Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Does He still peform signs, miracles and wonders?

I received an email devotion today that states my beliefs more eloquently than I ever could. (See below.) Some of you who read my blog know the story of my son Spencer's birth in which we experienced nothing short of a miracle. That experience changed and shaped me and made me want to tell everyone of God's love and His power. Power that is given to us to lead a victorious Christian life.

Shortly after Spencer was born, he was basically pronounced dead. Our family was informed that he had died and began to call people to pray. Most people prayed for me and Greg. They prayed for strength for us during our time of need and despair... but a dear lady named LouAnn had been praying for God to show her a miracle for several months. When she got the call that Spencer had died, she began to pray John 14:11 -14.

"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. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Needless to say, she was not surprised later when she got the call that he was indeed alive and not dead after all. It is a call to remind me to live like I am alive in Christ because He is alive.

Here is the devotion I received. It is from Prime Time with God by Os Hillman.

Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know." (Acts 2:22)

"Jesus did all of His miracles as a man, not as God. Let that sink in. This is a profound truth that has major implications for you and me. It changes everything. Pastor Bill Johnson writes: "Jesus could not heal the sick. Neither could He deliver the tormented from demons or raise the dead. To believe otherwise is to ignore what Jesus said about Himself, and more importantly, to miss the purpose of His self-imposed restriction to live as a man. Jesus said of Himself: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does (John 5:19-20)." In the Greek language the word 'nothing' has a unique meaning -- it means NOTHING. Just like it does in English! He had NO supernatural capabilities whatsoever! While He is 100 percent God, He chose to live with the same limitations that man would face once He was redeemed. He made that point over and over again. Jesus became the model for all who would embrace the invitation to invade the impossible in His name. He performed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right relationship to God... not as God. If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us. But if He did them as a man, I am responsible to pursue His lifestyle. Recapturing this simple truth changes everything... and makes possible a full restoration of the ministry of Jesus in His Church. "[1] Jesus said you and I will do even greater works than He did. "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12-13) The question for each of us is, "How dependent and obedient to the Holy Spirit are we so we can experience this same power?"

He does still perform signs, miracles and wonders today if we will but ask in His name and believe.

4 comments:

Cheri said...

How true it is girl, how true it is!The most amazing experiences in my life happened when I was obedient to the Holy Spirit.I can't even begin to fathom what my life would be like if I was obedient all the time.
Cheri

Carol said...

Wow! That was some good stuff. God is speaking BIG over at your house!

She Rose Up said...

I found your sight thru Mel @ Mel's World. I HAD to check you out because of your title. I LOVE (and I KNOW God LOVES) that you are telling the world that YES, emphatically YES, He absolutley DOES perform signs, miracles and wonders...would that more would take Him at His word! :)

I'll be seeing you around! So glad to know your wonderful miracle child is with you!

xoxo,
Maria

Ev said...

This is so absolutely TRUE!! We follow Christ, who called us to do the works He did, but then we explain it all away. We have such a hard time believing that God still does miracles, signs and wonders. We have such a hard time believing that God wants to do miracles, signs and wonders through our lives to show a world that needs to know Him that He is still GOD. He is still ABLE. Ev