Miracles

I was thinking about Good Friday’s service at Christian Faith Center (CFC) Middleton last week.

Worship was special, I loved that the Espanol and the English churches were together, and that we sang worship in both English and Spanish. I admit I just sat there and soaked it all in, thinking how l longed for that for so long and here it was.

The message was great. Pastor Monty embraced the Scriptures and brought them through personal experience. There was something in that message that everyone in the service could identify with.

And there were miracles!

I think we miss many miracles because we expect them to look different. We want to see legs grow or backs straightened or cancers healed. We often look past the miracles that happen right around us.

There were three miracles at that service. Three people lifted their hands for salvation. Three people were transferred from the realm of darkness into the kingdom of His Dear Son. Three people walked through the front doors and straight into the arms of a loving, living Savior. Three people experienced the greatest of miracles. Praise His Holy Name!

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” [Colossians 1:13 NLT]

I read a thought from Charles Spurgeon that stopped me in my tracks. “The life of a believer is a series of miracles wrought by ‘the Mighty God.’”

We love miracles, all of us do. Nothing better than to hear about a miracle. Maybe it’s a tumor that was there and after prayer suddenly isn’t. Or perhaps it’s an accident that should have happened while we were driving to work but somehow didn’t. Miracles do come in all shapes and sizes and to many different people.

But when I read Spurgeon’s comment that the life of a believer is a series of miracles, it truly made me stop and think. I came from a family whereby all indications I should be in therapy today! But God called me, me! He gave me an invitation to become His child. Then He provided the grace I needed to respond positively to that invitation. He did away with the old man inside me that had a dark, corrupted heart and made a new creation in me. He turned my hard heart into one that was tender before Him.

If that was not enough, He sent His Spirit to dwell in me, to lead, convict, guide, teach, enable me to become more like His Son, Jesus, my Savior. He speaks to me – God speaks to me! He speaks of His love for me – for me!

He has provided a miracle healing for a child of mine; He has kept a marriage going for 55 years; He has opened doors I needed to walk through and closed others.

He has promised me an inheritance kept for me in heaven. He’s promised rewards and crowns and the wonder of an eternity spent in His presence.

This is not limited to “me” – every believer can write a story like this of the miracles that have flowed into their lives from the Mighty God. What’s your story?

Our God is a miracle working God! I truly believe miracles are all around us and we just do not always notice them. When we do see them right in front of us, it amazes us—often beyond measure.

I saw a miracle on Monday when we drove into Reno to go to our hotel.  We needed to exit Highway 80 onto Highway 395 South. That exit is a bit confusing when it is not under construction. It can be dangerous when it is.

There are three “right-turn” exits there, one onto Highway 580, one to Highway 395 North, one to Highway 395 South. Bob got in the wrong lane toward 580 and had to correct. After moving over one lane he was still in the wrong one, heading onto Highway 395 North. When he realized his mistake, he faltered a bit. And in those few seconds, we ended up in the middle of both exits, with a car on our right and one on our left and a concrete barricade right in front of us.

I thought we were goners, there was nowhere to go. Miraculously the car on our right shot ahead as we swerved into its lane. We missed the car by inches, and the barricade by a couple feet.  After catching my breath, I began to praise God.

In those few seconds I did not have enough time to utter a prayer, shout a praise, offer thanksgiving – but God performed a miracle anyway. He made a way for us out of what could have been a fatal accident.

Do I believe He is a miracle-working God?  Yes. Do I believe in His faithfulness to us? I definitely do!  He must not be finished with us yet; we are here this morning to do His will because He made a way where there was no way!

Hebrews 2:4: God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will.