MIRACLES

When the Scriptures say, "God's ways are not our ways" we think that does not apply to miracles. After all who would not like a great miracle? But to be honest miracles are not God's best for our lives blessings which He has already been given us is. I know this thought runs contrary to most Christian belief and teachings, but come on brother, let's get God to jump through the victory hoop for us so we can get Him to give us a new car or bigger house. Or even touch our body when we have overindulged to the point our weight is killing us. Now I speak from personal experience. To have God's best for our lives we must cooperate with God's natural laws and His divine spiritual principles. When God does a miracle for us He supersedes (suspends) or extends His natural laws and/or divine spiritual principles sometimes to cover our disobedience and failure to walk in the way He would have us go. Often we will pray for God to touch our body to help us lose weight and we even ask for a miracle when all we have to do is push away from the table, but no a miracle lets us off the hook. Or we pray for God to do a miracle in our finances (probably living beyond our means) when all we have to do is cut up some credit cards and stop over spending, but no a miracles let us off the hook and we can go and shop till we drop. Well, God has already provided all we need for our daily healthy living, prosperity, and so much more there really is no need for Him to give us a miracle. He may (He does not have to) if He does He knows the plan He has for our life could be in jeopardy of failure or we will experience an early untimely death. It is when we fail to follow God's natural and spiritual divine principles we need a miracle. In Ephesians Paul tells us, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Ephesians 1:3) God has already given us everything we need to do what He wants us to do. God "hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing" that is past tense. What more can we add to "all?" In the Bible "all" means just that "all." God hath blessed us with "all" spiritual blessing. Shall we add a miracle to the word "all?" The hunger for miracles in some people (Christians included) is greater than the hunger for God. The root and source of all we do MUST be found in Christ. Most Christians do not know miracles return or go back to a normal condition because miracles are not permanent in our lives. God gave the Children of Israel manna (heavenly food) to eat while in the wilderness what a wonderful miracle, but it ended and manna was never again recorded in the Bible. In the Book of Joshua after the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan river, "And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. 11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. 12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year." (Joshua 5:10-12) The wonderful miracle of manna ceased and things went back to the natural law of food (seed time and harvest) in the divine spiritual principles God established. Principles like if you do not work you should not eat, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10) Many Christians today expect God to supernaturally provide food and shelter, but have no intention of finding work. In the 80s and 90s many Christians went on "love walks" not working so other Christians could provide for them as they spent more time with God. What a bunch of mule fritters! These Christians were just lazy. Peter never walked on the water again after the episode with Jesus correcting him. Matthew gives us a good account of this. "And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." (Matthew 14:29-32) After Jesus and Peter hit the boat Peter never walked on water again. I wonder why Peter left a place of safety? Looks and sounds like Peter wanted Jesus to do a miracle for him so he could do something supernatural. The natural laws of gravity and weight kicked in for Peter the rest of his life. I remember when we lived in Ridgeley, West Virginia and my father was working in Quantico VA while in the USMC. Well it was time to go to church, but we had no gas in our car. What to do, well a good friend of my mother Mill Miller, a dear woman of God said, "Beverly do you believe Jesus turned the water into wine?" And my mother replied, "yes." So Mill said, "do you believe God can turn water into gas?" My mother replied, "yes." So Mill said, "fill her up." So in blind faith my mother filled the gas tank with water and off we drove to church. As a matter of fact we drove all week on that tank of water and when my mother told my father he went high and to the right. As special as that miracle was at that time the next week the car needed gas to run on. Miracles are not permanent because they are an extension or stopping of normal conditions or circumstances of natural laws and divine spiritual principles. Miracles are not God's best His best is for us to operate in the natural laws and divine spiritual principles in obedience to His word that He has established for us to live successfully now and in the future. After all miracles are not a guarantee from God, but a blessing "hath" been done (already given to us) where miracles have not been done. To make things even more confused we have problems with determining the outcome between a miracle and a healing. A healing is something that happens over time where a miracle is a suspension or extension of God's natural laws and divine spiritual principles. Often we pray for a miracle when in reality what we want is a healing. We must not get confused and ask the LORD for what we want. After all our prayers for such things are things we want from God and even in this we must be careful not to get over in the misuse of our asking the LORD for things. The word "amiss" is an interesting word that is often used. James tells us, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (James 4:3) The word "amiss" means to be sick, to be diseased, evil, or grievous. It has more to do with our heart condition than asking not according to God's will for the situation. Here James was saying you receive not because of your evil, grievous heart. When we go after miracles instead of walking in the natural laws and divine spiritual principles we can get over into tempting God. You can ask Brother Peter. Again I know this is not the main stream Christian doctrine miracles seem to have a magical spell on us, but God is not in the business of doing magic He is looking for our obedience in following His divine order and spiritual principles so that He will not have to pull a rabbit out of His hat. Sadly if He has to do something supernatural (and He will because He has a plan and purpose in His heart for us) to save us He knows the plan and purpose He has for us is in jeopardy of failing. Now do not think we have succeeded when we get God to do something supernatural for us we have not we have failed. When we look at the greatest miracle in our lives -- salvation it is not done by God doing something supernatural for us, but by us in obedience confessing our sins. John tells us, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) The word "confess" means we agree with God what He is saying about us is true. The greatest confession we can make is our need for God and out from that we must follow His divine principles and laws He "hath" already given us. Now that would be a real miracle.