Has God ceased to be a God of miracles?

Saendy · Jul 30, 2015

Who has not heard and is not familiar with famous stories in the Bible of how God is supporting and rescuing his people? I think about Moses and the House of Israel marching through the Red Sea on dry ground while the Pharaoh and his army are drowned; I think about David in his young years slaying the ginormous Goliath with only a slingshot and a few stones. I am brought back to think about Daniel who survived after being thrown into a den full of hungry lions. These and many other Bible stories are a beautiful narrative of God and his power and concern for his people, and most importantly, his willingness to perform miracles for those that love and honor him.

As easy as it might seem for some of us to believe that God really performed all these miracles for his ancient covenant people, I wonder if we are as willing to admit that God is still a God of miracles and that he is still more than willing to aid us and help us in our daily lives, as he was in days of old.

This week I have been pondering a lot about that. How am I living after this principle of seeking, recognizing and expecting God to aid me and perform miracle sin my daily life? Am I willing to believe that I could spend a night in a lions den without receiving harm?

As I have been reading in the Book of Mormon I came across the prophet Moroni talking about miracles. He says: “And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.” (Mormon 9:15)

So if God hasn’t stopped being a God of miracles, then what can I do to see miracles in my life?

He goes on to say:”And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust. Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.”

The key that is highlighted here is faith in Jesus Christ. As people stop having faith in Christ, or stop trusting in his power to deliver, He can’t bless us. He can’t show us miracles if we don’t trust Him. But on the other hand, if we do trust in Him and His power, we will find that His blessings are shed forth upon us just as they have been upon Moses, David and Daniel, because we matter just as much to Him as they did.

I would invite us to start trusting in Him more and looking for the miracles in our lives. I can promise that we will be surprised how many seas He will allow us to walk through on dry ground, how many giants He will help us slay and how many lions we can tame.

Arthra · Jul 30, 2015

Miracles in my view are not always what they're "cracked up" to be... that is, the miracles are sometimes due to mistranslations of language and assumed to be literal when in the earlier language they were figures of speech.

I'll give you an example.... where Jesus is reportedly walking on the water of the sea of Galilee in John 6:19.. there is an Aramaic word "al" that means both "along" and "by"... so in Aramaic He can be walking by the sea shore and not necessarily walking on the water as some assumed in the translation say to Koine Greek. You'll find this on p. 338 of Lamsa's book "Gospel Light". George Lamsa pointed out a number of these issues in his books.. Lamsa was an Aramaic speaker himself so was more familiar with the language.

I do believe miracles can occur but in this age I think miracles are most important to the people who experience them and after that it's largely hear say and word of mouth that can't really be used as proof.

Robban · Jul 30, 2015

Arthra said:
Miracles in my view are not always what they're "cracked up" to be... that is, the miracles are sometimes due to mistranslations of language and assumed to be literal when in the earlier language they were figures of speech.

I'll give you an example.... where Jesus is reportedly walking on the water of the sea of Galilee in John 6:19.. there is an Aramaic word "al" that means both "along" and "by"... so in Aramaic He can be walking by the sea shore and not necessarily walking on the water as some assumed in the translation say to Koine Greek. You'll find this on p. 338 of Lamsa's book "Gospel Light". George Lamsa pointed out a number of these issues in his books.. Lamsa was an Aramaic speaker himself so was more familiar with the language.

I do believe miracles can occur but in this age I think miracles are most important to the people who experience them and after that it's largely hear say and word of mouth that can't really be used as proof.

Found the story in Matt 14.22 and on,
In John it is even more unbelievable that he was walking on the shore,
In John it says it was already dark, they had rowed about a halfmile,
it was blowing hard there were big seas ,
They had no street lighting,
?.

Robban · Jul 30, 2015

Robban said:
Found the story in Matt 14.22 and on,
In John it is even more unbelievable that he was walking on the shore,
In John it says it was already dark, they had rowed about a halfmile,
it was blowing hard there were big seas ,
They had no street lighting,
?.

God needs no miracles.

In continuation of Matt 14; 22 and on,
Peter said, "Lord if it you, tell me come to you on the water, and so on.

Seems to me there is another story being told behind the story.

Some speak of a stormy sea as making a living,
Lifes challenges.

IDK,

cloudyday2 · Jul 30, 2015

I see no reason to be religious without some miracles. Why bother with a God who does nothing?

smaneck · Jul 30, 2015

cloudyday2 said:
I see no reason to be religious without some miracles. Why bother with a God who does nothing?

If God invented the laws of nature, why would He violate them without some overwhelming reasons? I believe in the possibility of miracles but I don't need them to sense God's Presence or experience His activity in my life. God is perfectly capable of working within nature. The laws of nature represent the manner in which God ordinarily tends to work. By miracles we are talking about the supernatural. Why can't we experience God in the natural? And what do miracles actually prove, anyhow. The Muslim mystic Rumi tells the story of a sick man who visited the doctor and inquired as to his skills. The doctor insisted he was the best, and proceeded to prove it by flying around the room. That was rather interesting but beside the point. The skill of a doctor is shown in his ability to heal.

South Bound · Jul 30, 2015

Robban · Jul 30, 2015

Miracles are rolling around all over the place, but not many bother to pick them up

Due to a misscalculation I arrived in a precarious situation,

I had just moved further into the fjord, I had given away my boat to a needy chap,

thinking no problem, I can soon find another, which I did. and bought it.

soon afterwards I recieved a bill from the tax office, 90,000 NK,

with two months to pay.

A Christianish chap who I was working with, laughed and said,
"What are you going to do now, panic?"

I said, No,

I looked up at the roofs, then I looked higher up, and said,
"I need a miracle, and pretty Quick, I have only two months."

To this day today, I just don,t know how, I relly cannot say.

But I payed in the amount Before time.

Just one instance but there are many.

cloudyday2 · Jul 30, 2015

smaneck said:
If God invented the laws of nature, why would He violate them without some overwhelming reasons? I believe in the possibility of miracles but I don't need them to sense God's Presence or experience His activity in my life. God is perfectly capable of working within nature. The laws of nature represent the manner in which God ordinarily tends to work. By miracles we are talking about the supernatural. Why can't we experience God in the natural? And what do miracles actually prove, anyhow. The Muslim mystic Rumi tells the story of a sick man who visited the doctor and inquired as to his skills. The doctor insisted he was the best, and proceeded to prove it by flying around the room. That was rather interesting but beside the point. The skill of a doctor is shown in his ability to heal.

When I was a freshman in physics, one of my professors said there is nothing to prevent the piece of chalk from quantum-tunneling through the eraser. So if a person spontaneously and unexpectedly teleported, would that be supernatural? How about if a saintly priest unexpectedly teleported to the bedside of a dying man?

I don't expect God to break the rules, but I expect to see some unlikely occurrences that further God's goals. I would expect to see evidence that God is achieving His goals better than they would be achieved with God absent. Every religion has a different idea about God's goals, but none of them have any evidence that God is actually achieving His goals unfortunately (at least none that I've heard).

smaneck · Jul 30, 2015

cloudyday2 said:
I don't expect God to break the rules, but I expect to see some unlikely occurrences that further God's goals. I would expect to see evidence that God is achieving His goals better than they would be achieved with God absent. Every religion has a different idea about God's goals, but none of them have any evidence that God is actually achieving His goals unfortunately (at least none that I've heard).

Thing is, God normally works through people to achieve His goals. So I guess the question would be which religion has the remedies for the ills of our time and how much progress are they making to achieve them?
Loading...

Robban · Jul 30, 2015

cloudyday2 said:
When I was a freshman in physics, one of my professors said there is nothing to prevent the piece of chalk from quantum-tunneling through the eraser. So if a person spontaneously and unexpectedly teleported, would that be supernatural? How about if a saintly priest unexpectedly teleported to the bedside of a dying man?

I don't expect God to break the rules, but I expect to see some unlikely occurrences that further God's goals. I would expect to see evidence that God is achieving His goals better than they would be achieved with God absent. Every religion has a different idea about God's goals, but none of them have any evidence that God is actually achieving His goals unfortunately (at least none that I've heard).

Elokim signifies the aspect of Divinity that God uses to run the World
and is thus subject to the laws of nature.

Havayah, signifies transcedent Godliness,
the aspect of Divinity that is not limited by the laws of nature.

Pharaoh only knew the name Elokim, "It is the finger of God." Ex 8:15
"Egypt" is also limitations, boundaries, we are encouraged to leave Egypt.

Pharaoh-"Who is the Lord that I should heed His voice and let Israel out?"
"I do not know the Lord, neither will I let Israel out."

What,s in a name?

ananda · Jul 31, 2015

IMO "Miracles" are the application of higher universal laws against lower laws.

For example, the harnessing and use of electricity would probably be considered a miracle if witnessed by those living 2,000 years ago.

I believe that the ancient miracles recorded in various scriptures were masters who understood these higher laws from higher realms and applied them in this material world.

SteveCaruso · Jul 31, 2015

Arthra said:
Aramaic word "al" that means both "along" and "by"... so in Aramaic He can be walking by the sea shore and not necessarily walking on the water as some assumed in the translation say to Koine Greek.

Unfortunately, Lamsa was fibbing a bit (which he tended to do... a lot). ܥܠ /‘al/ in Classical Syriac (a 5th century dialect that Lamsa was working from) and על /‘al/ (in Jewish Aramaic contemporary to Jesus) both meant "upon" in the context of bodies of water, and required additional context or circumlocutions to indicate "along" or "by." As such, an Aramaic approach does not resolve anything.

fatboys · Aug 2, 2015

Three nights ago I saw a miracle happen right before my eyes. It wasn't as big as killing a giant but to me it was as big. My goal is to produce the highest quality of hay. Putting up hay is not an easy task. I have to irrigate it. Make sure that it doesn't get to much or to little. I have to cut it at the right stage of growth to maximize the higher protein and relative feed value. The cow has to eat as much as possible to produce the maximum amount of milk. I personally do not milk cows. I was a rancher for many many years. My philosophy is that the only way to milk a cow is to let the calf do it. So raise I hay for dairy farmers. They pay on quality. Anyway one night I was baling hay trying to finish the last of the hay I had been putting up for two weeks. My butt was dragging and the baler was not cooperating. The knotters started to give me fits. One missed a knot and then another and then back to he first one. On my machine there are 6 strings that wrap the bale. The bale weighs close to a ton. There is a lot of pressure that's is against the twine. One missed knot makes the bale subject to all the twine breaking. Anyway I tried to adjust the baler for three hours and in the mean time the dew had stared to come in too heavy. I had been praying for inspiration to fix the baler. And so a thought came to me to realign what they call a tucker arm. I aligned it to where I was told to. It worked so I as happy as a clam but after the third bale I watched that same knotter miss. I had had enough. It was three o'clock in the morning. I went home and jumped in bed frustrated. The next morning I knew I had to try and figure it out. As I went outside I looked at the bale that was coming out of the back end of the baler called the chute. I could see that it was to high in moisture and the hay would be ruined inside. I was glad that I had to stop. When I climbed up on the baler I opened the hood where the knotters were and looked at the bad knotter. It was tied. It didn't miss the knot. The thing is I watched it miss the knot. Every time it gets ready to tie it beeps at me letting me know it is about to tie. There are reflectors attached to the tying Mechenzim that has a certain way of going up and down as it ties. I watched it miss. This has never happened to me before. When I watch it miss it has missed. Now that was a great miracle to me. Heavenly Father answered my prayers in a way I was not looking for. I finished the hay the next night without any knotter problems. Some here may find it a dumb miracle but it was a very important one to me and my faith in God has grown.

smaneck · Aug 2, 2015

As I said in my earlier posting, while miracles may happen I don't think they prove much of anything. However, there is one story from my own history I could share with you. I spent my teen years living next to the only black family in town. It had been an interracial marriage but the white husband left his wife along with his autistic son who I used to baby sit. One day while I was tidying up her house I came across a suicide note. It spoke in powerful words of the pain of discrimination and prejudice and of her fears for her son. The letter brought me to tears but then I couldn't decide what to do with it. I felt like I had invaded her privacy and didn't know whether I should tell anyone or just try to handle the problem myself (as a sixteen year old kid.) So I prayed and I picked up a deck of cards and asked God to let me pick out a Jack if I should tell someone. I picked out a Jack. Then I shuffled the deck again, and again I picked out the Jack. So then I told my mother. My mother apparently felt the same reluctance to confront our neighbor as I did, so she delayed doing anything. One night our neighbor got a gun and was preparing to shoot herself when suddenly she heard the sound of fire engines outside her door. Our house was on fire! We spent that night in our neighbor's house. Eventually the subject of the suicidal tendencies came up and our neighbor gave my mother her gun.

Maybe saving a life is bigger than killing a giant.

cloudyday2 · Aug 2, 2015

fatboys said:
Three nights ago I saw a miracle happen right before my eyes. It wasn't as big as killing a giant but to me it was as big. My goal is to produce the highest quality of hay. Putting up hay is not an easy task. I have to irrigate it. Make sure that it doesn't get to much or to little. I have to cut it at the right stage of growth to maximize the higher protein and relative feed value. The cow has to eat as much as possible to produce the maximum amount of milk. I personally do not milk cows. I was a rancher for many many years. My philosophy is that the only way to milk a cow is to let the calf do it. So raise I hay for dairy farmers. They pay on quality. Anyway one night I was baling hay trying to finish the last of the hay I had been putting up for two weeks. My butt was dragging and the baler was not cooperating. The knotters started to give me fits. One missed a knot and then another and then back to he first one. On my machine there are 6 strings that wrap the bale. The bale weighs close to a ton. There is a lot of pressure that's is against the twine. One missed knot makes the bale subject to all the twine breaking. Anyway I tried to adjust the baler for three hours and in the mean time the dew had stared to come in too heavy. I had been praying for inspiration to fix the baler. And so a thought came to me to realign what they call a tucker arm. I aligned it to where I was told to. It worked so I as happy as a clam but after the third bale I watched that same knotter miss. I had had enough. It was three o'clock in the morning. I went home and jumped in bed frustrated. The next morning I knew I had to try and figure it out. As I went outside I looked at the bale that was coming out of the back end of the baler called the chute. I could see that it was to high in moisture and the hay would be ruined inside. I was glad that I had to stop. When I climbed up on the baler I opened the hood where the knotters were and looked at the bad knotter. It was tied. It didn't miss the knot. The thing is I watched it miss the knot. Every time it gets ready to tie it beeps at me letting me know it is about to tie. There are reflectors attached to the tying Mechenzim that has a certain way of going up and down as it ties. I watched it miss. This has never happened to me before. When I watch it miss it has missed. Now that was a great miracle to me. Heavenly Father answered my prayers in a way I was not looking for. I finished the hay the next night without any knotter problems. Some here may find it a dumb miracle but it was a very important one to me and my faith in God has grown.

I had no idea that hay was so tricky. So the bale must be so tight that moisture can only affect the exterior? It's interesting how complicated things are when you dig into the details. It's amazing we humans have learned all these things.

cloudyday2 · Aug 2, 2015

smaneck said:
As I said in my earlier posting, while miracles may happen I don't think they prove much of anything. However, there is one story from my own history I could share with you. I spent my teen years living next to the only black family in town. It had been an interracial marriage but the white husband left his wife along with his autistic son who I used to baby sit. One day while I was tidying up her house I came across a suicide note. It spoke in powerful words of the pain of discrimination and prejudice and of her fears for her son. The letter brought me to tears but then I couldn't decide what to do with it. I felt like I had invaded her privacy and didn't know whether I should tell anyone or just try to handle the problem myself (as a sixteen year old kid.) So I prayed and I picked up a deck of cards and asked God to let me pick out a Jack if I should tell someone. I picked out a Jack. Then I shuffled the deck again, and again I picked out the Jack. So then I told my mother. My mother apparently felt the same reluctance to confront our neighbor as I did, so she delayed doing anything. One night our neighbor got a gun and was preparing to shoot herself when suddenly she heard the sound of fire engines outside her door. Our house was on fire! We spent that night in our neighbor's house. Eventually the subject of the suicidal tendencies came up and our neighbor gave my mother her gun.

Maybe saving a life is bigger than killing a giant.

Wow, that seems miraculous. Of course if we entertain the possibility of miracles, we must ask why God is so stingy and arbitrary in their distribution. How many people die each year from suicide without any miraculous intervention from God? So it is almost better to imagine that God cannot perform miracles. But that does sound very miraculous to me.

smaneck · Aug 3, 2015

cloudyday2 said:
Wow, that seems miraculous. Of course if we entertain the possibility of miracles, we must ask why God is so stingy and arbitrary in their distribution. How many people die each year from suicide without any miraculous intervention from God?

In the end, I guess we only know our own story and sometimes we only know part of it. I don't know why God doesn't intervene for everyone who attempts suicide, but I have a pretty good idea of why God let my house burn down.

Robban · Aug 3, 2015

Maybe or maybe not but I cannot recall my Mother of blessed memory using the Word "miracle",
but in her stories it could not be other than she was meaning "Divine Providence" or "Divine Intervention", for some there are no miracles, maybe depending on they see no Mountains dissapeering.
A newborn is a miracle to me.

smaneck · Aug 3, 2015

Robban said:
Maybe or maybe not but I cannot recall my Mother of blessed memory using the Word "miracle",
but in her stories it could not be other than she was meaning "Divine Providence" or "Divine Intervention", for some there are no miracles, maybe depending on they see no Mountains dissapeering.
A newborn is a miracle to me.

I think I like divine intervention better. I don't assume any natural laws have been broken.

Has God ceased to be a God of miracles?

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