The Hand of God Guided The Morning Fire

     Some months ago, the Los Angeles area had another of its uncontrollable forest fires.   However, on that particular day a Christian youth center lay directly in the path of the flames – and its 130 young Christians had to be evacuated.   The young people were taken to a restaurant in the safe zone, where they began to pray for God to save their youth center.

     The fire rampaged on, coming closer and closer to the youth center.   But the young people kept praying.

     Then the miracle happened.   The wind suddenly shifted, and the flames skipped over the youth center and roared off in a new direction.   The young Christians joyfully returned to their center and resumed their community ministry.[1.  The newspapers interviewed Dave Gustavenson, director of the Los Angeles Youth With A Mission center, to verify this story.]

     The fire fighters and police couldn’t explain how or why the youth center was spared.   It made no sense to them.  Then the local newspaper explained it.   The newspaper’s headline for the day read:  “The Hand of God Guided The Morning Fire.”

     Did God’s hand really stop the roaring flames and spare the youth center?   Do miracles still happen today?   The First Century Christians taught that miracles are a normal part of everyday Christian life for all Christians in all centuries.

     In fact, the word miracle in the language of the First Century Christians can also be translated into English as a “sign.”   The early Christians taught that miracles are “signs” that prove God is real and that He’s working in our lives.   This means that, as Christians, we need to realize and accept the fact that God performs supernatural miracles for us when they’re needed.  And, like the young Christians at the youth center, we need to expect them, pray for them, and call them what they are:  miracles.