Thursday, March 31, 2011

Miracle Healings CBN Report

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Jesus' Miracles, Signs of Divine Powers

Parables and Miracles of Jesus

"This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in Him" (John 2:11).

Anyone who does not believe in God finds the concept of a miracle, any event that contradicts and even suspends the laws of nature, impossible to accept. That is, if God does not exist, only nature controls life. Therefore no miracle is possible and any account of a miracle cannot be true. This logical argument against miracles was first formulated by Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677). Spinoza's argument can be summarized as follows:

A miracle violates natural laws.
Natural laws are immutable.
It is impossible to violate immutable laws.
Therefore, miracles are impossible.

However, if God exists, He created the natural laws, so it should be no problem for Him to move beyond or outside these laws, nor can He be restrained by these laws.

Jesus used miracles as signs to his credentials as the Son of God. Without miracles it would be exceptionally difficult to believe His claims. As John wrote in John 20:30-31:

"Jesus' disciples saw Him do many more other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life."

Observe that the miracles of Jesus not only showed His power over nature, but also revealed His approach to ministry: helping others, speaking with authority, and connecting with people. The keyword is compassion. Almost all His miracles were driven by compassion. He healed people who sought His help. He raised the dead to comfort grieving families. He quieted storms to calm the fears of His friends. He fed multitudes to avert their hunger. Don't fail to notice that Jesus never performed a miracle for His own benefit or gain. The miracles aided others, not Him. On five occasions Jesus performed a miracle as a sign solely for the disciples: walking on water; cursing of the fig tree; both miraculous catches of fish by the disciples; and the coin for the temple tax. All other miracles sprang from compassion for the people around Him.

The New Testament gospels record thirty-five miracles. Only one miracle (the feeding of the five thousand) is described in every gospel. About half of the miracles are recorded in two or more of the gospels. As expected, quite a few, eleven in fact, are shared between all the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), but only seven are recorded in only two of the three synoptic accounts. Two miracles in John also appear in one or more of the synoptic gospels. Matthew has three unique miracles, Mark has two, while Luke and John each record six. 

This distribution once more demonstrates Matthew, Mark, and Luke are personal testimonies. Even Mark, the gospel "copied" by Matthew and Luke, has two miracles not mentioned in the other two. Why are they omitted if Matthew and Luke leaned on Mark as their primary source as the synoptic theory claims? 

As miracles are evidence of Jesus deity, it is useful to categorize them into:

Healing miracles: The vast majority (26) of miracles in which Jesus heals one person or more or even raises (Jairus' daughter, a widow's son and Lazarus) from the dead.

Nature miracles: Nine miracles are recorded where Jesus does something impossible simply within our natural world. He defied the laws of nature.

The healing miracles are easy targets for critics. Many simply insist that the healed person was not ill, the person might be "self-healed" (the "power of positive thinking") or there might even have been a type of hypnosis or other "magic." Obviously our ancestors did not have our knowledge of science, but they were not stupid either! Even a first century uneducated Jew could distinguish between a magician's trick and a genuine miracle. They would have identified a fake healing. The healed people were not selected from the audience willingly participating in a performance. These were locals, known by the community for their handicaps, perhaps long-term blindness or injury. Resurrecting someone moments after his death would suggest he had not actually died. Lazarus, however, was in the grave four days (John 11:39: "'But, Lord,' said Martha, the sister of the dead man, 'by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.'"), so one can hardly argue that "he was not really dead."

Still, from an evidence perspective, the most awesome confirmations of Jesus' deity are the nature miracles. There is just no explanation for walking on water, calming a storm, feeding huge crowds from a single lunch box, or turning water into wine. Such events are real miracles and they show Jesus' divine power. Keep in mind that such miracles have never been claimed by other professed miracle workers. Only Jesus has displayed such power. Look closely at the nature miracles and probe them for the characteristics for a genuine miracle. We learn:

Significance: There is no doubt the nature miracles are significant. It is unlikely that anyone present was not awed! This is clear from people's reactions, such as when Jesus climbed into the boat after walking on the water: "Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God'" (Matthew 14:33). After Jesus calmed the storm: "In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him'" (Luke 8:25).

Immediate: All of Jesus' miracles had immediate results. Both healings and nature miracles were instantaneous. 

Defy the laws of nature: This cannot be disputed, for this is the exact definition of a miracle.

Multiple witnesses: As a last resort, non-believing critics try to refute Jesus' nature miracles by dismissing them as myths or legends. However, the evidence is overwhelming. First, the miracles were done in groups of varying sizes, either the disciples (one can argue they are not objective) or a crowd of several thousands. Second, five of the nature miracles are recorded in multiple gospels, one even in all four gospels. Third, Jesus' opponents never denied or even disputed his miracles. They admitted Jesus performed miracles and tried to claim Jesus had teamed with the devil: "But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, 'It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons'" (Matthew 12:24). Or they tried to destroy the evidence: "So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him" (John 12:10-11).

Among all miracles the astonishing feeding of a crowd of five thousand men plus women and children, likely a total of ten to twelve thousand or more people, stands out.

This may well be the most impressive nature miracle of all. Some see a symbolic link between Jesus as the "Bread of Life" and God's gift of manna to the Israelites in the desert long before.

Second, it is the only miracle found in all four gospels. Each describes the events on that hillside near the Sea of Galilee: only five loaves and two fishes to feed the large gathering. Jesus broke the bread and the disciples handed out the food. There was enough for everybody and the leftovers filled twelve baskets. Comparing the four accounts is rewarding. As to be expected with eyewitness recollection, they all describe the same storyline, but each provides different details. For instance, Mark and John estimated "eight months of a man's wages" would be necessary to feed all the people. All gospels relate that the people were to be seated, but only Mark and Luke tell they sat in groups of "fifties and hundreds." John mentions the Sea of Galilee, Mark and Matthew just mention a boat, and Luke adds that they are close to a town called Bethsaida. John also reveals it was a boy who had brought along the Barley loaves and fishes. John identified a number of disciples by name. Again there is a random pattern of details in the various gospels. Contrary to synoptic theory, Mark, supposed to be the briefest and simplest gospel, actually has the most extensive account with the most details. A total of four independent witness accounts to this remarkable event.

Third and last, this miracle is performed in the presence of five thousand men, not counting women and children. Nothing was done in secret. It was born out of compassion for the hungry crowd, but the number of witnesses is momentous. And at least three of the four gospels were written within a generation of this event, many of these witnesses were still alive as these accounts began to circulate. There were plenty of opportunities for someone to confirm or deny this miracle.



Shared from: Rod Vandeweqhe

Sunday, March 27, 2011

God In The Storm

  It happened in May of 2004 my husband and I were watching television. I had the door opened and these birds that were outside would not be quiet. They just kept chirping and making noise. I told my husband, I wish those birds would be quiet. He said, shut the door and then you will not have to hear them. So I closed the door and you could not hear them as much. My husband was into watching television, and I got tired of watching it so I went on the computer in the other room.
  Then around nine o'clock that night it started to rain and the wind started to pick up. I really didn't think much of it because it does that all the time were we
live. I was still on the computer and my youngest son decided to watch television with his dad. Then our television lost its signal because it was storming. My husband and son were waiting for it to come back on. My husband got up and went on our front porch to look at the storm. I was still on the computer, but I was getting ready to turn it off. And at that moment my husband seen a tornado coming and it hit this pole barn that is beside our house and the roof exploded and blew off. My husband told my son and I that a tornado just hit that pole barn, and we better get to the bathroom.  My son and I took off running for the bathroom. My husband grabbed the flashlight and
 started towards the bathroom too. But then he decided to look out of the window. I didn't know what to do, so all I could think of doing was to pray to God. I still remember exactly what I said. I said Oh Lord, save us and my home, you know I can't afford another one. And then I added, and my dogs. And God did he saved my home and us and my dogs. After it was over with we went outside to check on things. My dogs were fine but a little shaken from what had happened. We had to do with out lights and electric for about a week. That night we stayed up until about three o'clock in the morning. Then we got some sleep and when it was daylight we went outside
and checked to see how much damage there was. Their was debris everywhere, their were trees ripped out of the ground. We had a tree that was in our yard and it was completely riped out of the ground. And God is so awesome, if that tree would of fallen the other way it would have hit our home. You can never make me believe it was not God that saved our home and us.
  I learned later on that we have power in Jesus name to rebuke storms. I learned that from Kenneth Copeland and Jesse Duplantis. I have seen Gloria Copeland do it herself. The only thing that happened to our home was that a outer window got broken. We all so had a lot of debris to clean up and that took a while. Oh, and we got one little hole in our siding and our fence blew over, but we were able to put it back up. Another thing that I should note is that we did not have home owners insurance at that time. So if I did not pray and God did not save us and my home, I would not have a home. Now how awesome is our God ?
  My son told me later, he said mom we did have insurance on our home. We got God insurance and he is so right. When we are God's and we pray and are his children he will protect us. Their was a lot of damage all around us. Their is a mobile home park right by my home and it got hit really bad. My husband and I walked over their the next day to see the damage. Their was this one mobile home that was completely destroyed, and in all the rubble from it the bed was laying at an angle, and was still perfectly made. Their was all so another pole barn that was completely destroyed in front of my home across the street.
  These pictures that I am posting with this post are from the mobile home park by our home. I am putting them on here so you can see the damage. So you can see that this was a miracle  from God. And I hope that you will see why it is a good thing to know God and to learn all you can about him. The most important thing is to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. I hope it will encourage you to do so. And God bless all who read this.

Author: Lula Becraft
http://likeangelsandmiracles.blogspot.com
http://houseofelijah.blogspot.com
http://theartoflula.blogspot.com

Saturday, March 26, 2011

My First Account Of An Angel

  The first time that I remember having an account with a angel was in a dream that I had. It happened one night when I asked God to give me a sign or to show me he was real. I was going through some things in my life and I was, I guess searching for something more in life. It was about three o'clock in the morning and I was sitting on my bed and I cried out to God and asked him to show me if he was real. I finally fell asleep and when I did I had a awesome dream. In my dream my husband and my boys and I were walking home and we looked up in the sky. As I looked up in the sky, I seen the stars come together and form into an angel. The angel followed us all the way home and when we got to our front door, I looked up again and the angel disappeared. The next morning when I woke up I told my husband about it. When I told him he just looked at me and did not say anything. He probably thought I was crazy, but I know what I seen in my dream. After I had that dream, it would not go away. I just kept thinking about it, it was so real to me. Everything in that dream was just like it was, my home, the road we were walking on, everything was so real to me. I just couldn't figure out what is was. I have had dreams before, but this one was just more real to me then any other dream I have ever had. I did do some research to see what dreams mean. I found out that a dream like that meant to repent, so that is what I did.
  A while after that my family and I got baptized. We began to follow the Lord, but it has not always been easy. I remember a very sweet lady that went to the church that we were baptized at, she told me that now that we were saved and are God's the devil will attack us. And guess what she was right, my family and I have been through some things in our lives. But I know that it is all working out for the good. We go through things in our lives because that is God's way of purifying us.
  After we were saved then Satan did start attacking us, but I have grown a lot in the Lord. I know, and I am learning how the devil works. I also know that he will not over come God's children. After we were saved, I remember that the Mormon's showed up at my home. I did not really know much about them. They seemed like nice people, and I did not really know anything that they believed in. So I was simple hearted and let them in my home. Boy did I learn a few things about doing that. They were telling me that their church was the only true church. They said that my baptism did not count. But yet inside I just could not believe that. Then God put it on my heart and I started to really think about it. I was searching the Bible for answers, and God kept showing me that no man has seen God. He kept showing me in his word because the Mormon's believe that Joseph Smith seen God. I struggled with that for about a month or so. But God is so awesome and he loves us so much that he would not let me be deceived.
  God kept showing me in his word, but I was not getting it. I got tired of the Mormon's coming to my home, so I was going to join their church. They told me to pray about it, and I did. I prayed for about two weeks and finally cried out to God and told him that he has to do something. I did not know what to do. I was laying on my bed and he spoke to me. Yes, it was an audible voice, it came from the inside of me. He said to me, '"Why are you forsaking me !" It kinda surprised  me because I was not expecting that. I knew right then and their that I was not going to join that church. I told them not to come back to my house, and when I did and they quite coming to my house it was a big relief. The peace came back and I knew that God was even more real.
  This is some of the reasons why I love God so much. He always watches out for his children. There have been other encounters with God in my life and when I get the time I will share them. But for right now I hope you are encouraged by my testimony. And I also hope that God will put it on your heart to follow him. May you be blessed by my Lord and Savior.

Author: Lula Becraft
http://houseofelijah.blogspot.com
http://likeangelsandmiracles.blogspot.com
http://theartoflula.blogspot.com

Friday, March 25, 2011

What Is A Miracle



What is a miracle? It is when the impossible happens. 

It’s when doctors have given up on a sick child and for no scientific reason, that child gets well. 

It’s when you’re down to your last dollar, have piles of bills to be paid, and a check arrives in the mail from some unknown source. 

It’s when a hurricane comes through a town and your house is left standing with desolation all around it. 

It’s when a child is born and you can’t believe how exquisitely miniature this new life appears. 

It’s when you’ve prayed for a specific purpose and that prayer is answered. 

It’s when there is no earthly reason something wonderful has happened. 

Miracles take place everyday. Sometimes they’re very subtle and quiet, sweeping in like a touch on the face. Other times, it’s very evident and public. It doesn’t matter who you are, miracles can happen to anyone. 

Why do miracles take place? It may be that God wants your attention! 

When you believe in God, you gain an awareness of Him. You see everything in a new light. He shows His great power through the trials and tribulations of life, through nature and science. 

God is in the impossible business. What is a miracle? Someone once said, “Coincidence is when God wants to remain anonymous.” Well, miracles are when God reveals Himself. 

All glory and honor and praise belong to Him. Without Him there would be no miracles! 

What Are Angels

Angels are very active in the Bible and are used by God as messengers, warriors, and servants. The word "angel" comes from the Greek word "angelos" which means messenger. Angels are spiritual beings without bodies of flesh and bones, though they apparently have the ability to appear in human form (Gen. 19:1-22). Angels had many functions. They praised God (Isaiah 6:3), served as messengers to the world (Luke 1:11-2026-38Luke 2:9-14), watched over God's people (Psalm 91:11-12), and were sometimes used as instruments of God's judgment (Matt. 13:49-50).
The Bible tells us that God created the angels and that at some time in the distant past there was a rebellion in heaven and many of the angels fell. Apparently, it was the elect angels that did not fall (1 Tim. 5:21). The Bible says that angels were created by Christ (Col. 1:16), that they carry out the will of God (Psalm 103:20Matt. 6:10), they worship God and Christ (Phil. 2:9-11Heb. 1:6), are wise (2 Sam. 14:20), mighty (Psalm 103:20), holy (Matt. 25:31), and innumerable, (Heb. 12:22). However, angels are not to be worshipped (Col. 2:18Rev. 19:1022:9) since they are creatures.

Are there different kinds of angels?

Apparently, there are different kinds of angels with different characteristics and roles: cherubim, seraphim, and archangels. It may also be that there are "powers" and "principalities" that further describe ranks in the angelic realm, but this is debated. Nevertheless, I'll focus on the three main groups.
  1. "Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew," (Isaiah 6:2).
    1. They praise God (Isaiah 6:3).
    2. The word "seraphim" (singular is saraph) probably a translation of 'fiery ones' and probably stems from the fiery imagery often associated with the Presence of God (cf. Ezek. 1:27).1
  2. "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life," (Gen. 3:24). See alsoExodus 25:18-22Heb. 9:5.
    1. Cherubim are typically represented with wings, feet, and hands, but are described in different forms as having two faces (Ezek. 41:18) and even four faces (Ezek. 10:21).
    2. Cherubim were considered to be angels that guarded sacred things. In Gen. 3:24 they guarded the tree of life. They were over the Ark of the Covenant on the Mercy Seat (1 Sam. 4:4). See also Psalm 80:199:1.
    3. Figures of Cherubs were embroidered on the temple veil (Exodus 26:312 Chron. 3:7) and lavished Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:26ff).
  3. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first," (1 Thess. 4:16).
    1. The word "archangel" is not found in the Old Testament. References to Michael the archangel appear only in 1 Thess. 4:16 and Jude 9. However, Gabriel, who is considered an archangel appears in both the OT and NT. In the OT he is found in Dan. 8:15-26 and 9:21-27. In the NT he is mentioned in Luke 1:11-2026-38. He seems to be a messenger angel.
    2. On the other hand, Michael the archangel seems to be a warrior angel (Rev. 12:7) who does battle (Dan. 10:132112:1).
    3. An interesting note is that in Rom. 8:38Eph. 1:21, and Col. 1:16, the word 'principalities' is used. In Greek the word has the prefix of "arche" suggesting archangel. Some think this means there is a hierarchy of angels as is suggested in 1 Pet. 3:22: "who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him," (NASB).

What does the Bible say about fallen angels?

Of course, there are fallen angels as well. Lucifer, another archangel, rebelled against God and became the devil. Following are verses often quoted in reference to the evil one.
  • "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 "But you said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.14 "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High,'" (Isaiah 14:12-14).
Most scholars agree that one third of the angels fell into sin and became demons.
  • "And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth . . . " (Rev. 12:3-4).
In the future, there will be a judgment upon the fallen angels:
  • "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," (Matt. 25:41).
  • "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment," (2 Pet. 2:4).
  • "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day," (Jude 6).
  • "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him," (Rev. 12:9).
Whichever view you have of angels, it cannot be escaped that the Bible mentions them a lot and that they are greatly used by God to accomplish His will.