Why Can't I Move a Mountain?
As a very small child, I believed in "magic". There was no line between the natural and the supernatural. In my basement playroom, the black and white TV perched on metal cart showed me Jeannie and Samantha and of course, I wanted to be Tabitha on Bewitched. I'd make a grand entrance through the gold and brown plastic "jewels" that hung in the doorway. and escape to my secret hideaway that to the untrained eye was a blanket fort strewn between folding metal chairs. Down here I went to Neverland and joined the flying children in Peter Pan. Some days, I'd go to Paris and listen to swinging Jazz with the Aristocats. Then I'd head off to London and laugh with Uncle Arthur and Mary Poppins. These grand tales of adventures spun from my Close and Play Record Player, the scenes danced across my mind, my imagination fully engaged in the wonder of it all.
My Bible picture books and Sunday School coloring pages told me the fabulous stories of Red Seas parting, giants slaying, and fire called down from Heaven. Loved and adored by my strong Daddy, the pictures of Jesus surrounded by little children were as natural to me as breathing. I was His and He was mine.
There was no prayer this good Jesus would not answer, no miracle He would not do, He was wonderous and magnificent; the magic was everywhere. I believed with all my heart and did not doubt. So when I heard Mark 11:22-24: “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours." This Scripture was tailor-made for a child like me!
It didn't work, none of it. I thought "happy thoughts" while listening to Peter Pan but no matter how I ran and jumped, I could not fly. I crossed my arms, put my hair in a ponytail, wore my gauzy green nightgown and robe (my Jeannie "costume") closed my eyes and nodded my head as hard as I could but I never shrunk down into the Chianti bottle covered in different color candle drippings (my Jeannie bottle). I realized that the shows and the records were pretend but Jesus was real. So why, when I believed with all my heart, did Jesus words not work either? My Uncle did not walk again and no matter how hard I prayed my Aunt still got a divorce. Therein lies the rub.
During this Age, there are no booming declarations from above, no pillars of fire leading the people forth in the Wilderness, no feeding of the 5000, no parting of the Red Seas. There are no overt public miracles, no true healing ministries, no flying mountains! Jesus himself ushers in the Age, with the last beatitude, John 20:29:
This is where our childlike imaginations have to re-engage. We must be like that child in the basement playroom listening to records. We can read the words, we can hear the music, but we can not see. The Lord is quiet, gentle, subtle. He woos us with kindness and gentleness. It is the Still Small Voice and the Word that we must rely upon; not emotions and miracles. We wait in faith and hope without His physical manifestation. In return, He fills us with the Holy Spirit and seals us with the greatest power in the Universe, Himself.
Call it what you wish, born, raptured, glorified, sanctified... one day the Church will be fully and completely aligned with the perfect will of God Himself. We will do nothing contrary to His wishes. Listen to Jesus prophecy below: John 14:12-14
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
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| Jesus with a Little Girl |
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| All I was Missing Was the Pixie Dust |
Where magic dies, Faith must fill the void.
How many little children grow into cynical adults because their innocent prayers went unanswered? How many angry skeptics shake their fists at Heaven and declare, "I prayed to you and my Mother still died!" How many watchers stop watching because "We are Still Here!"
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| Shadows of the Beauty to Come |
"Blessed are those who have believed and not seen."
He is the Magic. He is the Power. He has Promised to give His power to us.
Does that make you tremble? Does that shake you to the core? Does the weight of your wicked sinful nature desire and fear such a thing? It should. Only as an innocent, would a human in the flesh desire such power. It is for exactly this reason that we have never fully manifested the Power that He promised; we do not move mountains! Then why does the Bible tells us we should be so much more?
Perhaps because the Church has not Actually Been Born?
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
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| Warrior Bride |
Maybe that is what Jesus meant in Matthew 18:3 when He tells believers to have faith like a child, find that place of wonder, remember when you believed in the magic, imagine what awaits us. Maranatha.
My 2 cents is that since the Lord never changes, in our current age the Church should be able to do same things in faith as the apostles and the first believers did, including healings and all kind of miracles. The only variable here is our faith. Jesus questioned that at His return will He find faith on Earth. It’s also mentioned in Scripture that in the very end the Church will have little strength. I think that’s one of the reasons that we no longer witness the healings and miracles of Acts (for ex.) frequently and often.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading somewhere that in Asia and Africa “Acts-kind of miracles” do happen much more frequently. Not like how things currently are in the sphere of the Western culture.
Delete„Call it what you wish, born, raptured, glorified, sanctified... one day the Church will be fully and completely aligned with the perfect will of God Himself. We will do nothing contrary to His wishes. Listen to Jesus prophecy below: John 14:12-14”
DeleteI’d like to add that I found this comforting and encouraging too! I’m just sad that true healing ministries are a rarity in our days, it shouldn’t be so. (Plus, in the case of miracles in general, discernment is always greatly needed anyway.)
Good post, Dolley. This is on my mind a lot, too. You know, I like that you brought up the connection to being born again. Indeed, perhaps that is the disconnect in the present age - some things were future promises.
ReplyDeleteThat has been on my heart for several years. In March of 2015, I had several weeks of immense understanding and revelation. I did my best but I struggled to convey all that I came to understand in a series I titled the Millennium Bible Study. One of the keys was the positional and unique authority of the Church and how much of the Scripture and promises were prophetic.
DeleteFunny ... All day Psalm 55:6 has been so deeply impressed on my heart ~ 'Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest - to my place of shelter, far from the storm.' Your post was timely and encouraging, as always! :)
ReplyDeleteThere was a line from an episode of Law and Order that I saw years ago, and it stuck with me forever. In the episode, a priest is speaking to the court for one reason or another, and he states "We use science to explain away miracles, and then ask why there are no more miracles."
ReplyDeleteSir Isaac Newton believed that the scientific method was not a means to disprove God, but rather to discover how it was God did what he did. There are miracles around us every day, and yet we are so inoculated to their daily occurrence that we have utterly forgotten their meaning. Our friends in Texas and Florida today are rediscovering the miracle of reliable electricity. Of air conditioning. Of clean drinking water and hot food. We live in an amazingly blessed world of tremendous comfort and health, more so than those who lived during the days of the apostles could ever have dreamed.
To quote another movie, "Your ancestors called it magic, and you call it science. Where I come from, they are one and the same." Appreciate the little miracles. The blessings of discovery and invention that God has given us in our lives. Just because we don't call it magic or a miracle any more, doesn't make it any less amazing.
I was explaining/watching how caterpillars become butterflies yesterday with a 3 year old. He wanted to watch every video that youtube offered on the subject! I was thinking about the amazing miracle-filled world our Father has blessed us with! Thank you for the reminder, James Douglas!
DeleteMade me cry, beautiful. I would that everyone would ask "That Mountain" to be moved. Just look at fox news trying to move there's. Without Jesus. I got 15 Gary.
ReplyDeleteYes faith like a child. Beautiful. I have witnessed several healings, one of which my own. Miracles are still happening. Watch the movie "the last reformation" and the teachings of Torben Sondergaard and Curry Blake. They greatly increased my understanding in the identity we have in Christ. We should offer to pray with one another far more often. Anywhere, anytime! And lay on hands for healing. Not asking the Lord to heal, he already set the stage for us! We are to command it to be healed in the mighty name of Jesus. Sometimes we have to fight and pray over and over, and sometimes healing can be instant. In an case, where healing does not happen it is never the fault of injured or sick, it is simply a call to grow and persevere. Then finally if God calls us home, he will do so and His will be done. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteMiracles can totally still happen. Nothing has changed since the early church except the obedience of Christians. People don't seem to notice that the Bible give pretty clear conditions for our prayers being answered. Jesus said, "If you abide in me and follow my teachings, you can ask anything you want, and it will be given to you." (John 15:7). John said, "whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him." (1 John 3:22) In Isaiah 1 and Isaiah 58, God tells us specific reasons why he won't listen to our prayers - if we're not obeying - fighting for justice, loving those in need, helping orphans and widows. Peter tells us that our prayers will be hindered if we don't respect our wives.
ReplyDeletePlenty of miracles happen today. I've seen it myself. But I've only ever seen it with people who have fully surrendered their lives to God and live doing the work of God. Believe in the Son, proclaim the Kingdom and love in action, not just words, and then you will start to see mountains begin to move.
We too see miracles reported through the broadcast radio ministry that we produce. Callers share of healing through massive outpourings of prayer. But I tend to agree that we in Western cultures see fewer miracles. We may see great faith in individuals, small groups and even congregations, but we're experiencing a falling away as a generation, a culture, a nation and a society.
ReplyDeleteMy wife recently returned from a mission trip to West Africa. She found a stark difference between how they live, their faith and that of Americans. Talking of God with strangers was a natural thing there. But here? That is another matter.
Science is, and should be, the method by which we seek to understand the mechanics of God's creation. In some part it helps us understand our place in it, individually and corporately, as artists and engineers. I am reminded of a quote shared via BBC on the end of the Cassini mission to Saturn,
"The spacecraft was torn apart and will now become part of the planet it has been studying."
How appropriate. There is a parallel in this for us. A saints we study the Word which is G-D in Christ and in the end, become part of that which we have studied.
The Body of Christ.
Glory to God in the highest!
Grace and peace to you in these final days,
Pastor Rich
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ReplyDeleteMiracles still do happen. But not by faith generated by our own heart. Yes, I have tried so hard... I witnessed a few. One of them, I was involved myself. Yes, much faith, but it felt different, because it was GIVEN at that moment by God, it was not my own. So, when the Holy Spirit gives faith for an occasion, the miricle will happen. Miracle faith is a gift for ONE miracle.
ReplyDeleteDick Visser, that is an interesting insight. Even our faith is God-given! We truly have nothing to offer Him. He does it all!
DeleteDick Visser, Thanks so much for mentioning this. God performed a miracle in my life on 9/4, and gave me the heads up early that morning that it was going to happen. And the faith I had from morning until evening time (when it happened) was completely unexplainable. All I could tell people was that the faith was GIVEN to me, and there's no way I could "make" that faith manifest in my own strength. So the Holy Spirit get's all the credit - both for the faith, and for the miracle.
DeleteIf you can learn the essential, totally rationally consistent metaphysical structure of the separation, it provides you with a framework in which the whole thing just fits into place. A Course in Miracles by David HHoffmeister is teaching this metaphysical structure, but it is not always very obvious. Its obscure nature tends to lead people to not even realize there is a solid "core" to the Course or that you can use this structure to perfectly explain everything the ego does, the meaning of death, and what must be true based on it.
ReplyDeleteFor example, separation from God is not possible, because you cannot be somewhere that God is absent. God is everywhere. This immediately tells us that, logically, to believe that this is possible is insanity. It also must tell us that to believe in such a separation is to believe in a dream, a fiction, something which is false or not true and not real. This is already the beginning of some very solid metaphysics, and many people grasp this basic starting point.