"Believers will be given the power to perform miracles: they will drive out demons in my name; they will speak in strange tongues; if they pick up snakes or drink any poison, they will not be harmed; they will place their hands on sick people, and these will get well.” (Mark 16:17-18)
Jesus Christ promised to give believers the power to perform miracles. But the question is: how do believers receive the power to work signs and wonders? In this post, Catholic Front gives an insight to: what miracles are, who believers are, and how they do receive the gift Follow me - you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8 :32).
THE GOD OF MIRACLES
Apart from the visible universe and the well ordered events of nature the principal way by which God revealed and proved his existence to the world, in ancient days, was his work of miracles. The miracles of the Old Testament were events, the causes of which were directly assigned to the acts of God. The events unveiled the nature and power of God, and his plans for his people.
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Some of the miracles of God in the Old Testament were: Sarah, conceived and gave birth to Isaac (Genesis 17:17; 18:12; 21:2); the wife of Lot was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26);; the Red Sea was divided and the Israelites to cross over (Exodus 14:22); the Egyptian army drowned in Red Sea (Exodus 14:23 - 30); and in the desert, God sent Manna to feed the Israelites (Exodus 16:4 - 31).
Also many servants of God in the Old Testament performed miracles by the power of God working through them. The miracles also confirm that they - human beings or angels - were inspired by God in their callings as teachers, prophets, judges or messengers. Here are some of the miracles performed by the servants of God in the Old Testament: Elijah resurrected the son of a Zarephath widow (1 Kings 17:17 - 24); Elijah prayed and rain fell .(1 Kings 18:41 - 45).; Elisha increased a widow's oil supply, and she sold it to pay her debt (2 Kings 4:1 - 7); Elisha resurrected the dead son of a Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:18 - 37).
In the New Testament Christ, the full and final revelation of God, performed many miracles during his earthly ministry. Those miracles were evidence not only of his calling and commission by God the Father but also of his own divinity. Some of the miracles of Jesus Christ were : the calming of the storms and the waves at sea (Mark 4:35-41); the casting of a legion of demons out of two men (Matthew 8:28-42); the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:39-45); the restoration of the sight of Bartemaeus (Mark 10:46-52); and the multiplication of five loaves of bread and two fishes to feed 5000 men (Matthew 14:13-21).
BELIEVERS AND MIRACLES
But after his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ promised to give, those who believe in him the power to perform miracles. (John 14:12; Mark 16:17-18). After Christ's redemption of the world, therefore, the gift of miracles ceased to be the preserve of few privileged people (as it was in the Old Testament), and became a dispensation to all believers.
Some of the miracles performed by the early believers were: Peter and John healed a man crippled from birth (Acts 3:2 -11);. Peter resurrected Tabitha (Acts 9:36 - 42).; Paul struck a sorcerer, named Bar-Jesus, blind (Acts 13:6 - 11), Paul cast a demon out of the slave girl whose masters used to make money (Acts 16:18); Paul's handkerchief was used to touch and heal the sick (Acts 19:11 - 12).
Therefore, in the age of Christianity, we receive or perform miracles by believing and acting the Word of God, and going to Christ with faith to get solutions to our problems. This is the same like the blind, the crippled, dumb and the afflicted went to Jesus with faith to receive healing and deliverance (Mark 10:46-52).
The only condition that these people met to receive their miracles was their faith in Christ - not because they have know him for so long. And he always said to them, "your faith has saved you" (Mark 10:52). The same is true today - the condition is not how long you have been in the Church, but how strong is your faith in God - who works your miracles. That was how some believers, not with the twelve Apostles, performed miracles using the name of Jesus. (Mark 9:39, John 14:12). Therefore, someone outside the Catholic Church can perform miracles by means of their faith in Jesus Christ. However, that should not be a reason to follow them out of the Church. For a believer - who you are - is called to be a miracle worker and not to be a miracle follower. Believers do not follow men of God, but Jesus Christ - the only foundation of the Church (1 Corinthians 3:4-5, 11). They offer themselves as living stones (1 Peter 2:5), for Christ to build them into temples of God (Ephesians 2.22)., where the Holy Spirit lives and works miracles.
UNBELIEVERS AND MIRACLES
The scripture is clear: it is written that believers will "perform" miracles, and not that believers will "follow" miracles (Mark 16:27). And the difference is also clear - believers are those who work for miracles to happen; while unbelievers are those who follow where miracles happen. In other words, miracles are the proofs of unbelievers (1 Corinthians 1:22-24), whereas faith is the proof of believers (Mark 16:17 - 18). Believers are those who hold on to their faith and pray to receive the power to perform miracles, and the unbelievers are those who lack faith, and go from place to place, looking for miracles. This is the reason why unbelievers are following miracles out of the Church but miracles are following the believers in the Church.
Certainly, the works and testimonies of the believers help the unbelievers to build their faith in the Church - so as to experience the power of God working through them. But there is a problem with Christians whose only interest is to follow people for signs and wonders. The outcome is that if you are focused on miracles you will see the false prophets, but if you are focused on God you will see his miracles. That is why Jesus told the Pharasees who asked him for a sign to prove that he was the Son of God, that the only sign he would give them is the sign of the prophet Jonas (Matthew 12:38-40). That is the conversion of the believer to Christ
MIRACLES AND SPECTACLES
One main distraction from the faith is the lure of instant miracles (healing, success, deliverance etc). The truth is that many will show you instant miracles on TV but they will not, also, show you when the healings, blessings etc disappear instantly. These are the spectacle of false prophets (Matthew 24:24). (For one of the characteristics of false miracles is that their effects do not last - instead, the subject's condition may become worse thereafter). As far as true miracles are concerned the time taken to happen depends on the will of God. Divine miracles can manifest instantly, as well as they may take days, months or years to happen. Most often we ignore the little miracles of God in our lives. We fail to remember that God created the universe, not in one day, but in six days. And he moved from one step to another, because he saw that what he did was good (Genesis 1). Therefore, it is by admiring the daily little miracles of God that he may do for us the bigger ones that we hope for That is why the scripture says, "Faith that is firm is also patient" (Isaiah 28:16). A spectacle is a visually striking performance, show or display; intended to captivate or to amuse people But a miracle is an extraordinary event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is attributed to an act of God to fulfill his planl or purpose. So Paul healed many people but his own affliction did not heal - as it was not God's will for it to be healed (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Note that in the Old Testament God used miracles to reveal himself and his servants. But after his full revelation in Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:19) and the empowerment of his disciples (Acts 1:8), God uses miracles, today, only to fulfill his plans and purposes in the Church or in the believer. That is why Jesus worked miracles for them who came to him for solutions but refused to give any sign, but that of his death and resurrection, to them who wanted proof that he was the Son of God (Matthew 12 :38-39). He later on rebuked Thomas for seeing him before believing, but exalted them who will believe without seeing him. (John 20: 27-29). So to leave Jesus Christ in the Church, - alive and active in the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12), the Holy Mass (Luke 22:19-20), the Eucharist (John 6:35,51), the Sacraments (John 20:22-23), and in the Blessed Sacrament (Matthew 11:28-30) - and to go looking for miracle workers, is an act of unbelief..The real danger is not the waste of time or lack of solutions but the encounter with false prophets - the merchants of miracles. .
MERCHANTS OF MIRACLES
"Then, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ - do not believe it. For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible." (Matthew 24:23-24).
So many people want to do signs and wonders, only to show power, or to gain fame, and popularity. For others, the miracles are means to get rich at the expense of sinners and unbelievers. The majority of such people have taken their powers from Satan to perform miracles (Matthew 24:23-26;Revelation 13:11-13). They are not ready to seek or to submit to the will of the Holy Spirit for God's dispensation of his spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:9-11). Rather they want the instant manifestation of gifts and gifts which fulfill their personal desires.
When you follow miracles instead of Christ, these "merchants" of signs and wonders will capture you with a miracle or prophecy (which may be true or false). There and instantly, you will fall on your knees and confess that you have seen God whom you have never seen before. Then the "man of God" will lay hands on you and say: "It is well with you", "Your case is settled", "Your past is over", " You are free", etc. And you will answer with a resounding "Amen". But then you may have questions to answer :
Do you know: the origin of the spirit in the hands they lay on you?
Do you know the foundation of the altar on which you are kneeling?
Do you know the spirit behind the prayer or incantations they make on you?
Do you know the god to whom you are making the offerings they ask from you?
Do you know the spirit behind the "man of God" or the god who called him?
It is through such means, as this, that many innocent and uninformed persons become possessed and manipulated or tormented tby foul spirits and demons.
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THE SPIRIT OF GOD
In the Catholic Church you are sure that:
The Spirit in the priest is the same Spirit that Jesus breathed on his Apostles (John 20:21-22) - and which has been transmitted through priestly ordination.
The Altar is raised on the foundation of the Apostles (Matthew 16:18) and the Cornerstone is Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:20). (St Peter's Basilica in Rome is actually erected on the tomb of Peter).
The Spirit behind the prayers of the Church is the Holy Spirit (;Acts 1:1-4).
The God to whom we offer sacrifices is the Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 22:19-20).
The spirit backing the Priest is the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-22).
One thing to know about miracles is this: God works signs and wonders, but signs and wonders are not always the works of God. For example, when God sent Moses to perform signs in Egypt, the Egyptian magicians also performed the very signs (Exodus 7, 8). And when Paul and his followers were going to pray in Philippi, they met a servant girl who had an evil spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She earned a lot of money for her owners by prophesying (Acts 16:16). The only sign that Satan cannot imitate - to usurp the power and glory of God, and deceive people - is the sign of Jonah.
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THE MIRACLE OF JONAH
The miracle of Jonah (Matthew 12: 38 -42) was prefiguring the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important miracle in Christianity - for two ressons :
(1) it is inimitable - Satan cannot imitate the miracle of Jonah (or the death and resurrection of Christ) because it works against Satan himself (Colossians 2:15).
(2) The miracle of Jonah - as the death and resurrection of Christ, the defeat of Satan, and the conversion of sinners (Colossians 2:12-15, 3:3-4) - is the only means of salvation. And it is by their conversion and salvation that one may receive the Holy Spirit and the gift of miracles (1 Corinthians 12:10).
The conversion and the salvation of the world is what interests God more. This is the reason why Christ came, suffered and died on the Cross. Regrettably, the thirst for signs and wonders has taken uninformed Christians so far away from God that many are unable to find their way back into the Church. Many have died, and more are still dying, in "exile" - destined to hell. May you follow this post to receive your gift of miracles and of eternal life in Jesus Christ, Amen.
Author: Aying Godman, is a Catechist, Evangelist & Blogger of the Roman Church; Founder of CATHOLIC FRONT MEDIA™
Email: ayinggodman@gmail.com
Copyright (c) Aying Godman - Catholic Front Media (2021-2022) All rights reserved.
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