September 6, 2010

We Will Believe in Miracles!

 My Dear Friend, 

            Thanks to a persistently praying church and a miraculous angelic intervention, Peter stood knocking at the gate of Mary’s house (Acts 12:13-17). Not only his escape, but Peter himself was in a sense a miracle standing at the gate.

A young servant girl, Rhoda, “came to hearken” (Acts 12:13). Of childlike heart and faith, Rhoda, recognizing Peter’s voice, immediately believed in the miracle, and “ran” (12:14) joyfully to tell the others. But instead of receiving, they reproached her: “Thou art mad” (12:15). This came from fellow “believers,” mind you, who had been praying nonstop for seven days—for Peter’s release! After seeing (1) James’ shocking public execution (12:2), (2) Peter’s continuing imprisonment under maximum security, despite their prayers, and (3) comparing this with his earlier incarceration (he was delivered the first day; 5:19-21), their faith was weak. They kept praying, but stopped expecting, probably because the “things seen” were so discouraging. They believed in miracles generally, and witnessed many, but refused to believe this one.

These at Mary’s house symbolize true Christians who (1) disbelieve in miracles, due to reason or doctrine (Cessationism), (2) believe in and pray for miracles, but lack expectancy in discouraging cases, (3) speak discouraging to those who acknowledge miracles.

Convinced beyond debate, Rhoda kept testifying of the miracle: “She constantly affirmed that it was even so” (Acts 12:15). She knew what she knew and wouldn’t deny it because others stubbornly disbelieved it. Did her confidence convince them?

Not at all. Men of reason as well as faith, they quickly devised a reasonable explanation justifying their disbelief: “It is his angel” (Acts 12:15). Peter’s guardian “angel” had come to announce his impending death; or, Peter had sent a human messenger; or, Peter had died, like James, and his disembodied spirit was visiting. By acknowledging Rhoda heard something, they were closer to faith, but not yet in it. Did the Lord leave this praying church halfway between faith and unbelief?

No way! He prompted Peter to persist: “Peter continued knocking! (Acts 12:16). Christ was in Peter insisting that His devout and prayerful but doubtful children see and understand that, yes, He had miraculously released Peter and they should believe it. Fully! Now! With joy! Jesus showed the same insistence when the apostles doubted the report of His resurrection (Mk. 16:14; Jn. 20:24-29).

Finally, the “believers” believed! When they opened the door and saw Peter standing there bodily, they were “astonished” (Acts 12:16) and never again doubted that God works miracles however discouraging the “things seen”! Note Peter’s reaction.

When his brethren didn’t open the door, he patiently “continued knocking.” When they opened it, humbly, he didn’t rebuke them for being slow to believe or for reproaching Rhoda. Perhaps this humility sprang from remembering how often and graciously Jesus corrected him and the other apostles for their doubts!

This brief incident parallels something that will occur in these last days.

Soon God will answer our persistent prayers for the church and the nations with miracles—awakenings, outpourings, healings, deliverances, changed lives! Like Rhoda, Christians of childlike faith will joyfully recognize and testify of these works of Christ. Others, like those at Mary’s house, will deny or doubt them. Though they’re deeply devoted to Jesus and given to prayer, their belief that the age of miracles is past will hinder them from accepting the wonders standing at their “gates.” Like Peter, we who believe must be humble, not haughty, forgiving these deniers for calling us “mad” and asking the Father to revive their faith—as He has ours! Meanwhile, Christ will “continue knocking” at their hearts until, “astonished,” they praise Him for His compassionate, end-time works of power. Thereafter, they’ll profess faith in a Christ who works miracles not only in the past and the future but also the present. End-time prophecy confirms this.

Immediately after the rapture, Antichrist’s rise to worldwide prominence will be the result of false miracles—his supernatural resuscitation from a deadly wound and many other miracles his false prophet will perform publicly to wow the world into submission. Why this emphasis on the miraculous? Satan’s age-old envy of God, stirred again by the miracles of Christ in the last-days church, will prompt his “son” to competitively imitate them after the church is gone. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Indeed, soon Jesus will come knocking at our “gates” with miracles “exceedingly, abundantly above” anything we’ve asked for, seen, or imagined. Before we leave this world, we won’t deify miracles or demand them when God chooses humbler providential means, but, like the church at Mary’s house, we will believe in miracles—and, as needed, expect them!

Believing, expecting,

Greg Hinnant Greg Hinnant Ministries