Miracles and Prophesy

Miracles
    Religious skeptics are more numerous today than in ancient times. True Christianity is a religion of miracles; perhaps that is why it is less believed today than in past centuries. Christianity began with a miracle: the angel told a young virgin she was to bear a special son, who had a very special mission. Her willingness to participate was admirable, since she knew that its fulfillment would endanger her life in those times, as even apparent adultery was punishable by death. She knew that God wished to work a miracle for His divine purpose.

    Miracles elicit different responses from different people. The naturalist regards the universe as a great but unified machine. The super naturalist agrees that there is law and order in nature, but asks, "Who made this great machine? Who set it in motion? Who now controls it? Is he who made it the slave of the machine he has created, or are his reason and intelligence superior to it?" Therefore, there must be a God who is not a part of nature, who is manifested in nature but yet independent of it, to whose reason nature was meant and made to be subject. When God comes into nature, He comes not as an intruder, to upset and overthrow with His miracles the law or the systems of nature, but He comes as a rightful sovereign, ordering and ruling His creation. He is truly "supernatural".

Prophecy
    Prophecy is a gift of the Spirit, which God uses to inform and impress a properly sensitized group of His people. If they are sufficiently prepared spiritually to receive the words rendered by the prophet, they will realize the great privilege in receiving any communication from God. They will listen and reflect carefully on what is being said. There are countless prophecies uttered in the scriptures. Sometimes they were believed, but often in the past the spiritual condition of the people was inadequate, and they could not bring themselves to believe at that time (I Thess. 5:15-22). Many prophecies express God's dissatisfaction with some aspect of what His people are currently doing. This often causes further resentment and rebellion for those people. However, the duty of the prophet is to deliver the message correctly and in a timely manner. Sometimes the prophecy is plainly worded and easily understandable; at other times it is cleverly coded or made highly figurative, requiring much prayerful insight to understand. It is apparent that God expects His people to study His Word diligently. Sometimes the prophecy is intended for the present; sometimes it is for a future time and people; often it is intended for both situations, but frequently not so understood. How ever it is delivered, it represents God's best expression of what His people need. We must remember that whom God loves, He often chastens for their future and eternal good.