Holy Spirit

MAGIC OR MIRACLE?

Blog 412

December 21, 2025

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Rev. Robert L. Wise, Ph.D. explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. An Archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches with a Ph.D., Rev. Wise relates his interviews with persons who experienced the touch of God.

MAGIC OR MIRACLE?

Hey! Christmas is just around the corner. And what are we celebrating?

From what I’ve seen on television since the big Thanksgiving Day parade are about Santa Claus, Mrs. Santa Claus, elves, and flying reindeer. All the commercials proclaim the “magic” of Christmas. The opportunities are everywhere for everything from exotic perfume to unpronounceable names for antibodies that 90% of the population will never need. But! Magic is here at Christmas time. That’s the word. Magic!

“I’m a little confused because I visited the tomb of St. Nicolas (the original Santa Claus) when I was in Bari, Italy a number of years ago. Nicolas was a 4^th-century bishop known for his generosity and miracles. His relics were brought to the Basilica di San Nicol that became a magnificent church. The key word? Miracles.

Here’s an example that demonstrates the difference.

Jack Traynor was injured in the war when sprayed with shrapnel. The assault left his right arm completely paralyzed with the muscles atrophying. In addition, his legs were partially paralyzed. The war left him incapacitated. Moreover, the operation to remove the shrapnel from his head left an inch-wide hole in his skull. His injuries were so serious that the British War Pension Ministry gave him a 100% pension for the rest of his life.

Struggling with these serious problems, Jack Traynor saw no hope except for a trip to Lourdes, France to the shrine where Bernadette encountered the Virgin Mary that resulted in the grotto where people came to wade in the water and receive healing. The stories of marvelous recovery were repeated everywhere. Jack decided to exercise his faith and be released into the pool where so much had happened. Was another miracle still possible? You know the result. Complete restoration followed and Jack Traynor left a whole person.

Not only were his conditions mended, Jack went into the coal and hauling business that required moving 200-pound sacks of coal. Magic? No. A miracle.

In the final days of this joyous season, let us focus on Bethlehem and remember that the Christ child is still making people whole. With the singing of church choirs and the glow of candles, we can still live in the promise.

Just remember: miracles never cease.

New Podcast: Here’s Life! Do you believe in angels?

WATCH THIS, TOO!

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle

Did you discover something miraculous during the past year? I’d be delighted to hear your story. Please write me. Please email me your story at: miracles@miraclesnevercease.com.

Remember to expect the unexpected! And let the miracles begin!

Readers of my MIRACLES NEVER CEASE blog will be fascinated by my latest book:

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

ORDER NOW!

ORDER NOW!

December 21, 2025 by revwise Categories: angels, Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: angels, Divine Intervention, faith, God, Grace, healing prayer, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Miracles, prayer Leave a comment

HEALING WATERS STILL FLOW

Blog 411

December 14, 2025

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

HEALING WATERS STILL FLOW

One of my first encounters with miracles came from the award winning movie. The Song of Bernadette portraying the story of Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France and her encounter with the Virgin Mary in 1858. The story touched me so deeply that I read Franz Werfel’s novel from which the movie was made. A Jew, Werfel was running from the Nazis and hid in Lourdes. While there, he heard the story that produced the healing grotto.

Today multitudes continue to wade into the waters that have resulted in many, many healings. The famous philosopher Emile Zola came to Lourdes intent on proving the shrine to be a fraud. While he was there, a woman with a terribly disfigured face from Lupus was cured. Zola left saying it could not be only because it could not be. So much for his skepticism!

Dr. Alexis Carrel came with the same intent but had a more open mind. On the same train that brought him was serious ill Marie Bailly. Dr. Carrel feared she wouldn’t get to Lourdes alive. Her lupus disease had greatly distended her stomach. Lying on a stretcher, she looked like a woman in late pregnancy. As they came to the reservoir that contained the healing waters, Maria was dipped into the cold bath.

As her wheelchair rolled out of the pool, Alexi Carrel stood watching her. The woman’s ashen color began to fade and a normal pink returned. The blanket covering her enlarged stomach began to subside. The bulge lowered until she had the flat appearance of a normal woman. Her composure returned. Along with other doctors, Carrel examined her at the Lourdes Medical Bureau. They all had the same conclusion. Mariel Bailey was completely healed.

Dr. Alexis Carrel left the examination room and hurried to the Lourdes Church. Kneeling on the floor, he wept.

Interesting contrast between two men of science. Emile Zola came a skeptic and left a skeptic. Alexis Carrel came open and left inspired.

Perhaps, a parable for today. Disbelievers stay disbelievers. Open, honest inquirers return home whole. Jesus Christ said, “blessed is the one who hears and understands” Matthew 13:16 – my personal translation from the Greek). If you’re struggling today, that’s the challenge. Understand that the healing work continues Be open. Receive the promise.

Remember: miracles never cease.

New Podcast: Here’s Life! Do you believe in angels?

WATCH THIS, TOO!

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle

Did you discover something miraculous during the past year? I’d be delighted to hear your story. Please write me. Please email me your story at: miracles@miraclesnevercease.com.

Remember to expect the unexpected! And let the miracles begin!

Readers of my MIRACLES NEVER CEASE blog will be fascinated by my latest book:

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

ORDER NOW!

ORDER NOW!

December 14, 2025 by revwise Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: Divine Intervention, faith, healing prayer, Holy Spirit, Miracles, prayer Leave a comment

WHEN DOUBT FADES

Blog 409

November 30, 2025

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

WHEN DOUBT FADES

Doubt is still around. I often run into people who think of faith as a form of neurosis and a way to avoid reality. The pressure of a disintegrating society with threats of war on the horizon send many people into a tailspin. Others just turn the television and don’t listen to the news anymore. Al Watkins (names changed for anonymity sake) can respond to those doubts.

Al’s eight-year-old son Jack was diagnosed with two holes in his heart. This condition also brought pressure on little Jack’s lungs. Surgery had to be done immediately. As the day for the surgery approached, Jack began giving his toys and keepsakes away. He did not believe he would survive. Finally, Jack asked his father, “Am I going to die?”

Taken back, his father assured him that people survive open heart surgery but some don’t.

Jack asked, “Can Jesus heal me?”

“A few days later after anguished prayer and reading Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through him who strengthens me). Al told his son that whether he recovered or not, he would have the gift of eternal life. A visiting pastor came into the room and asked Jack if he believed Jesus could heal him. Jack said that he did. They prayed together.

The next morning Jack was wheeled into the operating room for a four-hour surgery. However, after the first hour, the doctor came out. He showed Al two sets of x-rays. The first film clearly showed the two-holes. Then, he held up the second picture. No holes.

The doctor shook his head in amazement. “You can count on this as a miracle,” he concluded.

The hospital’s risk manager reviewed the situation. “You can see from the films this was not a misdiagnosis. Somebody somewhere must have been praying.” When their insurance agent called after reviewing the submitted claim, he asked, “What is a spontaneous closure.”

Al replied, “a miracle.”

In a time when doubt is certainly out there, you have an alternative. The answers don’t often come as dramatically as they did for Jack, but they come. Your prayers and trust in divine Providence are the best hope anyone anywhere could have. Hang on. There’s always more to come.

Remember miracles never cease!

New Podcast: Here’s Life! Do you believe in angels?

WATCH THIS, TOO!

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle

Did you discover something miraculous during the past year? I’d be delighted to hear your story. Please write me. Please email me your story at: miracles@miraclesnevercease.com.

Remember to expect the unexpected! And let the miracles begin!

Readers of my MIRACLES NEVER CEASE blog will be fascinated by my latest book:

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

ORDER NOW!

ORDER NOW!

November 30, 2025 by revwise Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: angels, Divine Intervention, faith, God, Grace, healing prayer, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Miracles, prayer Leave a comment

THE GOLDEN FISH

Blog 407

November 16, 2025

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Rev. Robert L. Wise, Ph.D. explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. An Archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches with a Ph.D. and the author of 36 books, Rev. Wise relates his interviews with persons who experienced the touch of God.

THE GOLDEN FISH

Ed had been touched by reading psychiatrist M. Scott Peck’s book People of the Lie that demonstrated evil was real. In addition, he found Thomas Merton’s The Seven Story Mountain to be inspiring. Moreover, Dietrich Bonhoffer’s Cost of Discipleship proved to be equally compelling. At the time he was reading and exploring Freudian and Jungian ideas about the subconscious mind. Ed wasn’t sure what he believed and saw much of Christian thought as a product of the unconscious. He simply couldn’t decide. However, Ed Collins (name used for anonymity sake) continued to struggle with what he should believe. Then came the dream.

As a boy he fished in Candlewood Lake in Danbury, Connecticut. He had both fished from a boat and through the ice in the winter. In his dream, Ed was back on the ice fishing with a dear friend. He was surrounded by piles of snow and cold weather. When fishermen cut a hole in the ice, they had to sit there until a fish comes by which could take a long time in the bitter freezing weather.

To Ed’s surprise, in his dream a fish poked its head out of the hole in the ice. That simply never happened! Ed looked closer. The first appeared to have a golden color. He looked closer. The color wasn’t just yellow; the entire fish was golden. In fact, the fish was a giant Goldfish! (such never happens in that northern cold climate) Everything about the dream was a symbol of his own search.

Ed began to grasp the meaning of the fish. The Goldfish embodied the ancient Greek word for fish IXTHUS, which the earliest Christians understood was an anachronism for JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD OUR SAVIOR. Far beyond an inner mental gymnastics gyration, His heavenly Father had touched him deeply. Using the symbolic world Ed had been exploring, God spoke to him. Ed knew his spiritual search had been answered. Jesus Christ was the living son of the heavenly Father. His quest had ended in a most surprising way by his Creator using the secret language of his own heart.

When he returned to work the next day, he shared his discovery with a friend in language that he had never used before. He said he had ‘accepted Jesus.’ As he spoke those words, Ed was flooded with joy. He has carried that joy for the last 31 years.

What about going “fishing?” Cold water can produce amazing warmth for the soul. Symbols in your own life might take on more meaning than you think for. The IXTHUS could be swimming by your house. Actually, that happens all the time.

Remember miracles never cease!

New Podcast: Here’s Life! Do you believe in angels?

WATCH THIS, TOO!

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle

Did you discover something miraculous during the past year? I’d be delighted to hear your story. Please write me. Please email me your story at: miracles@miraclesnevercease.com.

Remember to expect the unexpected! And let the miracles begin!

Readers of my MIRACLES NEVER CEASE blog will be fascinated by my latest book:

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

ORDER NOW!

ORDER NOW!

November 16, 2025 by revwise Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: faith, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Miracles, prayer Leave a comment

FROM OUT OF THE DISTANT PAST

Blog 406

November 9, 2025

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Rev. Robert L. Wise, Ph.D. explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. An Archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches with a Ph.D. and the author of 36 books, Rev. Wise relates his interviews with persons who experienced the touch of God.

FROM OUT OF THE DISTANT PAST

We sometimes forget that the stories of the miraculous started well over 2,000 years ago. The accounts of God working with Abraham and Sarah are in the far off world of the Middle East. Moses saw the ever-burning bush there at least 1,500 years past. Well, it’s time to update. Those surprises are still happening!

Take the story of Khalida for instance.

The Moslem woman had wandered the streets of Bethlehem as a child, but was orphaned when a missile hit her home. She was sold into slavery and lived in the Arab world with a Bedouin tribe. When Khalida was forced into an arranged marriage, the husband often beat her unconscious. She ran away and ended up in a second marriage with two children. Once more she was treated severely.

Homeless and penniless, a friend recognized her plight and offered Khalida a job. The woman shared the story of the love of God that can be found in Jesus of Nazareth. Khalida was fascinated and wanted to know the truth. She prayed and asked Jesus if he really was who her friend had promised.

Khalida suddenly had a vision and believed she was looking into heaven. A bearded man in a white robe stood before her and said, “Leave the darkness for the light.” In her Arabic language, the figure said, “I am the Truth, the Life, and the Way and no one comes to the Father except by me.” His voice was like rushing waters, powerful and soothing at the same time. Even though Khalida had not read the Bible, she knew those words were in there. Consumed by His presence, she dropped to her knees. Khalida cried out. “Lord! You are Lord!”

“Yes, I am Jesus, the One you denied. … I can save you and make you a happy person. You don’t have to do anything, just know that I love you.”

Khalida remembers, “His voice became a light, a huge light, an overwhelming light … I saw heaven right before my eyes.”

Like Moses before the burning bush, the light of God had shined on this little woman.

That light is still shining in this world today. Take a second look. The illumination might be coming to your house if you asked. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Remember miracles never cease!

New Podcast: Here’s Life! Do you believe in angels?

WATCH THIS, TOO!

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle

Did you discover something miraculous during the past year? I’d be delighted to hear your story. Please write me. Please email me your story at: miracles@miraclesnevercease.com.

Remember to expect the unexpected! And let the miracles begin!

Readers of my MIRACLES NEVER CEASE blog will be fascinated by my latest book:

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

ORDER NOW!

ORDER NOW!

November 9, 2025 by revwise Categories: Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: Divine Intervention, faith, God, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Miracles, prayer Leave a comment

ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN

Blog 395 (Repost 8/10/25)

November 2, 2025

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Rev. Robert L. Wise, Ph.D. explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. An Archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Church with a Ph.D., Rev. Wise relates his interviews with persons who experienced the touch of God.

ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN

Several decades ago, I met the first person I’ve known who had survived a near-death experience. I was amazed as I listened to the story. Since then, I’ve collected a file full of similar stories. All of them are touching and astounding. Eventually, I wrote the book Crossing the Threshold of Eternity with some of these accounts. Here’s an example of what I discovered.

George and his wife lost their baby boy in a crib death. They had gone to a church function and left the child in the nursery. George heard a scream and knew it was his wife. The demise of the blond-haired baby boy nearly did them in. For six months, he agonized over his lost son. Then one night, George had a strange dream. A large robust young man stood at the foot of his bed. He had no idea who was there.

“I am your son. You brought me into this world but I only stayed a short time. In eternity I matured into who I am today. We shall meet again.” With that, the figure disappeared.

In a way that exceeded all expectations, George knew he wasn’t dreaming. He had received a picture of his grown son in heaven.

This past weekend on the Google internet, Tina Hines told her story. In February 2018, Tina developed cardiac arrest and fell in her driveway. Her husband Brian and a neighbor performed CPR and revived her twice. Nevertheless, her condition worsened and she succumbed. Tina Hines was dead for 27 minutes. Paramedics tried to revive her several times and doctors used a defibrillator six times. Nothing worked.

When Tina abruptly gained consciousness, she was unafraid and described her time during death as extraordinary. She immediately wanted a pencil and paper to record her experience. She wrote only two words.

“It’s real!”

Tina said she had seen Jesus standing with His arms outstretched. He was bathed in a golden glowing light. Tina said her experience left her feeling rested and filled with peace. She was released in several days, having made a full recovery.

The point? As the resurrection stories tell us, death was defeated on the cross. We can trust Him who first overcame to be there ready to take us across.

Remember: miracles never cease.

New Podcast: Here’s Life! Do you believe in angels?

WATCH THIS, TOO!

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle

Did you discover something miraculous during the past year? I’d be delighted to hear your story. Please write me. Please email me your story at: miracles@miraclesnevercease.com.

Remember to expect the unexpected! And let the miracles begin!

Readers of my MIRACLES NEVER CEASE blog will be fascinated by my latest book:

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

ORDER NOW!

ORDER NOW!

November 2, 2025 by revwise Categories: angels, Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: angels, Divine Intervention, faith, God, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Miracles, prayer Leave a comment

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

Blog 405

October 26, 2025

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Rev. Robert L. Wise, Ph.D. explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. An Archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches with a Ph.D. and the author of 36 books, Rev. Wise relates his interviews with persons who experienced the touch of God.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

Reading about overwhelming dangers touched by the hand of God is always exciting. The ‘Wow!’ stories fascinate us. The result is that we end up expecting the miraculous to be sensational. Of course, some are, but that’s only half of the story. The hand of God extends to even the smallest details of everyday life. The miraculous can touch the most common experiences. Learning to look for extensions of grace in the most normal situations can pay high dividends. Here’s a couple of examples.

June Watts once worked for me as a Social Worker in our ministry to women in trouble. Her faith grew by leaps and bounds as she applied her prayer life to everyday needs. June told me that she began praying for (of all things) parking places in a crowded lot. Bingo! Just the right place always “happened” with predictability. Sound silly? Not when you can’t find a parking place on a hot day! Not to June when she needed help with a situation she couldn’t control.

Here’s another experience.(That’s not so small)

Steve and Roxann Hamiliton had to make an emergency trip through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The temperature had dropped to nearly zero as they passed Caples Lake on a now slick Highway 88. The freezing temperatures were turning the snow into ice. Steve knew the highway was becoming treacherous. Their winding road twisted around steep cliffs that were becoming more and more sheer. At many turns there were no guardrails. Their situation was quickly deteriorating. Abruptly, flashing lights appeared ahead of them. An emergency had occurred not far down the roads. Steve began tapping the brakes. No response. He tried again. The car didn’t slow.

“I can’t stop!” Steve yelled to Roxann. “I’ve taken my foot off the gas pedal, but the brakes won’t hold in the ice.” Roxann began silently praying.

Ahead a car ahead had spun off into a ditch. When they looked up, Steve and Roxann saw a large Tour bus sliding toward them. Even though, Steve was only going 20 miles per hour, they were headed for the cliff. Disaster ahead!

Roxann cried out, “God, stop us!”

The car instantly stopped. Not gradually but instantly. They had stopped at the exact edge of a cliff. The Tour bus went sailing by.

The lesson? Never underestimate where the hand of God can and will move. The smallest problems can become the largest intervention. Our heavenly Father loves us regards of the size of our needs. Don’t hesitate to call out. He’s there.

Remember miracles never cease!

New Podcast: Here’s Life! Do you believe in angels?

WATCH THIS, TOO!

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle

Did you discover something miraculous during the past year? I’d be delighted to hear your story. Please write me. Please email me your story at: miracles@miraclesnevercease.com.

Remember to expect the unexpected! And let the miracles begin!

Readers of my MIRACLES NEVER CEASE blog will be fascinated by my latest book:

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

ORDER NOW!

ORDER NOW!

October 26, 2025 by revwise Categories: angels, Divine Intervention, faith, MiraclesTags: angels, Divine Intervention, faith, God, Grace, Holy Spirit, Miracles, prayer Leave a comment

THE HEART STOPPED BUT

Blog 401

September 21, 2025

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Rev. Robert L. Wise, Ph.D. explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. An Archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches with a Ph.D. and the author of 36 books, Rev. Wise relates his interviews with persons who experienced the touch of God.

THE HEART STOPPED BUT

You may be surprised to learn that 67% of the American population believe in miracles with only 15% don’t believe. In Lee Strobel’s The Case for Miracles, he notes that six out of ten physicians confirm that they pray for their patients before a procedure. In a time of severe political division and skepticism, such a significant number of believers is remarkable. And why is the number so high? Part of the reason is that more divine interventions occur than people realize. Often, they are discounted by people who will only accept scientific verification when the miracle cannot be explained.

Here’s a couple of examples of what’s going on.

Brad Wilkinson at eight years old, was diagnosed with two holes in his heart. An x-ray confirmed the seepage between the two ventricles. After anguished prayer and trusting Philippians 4:13, Brad’s father told the boy that God could heal him. Brad said he believed and everyone prayed. Surgery was scheduled to take four hours, but in one hour the doctor came out and announced there was nothing wrong with the boy’s heart. He held up the x-rays. The day before anyone could see the two holes. The next day the openings were gone. X-rays don’t lie. There could be no misdiagnosis!

Here’s an even more amazing happening. Fifty-year-old mechanic Jeff Markin collapsed after a heart attack and was rushed to the emergency room at Palm Beach Gardens hospital in Florida. For forty minutes, the emergency room staff labored, giving him seven electrical shocks. Finally, they called in Yale-educated cardiologist Chauncey Crandall to examine the body. Markin’s face, toes, and fingers were already turning black from lack of oxygen. The pupils of his eyes were dilated and fixed. At 8:05 p.m. Jeff Markin was declared dead.

But Dr, Crandall prayed, “Father God, I cry out for the soul of this man. If he does not know you as his Lord and Savior, please raise him from the dead right now in Jesus’ name.”

The nurse was already removing all tubing and preparing to take the body to the morgue, but Crandall requested one more shock. The nurse didn’t like the idea, but respected the doctor’s request. Markin was shocked again.

The monitor instantly jumped! After twenty years as a cardiologist, the doctor had never seen anything like it. The blackness in the man’s body disappeared. Even with oxygen deprivation, Jeff Markin never displayed any signs of brain damage. He fully recovered.

That’s why so many people believe.

And you? Why should you take these accounts so seriously? Because you can never know when you will need to intercede for some you care about. Could your prayers make a difference? Absolutely. By the way, Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Trust that promise and pray.

Remember miracles never cease!

WATCH THIS, TOO!

82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle

Did you discover something miraculous during the past year? I’d be delighted to hear your story. Please write me. Please email me your story at: miracles@miraclesnevercease.com.

Remember to expect the unexpected! And let the miracles begin!

Readers of my MIRACLES NEVER CEASE blog will be fascinated by my latest book:

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!