Reading for February 14-18
Acts 19:1-22
Paul’s 3rd Missionary Journey
Thursday
Do Miracles Like This Really Happen?
“God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled." Acts 19:12-13 (NLT)
Pastor’s Reflections
There are two key things to understand in this passage.
First is that Luke is telling us that God was doing miracles through Paul. I neither believe that miracles don’t happen, nor that they ceased in the first century. Nor am I without skepticism regarding what I see with some televangelists. Although I find the story about handkerchiefs and aprons weird at first glance, at second glance when I think of the power of God, the faith and hope of those who were sick, the openness of the worldview at the time to miracles, the new surge of the kingdom of God breaking into pagan Europe, it becomes more plausible to me. Further, it seems to me that all the physical laws of nature, having been created by and currently sustained by God, can at any time be “tweaked” by God so that they act counter to the law of entropy according to which things deteriorate, including health, in this broken world.
Second, Luke uses the word “unusual”. These kinds of miracles were not the norm. Further, what Luke records is very selective. We have bits and pieces of what happened over a period of up to 30 years. This leaves a LOT of time in between the miraclulous event we read about. I’m certain there many periods of dryness and simple white knuckled faith in the face of desparate conditions.
The unusual and the powerful happen. But they are not what sustain me. The usual, the grace I’ve been given to live each day is what sustains me. God has given me all I need today.
I appreciate your comments Pastor. In my own experience, it is after a period of great trial or tribulation that God has revealed himself in a more overt supernatural, or miraculous way. Clearly to me, when God has blessed me in this manner, it is for the purpose of my spiritual growth and strengthening of my faith. That strengthening sustains me through the periods where I am not experiencing the "unusual" intervention.
ReplyDeleteHi Pastor, I had to comment about the cloths being laid on people & people being healed. I had an experience of the cloth being sent from one of the ministries to me & me being healed of breast cancer because of it. I believe the scripture that says Jesus is the same today, yesterday & forever.
ReplyDeleteRoni Martin
When I was 17 I was on a path to what is now termed, obessive/compulsive disorder. My mother was very superstitious, she had a dream book and she and my sister both visited psychics at least on one occasion each.
ReplyDeleteMy mother & father did not attend church but my sister and I did.
In this atmosphere I came to the point where Satan was tormenting me through fear. If I didn't do such & such, something bad would happen to someone I loved.
One day as I was tempted to do one of these silly things when a voice coming from inside myself stopped me cold and basically said to me, 'Do you believe in me or not?" I had an extreme feeling that this was where the rubber met the road.
I stood in that spot and made the decision I was trusting God. I knew that the two things didn't mesh and I knew this because of God's graciousness and mercy.
God gave me that strength because I had made my choice several years earlier. But, my faith needed to grow and be tested.
"Resist the devil and he will flee" James 4:7 became my action.
God since has brought people in my life that have needed speaking to in areas of the occult. Some to pray for, others to influence. My own family being among them!
Miracles come in all shapes and sizes, but they all come for the glory of God and if it does not do this, I would question its origin...
The word Miracle is misunderstood. Miracles happen, but that they do does not have to violate any of God's laws. Therefore, laws do not have to be tweaked in the sense that they would have to be temporarily changed or modified in order for the miracle to happen. As a result of the integration of the spiritual dimensions and our physical dimensions, God has access to more "laws" than we do, so He has to change nothing but His mind. As a result, the miracle is not physical, but intentional. or in other words, that He chooses to do it.
ReplyDelete