Category Archives: Miracles

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July 3, 2015

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Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Miracles, Prayer, Trusting God

WINNING THE LOTTERY

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. [Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT)]

The story is told of Jack, a man who was definitely down on his luck: his business had gone sour, the bills were mounting, and foreclosure was imminent. Jack turned to God in prayer: “God, I trust you to help me. I’m in dire straits and desperately need financial help. Please let me win the lottery this week.” When the lotto numbers were drawn, however, someone else won. Although Jack’s faithful but desperate prayers went on for three more weeks, he never won the lottery. When the lotto rolled around again, once more Jack desperately prayed: “Lord, I’ve now lost my business, house and car. We’re homeless with nothing to eat. Please help your good and faithful servant; let me win the lotto just this one time.” Suddenly, there was a flash of light, the heavens opened and Jack heard a thunderous voice from above: “Jack, my son, you’ve got to meet me halfway on this. Go buy a ticket!”

As much as we wish it, trusting God doesn’t mean we will always stay out of difficulties or harm’s way nor does it free us of the consequences of our actions or, as in Jack’s case, our inaction. Trusting God means we know He cares and is ever-present; it means we believe that He loves and leads us and intends good for us. Trusting God means doing what God says; it means that we can turn our fears and anxieties over to Him. Trusting God, however, doesn’t mean we can turn our work over to God. Let us never forget that trusting God doesn’t mean we stop toiling or striving while the world collapses around us. Perhaps, when it seems God has forgotten us, it’s not because He’s failed to do His part; it’s because we’ve failed to do ours!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)]

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June 15, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Faith & Hope, Miracles, Patience & Perseverance

HE HEALED

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. [Mark 10:51-52 (NLT)]

Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, ran after Jesus. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” he called. The crowd tried to quiet him, but he only shouted louder. No doubt about it, he wanted to be healed and he was. A paralyzed man wanted healing so much that he had his friends carry him to Jesus. When they couldn’t get through the crowd to the Lord, the men climbed onto the roof, made an opening and lowered their friend down to Jesus. Nothing was going to keep him from healing. A bleeding woman spent every penny she had on doctors to no avail. She followed after Jesus, desperately trying to touch his robe in hope of healing. Like the blind beggar and lame man, she truly wanted to be healed.

What a contrast they are to the man who lay by the pool at Bethesda for thirty-eight years. Sick people congregated there every day in hope of a miraculous healing. It was said that an angel of the Lord would come from time to time and stir up the water. Whoever was first to step in that water would be healed instantly. When Jesus came to the pool, he saw the man and asked if he wanted to be healed. It’s odd that the answer wasn’t a resounding “Yes!” Instead, the man complained that he had no one to put him in the water when it rippled.

The sick man by the pool blamed others for his lack of healing; no one would take him to the edge of the pool. Was there no one in thirty-eight years who might have helped the sick man if he’d only asked? Had he been abandoned or had he gotten so comfortable in his misery that he hadn’t requested help? Did he really want to be healed or had he found it easier to be an invalid? Fortunately, Jesus saw and took pity on him, commanded him to pick up his mat and walk. The man obeyed and was healed. If he’d replied, “I can’t; I’m too sick!” he would probably have lain there for the rest of his years.

Some of us may need physical healing; others may need spiritual or emotional healing. Sickness and disease are part and parcel of our imperfect world. No matter how much faith we have or how many doctors or counselors we visit, not every illness will be cured. There is no promise that we’ll stay healthy and death is inevitable. When we need healing, however, we can’t lay helpless by a pool waiting for a miraculous and effortless cure. Healing takes work. That means prayer along with such things as regular medication, physical therapy, a 12-step program, counseling, an exercise regimen or special diet, healthier habits, hospitalization, a support group, or even a simple change in attitude. We can, however, do all of that and still not be healed. Cures are never guaranteed but, if we’re unwilling to put forth some effort, it’s a guarantee that we’ll never be able to stand up, pick up our mats and walk.

The wish for healing has always been half of health. [Seneca]

When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! [John 5:6-9a (NLT)]

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May 20, 2015

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Faith & Hope, God's Grace & Love, God's Plan, Knowing Him, Miracles

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

I am the Lord who heals you. [Exodus 15:26b (NLT)]

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. [Psalm 139:14 (NLT)]

5-20-15jasmine (star)- naples442-1webShort of seeing his incision, steri-strips and a small bandage on his back, one would be hard put to know that my husband had surgery less than a week ago! When commenting on his quick recovery, a neighbor said, “You must have had a good doctor!” Of course he did; we wouldn’t have deliberately chosen a bad one. Better yet, my husband has a Great Physician! God made our bodies wonderfully complex and, in the process, gave them the ability to heal! Wounds can close, broken bones can mend, and weak hearts can get stronger. We have an immune system to fight infection and platelets and plasma to help blood clot. Cancer cells can be defeated and, in my husband’s case, peripheral nerves can regenerate and repair themselves.

From a quick Internet search, it seems that we humans have anywhere from 15 to 70 trillion cells in our bodies. Like all living things, however, those cells don’t last forever. Muscle cells may function as long as 25 years, liver cells might last 18 months, and red blood cells can live up to four months; the cells in our gut, however, survive only four or five days! I read that an adult male loses roughly 96 million cells per minute (and not just from his rapidly balding head). Yet God, in his infinite wisdom created a body that can replace those same cells in that very same minute! Literally, out with the old and in with the new.

God did an outstanding job when he put us together. Granted, He allowed parts to break, wear out, deteriorate and fail, but he also gave our bodies the amazing ability to heal! Moreover, he gave us the art of medicine along with healers and researchers who are constantly finding ways to keep these bodies of ours working a bit better and longer.

Even though our bodies have an incredible ability to heal, not everything that goes wrong with them can be fixed. Not all pain can be alleviated, not every poison has an antidote, not every disease can be cured, and not every medical condition has a remedy. Our bodies will eventually be broken beyond repair and God will take us home.

Jesus was a healer and, while He healed the physical ailments of many, He wasn’t in the medical business. His business was that of the soul and, no matter what happens to our mortal bodies, His presence in our lives keeps our spirits healed and whole. While we may not be restored to physical health, he renews our spirit, eases our fears, turns our weakness into strength, our sorrow into joy, and our pain into peace. Thank you, Father, for the gift of healing, both of body and soul.

Prayer for Health of Body and Soul: May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength. May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your body, save your soul, and bring you safely to his heavenly country; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. [Book of Common Prayer]

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. [Psalm 73:26 (NLT)]

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March 2, 2015

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Bible Stories, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Miracles, Trusting God

WOULD YOU HAVE TRUSTED?

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. [Philippians 4:19-20 (NLT)]

In a time of famine, the prophet Elijah went to a poor widow and asked for bread. She told him that she had none and had only enough flour and oil to make one last portion of bread for herself and her son. This would be their final meal; after it was gone, they would surely die of starvation. Elijah, however, persisted, telling her to make bread for him first, and then bread for herself and her son. He assured the woman that there would be enough flour and oil left for them all until the famine was over. The widow didn’t try to reason with the prophet and suggest, “If what you say is true, how about my son and I eat first and then I’ll feed you?” She simply did as Elijah asked. She trusted him and they continued to eat for many days. Just as Elijah promised, there was always enough flour and oil left for another meal. It was a miracle.

What a story of trust this is. The widow trusted Elijah completely. She fed him first with no guarantee that there would be anything left for her or her son. Because she trusted, the Lord provided. Without trust and the widow’s simple act of faith, there would have been no miracle. Had it been me, I wonder if a miracle would have occurred. Would I have trusted in God’s provision? How difficult is it for us to take that first leap of faith and trust in the Lord that He will provide.

They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. [Psalm 22:5 (NLT)]

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January 28, 2015

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Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Grace & Love, God's Word: The Bible, Miracles, Prayer

NO SUCH WORD AS “IMPOSSIBLE”

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? [Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV)]

butterfly (monarch) - naplesBotGa38WEBOur God is an awesome, all-powerful, and unlimited God. There is, however, one word that isn’t in His vocabulary: “impossible.” He is the God of amazing miracles; therefore, nothing for Him is impossible. If He chooses not to do what we ask of Him, it isn’t because he can’t; it’s because He won’t. Apparently, God has a different (and better) plan for us.

If nothing is too difficult for Him, why, do we insult Him by offering only timid and trivial prayers about lost glasses and broken appointments? Why do we hesitate giving Him the stuff that really matters: lost souls and broken hearts? Perhaps we’re hesitant to give God the big stuff because we’re afraid He can’t do it! Of course, He cares about the mundane aspects of our lives, but let’s honor Him with prayers that show we truly do believe in Him! As long as we always remember that prayer is request, not a demand, we can ask anything of God, secure in the knowledge that while it is in His power to do anything, it is also in His power to answer every prayer in His own way.

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord [James 1:6-7 (NIV)]

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December 15, 2014

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holidays & Holy Days, Love & Works, Miracles

HOLY STROLLERS!

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Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night. [Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 (MSG)]

I’d like to share a story that is making the rounds on the Internet:

Years ago, a little boy was shocked when his sister told him there was no Santa. Tearfully, he went to his grandmother and told her of his disappointment. She quickly assured him that Santa existed; in fact, she would prove it to him. The two got into her car and drove to the local department store. Instead of visiting the store Santa, as he expected they would, his grandmother gave him $10 and told him to use it to purchase a gift for someone who needed one. Alone in the store, the boy pondered who should get a gift. Finally he decided on Robby, a boy in his classroom. Robby never went out at recess; although he said it was because he had a cough, everyone knew it was because he didn’t have a warm coat. The boy picked out a lovely red coat and brought it to the clerk with his money. He excitedly told her that it was a gift for a boy in his class who didn’t have a coat. She took all of his money and bagged up the coat.

Once home, Grandma removed the price tag, tucked it into her Bible, and helped her grandson box and wrap the coat. That evening the boy and his grandma went to Robby’s house and placed the beautifully packaged gift at the front door, rang the bell and hid behind the bushes. The joy they felt when Robby answered the door and picked up the box convinced the boy that Santa did, indeed, exist and that he and his grandma were on Santa’s team. That little boy is now a grown man. He still has Grandma’s Bible; the coat’s price tag of $19.95 is still in it.

IMG_0984WEBSunday, I saw proof of Santa and the spirit of Christmas when our church provided strollers for a nearby social service agency. (See “WHAT SHOULD WE DO?”) The agency needed at least sixty strollers; our pastor promised one hundred. There were a few Scrooges this morning as the first few strollers rolled in. “Have you priced strollers lately?” someone asked. “How would we ever get one hundred?” asked another. Well, we didn’t get one hundred. We actually got nearly two hundred. Along with strollers, there were gifts of food, toys and diapers. This truly was the spirit of Christmas. Santa is alive and well in south Florida. Praise God!

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.  [Janice Maeditere]

 They err who think Santa Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters through the heart. [Mrs. Paul M. Ell]

Update: Sunday, December 21, our pastor announced that 251 strollers had been donated!