Its Sensational Nature Draws Attention - The Miracle that Preacheth

The Ministry of Signs and Wonders:
Its Sensational Nature Draws Attention

    Although it’s not about signs and sensations, The Ministry of Signs and Wonders is by nature sensational.  And it is this characteristic that often draws the attention of the community to Christ and His Gospel.
    Peter and John were still freshly baptized in the fire that came on them in Acts 2.  As they went to the temple at the hour of prayer, they saw a lame man begging at the gate.  Peter fastened his eyes upon him and said:

    ‘Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee:  In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.  And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and anklebones received strength.  And he, leaping up, stood, and walked, and entered with them into the Temple, walking and leaping and praising God’ (Acts 3:6-8)

    The miracle in itself is wonderful, but notice at this miracle’s effect upon the public:

    “And all the people saw him walking and praising God:  And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened to him.  And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering” (Acts 3:9-11)

    That is when Peter preached to them.  The miracle captured the attention of a multitude of people and in verse 15 Peter declared unto them Jesus, “...whom God hath raised from the dead...”  In our miracle outreaches I obviously preach salvation, but I have found that the message of salvation is so much more powerful when it is accompanied with miracles like this one.  It draws the multitudes to an outreach.  People want to see the supernatural in manifestation.  People all over the world are really the same in many ways.  Even in our western world, where fun is made of those who dare to believe in divine healing and miracles, there is still a curiosity and a desire to venture into the realm of the supernatural—the paranormal. 
    There are numerous Christian books, videos and other media warning people against the New Age and occult.  Of course, I respect the great research the authors and producers of these books and videos—educating the Body of Christ on these dangers.  However I think some of these works have something lacking: We should also teach people an alternative—the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power.

    “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”  (1 Cor. 2:4-5.) 

    Our Lord Jesus is greater than the New Age or the occult.  His miraculous power is absolutely superior to the powers of darkness.  By the demonstration of God’s supernatural power we can draw the attention of the world to the true message.
    After the miracle in Acts 3, an astounding five thousand men believed (Acts 4:4.)  The Bible doesn’t tell if there were any women and children present in addition to the men, or how many there were, so the combined attendance could have been much greater.  The attention of these thousands of souls had been captured by the miraculous sign and wonder, when the lame man was healed.
    It was a miracle no one could negate.  As we learnt in a previous chapter, a miracle like that displayed and exhibited Jesus.  Peter and John were so filled with the Holy Spirit and boldness that even their enemies “...took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13.)
    They called this miracle a “notable miracle” (Acts 4:16.)  The word “notable” means worthy of note, remarkable, distinguished, prominent, noteworthy, outstanding, superior, conspicuous, noticeable, unusual or uncommon.  It was a miracle that no one could rebuff, a miracle that served to get the attention of the public.  It was a miracle that broke through their theological arguments and rational resistance.  It invaded their comfort zone and challenged their age old traditions. It blasted open their logic and demanded their attention.  It could not be brushed off or ignored.
    This kind of notable miracle ministry of signs and wonders will get the attention of the clergy, the religious, the politician and the general public.

 The Ministry of Signs and Wonders:
 The Miracle that Preacheth

    A fellow evangelist visited us at our house a few years back.  After some good fellowship I got my shotgun out and the two of us did some target practice on a luckless tree.  Needless to say, we killed that tree.  Slug after slug hit the same tree and we knew it was just a matter of time before it would fall over.  Later on it did—I think it was an ice storm that finally brought it down.  I was just looking at it again through our window this morning and remembered my friend and me.  I have told several other visitors:  See that tree there—so and so and I took it down with a shotgun...
    The point of this humorous story is that the fallen tree served as a reminder of what had happened.  Now back to our story in Acts 3, when the lame man was healed:  We can only imagine what the family’s reaction was when their brother or cousin or son came home, walking on his own two feet!  His whole suburb or village must have been in awe.  And when they asked him what had happened, he must have told them that Jesus who died rose back to life again, was the One that healed him.  Every time they looked at him they remembered that Jesus was alive.  The miracle itself continued to preach for years and years thereafter.

"Miracles for the Multitudes" is a combination of two focal points of Joel Hitchcock's Ministry, namely:

(a) Miracles, Signs and Wonders and (b) Massive Miracle Campaigns

This Blog is based on Dr. Joel Hitchcock's book "Miracles for the Multitudes".  

 
Copyright since 1999:
All rights reserved under international copyright law. 
Permission to duplicate is hereby granted as long as the complete quote does not exceed more than 1,000 words and that due credit is given to the source.

For the website of the church led by Pastor Joel and Heidi Hitchcock in Georgetown DE, which is an exciting Pentecostal, Charismatic, Word of Faith, Cross-of-Christ preaching church in Sussex County, Delaware, go to www.rivercity.co.

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