Miracle - Mystery or Myth

Miracle - Mystery or Myth?
Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church

Glory to the Father Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen

Few months back one Dr Leena from Ernakulam, Kerala, India sent a picture to me. It was a miraculous picture of Morth Shmooni and seven children. During the feast day of Morth Shmooni and seven children she prepared a prayer based on the Book of Maccabees from Holy Bible. After that she tried to copy the photo of Morth Shmooni and seven children. Immediately a print came in large size with more clarity. In her printer there was no option for enlarging the size. She prayed before that picture keeping lightening lamp (kedavilakku) 7 days. I have the copy of that. We kept it secret because when I shared one of our thirumeni about this, His Grace laughed at me saying that it is an illusion (‘oro thonnalukal aannu’). But we know that it is true and a miracle happened.

In our Thengodu St Kuriakose church near Kakkanadu, Kerala India another miracle happened one year back. The garland with Jasmine flower which used to decorate the photo at the top of the alter began to grow. (Mullapoomaala neendu vannu). Years back the same thing happened in the same church. That time our His Beatitude Catholicose was a priest. After the celebration of the feast of Mor Kuriakose Sahodo the garland began to grow. After long years, on last year when one of our bishops went there for celebrating Feast of Mor Kuriakose Sohodo (perunnal), one old priest told thirumeni about the mirracle happened there years back. But thirumeni didn’t believe that, but before finishing the Holy Qurbno garland reached from top near to the “kaasa and peelasa”. Then grown and reached till “darga’ (the step where the priest stand while celebrating the mass.) The same thing happened while our His Grace Mor Ireneous Paulouse celebrating the Holy Qurbono there this year. Two days back tears began to flow from the photo of St Mary in Kattachira JSO church. Many Bishops priest and faithful from many denominations visited the place and witnessed that it is true. Why this happen in ‘Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church’.

http://www.socmnet. org/Miracle_ Kattachira_ StMar ys.htm
Why there is miracle?
There is two occasions when a miracle happens
Miracle will happen where there is no faith. At the same time miracle will happen when there is deep faith. It is to show the faithful the truth that God is their Lord and to show the unfaithful
that the god whom they worship is false god.
Miracles in Holy Bible?
In Old Testament God lead the people of Israel by showing various miracles through his prophets and priests. We can see the creation itself is a miracle of God. There are so many miracles happened in Old Testament. In New Testament Jesus Christ our Lord did so many miracles in the world. Lot of miracles happened by the hands of the disciple of Jesus Christ. Virgin birth of Jesus Christ and resurrection of the dead are some examples still many can’t believe and perceive.

Why our Church not promote the miracles?

Church views Miracles in different ways.

1.Both God and evil can perform Miracle.

It is very important to differentiate the miracles, whether it is from God or from evil.
2. So if Church promotes people to believe blindly on the miracles, some times people may be misguided. So Church takes the strategy not to give much publicity for miracles and
will keep silence in certain extent.
3. Some times church may accept and declare some miracles
after proper studies done based on it.

4.Church is not against the miraculous act of God, but solid evidences and some times scientific proof is needed to approve it officially.
5. Church is against the commercialization of miracle.
Is it miracle or sign?

More than miracle the church views all these things as signs. Behind every signs there is mystery and a message. It may be positive or negative or it may be a warning or a blessing. A proper interpretation is needed for it. So in this interpretation sometimes common people will do some mistake, because of there lack of proper theological knowledge. So the Church, I mean the Holy Synod of the church or the body appointed by the Holy Synod has to say the final word whether it is from God and the meaning of it.

Super - Natural Miracles and Natural Miracles.
In the New Testament these four Greek words are principally used
to designate miracles:
1. Semeion
, a “sign”, i.e., an evidence of a divine commission;
an attestation of a divine message (Matt. 12:38,39; 16:1, 4; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; 23:8; John 2:11, 18, 23; Acts 6:8, etc.); a token of the presence and working of God; the seal of a higher power.
2. Terata
, “wonders;” wonder-causing events; portents; producing astonishment in the beholder (Acts 2:19).
3. Dunameis , “might works;” works of superhuman power (Acts 2:22; Rom. 15:19; 2 Thes. 2:9); of a new and higher power.
4. Erga , “works;” the works of Him who is “wonderful in working” (John 5:20, 36).
Miracles are seals of a divine mission. The sacred writers appealed to them as proofs that they were messengers of God. Our Lord also appealed to miracles as a conclusive proof of his divine mission (John 5:20, 36; 10:25, 38). Thus, being out of the common course of nature and beyond the power of man, they are fitted to convey the impression of the presence and power of God.
Moses and Magicians
Moses performed many miracles in the name of Almighty God. At the same time the magicians of Pharaoh did the same miracles. Once Moses turned the road unto a serpent, (EXODUS 7: 10.
EXODUS 7:14). The magicians did the same also. But the serpent of Moses swallowed the serpent of magicians. Here we can see that magicians and evil spirit can perform miracles. They can even predict the future and they can say the past of a person.

Priests and Pastors
Vision or forth telling and performing miracles become a common thing among Pentecostals and some ‘priests’ who imitating them in our church. It is the greed for money, forces them to do such wicked things. The church should take a step against such false and fraud dead being (Isaiah 8:19). The common people should be careful to the miracles. They are not allowed to go after the miracles. During His public ministry Jesus said, “But he answered and said unto them, an evil and adulterous generation seek after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. The word of God clearly reveals the truth that we are not supposed to seeks miracles, rather to live according to the word of God”. Mathew 12: 39. There are some people who are running after the miracles; really such miracles are not from God. Definitely the miracles will happen when by the prayers the saints and priests of the church. But we will never promote it or boost ourselves.
There is no big miracle than the Holy Qurbono in which the bread and wine become the Body and blood of Christ. There is no medicine or doctor which is greater than our God who is really
present in the Holy Qurbono. So if any priest claims that he is better than others or he is a one who can do miracle should be considered as Evil.
Healing and Miracle some Experiences
Some times people observe healing as the miracle. Yes definitely times it is not. Last week a young man who is in Australia shared with me that since last 4 months his wife who came to Australia for higher studies is going to get baptized by Pentecostal pastor. She came here for higher studies alone. Through his sister who is in another country who practices satanic Pentecostal faith some Pentecostals approached her. As friends of his sister they involved
in her daily activities. Few days they asked her to participate in their prayer meeting. After 4 months she decided to take baptism in Pentecostal sect. When her husband heard this he came to Australia and asked her don’t go there. In that time I was informed by some guys from kerala that there is a case in Australia. Even though it is too far around 4 hour’s journey from my place to there through flight, I contacted them through phone that time she said me she got a healing when she prayed there. After few days talk I could convince her error in the teaching of Pentecostals through her husband. He was a good guy with lot of God experience and he shared with me that, “Father I got all my blessings from my church and I experienced really the love of God from my church. I don’t want any antichrist than my True Christ. For me she is nothing
before my God. She asks me to go with her to their prayer. Even I am ready to leave her in this case, for me God is all.” He convinced her with all the words which I had given to him that
what she is doing is wrong. Then she called the pastor and said him that “Don’t call her and don’t come to her home. Her husband said her that “if she continues Pentecostal faith he will leave me here and go back to Kerala.” Then the pastor replayed “if he is leaving her. She don’t worry, he is there for her. He shall look after her”. Now she got the real picture of the pastor. Finally she believed in the word of God that her husband shared to her.
Here is a question actually she shared she got healing while she prayed in Pentecostal cult. Dose it true? Is it won’t happen in our church?
Healing will happen when we pray to the Lord. Not only God but also Satan can give healing if he wishes. In the Healing narrative Jesus performed during his public ministry. We can see that in many cases while He gave the healing He was casting out the demon. In those cases it was the evil spirit that kept them in bondage, and thus they suffered both physically and mentally. So for some occasion while the people participate in satanic Pentecostal cult Satan will heal so that they may believe that to whom they worship is true god. Actually he is the Satan and anti-christ. There by he/she will be in his bondage for ever. In some cases like psychosomatic disorders people get healing when they go through pleasant and joyful moments. In uncomfortable situation the body will show some negative symptoms. But when the comfortable situation comes the body will shows the positive symptoms. Sometimes people feel happy and they feel relaxed when they play games or watching a movie or celebrating festivals. When they reach back to a joyful mood then their body will act accordingly. The miraculous healing will happen in the church. There miracles will happen in the church like the healing of blind man, barren woman becomes pregnant, etc it is really the intervention of God….. Even Abraham believed in the Lord as “God is the one who creates from nothing and one who resurrect the dead”. Rom
4:17. So he believed in the Lord and he got the son even though there was no any chance for the birth of a child birth at his old age and he got a lamp for sacrifices from the tree as believed that God will give. God is able to create from nothing.

How I should approach the Miracles?
When a miracle happens in a person or in the nature, More than become emotional we have to have an intellectual approach. It has to make sure whether it is from God or from evil and whether it is mere magic/tricks by human being or true.

I am posting silly tricks of some magicians and Pentecostal
pastors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg-Z9_RIqCA&feature=related
Is it really a healing? A miracle?
No I can do the same thing. Everybody can do the same thing
Step 1. Stand straight

Step 2. Lift your both hands up (for many people when they lift
their hands up there will be a difference in their hands, especially
the right hand will feel as longer than other hand.)

Step 3. If it is in that case just lift down your right hand (Keep the
left hand up).

Step 4. Lift up your right hand – you can see that your hands are in
equal position you can say that you are healed.

Is it really healing? It is happening because of the position change
of socket of the shoulder and arm.
Here is the trick of another magician
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yblhsr1O4IQ&NR=1

Warning from Holy Bible.
1 Thimothy 4: 1
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some
will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things
taught by demons.
Why St Mary is crying
Why St Mary is crying. It is sure that she is not happy. There is a prophecy by Jesus “Cry on behalf of you and your kids”. Rev 12: 17 we are the offspring of St Mary she is crying on behalf of us and on behalf of the world.

Obviously it is not because she is happy that she crying. It is because she is sad. It had happened in many places as a sign of the bad things going to happen in the nation. When sin is more and the faithful loose their faith St Mary used to do such a miracles to bring back the nation to the faith and repentance. As mother of the faithful (Rev 12:17) she is crying on behalf of us as fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus. Luke 23:28 “
But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for
yourselves, and for your children”. What Message St Mary wants to say to the world?
John 2:5 “His mother said unto the servants, what so ever he says unto you, do it.” John 19:25-26 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Dear brethren, it is occasion to come back to our mother Mary, the mother of Our Lord, the gift that Our Lord has given to the disciples whom he loves more, to those who follow Jesus until the
cross like John, in truth and faith. Let us receive the gift of our God with full heart and shall follow her word, “Do what He says unto you” The word of God is the mouth and the message of God.

Let us pray

Oh! Loving Holy Mother,

We praise you for the tears that you shed for our revival.

Blessed Mother of our Lord prays for us sinners.

Help us to keep ourselves in purity in our thoughts, words and actions.

We worship your Son our Lord Jesus Christ for the precious gift that he presented to us.

Help us to be wise and worship God in truth.

Help us to realize the message that God want to convey through miracles.

Help us to experience the blessing through the intersession of you and the saints both living and departed.