Miracles ... Do You Believe...?

Miracles are real and are spoken of and recorded in the Old and New Testament of the Bible, by our Lord Christ, by the Prophets, by the Apostles, disciples, and even by those that were not disciples of Christ, though if one does a miracle and invokes our Lord Christ then that person is a disciple of Christ :

Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.

Miracles have been recorded, i know of some personally... not doctors, nor scientists, nor the best in the 'science' field can explain them, yet they happen and cannot be explained... except, that they are miracles, and are of God, and make all that witness these miracles feel the presence of God all around them, some have a message for the faithful and some are just to show the glory of our Lord.

But, we do know that even though evil can perform miracles as when the Pharaohs magicians did make miracles trying to outdo Moses, how can we discern a true one from one that is from evil sources ... here is what the Bible tells us:

"The Bible does not give specific instructions on how to recognize counterfeit miracles. The Bible does, however, give specific instructions on how to recognize counterfeit messengers. “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16, 20). First John 4:2-6 elaborates, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist … They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” "

This post is not to be used to bash any one denomination, hopefully we can discuss this in a civilized Christian way the same as our Lord Jesus the Christ did when His apostles came and told Him of miracles done by others, for the same way we can discern if a miracle is from God or from demons we can also discern the one posting ...


i believe in miracles as i am sure everyone here does also, at least i think everyone else believe in miracles in this forum, and i believe that just like in the days of our Prophets and the Apostles today many miracles are happening and it would be great to share in some that i am sure all of us here has read of, has heard of, or has witnessed, you may have seen some that you knew were not from God and may want to share how you knew...

may God bless us all... <><
 
Depends on how you define "miracle". I think there are two main ones...

- an unexplained event

- a confirmed act of God

...and it's very important to distinguish between these two definitions in this type of conversation. For example, what was "unexplained" 100 years ago might be explainable today.
 
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Finding Fatima:
(this is the you tube of the event reproduced for the viewer...)

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Rqb2igFYt_U?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here are the basic facts of this historical occurrence.

In Hiroshima, a group of eight Jesuit priests lived in a presbytery near the parish church less than a mile away from where the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a city exploded well within the total death and devastation radius. Keep in mind this was a blast that killed 80,000 people almost instantly and up to a total of 140,000 eventually.

At Hiroshima“Little Boy”destroyed over two-thirds of the buildings.

All eight priests in their home building sat in the direct kill zone while for miles around nothing but ashes remained. They were not only “virtually unscathed from the effects of the bomb” but none of the group suffered either the ill-effects of radiation or major injuries from the bomb blast. Furthermore, while their building received some damaged, unlike others it still stood.

While it is true that small numbers of other civilians in the blast area survived, all presumably suffered, and most if not all eventually died from radiation sickness.

What is truly miraculous is that radiation sickness did not affect ANY of the Jesuits at that time or decades later.

Why were these eight priests spared in an area of total death and destruction?

FatherHubertSchiffer.jpg
In 1976, when all the eight Jesuit priests still lived, one of the survivors, a German named Father Hubert Schiffer, represented the group with this answer:

We survived because we were living the message ofFatima. We lived and prayed the Rosary daily in that home.

What is the message of Fatima, you ask?

Here is the answer from a 2010Catholic Heraldarticle that goes into much detail about this event.

The essence of the Fatima message concerns conversion from sin and a return to God, and involves reparation for one’s own sins and the sins of others, as well as the offering up of one’s daily sufferings and trials.

There is much theology wrapped up in that answer and even more in theCatholic Heraldarticle offering layers of theological explanations as to why those eight priests miraculously survived and even lived into advanced age.

But here is the quickie 30 second version.

August 6th, the day the bomb fell on Hiroshima, also happens to be when the Catholic Church annually celebrates theFeast of the Transfiguration.

The New Testament tells how Jesus went up to a high mountain and was “transfigured” before his apostles Peter, James and John. The Book of Matthew reads in 17:2 “his face shone like the sun, and his garments became a white as light”. (First hint, similar to what the residents of Hiroshima would have seen seconds after the bomb was dropped.)

Now, fast forward ahead to the 1917 Miracle of Fatima in Portugal, commonly known as theMiracle of the Sun.

Here, the Virgin Mary appeared to three children on six different occasions and gave them prophetic messages. To then confirm that her messages were from God, in front of 70,000 people the sun appeared to spin in the sky, change colors and begin to fall to earth, but then stabilized.

(Second hint, the atomic bomb blast was as bright as the sun and fell to earth.)

Finally, there are the eight priests, who by their own account “survived because we were living the message of Fatima.”

These priests prayed the daily Rosary in the name of Jesus and Mary and while the man-made explosion of bright white sun light devastated the world around them they were somehow “transfigured” on the anniversary of that Feast Day, protected and shielded by God from the horrific white blast less than a mile away.

Now, you don’t have to be Catholic to acknowledge something of a miraculous and powerful nature kept those eight priests and their building from being reduced to ashes and shielded them from the effects of deadly radiation.

The good news, I believe, is that this awesome power is still available to you today.

If you want to learn more about this miracle just Google like I initially did, “Jesuit priests survive Hiroshima” and you will discover unlimited historical and religious material.

To get you started here is an eyewitness account from one of the priests as reported in a historical document on Hiroshima produced by Yale Law School.

 
So I guess we're going with "miracle = unexplained event", rather than "miracle = documented act of God".

Interesting.
 
I have the same question as River.. What is miracle? Is it something which we don't anticipate or less probable? Or is it something completely against the natural laws? Red sea parting - this is miracle. Someone getting a job - is it miracle or just provision of God? I am not saying God is not involved in getting the job. It could be answered prayer. But is it a miracle? Some considering getting a parking spot as miracle!

I whole heartedly believe God is able to do miracles today. He can make any sea part into two even today. But I think we confuse providence of God with miracles
 
So I guess we're going with "miracle = unexplained event", rather than "miracle = documented act of God".

Interesting.

River... where would you classify the Hiroshima event...miracle as unexplained event or documented by God... ? and what do you mean 'documented by God'...?
 
I have the same question as River.. What is miracle? Is it something which we don't anticipate or less probable? Or is it something completely against the natural laws? Red sea parting - this is miracle. Someone getting a job - is it miracle or just provision of God? I am not saying God is not involved in getting the job. It could be answered prayer. But is it a miracle? Some considering getting a parking spot as miracle!

I whole heartedly believe God is able to do miracles today. He can make any sea part into two even today. But I think we confuse providence of God with miracles


Red Sea parting is definitely a miracle, getting a job may not be a miracle but more like an answer by God to prayers, unless it is something as a job that not only is great but is so out of reach and you have no knowledge at all or classifications for it... A lot of miracles are against the natural laws such a disease that doctors have deemed end of life and yet the person heals and lives, or something like this Hiroshima whereby these priests were the only ones that survived and lived without the radiation disease.
 
This miracle is truly wonderful, and if this is not a miracle then what would it be... :

Incredible Miracle: U.S. Marine Saved by Saint Michael
By TFP Student Action
saint_michael_article3.png


This is the true story of a Marine wounded in Korea in 1950. Writing to his mother, he told her of a fascinating encounter he experienced in the war. Father Walter Muldy, a U.S. Navy chaplain who spoke to the young Marine and his mother as well as to the outfit commander, always affirmed the veracity of this narrative.

We heard it from someone who read the original letter and retell the story here in all its details and in the first person to better convey some of the impact it must have had when first told by the son to his mother:

Dear Mom,

I am writing to you from a hospital bed. Don’t worry, Mom, I am okay. I was wounded, but the doctor says that I will be up in no time.

But that’s not what I have to tell you, Mom. Something happened to me that I don’t dare tell anyone else for fear of their disbelief. But I have to tell you, the one person I can confide in, though even you may find it hard to believe.

You remember the prayer to Saint Michael that you taught me to pray when I was little: “Michael, Michael of the morning,…” Before I left home for Korea, you urged me to remember this prayer before any confrontation with the enemy. But you really didn’t have to remind me, Mom. I have always prayed it, and when I got to Korea, I sometimes said it a couple of times a day while marching or resting.



saint_michael_article.png


Well, one day, we were told to move forward to scout for Commies. It was a really cold day. As I was walking along, I perceived another fellow walking beside me, and I looked to see who it was.

He was a big fellow, a Marine about 6’4” and built proportionally. Funny, but I didn’t know him, and I thought I knew everyone in my unit. I was glad to have the company and broke the silence between us:

“Chilly today, isn’t it?” Then I chuckled because suddenly it seemed absurd to talk about the weather when we were advancing to meet the enemy.
He chuckled too, softly.

“I thought I knew everyone in my outfit,” I continued, “ but I have never seen you before.”

“No,” he agreed, “I have just joined. The name is Michael.”

“Really?! That’s mine, too.”

“I know,” the Marine said, “Michael, Michael of the morning….”

Mom, I was really surprised that he knew about my prayer, but I had taught it to many of the other guys, so I supposed that the newcomer must have picked it up from someone else. As a matter of fact, it had gotten around to the extent that some of the fellows were calling me “Saint Michael.”

Then, out of the blue, Michael said, “There’s going to be trouble ahead.”

I wondered how he could know that. I was breathing hard from the march, and my breath hit the cold air like dense clouds of fog. Michael seemed to be in top shape because I couldn’t see his breath at all. Just then, it started to snow heavily, and soon it was so dense I could no longer hear or see the rest of my outfit. I got a little scared and yelled, “Michael!” Then I felt his strong hand on my shoulder and heard his voice in my ear, “It’s going to clear up soon.”

It did clear up, suddenly. And then, just a short distance ahead of us, like so many dreadful realities, were seven Commies, looking rather comical in their funny hats. But there was nothing funny about them now; their guns were steady and pointed straight in our direction.

“Down, Michael!!” I yelled as I dove for cover. Even as I was hitting the ground, I looked up and saw Michael still standing, as if paralyzed by fear, or so I thought at the time. Bullets were spurting all over the place, and Mom, there was no way those Commies could have missed at that short distance. I jumped up to pull him down, and then I was hit. The pain was like a hot fire in my chest, and as I fell, my head swooned and I remember thinking, “I must be dying…” Someone was laying me down, strong arms were holding me and laying me gently on the snow. Through the daze, I opened my eyes, and the sun seemed to blaze in my eyes. Michael was standing still, and there was a terrible splendor in his face. Suddenly, he seemed to grow, like the sun, the splendor increasing intensely around him like the wings of an angel. As I slipped into unconsciousness, I saw that Michael held a sword in his hand, and it flashed like a million lights.

Later on, when I woke up, the rest of the guys came to see me with the sergeant.

saint_michael_article2.png


“How did you do it, son?” he asked me.

“Where’s Michael?” I asked in reply.

“Michael who?” The sergeant seemed puzzled.

“Michael, the big Marine walking with me, right up to the last moment. I saw him there as I fell.”

“Son,” the sergeant said gravely, “you’re the only Michael in my unit. I hand-picked all you fellows, and there’s only one Michael. You. And son, you weren’t walking with anyone. I was watching you because you were too far off from us, and I was worried.

Now tell me, son,” he repeated, “how did you do it?”

It was the second time he had asked me that, and I found it irritating.

“How did I do what?”

saint_michael_archangel_1.jpg

“How did you kill those seven Commies? There wasn’t a single bullet fired from your rifle.”

“What?”

“Come on, son. They were strewn all around you, each one killed by a swordstroke.”

And that, Mom, is the end of my story. It may have been the pain, or the blazing sun, or the chilling cold. I don’t know, Mom, but there is one thing I am sure about. It happened.

Love your son,

Michael
 
I don't know if there is a definition for "miracle" that all would find acceptible.
From my point of view, any occasion where God or His Heavenly servants intervene
directly in human affairs can be called a "miracle".
Personally, I've seen hundreds and heard of thousands.
 
River... where would you classify the Hiroshima event...miracle as unexplained event or documented by God... ? and what do you mean 'documented by God'...?
I said "documented act of God" not "documented by God".

I'm just not sure we should be attributing every unexplained event to an act of God. If we do that, then we have to allow for all the other similar stories from other non-Christian religions. Surely no one here thinks Christianity is the only religion with "how else do you explain this" stories?

You don't think Muslims have "I prayed to Allah and _____ happened" stories? Hindus have "I gave an offering to Ganesh and _____ happened"?

It also raises the question of why God saves a small group of priests, while at the same time standing by while millions of children suffer unimaginable suffering.
 
I said "documented act of God" not "documented by God".

I'm just not sure we should be attributing every unexplained event to an act of God. If we do that, then we have to allow for all the other similar stories from other non-Christian religions. Surely no one here thinks Christianity is the only religion with "how else do you explain this" stories?

You don't think Muslims have "I prayed to Allah and _____ happened" stories? Hindus have "I gave an offering to Ganesh and _____ happened"?

It also raises the question of why God saves a small group of priests, while at the same time standing by while millions of children suffer unimaginable suffering.

First question is 'do you believe in miracles'... and you haven't answered that yet...

How can we not attribute all to God, after all is not God in charge of everything and knows the outcome before it happens...? Our Father and Creator gives miracles for His glory and to remind us Who is He...

As for the unimaginable suffering, that was inflicted by other humans, not God... it was allowed, after all we do have freedom of choice and action and one human group decided to wipe out another human group... Americans, our country wanted to see the effect of the H Bomb and they got their answer.

What about the miracle of the soldier who was protected by Archangel Michael as i posted above ...? What about Fatima, and Lourdes, and people healing when praying to saints... do you believe in any of these...?

i am sure miracles happen to believers and non believers, after all the rain fall on good and bad as our Lord Jesus told us...
 
"It also raises the question of why God saves a small group of priests, while at the same time standing by while millions of children suffer unimaginable suffering.
"

He set the stage, but we are the players. What we do has consequences, and when we do bad things the innocent suffer.
If only the guilty suffered it wouldn't be a problem.

A better question would be "why is it that in a world where so many claim to be good, that there is so much suffering?".
 
The miracle of the incorruptible body:


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St Bernadette was born Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France. From February to July 1858, she reported eighteen apparitions of “a Lady.” Despite initial skepticism from the Roman Catholic Church, these claims were eventually declared to be worthy of belief after a canonical investigation. After her death, Bernadette’s body remained “incorruptible”, and the shrine at Lourdes went on to become a major site for pilgrimage, attracting millions of Catholics each year.

Though they died yet their body did not decay... this is not something that the church immediately gives its blessing, but assesses its incorruptibility to their holiness... Lourdes has been a place of many miracles .
 
Fatima :

200px-ChildrensofFatima.jpg


The Children

In the year 1917, in a mountainous region at the center of Portugal, the Mother of God appeared six times to three young children. Elsewhere on the continent the “Great War” raged, that would cost Europe an entire generation, over 37 million lives. Besides sending her own sons to die (in France and North Africa) Portugal was in political chaos at home. There was a dizzy succession of governments following a revolution in 1910. The monarchy had been replaced by a republic, with a new liberal constitution separating Church from state. Government officials, under the influence of Freemasonry, were not sympathetic to the Faith. But for the people themselves, the Faith was the air they breathed, as in the village of Aljustrel, a collection of whitewashed houses on a dusty road in the parish of Fatima.
There Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta were born and raised in homes where the catechism was their daily bread, stories from the Bible their recreation, and the word of the village priest was law. Lucia de Jesus Santos was born, the youngest of seven children, to Antonio and Maria Rosa Santos, on 22 March 1907. She was a plain child with sparkling eyes and a magnetic personality, a natural leader to whom other children looked with confident affection. Blessed with an excellent memory, Lucia was able to learn her catechism, and make her First Communion and Confession, at age six. She herself became a catechist at nine. Lucia would be the constant guide and companion to her first cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, through the trials that accompanied the apparitions of the Blessed Mother.

390px-Newspaper_fatima.jpg
 
If the definition for a miracle is 'seeing God's hand at work' then we have all experienced it. Well definitely at least 3.

Miracle 1: We have a spirit. It is quite an experience when we are young and first grasp this. There is no other like me.
Miracle 2: Our body is a miracle. The intelligent design that went into it and keeps it running is beyond human means. Everything else in creation. The universe and how it works. No human involvement there!
Miracle 3: Our Christianity / Believing Jesus is Lord. No human can believe another human is God except God reveal it to them.

I do believe miracles take place everyday. Among saved and unsaved.
 
If the definition for a miracle is 'seeing God's hand at work' then we have all experienced it. Well definitely at least 3.

Miracle 1: We have a spirit. It is quite an experience when we are young and first grasp this. There is no other like me.
Miracle 2: Our body is a miracle. The intelligent design that went into it and keeps it running is beyond human means. Everything else in creation. The universe and how it works. No human involvement there!
Miracle 3: Our Christianity / Believing Jesus is Lord. No human can believe another human is God except God reveal it to them.

I do believe miracles take place everyday. Among saved and unsaved.

Miracle 2: is something that scientists try everyday to replicate and will call it 'creating' but they cannot create from absolutely nothing, and what they also do not understand is that all that is 'discovered' by science has always been there for them to find...

Miracle3: the one miracle that seems to be as small as it is, is that Christopher Hitchens a well known atheists allowed his doctor who was a Christian to pray for him, though he kept telling him it would not work. Hitchens last words, which shows the tenacity of his
antagonism against God are :"
"If I convert it’s because it’s better that a believer dies than an atheist does."

i wonder if the miracle of healing would have happened to this unsaved person, i can only say this according to his own words, if Hitchens would have converted or would he have found an excuse for his health...
 
Miracles are real and are spoken of and recorded in the Old and New Testament of the Bible, by our Lord Christ, by the Prophets, by the Apostles, disciples, and even by those that were not disciples of Christ, though if one does a miracle and invokes our Lord Christ then that person is a disciple of Christ :

Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.

Miracles have been recorded, i know of some personally... not doctors, nor scientists, nor the best in the 'science' field can explain them, yet they happen and cannot be explained... except, that they are miracles, and are of God, and make all that witness these miracles feel the presence of God all around them, some have a message for the faithful and some are just to show the glory of our Lord.

But, we do know that even though evil can perform miracles as when the Pharaohs magicians did make miracles trying to outdo Moses, how can we discern a true one from one that is from evil sources ... here is what the Bible tells us:

"The Bible does not give specific instructions on how to recognize counterfeit miracles. The Bible does, however, give specific instructions on how to recognize counterfeit messengers. “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16, 20). First John 4:2-6 elaborates, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist … They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” "

This post is not to be used to bash any one denomination, hopefully we can discuss this in a civilized Christian way the same as our Lord Jesus the Christ did when His apostles came and told Him of miracles done by others, for the same way we can discern if a miracle is from God or from demons we can also discern the one posting ...


i believe in miracles as i am sure everyone here does also, at least i think everyone else believe in miracles in this forum, and i believe that just like in the days of our Prophets and the Apostles today many miracles are happening and it would be great to share in some that i am sure all of us here has read of, has heard of, or has witnessed, you may have seen some that you knew were not from God and may want to share how you knew...

may God bless us all... <><

There are true miracles, and there are false miracles. True miracles give the Lord the glory, honor and praise to his NAME: a false miracle gives another the glory. Listen: "Many shall come in my NAME saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many." The devil tried using truth (the scriptures) to deceive the Lord, and have the Lord throw himself from the pinnacle of the Temple. The serpent will say a truth, and twist it, in order to introduce a lie: "...God has said, you shall not eat of every tree in the garden...", implying that there was more than one tree that was prohibited. Yes, God said that man could eat of every tree, except "...the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil."
"You will know them by their fruits...Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied (preached) in your NAME? and in your NAME have cast out devils? and in your NAME done many wonderful works?' And then I will profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from me you workers of iniquity.' " The Lord has left us his NAME (Jesus), and it has retained all power: "For there is none other NAME under heaven, given among men, in which we must be saved." The NAME is not solely for the salvation of our souls, but a blessing to man, himself. And if a man is blessed, then so is the fruit of his loins and of his hands!
Therefore, if a miracle glorifies a man (or men) or a denomination it is a false miracle. It must glorify ONLY the Lord Jesus, and the Father (God) through the son.
 
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