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The World Needs Miracles
Hebrews 13:8 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.' (NIV)
In the Bible, says author Paul E. Little, a miracle is 'an act of God breaking into, changing or interrupting the ordinary course of things'. Miracles are absolutely central to the story of the Bible. If you took the miraculous element out of the Bible narrative, you would be left with some sound ethical and moral instruction, which would be good but would lack the weight and authority of divine revelation. The Bible's miracles are not afterthoughts, added to its moral teaching just too give a splash of colour. The miracles are at centre stage in God's epic drama of self disclosure. They show how a supreme and transcendent God cares enough to intervene in human affairs. Without the evidence that God does break into human pain and need to bring healing and provision, the Christian notion of a God who 'is love' would be unsupportable. What's more, the Bible refuses to let us believe that miracles are something for the pre-literate masses of ancient times. Bible miracles have never been founded on superstition - in fact the scripture warns against it - but on faith. And the reason it asserts that miracles can happen in our own time, is that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. The same Lord who healed the sick and raised the dead in the pages of the New Testament is alive in his church today, and is working through modern Christians to perform the same great works. A few years ago, I had the privilege of preaching alongside one of the great legends of miracle ministry, evangelist T. L. Osborne. He says this: 'Without miracles, Christianity is just incredibility.' The fact is, without miracles of healing, provision and so on, Christianity is nothing more than a series of religious tenets and moral propositions. The world needs to see that our faith has more to it than that. The world needs to see the miraculous power of God working in us and through us.
Prayer: 'Father God, I want my world to see that my faith is not simply a series of moral propositions or religious dogmas. I want people to see that Christianity has credibility, because the word of God is backed up with power to heal, set free and deliver. Make me an agent of your miracle power.'
© 2003-2004 Mal Fletcher
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I want to thank you for your wonderful devotions. They help guide my walk with Christ. God bless you and your work.
Cheryl, United States
Mal, I have been so blessed by your teaching. Your book 'Making God Famous' is just great.
Jan, Norway
Hey Mal - great article on your trip to Bradford!!
Dan, United Kingdom
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