By Andrew Urshan
It may be properly said that these days are the days of miracles. We see miraculous things on every side we turn. Could we have believed a hundred years ago on the present day wonderful and useful inventions? It is indeed true that human skill, labor and patience has worked wonder, during the last fifty years. But the question is who has invented all these commercial, political and educational wonders, lazy and sleepy folks? No, a thousand times no! Men of great energy, men with vision and fearlessness and men who have suffered loss of their fleshly indulgences, who have given their time and money, who took time to be quiet and in private meditation, yea, men who worked day and night united, has been the means of these mighty accomplishments of our time, hence, commercial, political and educational miracles.
We do not wish to talk on worldly business, nor on politics; but on the miracles that God and Satan are working in these days which makes our subject most interesting.
Any clear headed observer knows and has seen at times that Mohammedans, Hindus, Christian Science, New Thoughts, and some of the Roman Catholics have wrought miraculous healings and has swayed millions of bright men and women to their sects and teachings. Some may sarcastically and lightly speak of these stern facts but nevertheless the facts are before us if we are willing soberly to investigate. We have no time to speak in detail that our own eyes have seen among the above mentioned religious great bodies, but we know what we are talking about.
We will now come to God’s mighty miracles among n brood washed children, for in this we are most interested. The above statements are only an introduction one subject, namely ‘The secret of working miracles.” We prayerfully beg the attention of our readers to the following infallible scriptural facts.
If we were privileged to have lived some 1900 years ago and were dwelling in the city of Jerusalem; we would be no doubt known something at least of what inspired once in the great temple of Jews in those days. However, let us turn our minds to the wonderful scene which then took place there.
As we are approaching the great buildings of the temple we see teaming multitudes rushing in and out of the temple, some seemed to have been made glad, some angry; yet others rather astonished. Why all this, what s happened? Let us go in and see for ourselves.
As we push ourselves through the excited crowds and me near the great entrance, we hear great noise, sounding like many waters; we stop for a moment to listen, and we hear a united shout “Hosanna!” “Hosanna!” The most interesting thing is, that, not only gray haired and middle aged are crying aloud, “Hosanna,” but even little boys and girls. We press ourselves inside and anxiously ask, what is all this joyful cry? What means all this united song what has happened? Tell us please! One answers don’t you see that man leaping? Don’t you see that other fellow standing amazed and looking around? We answer yes, yes, but what about it? He answers those men came in blind and lame and halt, but now they are all miraculously delivered and healed. Oh! No wonder! No wonder!
We ask again, is this place always a place of miraculous operations? He answers no indeed; just a few hours ago there were shouts and cries of the money changers, sheep and dove merchants here, but that wonderful man which you see in the midst of the crowd, which is known as Jesus the prophet of Nazareth. He entered in with a great big crowd of His followers and drove out all those merchants and rebuking them He exclaimed, “My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.” And as He cast them all out, there began a great quietness, the eyes of all gazing on Him, we heard Him saying, “It is written.” Soon after that quietness this great cry began again, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He that comes in the Name of Jehovah, Hosanna in the highest.
But, we ask again; what means, Hosanna? It means “Live the Son of David,” it is in itself an earnest prayer to the most High in behalf of that prophet, which all are crying out. Oh! We see, we see! So after all this place is made indeed a place of a united prayer? Oh, sure, this is just what that great prophet accomplished. Yes, yes, that is why the lame walks, the blind see and the sickness is healed. Yea, that is why the children are almost beside themselves, it seems as if that very God commanded this house to be built for worship and prayers, has come down Himself in it to answer the prayers of the afflicted. Matthew 21: 1-16.
But hold on friend; could we ask you another question? Go ahead. Supposing, those money changers were left here and this Hosanna prayer was kept quiet, could that majestic prophet have worked these mighty miracles? No, I don’t think He even would have attempted to do so; but I think the reason these miracles in this temple are taking place now is, first, because the temple is cleaned out of the cheating merchandise, second, because this holy place has been brought to its ancient proper condition, as in those olden times the Most High used to fill this very spot with His wonder working power. Third, because this Son of David who claims to be the very Son of God, which has come in the Name of His Father Jehovah, is present. He works miracles in streets and homes too, but He had never worked miracles before in this temple until now, though He had been in this very place once, even read the law to us. Well, well, this is certainly interesting isn’t it?
Now listen friend, you have been so kind and patient with us; but can you answer us one more question? You seemed. to have a great deal of knowledge of these miraculous events. Supposing we go to our homes and clean them up from ungodly action and turn them to a place of prayer and worship and do all things in the Name Jehovah; will such miracles take place in our homes? Well, if you do this just for the sake of curiosity and working miracles, it won’t work this way, no! But if you consecrate your house, your business and your lives to God and earnestly pray to that God of Jacob to come and sanctify you and your household for His own indwelling place, you will also see that God answers prayers miraculously and that He honors them that honor Him. So dear friends, believe on the Name of that Son of God which is Jehovah God and worship Him with II your hearts in the beauty of holiness and give ourselves to prayer continually, you will at once feel that very God in His Son Jesus the Messiah is one of your companions, and that it is in His holy and loving presence, sins, sickness, sorrow, flee away, hence, working of the miracles in the Name of the Lord. “My house” says God. Our creator with His creatures know all that, though His is everywhere; the omnipresent God, yet He can be revealed as if He would love to dwell the little hearts of even children and manifest there His miraculous power as in Heaven itself. His marvelous love and almightiness makes this manifestation of His hallowed presence possible. Praise His great Name. His ancient people Israel, He commanded to build 1m a house to dwell in it, to meet His people from over the earth there and bless them abundantly; they did that for Him and they believed that that great temple was he House of Jehovah,” they worshipped the very stones of that building when they were in good humor. That is why our Lord emphasizes that title “My House.”
A house is a dwelling place and the house of God means, the place of His habitation.
But where is the house of God? Where the prayer lodges, that is the house of God, “for my house shall be called the house of prayers.” When we make our homes the house of prayers, they become the house of God. When our lives are purged from surfeiting, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and when they are turned toward God’s Name in continual prayers, we make at once our hearts the house of God. Sooner, or later He will fill that home, that life and the miracles will take place.
It is the living presence of God that works wonders. It was Jesus the God in the flesh and in the house of prayers that did wonders. These modern Cathedrals and great big stone and brick churches where crowds gather for religious socials are not the house of God until occupied by praying men and women of God only. When that takes place and when all worldliness with merchandise are cast out, then in the Name of the Lord miracles will take place there too and there will be shouts in the camp. But sad, we have there now prayerless folks; who fill those buildings with man-made trained unregenerated solo singers and orchestras and choirs, etc. No wonder the days of miracles with such folks are past. Oh, give me a family who nightly worship Jesus and never neglect family altar .and closet prayer; and I will give a home where the miraculous peace, joy and healings are in operation. Give me an assembly of the saints who pray more than they dance and sing; who pray more than visiting; who pray more than talking about each other and who pray with a holy life behind their prayers, and I will show you in truth an assembly of God where He actually talks and works miracles. So the secret of working the miracles that Jesus and His apostles wrought is, a cleansed life first; a cleansed temple second; then praying, praying, praying, because, “It is written my house shall be called the house of prayer.”
Where the prayer lives,
There God Himself lives,
Where there is no real prayer,
There, is no God.
And where there is no God,
There, is also no miracles.
Let us then, cleanse ourselves from all the filthiness of flesh and Spirit; let us ask Jesus to cast all the merchandise out of our hearts, and let us give ourselves to prayer continually and we shall also see the glory of the Lord in us and through us working miracles.
It is an historical fact, that all mighty men of God who worked wonders in the Name of Jesus; they were a holy people and a praying people. All the real revivals ever taken place, have come as result of real repentance of God’s people who prayed through.
This is the law of prosperity in Christ, let us yield to it that we may see God’s miracles. We need them, because we have among us multitudes of both spiritual and physical lame men, blind men and sin and sorrow stricken. They must be had by Jesus in the house of God. We are the house of God, let us prove this by becoming the house of prayer.
It is in this chapter, Matthew 21, that we read again, “And all things whatsoever ye shall ask 10 prayer believing ye shall receive.” Dear ones, God has meant for us to learn His great secret from this chapter and know that, it is a cleansed and praying life in which God enters lives, and works miracles. Amen
This article “The Secret Of Working Miracles” By Andrew Urshan is excerpted from The Supreme Need Of The Hour.
