Bruce Wilkinson - You Were Born for This: Seven Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles

1. A New Way to See the World
You were born to expect a miracle today

2. The Tiny, Enormous Difference
You were born to do Gods work by Gods power

3. Behind the Veil of Heaven
You were born to be a living link between Heaven and earth

4. The Master Key
You were born to be sent on miracle missions

5. The People Key
You were born to share Gods heart for people

6. The Spirit Key
You were born to partner with Gods Spirit

7. The Risk Key
You were born to take risks of faith in dependence on God

8. The Five Signals That Guide a Miracle Delivery
You were born to understand and respond to miracle-related signals

9. The Five Steps That Lead to a Miracle Delivery
You were born to know and follow miracle-related delivery steps

10. The Money Key
You were born to deliver miracles of financial provision

11. The Dream Key
You were born to deliver miracles of life purpose

12. The Forgiveness Key
You were born to deliver miracles of forgiveness

hat if I told you Im certain you missed a miracle yesterday? And not just any miracle but one that Heaven wanted to do through you to significantly change someones life for the bettermaybe your own?

I would understand if you were doubtful.

But right alongside that doubt, most of us can identify a nearly universal experience. Almost everyone in the worldwhatever their religious beliefcan point to an event in their lives that seemed directly orchestrated by Heaven, that seemed impossible to explain without using words like I cant believe what just happened! That was a miracle! We call these experiences divine coincidences, miracle moments, supernatural provisions. Whatever we call them, we tend to value such events so highly that we recount them over and over, often for years. Ill never forget the time, we say, or Sooner or later my daughter is going to tell you about

Why do we remember such events so clearly? I think its because we feel that we have been touched by Heaven. Its as if God Himself stepped through the curtain that separates the seen from the unseen to make something wonderful happen for us, something only He could do.

But heres the best part. In the experience we hear a personal and unforgettable message from God. Something like, Im here. I care about you. I can do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

Beginning with this near-universal experience, this book asks a few simple but intriguing questions:

• Why are these experiences of the miraculous so rare for most people?

• What if Heaven actually wanted you to experience them on a regular basis?

• What if ordinary people like you and me are invited to partner with God to deliver miracles to others?

If these questions put a picture in your mind of people everywhere walking around expecting to be a part of miracle moments on a regular basis, youre not far wrong.

A mysterious encounter

Let me tell you about a mysterious encounter I had in a restaurant outside Denver with a waiter named Jack. I call it mysterious because on the surface everything looked so ordinary. Five friends at a table for six, waiters coming and going, voices, clatterjust what youd expect in a busy restaurant. But by the time dinner was over, we all knew beyond a doubt that wed been present for a divine appointment.

It was as if God Himself had walked up and said, Thank you for saving Me a place. Ive been wanting to do something for Jack.

Heres what happened.

During the course of the meal, Jack had served us well. But apart from the usual exchanges about the menu and our orders, we hadnt spoken much. Around the table, meanwhile, the conversation revolved around some of Jesus more extreme teachingsones like Ask, and you will receive and It is more blessed to give than to receive. During the conversation I felt unexpectedly nudged by Heaven to try something Id never done before. At the same time I sensed it was meant to involve Jack.

My experiment involved putting three hundred dollars at risk. Now, dont let the amount throw you. The money wasnt mine, and believe it or not, the person who was letting me carry it around was expecting me to give it away. (But more about that in a later chapter.)

When Jack came by to refill the water glasses, I posed a question. Have you ever heard the saying It is more blessed to give than to receive?

Yes, I have, he said.

Do you believe that?

Sure, I guess I do, he said, looking puzzled.

Good! I said. I have an interesting opportunity for you. I placed a hundred-dollar bill on the table. You have an unusual choice, Jack. You can either receive this hundred dollars as a gift, not a tip

I paused. I definitely had Jacks attention, and the two couples with me didnt appear to be breathing.

I looked at Jack. Or you can say no to the money and instead give each of us a dessert. But this would be you buying the desserts, not the restaurant. You cant do both things, and theres no right or wrong. So what would you like to dogive or receive?

Jack just stood there holding the water pitcher. He asked twice if I was serious. Then finally he said, Ill take the hundred dollars.

True to my word, I handed him the bill.

Thank you! he said. Then he walked back to the kitchen.

After he left and my friends started breathing again, we all tried to figure out what had just happened. Was my unusual test about giving and receiving even fair? What was Jack thinking now? And what in the world was he saying to the crew in the kitchen?

All the while I was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. You see, earlier I had slipped another two hundred dollars under my plate. If the waiter had chosen to buy us desserts and not take the hundredbelieving that it is more blessed to give than to receiveI was going to give him the hidden two hundred dollars. I had really hoped he would make the self-sacrificial choice because Id strongly sensed that God wanted to encourage him with the larger sum.

The next time he came around, I said, Im curious, Jack. Do you feel like you made the right choice?