Miracles
"Now God
worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul"
(Acts 19:11)
Pastor Doug Richardson said, in a
commentary on Genesis 3, "We have all
experienced the lie that the enemy has used from the beginning, that
God is withholding something from us." (The enemy asked "Has
God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?'
- Genesis 3:1; and Satan continued "You will
not surely die" - Genesis 3:4). God warned our earliest
ancestors that to partake of just one thing (out of many) would kill
this race. But the enemy winked at Eve, and intimated that God was
actually denying something she and Adam would like.
Often we pray about something that
seems essential to the continuance of life as we know it, and the
answer doesn't work out as expected. We didn't get our miracle, we
decide, and hang our heads lower, as we shuffle off into a less
happy future.
A short time ago, we attended the
funeral of Pastor Dennis Broxton, who went home to be with the Lord
after 25-years of intense suffering, like few ever experience. You
may recall that he was paralyzed from the neck down in 1976, his
wife died in 1986, his son died, his grandson died, they removed his
leg, which was traumatic for him, and the final indignity was when
they took his voice by a tracheotomy, in order to save his life.
Anybody who knew this man was
touched by the love of God in him. We just knew him for his last
year when he was confined to a bed, but those who knew him
previously described him as an "active" man, even though he was kept
in a wheelchair. One of the other patients at the VA Hospital said
Dennis had gone " everywhere" in that wheelchair. He got around and
it was amazing what he did even with the "limitations" of his life.
He talked to literally hundreds of
people about the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. He went
places and talked to men and women that he would never have reached,
except he was in that chair. We ached for him to get up out of that
bed and walk! But God had a better idea, and he died the way he
lived for the last quarter century - paralyzed! It seemed that the
many prayers for him were never answered - but they were answered -
in ways we did not expect.
It seemed like God was withholding
LIFE from this great but man, but he was in fact GIVEN life in ways
that few know even exist. And now that he has gone to be with the
Lord, we see that the prayers for him were answered in two ways: 1)
He was given LIFE in the Spirit of God. The man was a walking Bible,
who responded to everyone's need with the Word of God and the joy of
the Lord. Other patients, visitors, hospital staff - everyone
received something of the Lord from this man. And now, 2) our other
prayer has been answered, for Pastor Dennis is "walking and leaping
and praising God", as we have seen in the life of another formerly
lame man from 2000 years ago (Acts 3:8 & context).
As infinity stretches forth from
the present vantage point of Dennis Broxton, he now sees how short
those 25-years were, in relation to the glory that is already
unfolding for him. God did not merely answer our prayers for him,
but gave him much more; an unfolding of a life in the Spirit that
most never experience, and a ministry to those "in chairs" who
listened to him because he was like they were. And now he is a
"whole" man once again. (He always has been whole in Christ).
I've often wondered about the
spiritual gift called "miracles" as mentioned in 1st Corinthians
12:29 & other places). Other gifts of the Holy Spirit seem more
clear and this one has remained obscure. And yet, Dr. Luke, the
writer of the Book of Acts, does give us information about God's
gift called by the name "miracles."
"Now God
worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even
handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and
the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them"
(Acts 19:11-12). Of course, we know Paul did nothing of himself; it
was and is God who does the miracles.
There are two parts mentioned in
relation to the gift of miracles. 1) Those infested with germs,
microbes, or suffering from injury are made whole, and 2) the
victims of demonic entities will be delivered. Is everyone rescued
in this manner? No. Paul operated in this way in Ephesus for 2-years
and 3-months, but the whole world contained such victims and Paul
reached comparatively few of them. I visit the local VA hospital on
Friday afternoons and can testify there still are PLENTY in need, as
we all know.
The gift of miracles is real and it
is for today ("The gifts and the calling of
God are irrevocable" - Romans 11:29). It may be your gift. If
so, you, in the power of God, can walk right into the camp of the
enemy and rescue the prisoners he has taken. One qualification you
may know about: all is to be done in the will of God (1 John 5:14).
Much like Pastor Broxton had a greater purpose in life than to walk
with his legs (he danced in the Spirit), God has a good and perfect
will for your life and mine. To NOT be healed can be better in the
sight of God.
Chaplain of the U.S. Senate Dr.
Lloyd Ogilvie reported that an elderly lady said to him after a
service, "I pray that your life will be as
wonderful as it was in the mind of God when He created you."
What a wonderful prayer, and it is God's will for you and for me,
that we will eventually conform to the blueprint He has had in store
for us since before the beginning of time. Miracles? Oh, yes. He has
miracles in store for you that will dazzle you and make you shout
"Praise the Lord", if only you will exchange your unbelief (which
makes you unhappy) for trust in the Lord (which will make you glad).
I want for you the miracle of LIFE
in Jesus Christ. Everything else is just a pale imitation of the
walk in the Spirit of God. Will you pray? Father God, we come to You
right now. We put aside any outward need for just a moment, and
confess to You our deeper need for the miracle of the Holy Spirit of
God. This Spirit is given to us in Christ Jesus, and we need Him,
Lord, we need Him now. Please come into my heart and life, Lord
Jesus. I confess my sins and turn to You now.
Forgive me, Lord, and
send me Your Spirit, that I may LIVE in You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
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