MIRACLES TODAY

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HOW MUCH EVIDENCE DO YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?

Some people (especially atheists or believers of a different religion) see miracles as invitations to learn more about God (as they challenge their current beliefs). For example, the author (Craig Keener) used to be atheist but had an open mind and a desire to know the truth, so he is now Protestant.

Other people (especially people who are already Christian) tend to more readily accept miracles as extra reasons to be grateful to God.

Other people (like David Hume) are so adamantly against miracles that when they hear about a miracle, they keep raising the bar about what they require before accepting it as a miracle.

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Why is this last category against miracles?

They limit their beliefs to their own limited realities/ experiences.

“Hume and his critics used an imaginary case to argue back and forth about whether it is rational to consider testimony for miracles. In this imaginary story, Dutch visitors told a South Asian ruler that in their own country people could ride horses on rivers frozen as hard as stone. The ruler concluded that these visitors must be liars, since their report contradicted reality. Hume argues that the ruler was correct to disbelieve them, given his local reality. Hume’s critics argued that the ruler was wrong because he limited reality to his own experience and so denied the eyewitness experience of others. We cannot always extrapolate from the settings with which we are most familiar to all settings universally” (29).

They immediately dismiss cases where the witness is “uneducated”.

“Hume dismissed some healing reports by stereotyping the reporters as ignorant and uneducated. Aside from the fact that it does not take any specialized education to notice that one is no longer blind or deaf or that water now looks, smells, and tastes like wine, the prejudice is unfair. While education can make us less gullible, some kinds of education can also make us more skeptical than we need to be about particular topics. // Moreover, there are, in fact, plenty of educated eyewitnesses of miracles. This is why I have sometimes mentioned witness; doctoral degrees in the book. Degrees do not by themselves make witnesses more reliable, but they do challenge the prejudice that education persons do not witness events they experience as divine” (29).

They immediately dismiss cases where they weren’t there to have seen the miracle happen with their own eyes (like Doubting Thomas, even though witness accounts are valid in other cases, like legal investigations).

“Although we always need to evaluate witnesses’ reliability, eyewitness testimony is accepted as a form of evidence in law, journalism, sociology, anthropology, and (in my line of work) historiography. When eyewitnesses are otherwise credible people with something to lose, we normally value their testimony over the skepticism of nonwitnesses. // For example, imagine that, as an officer is interviewing witnesses to an accident, a passerby interrupts: ‘That’s not what happened!’ The officer may invite the passerby to give an account of what he witnessed. What would you think of this passerby’s approach if he responded, ‘I didn’t witness anything happen. I wasn’t there. That’s why I know it didn’t happen!’ We probably wouldn’t be inclined to take his opinion very seriously. Nor would we take it more seriously if even a hundred nonwitnesses offered the argument that, because they were not present, an event did not happen. // Why should it be any different in the case of miracles? One does not even have to start with the premise that God exists to accept evidence for miracles; one simply has to be open-minded about the possibility. And if evidence supports the authenticity of some miracles, then there is reason to be open to the possibility of other ones. Those who dismiss all claims for miracles have often never even looked at evidence for any of them” (27).

SOME MODERN MIRACLES HAVE BEEN CAUGHT ON TAPE!

We need to be weary of some filmed miracles (because with enough effort and resources, the videos can be faked).

However, one case that seems legit is the filming of Delia Knox’s first steps in 22 years! Delia was in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist-down. She’d been to various healing services, but she’d begun to lose hope since well-intentioned pastor after pastor prayed for her and confidently tried to lift her from her wheelchair (similar to what was done in the first Barbara case in the prologue) to no avail. Eventually, at one of these healing services, Delia finally started to feel sensation in her legs again!

YOUTUBE LINK

Some critics claim that because Delia was being assisted with her first steps (and didn’t have her atrophied muscles instantly healed, like the second Barbara in the prologue, Barbara Cummiskey), then is the healing dramatic enough to be a miracle?

Other critics claim that the healing was so dramatic that Delia must have been faking her paralysis for 22 years so that she could later claim a miracle. But who would want to give up walking for that long just to make a point? And it would be hard to fake the emotion that was on her face while she was humbly taking her first steps.

“How can one explain the disappearance of paralysis after twenty-two years? Since Knox was now obviously able to walk, some internet critics insisted that she had simply faked paralysis for twenty-two years so that she could claim healing now. They were actually suggesting that someone would endure more than two decades of not walking in public just to claim a miracle later! This sort of skeptical speculation convinced me of only one thing: that some hard skeptics will go to any lengths to avoid believing. Some who demand evidence are really not open-minded enough to accept any. Before my own conversion, I was an atheist, but I valued truth enough to want to follow where the evidence led. Fake miracles exist, but this one cannot qualify as such” (52).

SOME MODERN MIRACLES HAVE BEEN REENACTED IN MOVIES!

For example, the case of American teenager John Smith coming back to life (with limited brain damage) after drowning has been re-enacted in the 2019 movie “Breakthrough” (pg. 152).

However, there are many more miracles out there than those that have been chosen to have movies based on…

ARE SOME MIRACLES DUE TO THE PLACEBO EFFECT?

While the placebo effect may explain some events, many of the miracles mentioned in this book are too drastic to have been the result of an attitude change.

“The change was too sudden and dramatic to be attributed to the placebo effect” (214).

Plus, in the case of Delia Knox, she had already given up hope on healing services (after being plopped and flopped from her wheelchair too many times from pastors trying to raise her to her feet). So if the placebo effect would have worked on her, then it wouldn’t be likely to have happened 22 years after her accident.

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE GET HEALED, BUT NOT OTHERS?

(Pg. 68): God healed Wayne’s brother (Dallas Pullum, who was declared brain dead after getting into an accident on his 4-wheeler) right before he was pulled off life support. Wayne prayed a lot and had convinced his mom to extend Dallas’ life support for one more day (on the agreement that Wayne would come home and get some rest and have Ronald drive him back to the hospital if he really wanted to say bye to Dallas one more time). But by a miracle, when Wayne returned to the hospital, Dallas began showing signs of recovery (since he was squeezing others’ hands not once but multiple times), and within a year regained all physical ability and graduated high school with honors! However, years later, Wayne lost Ronald. Why did God save Dallas but not Ronald?

“The child for whom Leo Bawa prayed for a few hours was raised (see chap. 30), Yet when Leo prayed for his own best friend, the friend was not raised. // Danny McCain, who testified to the healing of his toddler brother’s burned skin (see chap. 22), also recounted to me that Danny’s first son, Nathaniel, contracted spinal meningitis at the age of four months. Many people prayed for Nathaniel, but five days later the child died. Why did God heal one child dramatically and let the other die? Quoting Job, Danny responds, ‘The Lord gives and the Lord takes; blessed be the name of the Lord’” (220).

IS FAITH REQUIRED TO EXPERIENCE A MIRACLE?

(Pg. 32, 209): The author mentions many cases (both in modern times and in the Bible) where people were healed when they were desperate but didn’t necessarily have any faith in God/ Jesus.

“God was reaching out in a special way to these precious and desperate people who had never before known about Christ’s love for them” (33).

“I do believe in a God who hears the desperate cries of his children, whether these cries are directly or implicitly addressed to him… If God answered only prayers that were theologically precise, probably few people of any theological persuasion would be healed” (55).

DOES PRAYER ACTUALLY CHANGE GOD’S MIND?

(Pg. 68): Wayne believes that God sometimes changes outcomes due to prayer. But does prayer ever change God’s mind, or does prayer just change us/ make us more aware of our reliance on him?

(Pg 173-174): The author states some statistics of how cases where people prayed resulted in a higher likelihood of healing, but is this accurate?

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SOME PEOPLE TO SUFFER FOR SO LONG BEFORE FINALLY CURING THEM?

(Pg 117) Brian LaPooh took his first steps without leg braces for ten and a half years (due to a spinal cord injury). But afterwards he was processing why the accident had to happen in the first place? And why did God let him suffer for so long before healing him?

(Pg 147) Sifra Ndawu was resurrected after being killed by cancer. But after the cancer was gone, she was processing why God let her suffer (and why God let her parents grieve) for so long before raising her/ healing her?

MIRACLES ARE INEVITABLY TEMPORARY.

When miracles do happen, they inevitably don’t cure us of all our worries.

For example, C.S. Lewis married Joy Davidman in 1956 so that she could legally stay in England, but they were denied a church marriage since she was divorced. In 1957, Joy collapsed and her body was found to be full of cancer (and she was expected to only have weeks to live). Anglican priest Peter Bide prayed for her and performed a Christian marriage ceremony, after which Davidman miraculously recovered. Joy and Lewis enjoyed three years of marriage together before cancer returned and she died.

“One of the downsides of living is that we eventually die — though any life at all is ultimately a gift. No healing in this life is permanent, if only because this life is not permanent… Our fullest physical hope is ultimately the resurrection of our bodies when our risen Lord returns. Present healing is just a foretaste of that future promise” (212).

“Marital bliss, like any other blessing, is temporary; yet it is still a gift to be enjoyed while one has it. In retrospect, Davidsman’s remission was a gift to both of them; but it was at best only a shadow and reminder of the perfect healing that awaits” (213).

DO WE EVER TRY TO TEST GOD TO PERSONALLY PROVE HIS EXISTENCE/ POWER TO US?

It is entirely up to God (not us) when He chooses to produce a miracle.

“Sometimes we want to see miracles to prove that God (or we) can do what is supernatural versus what is merely ‘natural.’ Although Jesus used his authority to heal people in need, he kept his identity secret from the public for as long as possible. Jesus refused when the devil, even quoting Scripture (Ps. 91:11-12), wanted Jesus to show off his power by jumping off the pinnacle of the temple (att. 4:5-7//Luke 4:9-12). Ignoring works that God has already done, then asking God to prove himself just to get what we want, is faithlessly testing him (Ps. 78:18-20; John 6:26, 30-31). …Both in Scripture and in accounts of genuine miracles today, God often likes to surprise us. The fact that Psalm 91:11-12 speaks of God’s protection does npt mean we should jump off the high point of the temple” (200).

“He does not jump through our hoops or submit to our tests for him, but he remains available to those who, drawn by the signs that he does offer, will dig deeper and learn more” (233).

SHOULD WE RELY ON MIRACLES?

We need to take action when we can. Miracles are intended to be a last resort when no others means are necessary, and even then it is up to God.

“God usually performs dramatic signs either when people desperately need them or when he is getting people’s attention for the good news of Christ’s love in a special way” (201).

“The Vatican rejects healing claims from those who shun medical help ‘to rely solely on faith.’ Most Protestants likewise respect empirical medicine. Everett Cook, a Pentacostal church planter who mentored me early in my ministry, told me many stories about how God answered prayers for his family over the decades. But once he also told me about his recent encounter with a Christian who had a growth on his nose. // ‘You’d better see a doctor,’ Everett warned. // ‘I’m healed!’ the man insisted, apparently believing that if he insisted on it enough, God would make it happen. // The next time Everett saw him, the growth was larger. ‘You really ought to see a doctor,’ Everett suggested. // ‘No, I’m healed, bless God!’ the man insisted. // The third time Everett saw him, the growth was quite large. This time the man admitted, ‘Maybe I should go see a doctor.’ // Everett’s point in recounting this story to me was that God heals, but he also expects us to use common sense. ‘God provided me a job and health insurance so I can go to the doctor,’ he explained. ‘That’s no less God’s blessing than direct healing is’” (201).

“Miracles do not, and are not intended to, resolve every problem in this world. Miracles are foretastes of a better future, and they show us what God cares about. Jesus miraculously healed the sick, delivered those afflicted by spirits, fed the hungry, and protected his followers from lethal storms. God cares about people’s health, hunger, and safety. This means that when God is not doing a miracle, those who care about what God cares about should use whatever natural means at our disposal to meet the same kinds of needs” (202).

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ANSWER IS “NO”?

Faith is recognizing that Jesus is trustworthy no matter if He answers our prayers or not.

“Jesus said that even a mustard seed — the tiniest amount — of faith can move mountains (Mark 11:23) … Trusting God is not so much a leap in the dark. It is a step into the light” (210).

“In Scripture, faith sometimes expresses itself in desperate acts — acts driven by Jesus being our only hope. The Bible recounts that the woman with the flow of blood forced herself through the crowd to touch Jesus. It was against the rules for someone in her condition to touch people, but she was desperate; only Jesus could help her (Mark 5:27-29). // Others were desperate enough to tear up a neighbor’s roof to get their friend to Jesus; Jesus calls their determination faith (Mark 2:5, though presumably they were expected to help fix the roof afterward). The Syrophoenician woman would not give up petitioning until Jesus granted her petition (Mark 7:26-30); Jesus refers to her persistence and self-humbling as faith (Matt. 15:28). Jesus lets her overcome his objection and make her case, as God welcomed Abraham, Moses, and a bold widow to persist in intercession (Gen. 18:23 – 32; Exod. 32:11-14; 34:9; Luke 18:1-8). Sometimes the answer ‘no’ is an invitation to persevere, to show faith, until the answer becomes ‘yes.’ Standing firm in stubborn faith, continuing to call on Jesus’s name rather than simply giving up without a fight, is biblical. // But what happens when the answer is no — period? That was the Father’s answer to his own son in Gethsemane. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, ‘You will be done,’ thinking of God’s kingdom values that include healing and restoration (Matt. 6:10). But when Jesus prayed, ‘Your will be done,’ the Father’s will for him was the cross (Matt. 26:42), needed for the greater good. The world’s condition of rebellion against our creator was too serious for anything less to remedy it. Even in that case however, God’s ultimate answer was a yes (Heb. 5:7-9) — in the resurrection. No matter what we may suffer in the present, the assured past event of Jesus’s resurrection is the promise of eternal life with him when God also transforms our bodies someday. We celebrate God’s power over sickness and spirits, but the greatest cause for celebration is eternal life with Jesus (Luke 10:20)” (209).

“Faith means that God is still trustworthy whether or not a specific miracle we pray for happens” (211).

“The cross ultimately shows us that, no matter how deep the darkness, the injustice, the agony — when God seems silent in the face of our pain — God is at work even there — indeed, especially there. Because an empty tomb declares that the cross is not the final word” (228).

GOD ALREADY WON THE WAR FOR US, BUT WE STILL NEED TO BE STRONG DURING SOME BATTLES.

Even though the war could already be basically won (i.e., from Jesus’ resurrection), there might still be some battles that we have to face (regardless if we have extra help through miracles) until victory is officially declared (i.e., until we make it to Heaven).

“Once the Normandy invasion succeeded (D-Day), the outcome of the war was clear; the Nazi regime’s defeat was just a matter of time. But battles continued and soldiers kept dying until the final collapse of the Nazi regime (V-E Day). We, too, live between the times of the spiritual D-Day and the final V-E Day, continuing the war but now with full knowledge of the outcome” (226).