Are Miracles Biblical?
The first answer is very simple, “without miracles, the church is helpless.” Two, “without miracles, the devil has a free ride.” On and on, we can see how desperate the Church and God’s people are for all of us to wake up. Miracles have been a part of the true Church from the second chapter of Acts to the present. I love the great scriptures in the last chapter of Mark. These words from the Holy Ghost have been the subject of debate and rejection since the second and third century. It is believed that the apostates that made up the scholars at Alexandria, Egypt, removed them because they had never seen a miracle. The false versions of the Bible that followed left out the last twelve verses of Mark chapter twelve. This very week I read a list of great Church Fathers of the first, second, third, and fourth centuries that quoted from one or more of these verses. The dependable Textus Receptus (Authorized Greek New Testament) contains these verses because they give a fitting end to this passage of God’s Word. Lets read them, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:16-18). At present, there is an overwhelming attack against everything Spiritual and Sacred. The devil knows his time is short and “unclean spirits” are destroying lives by the millions. The only answer is the supernatural power of the Holy Ghost just like promised in this Bible text. I will not be cheated out of God’s best. The Holy Spirit will anoint every person that is willing and you can be victorious. Devils can be driven out of your home, your children can be delivered from unclean living, and your church can be a powerhouse for God.
D Wesley Johnson
Brother, this was timely in many ways. I just shook the dust off of my feet in testimony against an Apostolic church this past Sunday. I was visiting with a friend. The speaker sadi twice from the pulpit “there IS NO trinity.” He also said that if you were water baptized in the “name of the father, son, and holy ghost” it was invalid and that you were not saved! When I asked him about Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18-19, he said that it did not apply to the church after the day of pentecost…. What I believe is that this group adopted the doctrine of the gnostic bunch, although not denying the deity of Christ as did the earlier group, they have accepted those more prevalent documents which had been taken out of Holy Scripture by the gnostics.
This speaker even said that the Old Testament is essentially useless for Christian living, that only the epistles were relevant to the church….He even quoted from Timothy where it says, “ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable….” Well, at the time Paul penned these words, the only “for sure” accepted and recognized “scripture” WAS the Old Testament! Even our Lord Jesus said for the folks to “search the scriptures” ( I know that He was telling them that although they thought they had eternal life by followingthe letter of the law. when they needed the entrance into eternal life through Himself, the only begotten Son of God.)
We need to get folks actively opening the FULL inspired Word of God, and invest their lives in ongoing prayer/conversation with God. And each of us needs the mountain retreats on a regular basis as practiced by our Lord, the one-on-One time with the Father.
As you have written before, the church in America needs to go back to Chronicles and assume the position and attitude of humility, pray, seek God’s face (which, when we consider “no man can see My face and live…” this means the fulfillment of the death to our old man, and to walk in newness of life! And also when jesus told them that if we would follow Him we must deny ourselves, take up OUR CROSS daily, and follow Him)…and turn from our wicked ways…that is when we will see Him heal our land….I think this means personally AND as a nation.
Thanks for listening, dear brother.
Wes
Jim S
Dear Pastor Chambers, In the last two sentences of your article, I am confused. Do you mean to say that we (those of us on your mailing list) are: 1) under attack by the devil, 2) not anointed or victorious, 3) live in demonized homes, 4) allow our children to live unclean lives, and 5) attend dead churches? If your answer is yes, why would you think these unseemly thoughts about us? If your answer is no, then what are you saying and to whom?
Dear Jim,
My friend, I started to simply ignore and delete your post-script, yet I wound like to be a blessings to you. All of us are certainly under the attacks of Satan. No one would likely suggest otherwise. I am not accusing anyone, only trying to help if the need fits. There are a host of homes I know about that need a miracle. Maybe someone that is being blessed will write a note to say so. There have been time earlier in my life that I needed what I have written.
Pastor Chambers
Harring Shuemake
Dr. Chambers wrote:
The Holy Spirit will anoint every person that is willing and you can be victorious. Devils can be driven out of your home, your children can be delivered from unclean living, and your church can be a powerhouse for God.
Jim’s question was:
Dear Pastor Chambers, In the last two sentences of your article, I am confused. Do you mean to say that we (those of us on your mailing list) are: 1) under attack by the devil, 2) not anointed or victorious, 3) live in demonized homes, 4) allow our children to live unclean lives, and 5) attend dead churches? If your answer is yes, why would you think these unseemly thoughts about us? If your answer is no, then what are you saying and to whom?
My Remarks:
I think a clear answer to Jim’s question would be, not necessarily directed to the readers on the mailing list, but rather to any home that might be undergoing satanic attacks. A home, speaking in general that is not dedicated to God, may certainly have children who are living unclean lives, and it just maybe that the occupants of this home would be attending dead churches. You see starting off with the premise that the parents are carnal, not walking in the Spirit, would lend themselves to not have the anointing of God on their lives; children who are walking out of the will of God; and more than likely, they are attending lifeless churches.
I don’t think we can accuse Dr. Chambers of directing his words to all the recipients of the news article, but to those who may fit the bill. Remember Jesus had twelve disciples and one of them was a devil. Jeremiah wrote hard words to the Children of Israel. While all were not guilty of sin, there were many within the nation that were. A preacher’s job is to put out the truth and in doing so it falls on the ears of both the saved and unsaved. If one is not guilty, then let it pass on to those who are; and if one is guilty room, is given for repentance.
Ed Wood
Hi Brother Joseph.
Certainly miracles are part of the church (which I define as all true believers). As the Old Testament demonstrates, God has always provided them when needed even before the church existed. Jesus affirmed their reality by performing them before thousands. The Gospels and book of Acts records Jesus’ followers likewise performing them. The Holy Spirit is the active agent involved in all true miracles.
We must, however, be on guard for false miracles performed by Satan – which will reach their ultimate expression during the Tribulation (2 Thess. 2:7-11) but are already well under way, I believe. Examples need not even be obviously demonic but could also include alleged apparations of “Jesus” in which a message is conveyed that is contrary to Scripture. These are the most insidious of all.
Let’s not forget that Satan can appear as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14-15). A good rule of thumb is: The Holy Spirit who inspired the creation of the Bible will never contradict himself.
The genuine appearances of Jesus after his Ascension to Saul of Tarsus and to John as he was “in the Spirit” (and which gave to him the information which he dutifully recorded in the book of Revelation) affirmed Scripture.
Regarding the appearances of saints or ascribing miracles to them post-mortem either spontaneously or in response to “petitions” made to them, to the best of my knowledge the New Testament has no record of this ever happening, nor approval of such. This causes me personally to doubt that these occurances are really of God.
BOTTOM LINE: BE CAREFUL!
Jean Hynes
Lord, I believe…….all things are possible! Mark 16:15-20 are my very favorite
verses. They’re in my worn-out old King James Bible. Those are the very words I quoted
to my son-in-law when God healed him instantly! “These signs shall follow believers…..
they shall lay hands on the sick and they SHALL recover.” Hallelujah! No one can ever
tell me they don’t belong there. NIV has gutted much from the KJV.
In Acts 8:26-39, the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunich, NIV has also eliminated
verse 37…A VERY IMPORTANT VERSE! “Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart,
thou may (be baptized). And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God.” The eunich was confessing to be born-again and it’s been LEFT OUT, inserted
at the bottom of the page!! (The devil is so sly.) If anyone is a believer, these signs
should be following you. Don’t let the devil weaken your faith. As children of God, we
have been given authority as stated by Jesus Christ in Luke 10:19 and Mark 11:23-26.
loc nguyen
This shows that The Greatest Miracle Is The Miracle Of GOD-GRANTED
Faith; and Source Of The Signs Which Are The Miracles To Strenghten our faith.
According To Apostle Paul, Faith Comes From Love For GOD, A Relection OF GOD’S LOVE For us.
Renee
Brother Chambers, your opening prayer had me shouting and weeping before you ever got to the sermon! Oh Amen! Oh how we need our precious Lord to reveal Himself as only He can in these dark hours. There are more individuals possessed with demonic powers than many of us realize. We sometimes imagine that a possessed soul is one who is foaming at the mouth with guttural cursings, etc, but what about that certain damsel possessed by a “spirit of divination” is Acts 16? She followed brothers Paul & Silas around crying out that “These men are the servants of the Most High God, which shew unto us THE WAY OF SALVATION.” To the average onlooker she looked just fine. No violence, no cursing, no rolling eyes, but simply a message saying these two guys were serving the Most High God and showing the people the way of salvation. The spirit was finally cast out of the girl. A sweet little old lady or the drug user down the street, both could be possessed. Oh how we NEED what our Heavenly Father KNEW we would NEED. The precious mighty workings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives today in Revival fire. HE brings what we need with Him because He is what we need. One of His gifts? Discerning of spirits, 1 Cor.12:10.
Amen brother Chambers! WE’VE GOT TO BECOME WHAT THE CHURCH WAS CALLED TO BE. It’s about to happen too. He’s about to rend the Heavens and come down, GLORY TO GOD!!! Many of us are in need of miracles in our families, our neighborhoods, our own bodies, and in our hardened hearts. But thanks be to God that we’re praying to One Who describes Himself as the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Oh what our Lord Jesus has done for us! Oh dear God I pray like Elisha did in 2 Kings 6:17. Lord, open our eyes! Make us ready dear Lord, for Your mighty Revival. Glorify Your precious Self I pray, in the glorious name of Messiah JESUS our Sovereign forever and ever amen! [Meanwhile, let us continue to pray on] Let us be found ready because I believe this Revival is at the door. It’s closer than some of us may think it is. 🙂