PART
V
We are looking in this article at some of the incidents that have supposedly taken place in both early and late times to which the designation of “miracle” has been applied.
If we would accept some of the testimony that we hear that is given as a verification of some event as a “miracle” then, I would submit the following and ask why we would not accept the testimony concerning these also.
According to Eusebius, in the year 312 A.D. Constantine saw a “sign of a cross above the sun, and, that it bore the inscription; “Conquer by this!” It was further claimed that Christ appeared to him with the same sign and commanded him “to make a likeness of it and use it as a safeguard in his engagements with his enemies.”
With this so called “sign” from the Prince of Peace, Constantine went forth to slaughter his enemies!!!
In the early 1500s it is claimed that a Jesuit priest in Brazil was present when a Spanish grandee struck a slave girl, causing her to spill her basket of eggs. According to the story, the priest then touched the broken shells with his staff and made them whole again!
Then we have the “miracle” of
the shepherd children of Fatima, Portugal who in the year 1917 saw a figure
of a woman in a tree who spoke to them and later revealed herself to be the
Virgin Mary, and subsequently revealed herself several more times.
Fact or Fiction?
There is also the “miracle”
of Lourdes, France where the Virgin Mary appeared to a 14 year old
Bernadette Soubirous a total of 18 times between Feb.11th and
July 16th in 1858.
Would you believe that in the early 18oo’s in this country an angel by the name of Moroni appeared to a man by the name of Joseph Smith and showed him some “golden plates” on which was inscribed “The Book of Mormon”? Not only that but enabled him to read and decipher it and write it down? Furthermore; if you don’t accept it in addition to the Old and New Testament you can’t be saved. They say.
The most recent, I suppose is the claim that the face of the Virgin Mary was appearing in a tree stump in Oct. 2003 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Real interesting, since no one would know what the face of Mary even looked like!
The point of all this is to put forth some of the fantastic and bizarre claims before us and ask ourselves the question, why will we accept some of the claims made but maybe not these?
It is well to remember that we are told that others will come who will claim the powers of the true apostles including the power to work miracles, or that some miraculous thing will happen through them.
“Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Matt.7:22
It was revealed to John the Revelator that the 2nd beast of chapter 13 would; “work great miracles, even making fire come down from heaven to earth—and—by the miracles it was allowed to perform –it deluded the inhabitants of the earth.”
The great apostle Paul warns against those whose work by “the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders.” 2 Thess.2:9
So; we come to the question, how do we determine what is real and what is counterfeit?
The only way to ever know the counterfeit is to make sure we know what is real! We must know the teaching of scripture about these things and compare the claims with the real things of scripture. It is one thing to say, it is another to do. Jesus spoke of those who say and do not. This is exactly where all modern day “miracle workers” stand.
Some differences in the real and the counterfeit:
All the real miracles of the scriptures were in order to confirm the word of God or to show that Jesus was who he said he was. No miracle was ever done just to benefit the recipient of the miracle.
Modern “miracles” are done just for the sake of saying; “It was a miracle” and confirms nothing except the inability of those who make such claims to be able to do what they claim to do.
The modern day claims are never like the Bible accounts. The Bible accounts consist of real, verifiable problems, such as, paralyzed from birth, blind for 38 years, an ear cut off, etc. These, were things that those who were there knew to be the truth. There is never anything that even closely resembles this in modern “miracles.”
In scripture, there was no glorification of the one through whom the miracle occurred nor was there any money involved. No taking of collections or solicitations to give, and give, and give!!
Don’t be deceived, God is not mocked. Every religion in the world has its’ “miracle workers” and its’ “tongue talkers” including those ancient pagan religions that still persist in some parts of the world, who do not even believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word of God has been
confirmed as the truth and needs no further signs, wonders, or miracles.
Every time God gave a new revelation he confirmed it with miracles. The time
of revelation is past and until such a
time as we need confirmation of the
return of Jesus there will be no more miracles. Then there will be several,
He will come on a cloud, these earthly bodies will be changed to everlasting
bodies. Sighing, crying and dying will be changed into rejoicing, singing,
and living forever with the Father and the Lamb! Hallelujah!
Stay with us there is more to
come, and as always, may God bless--Gerald
Email: thornsandnails@avsia.com
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