Miracles - we must expect more!

WORKING MIRACLES - the Church should expect more.  Think of the balance in our Lord's life.

[This is taken from the Title Track article]

There are two mentions in the four lists: 1 Corinthians 12:10 and 1 Corinthians 12:28.   Literally the term means “workings of powers” and “works of power”; notice the plurals.   (The NIV has “miraculous powers” and “workers of miracles”.)

In the second list, the first three gifts are numbered in order of importance, if there is any significance beyond these, then it would be high on the register, as it is listed fourth.

1755 Strong, energema, en-erg'-ay-mah, an effect, operation, working

1411 Strong, dunamis, doo'-nam-is, force, power, miraculous, mighty, wonderful

There is the thought of: ability, abundance, force, power, miraculous power – usually implied by the context, mightily, mighty, mighty deeds, worker of miracles, strength, violence, mighty wonderful work, miracles; a name for God

In the Greek words, when used together - energemata dunameon ,  there is even the thought of "power powers", as both words suggest POWER.

Energema    In classical writing this implied: activity, energy, a stress on activity, cosmic or physical forces at work in human nature, supernatural power, powers in the heavens, powerful working.  

Georg Bertram points out that “ergon” originates from the same Indo-Germanic stem as the English noun “work”.   In Classical Greek usage, the word group is wide ranging: active zeal, action in contrast to idleness, useful, energy, cosmic or physical forces at work in human nature, supernatural power, powers in the heavens, powerful working, and is applied to agriculture, shipping, sculpture and poetry.   Biblical writers employ it particularly for supernatural activity. (Kittel, Volume II, pp 635-655)

Dunamis   Classical writers infer: ability, capacity, power.   In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) there is the thought of: ability, power, and competence.   Walter Grundmann observes, “In Greek and Hellenistic reflection concerning the world and its mystery this led increasingly to the acceptance of “dunamis” as a cosmic principle….   When we turn from the Greek and Hellenistic world to that of the Old Testament, we enter a different atmosphere.   In place of the neutral idea of God we have the Personal God….   This difference, based upon the whole concept of God, is plainly expressed in the concept of power.” (Kittel, Volume II, pp 286-290)

The Scriptures are very much concerned with “power”.   There is the power of God in Creation; in the Messianic Prophecies, Incarnation, Ministry, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension and Present Rule of Christ in the midst of His enemies (Psalm 110:2); the equipping of Believers for the victory over Evil Spiritual Powers; and the Ultimate Reign of God, at the end of time.

The two words are often seen together in the New Testament: Galatians 3:5; Ephesians 3:7 and 20; Colossians 1:29; Mark 6:14; and Luke 24:19.

Faith and Gifts of Healing would overlap this gift, or be contained in this charisma.   Miracles and Faith have a wider scope than healing, but could contain healings.  

Three terms are used throughout Scripture: MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS.    They are all miraculous.   To define the three in simple terms:

Miracles are interventions of God for the obvious good of people.

Signs contain a strong element of revelation and doctrine – they are a statement about God's Nature.   The Greek word “seemeion” [say’mion] may be translated in several ways: sign, indication, miracle, token, or wonder.   Translators have not been pedantic, and “miraculous signs” is typical of the NIV.

Wonders (Greek noun, “teras”) are perhaps not essential to human welfare, or of materialistic value, but are CELEBRATIONS OF GOD'S GLORY, which awaken awe.  

These definitions are often forgotten by the Present Day Sadducees in the Church: who want a practical result, in spite of their generally negative outlook.

References containing these terms: Exodus 7:3; Deuteronomy 4:34, 6:22, 26:8, 29:3; Nehemiah 9:10; Jeremiah 32:20; Daniel 4:2-3, 6:27; Matthew 24:24 (evil instances); John 4:48; Acts 2:19, 22 and 43, 4:10, 5:12, 6:8, 7:36, 8:13, 14:3, 15:12; Romans 15:19 (this is well worth looking at in the Greek text: “Christ through me … in word and work, in power of signs and wonders, in power of the Spirit of God”), 2 Corinthians 12:12;  2 Thessalonians 2:9 (evil origins);  and Hebrews 2:4.

There are tensions between the Greek words and the English Language Versions.   At their weakest, the two words “energeemata” and “dunameon” could mean “working ability”; but in their context, in the New Testament and the Septuagint, there is the stronger feeling of: “mighty working of powers”.   Both are plural in 1 Corinthians 12:10; and each term can imply power.   Because “working of powers” does not translate meaningfully, translators have done their best, and we have become accustomed to “workers of miracles”, as a reasonable substitute.   The New Testament writers made the “dunamis” word group work particularly hard, and it is a good example of context defining the accurate meaning.   A sensible translation of “dunamis” might be “demonstrations of power”; and our two words becoming: “PERFORMING DEMONSTRATIONS OF POWER”.

One must ask the question, I think, to what extent does the Christian with this gift, actually demand, or require it to happen.   Or, does it happen because God is active in sovereign power, alongside the Believer.   In other words: there is often a sense of the uncontrollable, unpredictable, wait-and-see, and above all: the sovereignty of God.   The Believer may be aware with a certain kind of vagueness, in guidance and prayer.   As part of the miracle there may be a word of knowledge or wisdom, a prophecy, or a vision/dream, prior to the event, and together they constitute part the Wonder.   I feel there is much to be learnt about this.   This was written recently: "With virtually all the gifts, we may receive guidance apropos the will of God; we then have the choice to obey, or not.   With Contributing, a person may feel led to donate £1,000 to a cause, but declines to reach into their Porsche for the chequebook.   The Teacher may be clearly guided to preach on 'The Judgement of God in the Church'; but fearing there may be no more invitations from the Church, they extol 'The Love of God'”.

However, with the Miraculous, Signs, and Wonders, perhaps it is that God knows our heart’s desire and acts in His sovereign will – not needing to give us a choice.   The gift is still associated with individuals, and on some occasions the Believer is required to introduce the miracle in some way: as can be seen in the biblical references. 

Perhaps with the Signs and Wonders there is less human involvement, than with Miracles.

Here is a possible example: the church prays for revival and blessing, the person with the gift has a vision of an angel of God with a sword drawn in judgement – a prophetic experience; and the church is cleansed for revival by acts of judgement and discipline.   Eventually there is the awareness that the judgement has passed.  The Church needs to develop a desire for an increase of the miraculous - think of the balance in our Saviour's ministry.

The balance of the “Divine Sovereignty, and human participation” is seen in Deuteronomy 34:10-end (NASBU, New American Standard Bible Update):

“Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.”

I would suggest that Moses was fully aware of what Yahweh wanted to happen, but was party to the start, and finish, of each miracle.

Joshua, in the book of his name, chapter 10:12-14 (NASBU), similarly, takes an active, knowledgeable part in the event of the sun and moon, standing still in the battle against the Amorites:

“Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

‘O sun, stand still at Gibeon,

And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.’

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,

Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.

Is it not written in the book of Jashar? ‘And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.’

There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.”

Joshua’s prayer to God is linked to the command to the celestial objects.  We do well to observe this important area throughout Scripture.

Here is Samuel the Prophet taking a similar part in the ordering of a miracle

^{1Sa 12:16-18} “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes! ¹⁷ Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king.” ¹⁸ Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.

 

The twentieth century missionary Willie Burton, who experienced the miraculous in the old Belgian Congo, said in a private conversation that he felt it was common when there was a new move of the Spirit, in a nation.   Perhaps, also, as suggested in Psalm 1, there are seasons of God’s sovereign work.   Of Jesus’s day, we read: “They were all filled with awe and praised God….   they said….   ‘God has come to help His people.’”   'Revival' is usually applied to a renewing of Church spirituality: 'Awakening' to a new consciousness of a need for God in the unconverted.   Of great encouragement is the passage, 2 Chronicles 29:35-36, one of several portrayals of revival in this part of Judah’s history: “So the service of the Temple of the LORD was re-established.   King Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for His people, because it was done so quickly.” (based on NIV)

SOME OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES OF MIRACLES

Creation! The Flood, Destruction of the Tower of Babel and the Creating of Foreign Languages, Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Increase of Jacob's Flocks, Jacob wrestles with the Angel, the Burning Bush and associated signs, The Ten Plagues, Parting of the Reed Sea and the killing of the Egyptian Army, the giving of Manna, Water brought from the Rock, Giving the Law on Mount Sinai, Miriam’s leprosy, Parting of the River Jordan, Destruction of Jericho, David’s punishment for his census, the hand of King Jeroboam shrivelled and the altar was split , Jonah and the Big Fish, and hundreds more - the LORD is a GOD OF MIRACLES.  These all contain, in addition to the miraculous - statements about God, quite often containing judgement.

Wonders: The Shekinah Glory at the Tabernacle, the Pillar of Cloud/Fire, The Demonstration on Sinai, Moses' face shining, and Ezekiel's Visions, to name just a few!

SOME NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES OF MIRACLES

Jesus changing water into wine, John 2:1-11

Stilling of the Tempest, Matthew 8:23-27

Feeding the Five Thousand, Matthew 14:15-21

Walking on the Water, Matthew 14:22-33

The coin in the fish’s mouth, Matthew 17:24-end

Cursing the fig tree, Matthew 21:18-22

[Food, finance, weather, gravity, creatures, humans]

The death of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:5-10

Deliverances from prison, Acts 5:19-23, and 12:6-11

Philip transported by the Spirit, Acts 8:39

Paul and Elymus struck blind, Acts 9:8, 13:11

Paul survives the Adder, Acts 28:5

Signs: the earthquake in Acts 16

Wonders:  The star at Jesus's birth, the darkening of the sky and the resurrections at the time of the Crucifixion.

EXORCISM

If exorcism is beyond healing, and therefore the ability to work miracles, then the person who has a special gift in exorcism may look for even more to happen.   There is the thought among some fine Bible teachers, that every Believer, walking in the light, has power over unclean spirits.   The original text never said "possessed", but "has" an unclean spirit.   “Demonised” is a common modern term.   The word "miracles" is used of healing and exorcism in Acts 19:11-12.   Non-Christian exorcism failed in Acts 19 :13-17, with a great impact! 

 “Galilee Revisited” DVD, Chris and Lindy Hill, they have led over eighty tours to Israel.

Whilst at Gadara on the east coast of Galilee, Chris told this account.

He was in Nuremburg teaching at a conference, and had retired to bed quite exhausted, when a caller summoned him to come to another part of the Salvation Army complex to help with a demonized man, who had come in off the street. 

 

On entering the room he could not mistake the strange sight of a man clothed completely in black, whose dark eyes and emaciated face, contributed to his look of total venom. As Chris prayed quietly in tongues, an impression came to his mind: “Ask this man about Katie.”  When he did, the man momentarily shot up out of his chair, before slumping back, looking totally aghast. Earlier, outside in the rain, the man had called out to Jesus, “If you are real, tell these people about Katie!” It seems Katie was his spiritual director – a witch with controlling power over him.  He confessed to being a Satanic Priest, and was totally set free.

The following year, Chris was back in Nuremburg, when he met Siegfried, whom he did not at first recognise; this was the man, now completely delivered, and working at the Salvation Army, to help others in similar need to himself.

An Islamic attempt at "exorcism", which came to my notice through an eyewitness, was a very inadequate negotiation, not an authoritative command – which constitutes a serious major flaw: A boy came to me, at the end of one afternoon, offering to tell this story, on condition that I would not reveal his name in class, if I retold it.  I have long-forgotten his name.  A girl from his community had returned to Pakistan, to stay with relatives.  Whilst living in a large house, she emerged from her room into a long corridor, in time to see her double come out of a door, some distance away, and walk in the opposite direction.  The effect of this was to disturb her mind.  Back in Britain, a group of young people were looking after a child of the family, and watching television.  Suddenly, this disturbed girl upset the full coffee table – hurling it towards the TV set.  Some took the little child to safety, whilst others called the Imam.  When he came to face the disturbed girl, the Imam approached her spitting.  Then speaking to the jinn in her, he had it promise to do her no further harm, on condition that it could remain in situ.  The dirty spirit agreed.  This, obviously, is the opposite of Christian expulsion!  Negotiating with unclean spirits raises a serious question here.

On January 8^th-11^th, 1975, on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, the Christian Medical Society held an historic conference  .... “A Theological, Psychological, Medical Symposium on the Phenomena Labelled As ‘Demonic.’”  The papers presented are published in “Demon Possession”, edited by Professor Dr John Warwick Montgomery, 1976, Bethany Fellowship, Inc., Minnesota

Professor of Psychiatry William P. Wilson, M.D., presented one of the most useful papers.

He quotes Nevius, who drew on dealings with ancestor worshipping Chinese, on the subject:

1.      The chief differentiating mark of so-called demon possession is the automatic presentation and the persistent and consistent acting out of a new personality.

a.      The new personality says he is a demon

b.     He/she uses personal pronouns; first person for the demon, third person for the possessed.

c.      The demon uses titles or names.

d.      The demon has sentiments, facial expressions and physical manifestations that harmonize with the above.

2.      Another differentiating mark of demon possession is the evidence it gives of knowledge and intellectual power not possessed by the subject

3.      Another differentiating mark of demonomania intimately connected with the assumption of a new personality is that with the change of personality there is a complete change of moral character (aversion and hatred of God and especially of Christ).

The Professor gives two case studies:

“A young black male of approximately 19 years was brought to the Electroencephagraphy Laboratory for examination.  During the EEG examination he had three “spells” that were associated with the electrographic abnormalities.  After the examination was completed, he was suddenly thrown from the chair, in which he was sitting, with a loud thud!  He twitched several times and laid still.  As this appeared to be a hysterical seizure, a pillow was put under his head and he was left where he fell. When the author walked by, he suddenly lept to a squatting position and with a loud yell grabbed me by the legs and attempted to lift me up and throw me out of a window.  As I was bigger, and because I had a head-lock on him, he desisted but tried to fight and hurt me.  His facial expression was one of rage and hatred.  He quieted with sedation.”

  

A 32 year old, twice married, pretty, but most troubled female, was given various examinations and treatments, and passed to the Psychiatric Service.  Here she appeared normal, until her first “spell”.

 One day she was thrown to the floor and became violent – eight people restraining her.  As she thrashed about, her facial expression was one of anger and hate.  Over the following weeks, the patient was treated psychotherapeutically.  Her second marriage was unhappy, as she was the high living type.  Many “spells” followed.

“The usual psychotherapeutic treatment for hysteria including interviews under sodium amytol only aggravated her spells.  Seclusion in the closed section brought her assaultive and combative behaviour to an end but she would have spells in which she became mute, especially when religious matters were discussed. More dramatically, when the names of Jesus or Christ were mentioned she would immediately go into a trance.  On one occasion while in a coma, in desperation, a demon was exorcised and her spells ceased.  She subsequently accepted Christ as her savior and has been well since.”

As with most of the Symposium papers, there was an academic Response or Commentary.  In this case it was Professor (of Law and Theology) John Warwick Montgomery, who has two earned Doctorates, was the editor of the book, and senior convenor of the Symposium.  “”It is most refreshing to read a paper on demon possession by a professional psychiatrist who does not regard belief in the existence of personal supernatural evil as a hopeless anachronism.”  He hoped that a wider definition would be considered – from a larger bibliography.

 

As well as I can remember:

Branse Burbridge, MA (Oxon), DFC, DSO and Bar, led groups of talented students (16 to 18 year old Sixth Formers), on Fine Art courses visiting Galleries in Holland.  On one such occasion, in about 1969, he was alerted by a boy saying that a lad in the dormitory was in great distress.  Branse found him uncontrollably, dangerously scratching at his eyes.  He found that the only answer was to proceed with an exorcism, which resulted in complete deliverance.  Along with others at his school, the fellow had been playing with a Ouija Board.  The account was written up in the Scripture Union magazine

 

A local Elim Pastor performed an exorcism, and something shot through the glass window pane – from the inside going out: leaving a hole.

Years ago my good friend Harry Hill went to pray for a bedridden sick man, who suddenly sprang to his feet, standing on the bed, in a most threatening way. Harry realized this needed more than prayer – it required an exorcism.

 

Through the disgusting film, "The Exorcist", which most people have probably seen, and a Believer should not see, the subject - along with that of Antichrist, fascinates all-and-sundry, and can be a good point of contact.

An unclean spirit does not necessarily cause epilepsy, in the Gospels and Acts, as a careful study will show.

If there is any challenge from an unclean spirit, in an exorcism, then it is good to remember that the authority standing at your right hand is the Lord Jesus Christ.   It is the authority of His Name, which you use  -  He is the commissioning power which sends you forth.  

"Christ is the Head over every Power and Authority."  Colossians 2:10.

We are warned that satanic miracles will characterise the last days:

Matthew 24:24, “’For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.’”

(Cf 2 Thessalonians 2:9)

It goes without saying that careful discernment is needed.   But not all last day miracles are evil, and have in mind that unforgivable blasphemy is the sin of wrongly attributing wonders of God, to Satan.

A PRAYER:

"Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders, through the name of your holy Servant Jesus."   Acts 4:30. 

 

POST-NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

Just as a complete survey of biblical miracles is a huge task – and the simple answer is “read the Bible with the subject in mind”; so events in subsequent history would fill many volumes.   Even if we consider a short list, covered in publications and talks, it begins to impress: Awakenings connected with the Wesleys, Charles Finney, Jonathan Edwards, Revivals in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Congo, East Africa, Indonesia, China, Argentina, and European House Churches.   In our own culture names will continue to be added to the list which includes: Smith Wigglesworth, Kathryn Khulman, Jean Darnall, Canon David Watson, John Wimber, Reinhard Bonnke, and the many American Healing Evangelists.   There are countries, churches, and individuals, in whose daily experience the miraculous is common.

John Wesley discusses, in his Journal, the miracles seen by the Montanists, and the sad lack of the miraculous in his own day.

Wednesday, August 15^th, 1750.   “By reflecting on an odd book which I had read in this journey, “The General Delusion of Christians with regard to Prophecy,” I was fully convinced of what I had long suspected, 1. That the Montanists, in the second and third centuries, were real, scriptural Christians; and, 2. That the grand reason why the miraculous gifts were so soon withdrawn, was not only that faith and holiness were well nigh lost; but that dry, formal, orthodox men began even then to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves, and to decry them all as either madness or imposture.”

SIGNS RELATED TO THE TWO WORLD WARS

[A]

Llanelli, South Wales, 21.JL.1914

This account was told to Dr Victor Pierce by George Jeffreys, the eminent evangelist, and also recorded in a biographical work.

Whilst his brother Stephen was preaching, he noticed the attention of the crowd was riveted on something behind him.   On leaving the platform, he saw, on the wall behind the platform, a clear vision of a Lamb.   After a few moments, the face of Christ replaced the Lamb, with tears flowing down His face.   The vision was of a living face, even the eyelids blinked.   The hair was partly white.   Jeffreys was preaching on the text, “That I may know Jesus, and the fellowship of His sufferings.”   When he pleaded with people to repent of sin, and receive forgiveness, the face in the vision, became enshrouded with glory.   A member of the congregation remembered the face as “most beautiful beyond description, kindly beyond words.   And the eyes!   They looked at you personally – those loving sad and glorious eyes which moved in the living face.”

The appearance lasted through the night and into the morning.   Hundreds of people came to see it, and heard yet another evangelistic message from the preacher.   Many attempts were made to examine it: a cloth was held in front of it, but the vision shone though it, the lights were switched off – it still shone, and even the windows were covered, but to no avail.   Many of the young men who came, would be killed in the World War, about to start.

[B]

The Battle of Mons, 26.AUG.1914

A Lieutenant Colonel told of his brigade’s orderly retreat from the powerful German advance and onslaught.   Many officers and men in the column saw a vision of a large army of horsemen, in the fields, on either side of the road.   There was a report that called them angels.   On one occasion the army horses refused to move: saving the soldiers from an enemy ambush.   Many had seen another vision: of an angel keeping the forces apart.   The enemy soldiers told of horses that refused to advance, but turned and fled, taking their riders with them.   Among the enemy was a report of an army led by an officer on a white horse, which no bullet could kill.   But for these signs, the British soldiers would have been annihilated.   Enemy troops claimed to have seen a large army supporting the British from behind.   In reality they had no such force, only a thinly spread line of defence – fifteen yards between each soldier, in the firing line.   There were scores of witnesses of these visions.

In the spring of 1918, a similar event happened at Bethune.   The enemy artillery pounded a deserted hill.   As the foe’s infantry were starting to advance, with total supremacy, they suddenly dropped all their military equipment and fled.   The adversaries had seen a huge cavalry brigade, in white uniforms, led by an officer in armour, with flowing fair hair like an aureole.   Machine gun fire, and shelling raked this force, but none fell: they advanced unconcerned.   The enemy troops, including the famous Prussian Guard, fled in disarray.   In the silence, which followed the occurrence, a single skylark rose singing into the sky.

[C]

The only National Day of Prayer of this war, ordered by Parliament and the U.S. Congress, was on August 4^th 1918; it was followed in the November by the signing of the Armistice.

[D]

Many of the main acts of God, related to the Second World War, seemed to follow the seven National Days of Prayer.   Also, there were two notable signs: the figure of Christ on a white Calvary cross with six angels, appeared over Ipswich (August, 1940).   An angel was seen over Peckham during the extensive air raids by “flying bombs” (September, 1944).   The miracle of rescuing a third of a million soldiers from Dunkirk, followed the first Day of Prayer, called by King George VI.

After the Day of Prayer on September 8^th, 1940, people saw angels in the sky, and the Battle of Britain was in process of being won.   Air Chief Marshall Dowding said: “I will say with absolute conviction that I can trace the intervention of God … Humanly speaking victory was impossible!”

Huge storms in the North Sea and the Channel blew away the invasion barges being prepared by the Nazis at Bremen.

March 23^rd, 1941, was the Fourth National Day of Prayer.   Only later was it realised this was the proposed date for Hitler’s invasion.   A great earthquake caused waves and gales that blew the Nazi ships 80 miles off course.   Numerous significant events, on several war fronts, made this a turning point in the War.  

The day following the fifth Day of Prayer, the entire Italian fleet was sunk at Palermo.   A month later, the Eighth Army saved Egypt and Israel, from the troops of Rommel.

On the night of the sixth Day of Prayer, Italy surrendered, and Mussolini was murdered.

[E]

A FAMILY EXPERIENCE

When my Daughter was in her early teenage years, she was sitting on her bed reflecting on philosophical and spiritual controversies.   She prayed: “God you’re a wimp: you never really do anything!”   It was only years after, that she connected the next few moments to that exclamation.

I was in the Hall of the house, when there was a blinding blue flash – as one would expect from the electricity fuse box exploding.   Both my children saw the flash – my son saw it as outside the house.   A quarter of a mile away, across the fields, a farmer acquaintance was thrown across his yard, by a blast.   The sky was only slightly hazy, but clear of clouds.   Only later did Claire recognise the reply to her outburst.

[F]

In my first year as a Christian I heard the story, via Billy Roper, of men on a building site who watched a Christian workmate fall from the scaffolding, and then miraculously return – confounding gravity. C 1953

[G]

Some years ago, Canon David MacInnes told the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union this remarkable story:

"Recently, I came across a lad from Manchester ... he'd been working in a goods yard.   He'd had no connexion with the Christian Church at all - he hadn't been even for a baptism or a wedding.   But, he was working in this yard, and an accident took place: a truck, about twenty tons of weight somehow came loose ... he wasn't looking ... it came behind him ... knocked him over and he found it running up his right leg.   It was clearly going to run over his whole body - there was nothing stopping it.   When a Man stepped forward and put his hand up, and the truck was stopped.   His shouts for help brought workers running, and as they wrestled to try and release him, the truck again began to move.   And again, this Man stepped forward and stopped it!

"Well, two weeks later, he was in hospital ... his leg amputated ... recovering.   And a small group of young people came round and took a service: one lad, and three girls - they sang to a guitar.   A strange thing happened: as the lad was singing, he found himself singing along too.    He hadn't heard the song, as far as he could remember, but the words seemed to come quite easily to his lips.   The lad in the group looked surprised too.   And then he noticed another Man with them; it was the same Man who had stopped the truck.   And so he called to the lad, and said: "Look, come here!   Who is that?    Oh, He's not there.   Who is that Man with you?"  

The group member said, 'There are just four of us; there's nobody else.'   And then the he said, 'How do you know the words of that song?'   He said, 'Well I don’t know; perhaps I just heard it somewhere and it came to mind.'   But the singer said. "You couldn't have done, I just made it up yesterday - it's the first time I've sung it.'   And before long they were talking about Jesus.   And that lad ... that fellow's now short of a leg; but he's richer with a Saviour, convinced that God encountered him.”

[H]

There was an intense fire at the British Western Sovereign Base area, Paramah, on Cyprus.   Fourteen quarters were burned out, and many others damaged.   Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Cobbold and his wife Yvonne had always prayed for protection: theirs was the only house to escape damage of any kind to house or garden.   The fire stopped at the garden fence: halfway through the hedge [c 1990].

[I]

When my father was on military service, during the Second World War, he ostensibly disappeared for a large part of a year - as he had warned us.   Aged ten, I was praying a childhood prayer for him, when I became aware or a person in the room, and saw a bright column of light - in spite of the thick Blackout curtains.   Although I was working on a copy of a Burne-Jones type of drawing of an angel, this was simply a column of light – not what I might have imagined.  I heard a voice saying that on the following day we would receive a letter.   At half-past nine, I went outside to see my mother’s joy as she showed the letter to a neighbour.   My limited knowledge of probability reckoned that there was only one chance in three hundred of the message coming true that day.   It prevented me ever becoming “an honest atheist”.

[J]

Marie Monsen, the eminent Norwegian missionary to China recounts how remarkably tall angelic troops guarded their compound during a rebellion.

[K]

Brother Yun, in his autobiography “The Heavenly Man”, tells of many miraculous events: his remarkable escape from a prison, he and his cellmate were the only ones to escape a pernicious skin infection, people unharmed in winter baptisms in frozen water, having cut a hole in the ice, some did not feel the chill of the water – some felt it warm, an escape from the police.   He fasted for 74 days.

[L]

At the Bella Vista Prison in Colombia, the White Flag Campaign brought to an end the killing culture.  Prisoners had played football with human sculls, and there had been murders almost every day.

Bella Vista Prison was unfortunately named – in Medellin, a city in the heart of the drug infestation; in Colombia, the most dangerous nation in the Western World.

An horrendous cauldron of brutality was brought to an end – not by military intervention – but by a spiritual awakening to the Gospel.   The breakthrough in 1990, which ended the riots, is referred to as The White Flag Campaign.   There is a Bible Institute within the prison now.   Prison authorities take their cue on moving Christian prisoners, when they have finished their training as evangelists and pastors in the Institute.

“Bella Vista Prison is a maximum-security prison that was often called ‘hell on earth’ where the murder rate often topped one per day. Through prayer and the bold witness of some anointed believers the prison has seen a remarkable turning of the most hardened criminals to Christ. Large numbers of the inmates are now believers, and round the clock prayer chains often function. The spirit of murder has all but disappeared, and the brutal conditions improved. Now, a Bible Institute has formed in the prison, training inmates for ministry once they are released.”

(Colombia, “Operation World”, an encyclopedic, reference book on World Missions)

Jeannine Brabon, OMS missionary, Professor of Old Testament at the Biblical Seminary of Colombia, and founder member of the Prison Fellowship of Antioquia.

This is an outline of her first, nervous, sermon in Bella Vista Prison.

“I wonder if you know what the word ‘mercy’ means?” she asked.   “To illustrate, I would like to tell you the story of King David of Israel.   The Bible describes him as ‘a man after God’s own heart’.   He was the finest ruler his country had ever known.   Nevertheless, he had his enemies.”

Jeannine told the story of David’s conflict with the jealous King Saul: of the many attempts on David’s life, by Saul; of the Saul’s son who was David’s best friend.

She recounted the tragic events of the Battle of Mount Gilboa: how Saul ended his life by falling on his sword, and the Philistine army wiped out the royal family.   All this opened the way for David to become King.

When he was firmly enthroned, to honour the memory of his friend Jonathan; he brought his lame and impoverished son Mephibosheth (meaning “man of shame”) to live freely in his court.   David found him in Lodebar (meaning “nowhere”).   Normally kings of the time annihilated their enemy’s family.   Jeannine saw nods of understanding, when she mentioned annihilating enemies.

But David had experienced the love of God.   Hebrew has a special word for it: “hesed”.   We translate it “loving-kindness”.   It is steadfast love that never ceases, no matter how badly we behave or how little we deserve it.”

The King showed ‘hesed’ to the poor man, and brought him into his palace in Jerusalem (meaning “City of Peace”).   This is a picture of God’s mercy.   “God loves every one of us in exactly the same way, no matter how badly we behave or how little we deserve it.”

Twenty-three professional assassins and terrorists had tears streaming down their faces, as they stood to show their desire to receive God’s love, and be prayed with.

(Taken from page 82ff, “The Lord of Bellavista”, by David Miller, SPCK, 1998.)

[M]

In the missionary report film: “Vive Cristo Rey!”, the Roman Catholic and Pentecostal Believers, experienced several miracles on the Mexican-American border.   A small joint of meat at a Christmas outreach fed a large number of people.  The video was recommended by David Pawson.

[N]

The south transept of York Minster set on fire after the induction of an heretical Bishop of Durham.

[O]

An American man said he would believe if God gave him a sign: the minister of a Church rang the wrong number and the man’s record indicated that (the church of) “God the Almighty” had called him.

[P]

As you will know the Church in China is seeing phenomenal growth.   Observers say that they see four kinds of miracles:

1.  Being delivered miraculously from dangerous plights.   The Lamas caught an evangelist in Tibet.   He was taken to a high mountain used for "sky burials": sewn into a tight yak skin and left to die, as the skin contracted in the sun.   Vultures would eat his remains.   The vultures came

; but undid the stitching and he was able to crawl away.

2.  Endurance to keep going.   A typical example: beaten by bullies, over three years in a prison cell - yet survived against the odds.   There were many such instances - 10 for every deliverance marvel.

3.  Healing miracles.  50% of the converts in the house-churches came to faith in Christ because of physical healing.

4.  Spiritual Warfare.   In a village, dominated by 2.000 years of syncretistic folk religion, a couple were converted, and threw out the family gods, which were supposed to protect the rooms of their home.   The village felt threatened by this supposed weakening of their spiritual protection by an ancestral god.   At great expense a Taoist priest was brought in to pray for help outside their home.   There was the banging of gongs, and setting off of firecrackers, for about a week.   At the end of the week, the head priest received news that his son was wasting away with a mysterious illness.   He returned the 35 miles to his house. But his spells could make no difference.   The Christian couple asked permission to pray for the boy in the name of Jesus.   This caused the priest to be very angry; and he slammed the phone down.

After a month, the illness had advanced close to death.   In desperation the father called the Christians, and asked them to help.   They prayed through the night.   In the morning the boy woke-up recovered.   The priest wondered if his own spells and incantations had worked after all.   The boy, however, told how a man had visited him in the night and picked him up, saying: "Be well.   My name is Jesus!"   The story spread, to the glory of God: it was seen as warfare against the village gods.

[Q]

A high class Muslim couple had often visited the home of two Christians for a meal and discussion, but to no effect.   They were able to perform the Hadj, and saw the thousands massing round the Kabah, in the centre of Mecca.   As they came in, a person stood before them: they said it was Isa - Jesus.   He said, "You know that I am the Son of God.   You know that I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: believe on me, and return to your home."   No one else, but the two, saw the vision.  They obeyed, and became shining lights for the Lord Jesus.

[R] VHS "Viva Cristo Rey", Long Live Christ the King

Revival involving RC's and AOG on the Mexican US Border    58min Recommended by Rev David Pawson

The two groups of Christians met to give a celebratory meal, served from the back of a vehicle.  A larger than expected crowd turned up, and the supply of ham and bread amazingly miraculously multiplied

[S] Iraq, 2014, SAT-7 Prayer email Wazala

“Reverend Michael” shared a startling and miraculous testimony. He was driving the church bus alone after taking members home from worship service when, suddenly an assailant in another car pulled alongside him and detonated a bomb. The explosion sent burnt pieces of the bus flying.  Miraculously, the only part of the bus that survived was the driver’s seat where Revd Michael was seated. He had a few minor scratches, but was otherwise unharmed.  

[U] A Pastor working in Beirut among the both Muslim and Christian refugees fleeing from the IS cruelties in Syria.  One of the teams of four ladies met a woman whose husband had left her four years earlier – perhaps to join in the war.  Two sisters were left with only one man and fifteen children to care for – “We need a miracle!”  With difficulty the woman agreed to forgive her husband.  She cried a lot, and prayed.  Two days later she hammered on the Church Leader’s door.  “Yesterday a miracle happened”: a man appeared at her husband’s bedside, woke him up, and rebuked him badly, all night: “Tomorrow you must phone your wife, and say ‘I’m sorry.’”  In the morning he called his wife, and said, “I’m sorry – forgive me.  I want to come and see you, and take care of you!”  The story of this wonderful miracle spread though the area, and many women started coming to the church meeting, talking about this miracle. 

Open Doors Prayer News 249 – June/July 2015

[V] LANCE LAMBERT’S TESTIMONIES (Hatikvah Film Trust, DVD)

Lance required ten thousand dollars for a deposit on a house most suitable for his work in Jerusalem.  A little elderly Dutch lady met him to hand over the amount – it had been entrusted to her for a Messianic Jew who needed to buy a house.  Soon after, there was a property boom, and the price would have been valued at two million.

In 1967, in the Sinai, a finger appeared in the sky pointing out the escaping Egyptian soldiers to the Israeli army there.

On the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Syrian tanks suddenly stopped, and the soldiers fled.  They were pursued by swarms of hornets. This is reminiscent of two passages in the OT [New American Standard Bible]:

^{Deuteronomy 7:20} Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet against them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you perish.

^{Joshua 24:12} Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow.

Lance Lambert and his organisation used Halford House as a UK base.

Bahkt Sing, the eminent preacher, found that wherever he spoke in India the clocks always stopped; this happened to a timepiece at Halford, which had kept good time since 1710.

Several remarkable events concerned Bill, a maintenance worker at Halford:

Scores of chairs were spread around the floor of a downstairs room.  An assistant had called Bill to leave the exposed roof, but Bill forgot that he had pulled up the lower half of the ladder.  As he started to descend, he felt for the rungs: he fell!  The young assistant said it was a miracle: Bill fell into the only suitable chair – he floated down like a feather, turning over twice.  “Yes, I came down like a feather,” he said, as calm as calm.

He was working four floors up on a six-foot high Queen Anne chimney.  Some of the staff heard a huge crunch, and the whole building shook.  One of the ladies screamed loudly: Bill was spread-eagled on the concrete; apparently dead.  Lance saw him stand up and dust himself down; but thought it was a spontaneous nervous reaction, and he would really drop dead.  There was no harm.  They gave him a cup of tea laced with whiskey; and he returned to work.

The only time Bill was seen really shocked: He lived in Blackdown, beyond Godalming, in Surrey.  He would race up the hill to Halford House at over 100 miles per hour.  This day, as he drove into the car park, the steering wheel came unfixed in his hand!  “I’ll have a cup of tea, before I work,” he said.  Lance observed that it could have been a terrible accident. 

[W] Colombia is a particularly hard nation for serious, witnessing Christians: autonomous Indigenous occult tribes have considerable power, as do the Paramilitary and Terrorists.  Pastor Joseph and his wife Mary (fake names for security concerns) had become Christians as a young couple.  Mary was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Her breasts, ovaries, and uterus had been removed to attempt the limitation of the disease.  Chemotherapy had robbed her of her hair.  Shortly after her conversion, she received prayer for healing; she went home to retire for the night, but woke after three hours to find that her hair had rapidly grown back to a fair length.  Her breasts grew back, and she was able to have children.  When she held her first child in her arms, she just cried, because she could not believe that God had been so kind and so merciful to her.  When a Paramilitary gunman came to kill Mary and her child, the bullet jammed, and failed to fire.  Mary told this remarkable story to Beth, an "Open Doors" worker, who recounted it on the Prayer CD, October 2015, Track 6. 

[X] Daniel Ekechukwu, a young Nigerian Pastor had been killed when the brakes failed on his car, at the bottom of a hill near his home.   In the detailed video the full story is told, with film of some of the events included.   The doctor who pronounced him dead, the mortician who prepared his body for burial, the wife who claimed a Scripture promise prophetically, family members, and the ministers who prayed for him and massaged his hands, all offer their stories.   Although associated with a Reinhard Bonnke conference, a general prayer in the large auditorium upstairs was the evangelist’s only connexion.

Daniel also describes his after death experiences of Paradise and Hell.