Obedience and miracles
Why don’t we see more miracles in North America?
I’ve seen God do some mind boggling things and even raise folks from the dead, but not in the quantity that we read about in the early church. Where is the disconnect? What are we missing?
As I was reading through the book of Matthew this week something leapt off the pages at me. At first, it came in the form of a question and then as an answer to the question. After reading a few verses I have become convinced that we are guilty of picking and choosing the scriptures we want to obey.
Sound too severe? Maybe; but if what we’re doing is not working, we must force ourselves to take a harder look. I am certain the problem does not lie with God’s ability or willingness. That leaves “us” to look at.
Allow me to go over a few scriptures that appear to be crucial to miracles:
1. Miracles Through Submission
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
Here James clearly connects submission to God, which would include His Word or His will. His word also states that we are to submit one to another and prefer each other.
James tells us that AFTER we have submitted to God, we may then resist the devil. The foregone conclusion is that he will flee from us.
2. Miracles Through Confession
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16
Here the key is the prayers of a “righteous man” and not merely a fervent man.
In other words, we must have clean hands and a pure heart if we are to see God’s favour and answers to prayer.
We cannot regard sin while doing nothing about it and receive the benefits of being children of The King.
3. Miracles Through Reconciliation
“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offence. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” Matthew 18:15-20 NLT
This is a BIGGIE among us. We have grudges abounding within the church. I hear people talk about their relationship with God as if they can allow there to be chasms of offence between them and a Brother or Sister in Christ and that God will hear their prayers anyway. They act as if their relationship with God can be separate from their relationship with The Body of Christ (his church).
If we read Mt. 18 in context, it Jesus plainly links “binding,” “loosing,” and answers to prayer with our ability to not only get along, but to forgive each other from the heart and truly reconcile with one another.
So often we deceive ourselves into thinking that we have forgiven someone who has offended us, but in truth, we still distance ourselves from the offending party. I have included a link that you might find helpful regarding the sin of offence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jdMGaH_u7E
Supporting scriptures:
“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” Matthew 18:35 NLT
“If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 1 John 4:20 NLT
By Pastor Phil Lemke
