Preface
It seems as if God pops in and out of our lives, but the reality is, he is an ever present help in times of trouble. The reality of God is not something that we will often see, but it will be seen! I can exaggerate and say “I never see the good qualities of my wife, only the bad” but that would be an exaggeration, if not a lie. When either party in a relationship chooses to ignore the good and only focus on the bad, you can be sure that relationship is doomed to destruct. To say we have never seen the Reality of God is choosing to focus on the negative, it is an exaggeration, if not a lie. The Reality of God is not something that we will often see, but God will give us glimpses of himself from time to time. The question is, what do we do with the times, when we have seen or experienced the Reality of God? Even Moses, as spiritual a man as he was, did not have a burning bush experience every day, but he did get “one”! On another occasion God told Moses he would pass him by and allow Moses to get a glimpse of him, He put Moses in the cleft of a rock and passed him by so he could see him. I believe God will put each and every one of us that is earnestly seeking him in the cleft of a Rock and allow us to see his glory pass on by. He knows that we are made up of flesh, that we are but a passing breeze that does not return, that we are a fickle people with fickle faith.
So let’s embark on some apologetics of Christianity examining the Reality of God. Is God real? Well you may not have the proof of that today. As you went to work, came home, had dinner, struggled through homework with the kids, just another day. There was no manna from heaven, no celestial visitation, no not even goose bumps today….however there are other days that He put you in the cleft of he rock and he passed you by and you saw him pass. I can show you the Reality of God any day if you want to study scientifically the universe and the anatomy of man, but practically speaking God is the one that will show you his reality in the miraculous.
The reason for this book is…There cannot be One Day, that the Reality of God is not present in your mind. This does not mean that God has to do miracles for us every day, (he will not) this does not mean that God has to “touch us” everyday (he will not). This simply means that whether we are aware or not aware of God’s presence in or on any particular day, week or month, we must still consciously, willingly and purposely act out, and live out the Reality of God. There are days, weeks or even months maybe even a year, where the outward appearance of life would dictate “there is no God” He is not real. There are no miracles to speak or anything good to testify about, but how important it is in that time that we purposely act out, live out and confess the Reality of God. The Reality of God in our minds must be the one constant thing that is upon us. And we do this by making decisions based on this Reality! We do this by praying to a God that does not answer back! We do this by giving to a God that is not giving back! We do this by continuing to serve a God and honor Him even though we see no miracles. This perhaps is the “Blind Faith” of which the secular world speaks of. However it is not blind faith because God has shown himself in the past, we have had our burning bush experience (which we must hold on to for dear life) it is just that “right now” He is not showing himself, for one reason or another.
Chapter One
Do we need the miraculous?
"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." John 4: 48
Has human nature changed? I know fashion has changed, hairstyles, even our language has changed, but has humanity changed? Once you strip humanity of their outward decoration you will find that at the core, humanity has not changed. “Unless you people see a miracle you will not believe”, what a statement! However, with that statement should we bow our heads in shame and say, “yes, you’re right, what is wrong with me, why can’t I just naturally believe in whom I’ve never heard or seen? What is wrong with me?”
Do you not know that the Heavens declare the glory of God?! Yes, I do believe I’ve read that somewhere in my bible, but unfortunately I’ve also read of a group of people that God miraculously delivered out of bondage and slavery in Egypt, parted the red sea for them and then caused the sea to crash in upon their enemies and then read about that same group questioning God’s providence and sovereignty just a short time later. The stars were there for them to gaze upon, the moon was there to gaze at and the sun was also there to scorch them and almost kill them too.
Gideon is a character in the bible that the average person should be able to identify with. His is not an atheist by any means, but could possibly be drifting towards agnosticism. Gideon is caught at a season in his life when his perception of God and certainly his perception of the Reality of God, is shaken, to say the least. In his own words he says, “And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about”. Where are they? This is not a good state for this young Israelite to be in, how then is Gideon won back to God, you might ask? He is won back by miracles!
So if our answer is “yes” we do need miracles then the next question to follow would be, “why doesn’t God do more miracles”. The average Christian that has lived any good amount of time for God (10-20 years) will have a repertoire of maybe 10-15 divine experiences with God in the span of two decades. And so the question is why God doesn’t do more? If he did more, wouldn’t more people believe? Isn’t that what God wants, “more people to believe”. Nobody tells God what to do, so why not just unleash a plethora of miracles on people and convert them all?
Why not unleash numerous miracles all over believers and cause their faith to be constantly stirred. It just seems that God being tight with miracles, can only work to his disadvantage and in the large scheme of things, we would have to say, “Miracles are tight”. This is why books, T.V. appearances, testimonials arise, because miracles are rare and normally, a genuine miracle does attract the ratings and thence, attracts the media, book signings etc….
So why not, why not more miracles? Well, you will find that miracles are often preempted by an action on a human’s part. God gets involved in the wars we get involved in. Every war Israel Israel
Why doesn’t God do more, simply stated, because we don’t fight enough and don’t give him the opportunity. What is it that we are doing to preempt his divine intervention? Do we ever give to where we don’t need a miracle? We serve God and obey but only to the point of comfort. Rarely does the average Christian engage themselves in a situation that leaves them vulnerable to God. In other words, if God doesn’t intervene I’m dead meat here. We have set ourselves up so that we do not have to believe in God for a Miracle. We live out our faith in way that it doesn’t matter if God moves. We are no longer stepping out in faith, taking Godly risks not allowing God to draw us out of the boat. Peter is gone and what remains today is the rest of the disciples that chose to stay in the boat where it was safe and dry. They may not have experienced walking on water as Peter did, but they also did not make fools of themselves, they stayed dry and did not almost die. I believe, should Peter be given the situation again, he would have done the same. Some men would rather experience a close brush with death, and sense God’s closeness, other’s would rather live a life of security and comfort, even if that means, God feeling like he’s miles away or not there at all.
Chapter Two
Miracles For Unbelievers
Does God do miracles for unbelievers? Jesus said, “The only sign you’re going to get from me is as Jonah was in the belly of whale…” So no, miracles are primarily for his people. Jesus said the only miracle that will be given to unbelievers is me dieing on the cross for their sins and resurrecting three days later. Before I will believe and give God credit for any other miracle, I must first believe God for the miracle of my salvation, the miracle of Jesus dieing on the cross and rising on the 3rd day. Paul writes in Romans, if you will “believe” that Jesus died and rose on the 3rd day, then you shall be saved….”
I once as a sinner sat in a park and looked up to the sky and said, “God if you’re real, show me….show me, some how…..cause one of those stars to fall, right now”. No star fell. What an opportunity God missed to show himself real to me. Do you think if a star had fallen I would have changed my ways, repented and become a “believer” or would I have thought….”what an eerier coincidence” and moved on with life. But yet it was a short time after that I was invited to church and heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that he died for me, as I was confronted with my sins, and God’s forgiveness, that is what saved, not a shooting star. Not to say that God never does miracles for unbelievers, we know he did in the N.T. and we know he did for some that we never go on to read of their conversion. But Primarily, I would say God saves his miracles for his sons and daughters in key moments, key seasons as they are forging out their faith & relationship with him.
Chapter Three
Divine Intervention
Divine intervention is also a class of miracles. However, Divine Intervention is not always seen on the spot, often it is scene in retrospect. Miracles are what you get from contending, not merely attending. Miracles are what you get from pursuit, as one gets body builders physique not by chance, but it was something he/she set his mind on and pursued until he either a) gives up or b) obtains that physique. He does not simply wake up one morning and find himself with a physique he has not contended for, if only that was the case! It is not even that he thought of having such a physique, it is not even that he wanted such a physique (although this is a start) it is that he deliberately pursued it. “When you will search for me with all your heart, mind and soul then you shall find me”.
There are miracles that must be sought after or you will never receive them. A laissez-faire mindset as a Christian will rob you of many miracles that were at your finger tips, but you never received. Many Christians are content to settle for what God or life may throw their way and if it’s not going to be thrown or given to them, they are not the type to pursue, to seek, to knock, to ask…..Perhaps they think that God will see fit to give them what they need and they should just be content with that. And although that sounds very humble and spiritual, it is not biblical.
Chapter Four
Without Miracles
“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” John 11:5
Silence, ignoring my needs…not responding to my prayers are not my choice. I want constant pampering, immediate answers to my prayers, nothing to go wrong and much blessing. I can be irritated by a God that does not respond immediately to my needs. I can become frustrated with this deity that can do anything but does nothing. The response of Mary and Martha is that of any human being with a beating heart, it is a response of “where were you” “why did you take so long in coming” and “you’re to late, I called on you days ago, it’s to late now”. “This is why we are in debt, this is why we are in a bad situation, it is because we called on God, but He did not come.” God wants to show up whenever He wants and think everything is going to be okay. God has no “urgency of the matter” it seems. If we could fire this God, we would at times. You’re Fired! Time is a factor, Lord. You just want to show up whenever you want, but now look, Lazarus is dead! Have you learned your lesson Lord? My brother could have still been alive. Had you showed up when I called…However, truth be known, time is not a factor with God, it is a factor with us. In a blink of an eye God can change everything. I will raise Lazarus from the dead if I have to, what is critical here Mary, Martha and company is how you respond as “the time of silence” is allowed to run it’s course in your life, your faith. Does it cause you to fire God and move on to another god? How many Theists has “The Silence Of Time” turned into Atheists…the answer is many. Will the silence of time turn your faith? Can you be trusted with the silence of God in your life? A steadfast assurance and confidence in Jehovah Jireh that though he does not respond, though he is not seen, He is and was and will always be and when He does show up and find a Faith that is in tact He will overturn any situation that may have developed in the waiting….Wait on the Lord and you will see the arm of salvation come to you!
Chapter Five
The One Miracle
Remember that you were slaves in
Edgar Harrell tells of the great account of his story in a book published by the name of “Out of the Depths. This is one man’s story of the miraculous, providential care of a United States Marine that was stranded out at sea for the equivalent of 4 days, after the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, in shark infested waters. It was not until 4 days of drifting at sea that this man was rescued after having watched many of his shipmates devoured by sharks, but yet he was miraculously preserved. It has been 60 years since the tragic experience, yet Edgar can still vividly recall that experience without missing any detail, but even more important is that Edgar Harrell still remembers that “one great thing” the Lord did for him more than 60 years ago and that his gratitude for what God did for him has never diminished one iota. And the balance to the Reality of God, Miracles, Signs and Wonders is that we must remember what God has done in the past, and we must be willing to continue to march on in faith with what God has done in the past even if we do not hear or see him in the present; and then still believe for the future. Is the life of a Christian marked with a plethora of Miracles or is it more often “that one great thing” that keeps us? How often did Jehovah refer back to the parting of the Red Sea and the deliverance from Egypt
“Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:16
Remembering is a very clear principal in God’s word, for keeping right relationship and covenant with each other. God says I will do so and so must you also do so. As you speak with devoted Christians you will find that it is not a plethora of miracles that has kept them over the years but rather a gratefulness for that “one great thing” that God did for them that they will never forget. It could be a deliverance they received, it could be a healing, it could be a relationship that was saved, it could be any number of the aforementioned or more, but the common element is the gratefulness and the remembrance of that “one great thing”.
Chapter Six
The Many Miracles
The bible calls us “believers” and 90% of Americans polled claim to be believers in God. But yet the bible definition of “believe” means to adhere to, obey, trust in and act out. In other words, the true meaning of believe in God in the Bible means more than to acknowledge a supernatural deity, but it actually means to Adhere to, obey, trust in and act out a life, each day, that demonstrates this “belief”. It is the belief that a building truly is on fire that causes me to grab my children, leave the comfort of my home and enter the dark and cold air of the night in the middle of winter; this is a belief that causes an action. To say I believe the building is on fire and to remain there and not act upon that belief would be either suicidal or insane. If we believe in God but yet our lives are not governed by that belief, is that really a belief? If we believe in God but yet are enrolled in every type of Government hand out and subsidy for our needs, is that believing in God? It surely is a statement of our belief in Government, but is it a declaration of our belief in God? If the Government has all the programs to meet my needs, than why bother to get up in the morning and pray for that miracle? Do I really need a miracle or is what I really need is the Government to bail me out? Canada Canada Africa where Christians are being miraculously healed on a daily basis of aids, cancer, deafness and every manner of disease. Same God, same prayer, but yet Miracles abound in one place and a few and far in-between in the other. The Reality of God is almost tangible in one place, by Miracles and many and the Reality of God is aloof and vague in another, with few miracles. One God, one human race, one earth, but yet one has other options, the other group of people has not. Either God heals me or I die on one side of the world, or on the other side of the World the options are, either God heals me or the surgeons do, either way, this situation, this illness will be rectified, one way or another. The greatest paradox of America America America America
Conclusion
The Death Of The Miraculous
Can we have a sense of The Reality of God without miracles, in essence, how important are miracles? If your answer to those questions is “not so important” than you are naïve or perhaps ignorant. Listen to the warning from Jesus. “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible.” Mark
How important are miracles? It depends how important God and the belief in God are to you. If the belief in God is secondary to you, than miracles are irrelevant. What is relevant is Government, the status quo and my own self sufficiency. If the belief in God is important to you, than Miracles are a must. They are a must for you and I and even more so they are a must for our children and grand children, should Jesus tarry. Otherwise our children will be caught as Gideon was, struggling in his faith, leaning towards Agnosticism and eventually towards Atheism. The Miraculous will die along with the Faith of a Nation that once established the Greatest Nation on Earth by Faith and the Miraculous. Ironically enough, the Miraculous will resurface but this time it will not be from God. And a World that will have been starved of the Miraculous will now feast on signs and wonders and with these signs and wonders will come a new following for a new god. Now the opposite will be in such that Miracles will be for the “unbeliever” and it will be a very similar miracle that will be used to draw the believer, ie: a miracle of resurrection.
Revelation 13
The Beast out of the Sea And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.[b] 9He who has an ear, let him hear.
10If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
The Beast out of the Earth
11Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
Jesus said
"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." John 4: 48
How important are Miracles…Very! It is the miraculous, in the end, that will cause the inhabitants of the earth to be deceived, when ironically it once was the miraculous that called the inhabitants of the earth to believe.
Are you attending but not contending? Will you allow yourself to be caught up in a denomination that is deader than a door knob? Are you in a congregation, a denomination that has not seen a genuine, divine, manifestation of God does not see or believe in the Miraculous?
Are you in a denomination that accepts a belief in God that causes you in no way to change the way you live?
Is Government your God, your provider, your Miracle?
Do you need a Miracle right now or is your life comfortable, safe and secure. Are you self-sufficient, well established and in need of nothing? Then Jesus says, “You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Revelations 3:17
God did not make miracles so that you could structure your life, your faith, so you could live without them.
God began with miracles with the very first group of people he called upon the earth in his omniscient plan of redemption for mankind. He chose on purpose to work through Miracles. Miracles are part of God’s plan in the redemption of man kind and how many religious institutions today have chosen to put miracles to the side. How many denominations have chosen simply to cop out and say we are in the “post apostolic era” therefore Miracles are no longer necessary, but yet the church is dieing, but yet the church is full of Gideon’s that cry out, “where are the miracles and wonders that our forefathers spoke about” and the Gideon’s of the church today are leaving the church in droves. Many are being enticed into the occult, witchcraft, Wicca, new age, because there is something in human nature that longs to see divine manifestation because we innately know that there is something more than us to this Universe and when we fail to see it in God or through our church, or through are parent’s faith we will go elsewhere to find it or turn Atheist.
The problem is the pendulum tends to swing from one extreme to the other. Either churches are obsessed with the supernatural, God’s divine manifestations and miracles which leads to a counterfeit or they totally push it to the side and relegate it as unnecessary. In both situations they equally error and misrepresent God’s divine will in the Miraculous. The Reality of God is based on the Miraculous, both past, present and future. It is based on contending beyond attending, it is based on a Christian that lives out, acts out and places himself in the hands of a living God, he steps out when challenged by God, and says “catch me Lord, or I drown” but I believe on you to walk on water. Not because I thought it would be “cool” to walk on water but because you called me out of the boat.
The miraculous will arrive to those that respond when called out of the boat, when called out of their family business, career, security and comfort. The miraculous will occur to the Christian that ventures out, who takes Godly risks. And what is the benefit? The benefit will be a solid, unshakeable faith, the benefit will be a faith that is passed on to our children that they will not venture where they should not venture, to experience the supernatural. The supernatural, the miraculous will be a part of their life, the Reality of God will be an ever constant force in their life.
The Reality of God can be sought in the Universe, the stars, the moon and the sun if you wish and Paul admonishes us theat the Reality of God is within us, through creation we can see God, but Jesus also said, “these signs shall follow them that believe” and how important it is, than to our converts, to our church, to our sons and daughters will do not simply resort to Romans for them to believe but we can also rely on the promise of God himself, that to those that believe, there would be signs, how often and how much he does not say and it is not for us to determine or demand, but yet there ought to be an expectancy within the heart of the believer that says, “where is the God of Elijah” “where is the God our forefathers spoke about” “Gold and Silver have I none, but in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk” and they that believed were many and numerous and many were added to the church! “Now while he was in Jerusalem
The end
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