Miracles Are for Today (Adventures in Religion #5)

By John G. Lake
June 28, 1935

This afternoon I want to talk to you on the subject of MIRACLES. From the year 400 until now the church has assumed the attitude that the days of miracles are passed without any Scriptural evidence whatever. They have taught that miracles were to demonstrate the divinity of Jesus, and therefore the divinity of Jesus being demonstrated there was no longer any need for miracles.

We had a local incident that demonstrates the effect of this teaching I think. My convictions on the matter is that it has done more damage to the Christian faith than any other teaching that has been promulgated. There is a gentleman who works at the Devenport Hotel in Spokane, O.A. Risdon, who is one of the engineers there. He had a son with a deformed head. The top of the head raised up like the ridge of a roof, the forehead and back of the head also were forced out in similar manner, giving the head the appearance of the hull of a yacht upside down. He was born with what the physicians call a closed head. The boy was always slobbering; the pressure on the brain caused the right side to become paralysed, and the boy was dumb. He was five years old at this time.

The physicians said there was nothing they could do. Then in desperation he appealed to his pastor. The pastor told him the days of miracles were past; that the Lord did not heal now; that miracles were given to demonstrate the divinity of Jesus. The father replied; “If Jesus would heal my son I would be convinced that He is divine now. If He is divine He could lift this damnation from our house.”

Finally, he came to us seeking help. We began to minister to the child. In a few days we observed that the paralysis began to depart; instead of walking on one side of his ankles he began to walk on the foot, and that indicated that the pressure was relieved on the brain. In seven weeks the child was perfectly well. The bones of the head softened and came down to normal. The paralysis disappeared and the child began to talk. In three months he was in the public school. He is a young married man now.

Dear friends, if we had continued to believe that the days of miracles were past that boy would be in the insane asylum. But we believed that Jesus Christ was the same yesterday, today and forever, and the boy was healed. It is a delight to believe the words of Jesus. I have used this rule in my study of the Scriptures. If there is any question on any Scripture I settle it with the Words of Jesus. I consider all the Scriptures are a Common Court of the gospel, but the Words of Jesus are the Supreme Court of the gospel. When I want a supreme court decision I appeal to the Words of Jesus.

You can read all the words of Jesus in two hours or less in a Red Letter New Testament. Make a practice of reading the words of Jesus on any subject that troubles you, and make a compilation of what He says. He ought to be sufficient authority on any question for the heavenly Father called attention to the fact that He is the Son of God, and that we are to hear Him. He said:

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” Matt. 17:5.