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To: Dr. Crane [eaglechristianchurch.com]

Subject: Do You Really Believe in Miracles?

---Original Message---

I believe in God and most of the Bible, but I have trouble with the miracles. Its seems illogical to believe that Jesus could walk on water. Do you really believe the miracles of the Bible?

Reply:

If you believe in God, it is only logical to believe in miracles! To demonstrate this, I would love to ask you three questions. First, is your God able to act? Second, if he is able to act, what do you call acts of God? Third, from our perspective, wouldn’t all acts of God be miracles? Logically, miracles are only impossible if there is no God.

I’d like to tell you a fable. In order for this story to work, you need to pretend inanimate objects and animals can talk. A dog and a hunter were out by a tree near a lake on a warm, fall day. The dog was resting under the tree when the hunter called for the dog to come. The tree said to the dog, “You can’t go over there, it’s impossible.” For the tree to get up and walk—that would be impossible. But the dog got up and walked over to the hunter (there is nothing problematic about a walking dog).

The man told the dog, “I am going to get a gun, load it with ammunition, and shoot some dinner out of the sky.” The dog said, “You can’t shoot something out of the sky.” But the man got up, loaded his rifle, and shot a duck. For the dog—that would have been impossible, but not for the man (there is nothing problematic about a man loading and shooting a gun).

Unfortunately, the duck landed in the middle of the lake. It would be possible for either the man or the dog to swim out to retrieve the duck, but no one would suggest they walk across the top of the water—that would be impossible. But for God, who created the water, there is nothing problematic about it.

If there is a God, why can’t he walk on water, heal the sick, make the lame walk, give sight to the blind, cure the leper, multiply fish and loaves, and make wine from water (just to name a few)? For man, these are all impossibilities. But none are problematic if there is a God. Actually, it is only logical that if there is a God, he could in fact do these things and more. Miracles are only miracles from man’s perspective, not from the vantage point of God.

All the above mentioned events pale in comparison to the most significant miracle in the history of the world—the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Without it, Christianity offers no hope. But again, there is no reason to dismiss it. God is the one who created life, he can certainly restore it. It is precisely because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that I am a Christian and believe in God. I believe in God because he has acted miraculously and revealed himself in history through his Son Jesus Christ and his Word.