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Faith and Miracles

Faith and Miracles

During my freshman year of college a rather unusual event occurred one Thursday morning when, during chapel, the entire university student body came face to face with the question of faith and miracles.

A young man who was a quadriplegic from a diving accident was brought into the sanctuary. The speaker instructed the students that we were going to see a miracle, that God was going to move and heal this young man. He told all 2000 of us to kneel and to pray. He told us to pray to clear our hearts, to remove any doubt from our minds, to remove any distraction from our consciousness. Then he told us to pray that God would miraculously heal this young man. He and several others gathered around the man and placed hands on him and they began to pray. We students began to pray, and we prayed and prayed. There were girls crying all over the auditorium, some were praying out loud, others were peaking toward the stage watching to see a “miracle.” But, after what seemed hours, when in fact was less than an hour, no miracle happened and the young man was not healed.

Many of the students were shaken by this event. Some struggled with questions about their faith, questions about prayer, questions about God Himself.  The speaker suggested there were doubters in the room and some students began to feel guilty.

Many of my patients struggle with questions about faith and miracles. They or their loved ones often have illness, disease, sickness and prayers to God are offered asking for divine intervention and miraculous healing. When a miracle doesn’t occur many people begin to question their faith.

There is an unstated belief: If you have faith miracles will happen, if miracles don’t happen it is because faith is weak. Is this really true? Is the idea that miracles happen when faith is strong but not when faith is weak Biblical? Or is it possible this idea could be almost 180 degrees backward from the truth?

Is it possible that miracles happen not for the strong in faith but for the weak? Is it possible that those whose faith is solid don’t need the miracles but the babes in Christ still need miraculous signs and wonders? Is it possible that miracles often occur through the strong in faith but not for those with strong faith, that the purpose of the miracle is for those weak in faith? What does the Bible reveal?

When Gideon was called by God to defeat the Midianites did he ask for the miracles of the fleece because his faith was strong or because his faith was weak and he needed encouraging?

At Mount Carmel the fire fell from God consuming the sacrifice offered by Elijah, was the miracle given for Elijah to strengthen his faith or was the miracle given for the people who were weak in faith?

Consider Job, who God said “is perfect and righteous in all his ways there is no one on the earth like him.” Job was a real man of faith, yet he lost all his wealth, his health and 10 children and no miracle came to deliver him. Did this tragedy happen to Job because his faith was weak or did it occur because his faith was so strong that God knew nothing, no matter how tragic, could shake Job out of trusting God?

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace God miraculously intervened to save their lives, but for what purpose? Was it primarily to extend the lives of the men thrown into the furnace or was it a means of exposing the impotence of the golden idol, the truth about God and of reaching Nebuchadnezzar, a man weak in faith?  By contrast notice the genuine mature faith of the three worthies who when threatened with a burning death put their lives into God’s hands and trusted Him with the outcome knowing God could save, but allowing God not to intervene. They said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:17,18.

Consider the lives of the Apostles, God miraculously intervened in many places, but always as a means of spreading the gospel. When those mighty men of faith eventually lost their lives God did not miraculously intervene to save them (with the exception of John). Did God refuse to perform miracles to save His Apostles because they didn’t have enough faith or was their faith so strong that they trusted God with their very lives? Was their faith so intense that God didn’t have to perform a miracle to help them maintain their confidence in Him?

Many people believe that miracles are a good barometer of who we should believe or in whom we should place our faith. But in Eden the miracle of a talking serpent didn’t make the serpent trustworthy. Satan often confuses the mind and obstructs the way to God by the use of miraculous signs and wonders. In fact, the Bible prophecies that before Christ returns Satanic agencies will perform miracles as a way of deceiving many (Mark 13:22, Rev 13:13, 16:14). Jesus said that in the end there will be those who claim to be Christian who have performed miracles in His name but who were never on God’s side (Matthew 7:21-23).

God wins people to faith in Him by the revelation His trustworthiness as revealed ultimately in life and death of Jesus Christ. Miracles can be counterfeited, the truth as revealed by Jesus cannot. The question is never about God’s ability to perform miracles, the question is, do we know God well enough that our confidence will not be shaken when He doesn’t miraculously intervene.

Genuine faith is not having confidence that God can perform miracles, but is trusting Him even when He doesn’t.

If you, like many of my patients, have prayed for a miracle, a miracle of healing, a miracle of deliverance, a miracle of rejuvenation, yet God has not miraculously intervened don’t be disheartened, don’t doubt your faith, don’t give in to discouragement. Instead, consider the possibility that your faith may be of such quality, solidity, maturity that God knows you, like Job, will not be shaken out of trusting Him.  No matter what your hardship, let your unfailing trust in God shine out through the darkness of sin’s oppressive assault and declare before the entire universe that God is worthy of our trust and you will not be shaken from Him. Miraculous intervention or no miraculous intervention God is worthy of our trust!

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Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

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The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

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Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

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Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

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You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 56

I cannot thank you enough for opening my understanding to the beautiful truth of God’s Law of Love and how it applies to everything. I have been a Christian for over forty years, but I feel like I am only now seeing with my eyes open. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Tammy Cinzio, Australia

 

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I have been watching your videos in The Power of Love seminar and I must say these have liberated me and have improved my relationship with the Lord. I am no longer terrified of him as I was before following your teachings.

Thando N., South Africa

 

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I was born [into the church], then I left it for many years. 10 years ago, I came back, but I could not take the hypocrisy and the lack of answers to the missing pieces. I struggled, but I did not abandon my commitment to know the truth. God is leading me to the simple understanding of his relevance and I am relearning what the church taught me as a youth… that he loves me, that he has led me to a knowledge of him such as I have never known. He is using Dr. Jennings to connect the dots that are now so apparent and hiding in plain sight!

Dean P., Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

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Melissa L.

 

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I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

A.A. Corrales, NM, USA

 

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I’m a youth leader in South Africa. We as a youth group are currently using a lot of the material on the Come and Reason site. Since we’ve started using the material, our youth group has grown.

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Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

Testimony 32

The message [of Come And Reason Ministries is] for all Christians (and those who may become Christians) and not just Adventists or any other group. It is difficult to imagine why any [anyone] with intellectual and spiritual honesty could find fault with the way you explained the healing substitution concepts and the truth about God’s character, though I know some will reject and criticize. On behalf of those in our group near Tacoma, WA, thank you and your staff for all of the hard work and for sharing the Gospel in this manner. God’s message of healing love will be carried to the whole world and then Jesus will come – He promised it.

Terry U., Tacoma, WA, USA