Throwback Post April 2016: LOOKING FOR A MIRACLE?

So some of my recent "ponderings" lately have been about the subject of MIRACLES. I've been hearing a lot about everyday miracles, big miracles, small miracles, no more miracles, or even how we can be a miracle! And frankly, all this has got me thinking about what do we really believe about miracles?

     So here's what I have figured out so far.  I most definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, believe that Miracles do exist!  I read through the Bible and I believe those miraculous things that are talked about in those pages, definitely happened. I have also personally experienced some miracles, and I have personally witnessed some miracles. And all I can say is... every time, IT WAS AWESOME! I believe that miracles do happen. 

But I don't really think that for most people, this is the issue? I think that most people believe that miracles can happen. I think that the problem maybe lies in what we believe a miracle is and just how it comes about. I mean we are flooded with movies and music and random people in our lives that all talk about miracles but what is the TRUTH behind a miracle? 

First of all, through reading Scripture (which is where I base my Truth out of) I believe that the definition of a real miracle is  - something possible happening out of something impossible. basically, it's completely divine, not of human capabilities. 

     

       I believe that God can use His children as vessels in which He does a miraculous act through, but never is it because I can perform a miracle simply because God says I have the power to whenever I want. Miracles that come from God, always have a kingdom purpose. They are always made to glorify God and advance His purposes and I believe done in His timing. 

                 I think it's incredibly dangerous for us to overlook that He is the real Creator of Miracles. I get really nervous when people talk about their giftings like healing, which has a miraculous base so to speak, and are so sure when and where God is going to use them. Now, don't get me wrong, I totally believe that God uses us all in the giftings that He gives us but can also use us however He wants. But the point is that, it has to be HIM using us and our giftings according to His purpose, not just because He gave us a gift to use "whenever" we feel it's needed.  We can walk in confidence in the giftings that we have but we have to remain humble and in submission with those giftings to the God who gave them to us to use for His purpose. 

                I've heard preachers preach that God's will is that no one is sick so come up for healing...this is not Biblical. Does God want anyone to be sick? Of course not, but sin entered the world and God does allow sickness. Sometimes it's of our own making and we suffer the consequences and sometimes it's simply that we suffer because sin entered the world and we are affected by it. Sin isn't fair, never will be. But the TRUTH is, God does not ALWAYS heal us by our measure. God is our Healer, but He gets to the root of that word, and we may not always think He's healing us when in fact He is, just maybe not the way we want.  But there are examples in the Bible that God/Jesus did NOT physically heal those around them. 

       Now God did plenty of healing all throughout the Bible and He still does today! I think the key is that it's according to His will, and if we pray in faith believing that we are seeking the will of God and we believe that He can do the impossible...then He will heal us according to His will, and we will be okay with whatever that looks like. 

           Healing is only one of the many miracles that God can do. He can provide for us when the way and circumstances seem impossible, He can protect us in life endangering situations where there is no explanation how we made it through, He can raise the dead, He can calm the storm, He can cause us to do the impossible things...HE CAN! 

        He also warns us in the Bible about believing signs and wonders (miracles) that contradict who He is and what His Word says... WHAAATTTT??? yeah, He does. He tells us that the enemy (satan and demons) also do signs and wonders. Look it up in the Bible and read it. Now this puts a whole new twist on miracles doesn't it? I mean, miracles just got a whole lot more complicated than, "oh it's a miracle, thanks God!". It's ALL ABOUT HIS PURPOSES, HIS KINGDOM, and HIS GLORY. If it is not about these things, then those Miracles, are not coming from God. And if they are not coming from God, then why is the enemy trying to get you off track? Simple...that's ALWAYS been his goal. Satan doesn't care if you believe in God, he just doesn't want you living for Him. And if he has to trick you a few times to get you off track, believe me, he will. The question is, can you recognize the difference between the author of the "miracle"? 

      Now you might be saying, "Darby, why are you such a buzz kill! This article was pretty good until you threw that in!"  And that's okay, because like I said... I want to get to the TRUTH about miracles. And the truth is, God DOES do miracles! But unfortunately, there's a lot of false miracles out there as well that are not about God's purposes. And we need to know the difference!  I just recently listened to a song and read the lyrics by a "Christian" artist, that talked about how we need to Be the Miracle in someone's life. Now we "seasoned" believers can take that and say, yes God wants to use us to make a difference (not exactly a miracle) and we need to be His arms extended and offer love to those around us (again not exactly a miracle) but that's not really what the song is portraying in it's lyrics. Neither I nor You can ever BE a miracle to someone else. We don't have that capability, GOD can do a miracle through us but that is very different than being the miracle. I can't be what people "need", I cannot be their "hope". I can lead them to the One who is, but I cannot now, nor will I ever be their miracle.

       We can pass these things off and say, "it's really no big deal" and frankly, that would be much easier to do. In fact, i'm pretty sure that's what we have done in the Christian community, we just pass things off like it's not the main thing so who cares what people think about this or that...but I'm learning that God cares about what we believe about everything, and it actually really does matter. If we don't get to the TRUTH of EACH matter that forms our beliefs, then we start basing our belief system on untruths. This is destructive to our lives, our relationships with others, AND in our relationship with our GOD. God is all about TRUTH.  I think that the Church today is in such a state of confusion because we've been so passive over the "non-issues" that we've strayed so far away from the Truth, that nowadays, anything goes and everything's God. The little things matter, they really do.  

Miracles do happen, but real miracles are divine. You don't create them, I don't create them, they are not controlled by us at all. God's miracles will always bring us to a place that focuses on Him. He is a God of Miracles. Some people may not believe that miracles happen anymore because no one is parting a Red Sea, or feeding thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and a

couple fish but... every sunrise and sunset, every tree that produces leaves, and every flower that blooms, every baby that is created, and every breath in your lungs....is a divine miracle that comes from a LOVING Creator. And those crazy awesome once in a lifetime, not every day miracles happen too! And THAT is pretty AMAZING!