Supernatural Miracles: Do They Still Happen? (part 1)
Let the Bible Speak for Itself
by Barrett Vanlandingham
(January 22, 2008)

As with any Bible issue, it is always best to let the Bible speak for itself when questions arise. Keep in mind, the kinds of miracles to which I am discussing are the supernatural kind. I am not referring to instances in which God blesses us in one way or another with good health, wealth, good days, intervention in a situation, and other good things that could possibly occur naturally because of God’s goodness, or as an answer to prayer which can be powerful and effective (James 5:13-16).
There are two Mentions of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.
1) Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (gift of Holy Spirit mentioned in Acts 2:38) that comforts, guides, and helps us to grow spiritually.
2) Empowerment of the Holy Spirit (which gave people in the first century the ability to do supernatural miracles)
Jesus performed supernatural miracles. He also passed this miraculous empowerment of the Holy Spirit on to those he chose to give it to, such as the apostles and others. Those people could pass on this miraculous empowerment of the Holy Spirit to yet others. But those people could not pass it on, even though they were empowered to do miracles like Jesus, the apostles, and other disciples or followers of Christ. In short, the third generation of those who received this ability to do supernatural miracles could not pass it to a fourth generation. Therefore, after the third generation of “miracle-doers” passed away, so did the ability to perform miracles.
In the first century, there were no Bible studies like we have today because the Bible was in the process of being written. So, the story of Jesus was told by disciples who would then do miracles so people would believe. The last books of the Bible were written by John in about 90-100 A.D. Shortly after that, collections of the Bible began to appear, and people began to write down or make copies of the writings that had been passed to them. By the 2nd century there were lists of books of the Bible written by people of the day.
Hebrews 2:3-4 tells us that miracles confirmed the truth of the message being preached, but only as the Spirit enabled (1 Corinthians 12:11).
Luke 9:1 Jesus called together the twelve apostles. He gave them power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases. Then he sent out the twelve to preach and heal the sick.
Luke 10:1 and 9, Jesus appoints 72 others to teach and heal.
Acts 6:5-6 the apostles appointed seven men to take care of widows and oversee the distribution of food. Philip was one of the seven who the apostles laid their hands on.
Acts 8:4-8 Philip preached and did miracles in Samaria.
How can Philip prove the truth of his message of salvation? After all, the books of the Bible had not been written. Truth was proven by doing miracles.
Acts 8:9-13 Simon the Sorcerer believed and was baptized. He saw the miracles of Philip. He was astonished by the genuine thing.
Acts 8:14 Peter and John went to Samaria and placed their hands on the people in Samaria so they could receive the miraculous empowerment of the Holy Spirit. (which is something Philip apparently could not do because he was in that third generation of people who had the miraculous empowerment of the Holy Spirit, but could not pass it on).
Everything has purpose in Scripture. The purpose of miracles was
1. So that we may believe (John 20:30-31)
2. To confirm salvation (Hebrews 2:3-4)
3. To edify and strengthen the early church. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

(special thanks to pulpit minister Dan Rouse for help with research for this article)

Supernatural Miracles: Do They Still Happen? (part 2)
Let the Bible Speak for Itself
by Barrett Vanlandingham
(January 29, 2008)

This is a continuation of last week’s article in which I am discussing the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to do supernatural miracles. This is not to be confused with other blessings from God such as good health, wealth, running into a good friend at just the right time, intervention in a situation, or receiving an answer to a prayer the way you wanted.
In last week’s article, we looked at Biblical examples and how they show the purpose of the supernatural miracles we read about to be the following:
1. So that we may believe (John 20:30-31)
2. To confirm salvation (Hebrews 2:3-4)
3. To edify and strengthen the early church. (1 Corinthians 14:26)
The Bible also indicates the following about the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to do miracles:
1. Jesus performed miracles and gave the apostles and others the ability to perform miracles. (Luke 9:1 and 10:1)
2. The apostles could give others the ability to do miracles. (Acts 8:14)
3. The others could not pass on this ability. (Acts 8:4-8 Philip did miracles, but Peter and John had to come to Samaria to lay their hands on people so they could receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit).

A Few Things to Think about:
The Corinthian church was “gifted” but...
1. they still had problems.
2. they were not very spiritually minded.
3. Paul still had to write letters to answer their questions.
4. These gifts (abilities to do miracles by the miraculous empowerment of the Holy Spirit) were limited... otherwise why did the Corinthians have to write Paul?
5. These gifts did not make them mature.
6. The job of the Spirit was to protect the basic Gospel message by allowing the teachers to do miracles.
7. Paul could not heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30)
8. Miracles or healing could only happen as the Spirit enabled. (1 Corinthians 12:11 and Hebrews 2:4)

God knows the ripple effect of supernatural miracles (miracles that upset the balance of nature, or supersede nature or push nature aside). We live in a world of choice and consequences. (not a robotic world with no choices).
The world would be in total chaos if God did miracles all the time and answered every prayer in the way we wanted. Why? Because we would never know what to expect. If there were NEVER consequences for our actions, then there would be no need for a plan of salvation, no need to live right, no need to love our neighbor, and no need to have faith.
If God did supernatural miracles today such as the parting of the Red Sea, more people would be angry at God than happy, because we could never get enough. Examples: 1) Two babies get sick, one is healed and one is not. 2) God chooses to prevent a bus from hitting a 3-year old, but next time He doesn’t.
Even in the first century, God did not behave like Santa Claus. If God did everything for us, then we would no longer need to be of service to others.
There were even consequences for miracles in the first century just like there would be today. If you could have lived in the town of Bethany after Lazarus died in John 11, what do you think you might have seen?
a. Grieving
b. People taking off work to mourn
c. If Lazarus had a business, it might have shut down.
d. Competing businesses begin to thrive.
What are some things that might have happened when Jesus raised him from the dead?
a. Joy
b. Lazarus’ theoretical business re-opens.
c. Other businesses fail.
What would happen if God were to dump enough grain on Africa to feed the entire country. How long would people praise Him? Is there enough food and medicine in the world right now to help Africa? Yes, but people won’t work together and distribute the food. What if God cured the world of AIDS? How long would people praise Him?
We serve an AWESOME God who is capable of doing anything He wants. Let’s just praise God for making decisions based on what is best, instead of what we think is best. He may choose allow something to happen or not to happen, or to use someone to carry out His will in a certain instance, but unless someone lived in the first century and made contact with Jesus or an empowered disciple, they don’t even have a chance of performing a miracle of the supernatural variety.

(special thanks to pulpit minister Dan Rouse for help with research for this article)

Spiritual Decision-Making: How do I know if I’m right?
The answer has already been written down for us.
by Barrett Vanlandingham (January 15, 2008)

According to the Bible, the wisest man who ever lived is Solomon, King of Israel. This is how he got that way. About 970 years before the time of Christ, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5)
Solomon asked for a discerning heart to govern God’s people (v. 9). God was so pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom instead of a long life or wealth, that he granted the request and said, “…there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” (v. 12)
Then, God proceeded to give him even all the things he did not ask for such as wealth. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom (v.34).
In Ecclesiastes 1:12 Solomon says he devoted himself to study and explore the meaning of life. He experienced everything in life, many times, in excess. He had more cattle, gold, silver, fruit trees, servants, entertainers, and more of everything else than anyone else. He went so far as to say, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Eccl. 1:9)
He not only applied himself to wisdom, but also to madness, folly, and pleasure! Eventually, he learned that those kinds of things were only “…a chasing after the wind.” (Eccl. 1:17) When all was said and done, Solomon said, “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Eccl. 1:2)
He finishes the book by saying, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Eccl. 12:13-14)
So what does this mean to us? We’ve all heard the saying that some of the best things in life can be found right under your nose. That is so true. Most of us have a copy of God’s word, the Bible. But, when problems and difficult decisions arise, how many times do we consult scripture for the answer? If we’re wise, the answer should be “everytime!”
In this “One Nation under God…” the snag is usually not that we didn’t know how or where to find the answer to life’s questions. It’s simply that we too often refuse to obey what God has to say on these matters. And instead, we look to Dr. Phil, Oprah, Jerry Springer, or Montel Williams to give us wisdom and set our paths straight.
When it comes to spiritual decision-making, God’s word will either give you a direct answer, or sometimes it gives us general principles to think about. Marriage and dating relationships, alcohol, gambling, cursing, gossiping, adultery, fornication, peer pressure, friends, materialism, selfishness, you name it, the Bible has something to say about it.
Our willingness to find out God’s will and obey His word shows two very important things: 1) that we are wise enough to pay attention to the wisest man who ever lived, and 2) that we love God. In John 14:15, Jesus is quoted as saying, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

Thought-Provoking Questions to Help Get Your New Year Re-Focused
A Call to Build the House of the Lord
by Barrett Vanlandingham (January 1, 2008)

Haggai 1:5-7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways! You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but you never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
In case you’re a little behind on setting goals for 2008, here are some thoughts that will challenge you to build your spiritual house to please God? The above passage is a statement from God through the prophet Haggai after God’s people had become lax in their spirituality. The people were very busy and very successful at improving their own standard of living. But while they were taking time to build nice houses for themselves, they were ignoring the fact that the Lord’s house lay in ruin. In short, God’s people had lost focus. They had allowed their enemies to intimidate and discourage them from honoring God in their daily lives.
God’s people were obviously getting a lot accomplished by the world’s standards. But nothing they did gave them true joy or satisfaction. God had called them to do some work for Him. Yet, they simply allowed other things, other less important things get in the way of what God wanted them to do.
Sound familiar? It should. This same old struggle has gone on for thousands of years, and it’s not any easier for us today than it was back then. The devil and those he has influenced are very skilled at providing distractions for us. And the more we resist, the harder satan tries to find ways of tricking us into turning our backs on God.
At the beginning of this new year, we should all take a time to reflect on our commitment to God. We all need to think about where we are spiritually compared to where we ought to be. And we need to re-evaluate what kind of spiritual construction is taking place in each of our lives, and on whose foundation we are building.
Ask yourself these questions:
1) What’s one thing you could do this year to build a better relationship with God? With your church family?
2) What is the biggest time-waster in your life?
3) For whose salvation will you pray for?
4) What’s the most important way you will try to make this year different from last year?
5) What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?
6) Which part of your spiritual life do you most want to make progress in this year?
7) What’s the most important decision you need to make this year?
8) If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say?
9) Who do you most want to encourage this year?
10) What area of your life most needs simplifying?
May we ever strive to be God’s people in a very committed way. May we strive to make every word, action, and thought something that would be approved by God. May we always remember Philippians 4:13. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Spiritual Gift Wrapping
by Barrett Vanlandingham
(December 18, 2007)
When it comes to wrapping Christmas gifts, sometimes it is fun to fool the one on the receiving end by putting a small gift in a big box, or maybe labeling the wrapping paper with someone else’s name on it until time for opening gifts.
When it comes to who we are spiritually, there is no room for joking. So, who we are on the outside must be the same person we are on the inside. Paul was worried about this very thing in 2 Corinthians 11 where he was talking about false apostles.
There are no false apostles and no real apostles for that matter among us today because apostles must be chosen directly by God, like Paul, or called by Jesus, like the original twelve. But that doesn’t mean that in our day and time, there can’t be people who refer to themselves as Christians while their motives are less than holy.
In 2 Corinthians 11, we read that Paul was afraid that some in the church in Corinth might be led astray from their pure and sincere devotion to Christ by those “super-apostles” or possibly pseudo-apostles who were masquerading as apostles of Christ. These were apparently well-trained speakers, unlike Paul, who may have appeared to do all the right things, while their motives were deceitful. We are not told exactly what they were doing wrong, only that their righteous appearance was a fraud.
It has been said that the greatest weapon the devil has in his arsenal to test us is praise and flattery. That is not to say that it is wrong to give a compliment to a Christian brother or sister. It is only to say that Satan is a master at using our egos to destroy us spiritually if we start believing that we, apart from God, are able to accomplish anything.
The serpent offered the promise of special knowledge that was to allow Adam and Eve to become like God. The Corinthians wanted to become rich and reign as Kings (1 Cor. 4:8). They were susceptible to a false gospel possibly put forth by slick talking, diamond studded apostles that appealed to the Corinthians’ human pride and desire to be special.
Way too often, we fall into the trap of thinking that if we do this or that, God will somehow reward us on earth with health or wealth, and that these blessings are a confirmation of our faith. But as Paul so pointedly brings to the attention of the Corinthian Church in regards to the false apostles, “Their end will be what their actions deserve.” The same holds true for those who follow after them. Read John 15:18-25, and 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 and tell me if you think we are guaranteed an abundance of material wealth and physical health if we follow Jesus. We must remember that as Christians, we are citizens of Heaven, and the recipients of spiritual rewards both in this life and the life to come.
Please pray today for God to help us stay humble and know that all good things come from Him, the One in Whom we serve and have our hope. Let us also seek to be spiritually genuine inside and out as we encourage one another daily on the path to Heaven.

What I Want For Christmas?
…to continue letting the light of Christ shine in Fort Gibson…
and to shed a little light on some Christmas myths
by Barrett Vanlandingham (Fort Faith-December 11, 2007)


It’s so refreshing to see all of the beautiful Christmas decorations donning the streets, homes, and yards of Fort Gibson. It’s also a beautiful thing to see nativity scenes here and there, and to hear Christmas caroling as Christians in our little town enjoy the extra emphasis put on Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God’s son, and our Savior, for at least one month out of the year. The very name of the holiday “Christmas” is a heartwarming reminder to me and all Christians of our Savior and His servant-hearted example that it is more blessed to give than to receive. It is also good to have at least a yearly reason to encourage us all to do more acts of service for those who are less fortunate.
There are at least a few myths associated with the religious part of Christmas. Namely, we really don’t know in which month Jesus was born. Also, we really don’t know how many wise men there were who delivered the three gifts to the house, not to a manger (Matthew 2:11). And finally, we don’t know whether the angels were singing or not when they praised God and said, “Glory to God in the highest” while announcing Jesus’ birth to shepherds in a field (Luke 2:13). By the way, to my knowledge, shepherds tended their flocks outside during the warmer months, not winter.
Religiously speaking, December should be no different than any other month. The fact that our wallet is much thinner because of gift-buying and our waist much fatter because of over-eating is really a man-made thing.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate that more people think about Jesus in December, because really, I do appreciate it. But if there were three gifts I could give to an entire town on Christmas, it would be the gift of helping us all remember Jesus all year round, and placing Him at the top of our priority list, and letting our actions prove it in our attitude towards our fellow citizens.
So, with that being said, I would like to thank Renee’ Fite and the Fort Gibson Times for asking me to be a guest writer and publishing this Fort Faith column for almost an entire year now. Not once, that I know of, has an editor changed the meaning or content of what I have written. Fort Gibson is a very diverse town in many ways, but with a very strong Christian base. So I, for one, appreciate the Fort Gibson Times for paying attention to the interests of its town in a time when God’s name is being taken out of many venues on the national scene.
In writing this column, I always do my absolute best to make every word agree with Bible teaching since the Bible is God’s inspired word and gives us everything we need to know (2 Timothy 3:16). And as always, please, check it out for yourself.

Thanksgiving is Over, but Giving Thanks Is Not
Don’t let your faith stay zipped up like frozen leftovers
By Barrett Vanlandingham (Nov. 27, 2007)

Thanksgiving meals are kind of like revivals or Gospel meetings. They’re great when consumed fresh, but the taste and even the nourishment diminishes unless fresh recipes are applied throughout the year. The great thing about spiritual nourishment is that God makes sure we can never get tired of His Cookbook (the Bible) when the right ingredients are prepared and consumed. A healthy diet of Galatians 5:22-23 is a great place to start. The Fruit of the Spirit listed here includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The Bible gives Christians and non-Christians alike many great recipes that not only help sustain us while on earth, but also show us the way to that great banquet in the sky hosted by Jesus Christ Himself. It does take effort on our part. Even though all believers are invited to the banquet, we must follow God’s plan and enter through the right door so that He can “…reward each person according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:27)
James 2:24, 26 says, “24.You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 26.As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
In God’s wisdom, He knew that man could never save himself from spiritual death. That’s why He gave us a plan to follow. So, even though we are saved by God’s amazing grace, it is only because of His grace (unmerited favor) that He provides us direction, and covers our sin through the death of His son, providing the ultimate hope through Jesus’ resurrection. Romans 6:4 says, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father we too may live a new life.”
The fact that we serve a risen Savior is reason to celebrate and be thankful continually. The awesomeness of His love should be enough to bring us to our knees, literally. May God bless each of our efforts to study His word on a regular basis, and apply recipes from God’s book as we “live a new life” everyday because of His son. Thank You, Jesus. From each of Your dedicated followers here in Fort Gibson.

Thanksgiving: Turkey or Ham Is Good
but spiritual food for family, friends and others is most important
by Barrett Vanlandingham
(November 20, 2007)
Here in Fort Gibson, we all have so much to be thankful for this time of year. One of those things is that our community is small enough that it’s fairly easy to keep up with each others’ spiritual needs. With not much effort, we know when someone is struggling with their faith. Certainly within our own families we should know when the devil is luring our loved ones away from the straight and narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14).
In Philippians 1:3, Paul was writing from prison when he said, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” We should all strive to be the kind of people that others thank God for when they think about us.
We all have special memories of loved ones or events that we like to think about. The gift of remembering things is special in itself. We need to remember to thank God for special memories.
To Paul, the saints or Christians in Philippi were special. He had good feelings towards them because they partnered with him in teaching the good news of Jesus Christ. His Christian brothers and sisters were constantly in is heart whether he was in chains or out evangelizing. He longed to be with them because they shared a common mission, and shared in God’s grace. Paul tells his dear friend, Titus, in Titus 2:11-12 that the grace of God not only brings salvation, but also “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives...”
During those times that you are tempted to sin, it would be wise to think about God’s grace and whether you are sharing in it, or separated from it. Part of the reason Paul was able to stand firm in the faith is because he had a wonderful support system consisting of his Christian family for whom he was thankful.
We’ve all seen other Christians who appear weaker than ourselves. Sometimes, that weaker Christian IS ourselves. Sometime, we think our only spiritual obligation is to self. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 paints a picture of a body of Christ that grows in knowledge and faith so it can be unified. We should all continue to be thankful as we grow in love and support for each other as we share a common mission that is dependant on God’s grace.
Let us all encourage one another over and over again with the good news of Jesus Christ which is the greatest thing any of us could be thankful for. Romans 10:15 echoes the thoughts of the prophet in Isaiah 52:7 with these words: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”