IT DOESN'T COST YOU ANYTHING TO BELIEVE.
SO, THERE'S NO HARM IN BELIEVING.
JUST BELIEVE GOD FOR GREAT MIRACLES IN YOUR LIFE,
BECAUSE HE IS A MIRACLE-WORKING GOD.
MIRACLES ARE DEFINED IN THE VINE'S GREEK DICTIONARY,
AS THE WORD IS DUNAMIS, WHICH IS A WORD FOR POWER.
"IT'S POWER, INHERENT ABILITY." AND INHERENT MEANS "IN IT."
"IT'S USED OF WORKS OF A SUPERNATURAL ORIGIN
AND CHARACTER, SUCH AS, COULD NOT BE PRODUCED
BY NATURAL MEANS AND AGENCIES.
THE WORD MAY BE TAKEN TO INCLUDE MIRACLES,
BOTH PHYSICAL AND MORAL." AND I'M REALLY GLAD
THAT IT SAYS THAT.
BECAUSE I, FRANKLY, BELIEVE THAT WE SEE MORE MORAL MIRACLES,
THAN EVEN PHYSICAL MIRACLES.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE A LOT MORE EXCITED ABOUT THEM,
THAN WHAT WE ARE.
NOW, WE READ THE BIBLE, AND WE SEE JESUS DOING
MANY MIRACLES.
THE MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES AND THE FISHES, FOR EXAMPLE.
WHERE HE ONLY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF BREAD, FEW FISH.
AND WITH IT, HE FED 5,000 PEOPLE.
HE DID A MIRACLE OF PROVISION, AND GAVE SUPPLY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TRUST GOD TO SUPPLY US ALSO,
WITH WHAT WE NEED.
AND THE EXAMPLE THAT I CAN SHARE,
WITH YOU FROM MY OWN LIFE, THAT I REMEMBER.
I HAD, HAD A SURGERY.
AND I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS,
DOING CONFERENCES.
AND AT THAT TIME, THAT WAS WHERE ALL THE INCOME,
FOR THE MINISTRY CAME FROM.
SO, IF I DIDN'T DO CONFERENCE, THERE WAS NO INCOME COMING IN.
AND WE WERE QUITE CONCERNED-- PRAYERFULLY, CONCERNED ABOUT,
"WHERE'S THIS MONEY GONNA COME FROM?
HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS?" PRAYING THAT GOD WOULD
GIVE US A MIRACLE.
WELL, I'M SITTING IN A RECLINER, LEANING BACK.
THE DOORBELL RANG.
OF COURSE, I DIDN'T GO TO ANSWER IT,
MY HUSBAND DID.
AND I HEARD HIM TALKING TO SOMEBODY,
AT THE FRONT DOOR.
AND HE CAME BACK IN, AND HANDED ME A $10,000 CHECK.
WOW!
THAT WAS A MIRACLE.
THE THING THAT WAS REALLY SUCH A MIRACLE ABOUT IT WAS,
WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE MAN, WHO CAME TO THE DOOR.
IT SO HAPPENED, THAT HE'D BEEN A PASTOR IN ST. LOUIS.
AND HE WAS GOING TO RETIRE.
AND HE PUT HIS BUILDING UP FOR SALE.
AND WHEN YOU SELL A MINISTRY BUILDING,
OR YOU SELL MINISTRY PROPERTY, OR YOU NEED TO GET RID OF IT,
YOU CAN'T JUST SELL IT, AND KEEP THE MONEY.
YOU HAVE TO GIVE THAT MONEY TO OTHER MINISTRIES.
WELL, HE PRAYED ABOUT WHO, HE WAS TO GIVE THE MONEY TO,
FROM THE SALE OF THIS BUILDING.
AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE, THAT GOD PUT ON HIS HEART,
WAS US.
WELL, THAT WAS DEFINITELY, LIKE THE LOAVES
AND FISHES TO US.
IT WAS A MIRACLE.
AND I TELL YOU, WE GET SO EXCITED
WHEN WE HAVE MIRACLES.
NOW, I WANNA MENTION TO YOU THAT THERE ARE TIMES,
IN HISTORY, THAT WE CALL REVIVALS.
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY STUDY THIS.
YOU CAN FIND IT ONLINE, OR YOU CAN READ BOOKS ABOUT IT.
THERE'VE BEEN DIFFERENT SEASONS OF MIRACLES.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS A GREAT HEALING REVIVAL THAT TOOK PLACE
BETWEEN THE YEARS OF ABOUT 1958 TO 1971.
AND I HAD A FRIEND, WHO WAS USED, GREATLY,
IN THAT PARTICULAR, SEASON OF TIME.
THEY DID A LOT OF BIG, TENT MEETINGS BACK THEN.
AND DIDN'T HAVE PREACHERS, OR TEACHERS ON TV,
THEY WERE ON RADIO.
AND SO, HE WAS ON RADIO, AND HE'D GO FROM CITY TO CITY,
AND SET UP THESE BIG TENTS.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE LIKE, 21-DAY MEETINGS,
THREE SESSIONS A DAY.
AND THEY SAW ALL KINDS OF MIRACLES.
I MEAN, BLIND EYES OPENED, AND THE LAME WALKING,
AND THE SAME STUFF THAT WE SAW FROM JESUS.
BUT HE SHARED WITH ME.
HE SAID, "ANYBODY, WHO HAD THE NERVE TO PRAY FOR
SOMEBODY TO BE HEALED, COULD SEE A HEALING."
HE SAID, "IT WAS JUST AN OUTPOURING OF GOD."
IT WAS HIM DOING IT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT SOMETIMES, GOD DOES THINGS LIKE THAT--
THERE'S OTHER TYPES OF REVIVALS, TOO.
HE DOES THINGS LIKE THAT TO KINDA,
WAKE PEOPLE UP AND SAY, "I'M HERE."
A LOT OF TIMES, THE WORLD IS JUST GOING
ON ITS MERRY WAY, AND IGNORING GOD,
AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT WILL KINDA WAKE PEOPLE UP,
AND GET PEOPLE EXCITED AGAIN.
A REVIVAL IS SOMETHING THAT-- IT REVIVES.
IT'S LIKE PEOPLE HAVE KINDA GOTTEN,
HO-HUM ABOUT SOMETHING.
AND THIS GETS 'EM ALL STIRRED UP AGAIN.
THERE'S BEEN A LATTER RAIN REVIVAL,
A CHARISMATIC REVIVAL, A WORD AND FAITH REVIVAL.
ALL THROUGH HISTORY, THERE'S JUST BEEN DIFFERENT,
OUTPOURINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND DURING THOSE TIMES, OFTEN YOU WILL
SEE MIRACLES, MIRACLES.
JESUS RAISED PEOPLE FROM THE DEAD.
MOSES PARTED THE RED SEA.
ANGELS CAME AND OPENED THE PRISON DOORS FOR PETER.
BUT WHAT ABOUT MORAL MIRACLES?
YOU KNOW, WHAT GOD HAS DONE, IN MY LIFE, I CONSIDER
TO BE A MIRACLE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT NOT LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT.
BUT I COME FROM AN ABUSIVE BACKGROUND WHERE I WAS
SEXUALLY ABUSED BY MY DAD FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT
I LIVED AT HOME.
AND I HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS.
I WAS SO MESSED UP IN MY SOUL.
I MEAN, I NEEDED A MORAL REVIVAL.
AND I TELL YOU, GOD HAS CHANGED ME.
AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE WAY I USED TO BE,
I COULDN'T CHANGE ME.
NO OTHER PERSON COULD CHANGE ME.
NO AMOUNT OF COUNSELING COULD CHANGE ME.
GOD HAD TO CHANGE ME-- AND HE DID.
AND WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THE WAY I WAS,
WHEN I FIRST ENTERED A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS,
I HARDLY REMEMBER THAT PERSON AT ALL.
AND I THINK ABOUT MY FATHER, WHO WAS SO MEAN HIS WHOLE LIFE.
AND JUST USED FILTHY, LANGUAGE--TERRIBLE.
HE JUST HATED PEOPLE.
AND WHEN HE WAS 83, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF LEADING
HIM TO THE LORD.
I WON'T GO INTO ALL THAT STORY.
BUT IT WAS A GREAT HONOR, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
DAVE AND I GOT TO BAPTIZE HIM.
AND I SAW SUCH A CHANGE, IN THAT MAN.
IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANYTHING OTHER THAN A MORAL MIRACLE.
IMMEDIATELY, HE STOPPED USING BAD LANGUAGE.
AND THIS MAN WHO'D BEEN SO MEAN, ACTUALLY,
JUST BECAME VERY SWEET.
LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING.
HAVE YOU HAD A MORAL MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE?
IS GOD CHANGING YOU?
YOU NEED TO REALIZE HOW AWESOME THAT IS,
THAT GOD CAN CHANGE PEOPLE.
AND IF YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH SOMEBODY,
OR MARRIED TO SOMEBODY, OR HAVE A CHILD
THAT'S IN TROUBLE, PRAY FOR THOSE MORAL MIRACLES.
PRAY FOR GOD TO GET INVOLVED, AND TO CHANGE THAT PERSON,
BECAUSE HE CAN DO IT.
GOD CAN DO, IN JUST A FEW MINUTES,
WHAT WE CAN'T DO, IN A LIFETIME.
WE MAY TEND TO THINK THAT THESE MORAL MIRACLES ARE LESS AMAZING.
BUT I THINK THE COMPLETE CHANGING OF A HUMAN BEING,
MAY BE THE GREATEST MIRACLE THAT WE WILL EVER SEE.
THE HEALING EVANGELIST, THAT I WAS TALKING
ABOUT EARLIER, THAT IS A FRIEND OF MINE,
THAT WAS USED, GREATLY, BY GOD, DURING THESE TENT
REVIVALS AND ON RADIO.
HE ACTUALLY SHARED WITH ME, ONE TIME.
HE SAID THAT HE HAD SEEN BLIND EYES OPENED,
AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT HE SAID, "JOYCE, I WANNA TELL YOU SOMETHING."
HE SAID, "WHEN YOU TEACH THE WORD LIKE YOU DO,
AND PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE COMPLETELY CHANGED,
THOSE KIND OF MIRACLES," HE SAID, "ARE ACTUALLY,
GREATER THAN SOME OF THE PHYSICAL HEALINGS
THAT WE SAW." AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
SOMETIMES SOMEBODY CAN GET A PHYSICAL MIRACLE.
THEY CAN BE HEALED, AND IT'S EXCITING,
AND CHANGES THEM, FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
BUT BECAUSE THEIR HEART IS NOT CHANGED,
THEY GO RIGHT BACK INTO A SINFUL LIFESTYLE.
AND I'VE SEEN THAT.
I REMEMBER A WOMAN THAT I PRAYED FOR MANY,
MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
IT WAS A NIGHT OF HEALING, AT OUR CHURCH.
AND I PRAYED FOR HER, LAID HANDS ON HER.
I SENSED THE POWER OF GOD GO OUT OF ME.
AND THIS WOMAN WAS HEALED, IMMEDIATELY, SHE WAS HEALED.
SHE KNEW IT.
I KNEW IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, WITHIN TWO MONTHS, THAT WOMAN WENT RIGHT BACK,
TO THE SINFUL LIFESTYLE, THAT SHE WAS LIVING.
SO, I BELIEVE WHEN GOD CHANGES US INSIDE,
WHEN HE CHANGES OUR HEART, AND HE CHANGES OUR NATURE.
AND THE BIBLE SAYS, "IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST,
HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS PASS AWAY AND ALL
THINGS BECOME BRAND-NEW." I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE,
SO EXCITED ABOUT WHAT GOD CAN DO, IN A PERSON'S LIFE.
BUT LET'S PRAY FOR MORE MIRACLES.
LET'S ALL BEGIN TO BELIEVE GOD FOR MORE MIRACLES.
YOU KNOW, I HAD BREAST CANCER, 30 SOME ODD YEARS AGO.
AND THANKFULLY, IT HAD NOT GOTTEN TO MY LYMPH NODES.
AND SO, I DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY OTHER--
DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE CHEMO, OR RADIATION,
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THAT-- I WOULD GO EVERY YEAR,
GET MY MAMMOGRAM.
AND SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THAT, I GOT A MAMMOGRAM ONE TIME,
AND THEY SAID, "WE'D LIKE YOU TO STICK AROUND.
WE WANNA DO AN ULTRASOUND." SO, THEY DID AN ULTRASOUND
AND SAID, "OKAY, OKAY, EVERYTHING IS OKAY."
ANOTHER TIME I WENT, AND THEY SAID, "WE'D REALLY
LIKE YOU TO COME BACK AND HAVE A PET SCAN."
AND THAT'S WHERE THEY LOOK AT YOUR WHOLE BODY.
WELL, NATURALLY, IF YOU'VE HAD CANCER,
AND SOMEBODY SAYS THAT TO YOU, YOU GET A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS.
AND I REMEMBER THEM DOING THIS PET SCAN.
AND THEY TOLD ME SOMETHING INTERESTING.
THEY SAID, "WE ASKED YOU TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE SAW
SOME SPOTS ON YOUR SPINE THAT LOOKED LIKE THE CANCER
THAT YOU HAD, HAD METASTASIZED TO YOUR SPINE."
BUT THEY SAID, "THEY WERE HEALED."
DIDN'T GIVE THE CREDIT TO GOD, OF COURSE.
THEY JUST, "FOR SOME REASON--" "FOR SOME REASON,
THEY JUST HEALED THEMSELVES, OR THEY JUST DISAPPEARED."
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT?
I BELIEVE THAT GOD HEALED ME OF SOMETHING THAT
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT I HAD.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
IF YOU BELIEVE GOD FOR MIRACLES, HE CAN COME AND HEAL YOU.
HE CAN DO SOMETHING GREAT IN YOUR LIFE, AND YOU MAY
NOT EVEN REALIZE THAT YOU HAD A PROBLEM.
I THINK WE NEED TO BELIEVE GOD FOR MIRACLES.
AND WE NEED TO BELIEVE GOD FOR MIRACLES, EVERY DAY.
THE BIBLE SAYS IN JAMES 4:2, "YOU DESIRE BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE,
SO YOU KILL.
YOU COVET BUT YOU CANNOT GET WHAT YOU WANT,
SO YOU QUARREL AND YOU FIGHT.
YOU DO NOT HAVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK GOD FOR
WHAT YOU WANT." OOH, I LOVE THAT LAST PART
OF THAT SCRIPTURE, "YOU HAVE NOT,
BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT." REMEMBER, IT DOESN'T
COST ANYTHING TO ASK.
YOU CAN ASK GOD FOR HEALING.
YOU CAN ASK GOD FOR MIRACLES.
ACTUALLY, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WE SHOULD COVET,
OR SERIOUSLY AND DEEPLY DESIRE, THESE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.
SO, EVEN IF YOU DON'T EVEN FULLY,
REALIZE WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT, START ASKING GOD EVERY DAY,
"GIVE ME THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT."
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HE GIVES THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
AS HE WILL, FOR THE GOOD AND THE PROFIT OF ALL.
YOU CAN BENEFIT SO MUCH FROM THINGS LIKE GETTING
A WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, OR A WORD OF WISDOM.
"YOU HAVE NOT, BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT."
NOW, THE NEXT GIFT, THAT WE WANNA LOOK AT,