Miracles, as we call them, are actually the spiritual capacity to produce natural disorders and turn them into ordinary events for the benefit of human beings. A miracle is a miracle because it produces welfare to one or more human beings involved in the development of the same, otherwise they cannot be classified as such.
No one should be surprised because we define them as natural disorders, because that is precisely what happens when a miracle takes place; there is a disorder of the system of natural laws that govern the physical material world.
Miracles are not always visible facts, they are also all those facts that pass unnoticed even to the human consciousness, but just like the extraordinary ones, they transcend the natural order of matter and bring welfare to the people involved in their realization.
The concept is not only part of the New Testament, we find it also in the Old Testament. The term in Greek is δυναμεις (dynamis), and is translated as miracle, wonder, virtue, power. The term in Hebrew is מוֹפֵת (mopet), and is translated by sign, prodigy, symbol, example, model.
In the introduction we speak of “spiritual capacity” because it is precisely the only source that can alter the natural laws of our material physical system. The spiritual is above the material.
For the invisible things of Him, even His eternal power and Godhead, are seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made; so that they are inexcusable: Romans 1:20
This definition leads us to understand the first foundation of the operation of miracles, that is, who are those who can opt for a miracle.
Contrary to what religions have established, that we can all be exposed to a miracle at some point; even, that we can ask for a miracle to be done, the Bible teaches that miracles are only available to those who have developed, either budding or actively, a spiritual life directed towards God.
For to which of the angels did he ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to those who will be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:13-14
One who does not direct his life to believe and trust in God cannot opt for portentous deeds. Prayer to the saints, a Catholic practice spread as a pillar of faith, is not a doctrine supported by the Bible.
But without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6
In light of the above and to confirm the established point, the only prayer that God hears from one who has no spiritual life is the prayer of repentance, otherwise God does not hear any prayer or access any miracle on their behalf,
And we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man fear God, and do his will, him he heareth. 32Since the world began it was not heard, that any man should open the eyes of one that was born blind. 33If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. John 9:31-33
The second foundation of the operation of miracles that we need to understand is about the raison d’être of a miracle: miracles are activated to confirm the faith of the one or those to whom they are sent, not to solve their personal crisis.
God is not a problem solver, God’s commitment to humanity and to those who seek him is one of salvation. Problems are part of life, they are situations of daily life, even the apostle Paul pointed out that it is necessary that through many tribulations we enter the Kingdom of God.
Confirming the minds of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22
Miracles do not necessarily provoke faith, so trusting that someone can come to believe and develop faith because of a miracle is an atheistic foundation, it goes against the Word. The disciple-apostles walked night and day for three and a half years with Jesus, saw countless miracles, even resurrections, yet at His crucifixion, one of them, Thomas, expressed himself as incredulous as one who had never walked with Him.
Miracles follow faith and have the purpose of confirming it.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the signs, but because ye did eat bread, and were filled. John 6:26
Being aware of these two fundamentals of the operation of miracles, and understanding above all that it is God who decides by his sovereignty, where, when and to whom he allows a miracle, we must understand what care we must take in order to enjoy a life of miracles.
The first thing we have to proclaim is, yes, that God continues to work miracles in our time, as many and as wonderful as the miracles he worked in ancient times.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
For I, the LORD, am not moved; and so you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:6
Believing that miracles are a thing of the past, or that they were for the exclusive use of a nation, obviously disqualifies us from being candidates to receive them.
To illustrate the care we must take to enjoy a life of miracles, although there are many biblical stories that can serve us for this purpose, we will use the case of the multiplication of the five barley loaves and the two small fishes, in the Gospel of John, because John presents it precisely as a “sign” of divine provision, the same that God established as a way of life since the people came out of Egypt.
In each situation, define who is the source of our resources.
And when Jesus lifted up his eyes, and saw that a great multitude was come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? John 6:5
In response to Jesus’ question, two answers arose: the first:
Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii of bread will not suffice for them, that each of them may take a little. John 6:7
It is a valid answer, but it does not allow for the operation of miracles.
The second answer:
There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes; but what is this among so many? John 6:9
It is an answer that opens up the possibility, albeit saturated with doubt.
The writer presents the true answer:
But this He said to test Him; for He knew what He would do. John 6:6
What God has arranged to do, He will do, and He knows how. The first care we must take is to try to understand what God wants to do with each situation we face; it is not about focusing on the element that disturbs us, but in discovering the purpose that forged that situation. We must be aware that the most important thing is not what I need, but what God wants to do in the midst of my situation; that is what miracles depend on.
What is the source of my provision? It is not a question of answering automatically, but of bringing to reality what God wants to do with each of my situations, that determines the treatment with which we must resolve them. It is useful here to keep in mind the words of the psalmist,
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence cometh my help. 2My help comes from the LORD, Who made the heavens and the earth. Psalm 121:1-12
This question should be asked with every situation we face, for as we said, it is not the answer that matters, but trying to understand what God wants to do, or what He wants to teach us with them.
Let us start from what we have, not from what we WANT to have, and let us follow the instruction to do.
There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes; but what is this among so many? John 6:9
The cause that causes the fall of many leaders, that indebts many other entrepreneurs, and that depresses so many men and women of faith, is the desire to start the work, the business, the activity of faith, with resources they do not have, wanting to imitate what others do, without measuring the consequences of what it means to work with resources that we do not have.
Miracles are not a patch to ignorance, nor a repel to irresponsibility. God does not promote provisional solutions, nor does He participate in the improvisation of naive minds that assume that God is obliged to supply them even above their deficiencies.
Miracle does not mean “doing” about what you do not have, but “doing” about what you have along with the instruction to do it; both, united.
And Jesus said, Make the multitude lie down. And there was much grass in that place: and they sat down, about the number of five thousand men. John 6:10
Another good example is the case of the widow of Zarephath of Sidon to whom the prophet Elijah was sent by God. The widow had only one provision, the last one, for her and her son’s sustenance, but she gave it to feed the prophet. We all know the outcome of the story, there was no lack of provision for them throughout that season of crisis.
And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9Arise, go to Zarephath of Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. … I pray thee, bring me also a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have no baked bread; only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a cruse… 13And Elijah said unto her, Be not afraid: go, do as thou hast said: but first make me thereof a little cake baked under the ashes, and bring it unto me; and afterward thou shalt make for thyself and for thy son. 14For thus hath the LORD God of Israel said: The jar of flour shall not be scarce, neither shall the cruse of oil be diminished, until that day that Jehovah shall give rain upon the face of the earth. … 16 And the jar of meal shall not fail, neither shall the cruse of oil diminish, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. I Kings 17:8-16
Recognize God in everything. we get ahead because He brings us through.
And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were reclining; and likewise of the fishes, as much as they wanted. John 6:11
It is not a matter of coining the expression, “all thanks be to my Lord”, or similar; it is a matter of being aware that the solution to conflicts is not because of our own ability, but because He has taken us out of the midst of them. The same applies to wealth; we are not rich, or prosperous, because our knowledge and skills enabled us to be so, but because He endowed us with the ability to be so.
And say in thine heart, My power and the strength of my hand have brought me this wealth. 18But remember the LORD thy God: for he giveth thee power to get wealth, to establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:17-18
Recognizing God in everything is the foundation of the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit; and the only way to establish the shadow of His Lordship over us.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6
Review what has happened. Enable a quality control model.
And when they were filled, he said to his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. John 6:12
Although the account testifies that those who were fed that day numbered more than five thousand people, none of them were aware of what was happening right before their very eyes; it was not until the disciples gathered up what was left over, and they saw the twelve baskets left over from those who had eaten, that they realized the miracle that Jesus had done.
So they took and filled twelve baskets with pieces of the five barley loaves, which were left over for those who had eaten. 14Then when those men saw the sign which Jesus had done, they said, “This is truly the prophet who is to come into the world. John 6:13-14
In rereading the account of the multiplication of the five barley loaves and the two fishes we see that the real miracle did not consist in the multiplication per se, but in the awareness that they acquired of what Jesus had done.
Miracles have a purpose, as we established from the beginning, it is not to solve the difficulty or the problem that is troubling us; but, first, to establish through it a truth that will make us grow; second, to establish the mercy that our region needs; and third, that the earth be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of God.
There are times, many times, that we have been exposed to miracles and have not been able to value them as such.
And the reason is because we do not review what has happened to us, we have not developed the necessary wisdom to see the presence of the Holy Spirit in the events just past, which, we have to admit, is part of the arrogance with which human beings walk today.
Quality control means going back over the course of the day to evaluate the good and the bad, and from the bad to learn not to repeat the mistakes made. It is the wisdom of the work of Creation embodied in the book of Genesis, if we review the first chapters of the book, we will see how the phrase is repeated in the reading: And God saw that it was good.
Evaluating daily what we do will lead us to refine our spiritual discernment and we will be able to see God at work in everything.
Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath; Ephesians 4:26
There will be miracles that we will not see, but we will appreciate God’s work there. If the reader reviews the rest of the reading of chapter six of John’s gospel, he will notice that following this story is another miracle, the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. If you look at the reading you will notice that the whole crowd noticed this miracle,
The next day the people who were on the other side of the sea, when they saw that there was not another little ship there but one, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away by themselves; 23and that other little ships had come from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten bread after the Lord had given thanks; 24and when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they entered the little ships, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. John 6:22-24
Miracles have not ceased, what has changed is our appreciation of them. Not that we have never received one, what has happened is that it came not as we wanted it to come.
May we go back to the beginning of miracles, and may we understand that it is the ordinary way of life designed by God for those who have loved him. May we walk by it as long as we live on the face of the earth.
At the close of EDITION
I thought we had said the most important thing, but there is still one more principle we need to establish.
The author of miracles is God; therefore, a miracle will never go contrary to what He Himself has established, nor will it go contrary to any of His principles.
This means that God cannot work a miracle on behalf of someone who in his definition of personhood has established as a principle of life to support abortion and/or promote assisted dying (euthanasia). Life is the greatest miracle that human beings have from God; to ask for a miracle when we have stood against the greatest of them is a denial of their operation, and disqualifies the person from being a candidate for them.
Life in Christ is a spiritual life based on the experience with the Holy Spirit, it is therefore a supernatural life; it is not an intermittent life, of isolated miracles, but a life where the pattern is established by the Lord; it is a life on earth but governed by the principles of the Kingdom of God.
What supernatural events have you seen?
Pastor Pedro Montoya
