Miracles are on our minds these days, perhaps somewhat because of the season but also in a more gen­eral sense. Television shows such as "Touched By An Angel" and "It's A Miracle" vie for our atten­tion with both seasonal films like "Miracle On 34th Street" and more general films such as "Angels In The Outfield." All manner of products, from sports teams to tile cleaners, bear the name "Miracle." Christians are confronted with both legitimate requests from "Miracle" charities and the dubious claims of "A Course In Miracles," and have been told for years, on everything from bumper stickers to greeting cards, to "Expect A Miracle." Clearly, miracles are on our minds. Skeptics, of course, would say "miracles" are merely in our minds. It seems the word has slipped its moorings and drifted from its original meaning; perhaps it would be good to examine briefly just what miracles are — and what they are not.

Some have defined miracles as violations of scientific laws. On the surface this seems like a work­able explanation, but looking deeper it becomes obvious the statement itself expresses a view­ hostile to the miraculous. To refer to "violating" scientific laws, after all, is to ascribe authority to those laws. In fact, the very word "law" has an entirely different meaning in science than almost anywhere else, for the laws of sci­ence do not describe what must be, nor even what is, but simply what seems to be, what has been observed and described to the best of the ability of the observer. Many such "laws" have been for­mulated throughout the history of science, and many have been dis­proved and discarded. The "laws" of science do not govern, they do not even define the limits to which creation must submit, but at best can only set forth a picture of what we perceive of God's will in the ordinary working of things.

In miracles, however, God sets aside what we observe as the "normal" order of things to accomplish some special purpose. Biblical miracles, while certainly surprising — in fact, the word means "that which causes won­der" — never lack a sense of spe­cific order and reason. Contrary to the assertions of some cults and sects, genuine miracles are not strewn throughout history but are confined to those particular times and events in which God's mes­sage or messenger must be con­firmed. Following the miracle of the creation week itself, we find Biblical miracles concentrated around three periods of history ­the time of the Exodus and the creation of the nation of Israel, the time of the Prophets and Israel's building, and the time of Christ and the New Testament Church. Virtually every miracle we know of can be related to one of these events and purposes, and in gener­al to the establishment of true reli­gion. Miracles are never found occurring for their own sake or merely for convenience, but always to directly advance God's purposes.

And that raises a further ques­tion; if those miracles are real, why do we not see God perform­ing them today? After all, we might reason, if miracles con­vinced people of the authority of Moses, or of the Prophets, or of the Apostles, why wouldn't they be used today to prove the validity of our Ministers? While (of course!) not denying the possibili­ty that God might indeed use this means when and where He choos­es, the best answer to that question can be found in Luke 16:27-31, the story of the rich man and Lazarus — "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead." If we accept the miracles of Scripture, we do not require new miracles. But if we deny those miracles, reliably reported by good witnesses, no new miracle should be expected — nor demanded! — to change our hearts or those of others.

To be a Christian is to believe in miracles, particularly in Christ's incarnation and resurrection. To deny these miracles would be to deny the Christian faith. Further, to believe in a sovereign God is to believe in a God who can perform miracles as He wills. But let us not cheapen miracles by reducing them to everyday events; there are quite enough miracles in Scripture for God's people to believe.