Do You Want a Pic or the Real Thing?

From time to time our church in Ascot has a post-service lunch specifically to celebrate Holy Communion, or Eucharist, in an environment closely resembling the actual breaking of bread and drinking of the wine which Jesus celebrated with his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion. Often referred to as the Last Supper, back then that's exactly what it was - a meal, where everyone at present reclined, Roman-style, around a table, enjoying a feast. However, it was not an occasion of festive joy but more of sorrow, as all knew that their Lord is about to leave them. It was John who had his head resting on the Lord's chest in sorrow.

Maybe it's this universal sorrow was where the Roman Catholic Church had gotten their idea when the Eucharist should always be observed with silent solemnity. Each Catholic participant receives the Host, a small, coin-sized disc while kneeling in a line in front of the Altar, and whilst fasting. Such was a striking difference from the original supper Jesus had initiated.

Therefore, to make our memorial more of a joyful occasion, we had tables set up within the main sanctuary. The table I sat at was directly opposite an elderly couple, whose wife regularly attends, but her husband, once a member of the music group, had long left the church over a dispute. To protect his identity, I'll call him Jack.

During the meal, Jack and I became locked in a rather serious conversation. He explained to me why he left the church and departed from the faith. On this occasion, I could have gone into a long-winded and fruitless discussion on whether he lost his salvation or whether he was ever saved in the first place. But instead, I had acted as a listening board to hear his side of the story, without trying to forcefully convince him back into the faith.

A keen member of the band, or the music group, Jack gradually became disillusioned with what appeared to be a lack of supernatural occasions, despite hours devoted to prayer. 

Throughout my time here, I have not seen a single case of proper supernatural healing, he protested. I have never seen a miracle performed, not a single occasion where I can say with conviction that this is a work of God.

I began to feel a degree of sorrow for him. I recall some years ago. Jack was in the same team as Mark, who was suffering from leukaemia. As we all watched his health gradually decline, two or three of our Elders actually travelled halfway around the world to the famed Prayer Mountain just outside the South Korean capital of Seoul. After their return, there was no sign of any recovery, and he died sometime later. But even then, a visiting pastor from another church arrived to pray for him to be raised to life again, very much like Lazarus being raised from the dead. But to no avail. According to his testimony, it looks as if Jack had seen it all. 

I felt that I was drawn to the conviction that Jack had a point which tempted me to question the faith I was so devoted to. Furthermore, Jack revealed his belief in Evolution, and therefore, if a belief in God is all hocus-pocus, then it comes as no surprise that he would be very sceptical about divine creation. I suppose such a conversation in a church environment can indeed rock the boat to the point of capsizing. After all, my own wife has been prayed over for years over her debilitating backache which has confined her to a wheelchair. But instead of witnessing a miraculous recovery, earlier this year, the shocking news was delivered that she also has breast cancer.

When I see sense through his testimony combined with my own concerning my beloved, I did feel a temptation to question my faith. And it wouldn't be the first time either. Back in 1994, whilst lying on my bed at a backpacker's hostel in the heart of Jerusalem, I was ready to renounce my Christian faith after going through some very bad church experiences. But unlike with Jack, I felt called back to my faith right there and then whilst still on that bed, a call which I gradually responded positively.

Yet I can imagine Jack likened to a hungry man. He needs food to sustain himself. So someone comes up and gives him something while asking the hungry man whether this would be helpful. What he receives is a page torn from a magazine with a picture of a roast chicken looking so succulent, sharing a large dish with well-cooked Brussel sprouts and roast potatoes, all ready to be served.

I doubt that such a piece of paper would add anything to his nutritional needs! Rather, his appetite, along with his frustration, will both intensify. I tend to think that our present church life is a bit like that snapshot, including Bible reading and knowledge. Very appealing to the eye but of no stomach-satisfying or nutritional value. And it was precisely this which Jack was talking about.

When real food is served, it's a blessing, satisfying both body and soul alike. Like one "picture" of a miracle, I will share here. It's found in Acts 3:1-10. Here we read about Peter and John making their way to the Temple to pray when they spot a paralytic beggar reclining in the vicinity, and the paralytic then calls out to them, asking for some money. The two apostles pause to tell the beggar to look straight up at them. Expecting to be given something, the beggar looks directly up at them. But Peter says, Silver or gold I have none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!

Peter then reaches down to take his hand and lifts him up. And as he rose, his legs become strong and his healing so complete that he was able to dance and leap about, shouting thanks to God. The miracle was so astounding in the sight of every onlooker that many believed and received salvation, while there was controversy stirring among the Pharisees.

But now I will transfer the incident from ancient Jerusalem to a modern English church situation, expressed here in dialogue form:

Peter and John were on their way to a prayer meeting when they spot a paralytic beggar reclining on the wall.

Peter: Such scum cluttering the environment. Aren't there any hostels for them to sleep in?

John: Don't be so hard on him, Peter. Jesus did instruct us to heal the sick and bless the poor.

Peter: Yea, you're right, John. 

Beggar: Sirs, do you have any small change?

Peter: Look straight up at us. Silver or gold I have none, but what I do have I give you. Here is an extract from the Gospel of Matthew! Good luck and God bless you.

John (to Peter): Don't you think we should pray for him?

Peter: Oh, okay. Nothing to lose. 

(Peter then prays, first in English, then in tongues.)

Peter: How do you feel now? Any better?

Beggar: No.

Peter reaches to the beggar's hand and attempts to lift him up. He then falls back to the ground, hurting his buttocks.

Beggar: Clear off the pair of you! You were of no help. Get out! Get out!

I have heard some say that the reason we do not see miracles performed anymore is that the New Testament is complete and such must pass away. They take this theory from one of Paul's letters to the church in Corinth where he writes that prophesies, tongues, and knowledge, all these will pass away when the perfect comes (1 Corinthians 13:8). These Christians believe that "the perfect" is the completion of the New Testament. However, I once read of a true account of a Dutch evangelist Corrie Ten Boom, who was teaching a group of youngsters near a river. The subject was about a miracle which took place after the Resurrection of Christ. After spending the whole night attempting to fish at the Sea of Galilee and caught nothing, Jesus then appeared and instructed his disciples to throw the net to the other side of their boat. Immediately the net pulled tight as it filled with fish in an instant (John 21:1-6).

One of the boys in Ten Boom's class began sneering, ridiculing the historicity of the miracle. Fortunately, there happens to be an empty bucket standing nearby. Ten Boom told the boy to watch carefully as she picked up the empty pail and carried it to the river. In one swoop she dipped the utensil underwater and immediately raised it back up. She then tipped the whole bucketful of fish right in front of him! Years later, the young man became a well-known preacher and church leader.

However, the New Testament was completed long before that miracle took place. Therefore, "the perfect" could not be the completion of the New Testament. Instead, I take it to mean the Second Coming of Christ.

The motive behind Corrie Ten Boom's miracle proves the point. According to all of Jesus' miracles, the motive behind these works was always to bring his audience to change their minds about him and believe. We call that repentance, from the Greek word metaneo, a change of mind. The Lord himself had made that specifically clear just before raising Lazarus from the dead. Before performing the miracle, he cried out to his Father for everyone who sees the miracle to believe that he is the Son of God and was sent by the Father (John 11:42-43). 

The miracle has achieved its purpose. Soon afterwards, at his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, crowds were cheering him, crying out Hosanna! A few weeks later, up to three thousand were converted by Peter's first sermon. News of Lazarus coming back to life looks as though it carried far and wide. For those who heard about it, it was quite possible to connect the Resurrection of Christ with that of Lazarus - and believe.

How long to see our church in Ascot perform miracles! Along with all other churches. How I long to see my beloved wife restored to full health, like the slim athlete I met and married. But God is not likely to answer such prayers unless it's to bring the crowds into believing that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the risen Son of God. According to the Bible, miracles are only performed as a witness to God's existence and for the veracity of his revelation.

Most likely it was this which Jack has never brought himself to realise. Instead, all he saw was unanswered prayer after another, a kind of a failed Heavenly Health Service - except that the Divine Physician was never at his desk to receive the plethora of requests passed up to him. Little wonder that over a time his faith had floundered.

The only way I have found to keep my own faith intact is to know the Bible well and know it thoroughly, and to have a Bible-teaching church to call my spiritual home. Fortunately, Ascot Life Church is my spiritual home and I thank God for it. I hope to see it grow in both in maturity and in numbers.

The Three Powerful Witnesses

In the last blog I related my experience with some Jehovah's Witnesses I became acquainted with back in the 1970s. Since back then I was very new to the faith, it would not have been too surprising that a level of confusion had arisen after their demonstration of their doctrine and belief came across as very logical and solid, and virtually impossible to challenge and overturn their beliefs and their arguments. So a question arose in my thoughts: Am I following the right religion?

 

And this following an upbringing as a Roman Catholic, a faith I had abandoned as a teenager due to resulting in learning of a moody, truculent God who just won't let anyone straight into Heaven after death, because of some unconfessed or unforgiven sin, mortal or venial, and of the soul of the deceased having to spend either eternity in Hell, or a temporal time period (up to thousands of years) in Purgatory, depending on the severity of the sin, or how many remaining unconfessed. Therefore hearing about Salvation through faith in the completed atonement made by Jesus Christ when he died on the cross was not only very new to me, but was in conflict with my then current beliefs. Then after believing in Jesus Christ through faith, along came the Witnesses, pedalling their own version of works-based salvation.

 

And they insist that the vast majority of them will not even enter Heaven, but will remain in their present bodies in Earth which has been restored to Paradise after a dreadful, global Battle of Armageddon. And back then I failed to see the two discrepancies they already have against the Bible, that at first, their version of Armageddon will be global, while the Bible confines the battle to a comparatively small area in the Middle East - the Valley of Megiddo in northern Israel. And secondly, they insist that only 144,000 specially-chosen Witnesses will spend eternity in Heaven, along with Jesus Christ - renamed Michael - the twelve apostles, and every convert recorded in the New Testament book of Acts. Never mind that the Bible makes clear that the 144,000 will all be Jews, 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jehovah's Witnesses insist that every church, every religious establishment and denomination, every political, military, trading establishments, and everyone else not affiliated with the Watchtower Society will be wiped out in the most devastating "battle" - if it can be called that - in the whole of human history. They, and they alone, will inhabit the new Earth.

 

And that's the whole point. Every religion, every faith, every belief, insist that they are following the right path to eternity, whether it would be Heaven, Nirvana or some other form of Paradise. Here in the UK, extreme Muslim terrorists poses a threat to national security, deep in their convictions that theirs is the right faith. Other Muslims will fight their Jihad willingly, even to the cost of their lives. Then every Buddhist will be convinced that their founding monk had laid the right spiritual pathway, and have good arguments to support their case. Likewise the Hindus can give us good reasons why their Vedas Scriptures are holy, as with the Islam Koran. As for Roman Catholicism, for centuries they alone insist that they are the true Church of Christ, labelling Protestants as heretics. But within the last few decades, the Vatican has accepted Allah as "the one true merciful God we both worship together" - despite that the moon god Allah and the Trinitarian God of Catholicism could not be any more different.

 

So in the face of such an array of different religious creeds, each one claiming to be the right faith, how can I be sure that Paul's statement in  1 Corinthians 15:3-5 is one I can depend on? This blog, I hope, will provide some vital answers.

 

For what I have received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

 

These verses can be used as a universal plumbline by which all faiths and creeds can be tested. A plumbline is a tool used by builders to ensure that the wall is fully upright and not prone to slanting. Likewise, with this, all faiths can be assessed. And the plumbline is this, that Christ died to atone for sin, that he was buried, and rose again on the third day. It is the third criteria - that he rose again - that sets Jesus Christ apart from every religious or spiritual founder. In the Bible, there are what I perceive three witnesses or testimonies that points to Jesus as the only way. These are: the Ark of the Covenant, Miracles, and Prophecy.

 

Testimony #1: Ark of Covenant.

 

Throughout the Old Testament book of Exodus, there are intricate details on the construction of the Tabernacle, a tent which was to be the meeting place between Almighty God and the nation of Israel, which had so recently been freed from slavery in Egypt by God's outstanding miracles administered by Moses and his older brother Aaron. They camped at the foot of Mount Sinai, and from there they received the Ten Commandments and other laws by which they were to conduct their lives. All at first seems ideal - until a major problem emerged - that no one was able to keep God's laws perfectly due to the inherited sinful nature found in every person alive. God, in his holiness and perfect righteousness, could have wiped out the entire nation from the Earth. But instead, in his love, he instructed Moses to have his men construct a tent, which inside were two compartments, separated by a curtain. The innermost compartment was known as the Holy of Holies, and was the dwelling place of God. Inside was the Ark of the Covenant, a piece of furniture which was the object of Harrison Ford's blockbusting movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was a box of Acacia wood overlaid with pure gold, inside and out. Covering the box was a lid of pure solid gold, known as The Mercy Seat.

 

Cast with the lid were two cherubs of solid gold, their wings spread over the surface of the lid, and their faces looking down on it. It is likely that these two angels represent Justice and Holiness. Inside the box were placed three sets of items, which represents the triple facet of man's sinful nature. The first two were the stone tablets on which were written the ten Commandments. The fact that they were inside the Ark signified man's rejection of God's holiness. This meant that the average person prefers to do his own thing and set his own moral standard rather than God's. Another item in the box was a pot of manna, with which God miraculously fed the entire nation in the desert. Rather than being thankful for such a nutritious provision for free, instead they grumbled, wanting a far greater variety to eat. God, in his mercy, provided quails, a species of bird, also for free, and the Israelites gorged themselves without giving thanks and worshipping God. As a result, a pot of manna was placed in the Ark to signify man's rejection of God's provision.

 

Finally, a symbol of man's rejection of God's leadership which took the form of Aaron's rod budding. This took place after Korah led a rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, and their sentence was passed. The almond rods belonging to all of Israel's elders were placed in an array at the Tabernacle. Overnight, Aaron's rod miraculously budded, showing the nation he whom God appointed for leadership. The rod of Aaron was then placed inside the Ark to signify man's rejection of God's leadership.

 

Thus the triple facet of sin were inside the Ark. The two cherubs were looking down on the lid, or Mercy Seat, and they could see the symbols of human sin which separated all mankind from a Holy God. However, once a year, an innocent lamb, about a year old and absolutely perfect, without any blemish, was slain by the priest, and its blood poured over the Mercy Seat. As each of the two cherubs now saw the blood of an innocent lamb instead of human sin, both Holiness and Justice can declare that they are satisfied with the atonement made, allowing God himself to dwell in the midst of his people.

 

Jesus Christ was the final sacrifice to make an eternal atonement between God and mankind, reconciling the world to himself for all time, unlike the priest, who because of his own mortality, had to perform the rite once every year. The relationship between God and man changed so dramatically at the Crucifixion that the sun was darkened, there was an earthquake, the rocks split, the curtain dividing the Holy of Holies inside the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the souls of holy men of the Old Testament came out of their graves (Matthew 27:50-53.) The blood of the lamb sacrificed once a year by the priest was the foreshadow of the Crucifixion, the shedding of his own blood, and the death of Jesus Christ. No other spiritual leader or founder had ever laid down his life for the salvation of others. But there was more to come. On the third day Jesus rose physically from the dead, an accomplishment no other human has ever achieved. This was the final proof that Jesus Christ is truly God, the Second Person of the Godhead. No other human can claim that status. And our salvation depends entirely on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Paul the Apostle wrote to the church in Corinth, if Christ was not raised from the dead, then no-one will be raised from the dead either, and our believing will be in vain, a waste of time, (1 Corinthians 15) and all one has to do to be saved is call upon the name of the Lord, believing in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9-10,13.)

 

This is one area where groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses fail. They deny the physical Resurrection of Jesus Christ and in turn, deny his deity. A created being cannot redeem mankind, it something only God himself can accomplish.

 

Testimony #2: Miracles.

 

I have read and heard of various churches, particularly of the Charismatic movement, using the formula of claiming healing and even prosperity for themselves as if these things were theirs by right, with the Atonement made by Jesus Christ on the cross by means of the rights to claim. But over the years of Bible study, a different picture had slowly emerged that there is no such thing as a Heavenly Health Service, neither is God a servant of man waiting to answer his every beck and call. Rather, the Bible seem to be very consistant that miracles were performed for God to prove his own glory, his authority, and his desire to save.

 

One of the most striking examples of miraculous power are found in the early chapters of the Old Testament book of Exodus. Here we read about the talk God had with Moses at the burning bush, a miracle in itself. The thorn bush burning without being consumed by the flames had two important meanings. The first was to reveal to Moses that he is the God of his father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he was to send Moses off on a mission fully backed by his authority. The second meaning to the fire was a prophecy concerning the future nation of Israel. This Hebrew nation was set to go through the fires of testing and disciplinary tribulation, but would never be consumed. As the bush burned and burned, but was never consumed to ashes, so Israel likewise would burn and burn, but will never ever go out of existence. The proof holds true to this day. At present, Israel is a sovereign nation, born shortly after Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party had made every effort to make the Jews an extinct species during the War. 

 

The power of miracles held to the same reason when God turned Moses' rod into a snake, and made his hand leprous. These were to convince a doubtful leader that God is God, and he was fully commissioned for the task. Then God performed a string of miracles to a very stubborn Pharoah, to demonstrate his power in public, and at the same time persuade the Hebrews to believe in Moses as their deliverer, and to obey him.

 

But many of the miracles recorded in the Bible are found during Jesus' ministry, and they are all consistant for one main purpose - to prove to all around him that he is the Christ. And what better way to demonstrate his deity than to show his love towards the poor, the infirm, the sick, the demon-possesed and the less fortunate. One of his greatest miracles was to raise Lazarus from the dead. And he did this not merely to comfort or bring fresh hope to his sisters Martha and Mary. Rather, the miracle was performed to prove to all around him that this Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. In John 11:41 it reads:

 

Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they believe that you sent me."

 

Thus the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead was the same as turning a wooden stick into a living snake: as proof of God's sovereignty and to create faith. After the resurrection (a miracle in itself) and shortly after Pentecost, Peter and John healed a cripple in the Temple precinct (Acts 3, 4:1-31). The whole of the third chapter, and much of the 4th were devoted to Peter's explanation behind the miracle, that this Jesus who they had crucified was indeed the Christ who was raised from the dead, and salvation is given to all who believe in this revelation. Unfortunately for the Sanhedrin, they remain stubborn in their unbelief, threatening the apostles instead.

One of the more famed of present day miracles was related by Dutch evangelist Corrie Ten Boom. One day she was teaching an open-air class of schoolboys near a brook about the miraculous catch of fish at the Lake of Galilee. When one of the boys sneered at the possibility of the miracle ever had taken place, Ten Boom took a bucket, dunked it into the stream, lifted it out and dumped the entire bucketful of fish right in front of the boy. As the story goes, the boy himself grew up to be an evangelist and Bible scholar himself. Such is the power and the purpose of miracles.

Testimony #3: Prophecy.

Prophecy make the Bible the most unique document in the entire literary world. No other book, religious or secular, contains prophecy which was fulfilled hundreds, even thousands of years later, nor prophecy that was written thousands of years ago yet still awaiting fulfilment. And whenever I felt doubtful about the reliability of Holy Scripture, or the genuineness of my own faith, I remind myself about the wonderful testimony of prophecy.

There is much I can write about prophecy, for it contains a tremendous amount of wealth and information. It has been said that if all Biblical prophecy were combined together, it would take up a section of the Bible as large as the entire New Testament! But in an effort to prevent this blog from being too long and drawn out, I will concentrate on just one, but keep in mind that there are many, many more prophecies fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The example referred to is Psalm 22, penned by King David around a thousand years before the birth of Jesus Christ. And it is a psalm foretelling the crucifixion of Jesus when such a form of execution never existed at the time of writing. Here are some selected verses:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.

Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.
I'm poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

The accuracy of this prophecy comes out when one reads the testimony of the Gospels. Nothing could be more clearer than the description of the scene consisting of many standing around the cross and mocking him as he was hung there, nailed by his hands and feet to the wood. And no better description is given than that of Matthew 27:27-50, where the narration not only gives the mocking by his enemies in full detail, but includes the dividing of his garments by the Roman soldiers while all he could do was look on.

With fulfilled prophecy like this one, Jesus Christ and he alone, qualifies as the true Saviour, and as for his resurrection, there are plenty of prophecies foretelling this too. For example, in Isaiah 53, much of that chapter foretells of the cutting off of the servant during the prime of his life. In verse 10, Isaiah writes that it was the will of the Lord to crush him and allowed him to suffer. Then still in the same verse, after he makes his life a guilt offering, he then sees his offspring and prolong his days. How could such a blatant contradiction make any sense unless he was resurrected from the dead? And history informs us that other than Jesus Christ, nobody ever was physically raised from the dead with an immortal body. No, certainly not the Buddhist monk, or Muhammad, and certainly not Charles Taze Russell or Joseph Smith, founders of the Watchtower and the Mormons respectively. And for that matter, neither the Archangel Michael fits the criteria, as he was created by God as with all of the angelic population. Jesus Christ is truly God, truly man, Saviour, Lord and King.

With this I rest my case.



 

"HE IS RISEN!!!" Then Silence...

I can never forget one Saturday afternoon during 1996 at Leicester Square (pronounced Lester) in the heart of Theatreland at the West End in London. Perhaps equivalent to the Broadway in New York, it was not out of place to witness a public speaker standing on a soapbox addressing a crowd of listeners. He sounded American, and he seemed stuck for an answer when among the listening audience, a Muslim called out;

In what way is your Jesus Christ any better or more superior than our prophet Mohammad?

I watched the orator as he stood there, desperately racking his brains to come out with a convincing answer. To him, the two original religious leaders were both influential enough to draw followers for generations to come. Both groups fought in the past to spread and defend their faith. Therefore it is concluded that both founders had valid, true-to-life teachings which made an impact to their listeners and followers. Yet I began to feel something stirring within me, and it grew so strong that I was practically unable to restrain myself. Then the words exploded out of my mouth:

JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!!!

The whole area fell into silence. I thought, whoops, I better get out of here. Fortunately, that wasn't difficult, as there is always a crowd of pedestrians sauntering at a leisurely pace past the Empire theatre. It was easy to melt into the crowd as I made my way over Charing Cross Road, heading for a Travel Bookshop located near Covent Garden. Yet despite my trembling over what could have happened, I felt a wave of joy in my soul. The reason for this was that this could have only been the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

There are times like this when the Holy Spirit within rises to the occasion. And there are plenty of other times when he doesn't, or he does not seem to, or he seems to be totally absent in a given situation. Such seemed to be the case at a hospital ward in Reading, a large town more than forty miles west of Central London. It is here where I visit my wife Alex every evening without fail. Her bed is among five others, three of these occupied by long-stay female patients who are into their eighties. If there was a place where I feel so helpless, I think this is it. At a nearby single-bed ward across the corridor another octogenarian lies in her bed, her occasional screaming drifting through the building, as if her time had come and she is facing Judgement. Back in Alex's ward, one dear lady with Alzheimer's cries out, Nurse, Nurse, Please nurse, Please nurse...as a member of staff is busy attending another patient or is carrying out a task in the corridor. Every day one of her offspring comes in to visit. She has a son and two daughters, all middle-aged, and some grown-up grandchildren. Yet, at times when she is by herself, her cries of desperation can be heartbreaking to hear, as well as thoroughly annoying to the female in the next bed, herself into her eighties.

 

One of the striking effects of this hospital atmosphere is the total lack of praise and thanksgiving to God, or the absence of hope of eternity with the Lord in Heaven. There used to be a time when the hospital chaplain called regularly, especially on Sundays. I recall a motorcycle accident having put me in hospital for a few days in 1976, and I clearly recall the hospital chaplain chatting to me while confined in bed. At present, according to my knowledge, in all the hours I spent at my wife's bedside, no chaplain had ever called - if he did, Alex would have said so at once as soon as I walked through the doors. Someone to offer hope, easily recognisable by his clerical garb and white dog collar. At least all the patients would have known who he was.

 

A simple message - that Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for their sins, and believing in their heart that God had raised him from the dead, thus confessing him as Lord - would offer peace and hope in the twilight of their lives. I have wondered, and I felt bothered too, on why I was so powerless to help them in the ward. Especially as I was leaving to return home one late evening, and two of the octogenarians, one directly opposite the other, both reached out to me, begging me to help them get out of bed. Not having the authority to lift a finger, I was helpless, I could not say anything, and I walked out of the ward under a raft of guilt and impotence.

 

This experience has made me wonder how Peter or Paul would have reacted given such a situation. One thing I am aware of - that with one of those two apostles, all the patients in the ward would have benefited, most likely in both physical and spiritual healing. So why the big difference between them and such like myself?

 

I recall one house group meeting in the 1980s where a verse in the Gospel of John was discussed. It read, He that believeth in me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (14:12 KJV.)

 

We tried so hard to convince ourselves that this verse must be true, as Jesus himself had promised it. But as we reflected on ourselves, each one of us knew well enough that wasn't the case. Jesus had healed many. In forty years of being a Christian, I never healed anyone. The same with casting out demons, a ministry, I have to admit, I would shy away from. Raising someone from the dead? Jesus did that, at least twice. Peter did too. But so far I hadn't. Performing other miracles? No, not that either. Yet I have read several stories of miracles performed in our day. One case which struck me was one performed by a Dutch female minister, Corrie Ten Boom. One day she was by a riverbank, teaching an outdoor group of boys about the miracle of the fishes caught in Peter's net, after the resurrection of Jesus. One of the boys sneered at the reality of the miracle. Just as handy that there happened to be a pail nearby. Corrie took the bucket, immersed it into the river close to the sneering lad, then pulled the bucket out of the water and emptied it of fish, so many that they formed a heap right in front of the startled youth! The lad grew up to become a noted evangelist.

Corrie's miracle is typical in conveying a message, and it's the same kind as those found in the Bible. Nowadays we tend to see the church as a spiritual alternative to the national health service. Only this week I received news from a good friend of mine away on a mission in Africa. His updating had stories of physical healing, forgiving of past disputes, even "generational healing" - meaning to be set free from the consequence of parental or ancestral sins, which is advocated by many Charismatic churches. But most important, out in Africa, people believed in Jesus as the Messiah and were saved. And by becoming acquainted with the Bible, I have detected a strong link between this message of salvation and miracles, including physical healing, something which seemed to have been overlooked by many Charismatic churches in favour of healing in a sense of a spiritual health service.

The whole of the ministry of Jesus Christ before his death, was centred on who he was. Every miracle performed by him was meant to be the backing proof of who he was: the Christ. In John's Gospel, we have Jesus telling his doubting onlookers that if they don't believe in him for who he was, then at least believe for the sake of his works (John 10:37-38.) The whole of the 11th chapter of John's Gospel is devoted to the raising of Lazarus from the dead. In verse 42, Jesus gave the very reason behind the miracle, that those who witnessed it would believe that God sent him. In verse 45, the ultimate goal behind the miracle was achieved: many of the Jews believed in him, that is, that he was the Messiah. In verses 47 and 48, a council was held by the unbelieving Pharisees, on the basis that if they let Jesus perform his miracles, the whole world would turn to him, and they with the rest of the nation will be seized by the Romans for their betrayal.

The first miracle done after the ascension of the resurrected Jesus was the healing of a cripple (Acts 3:1-10.) When the crowds who saw the miracle wondered, Peter gave the reason for the miracle - to persuade the onlookers that the Jesus they had crucified is indeed the Christ, and in verse 19, Peter told them to repent, that is, to change their minds from thinking that the one they crucified was an impostor, to believing that he is the Christ, which was parallel to the command given in his earlier sermon delivered in Acts 2.

The debate over the healing of the cripple spills into the fourth chapter. Here, the Sanhedrin held a council over the healing of the cripple. In verse 4, we are told that the miracle of the cripple healed and the reason for it, led to a further five thousand witnesses of the miracle to believe that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ, and they were saved.

Corrie Ten Boom's miracle of the bucket of fishes, parallel to the net of fishes recorded in John 21:6, was meant to bring the sneering youngster to salvation. Her miracle worked. Not only did the boy believe that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, but he grew up to become an evangelist, with many more believing as a result of hearing his testimony. And what about my own answer shouted to the audience in London? Was this the work of the Holy Spirit? I believe it was. And the result? I think that from the answer I gave, someone, somewhere, believed, and was saved. I don't know who, but God does.

How I wish for the Holy Spirit would manifest himself in the hospital wards, perform a miracle and save those elderly patients. And I much sooner see this coming from someone other than myself, than not to see it at all.

 

Should We Pray For Sunshine?

As a self-employed domestic window cleaner, one of the biggest problems that plagues the business is wet weather. Over the years, I have learnt to overcome much of this problem, although there were, and will always be, days lost due to heavy or blustering rain. During the Summer, lost time is often made up by working later into the evenings. But during Winter, with limited daylight hours, lost time cannot be compensated for, resulting in loss of income. Therefore, keeping constant track of the daily forecast had always been essential for planning and running the business. And not to mention "fair weather clients" - customers who believe that cleaning their windows is not worth the fee I ask for, due to threats of rain, even if it's dry at the time I knock on their doors. Believe me, they can be a pain in the neck.

 

At our fellowship, Ascot Life Church, we have sung on occasions a song which contain the lyrics:

Let it rain, let it rain, let the rain fall on us...

And you know what? Following such Sundays when this song was included in the worship agenda, I have indeed faced a wet working week, more than once! But this song was about spiritual rain, the rain of the Holy Spirit into our lives so others can see the power of Christ within us. And that is where, I believe, the songwriter had got his priorities wrong. The song pleads, Rain on us. But I believe the correct lyrics should have been Rain on them, that is, the lost. The unsaved can only be redeemed through faith by means of the ministry carried out by the Holy Spirit taking place prior to conversion.

 

Lately, the song had become something of a standing joke between Dave, one of our Elders, and myself. Last weekend, we had a fete at a nearby school field, and the day began with a light shower. Fortunately the rain did not persist, and although a north-westerly breeze made us keep our woollies on, the day was a success, with a good turnout. And it was when I arrived at the school field during the shower when Dave asked me to "Rise to the challenge" and discuss whether it is right for Christians to pray for sunshine, or dry weather.

 

Not from Original Creation

 

Our present global climate was not part of original creation. In Genesis chapter one, we read that the waters being divided, with the upper waters forming a vapour canopy above the earth, while the waters below formed the oceans. Alongside this the narrator adds that, "The Lord did not cause it to rain upon the earth..."(2:5.) Therefore, the global climate must have been vastly different during antediluvian days than at present. It has been suggested that the vapour canopy caused the cloudless sky to appear red during the day, allowing the colours of all creation to appear more bright and intense. This seems to have been implicated by the fruit of the tree looking "pleasant to the eyes" (3:6) as well as providing universal warmth required for some species of fauna to grow to gigantic size, the well known Dinosaurs which must have roamed the planet during the days between Adam and Noah, if the historicity of the Bible is to be believed.

 

The Noachian Deluge was caused, as most scholars believe, by the collapse of the vapour canopy, together with the release of subterranean waters, probably under growing pressure by underlying magma, which too, breached the earth's crust as intense volcanic eruptions. The resulting ash cloud rising into the stratosphere causing the vapour to condense and fall as torrential rain, most likely were the mechanisms required to cause a universal deluge. After the Flood, and the time for Noah, his family and all the animals to leave the ark, Noah may have been aghast with the blue sky interspersed with clouds, seen for the first time ever. We can easily understand the fear Noah must have felt at the sight of rain, in case another Flood was on the way. The Covenant of the rainbow is strongly indicative of the vast change in climate, along with being caught in a sudden downpour, and the settling down of the new meteorological system which had not been present before the flood.

 

Statistics

 

The British are renowned for talking about our unpredictable weather. Often, comparisons are made between the UK climate and that of the Mediterranean, the most popular destination for British holidaymakers (vacationers) where Summers are hot and dry and Winters short and temperate. When in the last few years it had been cooler, warmer, wetter or dryer in the UK than normal, there were fears of a threat of a looming new Ice Age, Global Warming, or nowadays, Climate Change. But the latest meteorological graphs seem to indicate that the variance experienced in the weather pattern in the last few years had not strayed far from average. We Brits pine for the hot, dry summers enjoyed by those living on or around the Med. But as a whole, we are by no means the wettest country by a long shot!

 

My home town is Bracknell, about thirty miles west of London, and eleven miles east of Reading, our nearest city. According to statistics collected both from the Internet and from a world atlas, annual global average rainfall is 990 millimetres or 39 inches. In the UK, London and the South East are relatively dry, with 583 mm, or 23 inches a year, which is way below global average. In turn, Reading has up to 625 mm, allowing Bracknell with an approximation of 600 mm, or 24 inches. On the other hand, the Scottish city of Glasgow has an annual average rainfall of 1,205 mm, or 47.5 inches, or nearly four feet deep, which is 215 mm, or just over eight inches above the global average.

 

Worldwide, the statistics are wide. But although the Sahara is the driest area in the world, with an annual rainfall of just a few millimetres, there is far heavier rainfall along the Equatorial regions, such as in the central regions of Africa, which has an annual rainfall of up to 2,474 mm, or 97.4 inches. In turn, Borneo of Oceania has up to 4,974 mm, or 156 inches, while over Cherrapunji, north-east India, average annual rainfall between April and September is 10,922 mm, or 430 inches. But it can be argued that these regions have the monsoon season, with an interspersing dry season, making the weather fairly predictable. As here in Britain, weather is unpredictable with year round rainfall, yet the wettest region in the world with year round rainfall is probably Lloro, in the Choco district of west Colombia. This coastal strip which borders on to the State of Panama has an annual rainfall of up to 13,300 mm, or 523.6 inches. That is more than 43 feet. This sort of statistic certainly makes Britain look more like the Sahara!

I was fortunate when I visited Cairns in North Queensland in 1997. It is literally the wettest area of the whole of Australia, with an annual rainfall of 2,151.3 mm, or 84.7 inches. But like other Tropical regions, the Autumn month of March has 453.4 mm, or 17 inches of rain, compared to the dry Winter month of August, with just 35 mm, or 1.4 inches of rain. Although thick scudding thunderclouds sat over a nearby forested hill, throughout my five-day visit, the area remained dry enough to have made catamaran trips to the Great Barrier Reef possible. Cairns is a classic example of having tropical monsoon season-based climate with an alternate dry period.

Cairns Harbour, with cloud over a forested hill, North Queensland, 1997.


The Bible and Rainfall

The Bible rates rainfall as a blessing and among the temporal gifts of God. In this present fallen, post-diluvian world, the present meteorological climate system, with "the battle of the fronts" is the best system we can have to sustain life. Perhaps the key verse to this subject is Matthew 5:45, (KJV) which reads:

...That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makeeth the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

And this is over the Middle East, which has hot, dry Summers and temperate Winters, as with the rest of the Mediterranean. Yet in Leviticus 26:3-4, Moses wrote:

If ye (Israel) walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

This is repeated in Deuteronomy 11:13-14 which the promise of rainfall was conditioned on a whole heart love for God and obedience to his commandments:

And it will come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

Still further throughout the Old Testament, rainfall is conditioned by keeping God's statutes, such as Isaiah 30:22-23 where he wrote that if Israel repents of its idolatry, disposes of all its images, and serve God alone, then he will send rain to bring new life from the ground.

But there is a big problem if rainfall was conditioned upon the nation's obedience to God. This was highlighted in Psalm 14, where King David wrote that God looks down from heaven to see whether there is anyone who has an upright heart and loves God with all his soul, strength and mind. Instead, he sees that they are all corrupt, they have done abominable works, and there is none who does good, no not even one person. Nobody sought after God, nobody called upon him. Therefore, if rainfall was conditioned on commitment and loyalty to God and upon one's own righteousness, then the whole of mankind would have became extinct long before Jesus Christ came to atone for their sins! Therefore, in his grace, or undeserved favour, God sends rain anyway to sustain life. For example, Acts 14:17 reads:

Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

A confirmation from Job 5:10 which he says:

Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields.

Although in Psalm 65, King David was referring to national repentance of Israel towards God, something many scholars believe will happen in the future, his care for the land on a worldwide scale becomes obvious when we read verses 9-13, which is a good description of the planet at present (NIV):

You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with corn
for though you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows
and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers
and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty
and your carts overflow with your abundance.
The grassland of the desert overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with corn;
they shout for joy and sing.

This is certainly how much of the land around the world is at present, and that despite that the greater majority of the world's population do not know the Lord. Yet his sending of the rain to sustain life demonstrates the love of God to the world, as depicted in John 3:16, and his act of grace for life to survive. But there is more to all this. The reason for life as we know it to be sustained is really threefold:
1. For people to come to God through faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and inclusion into his coming Kingdom.
2. The establishment of churches worldwide so that communities of God's people can mingle among the rest of the population, providing a light and a witness to those who are lost.
3. God's everlasting covenant with Israel, not the covenant of works as laid down by Moses, but the eternal covenant of grace God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jeremiah chapters 30-32 gives a full prophecy of this Abrahamic Covenant, along with Ezekiel chapters 36-37, and Zechariah chapters 13-14.

Prayer for Sunshine?

As we had seen, rainfall is one of the temporal gifts of God, as opposed to the eternal gifts such as salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Rain is essential to sustain us. But here in the UK, we have the tendency to compare our climate particularly with Mediterranean lands, and prone to envy their long, hot Summers. Little surprise that foreign holidays to these destinations have grown into one of the nation's largest and most profitable business. I once read a book written by an ex-Jehovah's Witness about us as mainstream Christians preparing ourselves should a couple of Witnesses knock on our door. She then concluded:
We should be ready to meet them. Instead we worry about next month's coach trip to Bognor. Don't we realise that there's a war on? 
Our worry over a day trip to Bognor was not based on the failure of the coach turning up, or suffering a breakdown halfway there, or for that matter, someone falling into distress while out bathing. Rather, with such a prospect of a day trip to the coast, the first thing we worry about is the weather.

It brings me back to last year in 2012, the year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. I have wondered how many true believers have prayed that the day of the Pageant along the River Thames would take place in fine weather. I have wondered whether there were churches, particularly in London, who set time aside to pray for good weather on that day. The fact was that almost the entire Pageant took place under torrential rain.

On the day of the Ascot Life Church fete, or Fun Day as we call it, we were weary of the weather.  So is praying for sunshine biblical?

The only recorded occasion where the weather came under prayer was when God revealed to Elijah that there would be a forty-two month drought across Israel (1 Kings chapters 17-18). But this had nothing to do with a day trip to the coast! The drought was brought by God to bring backsliding Israel to repentance, particularly under the leadership of King Ahab. During the drought, Elijah was first fed supernaturally by ravens, then he lodged in the house of a foreign widow outside of Israel. It was during that time, when the land became parched dry and people began to go hungry, that he held a contest between the God of Israel and Baal, and his 450 prophets. After two altars were built and the fire came down supernaturally on God's altar, it was clear that the whole intent of the miracle, and the drought, was to bring the people back to faith in God.

And this could be the reason why some places, such as regions and various countries in Africa, suffer drought. To a certain extent, conditional rainfall based on obedience to God's statutes still apply. But more likely, it is to do with bringing the inhabitants to the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. And what could be a better way for the Christian church to demonstrate their faith but to feed them, and provide clothing and other provisions. James the apostle was quite particular on this matter. In his letter, which mentions Elijah and the drought of his day, he emphasised that faith without works is dead, and therefore just saying to these Africans that they believe in God, and not showing any form of hospitality, will have no impact on their lives, and remain unimpressed with their Christian profession.

When the 42 months were complete, Elijah prayed seven times for rain to fall, and at the conclusion of the seventh prayer, a cloud was seen above the horizon which led to a heavy downpour a short time later. But the miraculous change of weather, meant to have brought King Ahab to faith in Israel's God, instead led to the betrayal of the prophet to the wrath of Queen Jezebel, Ahab's wife, for the slaughter of the 450 prophets of Baal.

Elijah's prayer over the weather is in line with all other miracles found in the Bible, to bring people to faith in God and his salvation. The raising of Lazarus by Jesus, recorded in John 11, was a good example, with Jesus explaining the main reason for the miracle, which is for the crowds to see for themselves that Jesus is the Messiah and therefore to believe, and have eternal life - verses 41-42. In fact, John himself had concluded his whole Gospel with the explanation that all the works Jesus had done, and were recorded were so we would believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and by believing, we can have life in his name (John 20:30-31.)

So should we pray for sunshine, or at least dry weather, for a church to hold an outdoor event? No, I don't think we should. But by his grace, God does at times answer prayer on this matter, as he did on our Fun Day. But it it happens to rain on the special day, then rather than blame God, we should look upon our motives. If the event is church-centred, chances are that it could still rain on the day. Rather, God will only manipulate the weather according to our prayers if such intervention is necessary for the saving faith of a person or a group of people - as was the case with Elijah, and of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.

Oh well, after all that, it's Crete later this year - God permitting...

One Problem Bible Passage

Ever since I believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there had always been one set of verses in Matthew's Gospel which I had found very disturbing. They read:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23 KJV.

One Christian admitted that she found those verses disturbing, and I guess that the two of us represent the feelings of many sincere believers. The crunch of the problem lay in the fact that those standing outside were addressing him -Jesus Christ himself, not Buddha, Mohammad or one of the Hindu or pagan deities. Here we need to examine exactly what was going on here. For example, the people addressed were referring to him as Lord. And they were claiming to have done wonderful works (as the KJV puts it) in his name. In other words, they saw themselves as Christians and most likely attended church during their lifetimes. But the Lord replied, I never knew you!

I never knew you! There can be no possible worse indictment from God than those dreadful words. Please read this carefully. Here the Lord did not say, "I knew you when you were first converted, after that you fell away and I never knew you anymore since then." Instead, he said, "I never knew you (at all, throughout your entire life)." First of all, let's forget what religion often inserts here. It does not mean loss of salvation due to apostasy or not holding faithful. Instead, these guys were never saved in the first place. And secondly, these verses refute any idea that the believer can lose his salvation. Either one is eternally saved or not saved at all. There is no in-between. Think about this for a moment. If one was truly saved but later in life loses his salvation due to some sin, failing to overcome or not holding faithful, then for Jesus to say that he never knew him would be a downright lie - because he did know him, for a while at least. Therefore these verses are actually favourable to the doctrine of Eternal Security.

It is also easy to believe that these verses apply to all groups who teach some form of heresy, or their doctrines don't agree with those of your church or denomination. Groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses, who deny the Trinity - or the Unitarians, who believes that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three manifestations of one single entity - or the Mormons with their idea that Adam was God - or the Churches of Christ who believe that baptism is essential to salvation - or the Seventh Day Adventist who insist on Saturday worship and the need to tithe one's income to be saved. That was how I used to understand these verses. Making sure that I was in the "right" denomination to be sure that I was "doing the will of the Father who is in Heaven" to ensure my salvation.

But now I no longer believe Jesus was saying any of this. Salvation is to do with the heart attitude towards God. If someone truly believes that Jesus Christ died for their sins, and call for his mercy, he is saved, no matter which group he belongs to or what they teach. God is merciful, and desires all to be saved, and will save all those who call on his name (Romans 10:13). It is up to the Holy Spirit within the person to guide him where to meet for worship, teaching and fellowship. A person may be a Roman Catholic and still be saved (I'm one myself). Likewise a Methodist is saved, even if he thinks that his salvation is not eternal. Even a Jehovah's Witness is saved if on one occasion, falls on his knees and asks God to save him.

And here we need to get to the heart on what Jesus was teaching here in Matthew 7:21-23. These guys excluded from Heaven were trusting in their own works. But the works they were defending were not humble works in showing goodness to others, such as giving a glass of water to a thirsty person. Rather, they were "spectacular" works, which seem to indicate showmanship, a sure guarantee for pride.

Now imagine yourself as an "average" Christian. You go to church each week, read the Bible and pray regularly. Your desire is to do God's will, mainly in thankfulness for God's mercy through Jesus Christ. But you have never performed a miracle. You have talked to others about Christ but never saw anyone taking an interest, let alone winning any souls. You feel that God is not using you, perhaps harbouring the idea that you're simply not good enough. Then this person comes along from the next town or county. He is so "spiritual" that not only can he win souls to Christ by the thousands, but he could walk in a fish restaurant or bar, resurrect the fish and give them Bibles to read! Compared to him, you feel like small fry indeed. YOU may feel that he is the lamp of God, but how does God see him? If anything, this guy could well indeed stand outside the door of Heaven and plead, "Lord, Lord, didn't I perform many wonderful works in your name?"

Or prophesying. That means you predict something and it come true. That too will bring adoration from the crowds. Nevertheless, you will be deemed a prophet, equal in status as any Old Testament prophet or New Testament apostle. During the 1990s, Methodist itinerant preacher, author and pastor David Pawson was seen by many Christians, including those from my church, as a prophet with equal status as Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel. When I declared that such a man was more of a false prophet, those who heard me say that were irritated.

Then there is that bit about casting out demons. This is a controversial issue. In Acts 19:13-16 some unbelieving Jews tried to rid a man of a demon but without success. Here is the story:

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day, the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
Acts 19:13-16 NIV.

Examining this story, it does look as if these seven sons of Sceva were successful in this ministry, at least at first. But rather than bring people to the foot of the cross, their success swelled their pride. It was when they arrived at this particular house, full of confidence, that they came unstuck. None had ever suffered such public humiliation than they, as their torn clothes fell off and exposed their wounded bodies to public shame.

So, are miracles and wonderful works the products of evildoers? Not at all. Then why did Jesus accuse those excluded as being "workers of iniquity?" I believe the reason for this was their motives. These miracles were done to bolster their pride, based on their idea that they can work their own way to God and earn their salvation. They did not trust in Jesus crucified to atone for their sin. They trusted in themselves.

And this is the key to Jesus' words spoken in Matthew 7:21-23. Self-trust, bolstered by pride.

The purpose of miracles had always been to bring sinners to the foot of the cross. The ministry of Jesus Christ prior to his crucifixion, was to persuade Israel that he was the Messiah. John writes:

Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even if you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
John 10:37-38.

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
John 11:41-43.

After the Resurrection, Peter, on the day of Pentecost, preached to a large crowd of Jews, declaring Jesus Christ, and how they had him crucified, but God resurrected him back from the dead, and ascended to heaven, that all those who believed and be baptised in his name would receive remission of sins. To back their testimony, Peter healed a lame man (Acts 3). But it was not just for the benefit of the man healed. Instead the miracle was performed to open the opportunity to preach Jesus, calling all who witnessed the miracle to repent. In verse 17, Peter concluded his testimony with the words,

Now brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus.
Acts 3:17-20.

Miracles were always performed to bring people to repentance. It is God who gets the glory. And this is the reason why miracles are seldom performed at present. The danger of pride and self-worth. The want for publicity, for crowds of people to be in awe, for them to think that he is a great man of God. Somehow I can't help linking all this with the attitude of the Pharisees in Jesus' day. Being proud of one's own righteousness was the downfall of the Pharisees, who received the greatest rebuke from John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and later, from Stephen. At present, there are records of modern evangelists performing miracles or winning great crowds to God. In his sovereignty, God can use anyone as a vessel to demonstrate goodness and mercy which result in genuine repentance among some. But if the motives of the evangelist are based on pride, looking to his own powers, he will more likely to be barred from entry into Heaven.

This blog opened with the verses in Matthew being disturbing. They used to instill fear when I was a young Christian. Maybe my faith did not quite connect, or some sin got in the way, or I was following the wrong religion. The crunch words were,

He that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

"Doeth." This implied works, the way one performed, including what one believed and taught. Deliverance from this fear came through further reading of Scripture. In John 6:28 we read of the question put to Jesus:

What must we do to do the works God requires?

After being told that he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven, the most natural question one would ask was, "What must we do, then?"

And this is when Jesus answered that to do the will of the Father is to believe on the one he has sent. (John 6:29) Then they asked what miraculous sign would he give to prove his authenticity. We see here that miracles were always performed to encourage repentance. Miracles were never a kind of Divine Health Service, an idea which seems to be prevalent in many churches today.

We have no need to fear standing outside heaven's door and refused entry if we recognise ourselves as helpless sinners in need of a Saviour. The Lord Jesus will save all who come to him with this need - that without him we are helpless, and no work of any kind can bring us any closer to him. Instead, by recognising the Atonement made at the Cross, we call on him for mercy. God will save all who call on him.