The Healing Word

Guest (Male): Friend, miracles are happening, but we're not looking for them. I hope this message today will help you to look and receive the miracles that God has already performed, is performing, and will yet perform. He answers prayer. He is Jehovah Shammah. He is walking with us. He is keeping us.

On today’s Healing Word program, Pastor Morris is here. He’s going to focus on three different events in the New Testament and demonstrate how God worked to change and strengthen those involved through a process that led to victorious outcomes. Join the message and learn how the Apostle Paul in a Roman prison, an encounter with the Samaritan woman and Jesus, and some very frightened disciples in a boat led to miraculous results.

Pastor Jack Morris: Moment by moment. I’m going to talk about the process today. It may be that we are missing some of the miracles that God has sent into our lives, waiting for the conclusion or the answer to prayer—the full and complete answer. For instance, I’m praying that the Holy Spirit will help me to understand, help you to understand, that when we pray, for instance, for healing, we’re praying.

The healing hasn’t come yet, but we keep praying, week after week, month after month. We keep praying. And then when the answer does come, oh, we have the miracle. But we miss the miracles on the way to the miracle. It’s the miracles on the way to the end where we have the great miracle.

I’m convinced that I have overlooked some of those miracles, and I think you have too, or the Holy Spirit wouldn’t give me this message because He wants to enrich your life with praise and with thanksgiving for the miracles that He’s performing long before He gets to the final miracle, the big miracle. We’ll call these the little miracles on the way to the big miracle.

Now, notice in Philippians chapter 4, verse 13, Paul the Apostle said, "I can do all things." How? Because I’m such a smart man? Because I’ve had a university education at the feet of Gamaliel? Because I was born in the right family, in the right tribe, because I have the right connections now? No, none of that. "I can do everything through Christ," or Him, "who gives me strength." Again, he’s in prison.

He’s praying for a miracle to get out of prison. If that’s God’s will, he’ll accept that. If that’s not God’s will, he’ll accept that, too. But he knows that if he stays in prison or he gets out of prison, whether I live, I live unto the Lord, and whether I die, I die unto the Lord. Whether I live, therefore, or die, I am the Lord’s. We need to keep that ever before us. Living or dying doesn’t make any difference. I am the Lord’s. That’s what makes the difference. And God is going to show us great things today through Christ who gives me strength.

Oh, I wish I could walk back and forth across this platform and just keep saying, "Through Christ, through Christ who gives me strength. Through Christ who gives me strength. Through Christ who gives me strength. Through Christ who gives me strength." Friend, if you have any strength and you’re overcoming, it’s through Christ. And if you don’t have strength and you are living in a shadow and defeat, it’s because you do not have the strength of Christ. It’s Christ, it’s Christ, it’s Christ. Paul in prison in that terrible, terrible situation.

Look at the process today, or look at the journey. You say, "Pastor, I’ve been praying and praying, but doesn’t seem like anything’s happening." Oh, there’s a whole lot going on. There’s a whole lot happening. We’re just looking for the end. But look what God is doing. Look at what God’s doing in your life, in your situation.

It’s all because of our union and identification with Him that we have the strength to say, "I can do all things through Christ," or "in Christ." The word "through" and the word "in" could be the same translation from the Greek. Here it has "through." In other translations, the word is "in." And Paul uses that over and over—"in the Lord, in the Lord, in the Lord"—all through the book of Philippians.

This piece of land that this building and the chapel is on came up for sale. It was just about 10 acres for $55,000. Well, 47 years ago, $55,000 was really $55,000. Inflation has done a job on it. It’s still a lot of money. The Largo Community Church had $6,000 in a savings and checking account. 6,000, 55,000. Well, I went to the Suburban Trust Bank and made an appointment, went to the bank, and I’ll never forget the man’s name: Mr. Williams was the banker. How could I forget Mr. Williams?

I sat down. He said, "Reverend, what can I do for you?" I said, "Sir, I’m the pastor of the Largo Community Church, and we would like to borrow $55,000." He says, "What do you have for collateral?" I said, "$6,000." He thought I was a funny man. "$6,000? What denomination are you a member of?" We’re not. We’re an independent, non-denominational church. And oh, we went through the whole conversation.

Finally, he kicked back in his big leather chair. He said, "Reverend, I’m sorry. We don’t do business like that. You have no backing whatsoever. We can’t help you." Well, I came back to the school—and I think maybe Sharon was in the congregation—and I told the people we didn’t get the loan.

So, there was a man in the congregation whose aunt owned this 10 acres. Okay, watch the miracle start happening now. Watch the miracles, not when we cut the ribbon and get the land and cut the ribbon, but watch the miracles on the way. And think of your situation. I want to help you to have some faith in the miracles that are happening in your life right now. Little miracles on the way to the big one.

So, I told the congregation this property belonged to his aunt. I didn’t know the aunt. The lady’s name was Susie Wood. I’ve never met even to this day Susie Wood. Her husband died. They were going to build their dream house here, and now that he’s gone, she decided she didn’t want a dream house. This was to be the place for her husband and herself. So, the man told me, "I’m going to go talk to Aunt Susie." He did. Aunt Susie said, "I’ll finance it for one year."

Now, here’s the catch. The Board of Directors would vote me down. The whole congregation would vote me down. I’d most likely vote myself down. But this is the deal that she made. She said, "I’ll finance it for one year, and if you don’t pay it all off, the full $55,000 in one year, I’ll keep all the money and I’ll keep the land."

I came back. You talk about taking a risk? You talk about walking on water? We talk about it, but we are very hesitant to do anything like that. I might be very hesitant to do that now. But at any rate, I asked the congregation. They said, "Boy, I’ll tell you, we were a faith-driven church." They said, "Let’s do it." We drew up the papers. We started paying her monthly, monthly, monthly. So, God was in this. Something was happening—a little miracle that was going to culminate in a gigantic miracle.

Well, look where you are. You’re in the gigantic miracle. We came down within about a month and we still owed Susie Wood $14,000. And I had four weeks to raise $14,000. I say I had it. I was the only one that was out there doing the negotiating. I needed to raise $14,000, or she was going to keep $47,000 that this little church had already paid her, plus she was going to keep the land. I hope that woman gave her heart to the Lord before she died.

But I mentioned that to the congregation. The service was over, Sunday morning service was over. I was standing at the front door at the multipurpose room at Largo Senior High School. A lady by the name of Mrs. Anne McDaniel with her two little girls came by. One daughter continues to come here to the church, and she’ll perhaps be here at 11:00 service.

Anne McDaniel, who hadn’t gone through the membership class and hadn’t received the right hand of fellowship, she said, "Pastor Morris, I have money in the credit union where I work," and she said, "I’ll lend the church $14,000 to pay this land off. I’ll go home and talk to Wes, my husband, Wes, W-E-S. And if he’s in agreement, I’ll take it out of the credit union. We’ll lend it to the church." Guess what I did? I made an appointment with Mr. Williams back at the bank.

Watch these little miracles. I walked in, and Mr. Williams kicked back in his big leather chair, and he looked at me like he was disgusted in seeing me, that he had more important things to do. He said, "Okay, Reverend," something to that effect. "Why are you here?" I had already had plans drawn up for that sanctuary, that what we call the chapel now. And I knew what it was going to cost. The architect estimated it. And so he said, "What can I do for you?" Mr. Williams asked me, and I said, "I would like to borrow $185,000."

He about jumped out of that chair. He said, "You came in here last year and we wouldn’t give you 55, and you have the nerve to come back and ask for 185?" Well, I whipped out that deed. I said, "But you said we needed collateral, and look here, we’ve got collateral." He looked. He said, "What have you got there?" I said, "We paid off that $55,000." So he said, "Well, let me see that." He looked it over. A little smile came on his face.

You see, God knows what you and I don’t know. We walk by faith, not by sight. Keep walking. Keep walking. You’re on a spiritual journey. Mr. Williams said, "I’ll come back and talk after I talk to my board and let you know." Do you know? Well, of course you do. They let us have $185,000 and we built that first building. Look at that miracle. Praise the Lord. We just kept saying, "Praise the Lord," and kept going. You don’t stop. You don’t stop.

We just kept going. But all of those little miracles. Now, I could tell you about the 42 acres over there. I could tell you about the two more acres. Thanks be to God for these little miracles on the way to the big miracle. Friend, don’t cut God short. He is the Almighty. He is Jehovah Shammah. The Lord is near. It’s not up to you, the board, the congregation, the pastor. It’s His church. God, you tell me what You want, and I’ll do my best to follow and do it. And do that with your situation and watch what God’s going to do.

Strength and miracles. Jesus met a woman at the well, the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. There was a big miracle came about when she received Jesus as her Messiah. And then she goes into the city and she wins the whole city to the Lord and brings all those men. Friend, you don’t have to be a theologian. This woman had only been saved a matter of minutes, and she went in there and became an evangelist. All you have to do is just tell them your friends what Jesus has done for you. That’s all. That’s all you need. Tell them about the miracle.

Do you believe in miracles? God works miracles. He’s still a miracle-working God. But look at this woman. Watch the little miracles leading up to the big miracle. Jesus meets this woman and He talks to her. Now, the woman herself was astounded. She asked Him. She said, "Jews and Samaritans don’t talk together. We are of two different cultures." Have you ever heard of a culture war? "We’re of two different races. We’re of two different nationalities."

She said, "This what you’re doing is," she said to Jesus, "is a no-no." But what Jesus said, "This is a yes-yes." Then she said not only do Jews don’t talk to Samaritans and Samaritans and Jews, but a man doesn’t talk to a woman in our culture. Friend, don’t let your culture, your race, or anything stop you from believing God. You are God’s people. We are God’s people together. And God is working in our lives. God cares for each of us.

She said men and women don’t talk. No, no. Jesus said, "Here’s another yes-yes." Watch what Jesus does when Jesus gets involved. Those walls come down, but they don’t come down. When I started this church, I said, "We’re going to build a church without walls, spiritually speaking." We’re going to do it, and by God’s grace, He helped us. So, she’s talking. A little miracle is taking place in her mind, in her heart.

The conversation goes on. They begin to talk about marriage. And Jesus said, "Go call your husband." She said, "I don’t have a husband." He said, "You’re right, lady. You’ve had five, and the one you’re living with now isn’t your husband." I guess this woman wondered what’s going on here. Who is this man?

Then they talked about water. Living water versus well water. He said, "I’ll give you living water. You have looked and longed and thirst and married and married and married thinking a husband is going to do it for you?" No, there’s only one man that can do it for you, lady. He waited for her to say, "You’re the man." Friend, Jesus is the man.

Then they talked about the place to worship. Which church is right? Which church? The Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church? Which one should I go to? Where should I go? Jesus said people worship by spirit and truth. It’s not the geography. It’s not the denomination. They’re all good when they accept Jesus and lift up Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So there was a step-by-step-by-step enlightenment. See, sometimes we want the miracle now. We want the big miracle out here. But Jesus does almost everything progressively, from a woman being pregnant nine months. Watch Him work. The grass growing. Everything is progressive. But the miracle is happening while we’re waiting on the big miracle, overlooking the little miracles. Miracles are happening—little miracles as we go along.

The disciples were in a boat. I’ve got to hurry up now, bring this to a close. The disciples were in a boat. Jesus—let me back it up. They were on the mount. Jesus fed the thousands. Jesus commanded the disciples to get in the boat, and He sent them out into a storm. Can you imagine? You’ve been in storms, haven’t you? Did Jesus put you in that storm? Well, let’s listen to this just a moment.

Jesus said, "You go across and get over to the other shore. I’ll go dismiss the people." And He prayed all night. And now the storm hit. Jesus looked down from the mount into the Sea of Galilee. The disciples—the scripture says they were straining at the oar. Friend, sometimes you and I have lived here too long, and we’ve been straining at the oar. The wind has been contrary. We wanting to go that way, and the wind is blowing us this way—at least it feels like it.

So Jesus comes down and walks on the water. First, He’s walking toward them. They see this figure coming toward them. And then He turns as though He’s going to pass by. He wanted them to get a full view of Him, not only a frontal view, but watch Me now. The miracle was not Jesus getting them to the shore. The miracle was the disciples seeing Him walk on water.

We walked on water when I went in and talked to Mr. Williams 47 years ago. Jesus was walking on the water, and like Peter, "Lord, let me walk on the water with you." I remember the times I used to slip and fall, but He grabbed my hand, pulled me back up again. Friend, we’re still going. We’re still on a great and wonderful journey.

The miracle, God’s purpose in everything was to see Jesus. So, you may be in a storm so that God can open your spiritual eyes. You’ve been praying, "God, help me to grow in grace," and God says, "Okay, I’m going to put you in a storm, and then I’m going to walk into that storm and I’m going to walk with you."

Like the children of Israel in the fiery furnace, "I’m going to get into that situation with you. You’re not alone." He is Jehovah Shammah. The Lord is near, near you right now. See the miracle. He’s walking toward you. He will walk by and pass you by unless you call out and seek Him and say, "Lord, I’m floundering out here. Save me." He will. He’ll help you.

The miracle is Jesus kept those disciples calm—or He calmed them down. He kept them faithful. He kept them unconfused. That was what Jesus wanted. When they got to the shore, I was almost going to say—but I asked God to forgive me last night—they didn’t need Jesus. They were on dry ground. But they still needed Jesus. There were more storms ahead. But we need Jesus in the storm.

But Jesus is walking toward you, waiting, thinking, hoping you’ll ask. But He’s not going to get into your boat because it’s your boat unless you’ve dedicated it to Him, given it to Him. The people of Israel—and I’ll close now. The people of Israel, look at the little miracles along the way. I’ll just hit some of the big ones real quick now.

God’s going to take care of them. They’re not going to die. They’re going to put blood on the doorpost of their house. The death angel passed by. The firstborn of the Egyptians died. But the people who believed in God and their family lived. Wow, what a miracle. Death or life. God says life through the blood. Look what God did. There’s a little miracle. Praise the Lord, you lived.

Okay, Pharaoh finally released them. They’re off and marching now to Zion. Here’s another little miracle along the way. They didn’t wait until they walked into the promised land, cut the ribbon, and walked in. They had miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle on the way to the big miracle. God’s got a big one out there for you, but He’s got a big one here now. But we’re calling it the little one just for conversational sake and understanding.

Pharaoh’s armies chased them. The people of Israel had no armament to fight the chariots, and the Red Sea opened. Hey, there’s another little miracle. The opening of the Red Sea. Is that a little miracle? The Chesapeake Bay opening up. We don’t need the bridge anymore. We don’t have to pay toll. We just go.

Another miracle happened. On and on they went. They needed food in the desert, and God sent manna from heaven. Oh, another miracle. They needed water. Water came out of the rock. Another miracle. Look at the miracles that are happening. Everything you need in life is here for you, all in one man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): As we learned from the message today, the importance of focusing more of our attention on the process and not just the outcome will strengthen our faith as God’s power will be displayed in the moment-by-moment journey toward the ultimate answers to our prayers.

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