Blog 149
March 2, 2020
MIRACLES NEVER CEASE!
Robert L. Wise explores the world of divine interventions from an objective point of view. Can 21st century people believe the hand of God still touches people today?
Read and you’ll find new insights.
EASTER CAME EARLY
Stovall and Kerri Weems started a congregation with seventeen people in l998. Today, they have over 12,000 members. In 2018, the Weems were holding a Good Friday service when a break through occurred. This year they decided that rather than a regular sermon, they would have a “shared experience” of the resurrection. What brought the change? How did it all happen?
Stovall had heard people say they literally experienced the risen Christ, but he doubted those stories. Of course, he was a dedicated Christian, but he wasn’t sure about those contemporary reports. Then they held a special Jewish traditional Seder Passover service where the pastor could and did pray in Hebrew. As the pastor was consecrating the bread and wine, speaking Hebrew he said, “Take and eat. This is my body broken for you.”
However, as he was speaking in Hebrew, another voice broke in. An audible voice said three times in Hebrew, “Take and eat. This is my body broken for you.”
The pastor knew he was in the presence of God and was hearing the actual voice of Jesus speaking. He could only stand there in silent shock. The staff sitting close thought something had happened to the pastor standing there voiceless like he was in shell shock. What was going on?
In those moments, the pastor was in a trance and having a heavenly vision of the Passover with Jesus and his disciples seated around a table. He could see and hear them. Here was Jesus of Nazareth just as he had been during his earthly ministry. The pastor could hear his voice with the same passionate authority and strength that it must have always carried when Jesus taught and preached..
When the pastor spoke of a “shared experience” service his perspective had obviously changed. He was speaking out of his most personal encounter. The story of Easter was not a memory from the past or an account in the pages of scripture. The resurrection was a story he had physically touched.
And the meaning? Certainly, there’s no magic in Hebrew words, but something about Holy Communion can reach across 2,000 years and connect with a heavenly reality. Each of us can have our own encounters even though they are personal and different. Even with these diverse paths, we are challenged to reach out so we can say with conviction, “I too have seen the Lord.”
The promise makes Easter possible every month of the year.
You might find my collection of Holy Land experiences to be helpful.
BIBLE LANDS: An illustrated Guide to Scriptural Places
Barbpir books Publishers
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miraclesnevercease.com 