With God all things are possible
Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
As we look around us, you can see more and more, that the world is changing to a society that does what it wants, and nobody is going to tell them how I should act. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen some devastating things on TV.
The one that is capturing everyone right now is this massive shooting. Lives have been killed for no reason at all. Family s have been turned upside down. We can see the human heart is full of sin. We just can’t imagine a person deceiving us with no conscience, and hurting us with no remorse.
We read in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God,” that means every one of us. And in Genesis 8:21 it says, that every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.
That means we are born with sin us, it all started back in Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. We see this in Genesis 2:17 where God said “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” This evil heart of ours have been following mankind through out all creation.
Now is it possible for a person with s sin filled hart like this to come to the Lord? The answer is yes.
If we go back to the first martyr which was Steven, we can see this true story is unfold in a man named Saul.
Just after Steven was dragged out of town to be stoned to death for witnessing about Jesus Christ, The Bible tells us that there was a young man standing among the crowd where they laid their clothes at his feet, the young man’s name was Saul we read this in Luke 7:54 to 58.
After that there was a great persecution broke out among the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
In Acts 9:1-2 we read, “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, (which means a believer in Christ Jesus) whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”
You could say it was in his blood, for he felt he was doing the right thing by capturing as many Christians as he could and having them put in prison, after that they would be put in coliseum’s. Where they would be put to death by sword or dragged behind horses or even eaten by lions.
By now anybody that heard the name Saul and knew that he was coming to their town, was terrified for their life. But it is God that works in the hearts of each and everyone of us. The Bible says in Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Remember with God all things are possible.
Now Saul was heading toward Damascus and suddenly a bright light from Heaven Shone down on him. It was so bright that he fell to the ground and he heard invoice call out to him. “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?”
You know when the Lord once to get your attention there’s nothing in his way that can stop him.
Just about 10 years ago I was asked by my daughter Jennifer to go and have a church service for a nursing home in Trexlertown. I told her that it would be too much for me to do. After all I was having church service in Emmaus for over 15 years at the time every week. A couple of weeks later I was electrocuted at work working on a sign, I ended up in the hospital. And then I realized that the Lord was telling me, Marvin I'm in control of your life! Yes, you can say HE got my attention fast! since then I have two nursing homes that I have church service for, the first one in Emmaus is every weekend, and the one in Trexlertown is once a month.
Just like me Saul realized who it was in control, for God got his attention for he said in verse five, who are you Lord?
The lord said I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Now the amazing thing is everyone else that was with him they heard the sound but did not see anything. When Saul got up he was blind and he could see nothing, they had to lead him to the town where he stayed for three days, and while he was their he did not eat or drink anything.
The story does not end there for the Lord was talking to man named Ananias a disciple. He told him to go to the house where Saul was praying, and said, that Saul had seen in a vision, he seen a man come to his house and place his hands on him to restore his sight.
At first Ananias did not want to go, for he knew that Saul had the right to put them in jail. But God said go this is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles, and to their King and before the people of Israel.
Did you hear the word gentiles, that means you and me. Through Saul which later his name became Paul. He then preaches the word too everybody proclaiming that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and arose again so, that we two can go to Heaven someday if we ask for forgiveness for our sins, and accept him as Lord and King.
Now when Ananias entered the house, and placing his hands-on Saul he said, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again.
And as soon as Ananias touched his eyes, the scales fell off from Saul’s eyes and he could see, and the Holy Spirit came upon him. After words they both went outside and Saul was baptized.
We must remember that God is in control always. And he also can control the hearts and minds of each and everyone of us. Some of you today might have loved ones that don’t love the Lord. But that doesn't mean that we should stop praying for them, for the Lord is concerned about our loved ones as much as we are. And remember with God all things are possible.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Pastor Marvin D. Keiser Sr.
