28. Live Experiencing Miracles

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And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (Genesis 18:10~14)

To Experience Miracles

I have often experienced God accomplishing miraculous things that were absolutely impossible through man. One of them was being healed from a stomach ulcer. I had been suffering terribly from a gastric ulcer, and one day, I prayed to God to heal my stomach. Then God reminded me of the words, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them, from Mark chapter 11, verse 24 in my heart. If I believed that had my stomach was healed as I had prayed, then just as these words said, I am supposed to be able to eat kimchi, dwenjang (Korean bean paste), and rice, but this was extremely burdensome. Then I thought about this objectively. “If God says to believe that my stomach is healed, I do not need to add any thoughts of my own to this. Even though the circumstances are what they are, I will be healed if I believe that I am healed!” From that morning on, I began to eat rice. I ate kimchi, dwenjang . . . . At first, I would have diarrhea and it was difficult, but I experienced my stomach becoming completely healed within 24 hours. Afterwards, my faith to believe in the Word of God became deeper, and God could work more powerfully through me. There are miracles that have been recorded in the Bible. For example, there are the stories of Jesus turning water into wine; of the man who had an infirmity for 38 years rising up, taking up his bed, and walking; of lepers being completely cured; of the blind opening their eyes; of Jairus’ dead daughter coming back to life, and many more. We call all of these occurrences miracles. But how could such miracles happen? If we know this precisely, we can draw such miracles into our own lives. We can receive the blessing and grace of accomplishing impossible things through the power of God. All the miracles that appear in the Bible were accomplished by following the same principle. Therefore, if you can draw out this principle exactly in your own lives, you can experience the miracles of God in any aspect of your life. Through learning this, I have experienced impossible things being accomplished through the power of God numerous times. Such works can arise in your life as well, but not knowing this one thing is what is keeping you from the works of God occurring in your life.

Principles for Achieving Miracles

Let us talk about, for example, Jesus turning water into wine. How was this accomplished? When the wine ran out at the wedding at Cana, Mary said to Jesus, “They have no more wine.” Jesus then replied, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” However, Mary said to the servants, “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.” Then Jesus told the servants to fill six empty water pots with water. When they had finished filling the water pots with water, Jesus said, “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.” “This is water. How can we serve this? This is nonsense!” The thoughts of the servants could not go beyond this frame of mind. However, Jesus was saying to go serve it because this was not water but wine. But when the servants heard and accepted the words of Jesus, they were able to go beyond their thoughts, draw the water, and serve it. With their own heart, they could never draw out and serve it, but the miracle of the water turning into wine arose when they accepted the words of Jesus to draw out and serve. All the miracles achieved by God happen following such principles. Jesus, one day, went to the pool of Bethesda. There was a man there who had an infirmity for 38 years. Jesus asked this ill man, “Wilt thou be made whole?” “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” In these words he is probably meaning to say, “I don’t know who you are but could you push me into the pool when the water is troubled?” Jesus spoke to the ill man, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk.” This man had been lying down for 38 years with this disease. He cannot move even though he wants to enter the pool when the water is troubled. However, Jesus was telling him to take up his bed and walk. What thoughts do you think this ill man had? “Are you telling me to walk? How can I walk? My legs are like logs of wood.” This was the original heart of this paralytic, but Jesus was saying that he could rise and walk. The hearts of the paralytic and Jesus were different. “Are you telling me to take up my bed and walk? That is nonsense. I am a man who has had an infirmity for 38 years. I cannot move.” This was what he was supposed to say, but this did not happen. This was impossible in his thoughts, but he accepted the thoughts of Jesus.

The people of God know that their thoughts are crooked, filthy, and dirty. They therefore throw their thoughts away, accept the heart of Jesus, and live through that heart. The man with the infirmity for 38 years could never walk in his own thoughts. To walk was complete nonsense. It seemed that the words of Jesus were mocking him. However, he threw his thoughts away and decided to accept the words of Jesus. He believed that he could walk and began to rise. He began to roll his body over, and it began to move. He then pushed on the ground with his elbows and started to lift himself up. He was rising. Eventually, he stretched his legs and tried to stand. He stood. This was something that could never have been imagined within the thoughts of the man with the infirmity for 38 years. However, this was completely possible through the heart of Jesus entering his heart.

If God Does It, Will It Not Be Done?

Because we are unable but God is able, the heart of the unable (us) and the heart of the able (God) cannot be the same. The thoughts of a person with a monthly salary of $10,000 cannot be the same as the thoughts of a person with a $1,000 monthly salary. If a person with a $1,000 salary spends money like the person with a $10,000 salary, he will immediately become bankrupt. Therefore, he must live according to his income. Likewise, your heart has solidified in living within your limits, and you cannot believe in the Word that goes beyond your limits. However, the moment you believe in God, the power of God goes beyond your limits to reach you because God is with you. Therefore, people who believe in God must think within the power of God. Sadly, people are unable to do this. There is such a story in Genesis chapter 18. God spoke to Abraham, “Where is your wife, Sarah?” “She is in the tent,” replied Abraham. “I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.” Sarah heard this at the door of the tent, and thought, “I’m going to have a son?” Sarah had never once thought this. Sarah had already given up on having a child and gave her handmaid, Hagar, as a concubine to Abraham 13 years earlier. If she believed that she could have a child, what woman would allow another woman to enter her husband’s bedroom? If there was a 0.1% chance for her to have a child, she would have put her hopes there. She would not have allowed another woman to enter her husband’s bedroom. Sarah was certain that there was no means for her to have a child, and therefore, felt that she had no choice but to send another woman into her husband’s bedroom. That happened 13 years earlier, but now, 13 years later, God is saying to Abraham that Sarah will have a son. How can Sarah do anything but laugh? She laughed and said to herself, “After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” Right then God spoke to Abraham, “Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” God scolded Abraham in front of Sarah. Not long after the government was established in Korea, the President visited a base and had a conversation with a captain. The President saw greatness in this captain’s thinking and said, “You, the rank you have on, what is it?” “Sir, captain, sir.” “What is above that?” “Sir, major, sir.” “What is above that?” “Sir, lieutenant colonel, sir.” “What is above that?” “Sir, colonel, sir.” “Be that.” From that day on, by the special command of the President, he became a colonel. Even the president of a country can do that. Isn’t God the king of the universe? When God said, “Have a son,” then it is done. Whether it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women, or whether she had surgery on her womb, or whatever, none of these things are problems whatsoever. She will have a son if God says that she will. We believe in the God who accomplishes impossible things. God wants to accomplish such miracles not only in the Bible but also in our lives. However, in order for us to taste such works, we need to become freed from the limits of our thoughts. God worked upon Abraham, Sarah, and Moses to have man become freed from the frame of their thoughts. God wants to work in each one of us individually as well. God is not pleased with you doing some kind of good through your own power and labor, but He is pleased of your doing good and accomplishing the will of God through the power of God, which comes from receiving His heart. He does not want the things that come from our heart, which are by nature, dirty and filthy. God made the prisoner Joseph into a governor, and He made David, the shepherd, into a king. If this God gives you wisdom, would you not become wise? He can even make you wiser than Daniel. If God makes you wealthy, will you not become wealthy? If God makes you healthy, will you not become healthy, no matter what disease you have? If God cleanses your sins, will you not become clean? The heart of thinking that it cannot be done even if God does it is a truly evil, cursed heart. “Yes, it is impossible through humanistic means, but it can be done if you do it, God.” This is the heart of someone who believes. “God, I am a dirty person who sins every day, but if you make me clean I will be as white as snow. If you make me righteous and holy, I will be righteous and holy.” Isn’t this the faith to believe in God? Sarah laughed upon hearing that she will have a son. God then spoke to Abraham, “Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Is there anything too hard for the Lord? There is nothing. If God does it, anything can be done. Sarah heard what God said and told Him, “I did not laugh.” God said, “No, thou didst laugh,” not acknowledging the words of Sarah, but establishing His Word. God does not acknowledge your words. God wants to establish His words in our hearts. The heart to believe not in herself, but the faith to believe in God became established in Sarah’s heart. God established this in her. When Sarah believed in God, she received the strength to conceive. A ninety-year old lady was springing up with strength, telling her servants, “Hey guys, let me carry that for you.” This is a miracle. By faith, a miracle was upon Sarah. Sarah must have had many regrets later on. “How foolish I was! I thoughtlessly sent my handmaid into my husband’s bedroom. I could have had the son myself.”

Receive the Heart of God

In the thoughts of the man with the infirmity for 38 years, he could not walk, but Jesus thought that he could take up his bed and walk. Sarah thought, “I can never have a son,” while God thought, “No, you will have a son.” Now, will you follow your own thoughts or the thoughts of Jesus? This is what’s important. As Sarah threw her thoughts away and received the Word of God, the heart and power of God strengthened Sarah so that she lacked nothing in having a child. I, too, was like this. I always thought, “I am a sinner. I can only commit sin. I’ll be a sinner until the day I die. I am a sinner, but it would be nice if God would give me mercy for me to go to heaven.” But God said, “No, your sins were washed away. Jesus already redeemed you. You are righteous. You have no sins.” That is what the Bible says, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:23-24) We are humans who have sinned, but God has already given the verdict that we are righteous, and we are clean because Jesus redeemed us. I could not believe this. I, for a long time, did not accept these words and only exerted my own stubbornness. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Abraham and Sarah broke their own thoughts before these words and accepted the Word of God. Likewise, I too accepted the Word before His voice. “I sin every day, but could God not wash away my sins? Can the crucifixion of Jesus not wash away the sins of one person? If I sin one hundred times, or one thousand times, the sins I commit, Jesus must have washed them away. That’s right! My sins are washed!” I was amazed. I am a person who cannot believe in such things, but a great miracle arose in my heart. I always sinned and thought that I was a sinner. I always thought that I had to suffer because of my sins and had to have my sins washed away. But the miraculous thing was that I accepted the Word of God, which was different from the thoughts I had until then. I accepted the heart of God. I believed it. This was not my heart, but the heart of God. After accepting these words, my heart became one with the heart of God, which said that my sins are washed away and I am righteous. From then on God began to work inside of me. Our hearts were different before because God said my sins were washed away, but I said that I had sins. However, as we became one, the Holy Spirit worked inside of me. We learn from the Bible the process by which Abraham and Sarah were able to have the same heart as God. Now, you too should not believe in your thoughts, but in the Word of God. Accept the Word of God. No matter how much you have sinned, I hope that you will become free from sin through the faith to believe in Jesus who has cleansed you.