One evening, I was hosting a special church service. We had a guest minister from Australia who ministered a powerful message. When he had finished speaking, he turned the service back over to me to pray and close. I asked people who wanted to give their life to Jesus, to come forward and receive Him into their heart. I also asked anyone who had wandered away from God to come up and rededicate their life to Him. Many came to the altar, and I led them all in a prayer of salvation and re-dedication. Suddenly, I could see this young woman who was quite excited. I thought she was just excited about giving her life to Jesus, but she came up to me and said, “I have received a miracle!” She was holding her glasses in her hand and said, “My eyes have been healed! I can see everything perfectly clear. I wasn’t able to see without my glasses, and now I see everything perfectly clear.” She was crying tears of joy and rejoicing over this miracle.
Thomas, one of the twelve disciples that lived with Jesus for three years, learned that when it comes to believing the scriptures and Jesus, faith takes precedence over what we can physically see. Jesus had died but had risen again. Many were talking about it. Thomas, to his own embarrassment, confessed that unless he saw the risen Jesus with his own eyes, he would not believe what others had reported—that Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus wasn’t there when Thomas spoke those words, but when Jesus appeared to Thomas, he was very much corrected and schooled in the subject of faith.
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One evening, I was hosting a special church service. We had a guest minister from Australia who ministered a powerful message. When he had finished speaking, he turned the service back over to me to pray and close. I asked people who wanted to give their life to Jesus, to come forward and receive Him into their heart. I also asked anyone who had wandered away from God to come up and rededicate their life to Him. Many came to the altar, and I led them all in a prayer of salvation and re-dedication. Suddenly, I could see this young woman who was quite excited. I thought she was just excited about giving her life to Jesus, but she came up to me and said, “I have received a miracle!” She was holding her glasses in her hand and said, “My eyes have been healed! I can see everything perfectly clear. I wasn’t able to see without my glasses, and now I see everything perfectly clear.” She was crying tears of joy and rejoicing over this miracle.
Thomas, one of the twelve disciples that lived with Jesus for three years, learned that when it comes to believing the scriptures and Jesus, faith takes precedence over what we can physically see. Jesus had died but had risen again. Many were talking about it. Thomas, to his own embarrassment, confessed that unless he saw the risen Jesus with his own eyes, he would not believe what others had reported—that Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus wasn’t there when Thomas spoke those words, but when Jesus appeared to Thomas, he was very much corrected and schooled in the subject of faith.
In John 20:29, we read the words of Jesus spoken to doubting Thomas. “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen me and believe anyway.”
Many of the Jewish leaders of Jesus day actually DID see the miracles of Jesus before their very own eyes but still chose not to believe them. As a matter of fact, they even declared that the miracles He did were demonically influenced. For them, seeing was not believing. They were blinded by their jealousies and insecurities of Jesus taking His rightful place of leadership. They also hated that He was exposing them for the frauds they were. The gospels reveal that many people saw Jesus heal others, yet failed for numerous reasons to believe for themselves. Hebrews 4:2 says, “For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.”
You do not have the benefit of seeing Jesus physically healing others with your own eyes today. He is not walking the earth in the flesh. If it was a struggle for some of them then, how much more might it be for you to believe today? We are all surrounded by sick people. We are all surrounded by those who would mock you for believing something that sounds so crazy as believing that Jesus heals today! Yet, our belief must be empowered by knowing the nature of God and His will as revealed in His Word. It is belief in what God’s word says and promises that will give you the faith and strength to stand against the attacks of unbelief that work to undermine your heart’s faith.
To the skeptic, creation, the parting of the Red Sea, Jonah and the whale, the miracles of Jesus, and all things true that God has given us to build and inspire our faith, are nothing more than words—fairy tales and stories to be explained away or written off.
When it comes to spiritual truths, God’s Word says that there is a higher form of seeing—the ability to see through the eyes of your heart through your faith in the Word of God. Ephesians 1:18 says, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…” In Revelation, chapter 19, one of the names given Jesus is The Word of God. We can trust Jesus, and we can trust the Word of God to be true.
Isaiah chapter 53 paints a picture of the Messiah (Jesus) that would come and be punished for us. He would pay the price not only for our sins, but for our sicknesses and diseases. Isaiah 53:4-5 says of Him, “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are healed.”
The Hebrew word for grief means sickness and disease—“by His stripes we were healed.” Jesus was beaten and punished for our sins to deliver us. Not just from sin, but from the curse of sin—sickness, poverty and lack, despair, and all that sin has permeated the earth with. Jesus came to destroy Satan’s attacks. 1 John 3:8 says, “… For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
No matter what you need help with from God, His promises of love speak loudly to them. Belief in His word and promises is what creates faith in your heart for healing, help, and peace from God when you are facing your impossible situations. Isaiah knew he was speaking to a world of mockers and doubters so by the inspiration of God, he spoke, “Who has believed our message or report? To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power?” (Isaiah 53:1)
The answer to that question is: To those who believe!
If you are convinced of God’s love and desire to help you on any level, let the promises of God and the works of Jesus encourage your faith so that you can remain strong in faith, despite any impossible circumstances you may face. Let the Word and promises of God encourage your heart today! Pray and believe and don’t waver, despite circumstances. In doing so, you’ll experience a lifetime of miracles, great and small as the touch of Jesus’ love in your life!
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
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Timothy Burt is a pastor, author, and writer. He is best known as the author of Fresh Manna, a daily devotional and online Bible study.
Pastor Tim became a part of the leadership team at Living Word Christian Center in 1984 and was an Associate Pastor from 1989 until May 31st, 2017. He and His wife Renee, also a Pastor at Living Word, resigned after being a part of Living Word for 33 years on May 31, 2017. They felt impressed by God to pursue the tremendous growth of their ministry "Fresh Manna," as well as teaching conferences and seminars and increasing their involvement in the mission field through Tim and Renee Burt Ministries. Tim has a Bachelor of Theology degree and is a Christian blogger who has been writing a daily inspirational and teaching devotion three days a week called "Fresh Manna" for the past 22 years. It has been read in over 227 countries (official countries and territories). Tim was named one of the top 55 blogging Pastors. He is one of the top Social Media influencers in Minnesota with a strong presence on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TimBurt with over 187,000 followers. Between Tim's Fresh Manna Devotional and Twitter influence, he virally averages reaching over 4 million people daily with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of God.
Prior to working at LWCC, he worked at Northwest Airlines for 13 years. In 1985 he founded and was President of American Infant Care Products which marketed his patented invention, the first fold-down commercial infant changing table now used worldwide in public restrooms.
In their tenure at Living Word, Timothy Burt and his wife Renee created a Small Group Ministry when the church was about 800 people in size. Under the leadership of Sr. Pastors Mac and Lynne Hammond, the church grew to over 10,000 people. Pastor Tim and Renee led a diverse Small Group Ministry of over 200 groups. Tim also led weekly men's groups and a monthly Men's Breakfast of 250 plus men called Manhood for 27 years. Tim's responsibilities also included oversight over the Visitor and Member Relations Department, Leadership and Volunteer Development, and the Pastoral Care Department. Pastor Tim was also the Minnesota State Director of Christians United for Israel from 2006 thru 2017.
Tim and Renee are the parents of four children and have seven grandchildren. Tim loves to write, golf, run, and walk, and is a master gardener. He is a five-time marathon finisher. He is also a three-time award-winning gardener winning the Grand Prize in his city for his beautiful home garden and is a Master Gardener for the University of Minnesota's Master Gardener Extension Program.