02/06/2026
Miracles in the 21st Century| Incorporating Faith and Mission.
By Simon Mweembela.
This comes after listening to both miracle testimonies of Dr Pavel Goia and Dr Phodidas Ndamyumugabe held on 3abn live today a couple years ago. I therefore put this blog as my view on why miracles are important in mission and what I think is a reason to why we seem void of miracles within our churches? but this may not answer your questions entirely.
In the 21st century, people reason about miracles in different ways. Some embrace a naturalistic worldview, which asserts that everything has a natural explanation; therefore, miracles are impossible. Others hold a theistic worldview, believing that if God created nature, He is not limited by it and can act within or beyond natural processes.
The Bible does not present miracles as irrational events that demand blind acceptance. Rather, it presents them as signs that invite people to think, reflect, and respond in faith. Miracles point beyond themselves to a greater reality, the character, power, and purposes of God.
Within the Bible, we encounter numerous accounts where faith was enriched through divine intervention. I happen to believe these recorded events. I believe in miracles. I believe that Jesus gave sight to the blind, caused the lame to walk, and paid the temple tax through a fish's mouth; the only recorded miracle in the Gospels performed primarily to meet a financial obligation. More importantly, I believe that when Christ saved my soul from sin through His sacrifice on the cross, it took a miracle of grace.
Miracles are therefore essential to the Christian faith. Yet this raises an important question: where do some people miss it?
One of the reasons is that miracles can become the primary attraction rather than the God to whom they point. Miracles are among the most compelling aspects of religion, particularly Christianity. They can strengthen faith and awaken spiritual awareness. However, they should not be viewed merely as supernatural spectacles. Biblically, miracles are signs that point beyond themselves to a deeper reality and reveal God's presence and purpose among humanity.
A concise definition would be; a miracle is a supernatural act of God in history, whether corporate or individual, that reveals God's power, accomplishes His purposes, and points people to Himself.
However, not every surprising event qualifies as a biblical miracle. A rare recovery from illness may be extraordinary, but biblical miracles are distinguished by their connection to God's revelation and redemptive purposes.
For example, when Jesus healed the blind, the miracle was not merely about restoring physical sight. It revealed who He was and demonstrated the work of God among men. The miracle served a greater purpose than the immediate need. Miracles are given so that we may know God more deeply and be drawn away from dependence on the world toward dependence on Him.
Yet faith should never be validated solely by miracles. Faith is not always sustained by miraculous experiences. There are seasons when God allows His people to walk through drought, silence, and uncertainty. These seasons teach believers to trust God's character even when His hand is not visibly at work.
If faith depends entirely on miracles, then faith becomes fragile. Mature Christianity recognizes that miracles are gifts, not foundations. The foundation is God Himself. Miracles should not be the main thought of faith; they ought to become an afterthought of faith. The believer follows God not merely because of what He does, but because of who He is.
Furthermore, miracles are closely connected to mission. Throughout the New Testament, miracles frequently accompanied the proclamation of the gospel. They were not ends in themselves; they served the mission of God.
We should not assume that church is void of Holy Spirit power because miracles do not frequently occur, miracles do not exist primarily to entertain believers who are already gathered in church since in many cases, we are already convinced of the gospel. The Book of Acts reveals that miracles were often performed in public spaces, marketplaces, roadsides, prisons, homes, and among unbelievers. They were not confined to a particular location.
The apostles understood that miracles were missional, God worked through signs and wonders so that those who did not yet believe might encounter His power and hear His message. Therefore, Christians should neither reject miracles nor chase after them. We should welcome God's intervention while remembering that miracles are channels of the mission, not substitutes for it. They point beyond themselves to Christ, strengthen faith, reveal God's glory, and invite unbelievers to believe.
In the end, the greatest miracle is that sinners are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and transformed by His grace. Every other miracle points toward that greater reality.
"Many believed because of the signs, but blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).
©2026|Devotional Cup Section
