Given that creeds are human devices and subject to human error, many things such as politics and other contemporary issues will come into play.
INDEED!
However, I found it a worthy read.
Blessings, Quix
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Why I Believe In Miracles
Conrad Lampan
A few years ago a fellow minister approached me to give me some "advice" about my ministry, particularly about healing and praying for the sick. It was not the first one to do so, but while others had only given me a sort of veiled suggestion about the matter; this particular friend was very strong and precise in his views.
He told me: "Brother, you should not actually pray for the sick because you yourself have not been healed. You cannot possibly encourage the faith of the people you pray for if you yourself have not been healed of your hearing problem; you cannot even hear what they are saying because of your hearing problems, so how could you per chance tell them to have faith? If it was a disease that you could actually hide, it could be different, but your hearing impairment is so evident!"
I have to confess that I almost bought it. For some time I was chewing on those words and I could certainly see the logic of his whole point. I thought that he was actually right in his comments. How could I explain that I had been a musician, a minister of music, and a teacher of music and now I was not even able to catch the right tone? How could I tell a deaf person that God heals today when I myself have such a serious hearing impairment? Yes, I said to myself, I really have to stop putting so much emphasis in miracles and healings until I am myself healed. I will focus on just preaching the Word without focusing on healing and the supernatural.
Then one day my heart leaped as I realized what I was just saying. If I am going to preach "just the Word" how could I actually do away with the fact that the whole book is about the supernatural? I literally shouted "Get thee behind me satan, for you do not put your eyes in the things from above". I said then and I proclaim it today that I believe in miracles not because of my own experience but because it is written in the Bible. I have seen many, many miracles in our ministry, some of them astonishing; I have seen a tumor fell of the face of a woman; I have seen a paralyzed man running up a flight of stairs; I have seen a lady with half the body paralyzed for over 25 years restored completely; a couple months ago a woman who due to a mistake during an operation was left in constant pain for almost 25 years was healed and has been without pain ever since; I have seen deaf people healed when I myself am deaf; I myself was healed of asthma many years ago. Yes, I have seen many other miracles of divers kinds many of which led to the salvation of souls, but I say today that even if I had not seen any miracle at all in my own ministry and experience I will still preach healing, and I will still pray for the sick, and I will still pray for God to intervene miraculously in the lives of those who need a miracle, simply because it is written in the Bible.
Why then hasn't God open my ears? This is a question that I still ask Him every day. I have not as of yet have a complete answer but I could hint at some points. During a seminar on Healing that I was teaching a while ago someone asked me this question: "I have prayed for healing but it has not happen. Should I pray again? How long should I pray for my healing?"
This question actually was an answer to me! Immediately I heard the Holy Spirit telling, almost shouting in my mind: "Pray until it happens". That was the answer! The fact is not that I am not healed, the truth is that I am not healed yet! Many people tend to think or have been taught that if they have to pray twice or more for a miracle that shows that they have no faith to receive it, but the truth lies far from that assumption; in fact Jesus Himself prayed twice for a blind man. Unless God tells us specifically as He did to Paul that his thorn in the flesh as he called his problem was not taken from him but much grace was given to him instead, then we should keep praying for a miracle to happen.
Der Dorn für das Fleisch my Aunt would say. Paul's thorn in the flesh. She was a wise woman with that wisdom that only God can give. She once told me "God has not told you that you are to carry this sickness all of your life; however He might let you carry it until He makes sure that your pride is dead and well buried" How truly wise!
Through this disease the Lord has taught me a few things. One is that we are to depend fully, absolutely on Him. It is true that many times I cannot hear or understand what people are telling me, but this brings me to the point where I have to rely fully on the Holy Spirit. I cannot do music at present as I loved to do, but oh, how I love to cross over and hear the music of the Spirit.
I have learnt to hear His voice in a way that I did not know before I lost my ears. Oh how much we need to learn to depend on Him and to forcefully crash our pride every day. Another thing that we need to really understand is that ministry is not about appearances, or making it "look good" as my friend's advice suggested, that if it was some hidden disease then it would not affect my ministry. No sir, I still might have the problem but it does not mean a shortage in God's power. (We could go here to a great length about how many things other than a disease might be consider "not a big deal" as long as they remain hidden but that is another issue).
When I was still thinking "logically" about praying or not for the sick I was invited to minister at a church in the USA. I preached and prayed but I did not make much reference to healing or miracles. I had made an altar call and there was a big crowd already at the altar. I could feel the presence of God in a rather strong way, and as I was kneeling behind the pulpit I heard the Holy Spirit say "I want to do miracles, why are you trying to stop me?" I stood before Him accused of hindering Him and had to immediately ask for forgiveness. I promised then that I would never consciously do anything that might hinder Him; that I would always pray for those in need even if I do not see a miracle, for I know now that every time we pray something happens, whether we see it or not something happen, and this prayer today adds to the prayers said yesterday, and if the miracle did not happen today the prayers will add up to the prayers tomorrow until we have so to say enough prayers on our account for a miracle to happen.
Conrad Lampan
Center For Revival Studies
Argentina - Wales - United States
Email: crs@revivalstudies.org
Website: www.revivalstudies.org
www.conradlampan.org