I Believe in MIRACLES!…………….

 

Tonight, I look at the star filled sky. Tonight, I am reminded of the beauty of God’s divine creation. 
I am reminded of the time when we were on our way to Mangalore, how splendid everything looked. It was fun, and picturesque. It was far from the hustle of the city life. I am not complaining. I love simplicity, it just amazes me.

But then, again nature untouched by human hands is Gods magnificent hand-work. I mean we get so astonished, when we see certain works of nature. Little do we think, of the Great God who made all of the wonderful things that we see and take so much for granted?

I still am amazed when I watch a plane fly. I am amazed by the birth of a child, I am amazed when it rains, I am amazed that the earth never runs short of all the natural resources. I am amazed at the rate at which food is produced-we have millions of people consuming food-and the next day there still will be more than that for the people. I am amazed that the seas stand within their boundaries (I wont talk negative), I am amazed that we have seasons at their appointed times. I am amazed that there is a whole different universe out there-which is so infinite, that man in all probability will never be able to explore. I am amazed that the Sun comes up every morning I am amazed by the moon and the stars. I am amazed at the human brain, that it can contain information of the entire galaxy in it. I am amazed by the human heart that it works continuously without resting and can never tire down.

I am amazed by You oh God of all things. I am Amazed by Your magnificence. There is none like You. I am amazed by the capacity of a human heart to love and forgive. I believe the heart is the key to You. I believe that our greatest happiness will always come from knowing and understanding that Love is the center of our universe. Without love we will crumble. Without love we will surely die. Without You, Oh God, I dare not exist.

You my God, are my miracle of miracles. Everything I am is my song of praise to you. For the dream you put in my heart, for that song that goes on, for the hope that you have given me-I’m ever grateful. For the love in my world-for your blessing on my dreams-for your promise in my heart-I’m ever hopeful. I wait on you-for the biggest miracle in my life. I wait on You . . . . . .

I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!

What is faith? Faith is to believe in the impossible. Faith expects-that no matter what the condition is, you believe. Even though you see absolutely nothing-you believe. It has to be the I know, that I know, that I know.

No matter, where and when we when we begin, God does not expect earth shattering faith from us. Just faith that is equal to a mustard seed will do. Come with that-and Let Him lead the way. Remember, Jesus keeps His arms open wide, for you and for me-for us all.

When a miracle happens-This is what we learn that faith expected-and was rewarded. Because, this is how God teaches us to believe. Remember, in the above paragraph, I mentioned that the when’s are not important: now let us understand this concept, age is no criteria to believing. You could be 70 years of age. And God would only see you like a child who has just begun, to take his first step. God, will encourage you with every step you take. Always remember, God is our biggest encourager. And so..this article is just to let you know-you are never alone and if you are facing the 1st stage or maybe you find yourself in the 3rd stage, then I would wish you Gods best, because you are on your way to facing a miracle. Double for the trouble. God always loves to reward.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” Hebrews 11:6

God’s blessing is based on our faith — our belief in Him and His goodness.

God is Faithful-He keeps His promises.

God is Patient-He is no hurry to get it over with.

God rewards-all those who seek Him.

God is Kind-He is tender hearted.

God is love-God expects from us is to love one another.

God is good-He is just to the humble. And the proud He will overthrow.

1. BASIC QUALITIES

This is what we must practise in our daily-walk with God.

We must be faithful.

Remember the first of the ‘10 commandments’

I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other Gods before me.

YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. Luke 10:27.

We must be Obedient.

Submitting ones will to do the will of God.

We must be Humble.

But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  James 4:6

We need to approach God in prayer through humility.  Obedience to God will keep us humble.

Love our fellow brethren.

Jesus gave us a commandment: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34. These days’ people have very little tolerance level for one another. Precisely, the reason, we need to have love. Only love, will make us see through the faults of others. Only love will teach us a whole lot of other virtues.

Give thanks to God in everything.

Thank God for everything, the good and the bad.

‘give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Avoid Gossiping.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.  James 1:26

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue...." Proverbs 18:21

You can either speak death (negative thoughts) into someone or you can speak life (positive thoughts) into them. By starting or repeating a rumour, you are speaking death into that person. But, by ignoring the rumour, or putting an end to it, you are helping to speak life into someone. On one of the Sundays, when coming out from the church, I overheard women criticizing some other friend of theirs. And what shocked me most, was the mass had just got over.  I found it heard to believe. Avoid gossiping or criticizing, both are bad.

Be honest.

The LORD hates anyone who cheats, but he likes everyone who is honest. Proverbs 11:1

The LORD hates every liar, but he is the friend of all who can be trusted. Proverbs 12:22

The Bible tells us to FEAR THE LORD, AND DEPART FROM EVIL-Proverbs 3:7. The Bible says fear (be afraid of) God. That is exactly what it means. Be careful you do not reject the love of the truth.

It is written, Romans 1:25-WHO CHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD INTO A LIE(?) The answer is Satan moving in the minds of people that do not have a good and honest heart. Hebrews 6:18-It was impossible for God to lie. The Bible warns you, James 3:14-Lie not against the truth.

Never bear false witness & never ever twist the truth. Never ever leave a person in a position where their witness is only God.

Submit yourselves to God, submit yourselves to the truth. Dwell in the truth, and love the truth. Love Jesus and His ways.

We need to be kind.

Kind words are good medicine, but deceitful words can really hurt. Pro 15:4

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

We are to extend loving-kindness to all that come across our path in need.

Luke 6:27-36: Do good to those who hate you.

Bless, pray, turn the other cheek. Practice: the-golden rule-(v.31). What credit do you have if you do good to those who are good to you? Doing good to the enemy leads to great reward and then, Jesus says, you are sons. Namely, you demonstrate sonship and daughtership to God because He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

No judgement

Do not condemn anyone. God condemns no one.

Have a Holy Fear of God

To come to God with reverence, I often watch people come to the church and then look at their watch as if they are in such post haste. I mean I don’t understand, God does not force anyone to come to church. You don’t come because you are obligated. You have to come because you love. I don’t think you have to attend the U.S peace conference or the White House meetings. And even if you had to then God comes first. Set your priorities right.

This is what I basically do, I don’t carry my cell and I don’t wear a watch. When I go to church, that time is set aside-God and me. The world can wait. God comes first. And most important of all don’t chat away in the church. It is the dwelling place of God. Just because, God is liberal that does not mean you show no respect. Have a holy fear of the lord. HOLY is His name!

Pray-Repent-Fast

We should fast when we desire to draw closer to God. Fasting is not just a discipline for bringing problems to God to be fixed. It is also an expression of the heart’s longing for a greater intimacy in our walk with Him. God is a jealous God who gives Himself most fully to those who give themselves to Him most completely.

Fasting and prayer does not change God. It changes us. It is not twisting God’s arm to get Him to do our bidding but rather positioning ourselves to receive the grace He freely gives and to do His bidding.

It ensures the sincerity of our humility, repentance, and acceptance of pardon so that we no longer feel estranged from God.

Fasting and prayer combined also aids us in progressing in our walk with God.

2. TRIALS

Trials are nothing-but the test of faith. God will not forsake you. The greater the faith, the greater the trials will be.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many a kind, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 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. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:2-8

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

As we strive to live in a godly manner, Satan will begin looking for new ways to attack us. One effective assault is through other people sent to hurt, mock, or distract us.

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:3 - The word testing here means to be tested and found proven; that is, God is testing our faith in order to prove its strength.

1 Peter 1:6-7 explains this valuable aspect, “In this you greatly rejoice . . . you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith . . . may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The testing of our faith produces spiritual maturity, which leads to endurance. This enables us to withstand any assault, no matter what form the trials take. Being tested by God strengthens us so that we can face trial after trial and still endure.

A major purpose for our trials is to produce Christ-like character within us. This requires our total surrender to His will. I have never known a time-when I was alone. In all my trials, God has been my refuge. Every trial, has taught me to trust in God-and with that knowledge I write this-Your best days are yet ahead of you. Every ordeal will show you strengths you never thought you had. 2 Corinthians1:4 states, “God comforts us in all-our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Therefore, God is using our trials to make us more useful in helping others.

By fully understanding someones pain, we will be able to reach out to them in a way in which someone else may be unprepared for. If we have been through it ourselves, we will have an intimate understanding of what the hurting individual needs.

A view of a right understanding of God’s purposes for trials might lead us to the right response.

¦ God is in control- with the timing and intensity-of trials.

¦ God has a specific purpose for each trial in life.

¦ Accept each trial-to result in-good-if we respond with faith.

¦ Discover how each trial can strengthen our faith by proving that we can depend on the Lord for all of our needs.

¦ Rejoice that each trial is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His power to sustain us under tremendous pressure.

In time we will realize that we are capable of handling hardships-this is because our continuing trials have taught us that God will indeed empower us to prevail.

We must be convinced that God will walk us through every step of the trial. Hebrews 13:5

We must have faith that by His grace and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we will not only survive, but we will also conquer over each trial.

Being a child of God, you have the means by which to stand firm in the face of any trial. Trust that God has a reason for your sufferings, and submit yourself to whatever He desires to teach you. Look to the promise within your heart-and you will find-God leading you ahead to the promise.

 

 

 

3. PERSEVERANCE

Perseverance means endurance-steadfastness to persist in, to continue, to stand firm and to bear up bravely.

Mark 13:13 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake, but he who endures to the end shall be saved."
As we endure the difficult times, our example may give strength to another person. Unknowingly, we could help someone who needed help. Perseverance also strengthens our faith in the Lord.

We find in Hebrews 3:14," For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end."

As Christians, we are to persevere to the end. If we stand firm upon the teachings of the Lord, we will endure the sufferings. Jesus told us that there would be tribulations. As we endure these tribulations, our faith will grow stronger.

Romans 5:3-5 states ‘we are told that tribulation produces perseverance. With the strength of the WORD we can face all the trials in our lives. Trials will make us grow stronger.

 

4. PATIENCE

 

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. But when the promise was first given Genesis 12:1-3-Abraham and his wife Sarah did not have any children. God continued to restate His promise to Abraham through the years. When Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old God gave them their son Isaac. Though it took years of patiently waiting, they received the promise of God. Hebrews 6:15 says of Abraham, “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave-Genesis 37:27-28. Though he did not understand all that was happening, he trusted God to work out His plan in His time. He waited for God to fulfil His promise that Joseph would be a leader of his people. He had to be patient as he believed God. God did lift Joseph up to great power and responsibility. Not only was he a leader of his people, but he ruled over the people of Egypt too. Patience was needed to allow God to accomplish His purposes in the life of Joseph and his family.

The best known story of patience in the Bible is the life of Job. To prove Job’s faithfulness to the Lord, God allowed the devil to destroy everything Job owned-Job 1. Job was a wealthy man. He lost his crops, property, cattle and servants. But most devastating of all was when Job lost his children. However, Job did not blame God. He accepted that God had a plan and would be patient for God to reveal His plan.

Job’s friends came to council him. They tried to find out what great sin Job had committed to deserve the punishment he received. Job would not admit to any sin. He knew God had a plan and was willing to accept what God allowed in his life. In the end God restored to Job twice as much as he had in the beginning-Job 42:10.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 12:2, 3

Whatever the task, God has called us to we need to continue doing the work even if we don’t see the progress we would like to see. Jesus is an eg. of patience for us.

5. PERSISTENCE

 

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

The Parable of the Persistent Widow-Luke 18:1-8-teaches the necessity of patience, persistence and perseverance in prayer. We must resist the human tendency of growing weary in prayer. There are several major causes of losing heart: doubt, danger, distractions, and delay.

¶   Sin does not promote a good prayer life—in fact, it will stop it dead.

¶  Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Doubting the inspiration of Scripture and the power of God hinders prayer 1 Timothy 2:8

¶  Daniel faced real danger in praying, but kept on praying, even though it led to the lion's den-Daniel 6.

Satan causes distractions, especially during prayer time. Few things cause us to lose heart in praying more than delays in answers to our requests. Jesus uses this parable to teach us that, though answers often appear to take a long time in coming, we should persevere and not grow weary in praying to God.

Jesus compares God, not with a good man, but with a godless man to emphasize the vast difference between this unjust judge and the righteous God-Luke 18:2-8. The conduct of the unjust judge exposes the chaotic and corrupt judgments in which he presented himself. He acts purely out of self-interest. Yet, this unjust judge could avenge a widow whom he rejected, how much more will the righteous God avenge His elect-Jeremiah 11:20

If God's elect are wrongly treated, they can be sure of vindication. So, if the unjust judge because of a selfish irritation avenges a troublesome widow, how much more will the selfless God come to our aid? We can expect better treatment from a God of loving-kindness than from a heartless judge.

The widow, does not prevail because of her persuasive plea but because of her persistence. Jesus tells us long prayers and repetitions will not make God hear us any better. He already knows our needs-Matthew 6:7-8.

God has assured us that He hears and answers prayer. 
What I've learned is that most often we have the promise of God, in our hearts, but sometimes we give in to the whims and fancies of the world. What I'm saying is think hard. Pray to God, even more than you would at other times. Stay with the promise. God always makes a way, even if you think there is none. Remember, it is God we are speaking about. God never forsakes. God never fails. God expects you to persist. He is mighty proud when you do. That shows Him that You believe, and when you do there will be many more things that come your way. Stay focused, always looking to God. To God be the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

CONCLUSION: God can do the impossible. Luke 18:27-"Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.'"

The Bible says to rejoice in God’s will.

Seek His purposes.

Remember His promises. (The Bible)

God keeps His promises. God can be relied upon, He can be trusted and believed on, to do that which He has promised to do. We are called to trust that God will fulfil His promises and to believe in Him regardless of the seeming delays. 

I am wishing you God's strength! Come, be a witness to Gods miracles!

REMEMBER: It is only by trusting in God, as a faithful, covenant-keeping God, that we will be able to remain strong in faith. We have then every confidence that which He has promised will be fulfilled. Let us then remain steadfast in faith, and look for the fulfilment of His promises, without despair or disillusionment. Let us always remember, the faithfulness of God in keeping the promises He has made. God is faithful; let us remain faithful to Him no matter what comes our way.

PRAYER: Father, remember that I wait on your word. I love this dream, You have put in my heart. I wait with all the hope in my heart. Keep me always faithful and obedient to you I pray. This I ask in Jesus name. Amen.