Category: Divine Intervention

Phyllis

Blog 26, 2017 February 6, 2017 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. Can 21st Century people believe that the hand of God touches people in today’s world? Read and you’ll find new insights.

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At age twenty-four, Phyllis had three children. She had come out of a home where her parents struggled with alcoholism. To escape those problems, she married at age seventeen. With the coming of three children was also the awareness that her husband had been a poor selection. Phyllis considered him the handsomest man she had ever seen, but finally realized that he not only didn’t provide help for the family, he never would. The needs of the children and the failure of the marriage left Phyllis in bottomless despair. Phyllis decided to kill herself.

After putting the children to bed for the night, Phyllis went into the bathroom and filled the bathtub with almost intolerably hot water. She found a razor blade to slit her wrist and climbed into the nearly boiling water.

As she settled against the back of the tub, suddenly she began to speak. Her mouth moved. But it wasn’t her voice. Phyllis was speaking in a masculine voice – she wasn’t producing what her ears were hearing. A force within her was producing the words she heard. The “voice” began affirming her worth. Phyllis had never felt valuable to anyone and now was being told that she had great value. Her merit and usefulness were proclaimed in detail. Words came out of her mouth explaining the struggles that she had lived through as child. The mystery of her parent’s alcoholism was resolved and she realized facets of their problem that she had never known. Each of the difficulties of her life were unraveled and she began to see purpose that she wouldn’t have dreamed existed.

Almost in a trance, Phyllis’s “voice” explained the adversities she had faced and kept affirming her worth, her value for the future. Over and over, her importance for tomorrow was described. Deep within her welled up a new sense of usefulness, significance, and merit. Her life was of a far greater importance than she could have ever realized. She pushed the razor blade away and recognized she had a place in the world and an important assignment to fill. Phyllis no longer wanted to kill herself. She had to live.

Her voice stopped. No more words came out of her mouth. And the bathtub water had become cold.

Phyllis went on to become a friend to the poor of the Appalachian Mountains, helping struggling people believe they could rise above their station in life and hope for a better day. Because she was part of the plan of God, Phyllis touched hundreds of lives.

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Leap of Faith

Blog 25 January 30, 2017 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. Can 21st Century people believe that the hand of God touches people in today’s world? Read and you’ll find new insights.

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            Are there “swindlers” out there? Sure are.

In the movie Leap of Faith, Steve Martin plays con man Jonas Nightengale who travels from town to town bilking farmers out of their money while he fakes miracles. In the town of Rustwater, Kansas, he sets up his nightly show. The town’s people are so taken that when the sheriff reports Nightengale’s real name is Jack Newton and he has continually been in trouble with the law, they won’t listen. Each night the fraudulent healer wearing a silver-sequined coat hops up and down the aisles while an assistant is in the backroom with television monitors sends him messages through an ear piece. The inside information makes Nightengale appear to have special secrets messages from the Holy Spirit.

The turning point comes when Boyd, a boy on crutches, is actually healed. Nightengale cannot believe what he is seeing and runs, leaving the silver-sequined jacket behind. As he travels away in a hitch-hiked ride, Nightengale tells the driver that he knows “the genuine article” and that a real miracle is not to be toyed with. The movie ends as Nightengale disappears into the night.

Interestingly enough, this movie was based on an actual fraudulent ministry of a Pentecostal type who kept his wife in the back room sending him messages through a hearing aid device. The audience was scanned by accomplices who produced information on the unsuspecting. The last time I saw this character on television, he was promoting “miracle spring water” and was still at it. The tragedy of these charlatans is that they demean the actual interventions of the heavenly Father. They reduce the miraculous to a sideshow, leaving people to go home disillusioned.

Equally tragic is that the antics of these types develop skeptics who see the entire scene as a sham. Both conclusions are equally unfortunate. While we acknowledge the reality of the counterfeit artists and the audience that travels with them to pretend a miracle occurred, we continue to recognize that divine intervention has made a dramatic difference in the journeys of a multitude of grateful people.

The key to the “genuine article” is found in understanding the stories in the scripture. As the Old and New testaments relate the stories of miracles, they contain details that are important in grasping how people like Elisha as well as Jesus Christ ministered. Discovering the will of God is one of the first steps that unlocks sealed doors.

Stay tuned. More to come.

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Art Believes in Angels

Blog 21 December 19, 2016 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. Can 21st Century people believe that the hand of God touches people in today’s world? Read and you’ll find new insights.

Art Shaw is a fascinating guy. At age 95, he is a retired Army Colonel who fought in World War II and all the conflicts that followed. Art received a serious back injury that required a spinal fusion from L1 to S1. Twenty-two units of blood were needed. A team of doctors and nurses was required to move him in the bed. Of course, any motion was extremely painful. Nevertheless, what the staff called a “log roll” was necessary to prevent pneumonia.

In the middle of the night, Art heard a voice call his name. “Art, it’s time to log roll.” No one was in the room. The voice came again. Because of the pain and serious possible complications, Art knew how difficult it would be. “Art, do what I tell you and your won’t be hurt.” Art intuitively knew to obey.

He opened his eyes and saw something like a black tube extending into infinity. At the top was a bright, concentrated light. With the instruction to turn over came the assurance that they would help him do so. He made the log roll and went back to sleep.

Later in the night the voice called again. “Art, it’s time to roll.” The same assurance that he would be helped was there. He turned over. Easily.

When his wife Joan arrived the next morning, Art told her that he turned over twice.

“Impossible!” she insisted. “You couldn’t have!”

She rushed out of the room to confront the nurse. “What are you giving him?” she forcefully inquired. “What drugs? What pain killers? Is he hallucinating?”

The nurse frowned. “What are you talking about? We didn’t give him any additional medications last night.

Joan dragged the nurse and her assistants back to his room. “He couldn’t have turned by himself! The pain would be too great. Too dangerous. But look!”

The nurse stared for a moment and then ran for the doctor. Dr. Shephard came in. Astonished! There was no medical explanation for how Art Shaw could have been repositioned – but it had happened – twice.

The angel continued to speak several other times. “Art, you will be alright. You’ll be okay.

When Art told me this story, he was relating how he had come to know that a guardian angel was with him. Like a voice speaking inside his head, when his name was called direction followed. Today at important times, Art’s angel always shows up and gives him the orientation that he needs.

Art told me that the Angel always has the same particular tone in voice. Distinct. Individual. Whenever the voice sounds, Art knows who is speaking and listens.

Believe in Angels? Art certainly does.

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A SURPRISE IN THE SKY

Blog 20 December 12, 2016 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. Can 21st Century people believe that the hand of God touches people in today’s world?

Read and you’ll find new insights.

I have known Mike and Beth Owen for 25 years. We have worked together, socialized, debated ideas, and watched their children grow up. When we are both in town, Mike and I have lunch together every Tuesday and they remain our best friends. Much of what I report in these blogs comes from personal observation. They shared an experience that has important insights for us.

Beth’s first angelic encounter came when she was fifteen-years-old and her aunt Barbara was dying. The family had already felt the impact of the death of her mother’s brother as well as two sisters and now another sister stood at death’s door. After an urgent phone call, Beth and her mother rushed to the hospital. As they stepped out of the elevator door, the announcement of a “Code Red” rang down the hall. Attendants rushed passed them but they were too late. Aunt Barbara was gone.

As they were leaving the hospital, Beth and her mother were standing at the street corner when Beth looked up. To her astonishment, she saw two massive white angels hovering above them. The angels stood on each side of Barbara.

Beth exclaimed, “Look, Mom! They’ve come to take Barbara home!”

Taller than the city street light, Beth could see the massive size of their waist, legs, and feet as they ascended vertical upward. As they disappeared out of sight, Beth knew her understanding of God’s loving care was forever changed. The comfort of an all comprehensive peace settled over them.

These early experiences caused Michael and Beth to anticipate divine interventions in their ministries. They were conditioned to expect far more than simply sharing theological answers and teaching the faith. Their ministries have encompassed a number of miraculous events.

While it would be jarring for many people to expect the Holy Spirit to take them to an entirely new realm of experience, the Owens would say that’s the best place to encounter the miraculous. Mike and Beth discovered an interesting axiom about the work of the Holy Spirit and divine intervention. When one receives a spiritual gift, it is important to use it. If not, the gift diminishes and can virtually disappear. On the other hand, the use of a gift often opens the door to the reception of other gifts. The same is true for miraculous encounters. The Holy Spirit works consistently in this way.

Hey! Coming in January! Blog talk radio. We’ll be talk to talk together!

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A MIRACLE IN THE SNOW

Blog 19 December 5, 2016 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Robert Wise explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. Can 21st Century people believe that the hand of God touches people in today’s world?

Read and you’ll find new insights.

Genesis 16:7-14 describes an angel visiting Hagar, telling her she would have a wild son named Ishmael. From the sound of the story, the angel appeared like a human and would have looked like any of us. In many of the previous blogs, I have described experiences in which angels could be heard speaking through someone’s mind, but were never seen. However, that’s only one dimension to the story. Here’s another type of experience.

My good friend Joe L. Wheeler wrote My Favorite Angel Stories (Pacific Press) describing such an encounter. Kari Surdahl relates she and her mother were traveling to Rapid City, South Dakota when a blizzard struck. Subzero temperatures made the weather extremely dangerous. Kari had slowed down to a crawl when the explosive bang shook the car.

A tire had gone flat!

Kari knew that the freezing temperature made changing the tire dangerous, but they had no alternative. The spare tire had to be put on for them to keep going. And keep going they must in the icy weather.

Kari reasoned that by jumping in and out of car she could keep warm, but snow would have to be brushed away from under the car. The task would be perilous.

With all of her might she tried to turn the wrench and loosen the lug nut. Nothing moved. Kari threw all of her weight on the tool. Nothing. She knew they were in big trouble. She and her mother would freeze to death!

But when Keri told her mother, she got an unexpected response. “The Lords knows our desperate need at this time,” she shouted into the whistling, brutal wind. “Let’s kneel down beside this flat tire and ask him to help us.” Mother an daughter knelt in the snow and called for divine intervention.

As their prayer ended, the bright lights of a pickup truck came up the road. A man who looked like a rancher got out of the truck and offered to help. As Kari watched he turned the wrench effortlessly. She was amazed. The man quickly had the spare on and wished them well.

Kari and her mother were astonished. It had all happened so quickly and completely. They got out of the car to thank him, but he wasn’t there. He’d probably gotten back in his pickup. They went around to the back. There was no pickup. He couldn’t have left without them seeing him go. They looked again.

There were no tire tracks. No sign was left in the snow. The truck and the man just suddenly vanished.

Mother and daughter got back in their car and realized what had happened. An angel had saved their lives.

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WHAT DO MIRACLES TELL US?

BLOG 16 November 7, 2016 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE

Robert Wise explores the world of Divine intervention from an objective point of view. Can 21st Century people believe that the hand of God touches people in today’s world?

Read and you’ll find new insights.

During the past sixteen weeks, I have been describing and relating miraculous events. How do we understand such occurrences? What can you take away from these stories.

The context for insight is in the scripture. Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with these amazing occasions. More importantly, the Bible gives us a larger picture for our understanding. As I talked with people who I considered legitimate, I’ve found that their “happenings” fit a biblical category that explains why miracles occur.

The Old Testament tells us that a miracle is a sign. The Greek word σήμεoν suggests that events like Moses’s struggle with Pharaoh, crossing the Red Sea (the Sea of Reeds), the Exodus itself, were all signs of the reality of God. This Greek word is used 73 times in the New Testament as well. We find it ten times in Matthew, 23 in Mark, 10 in Luke, 24 times in John, and 13 signs in the Book of Acts. Miracles were a sign.

In the New Testament, the birth of the Messiah came with a total uniqueness. When the shepherds came running to see the baby, their appearance was a sign to Mary. In John’s Gospel, miracles are messianic. Whether it be turning water into wine at Cana, or feeding the multitude, John made it clear that what Jesus accomplished was a sign that he was the Messiah they had been seeking.

In all of these instances, the event told observers that the intervention was not an ordinary act of nature, but a sign of the presence of God. Beyond the influence of man, the events came from God and put a new responsibility on the observer. These signs kept pointing beyond themselves to the One who was the true source of life.

Let us be clear: A sign is not a miracle, but a miracle is a sign. There are many signs throughout scripture that were not always understood by observers. However, when an authentic miracle occurred, it was a sign that pointed beyond the miraculous experience to the transcendent God.

This recognition of the miracle as a sign does not end with the Gospel’s story. The Book of Acts demonstrates that the Apostles’ ministries were filled with the miraculous. Acts 4:16 and 22 relates that the unbelieving Jewish leaders even recognized that the works of the Apostles were “signs.” The Sanhedrin feared that the these signs would establish faith. A miracle is a sign of God’s transcendent presence and power. Miracles confront us with the reality of God the Father working in our midst.

Don’t be afraid to buy in! A good God makes good things happen.

IF YOU HAVEN’T READ ROBERT WISE’S LATEST BOOK BIBLE LANDS: AN ILLUSTRATED GUiDE TO SCRIPTURAL PLACES GET ONE TODAY!

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MORE DIVINE INTERVENTIONS IN HOLLYWOOD

Blog 15 October 31, 2016 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Robert Wise explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. Can 21st century people believe the hand of God still touches people today?

Read and you’ll find new insights.

Several weeks ago, I related an article in CLOSER magazine that detailed a near-death experience actress Sharon Stone experienced during a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage. She felt herself floating away from the hospital room and drifting toward a glowing, ever-expanding light. Sharon Stone believed she had died.

Many people responded and were intrigued. In these blogs, I usually report my findings from conversations with friends who experienced miracles or divine intrusions. However, I found these stories of movie personalities to be equally fascinating.

Here’s more.

Jane Seymour is a British-American actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , Somewhere In Time , and War and Remembrance. She has earned an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her father was Jewish and her mother was a Dutch Protestant who was a prisoner of war during World War II. Jane’s paternal grandfather had come to live in the East End of London after escaping the Czarist pogroms when he was 14.

In 1987, Jane was given penicillin, but suddenly had a severe allergic reaction. It quickly became clear that she was plunging into death. As the medical personnel tried to resuscitate her, Jane could feel them working on her body but her soul was going somewhere else. Her entire life began flashing before her eyes like an endless movie. She didn’t want to die and have someone else raise her children, but death seemed inevitable. Her abrupt recovery was from a near-death experience.

Singer Tony Bennett had a similar experience. Born and raised in Astoria, New York to an Italian-American family, Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as a U.S. Army infantryman in the European Theater. Forty years later Bennett staged a comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, putting out gold record albums again and expanding his reach to the MTV Generation while keeping his musical style intact. He has won 19 Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bennett was taking a bath when he slumped into the water. Unable to push himself up, he began to feel a golden light surround his body with a warm glow. Rather than panic, Bennett felt quite peaceful. He said, “I had the sense that I was about to embark on a very compelling journey. But suddenly I was jolted out of the vision.”

Bennett had just survived a near death experience.

These two stories are just two more examples of the hand of God sustaining people as they came to the edge of life. Divine interventions come at the end of the human story as surely as they appear along the way.

Don’t be afraid. Trust the unseen hand that is still guiding your life.

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AND WHY DO WE LEARN THESE THINGS?

Blog 14 October 24, 2014 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Robert Wise explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. Can 21st century people believe the hand of God still touches people today?

Read and you’ll find new insights.

In the previous blogs on miracles, I mainly noted what I have observed, describing experiences with people who reported miracles. An objective is to cause reexamination of expectations and rethinking of whether people are truly open to divine intrusions or miracles happening in their lives. Hopefully, institutional churches will rethink their approach and truly reach out for a physical touch of the divine in their worship services. Today, many say the words, but don’t expect results.

In addition, I have discovered that it is possible to learn practical steps for daily living. Here’s an example. Divine interventions can teach us how to live successfully.

            The letter of I John tells us that there are three issues we must be aware of and recognize how they can defeat us. In I John 2:15-17, he writes of two of these problems:

  •             Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world
  •             love for the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh
  •             and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
  •             world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it: but he who does the will
  •             of God abides for ever.

The Phillips Translation of the scripture calls these two problems originating from the world primitive desires, greedy ambition, and the glamour of all that we think is splendid. In simplest and fullest terms, in John’s letter he warns about the flesh, the world, and the devil (also referred to as Satan or the Evil One).

Hard to overcome? You bet!

In a simplistic and overstated sense, the theology of the Orthodox Church (who considers itself to be the first church reflected in the Assyrian, Greek, Russian, etc. Orthodox Churches) is focused on overcoming the flesh, the world, and evil. Self-discipline and arduous struggle can harness the flesh and the world. But the Evil One? Is that possible?

Here’s a discovery. Angels are one of the ways the Holy Spirit intervenes. More will be coming on how people have experienced angelic interventions. At this point, you may have experienced times when Evil overwhelmed you so completely that you saw no hope in combating the attack of the Devil. If the Evil One doesn’t get you directly, it may attack a child, a spouse, a partner, etc., and the defeat can be even worse. What can you do?

Call on the angels. Christian tradition remembers Michael the Archangel was the leader of God’s angels, the army of God, and the first to combat Satan. Guess what? Michael is still at work, fighting for the victims of Satan.

You can’t overcome the devil so don’t try. Call on Michael the Archangel. Expect him to be God’s agent to help you defeat evil. Even though Protestants may be reluctant, Michael remains ready. The angel is the sure path to a divine intervention!

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