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A Fresh View of Jesus’ Power

   Written by on August 17, 2017 at 10:21 am

What is a miracle? Let’s begin by defining our terms. A “miracle” includes a wonder or marvel that defies human duplication. It surpasses all known human power!

logo-hevenerA few examples are: God’s creating something from nothing, the expanding universe, and human life that makes your pulse rise fall and your heart beat.

The following miracle is reported by Robert Lenk. “During part of WWII, my dad Fred Lenk was pastor of a Church in Kenmore, New York, USA. The church had 146 members in the different military branches. The church prayed every day by name for each member in the war for safety, and all came home with no war injuries. One night, my dad woke up at 2:00 a.m., and he knew that he needed to pray for one man in the Navy. Dad prayed for that man from 2:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. when dad felt like it was then OK, and he wrote down the date and time. Months later, that man was home on furlough, and dad talked with him. Allowing for time zone differences, the man said that at that exact time, he was on board of an American submarine sitting on the ocean floor at a depth of 150 feet in the Pacific Ocean. During that exact period of time, a Japanese destroyer was making many passes to drop depth charges in an attempt to destroy the submarine. By the end of the two hours, there had been explosions that were close but not close enough to break the hull of the submarine.”

The New Testament records many miracles performed by Christ. The following passage shows His giving life to a dead girl and healing a sick woman.

21 When Jesus went in the boat back to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him there. 22 A leader of the synagogue, named Jairus, came there, saw Jesus, and fell at his feet. 23 He begged Jesus, saying again and again, “My daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so she will be healed and will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed Jesus and pushed very close around him. 25 Among them was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered very much from many doctors and had spent all the money she had, but instead of improving, she was getting worse. 27 When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his coat. 28 She thought, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Instantly her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her disease.

30 At once Jesus felt power go out from him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 His followers said, “Look at how many people are pushing against you! And you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

32 But Jesus continued looking around to see who had touched him. 33 The woman, knowing that she was healed, came and fell at Jesus’ feet. Shaking with fear, she told him the whole truth. 34 Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace; be healed of your disease.”

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of the synagogue leader. They said, “Your daughter is dead. There is no need to bother the teacher anymore.”

36 But Jesus paid no attention to what they said. He told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

37 Jesus let only Peter, James, and John the brother of James go with him. 38 When they came to the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus found many people there making lots of noise and crying loudly. 39 Jesus entered the house and said to them, “Why are you crying and making so much noise? The child is not dead, only asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him. So, after throwing them out of the house, Jesus took the child’s father and mother and his three followers into the room where the child was. 41 Taking hold of the girl’s hand, he said to her, “Talitha, koum!” (This means, “Young girl, I tell you to stand up!”) 42 At once the girl stood right up and began walking. (She was twelve years old.) Everyone was completely amazed. 43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell people about this. Then he told them to give the girl something to eat. New Century Version (NCV)

Another example of a miracle is when a sinner’s goals are changed from satisfying his immediate carnal desires to preparing for eternity with Christ and his loved ones.  Such conversion is the Holy Spirit’s taking a lost, dead soul and giving it life!  To support this assertion, read the story of “The Prodigal Son.” (See Luke 15.)

Until next week, may God richly bless you and yours.

Contact: fhevener@oilart.com; (434) 392-6255; www.guthriememoril.org

© 2017, Fillmer Hevener

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