Miracles of then and now

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MIRACLES FROM THEN

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth……

6 … spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent).

So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”

He said, “I am he.”

10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”…

13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”…

17 They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. …”

24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.

One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”…

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

 John 9 NKJV (portions)

MIRACLES FROM NOW

When I married Bruce, he was 78 and I was 72. We were both widowed and had 10 grown children between us. (See “Is God Real In Your Life?” for the full story.) Bruce was the youngest of 6 children and Walter was the eldest. There were over 14 years between them. So, when I married Bruce, I acquired a brother-in-law for 2 1/2 wonderful years before the Lord called Walter Home.

Walter had been a pastor and missionary for more than half a century when I met him. In the years before he passed away, he had written of many of his experiences on the mission field in booklets that he then sent around the world. I had both heard and read those stories and loved them all.

One particular story powerfully touched my heart, and I believe it will touch yours as well, as I share it here in my own words.

Ron

It seemed that a new man on that mission trip, named Ron, was driving up to meet the other men who were setting up a large tent for the meeting later that day. He was traveling through a most remote area of Mexico.

Many villagers would walk up to 8 hours to reach that tent for the services that week.

There were no roads in most of that area. Ron was attempting to drive there in an old truck (that had already broken down 3 or 4 times that day).

On his way, he was stopped by some men who realized he was connected to the mission group and asked him to first come and pray for a woman who lived in their village.

Ron stopped and went with them.

He prayed for the woman who then became very excited.

He knew nothing of the Indian dialect she spoke.

A crowd gathered and also grew very excited and now wanted to go with him to the meeting in the tent.

Ron had them in his truck, on his truck, and all over his truck. He finally got word to Walter that they needed a second truck to transport the rest.

A truck was sent and there were fifty people transported to the meeting from Ron’s encounter with that woman.

The meeting was well received and lasted long into the night.

A national pastor presided and, nearing what Walter believed was close to the close, the woman who Ron had prayed for asked if she too could speak.

To Walter’s surprise, the national pastor gave her the floor.

She was very animated and spoke very movingly.

The meeting went on and on.

Midnight came and went.

The woman continued to speak emotionally and the crowd’s excitement grew.

Seemingly, the crowd was deeply moved by her words.

At 1:30 am, things finally closed down and the missionaries began to pack up.

The meeting had run from 7 pm to 1:30 am and the excitement level never dropped from the moment the woman began to speak!

Walter was still shaking his head when he FINALLY had the opportunity to ask the local pastor exactly what the woman was speaking about that so excited the crowd.

The national pastor, realizing finally that Walter didn’t speak a word of that Indian dialect used, said,

“WALT! I DIDN’T REALIZE YOU DIDN’T UNDERSTAND!!

THAT WOMAN WHO WAS PRAYED FOR, HAD BEEN BLIND BEFORE RON’S PRAYER!!”

Yes, I had chills hearing my brother-in-law’s account and perhaps you do as you hear it too.

We serve a POWERFUL God Who is STILL working MIRACLES!!

We simply need to have faith, pray, and believe, as we thank and serve Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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