ft.
         9) Left my body, up in the air to see Jesus
                (close encounter of the best kind).
        10) My life saved many times, once nearly drowned, several auto collisions.
        11) Many times, the word of knowledge comes while praying.

VIII. True miracles:
        1) Affirm a Biblical view of God and Jesus as God and
                either directly or indirectly glorify HIm.
        2) Miracles help people and result in much thanksgiving.
        3) Miracles show He is a thinking God, an aware God, who wills to take purposeful action. He is not just a force that man can manipulate.
        4) As creator He has authority over the laws of nature. That is,
                From instant to instant and from place to place, He sets the laws of nature and they contine only by His will.

Col. 1:16-17 "By Him were all things created... and He was before all things,
        and by Him all things consist." That is, exist and are maintained.

        5) For Him a miracle takes just a thought. It takes no more thought for
                Him to will the laws of nature to be abnormal than it does for Him to will the laws of nature to be normal.
        6) He is limited only by His word -- by His promises.
         7) Many of His miracles are creative miracles. The micro-miracle of
                creating a child -- He chooses who and when each child is born. These show He is creator still -- He changes not!
John 1:3, "without Him was not anything made that was made."
         He is creator still, because He changes not!
        8) Today God is actively involved with His creation. God cares.
                His caring involvement shows His righteous character.
        9) Many small events have major consequences. That is, by small interventions He can be in total contol of the world.
                Technically, this is called instability. I prefer the term amplification.

VII. Every saved person is a miracle.
        1) He has changed our thoughts and behavior. Say, I am a miracle.
        2) Changed lives witness right now that we have learned to truly love,
                to care, to give. We each are:
II Cor 3:3 living epistles, written in fleshly tables of the heart.
        3) To most people, changed lives are the best possible evidence,
        that Jesus is alive, that He is in us, and that the God of the Bible is real!

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