I Believe in Miracles

IT TOOK A MIRACLE

As a kid I remember hearing George Beverly Shea and others sing the great John W. Peterson song, “It Took A Miracle.”

Some doubt that miracles happen today to which I would counter, every person that comes to faith in Christ experiences the miracle of forgiveness and inclusion in the family of God. Salvation by faith through grace is the biggest miracle of all!

I also know firsthand that God still performs miracles. You may know the story of my brother, Jimmy who, in 1984 was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given three to six weeks to live. Pancreatic cancer knows no survivors. It took the life of actor Michael Landon and countless others. Jimmy had become jaundiced and lethargic to the point that he could barely get out of bed for a short while. He couldn’t even suck liquid through a straw.

On the morning of exploratory surgery to see how far the cancer had spread, and with no hope of saving his life, doctors ordered final tests, the results of which contradicted the tests which showed the tumor and confirmed all the symptoms of cancer. So, they re-ran the earlier tests and the tumor which had been plainly visible the day before was completely gone. Within a few weeks Jimmy returned to completely normal health and will celebrate his 75th birthday this month!

One of the most dramatic indicators of God’s miraculous power happened just a few weeks ago at the Memphis Quartet Show. Michael Helwig, who sang lead with us for five years was diagnosed with ALS two years ago. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There is no known cure and once muscles start to atrophy, they don’t regenerate. Mike soon lost the use of his legs and was confined to a wheel chair. He continued to travel with us as we sought to make it possible for him to do so. Finally, the day came when Mike confessed he could no longer keep up with the rigors of travel and stepped down.

Thousands have been praying for Mike’s healing. He has made guest appearances with us over the last year at the National Quartet Convention and in Lebanon, Tennessee close to his home, both times aided by his motorized wheel chair.

I had spoken with Mike and knew he was planning on coming to the Memphis Quartet Show last month and I also knew he was regaining some use of his legs. On Thursday night at MQS I introduced him and Mike made his way on stage with the use of a walker. The place went nuts! If you haven’t seen the video, you can view it on our Facebook page at The Blackwood Brothers Quartet on Facebook.

My point in sharing this is to encourage you to believe God for great things! Does God heal everyone? Well, not to our knowledge. But to say that God heals no one is just simply untrue and inaccurate. I would hate to get to heaven and discover that I believed God for too little. If we have believed God for our salvation, the greatest miracle of all, why wouldn’t we believe Him for any other good and perfect gift that His word says He provides? (James 1:17)

I have also seen the other side of this situation. My wife, Cherry, has Lupus and a condition called ankylosing spondylitis, an arthritic-like condition that primarily affects the spine. She is in constant pain and although we pray daily for her to be healed, we have not seen the manifestation of healing.

What do we know? We know that God is all powerful (omnipotent), and that He cares for His children. We know He is able to do anything. Matthew 19:26 says, “with God all things are possible.” We know God is good and His mercy endures forever! (2nd Chronicles 7:3) We know that God is not capricious. He does not heal some and ignore others based on how He feels on a given day. So, where is the hangup?

The answer is, we see in part and know in part and Gods ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts and we simply don’t always understand what God is doing or not doing. He is God and we are not. But please don’t buy into the teaching that God no longer heals. Just ask my brother, Jimmy, and my brother, Mike Helwig. God is able!

(Verse 1)
My Father is omnipotent
And that you can’t deny;
A God of might and miracles;
‘Tis written in the sky.
(Chorus)
It took a miracle to put the stars in place; It took a miracle to hang the world in space. But when He saved my soul, Cleansed and made me whole,
It took a miracle of love and grace!

(Verse 2)
Though here His glory has been shown, We still can’t fully see
The wonders of His might, His throne; ‘Till eternity.
(Chorus)
It took a miracle to put the stars in place; It took a miracle to hang the world in space. But when He saved my soul, Cleansed and made me whole,
It took a miracle of love and grace!

© Copyright 1948. Renewed 1976 by John W. Peterson Music Company.