Miracles

- Luke 17:11-19

Luke 17:11–19 (CSB)

11 While traveling to Jerusalem, he passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14 When he saw them, he told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were cleansed.

15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan.

17 Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”

A Pastor friend of mine once sent me an audio clip of a famous Bible teacher who prides himself in having many answers to Biblical questions

Well, the podcast in question, was about the very first few paragraphs in The Bible and more specifically about Eve and the serpent

Although I know this man’s theology and mine often disagree I was even surprised at his answer about it

The questioner was asking about the literalness of the Genesis account

“Did the serpent (what ever it was), really “speak” to Eve?”

To my surprise, he answered, “no!”

He said there really wasn’t a serpent either,

That the serpent symbolizes the devils character or something like that

And that it was through mental telepathy that he communicated these doubts

Or that he played on Eve’s doubt that was already in progress.

- Poetic Symbolism

So, he considers the story of the fall to be poetic symbolism of the fall.

Because, after all, everyone knows animals cant speak to humans right?

The bible says in black and White, that the serpent spoke to eve,

And It was more cunning than any other beast of the field.

Genesis 3:1 (CSB)

1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made.

And that it actually spoke

Genesis 3:1 (CSB)

He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The podcaster believes and teaches that it wasn’t vocal communication but rather, mind to mind communication

Because educated people just can’t take the Bible literally

To be fair, there are parts of the Bible that is obviously hyperbole Or poetic symbolism,

but when it is, it is also obviously meant to be Interpreted that way.

But it is an incorrect deduction to assume that all of the supernatural occurrences in the scripture are all, symbolism

Usually, when the Bible make a reference to the supernatural, It does so for a reason,

To tell you this was so awesome it is worth recording,

For instance: Elisha tapped the water with a mantle, and made an iron axe head float.

2 Kings 6:5–6 (CSB)

5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Oh, my master, it was borrowed!” 6 Then the man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a piece of wood, threw it there, and made the iron float.

I hardly think that this was poetic symbolism as if somehow,

- Elisha’s Floating Axe/ Balaam’s Talking Donkey

Elisha had good vision or something, and found it so easy, its as if It floated?

Nonsense, wouldn’t you agree?

It says the axe head floated!

So, I responded to my friend that is was an interesting interpretation

But, I wonder if he also believes that Balaams donkey didn’t actually talk

but, rather turned to balaam and used mind to mind communication?

Numbers 22:28 (CSB)

28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”

Balaam, in his anger, carried on a conversation with his donkey

They reciprocated sentences, back and forth until God Spoke to balaam and cleared it up, as we read earlier.

I remember once watching a debate about why

Intelligent design is not being taught in Schools, or universities.

One of the scholars defending the Christian View was asked by a Colleague

“if he would publicly announce that he believed in Intelligent Design, or fear ridicule from his university.”

Dr. Norman Gielser was the apologist,

He pridefully said without hesitation

That he does believe in God, and that Jesus is His son and the gospel.

The other scholar didn't know what to do next.

He thought he was going for the juggler of this well studied Professor of Philosophy, and the professor said

“absolutely I believe in it.”

Why don’t we do that?

- Why Don’t We Proclaim Our Faith?

Proclaim our faith in the public like this without hesitation

When the Doctor says this or that is bad news,

Say, “Well Jesus has the final Word!

I did a radio interview not long ago, and I was asked if I believed we should take the Bible literally

Or if it should be considered Hyperbole, or figures of speech?

To which I replied like this.

“If we are asked to believe that

there is a supreme being in a place called heaven, that we can’t see, touch, or smell, whats the problem?

If we are asked to believe Jesus was born of a virgin.

Walked on water,

and healed the sick and raised the dead.

Then whats the problem?

If we are to believe that He himself rose from the dead, and is He himself is coming back for us again, to be with Him forever,

Whats the problem with taking it literally?

Are we not supposed to take all of the miracles literally?

All of the Apostles save one, died a violent death

- Symbolic Resurrection?

Because they would not renounce what they had seen, touched, and smelled.

They could have easily testified, that Jesus meant He would come back in a symbolic resurrection.

Or that he was symbolically taken up into heaven before their very eyes etc.

No, they couldn’t that,

Because they testified that it was very literal

Even unto the pains of death!

For those who have a hard time taking the miraculous literally in scripture, I have a question for you?

If you found out you were dying of cancer, or Aids,

Would you pray for a literal healing, or a symbolic healing?

In which you would still die a horrible physical death, but you would be healed in death, symbolically of course?

I am going to assume that all here today and those of you watching, would pray for a literal healing.

When we find ourselves in troubled waters, “See? Thats a figure of speech”

But when we do find ourselves in life’s turmoils,

Do we pray for a symbolic deliverance?

No, we don't, because what good would that do us?

We need real, physical help.

This is why we actually touch you, when praying for you by the laying on of hands,

Instead of telepathically sending healing powers

No, its real, its tangible.

You can feel it

That is what the miraculous is after all

It is supernatural interference from God almighty into our space and time dimension and moving about as He sees fit!

So, when we pray for little children who’s delicate little bodies are riddled with Cancer,

we pray for a real deliverance of that disease

By the very hand of God to supernaturally interfere in that child’s struggle,

by personally removing the cancer from that child’s body,

Not by wishing him well, spiritually , or emotionally

No, but by a real personal healing designed and granted by the one and only God! Amen!

This is why I don't really like to pray for people who have gone to other sources for their healings, etc.

You know what I mean?

Those who go to

a new age spiritualist,

or rely on Eastern mysticism,

Then they’ll go to see if Buddha will help,

Or even the Pope

or anyone of his many saints.

Or the Virgin Mary,

Then they’ll include Jesus into the mix somehow when they call me and ask if I will join them in all those prayers.

I don’t like to, because I desperately want to ask them,

If the healing comes, who gets the glory?

I know when people are desperate the tendency is to grab onto what ever hope they can.

But, it still matters nonetheless, to God who gets the Glory of healing?

If we Christians join in, with Buddha and all the rest, how will they know it was Jesus that healed them?

In that type of desperation, would they even care who it was as long as they were healed?

I think not.

Just like those lepers who were healed by Jesus and never returned to thank Him.

This may be one of the reasons the Lord makes us wait sometimes for our healings

Maybe, so we are with out doubt, being healed by the very same

Alpha and omega, the king of kings

Not long ago I was having a conversation about

Why the Lord seems like He doesn’t help when we call on Him Like, “I’m in trouble now, and I need a way out of this nightmare.

Whether it be a

physical need,

financial need,

or even emotional needs

Why doesn’t he just show up then, if the miraculous stuff is real?

The answer is, “I don’t know”

We are not told He is going to get us out of every jam we find ourselves

In, or even the ones we make for ourselves.

No one knows.

I have been there as well.

- A Right Now Miracle

There was a time when I was so distraught and not in my right mind also.

I was oppressed by evil thoughts to no end it seemed to me at the time.

I prayed through tears, and pain etc.

Im better now,

But my healing did not come all at once.

I don’t know why I had to go through it to this day, but at least I’m through it

It’s not until I look back on those troubled times and reflect.

Somehow, I made it through

And I know now, that it was because of Him the whole time

You see, I wanted my miracle NOW!

But, He made me get my healing through time little by little.

Even though, I was severely & Brutally oppressed, and needed deliverance.

Well, I am through it now, Delivered AMEN!

Is it any less of a miracle?

Even though He made me take my healing in baby steps?

Is it any less of a miracle?

NO! It isn’t

Your Miracle is coming.

Be faithful and leave it at the feet of Jesus I don’t know when it will come,

And we will pray with you along the way,

But it will come.

Keep faithful, and continue in those heart felt prayers continually,

- Pray Continually For Your Miracle

Paul tells us, Not to ignore or recognize the miracles we don’t ask for in life.

That funny feeling of not turning left as you would normally do, only to find out there was a terrible accident or something

Maybe it was a minor fall you suffered only to find in the process of treating that, something more potentially worse was found,

Due to that fortunate little miraculous incident, they caught it in time for a cure or treatment.

Or even the obvious ones, like so & so is dying lets pray for him.

The next day, you find they are HEALED instantly

Don’t discount the miraculous just because you haven’t recieved yours yet.

The Bible’s Miracles are to be taken literally as per my understanding

Therefore the promises made by God to us are to be taken literally

Seek and ye shall find

Ask, and you shall receive.

Behold, in the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD WAS GOD, became flesh and dwelt among us.

If none of this is literally true. Then none of it matters!

Don’t discount the Miraculous.

Your literal Miracle is coming and will come if you belong to Christ, Keep praying for it!