1 Corinthians 12:10, “To another miraculous powers…”
The fifth gift of the Holy Spirit is the “gift of miraculous powers.” The gift of miraculous powers is, “a supernatural display of God’s infinite power.” Howard Carter wrote, “The gift can be used as a sign of the presence and power of God, for the provision of temporal needs, or to confirm the preached word; or it may give evidence of a divine commission, as in the case of Moses and his rod.”
The gift of miraculous powers can come in many different forms but every time the effect is the same; people see God at work!
Most of today’s modern day examples of this gift come from our missionaries and local pastors who reach out to people in dangerous places and where the gospel has never been preached. There are testimonies that the dead have been raised in Mexico, Mozambique and Nigeria; along with miraculous feedings at large gospel meetings where the food didn’t run out, and when people were smuggling Bibles into restricted countries, they were miraculously hidden in plain sight from soldiers.
One of the biblical examples of the gift of miraculous powers was when a deadly poisonous snake bit Paul and he did not die. The local pagans who knew the snake’s deadliness were so amazed at God’s power that they actually thought Paul was a “god” (Acts 28:3-6). Other biblical examples would include Jesus turning water into wine, Peter finding a gold coin in a fish’s mouth and the miraculous feedings of the multitudes with small amounts of bread and fish.
Though the gift of miraculous powers may be rare and less seen in the Western world, we as Jesus’ disciples should always be ready for God to show up and show off His power. I personally watched God spare me from a serious car accident after I prayed and saw cars crash all around me on the highway. Plus, I have heard stories of God splitting a big wooden pulpit into two pieces when a preacher was talking about the presence of God, multiple accounts of church buildings glowing as God was moving in the services and a man being brought back to life when a pastor prayed for him after he was declared dead in a car accident by the paramedics.
I believe this gift is rare because God is not into “Vegas-style theatrics.” He is not trying to make people believe in Him. God expects people to believe in Him without needing signs. Jesus said in Matthew 12:39 regarding people’s desires for signs, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!” We should not seek the sign of God’s miraculous power from an evil heart, but we should believe that God can do the impossible and use us to do it!
Reflection
Action
- Recall any times you have witnessed the miraculous powers of God.
- Ask God to use you for His glory in signs and wonders.
- Be ready, even in life threatening situations, to believe God can demonstrate His power.
