The Holy Spirit: Not a “Thing” but a Person
In the Introduction to her book Jesus in Me, Anne Graham Lotz says, “I’ve heard the Holy Spirit spoken of as an ‘it,’ a feeling, a dove, a flame, a ghost, an emotion, or even an ecstatic experience…. The Holy Spirit is not a thing but a person.”[1] Not only that, we learn from Scripture…
Introduction to the Holy Spirit
In his excellent book Forgotten God, Francis Chan makes this statement: “As I thought about this chapter, I realized how ludicrous it would be for anyone to say they were going to explain the Holy Spirit. The Bible says we cannot fully understand God, and I am certainly not the exception to that rule. There are things about God that are mysterious and secret, things we will never know about Him. But there also are things revealed, and those belong to us…
Miracles of New Age “Energetic Medicine” – Part 2
Warning: Energetic Medicine May Be Hazardous to Your Spiritual Health As I pondered what I had read in these books by Chopra, Weil, Siegel, and other similar thinkers [See Part 1], my mind—instead of “attuning” to these ideas—raised many red flags. For example, if we are really a part of the divine (as Siegel indicates),…
Miracles of New Age “Energetic Medicine” – Part 1
I recently came across an article in a magazine about a person who pulled a ligament in his foot during a workout. It caused pain throughout his entire leg. With strained effort, he made his way to an orthopedist, who subsequently informed him he might require some serious surgery—and it might take a long time…
Satan and His Counterfeit Miracles, Signs, and Wonders
The evidence for the existence and activity of Satan and demons in the Bible is formidable. Seven books in the Old Testament specifically teach the reality of Satan (Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah). Every New Testament writer and 19 of the books refer to him (for example, Matthew 4:10; 12:26; Mark…
Defining Miracles – Part 3 – The Purpose of Miracles
The Purpose of Miracles Now that we’ve gained some insights on miracles from a biblical perspective [See Parts 1 and 2], let us proceed to briefly examine what Scripture says about the purpose of miracles. I’ve already touched on some of this in passing, but the following presents a broader picture. Miracles Accredit God’s Messengers…
Defining Miracles – Part 2 – Miracles of Providence—Grade B Miracles
How does one define an act of God today that is obviously supernatural but does not fit the narrow definition given above? [See Part 1] Scholars disagree on how to answer this question. Many prefer to use the term “providential act” instead of “miracle” to describe how God often acts today. Others prefer to say…
Defining Miracles – Part 1 – Understanding Miracles
The historian Edward Gibbon listed the miraculous powers ascribed to the early church as one of five reasons for the phenomenal growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire.[1] Miracles were and still are very important to Christianity. Indeed, Christianity is a religion of miracles. But just what is a miracle? Today the term is used…
A Sampling of Counterfeit “Miracles” in Modern Culture – Part 2
“Name” and “Claim” Your Own Miracle: The Word-Faith Movement “Name it and claim it” has become a household phrase in millions of homes across America. Why so? Because Word-Faith teachers perpetually teach this doctrine on national television. Just about every night, one can tune in and learn how to gain health or wealth by following…
The Case Against Miracles – Part 2
Science Does Not Disprove Miracles or the Bible Science depends upon observation and replication. Miracles, such as the Incarnation and the Resurrection, are unprecedented events by their very nature. No one can replicate these events in a laboratory. Hence, science simply cannot be the judge and jury as to whether these events occurred. The scientific…
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