The Lutheran Hour
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"Today’s Miracles"
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Text: 1 Kings 18:1-40
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PRAYER: O Lord of love, O God of Grace, secular journalists tell us that most people today, in order to validate their faith and in order to feel secure in their religion, often look for sensational events or emotional experiences. Remind us, O Lord, like in the days of Elijah, You often speak Your Gospel and Your promises in a “still small voice.” Open our ears, O Heavenly Father. Let us hear Your wonderful voice of love, mercy, and hope. In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Across 3,000 miles from Manhattan in New York to Malibu in California, according to one leading news journal, “Americans are looking for supernatural answers to real life problems.” Most of these seekers, however, are not looking to the God of the Bible. Instead, thousands of people are now searching for help from New Age gurus and channelers. There are now over 1,000 professional “channelers” in California alone. One of these gurus grosses over a million dollars every year by presenting seminars, doing counseling, and selling video cassettes.
These clever mediums must never be underestimated. Working in and working through them is the devil himself. We oftentimes think it’s only the God of the Bible who performs miraculous acts. But if you read the Bible, you will soon learn the devil can also do sensational things just as he has performed them throughout history.
For example, in Exodus, chapter 7, we read, “Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘When Pharaoh speaks to you saying, “Work a miracle” then you shall say to Aaron, “Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh that it may become a serpent.”‘” So the Bible explains Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh. They did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh. Suddenly, the lifeless staff became a living serpent. Then Pharaoh called for his wise men and sorcerers. These magicians of Egypt did the same miracle using their secret demonic arts. When the Egyptian sorcerers threw down their lifeless staffs, they also turned into living serpents.
Next, the Bible says, Moses and Aaron followed the command of the Lord. With their staff, they struck the water in the Nile River. Suddenly, all the water in the Nile “turned to blood!” “The magicians of Egypt, however, again did the same thing with their secret arts.”
These so-called miraculous or supernatural acts should not surprise us even when they occur today. In Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus says, “False christs and false prophets will arise and they will show great signs and wonders so as to mislead if possible even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).
In his letter to the Christians at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul says the power of Satan includes “signs and false wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
The book of Revelation says, “…for they are spirits of demons performing signs” (Revelation 16:13).
These truths of the Bible are frightening in their reality. Indeed, evil does exist in the world today. The devil is busy doing miraculous signs and wonders. This is why it is absolutely crucial to all of you who sincerely desire the mercy and protection of the true God of the Bible; those who sincerely desire protection from the devil and all his deceptive agents, take comfort in the promise of God spoken clearly in the New Testament book of 2 Thessalonians 2:18: “The Lord will slay the ‘lawless one,’ the devil, with the breath of his mouth and bring him to his end when Christ appears.” Because of this Good News, St. Paul says, “The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father who has loved us and has given us eternal comfort and good hope by His grace, may He comfort and strengthen your heart today.” This comfort, my friends, is yours as you fix your eyes and set your mind on the crucifixion cross. When Jesus Christ hung on that cross, a great battle raged between the Almighty God — and against the “world forces of darkness and the spiritual forces of wickedness.” Finally, Christ cried out in victory, “It is finished.” And, at that moment in history, Christ claimed victory over evil for you. Now when you are “united to Christ” through God’s gift of Baptism, as the Bible describes in Romans 6, God also guarantees the final victory over all evil. Like Jesus Christ, you will be tempted by evil in this life. You will have to struggle with evil. In the end, however, you will be victorious in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the days of the early church, those who served the Lord Jesus received great hope and enormous encouragement in their struggle against evil by reading and repeating to their children accounts of how God delivered His children in the days of the prophets. For example, in the Old Testament book of Kings we read the historical account of Elijah the prophet. One day, Elijah said to the people, “How long are you going to halt between two opinions? If God is God, then follow Him; but if Baal is god, then follow him.” But the Bible says the people said nothing.
So, Elijah called the prophets of Baal. He asked they set up an altar; and for a sacrifice, put a bull upon the altar. Then Elijah asked these prophets to call on their god, requesting fire from heaven to burn the sacrifice. Elijah said he would do the same on a second altar. Then the false prophets prepared the altar. They called upon their god to start the fire. They called from morning to noon, “Baal, answer us!” “Baal, answer us!” But nothing happened.
Next, it was Elijah’s turn. He prepared the altar. But Elijah went even further. He requested that water be poured over the entire altar and the sacrifice. Then Elijah called upon the Name of the Lord. “Let it be known today,” Elijah said, “You are God!” Suddenly, the Bible says, the Lord reached down from heaven. He burned not only the sacrifice, but also the wood, the stones, the soil, and even the water in the trench around the altar. When the people saw this, they fell down and said, “The Lord, He is God! He is God!” Yes, from this ancient historical event we see even before Jesus triumphed over the devil on the cross, God showed His almighty power over evil.
Then Elijah commanded saying, “Seize the false prophets of Baal.” Elijah had all of them killed in the Kishon Valley.
Now, even today, people are not always convinced God can destroy false gods and mediums. In Elijah’s day, God moved mightily. The hearts of wicked king Ahab and his wife Jezebel, however, were not moved. Jezebel threatened Elijah and the prophet had to flee. Finally, Elijah felt so discouraged and depressed he wanted to simply lie down and die. But again, God intervened. In a “gentle blowing voice” God encouraged Elijah. God showed Elijah there are times when He, the Almighty, does indeed use sensational events and miracles to show who He is. But God also frequently delivers His message like “the sound of a gentle blowing,” like a still, small voice.
This is how it is so often today. God urges us not to follow New Age gurus or channelers just because they might do or say something sensational. Rather, at church where the Gospel is preached from the pulpit, or where it’s explained in Bible class, the message may often come gently from the lips of a loving pastor. But don’t be deceived. This “sound like a gentle blowing” has the power of God in it. The gentle sound tells us that living a life of selfishness in our families, always putting ourselves before our spouse or our parents or our brothers or sisters, is not at all God pleasing. In fact, this type of selfish life angers God. Yes, it makes Him very angry. He clearly says that unless you change your attitude in your marriage or your family, God will discipline you. And He is going to do this out of love, in order to draw you back to Himself. And when this happens, your life may not be very pleasant.
Now, listen to this Good News from your heavenly Father. This “still small voice” of God; this voice spoken of in 1 Kings — a “sound like a gentle blowing” — brings the message of the psalmist that God is “compassionate and gracious” toward you. “He is slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness.” “He does not deal with us according to our sins.” And, “As far as the East is from the West, so far has God removed our transgressions from us” in Jesus Christ. This Good News is anchored for you in the bloody cross upon which Jesus died. And in His death Jesus offered up His body as a worthy sacrifice and as a full payment for all of your sins.
For that reason, how appropriate it is for us to think of Elijah once again. Recalling when Jesus was transfigured upon a mountaintop, Elijah was with our Savior. You see, while on earth, Elijah seemed so alone in his ministry. His work seemed so fruitless. He tried so hard to serve the Lord. But in the end, he felt only he alone was left. Just as Elijah went from the depths of despair into the very presence of Christ, you also can have the same hope. The Apostle Paul says the difficulties you are now facing in life cannot be compared to the glory you will soon experience, as you see Christ face to face.
Now, if you are a pastor or a teacher or a Sunday school teacher or an active layperson in your church, maybe you often feel discouraged like Elijah did. Other churches seem to be so active and so successful and so “alive,” but all you can do is serve as the lips for God’s still, small voice, in order to tell your friends, congregation, or Sunday school children the love God has for them in Jesus Christ.
If you have been discouraged, then let this message be an encouragement for you. Let this message give direction for your life. First, be careful that you are not enticed into the false religions of the New Age, or the channelers, or some other cult. Be careful. Always remember even the devil can do miraculous signs.
Secondly, even in the church, don’t always look for the sensational or the unusual. Don’t always seek the miraculous. Stop insisting you have to have some type of emotional experience in order to validate your faith. The Good News of God often comes as Elijah shows — “like the sound of a gentle blowing.”
So, listen to the gentle voices God has sent to speak His Gospel to your heart. If you are a young person, listen with great joy as your pastor tells you with his gentle voice, “In Jesus Christ, God forgives all your mistakes and He forgives all your failures.” Jesus took your place. Yes, thank God, for the pastors, who in gentle voices, tell those in sunset years or in your final hours that Jesus is saying, “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.” Jesus said, “In my house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you” (John 14:2).
God’s message of encouragement and hope for you today, friends, is this: If spiritual gurus, channelers, or others appeal to you just because they seem to be able to do supernatural things, then be very careful. You see, throughout history, the devil has also done signs and wonders. Don’t look for the sensational. Instead, follow those pastors or Christian teachers, who with a still small voice, can direct your eyes and heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has conquered the power of sin, the power of death, and the power of hell for you. And now, Jesus wants to be your Master and your Savior. Turn away from the sensational and turn toward the gentle voice of your loving Shepherd. Then, may the Words of the Apostle Peter comfort your heart when he says, “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and the Guardian of your soul” (1 Peter 2:25). Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for November 18, 2001
ANNOUNCER: Dr. Schulz, in your message today, you pointed out several examples from the Bible where the devil and his evil spirits performed miracles. This is certainly something many of us don’t think of, or should I say, don’t recall in the Bible.
SCHULZ: I agree. But the Bible does give those vivid accounts of sorcerers causing lifeless staffs to become living snakes. And Jesus also warned the devil would be producing “signs” and “wonders.” There is no doubt these Bible examples speak in a powerful way to our current generation.
ANNOUNCER: Why do you say that?
SCHULZ: Because our present society seems to be very busy searching for religious or spiritual answers. We almost automatically equate anything spiritual, miraculous, or unusual to be from God. We forget the devil does unusual things, also, in order to deceive and trap people.
ANNOUNCER: But how can a person tell whether sensational events are from the devil or from God? How can we tell whether the devil may even be speaking to us?
SCHULZ: When it comes to messages we receive, God has made it very clear that He speaks to us only through His Word. Wherever this positive guideline is not followed, there is always deception and religious chaos. Consequently, people go by their feelings. Since each person has a different feeling, they also claim to have a different message. By the way, this is also why Jesus Himself constantly quoted the Scriptures. Jesus recognized the Scriptures as the Word of God, spoken through the mouths of the prophets of the Old Testament.
ANNOUNCER: So this means a person has to become pretty well acquainted with the Scriptures, doesn’t it?
SCHULZ: Definitely. This is the key! I hear a lot of people saying they are “scared” about different religious or spiritual things happening. They don’t know how to discern truth from error. There is only one way to do this.
ANNOUNCER: How is that?
SCHULZ: This is accomplished only when we read the Scriptures regularly and know what they teach. Then you can recognize false prophets and false teaching. But you can’t expect to do this in one day or one week. The Word of God is something that begins to work in us like a living agent. God, in His Word, says that His Word is living. It goes to work in us. It convinces us of the truth. Then when we hear things that are not true, a red flag will go up in our mind. This will be a warning for us. This is the Holy Spirit leading us into truth and pointing out error.
ANNOUNCER: I thought you had some nice words today for pastors and Christian teachers, especially as you encouraged those not involved in what we might call “successful” ministries making big headlines.
SCHULZ: I strongly believe this is very important today. I saw some statistics not long ago which pointed out that most pastors and Sunday school teachers and others who work in the Kingdom fulltime are usually leaders of small congregations or small groups of believers. This is true throughout the world. The larger churches get the headlines. But the Spirit of God is also at work in a mighty way in smaller churches. It is at work in the hearts of people who often feel they are working and striving alone just like Elijah thought. For those discouraged, as you continue to do the Lord’s work, lift up your eyes and see the Lord your God. He is a God of love. He is a God of compassion. He is the Father of your blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who has loved you. He is thrilled you are doing His work. He is filled with joy you are His mouthpiece for His Gospel. He is waiting anxiously to welcome you home soon.
ANNOUNCER: What is the bottom line, Dr. Schulz?
SCHULZ: The bottom line today is that we ought not to be looking for sensational signs or wonders of the church. The Kingdom of God unfolds in a rather gentle and unsensational way. However, when the Kingdom of God comes deep into the heart and soul of a person, there is great celebration. There is great happiness and joy over the knowledge of forgiveness. There is a great thrill of having an eternal hope; a hope based on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a hope the work of the devil will never be able to quench or put out.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Schulz. Our next Lutheran Hour message is titled, “Healing Brings Real Thanksgiving.”