What does one write following Easter and the resurrection of Christ? Isn’t everything downhill after an exhilarating climb from the grave and the appearance of Christ, first to a few and eventually to more than 500 at once? It might seem so at first, but given just a little thought there is the discovery that there still is so much more. After all, life for the disciples seemed to just begin following the resurrection. “Begin?” did you say? Frankly, their lives (and ours) sometime appear to be more of a roller-coaster ride than a steady climb.
Remember, the disciples heard the promises of Jesus and He managed to birth, within them, an amazing vision of the future. Then came the crucifixion and that vision was destroyed. How could they go on without Jesus to hold it all together? Their deliverer had not only failed to deliver them, but He died in the process. But then there was good news; Jesus was no longer dead. He was raised from the dead and left that tomb just as He had promised. The resurrection brought new hope and helped produce a rebirth of the vision that had been lost. Jesus was still king, just not the type of king they had earlier hoped for. Part of this rebirthing of their vision had it focus in some amazing truths. Among them was "If death could not stop Him and the grave could not hold Him, what possibly could stop them?"
The resurrection was soon followed by the Day of Pentecost and their vision received yet another boost. They received the Holy Spirit and with it new found strength in their spiritual journeys. Surely their futures looked very bright, and they gladly shared the news with others. As strange as all this seems, it is not rare that a positive vision goes through several deaths and rebirths before the vision is actually realized. It was that way for the disciples.
Not long after Pentecost came Saul of Tarsus, the martyrdom of Stephen and the persecution of those called “The Way.” The death and persecution spread rapidly, both from the Jews and the Romans, and along with this there could easily have been another death to their vision. But that did not happen. Saul of Tarsus soon became one of them and was then known as the Apostle Paul, so once again their vision had new strength and a renewed hope. Not only had Christ been raised, but so were their hopes.
To be sure, persecution, arrests, ever death continued to be faced on a daily basis, but were these things able to kill their vision? Perhaps we need to turn to the words of Paul to answer that.
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
So church, where is your vision today. Do you understand the marvelous things God is doing even today, or have the troubles of this world clouded or even killed your vision for tomorrow? Maybe it’s rime for a rebirth of your vision. HOW ABOUT IT?
I invite you to come join us on Sunday in the fellowship of loving and caring people! God bless.
Pastor Jim
Remember, the disciples heard the promises of Jesus and He managed to birth, within them, an amazing vision of the future. Then came the crucifixion and that vision was destroyed. How could they go on without Jesus to hold it all together? Their deliverer had not only failed to deliver them, but He died in the process. But then there was good news; Jesus was no longer dead. He was raised from the dead and left that tomb just as He had promised. The resurrection brought new hope and helped produce a rebirth of the vision that had been lost. Jesus was still king, just not the type of king they had earlier hoped for. Part of this rebirthing of their vision had it focus in some amazing truths. Among them was "If death could not stop Him and the grave could not hold Him, what possibly could stop them?"
The resurrection was soon followed by the Day of Pentecost and their vision received yet another boost. They received the Holy Spirit and with it new found strength in their spiritual journeys. Surely their futures looked very bright, and they gladly shared the news with others. As strange as all this seems, it is not rare that a positive vision goes through several deaths and rebirths before the vision is actually realized. It was that way for the disciples.
Not long after Pentecost came Saul of Tarsus, the martyrdom of Stephen and the persecution of those called “The Way.” The death and persecution spread rapidly, both from the Jews and the Romans, and along with this there could easily have been another death to their vision. But that did not happen. Saul of Tarsus soon became one of them and was then known as the Apostle Paul, so once again their vision had new strength and a renewed hope. Not only had Christ been raised, but so were their hopes.
To be sure, persecution, arrests, ever death continued to be faced on a daily basis, but were these things able to kill their vision? Perhaps we need to turn to the words of Paul to answer that.
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
So church, where is your vision today. Do you understand the marvelous things God is doing even today, or have the troubles of this world clouded or even killed your vision for tomorrow? Maybe it’s rime for a rebirth of your vision. HOW ABOUT IT?
I invite you to come join us on Sunday in the fellowship of loving and caring people! God bless.
Pastor Jim