When A Miracle Doesn’t Come

The evidence used for Christ or God most often by those who preached in the Bible was not the evidence of a miracle. Jesus used miracles. The early church performed miracles and Moses performed miracles. For most, however, it was the word of God and typically, the prophetic word that provided the evidence. Miracles by Moses, Jesus, & the early church leaders authenticated God’s word through them.

Why is this true?

JESUS SPEAKING TO THE PEOPLE IN HIS HOME TOWN:
“I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” -Luke 4:24-27 [NIV]

First, Jesus was making a larger point to the Jews. He brought this up because in both of these examples from Israel’s history, God withheld blessing from his people and instead gave assistance to non-Jews. This was symbolic of what was happening in Jesus day. The Jews, God’s people, wouldn’t accept Jesus and so while God would bless the non-Jewish world through Christ, the Jews would be left out. In fact, their nation would cease to exist about 35 years after this in 70 AD when the Romans wiped them out.

But there’s another question.

Why is it true that God blessed two people, curing Naaman the Syrian of leprosy and providing food for a non-Jewish widow, while at the same time Jews were dying of leprosy and Jewish widows were starving to death?

Why doesn’t God give a miracle every time? Or more to the point… Why doesn’t THIS appear to be true all the time?

THE BOOK OF JAMES, GIVING VARIOUS INSTRUCTIONS AT THE END
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. -James 5:13-16 [NIV]

Without looking very deeply, this passage obviously seems to say that if the elders of the church anoint someone with oil and pray for them, they will get well. Period. They will be healed. Yet I know of times when this doesn’t seem to work. Someone prayed for by the elders, even anointed with oil according to the verses above, doesn’t always get better. Or least not for as long as we’d like. Why?

The Problem With God

The biggest problem with the Creation and Evolution debate, for me at least, is the fact that God didn’t do things in a completely natural way. Oh, he could have, and it would have saved us all a lot of trouble, but nooooo… God had to go and jump into the world a couple of times and that messes everything up.

For instance:

Bottom Line on the Jehovah Witness Church

Every now and then I write these huge answers to a comment, then I think, why not post this thing? So here’s my attempt at an answer to a great question about the Jehovah Witnesses. (when they come to your door, tell them the crazypastor said hi!)

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It is hard sometimes to know where to begin with the Jehovah Witness Church. They have many beliefs about a great many things that come from their own church tradition and their official interpretations. And you know, as soon as I say that, immediately someone from a Jehovah Witness Church might object and say that it isn’t their interpretation, but it is THE interpretation. It’s the rest of us who are wrong!

That’s my point.

Generally the Jehovah Witnesses Church considers itself right and everyone else wrong. They aren’t the only Church like that mind you. Nevertheless, differences of opinion are not allowed. They have even produced their own Bible translation, with the wording changed in many keys places to agree with their own doctrine. They of course claim this version is the most accurate translation even though Greek and Hebrew scholars wouldn’t agree.

In John 1 for instance, John makes a clear statement indicating that Jesus shared in the essence of God.

The American Standard Version of 1901 (usually considered the most accurate to the original languages) translates it this way: John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (Word = Jesus)

The Jehovah Witness Church’s version of the Bible reads this way:
“In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”

(Notice Jesus was just a god in this one, not part of THE God. That’s because the Jehovah Witness Church doesn’t believe in the traditional Christian teaching of the Trinity. More on this later…)

Don’t Forget to Live It

As a pastor, one of the biggest pitfalls to avoid is getting so busy you …

Do you expect me to say: “don’t spend enough time with your family?”

Do you expect me to say: “don’t spend enough time formulating a vision?”

Do you expect me to say: “preparing for a sermon?”

Any of those would work. All would be true from time to time, as well as several other blank fillers. But they aren’t the biggest pitfall in my opinion. I wasn’t going to say those…

The biggest pitfall is getting so busy you forget to