Need A God-Sized Miracle? There Is A Way

 

Need A God-Sized Miracle? There Is A Way

The Gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.  Romans 1:16.

So, what does receiving a miracle have to do with being saved? First and foremost, you must believe in order to receive. Otherwise, there is a chance you will write a miracle off as merely a fortunate coincidence, and miss the full benefits. Secondly, I consider being saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ to be the greatest of miracles. So, I propose that one must be saved to receive a miracle from God. (There is a vast difference between seeing a miracle and actually receiving a miracle). It is as simple as that.

(Please. Before you think, “I have already done that –  I have been saved, so, let’s get to the ‘good stuff”. Let’s talk about what it actually means to be saved.)

SAVED: From Strong’s concordance, means to save, make and to be made whole, to be given purpose for your life, to heal and to be made healthy.

To keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction; from injury or peril in your mortal body, in your mind, in your will and emotions (your soul).

To save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction; from injury or peril in your relationship with your spouse, your children and your family.

To save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction; from injury or peril in your relationships with your friends, acquaintances and the world at large.

To save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction; from injury or peril in your job, your career, your finances and all that God has entrusted to you.

Being saved literally means to save a suffering one (from perishing); to save one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health; to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue; to save in the technical biblical sense, to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment. (The complete Bible translation from Strong’s concordance #4982).

There are obvious benefits to being saved. And if you are around church for any length of time, you may hear the encouragement to become “a fully devoted follower of Jesus”, which is great advice. But what is usually left out is becoming “a fully developed follower of Jesus”.

The Apostle Peter encouraged believers by telling them, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you still need milk and not solid food.” (see Hebrews 5:12).

Being saved is all encompassing, but Jesus specifically teaches that there are levels of maturity you should strive to reach when He says “you should become perfect, even as I am perfect”. (see Matthew 5:48).

Just between you and me, when I read the Biblical definition of ‘saved’, it makes me a bit uncomfortable. I mean, it almost sounds too good to be true. But, it says what it says. So, I am going to believe. Now, how do I get there from here?

How does this come about? Here is the odd or surprising part – This is not esoteric or something that is unattainable as if it were on some far away mountain top, or some kind of magic available only to a few special people..

In fact, the Bible clearly tells us, “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL GO UP INTO HEAVEN?’, (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”, that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

It says, The Word is near you – it is in our mouth and in your heart. That is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:8-10

Jesus has told us, in Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, and in Matthew 10:7, that the Kingdom of Heaven, where all things originate, is now at hand, another way of saying it is as close as the words in your mouth!

Next, confessing or speaking what you are thinking, or why is speaking what you profess to believe required for salvation?  For that matter, why is saying aloud (confessing) what you believe, necessary at all?

Notice how the Apostle Paul connects Words + Believing + Confessing

• “The Word in your mouth” with also being “in your heart”.
• And again, he connects “confessing with your mouth” with “believing in your heart”
• And finally, again, connecting “with the heart a person believes” with “with the mouth he confesses”
• THE RESULT is SALVATION (soteria)

There is something powerful about saying aloud what is in your mind or heart – for good or for evil.

1. THE POWER OF THOUGHTS 

Proverbs23:7  “For as a man thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, Eat and drink!
But his heart is not with you.”

2. THE POWER OF MEDITATION

Joshua 1:8  “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

3. THE POWER OF SPEECH

Matthew21:21  And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.”

Verse 22. “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

John15:7  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Matthew 16:19  “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Matthew18:19, “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.”

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Verse 9. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

The Bible uses words like The Mind (set on), To Think, To Think on, Meditate, Dwell on, Speak, Say, in both the Greek (NT) and Hebrew (OT) languages to show us how we are made and how we are to manage what God has granted to us.

So, why are these things germane to receiving a miracle? Because you must first have faith. You must first believe!

Hebrews 11 tells us that faith is the seedbed of miracles: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

A caution:  The secular view by most psychologists and psychiatrists is anthropocentric (man-centered, woman-centered). The Biblical view is Theo-centric or God-centered. So, while you practice these powerful Truths, it is vitally important to remember that the Bible teaches us the difference between man-centered (death) and God-centered (life) and the application of these truths.

Finally, it is vitally important to know that faith and miracles are not random. The believer must diligently seek God by faith, first, then know that miracles are the purposeful work of God. You must set your mind on the things above,  seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, then all these other things will be provided. (see Matthew 6:33).

SET YOUR MIND

Romans 8:5,“Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

Verse 6.  “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8: 5-6).

The Greek language for the words and phrase “the mind set on” from Romans 8:5-8, tells us that ‘setting one’s mind’ is a metaphor describing a door a or gate leading into or out of a room by which you will either escape to freedom or you will enter a prison with no way of escape – and it is of your choice and of your own making!

If you need a miracle, turn to God and be saved. Then, set your mind on things of the Spirit and live!

Please remember that you are dealing with powerful forces here.  One leading to death and the Other leading to LIFE.  Use wisdom.  Use caution. Choose Life.

This is about SERVING GOD, BECOMING HIS DISCIPLE and BEING MADE INTO HIS IMAGE.  What you learn and apply here are His gifts and methods to serve Him better and to live this life abundantly by His Standards.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

“Father, I pray over this article and this message and that you will watch over those who read this, who diligently apply this, Your Word, to their lives, that You will cause it to bear much fruit that You will be glorified.”   Amen & Amen!

(Related study: “Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind”.