FIRST MIRACLE
In my first two years as a Christ-Follower, I experienced seven (7) miracles. Before I get to them, I'd like to begin with a definition. This definition is important because in today's American English, we use the word "miracle" for all kinds of every day events. Here are a few examples:
1. "It's a miracle I was able to get to work on time today. Traffic was horrible!"
2. "It's a miracle my baby was born healthy. There were complications."
3. "It's a miracle Dan still works here. He's so lazy!"
While I understand what it is that people are trying to convey with their use of the word "miracle", it's not really the best use of the word.
DEFINITION
A miracle can be defined as, "An extraordinary event that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws and is therefore understood to be the direct work of God."
Having said that, let me share with you the first miracle that happened in my life:
I spoke in tongues without ever seeing it before, without any pre-existing knowledge of it, and without ever being coached by someone!
Now, the most amazing thing - for me - were the feelings associated with the tongues. Having experienced a wide array of feeling and emotions, I can say with great conviction that it was the greatest thing I've ever experienced! Immediately following the tongues, I got out of the baptismal tank. A friend hugged me and asked me how I felt. I said, "I feel like I can fly. I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off of my shoulders!"
Before I move on, I want to clarify something. The tongues I experienced was the tongues spoken of in the Book of Acts of the Apostles . Here's what I mean:
1. It was totally unexpected.
2. I didn't control or try to help it by uttering phonetic sounds.
3. The experience was life-changing. I received power from "On High" and made significant changes in my life the very next day.
4. It was NOT the "Gift of Tongues" as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 14.
I write this because there are some Christian groups who teach others how to speak in tongues by starting them off with the use of phonetic words and phrases. They tell people, "We're just helping the Spirit" - kind of like kick-starting a motorcycle.
Let me say this. In all my experience, I have never needed to "help the Spirit." Whenever tongues presented itself in my life, it was always quiet, unexpected, joyful, and amazing!
Additionally, because of my experiences, I believe that speaking in tongues IS NOT the main issue - like some groups make it out to be! Instead, I believe exemplifying a changed life, having drawn closer to Christ, having been empowered by Him, and then doing the work of His Kingdom ARE the issues - because they are the true results of speaking in tongues!! So, if a person speaks in tongues, their life hasn't had bold changes, and they haven't felt empowered, inspired and/or convicted to do the work of His Kingdom, then I'm convinced their tongue-talking was not from His Spirit.
Moving on...
This first miracle set things in motion. Why? Well, having gone through what I went through, having visited other churches, and having watched other "Christians", I had never seen or heard of anything like this before. So while the speaking in tongues experience was amazing, the best was yet to come!
With this powerful experience, I now knew that God existed and that He cared for me. I also learned what lie ahead - for His Spirit gave me direction!
What are your thoughts on all of this? Email me if you'd like to learn more or talk about this. NOTE: I won't argue or debate this topic with you. I understand there are some who don't believe in tongues as well as others who believe that tongues have ceased to exist. And while I respect everyone's viewpoint, I have 100+ unexpected and wonderful experiences as well as an amazing transformation that took place immediately following the initial one that state the obvious to me!
In His Name,
Roy