Miracles -- What (and Where) Are They?

1 Chron. 16:12: "Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles..."

Neh. 9:17: "They ... failed to remember the miracles you performed among them."

Psalm 77:11 "I will remember the deeds of the Lord, ... your miracles of long ago."

Psalm 77:14: "You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people."

This is a blog not a book, in order to understand to what purpose God uses miracles. You might scratch the surface with a book. Even an enclylopedia of thought on miracles may or may not answer this question because it flows from the heart.

While I cringe at your abuse of English grammar, I fully agree with your sentiment. We aren't going to answer this millennia-old question here and now.

With passages like those, we are reminded over and over again throughout the Bible, that God is a performer of miracles. We are told to think about the miracles, to wonder at them, to remember them in times of trial or temptation, and to ask for them. Jesus is seen performing miracles often in the Gospels. When the apostles come on the scene, they continue the pattern.

This shows God's purpose for the use of miracles. To remind us what a mighty God we call friend, or show us what a mighty God we call friend.

Yes, yes, but what kind of a "reminder" is a story of a miracle that happened 2000 or more years ago, when all we have to remind us today are American Idol contestants and an occasional good parking space?

1 Cor. 12:28 lists "workers of miracles" as a special appointment given by God to the Church, right under apostles, prophets and teachers. Gal. 3:5 just assumes that miracles are a common occurence in the Church, asking "does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the Law, or because you believe what you heard?"

The start of the church was a very tumultious time. Romans were inviting christians to a dinner where the early christians were the main course! There was religious opposition as well, the Jewish leaders fought hard againt what they thought was heresy, and would only aggreviate the Romans further. It seems to me God's blessings were increased to meet the fierocity of the anti- Christian onslaught.

You don't think there's an onslaught today? I'm in the middle of one! What about the God who cares about me? But anyway, your whole argument is spurious. Jesus never said "You people are under such a load of trial and persecution! Here, let me heal a few sick folks to cheer you up." No, he made it clear that miracles were being done to provide evidence for his ministry. They were to help people BELIEVE.

We do not have that necessity, we enjoy the blessings of provision instead. America's abundance is profound. God blesses America. As a nation or a people we do not have the extra blessings of astounding miracles, I think, because we do not need it. In the times you are mentioning here the children of God needed the miracles because they were being deprived the plenty of life.

I'm sorry, but I don't see that in the Bible. Yes, there were miracles given to provide for the poor and downtrodden. But most of the miracles of the Bible were done to relieve problems which are still very prevalent today: incurable disease, death of children, blindness, deafness, etc., etc.

Over and over and over in the Gospels, it says Jesus healed "all that touched him", "all that came to him", "all their sick", all, all, all. Then he turns around and says "believe on the evidence of the miracles" or in Acts: "Jesus was a man accredited to you by miracles".

You can't deny it, it's in the Bible from beginning to end. From Elijah calling fire down on the soaked wood to prove that his God was real (as opposed to Baal, who couldn't light a dry twig), to the apostles saying "God testified [the preaching of the Gospel] to you by signs and miracles".

But what happened to God's testimony? What's God testifying to these days?

Miracles are frequently, especially in the New Testament, put forward as proof of the miracle worker's claims. More specifically, since only God can really perform them, miracles are seen throughout the Bible as God's personal seal of approval on someone's life or ministry. This is the case with Jesus. This is made plain over and over in statements like:

Acts 2:22: "Jesus... was a man accredited to you by God by miracles"

Hebrews 2:4: "God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles."

Jesus himself made an explicit connection between miracles and people's ability to believe in him on a number of occasions:

John 10:38: "Even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

John 14:11: "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves."

John 4:48: "'Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,' Jesus told him, 'you will never believe.'"

Reading through the Bible, one is presented with a steady stream of stories involving miracles. From the creation itself, the flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sun standing still for Joshua (and going backward for Hezekiah), and on through a myriad of miraculous births, healings, resurrections, etc.

In the Bible, we are rarely, if ever, presented with the modern-day sort of miracle. We are told of a woman who wasted all of her money on doctors before coming to Jesus for healing, but we are never -- i repeat NEVER -- given to think that anyone's cure at the hands of a doctor is any sort of miracle or divine healing. Everyday occurances, such as the natural birth of a child, an advantageous business deal, a financial windfall, or that sort of thing are not presented in the Bible as miracles. They might be said to come from God, in the sense that all good things come from him, but miracles are a special kind of thing. A pleasant breeze, a sunny day or a particularly good parking space at Costco are not the kind of miracles that attest to the truth-claims of Gospel, or serve as God's seal of a approval upon a man's life or ministry.

When I was a young man, I used to thrill when missionaries and the like would tell of miracles they'd witnessed in far away lands. I remember a story of a man who prayed in a public place for a child with a deformed leg, and the leg was instantly healed. In some cases, but by no means all, I later came to find out that those stories were either outright lies, or at best exaggerations of something far more mundane that really happened.

In a previous post, Jerry was about to tell of a miracle in his own life. I may be wrong (Jerry will undoubtedly correct me), but I think he was about to tell of how doctors were able to help with his heart problems. At one time he had a pacemaker (a device which would certainly have appeared miraculous 2000 years ago!), and I guess they were able to remove it after some time, though I think he may have it again. Don't get me wrong, I am overjoyed that Jerry is still with us. I am awed by what doctors are able to do sometimes. But it's not miraculous. Doctors carefully study the human body -- they have been doing so for hundreds of years, each building on existing knowlege -- and their understanding of how it works has grown and grown until today they can do some pretty amazing things.

I was 35 years old when I had and arrythmia (unconsistant beating of my heart). In this case a tachycardia (fast rhythm) over 300 beats per minute. This was life threatening. Bless God, I was in a hospital. And they were able to get that under control, and as I slept they noted my heart slowed to 19 beats (bradycardia) per minute, So they put a pacemaker to allow the heart to have an even pace, and they gave me pills to control the fast rhthym.

And I'm happy they did. But none of this is miraculous. I'm sorry but it isn't. It was a happy coincidence that you were in a hospital when your heart problems manifested. If we credit this to God -- if we say that God arranged this -- what about the thousands of people, both believers and unbelievers alike, that suffer all kinds of heart problems while at home, or on the road, or at a restaraunt? Why is God so haphazard in his ability to provide for people? It doesn't seem like the work of an all-powerful, all-knowing God. More like Loki up there rolling the dice, doing things on a whim now and then.

Now fastforward I am 46 years old, my third pacemaker had just run out of battery, I thought "here we go again, another surgery":( (I think there out to be a puncuation indication sadness :( is what I think is good) (uhhh, yeah Jerry, it's called an emoticon. All the kids are using them nowadays) I was depressed and in my prayer to God I said "This is all very sad, the desire of my heart is to not have to deal with this now, please relieve me of this burden like you said you would, I am sure this is a desire of my heart."

"Like you said you would"??? Now you're striking at the heart of my difficulty. He said he would! HE SAID HE WOULD!

No, I'm not asking for a free ride. I'm not asking for God to pave my path with rose petals at every step. But there were some promises made! To be specific: he said if we ask him for things, he'd provide them. And I don't just mean material things that I want for my own consumption. How about peace of mind, soundness of mind, joy, wisdom? "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it will be given him." But just in case some of us who need wisdom the most should take a little hope in that verse, the next one tells us (to paraphrase), "but if he has any doubts, tell him he can forget it. A person who's faith is wavering can expect to receive nothing from God."

In my relationship with God I am not timid about asking for what he has promised, or challenging him to show me what is.

So again you admit that there were some things promised. I'd like to talk more about that. Just what has God promised?

"Test me and try me and know that I am God."

He asked me to.

I most heartily agree.

I made an appointment with the doctor to have him schedule another surgery. On the day of the appointment the doctor said "If we knew then what we know now we would not have put a pacemaker in you, you do not need it. I don't want to put one back in you." So he didn't. My prayer was not for no pacemaker, just for relief from the burden of worry. But wait there's more: The fast rhthym was always controlled by medication taken throughout the day, this too was a burden because the medication was always losing its effectiveness, and then I would get the fast rhthym and go to the hospital for a session with the shock paddles. One time as I was getting out of the car (with the arrythmia going full tilt) the movement of hauling myself out of the car caused by back to crack. The fast pace dissappeared, just stopped. This is when I learned I could just crack my back to stop the arrythmia. A few days later after I found out that I was not getting my pacemaker replaced I was talking to an arrythmia specialist he said " I am not going to prescribe any pills for you, just crack your back when the symptoms occur!!" Funny! God's answer was complete. Both of the heart problems were no longer such an overwhelming burden to me.

In the interest of fairplay I am now 51 years old, and my doctor told me that I should, and in fact presently do, have a pacemaker. The doctor simply said "well, you got older, now you need one." Also in the interest of fairplay, my deceased father was the third person in the state of Idaho to have heart bypass, my sister died at the age of 38 because of heart problems, my other brothers (3 of them) are all reporting heart problems now.

My miracle was relief from the grief. My good friend Jesus did that. Even today, because he knew it was a desire of my heart.

I'm glad you've been able to see God's hand in all this. I'm glad you're reasonably healthy and all. Really, really I am. But I'm just not seeing the kind of miracle that confirms faith and attests to the Gospel.

So what does all this come to? I must say I'm disappointed. The Bible seems to portray God as an able miracle-worker, but in my life I have yet to witness anything like a miracle in the Biblical sense. Why is that? Some of my former teachers would tell me (indeed they did tell me) that it's because I haven't believed, or have believed the wrong things, or haven't asked in faith or have asked with impure motives, etc., etc. It seems there are so many ways for God to get out of working a miracle for someone, it's a miracle that any miracles ever happened!

So many lessons so little time. Miracles do not build a friendship, they build dependency. Even though God's chosen people were given miracle after miracle, every time there seemed to be a problem. They whined, "God has brought us out here to die, oh woe is me!!!" So God would provide a miracle and they would move forward only to encounter another problem, and they would whine. Problem, whine, miracle, problem, whine, miracle.

What a disastrous relationship that was. It is a wonder God does miracles for anyone!

Oh brother. How many times I've heard this as a reason for no miracles. And of course, the old stand-by "it's a wicked and adulterous generation that seeks after a sign." What about the miracle-as-sign success stories? Elijah's fire-falling contest? Gideon's fleece? Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and many miracles and the clear statements that they were signs attesting to the truth of his claims and ministry? There are many examples in the Bible of people that looked for a sign, and were given it, and God said nothing about them being evil or adulterous! Signs are given to help people BELIEVE. I want to know: does God still do things to help people believe?

The Bible writers admonish us to remember God's mighty works, but how can you remember something that happened 2000 or more years before you were born? If Jesus thought the Jews of his own time couldn't believe without the help of a sign or a wonder, how am I supposed to believe?

Remember Doubting Thomas? He said "Unless I stick my finger into the holes in his hands and thrust my arm through his side, I will not believe." What did Jesus do with Thomas? Did he hide from Thomas and tell the other apostles he was no good because he had doubts? No, he appeared to him and said "stick your hands here, and your arm here and don't doubt any more, but believe!"

Jesus then told Thomas, "Because you have seen you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed."

I really don't get that. Let's consider all the things that the apostles -- Thomas, along with Peter, James, John, and the rest -- had seen prior to this: Jesus walking on the water, healing lepers and multitudes of other sick, making blind people see, raising the dead, calming storms, and on and on and on! Not to mention predicting his own death and resurrection just a few days before this!

I need a little of that "not seeing" to believe! Yes, a little of the sort of "not seeing" that the apostles were able to "not see" would go a long way with me.

"It is a evil and adulterous generation that seeks a sign." this is what Jesus said about people who insisted that thier afirmation of God's existence had to be visual instead of internal. Didn't you read that whole thing about Thomas? Jesus SOMETIMES said that it was wrong to seek a sign. Plenty of other times he gave the people what he himself affirmed that they needed: a sign! And such signs! The dead raised, the sick healed (and not just after years of being worked on by doctors -- we're talking EVERYONE WHO CAME TO HIM). I want to know what happened to that? Apparently at one time it was so important to Jesus that people believed in him, he was willing to do some really amazing, wonderful things, even if he did them reluctantly, to help them believe. It alarms me when people are insisting on a sign from God to prove that he is interested in them. Especially in this day and age when Christ is to be living in us. Seems to me that you can get no closer evidence that God exists than to have him live within you. That being said, and being human, I will say seeing a miracle would be cool. Not because I think it would affirm the God that lives in me. Just because a miracle is unusual and amazing.

Let's talk about invisible dragons. What's the better evidence that my invisible dragon exists: my claims that he "lives in my heart" or a sudden spout of fire out of mid-air?

Even after Christ was living in the peoples' hearts, we are told in Acts and in the epistles about miracles happening with great frequency, and for the purpose of giving confirmation of the truth of the apostles teaching. You should not be alarmed.

I hope Jesus will hear my complaint: I'm not feeling the blessedness here. After a lifetime of grasping at straws to hang on to belief, it really feels more like being ignored and abandoned. If one sees nothing, how is one to believe at all? How is one to distinguish the truth from the many other things one has never seen? I've never seen Zeus -- am I blessed if I believe in him? I've never seen vampires or ghosts or Santa Claus -- am I blessed if I believe in them?

The absence of miracles, in the face of what the Bible claims happened in the past, is to me a great yawning chasm opening at my feet, seperating me from faith. It seems to me that my plight is the same as those Jews in Jesus' time about whom he said "unless they see signs and wonders, they will not believe." Yes, he said it disparagingly, but he said it because it was true, and he proceeded to give them what they needed!

Will God do that for me? If so, when? And if not, why not?

Like Fox Mulder (one of my favorite fictional characters, whatever Jerry may say about it), I want to believe. No, I long to believe. I'm desperate to believe! Throw me a bone here, God! I'm crying out for help!

Timothy is not as old as I am, so I will write this off as youthful lack of wisdom. (heh, heh...) I would have you to look to God and say "Hey, how do you want this to go? Would you want me to see a spectacular display of your awesome power in the sky, or in my heart?"

Timothy is 44 years old. Jerry is-- what?-- fifty-something? Youth has little to do with this. Youthful idealism and lack of wisdom has certainly played a part in my life, though. I'll give you that.

This discussion is so incomplete.

True.