Sunday, April 20, 2014

Explain the Improbably, Incredible, Implausible !


Can This Be True?  It sounds Impossible !
 
Pastor Jerry read first from Matthew 28:10 the account of the resurrection of Jesus and the angel appearing to the women with the declaration to God and tell the disciples He is not here but He is risen.

Acts 10: 34-40
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen among many.

Pastor told a true story about a group of soldiers on a secret mission to train the peasants to fight and change their allegiance for the insurrection.  That night Mike, the leader had a premonition that all was not well.  Into his Walkie talkie he quietly spoke in a whisper giving their coordinates.  The next morning the peasants turned, capturing and torturing them.  They felt they would be killed soon, but then the noise of a helicopter signaled their deliverance.  The pilot could not sleep that night and took a smoke break and in the silence he heard the whisper and realized he needed to act.

Quite often the voice of God is only a whisper but if we are listening then it is time to take steps to obey.

The story of Easter is familiar to us, about the frightened disciples and women who heard the ONE Word that changed their lives.  “YES”  yes it is true as He said.

Unto ALL Nations !!
All of a sudden their mission in life was changed and now the message became universal.

The God movement showed no partiality and every Nation was included.  This was a radical change in the Jewish traditions and a tremendous difference that the Gospel was for all people.

God revealed to Peter in a vision that the gentiles were included, and he found Cornelius and his family hungry for the truth.

Human kind killed Jesus, but God raised Him up alive. 

Where can we go to get away from God’s divine love?  The answer is plain; there is no place we can escape even when we exhaust ourselves trying.  God knows where we are and nothing is hidden from Him.

Pastor told another story about a group of High school students who prepared a beautiful float for the Home Coming Parade.  Vandals burnt it in the night, and the next morning it was too late to repair it.  The students decided to use the burnt ashes and add some greenery and allow the float to enter the parade showing death and life.  It did not win first place but did come in second.

We are called from death unto life and are to be Christ Like. 

Stay open to the spirit’s whisper and go forth in life. 



 

2 comments:

Floyd said...

Good word. How I love the story of how cowards were made into men of valor by seeing with their eyes the Truth of our Savior and change to human history... How blessed we are... I struggle to grasp it.

TC Avey said...

God is so good. He never lets us go and nothing takes Him by surprise. We must listen and obey.