12-23-23-ENG.

"The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son. "

Isaiah 7:14
A CANDIDATE FOR MIRACLES

Read It: Matthew 1:22-23
I want to step back a little today and talk about the greatest miracle God ever performed and about this whole area of miracles. The greatest miracle acle in history is Christmas-God becoming a man. A pregnant virgin is indeed a miracle. Mary's pregnancy was the result of the activity of the Holy Spirit. As I began to reflect on the miracle of Christmas, I began thinking about miracles. The reason miracles happen is that God the Holy Spirit is at work in our world. And wherever He is at work, the miraculous is possible. But God does not dispense miracles on demand, nor does He grant them to make us feel good and fulfill all of our wishes. His miracles always serve His purposes, not any man's. Let me show you what I mean. The miracle of the virgin birth occurred because it was the "fulness of time." Mary became pregnant because in God's plan it was time to send us a Savior who would pay the penalty for our sins. So the miracle of a pregnant virgin was to accomplish God's salvation program.

What I am saying is this: If you are living for God's glory and are plugged into His will and His agenda, you are a candidate for a display of His miraculous power. Now just saying that scares some people, because they think of the excesses of what I call the "miracle-chasers" who try to get God to perform on demand, usually for personal gain. That's not what I'm talking about. But we usually run too far the other way and rule out the possibility of God using us in a truly miraculous way. Joseph and Mary weren't looking for a miracle. But when they realized ized their situation would glorify God and accomplish His will, they were ready to go. God does miracles to achieve His will and bring glory to Himself. Now there will never be another virgin birth. There doesn't need to be. But faith says that the God who can form a baby in a virgin's womb when it accomplishes plishes His plan can do miraculous things through ordinary people like you and me if we are committed to Him. Think About It If you believe the Bible, you know that miracles do happen. Is there a miracle needed in your life that will glorify God?