HOW MIRACLES HAPPEN
LESSONS FROM THE LOAVES AND THE FISHES
Wednesday night, I addressed this church on our need to see God do miraculous things among us, through us and for us. If you weren’t here Wednesday night, you should see someone in our sound room for a free cd of Wednesday night’s service. Our God still performs miracles for His children, and the account in John, chapter six of His feeding 5,000 people on a handful of fish and bread tells us how these miracles come about.
THERE WAS A PROBLEM
In the first place there was a problem: 5, 000 people had followed Jesus far out into the countryside, and found themselves, late in the day, far from any place to obtain desperately needed food. All miracles begin with a problem.
How did this situation come about? Who dropped the ball by not telling them to bring some food, by not watching the time, by not noticing how far they had traveled? The answer to all these questions is that it isn’t relevant. All that is relevant is that they needed a miracle.
Jesus apparently allowed this situation to happen for a greater purpose. Verse six says, “He himself knew what He would do.” What He was going to do was demonstrate how miracles are gotten from God. Sometimes God allows desperate situations to happen for His children because He wants to perform a miracle for them.
THERE WAS AND IS A PLAN THAT NEEDED TO BE FOLLOWED
This account of the feeding of the five thousand teaches us that there are two things involved when God performs a miracles for our sakes:
Notice first, that the disciples became proactive. “One of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, there is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two fishes” (vv. 8, 9). This lad here was a disciple too; he was a follower, and attention was called to the fact that he had something that could be given to Christ for the sake of others. He gave up his little bit of bread and fish, Jesus took it, and then and only then was He prepared to meet the need at hand as only He can. We must learn from this that the size of our gift isn’t significant to miracle-getting; what is all-significant is the sacrifice of our gift.
God wants to provide for His people in miraculous ways, but first, something has to be provided to God by His people. This is the way every miracle begins. The waters of Jordan wouldn’t part until God’s people first put their feet in them. The poverty-stricken widow’s empty barrel wasn’t miraculously filled until, in response to the prophets question, “What hast thou in thy house?” (2 kings 4:2), she started bringing out what she had.
By the way, what do you have in your house, in your pocket, in your life, that you could give to God for the sake of seeing a miracle? What would you be willing to turn loose of for God, in order to get Him to turn loose something for you andothers?
THERE WAS PRAYER
Secondly, prayer always precedes a miracle. “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples” (v. 11).
Sacrificial giving, coupled with prayer is God’s formula for a miracle. Make sure you are on praying ground so the miracle/s we need as a church will be surely
As a church we need God to do miracles for us. Make sure you are on praying ground so that any miracles we need will surely forthcoming. First John 3:22 says, “And whatsoever we ask,, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
No one can be on praying ground that is knowingly breaking any of God’s commandments. And, no one is positioned to receive a miracle, even if they are keeping His commandments, who isn’t finding out, and then following through, on doing those things that are pleasing in God’s sight. You may have things in your life that aren’t necessarily a violation of God’s commandments, but that aren’t pleasing to Him; if you aren’t willing to change anything so that it pleases God, don’t think you can pray for a miracle.
WE HAVE A PROMISE
There are two parts to a miracle: our part and God’s part. God always does His part when we do ours. When what was in the lad’s hands was transferred into the Lord’s hands, a miracle ensued. thousands were filled on 2 or 3 pounds of food, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers.
We can’t afford to forget that God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think” (Eph:2:20), and can supply all of our need “according to His riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). He wants to perform miracles in answer to our prayers: “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 2:10).
LESSONS FROM THE LOAVES AND THE FISHES
Wednesday night, I addressed this church on our need to see God do miraculous things among us, through us and for us. If you weren’t here Wednesday night, you should see someone in our sound room for a free cd of Wednesday night’s service. Our God still performs miracles for His children, and the account in John, chapter six of His feeding 5,000 people on a handful of fish and bread tells us how these miracles come about.
THERE WAS A PROBLEM
In the first place there was a problem: 5, 000 people had followed Jesus far out into the countryside, and found themselves, late in the day, far from any place to obtain desperately needed food. All miracles begin with a problem.
How did this situation come about? Who dropped the ball by not telling them to bring some food, by not watching the time, by not noticing how far they had traveled? The answer to all these questions is that it isn’t relevant. All that is relevant is that they needed a miracle.
Jesus apparently allowed this situation to happen for a greater purpose. Verse six says, “He himself knew what He would do.” What He was going to do was demonstrate how miracles are gotten from God. Sometimes God allows desperate situations to happen for His children because He wants to perform a miracle for them.
THERE WAS AND IS A PLAN THAT NEEDED TO BE FOLLOWED
This account of the feeding of the five thousand teaches us that there are two things involved when God performs a miracles for our sakes:
Notice first, that the disciples became proactive. “One of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, there is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two fishes” (vv. 8, 9). This lad here was a disciple too; he was a follower, and attention was called to the fact that he had something that could be given to Christ for the sake of others. He gave up his little bit of bread and fish, Jesus took it, and then and only then was He prepared to meet the need at hand as only He can. We must learn from this that the size of our gift isn’t significant to miracle-getting; what is all-significant is the sacrifice of our gift.
God wants to provide for His people in miraculous ways, but first, something has to be provided to God by His people. This is the way every miracle begins. The waters of Jordan wouldn’t part until God’s people first put their feet in them. The poverty-stricken widow’s empty barrel wasn’t miraculously filled until, in response to the prophets question, “What hast thou in thy house?” (2 kings 4:2), she started bringing out what she had.
By the way, what do you have in your house, in your pocket, in your life, that you could give to God for the sake of seeing a miracle? What would you be willing to turn loose of for God, in order to get Him to turn loose something for you andothers?
THERE WAS PRAYER
Secondly, prayer always precedes a miracle. “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples” (v. 11).
Sacrificial giving, coupled with prayer is God’s formula for a miracle. Make sure you are on praying ground so the miracle/s we need as a church will be surely
As a church we need God to do miracles for us. Make sure you are on praying ground so that any miracles we need will surely forthcoming. First John 3:22 says, “And whatsoever we ask,, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
No one can be on praying ground that is knowingly breaking any of God’s commandments. And, no one is positioned to receive a miracle, even if they are keeping His commandments, who isn’t finding out, and then following through, on doing those things that are pleasing in God’s sight. You may have things in your life that aren’t necessarily a violation of God’s commandments, but that aren’t pleasing to Him; if you aren’t willing to change anything so that it pleases God, don’t think you can pray for a miracle.
WE HAVE A PROMISE
There are two parts to a miracle: our part and God’s part. God always does His part when we do ours. When what was in the lad’s hands was transferred into the Lord’s hands, a miracle ensued. thousands were filled on 2 or 3 pounds of food, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers.
We can’t afford to forget that God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think” (Eph:2:20), and can supply all of our need “according to His riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). He wants to perform miracles in answer to our prayers: “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 2:10).
RSS Feed