A Call to the Miraculous
By Sean R. Pinder
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2009 Sean R. Pinder
"Published by Sean R. Pinder at Smashwords."
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
A Call to the Miraculous
Copyright 2009 by Sean R. Pinder
All rights reserved
Cover design by Jeffrey Zimmerman, Mark Zimmerman, and Valerie Zimmerman
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.
Dedication
I dedicate this book to my wife, Aimee, the love of my life, my best friend, a Proverbs 31 woman, and the mother of my seven children. “Your children will rise up and call you blessed.” You believed in me when hardly anyone else did. You stood by me during the toughest times in my walk with God. Days when I felt like throwing in the towel, God used you to encourage me not to quit. You are truly my precious gift from God. “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” (Proverbs 18:22). I thank God for you and by God’s grace we will touch our generation with the love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ followed by a demonstration of God’s Miracle Working Power.
Table of Contents
Part 1: A Call to the Miraculous
The importance of Signs, Wonders, and Miracles in the Church
Miracles follow the Preaching of the Gospel
Approved by Signs, Wonders, and Miracles
The Purpose of Miracles in the life of Christ
Reasons today the Church lack the Miraculous
The Price for the Miraculous
The impact of the Gospel followed by Signs, Wonders, and Miracles
Why are Miracles lightly esteemed
Part 2: Accounts of the Miraculous in our Ministry
Lonoke, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Mabelvale, Arkansas
Benton, Arkansas
Freeport, Bahamas
Fort Meyers, Florida
New Orleans, Louisiana
Uganda, Africa
Chapter 1
The Importance of Signs, Wonders, and Miracles in the Church
The church without signs, wonders, and miracles falls short of operating in her fullest potential in Christ. The apostle Paul, under the Holy Ghost’s inspiration, said, “… my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4, 5). Miracles must be demonstrated so that the body of Christ can have a real, living faith that causes an impact against the powers of darkness. According to this scripture, did you notice where God desires our faith to be? “… In the power of God…”
Today, too many of our church pulpits are overwhelmed with preaching man made wisdom and enticing words. Most of the church’s faith is in good preaching. Simply put, this kind of preaching tells people what they want to hear and not what they need to hear. No wonder there is a lack of changed lives. Some of the church’s faith is in the wrong place. Year after year, thousands gather and pay to go to conferences all around the world to hear how they are going to be blessed. Disappointed, they return again to homes of poverty, lack and sickness because their faith is in man’s wisdom and not in God’s power. The apostle Paul said, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1Cor. 1:18).
Miracles in the church are not optional. The Lord’s command applies to the church in every generation.
Mark 16:15-18
15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Let’s focus on three things that Christ commanded the church before He ascended into heaven:
1. Go into all the world.
2. Preach the Gospel to every creature.
3. And these signs shall follow them that believe.
This simply means, wherever we go in this world and preaches the Gospel, signs should follow. Jesus did not say these signs might follow. He said firmly, “… these signs shall follow them that believe…” Later, in the same chapter, the disciples demonstrated that they understood the Lord’s command. “…And they [the disciples] went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following…” (Mark 16:20).
God’s manifested miraculous power causes the church to grow rapidly. When miracles take place, people come to church services with great expectation. Their faith is alive. The book of Acts demonstrates this perfectly.
Acts 5:12-16
12. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
13. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
14. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
15. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
16. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
The Holy Spirit gives key elements in these passages of scriptures that we can glean from and get Bible results. As a result of signs and wonders by the apostles’ hands, the Scriptures say, “…the people magnified them.” The church reverenced the apostles because they could not deny that God was with them. Undeniable signs and wonders were evident in their midst. These miracles gave the people a personal point of reference concerning all the scriptures they were ever taught. The Bible became alive. They no longer heard and had faith by just hearing the word, but now their faith was strengthened because they saw the evidence. They now had proof of the Gospel.
In our own ministry, we planned a crusade in Uganda, Africa. Before our arrival, we publicized the services through fliers, posters, radio commercials, and involvement from the local churches. The week we arrived, we had a parade with a sound system used to encourage those in the area to attend. A lady who had a paralyzed foot lived near the crusade grounds. She was well informed about the event, yet neither she nor her children made any effort to come. She did not come because she was used to hearing the preached word without a demonstration of miracles. Her house was so close to the crusade grounds, that she could hear the service and the message being preached. While listening, her faith was ignited and she, too, received a miracle from God. God himself demonstrated to her His mighty power by healing her paralyzed foot. Her foot was made whole and she walked without any assistance. That night, she came to the evening service to testify of what God had done in her life. She came out of her house because she now saw God in action.
The church grew as a result of miracles. “And believers were the more added to the Lord, MULTITUDES both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick...”
Acts 3:1-9
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
The result of the miracle of healing this man lame from birth was “… many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand” (Acts 4:4). One miraculous demonstration instantly drew five thousand men into God’s kingdom. Miraculous demonstrations can do more than a thousand sermons. Could this be the reason for the lack of growth in many churches? This is God’s original design to convert the world. The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, confirmed this when he said, “For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:18-19).
God’s power draws people from every type of background. In an atmosphere of miracles, people’s needs are met both spiritually and physically. The life of God is manifested. No wonder some churches are stagnant and cannot grow. There is no life of God. The church is dead and faith is dead because “…faith without works is dead...” (James 2:26). When faith is alive, ministers don’t beg believers to invite their family and friends to church. People gladly bring family members and friends because they know God’s power is going to manifest, their needs will be met, and lives will be changed. As a church, we must repent and go back to God’s original plan of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is followed by a demonstration of miracles.
Chapter 2
Miracles follow the Preaching of the Gospel
In this particular chapter, we are going to point out from scriptures that, whenever the true gospel is preached, miracles follow. My wife and I often grieve over the fact that many people don’t even preach Christ and Him crucified. Could this be one of the many reasons for the lack of miracle-working power that opens blind eyes, unstops deaf ears, and makes cripples walk? Examine closely the Biblical accounts of what took place when the true Gospel was preached.
Mark 16:20
20 And they went forth, and preached (the Gospel) everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Luke 9:1, 2, 6
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
Acts 8:5-8
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud VOICE came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
Acts 14:3
3 Long time therefore abode they speaking (preaching the gospel) boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
Do you see the pattern? Every time the apostles, evangelists, and deacons in the early church preached the Gospel, demonstrations followed.
In this generation, we hardly hear any preaching on repentance or the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. When examined closely, one cannot help but to realize that the Lord only confirms the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No wonder the apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” I can feel the Holy Ghost as I type this manuscript. God’s heart cries for some preachers to stop preaching a man-made, fleshly, half hearted message and to preach the uncompromised Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, will we see a true demonstration of God’s power to heal the sick, open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears, cause cripples to walk, and raise the dead. How my heart yearns within me to see Jesus in action the way He was in the disciples’ lives. A call is going out from God’s heart to those who are listening and willing to respond to seek God’s face for the miraculous. As a whole today, we must get back to God’s original plan. We need to preach the Gospel in the Holy Ghost’s power followed by an outpouring of miracles.