Tag: miraculous signs

MIRACLE IN EGYPT

Blog 135
September 30, 2019

statue-holy-virgin

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Often, I hear from people who have experienced miracles or divine interventions. I look forward to receiving these accounts as they deepen our understanding of how these experiences occur. Could you be like that? If so, please share your story with me. Drop me a note at revwise@att.net.

MIRACLE IN EGYPT

Last week, I noted that if you follow the stories of divine interventions, you will eventually notice that miracles seem to happen more frequently in Third World countries. Migrants from South America and Mexico are often far more devout than Americans. They are part of a hemisphere that tends to be open to the work of the hand of God.

Here’s another example.

Once when I was in Cairo, Egypt, I traveled to a suburb where a Coptic Church was believed to be built on the site where the Holy family lived when Joseph brought them to Egypt to avoid death by King Herod. I have seen few sights that looked more ancient (and covered with dust) One of the strangest divine interventions in recent years occurred at this church.

The Coptic Church is one of the most ancient churches in the world. Founded by the Apostle Mark in 43 A.D., the church came into existence when Nero was the Roman emperor. In today’s world, the Coptics have suffered significant persecution from Muslim bombings and attacks.

On April 12, 1968, two automobile mechanics working near the church happened to stop their tasks and glanced up at the dome on the top of this church. They were astounded to see what they thought was a nun dressed in white standing on the top of the dome. They immediately thought she was going to jump and ran to get the priest. A crowd gathered and began shouting for the woman not to jump. To their amazement, the image of the woman began to fade and eventually disappeared. Seven days later the figure reappeared. The priest saw the image several times and said it was preceded by brilliant flashes of light.

Other witnesses described the image as beautiful and believed the image was Mary, the mother of Jesus. She would bow and bless the crowds who immediately fell to their knees. With these appearances, healings began to occur such as restoration from urinary bladder cancer, cancer of the thyroid gland, blindness, limb paralysis, as well as recovery from viral infections.

I saw a photograph of the figure of Mary standing on the dome. A little on the fuzzy side, one could clearly see the figure standing there. Why would such an occurrence happen? What does it all mean? Much like the experience of Bernadette Soubirous seeing the Virgin Mary that created the healing waters of Lourdes, France, for believers no explanation is necessary. For unbelievers no explanation will be acceptable. Roman Catholics embrace these experiences much easier than Protestants do. However, the evidence that cannot be denied is the spontaneous healings that followed.

Whatever one decides about such an experience, it is not meant to be explained, but to lead us to worship.

You might find my collection of Holy Land experiences to be helpful.
BIBLE LANDS: An illustrated Guide to Scriptural Places
Barbpir books Publishers

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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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MAKING SENSE OUT OF THE EXPERIENCE

BLOG 11 September 26, 2016 MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!

Robert Wise explores the world of divine intervention from an objective point of view. How can 21st Century people understand how the hand of God touches people in today’s world?

Read and you’ll find new insights.

In previous blogs I related my conversations with struggling people about their healings and experiences. They knew a force that Christians called the Holy Spirit had invaded their lives and filled them with a renewal that often literally saved their lives. The emotional pain and their fear of death was usually gone. A divine encounter had changed their future.

How do we understand such an occurrence?

The context for insight into such miraculous events 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 biblical categories that explain 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, something had occurred that told observers that the intervention was not an ordinary act of nature. It was 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. They were humbling and produced obedience.

Let us be clear: A sign is not a miracle; a miracle is a sign. There are many signs throughout scripture that were not all understood by observers. However, when an authentic miracle occurred, it was a sign that pointed beyond the miraculous experience to the transcendent God, a sign that the Holy Spirit was clearly working in lives.

This recognition of the miracle as a sign does not end with the Gospel’s story. As the Apostle’s ministries were recorded in the Book of Acts, their stories were filled with the miraculous. Acts 4:16 and 22 tells the reader that the unbelieving Jewish leaders even recognized that the works of the Apostles were “signs.” The Sanhedrin feared that these signs had the power to establish faith.

They do and continue to do so today.

EACH WEEK WE WILL BE HERE. TUNE IN. miraclesneverceaseblog. word press.com

Please send your divine intervention experience to: miraclestoday44@gmail.com

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