From: Jay Willingham (jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com)
Date: Fri Oct 03 2003 - 13:48:43 EDT
Dick Fischer
wrote:
Go ahead, factor in miracles if you can. We know laws of physics, what are the laws of miracles? Think of all the money we could save on prescription drugs when all we need to do is call down a miracle.
Reminds me of a Bolivian friend of mine who attended a faith healing in her country. Crippled people came forward and threw their crutches into a pile when they were "miraculously" healed. As she left the meeting, she encountered a crippled man who asked her if she could please help him find his crutches. She went back and there were other poor crippled people all looking for their crutches mixed up in the pile.
Jay responds,
I do not think you can factor out miracles.
We know some of the laws of physics. Their incredible symetry testifies to God's creative genius and ongoing providence.
God can suspend and has modified the laws of physics on a celestial level. Examples include Joshua 10:13, 2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38:8.
Biblically, we know the law of miracles, they happen so that God may be glorified. John 9 and 11:4.
We cannot call miracles down on our whim apart from God's will. With our will we can only accept the greatest of miracle of all, Christ's saving grace.
Charlatains claiming they have miracle power to take advantage of the faithful are the enemies of Christ, like the demon possessed slave girl that followed the apostles around.
I believe in miracles today. Here are a couple of reasons
A most unlikely conservative Southern Baptist woman related to us that after a coffee morning in England a shy woman came up to her and said that she had been spontaneously healed during the other woman's talk, and she stays healed and becomes a powerful witness.
My wife and I also saw a most unlikely young fellow carried across a room and knocked down by the spirit at the mere sight of us at his door. He went on to one of the most effective witnesses and helpers to the worse young criminals in England. We were simply blessed by being present when God brought him from death into life; when seeds his mother planted and dreams God sent him bore fruit.
This won't stop me from studying the contrary scientific and historical evidence and trying to see what God is doing with it as well.
I simply beleive we won't know the whole truth until we see Jesus face to face.
Jay Willingham
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