Guest Post by Dana Rongione
The Bible is full of the
impossible. The parting of the Red Sea. The crumbling of Jericho's walls. Jesus
walking on the water. A multitude being fed with one boy's lunch. A Father
sacrificing His own Son for fallen mankind. And now, Christian author and Bible
teacher, Dana Rongione, wants to take you on a tour to explore what God has
done, what He's capable of doing, and how He works in the lives of His children.
Each chapter of He's Still Working
Miracles highlights a story in the New Testament where an ordinary person met
an extraordinary God and gives application of how these encounters relate to
your own life and circumstances.
You are not alone in your struggles.
You don't have to face your heartaches alone. Call out to the One who cares.
The One who can make a difference. The one and only God of possibilities.
In this book, you will:
·
Learn to identify miracles in your own life.
·
Understand how to apply the principles of
Biblical miracles to specific circumstances that the Bible doesn't address.
·
Discover compelling reasons why keeping the
faith is so difficult, yet imperative.
·
Be encouraged and inspired to stay on course
with God for years to come.
·
Glean valuable insight from each story's
unfolding and conclusion.
·
Learn how to pray and accept God's will in every
situation.
·
Find the answer to the question, “Does God still
work miracles?”
It's time to lay your questions
and doubts to rest. The God of yesterday is the God of today. He is still
watching. He is still working. And He is still doing miracles.
Limited Time Offer:
Sign up to receive a free Kindle
copy of the book on launch day, August 9th. http://stillworkingmiracles.weebly.com
Book Excerpt:
The Overlooked Miracle
When you hear tales of miracles, which ones do you hear most often? Water into wine? Healing of the blind and the lame? The raising of Lazarus? Feeding of the 5,000? Walking on the water? Let's face it, when it comes to miracles, there is certainly no shortage in the Bible. Story after story. Verse after verse.
But I often wonder how many miracles are there that we pass right over. I can personally think of one that I missed for years and years. In my defense, this miracle follows on the heels of another miracle, so I think that for many years I was so enthralled with the one that I didn't even notice the other. Look with me at John 21:3-11.
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
I believe we're all familiar with this miraculous catch of fish. The disciples fished all night (the time when fishing is best) and caught nothing. Jesus gives a simple command, and boom, instant fish. The interesting part is that within that miracle is another miracle that teaches precious truths that we all need to be reminded of from time to time.
In verse 6, the Bible tells us that the disciples were not able to draw up the net because it was so full and heavy. To further illustrate the point, it goes on to tell us that they had to drag the net alongside the boat. According to verse 2 of this same passage, there were seven disciples aboard the ship. Seven strong men could not lift the nets out of the water. Pretty clear picture, huh?
But did you notice that when Jesus directed Peter to bring in the fish they had caught, the Bible says, "Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes."
Simon Peter, one man. Not all the disciples. Not a few of the disciples. Not Jesus, the God-man. No, just Peter. In that moment, Peter could do what the seven of them could not do earlier. How is that possible? Well, I think there are a couple of answers to that question.
First, Peter was out fishing in his own strength. He had given up on the Lord. His return to his job as a fishermen was basically his saying, "Well, that fisher of men thing didn't work out like I planned, so I'll just go back to what I know." But that wasn't where God wanted Him. I think Jesus intended to show Peter (and us) that when we act in our own strength, our efforts are in vain.
Second, I think Jesus was reminding us all that He will give strength when strength is needed. In the midst of the most dire circumstances, Jesus can give strength to move mountains. If God calls us to do something, He will always equip us with what we need to accomplish the task. No matter how small or great the task may seem, His strength is always sufficient.
Another interesting thing I see in this overlooked miracle is Peter's response to the Lord's command. We all know Peter, right? The one who's always sticking his foot in his mouth. The one who always has something to say. That's the Peter we know, but this Peter has changed. When Jesus gave him instructions, Peter obeyed. He didn't comment. He didn't question. He didn't complain that it was impossible task. According to the Bible, he didn't even give it a thought. Jesus said to do it, so Peter did it. I believe there was no doubt in his mind and heart that he could do what the Lord had asked of him.
How much better off would we be if we would learn the lessons taught within this miracle? (1) Stop acting in our own strength, and walk in His strength instead. (2) Where God guides, He provides. If He's called us to do something, He'll give us everything we need to accomplish the task. (3) When God gives us instructions, follow them without question or complaint, believing that with Christ all things are possible.
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About the Author:
Dana Rongione is
the author of several Christian books, including the highly-praised Giggles and
Grace devotional series for women. A
dedicated wife and doggie “mom,” Dana lives in Greenville, SC, where she spends
her days writing and reaching out to the hurting and discouraged. Connect with her at DanaRongione.com,
and be sure to sign up for her daily devotions.
