Do miracles happen today?

 BY Argie Simonis 

"And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him." Luke 23:8

Herod wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle, and this can be seen from the questions he asked. However, Jesus did not use His faith to perform miracles for Herod.

Miracles are God's way of meeting the needs of those who seek Him in faith. Miracles will sometimes be used to demonstrate God's ability for people to believe , but they will not happen to skeptics who tempt God . 

Here are two examples:

"But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (he said to the sick of the palsy,)

I say to you, Arise, and take up your bed, and go your way into your house." Mark 2:10-11

"And he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down from hence:

For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you:

And in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.

And Jesus answering said to him, It is said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God." Luke 4:9-12

So what is the definition of a miracle?

The miracle is a supernatural intervention of God's power over the natural law.

There is an essential distinction between a miracle and a healing. Healing takes place within the bounds of natural laws, while miracles are not limited to natural laws. A person with a high fever who are prayed over and then begins to recover, experiences a healing. The Lord intervened here, but in natural ways, such as the example of Peter's mother-in-law:

"And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered to them." Luke 4:39

The virus, the infection or anything that caused this fever and was rebuked, left her body and then her immune system took over the natural healing process (as it happens to all of us).

When something completely supernatural happens, it's a miracle:

"And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.

And Jesus answered and said, Suffer you thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him." Luke 22:51

It was a miracle when Jesus reattached the servant's ear after Peter had previously cut it off. It was also a healing, but it was a miraculous healing.

The feeding of the five thousand (Matt. 14:19-20), the walking on the water (Matt. 14:25), the transportation of the ship and all its passengers from one end of the sea to the other (John 6:21), all these are miracles. Miracles are usually instantaneous, while healings are sometimes gradual.

Are miracles happening today?

"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." Mark 16:20

The Lord miraculously confirmed the preaching of His Word. If Jesus and the Christians of the first century needed the Word that was miraculously confirmed, how much more do we need it:

"God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?" Hebrews 2:4

The Lord never had anyone who met the necessary "qualifications" to serve Him. He uses available vessels,  not "perfect" vessels, because none of us is perfect.

It is by His Grace that He uses any of us for His Kingdom. Anyone who claims to be used by God because of his great holiness is highly deceived. It is our faith in the Grace of God that allows miracles to flow through us.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me..." Gal. 2:20 

Amen?