Miracles, the core of the gospel ?

What is a miracle? The question is relevant at a time when so many Christians seem to be hypnotized by miracles,. In many ways, many Christians today seem to be more interested in miracles, signs and wonders, physical healing, and doing all that Jesus and the apostles did. These things have today been magnified so much that it has actually taken complete control of what is most important in the Christian life.

Is it wonderful to see miracles? Yes! Do miracles happen every day? No! A miracle wouldn´t be called a miracle if it happened every day. It would just be such a common thing that no one would even care about it. Let's start with what a miracle is; A miracle is an unexpected, startling event that cannot be explained in a natural way. Something that happens in a supernatural way.

Can we then expect that miracles shall happen every day? No, of course not! God can work miracles in many different ways, and sometimes He does, but it doesn´t happen always.

The greatest miracle that God did was to send His own Son, to take our sins upon Himself, to die for all who want to believe in it, in their place. And through this we can once again have contact with God, and thus get an eternal life.

Yet that is not what keeps many Christians enchanted today. But it´s to go out into the city to do wonders as Jesus and his apostles did. That in itself diminishes the incredible miracles that God performed for us. It turns our eyes to look to miracles, instead of looking at the greatest miracle of all, Jesus. How did it go this wrong. It's fascinating how seeing miracles and things happening has been a human focus all along.

Jesus saw this as he walked ere on the earth, and His answer was; An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. Math 12;39 & Mat 16:4

Miracles can´t save anyoneno, everyone aren´t even thankful for seeing a miracle happen or experiencing one. We´ll find the proof of this in the story when Jesus healed 10 lepers and on the way to appear before the priest become aware of the disease being gone. One returned and thanked Jesus. Jesus then asked where are the other nine didn´t all of you get healed. Luke 17:11-19

So this distortion that we have today where signs and wonders and miracles are in the first place for us Christians, is that a good thing? I would argue that it isn´t. It makes us looking at something awesome taking place, instead of looking at God. I would even argue that the word; An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, applies at least as much in our days as it did in Jesus'.

This transforms our Christian faith into an experience and emotion-based faith. A wrong focus that leads us to something that can´t save us.

Remember that the Bible tells us that miracles and signs were to follow to confirm the preaching of the gospel. But today we have turned the tables, set miracles and signs first, then get faith through them. This despite the fact that the Bible tells us that faith comes from preaching and preaching by the word of Christ. (Rom 10:17) That means, preaching the scripture is what breeds faith in us, and that in turn makes us either want to continue our journey without God, or repent and believe.

We humans are very dependent on our emotions and we have a tendency to build a lot on emotions and experiences. But our emotions can also lead us wrong. Therefore, we need to base our Christian lives less on emotions, and physical manifestations, and be firmly grounded in what the scriptures tells us.

We see something similar in the Exodus from Egypt, when Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and God's people demanded that Aaron build them a god to worship, because Moses could be dead. They needed something to look at to believe in.

Look at Thomas who had to stick his fingers in Jesus' wounds to believe. Thomas needed confirmation that Jesus really died and rose again, even thoug this isn´t the kind of sign that´s the issue here, but signs, wonders, and miracles.

Let's look at; An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign. The words needn´t just to be read it a little casually, rather to find their way into us. If we run after signs and wonders, we are evil and unfaithful to Jesus and God. Those are pretty strong words.

2 Mos 20:4-5 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,

2 Mos 34:14 you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God

This shows how serious it is to have other things before God. If we put something else before God, we commit adultery in God's eyes. Which is really serious.

How did we end up here, where these things are the most important thing in our faith? Is it because we lack faith about God being who he claims to be, or is there something else behind it? I have no answer. But one thing I do know, we need to get bck to a healthy faith that is fixed on Jesus and God, where miracles and signs aren´t put in te first place.

If Jesus isn´t in the spotlight already, then we need to get him there. He´s the one who paid the price for us humans with His own life, not signs and wonders.

Let me go a little bit into the time we are now living in, which is the last of the last times. Why do I say that? Well, the last time began with Jesus, life, death and resurrection, it is now almost 2000 years ago. So we are really living in the last days. Do we really need to go into this? I believe we do, yes,.

2 Tess 2:8-10 And The the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Admittedly, this text talks about the lawless one = antichrist, but the problem is that before his time comes, we will see an increase in Satan's activity in the same areas. Just as it was in Jesus' day, when we read about demon-possessed people. The activity of evil has existed all the time, but it increased during Jesus' time on earth and it´s been increasing now as well. Therefore, we can say with certainty that false miracles and signs will increase more and more, to become truly enchanting when antichrist comes.

And if the lawless one is to move with wonders and signs, to try to deceive Christians, then I am convinced that this increased fascination with signs, wonders and miracles, in short, the supernatural, is a must. What do I mean then? Well, the one who is already emotionally controlled by both seeing and doing signs and wonders himself, will more easily fall for antichrist, when he comes and does his part of false miracles and signs.

If we´re to have a chance at resisting this then we must have a crystalclear relationship with Jesus and know what is what. But if we have miracles in the foreground, then the relationship with Jesus ends up in the background, that´s completely unavoidable.

No one likes to talk about Satan, but for us who believe, he is a reality that we cannot run past quickly. Satan never comes straight out with fake things, he sneaks them in, a little at a time. If he can make us fascinated and enchanted by miracles here and now, then this will not end when antichrist rises to power. So in the time we are now, it is extra important that we are vigilant and really put Jesus first. It´s the same as being faithful to Him and loving the truth.

Hebr 12:2 Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

God´s peace Ingemo