Miracles

Miracles.

I've witnessed what I believe are miracles over the course of my life. Have you? Some people write off miracles as coincidence, as luck, as just part of life. When I say I've witnessed miracles are they miracles others would believe are miracles? Others have, and yet I have to ask, would other non-miracle believing people believe also believe in those miracles?  Certain religions have criteria for miracles and if a miracle doesn't meet all those criteria then they deem them NON-miracles. The BIG miracles - let's say a blind person receiving sight, a deaf person being able to hear, a lame person suddenly able to walk- all well-known miracles.  I can honestly say I've never witnessed any of those well-known miracles. How would I react to them? I know when I witness one of my miracles, I'll call them, I fell to my knees and cried tears of happiness, praising and thanking God. Would I react similarly to a well-known miracle? Shock would be most likely be my first reaction, joy another.

Miracles are real.  Miracles are something we have to believe in if we claim to believe in our Lord and Savior, He performed many miracles, too numerous to even put down all of them in the Bible.

While miracles are NOT common place today- at least not the well-known sort,  they became so when Jesus ministered on earth, but even then thousands upon thousands of people flocked to see Jesus to partake of His miracle working power.

After Jesus was crucified His apostles also began to perform miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Act 14:8  And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: 

Act 14:9  The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 

Act 14:10  Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 

Act 14:11  And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. 

Act 14:12  And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. 

Act 14:13  Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. 

Act 14:14  Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 

Act 14:15  And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: 

Act 14:16  Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 

Act 14:17  Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 

Act 14:18  And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them. 

For those who had NOT seen the miracles of Jesus, to witness Paul and Barnabas and the miracle they performed  was it any wonder they attributed the miracles to the false gods they worshipped and wanted to turn Paul and Barnabas into gods?

Paul and Barnabas DID NOT want to be worshipped, they knew it wasn't through any power of their own that the miracle occurred.

They tore their clothes as an outward sign of disapproval and ran among the people shouting..

Why do you do this! We are just men like you! We want you to turn away from worshipping false gods and turn to the LIVING GOD who made heaven and earth, and the sea and all things in the seas- who let all nations live in their own ways and still gave miracles to them- rain, food, glad hearts! 

The disciples did NOT want to be worshipped! 

God performs many miracles some large and some small, some that people call every day miracles. We can never attribute miracles to ourselves. God deserves all the glory and all the honor for every miracle- for life itself!

More on this tomorrow by the grace and mercy, the will of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST now and forever!!!!!!!