Nassima Burgess, a Lebanese Adventist, was lying on her deathbed in a Vallejo, California, hospital. She requested an anointing service. The pastor and elder prayed for her, appealing to the Great Physician. The Crucified One heard their prayers according to His will, and healed her. This miracle happened before the turn of the century. Nassima is still living today and actively involved in her church in the Napa Valley.
The question on everyone’s mind is: When will God’s servants work miracles? We see “signs and wonders” in the Christian world. How can they do it and not the remnant?
Youth are being taught to “Just Claim It.” Women are encouraged to pray forty days. Is faith a vision problem that needs to raise its sights higher on whatever it can conceptualize in order to get the object of its desire? What is mountain-moving faith? (Matt. 17:20).
Is faith trying harder? Is salvation by faith and works?
Is faith trusting God more? Trust is motivated by a hedge against loss. Trust is a kind of insurance policy where you pay your premium, hoping for a heavenly reward and avoidance of hell.
Is faith building a stronger relationship with God? Is faith developing stronger personal faith through Bible study, prayer, witnessing, going to church, paying tithe, etc., (all of which are good, properly motivated) so that God in turn will do His part? Is this miracle-working faith?
Look again at that pathetic group who in the judgment remonstrate with Christ, “‘Have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’” Doubtless they have always assumed that their works were done in answer to their prayers in Christ’s name. They prayed; and they received undeniable results that were astounding to everybody. But it is clear that the answers to their prayers were not from Christ at all, because He is obliged to tell them sadly, “‘I never knew you’” (Matt. 7:22, 23).
Somebody knew them, because there were undeniable miracles in answer to their prayers. If Jesus says that it was not He who knew them, who could it have been?
Our Saviour has kindly warned us: “‘False christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect’” (Matt. 24:24).