Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Paul said, “If God is for us, who can be against us.”
Romans 8:31,
The Disciples were with Jesus in midst of a very popular ministry; they experienced the crowds following him everywhere he went.
And why shouldn’t people seek him out! For one thing, Jesus had the power of healing.
The gospels gives us many examples:
The lame walk; the blind see;
Hearing and power of speech are restored -
The paralyzed were given full mobility. They ‘took up their beds, and walked.’ after encountering Jesus. In some cases, this marked the first time ever, in their lives, to be able to hear, to talk, to walk.
The Disciples have seen: shriveled hands made functional;
Leprosy cured . . .
The outcasts, the ‘unclean’, the untouchables - restored to live full lives in society.
Jesus had the power to exorcise demons, to drive out evil spirits - spirits who recognized Jesus as the Son of God - when most people didn’t know who he truly was.
People crowded around just to see Jesus, to touch him.
Mark records that a woman in the press of a crowd was healed of an issue of blood that had been going on for many years - after touching him.
Jairus’ daughter was brought back to life.
They experienced all these things - and more - first hand. However, all these things did not make the Disciples into the Apostles we see in the Book of Acts. What brought about the Big Change?
Let’s turn to a man who came face to face with Jesus ... and lost his sight.
Saul of Tarsus, whom we know best as Paul,
writing to the church at Rome - advises:
Set your priorities on the most important thing of all; Think of the best that can happen;
Nothing else will matter!
His actual words contained in his letter to the Romans, Ch. 8:31-39 are these:
“If God is for us, who can be against us.
He goes on to say, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, nor the present nor the future, neither height or depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Holy Spirit is a helper: “The spirit helps us in our weakness” - vs 26 - “We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.“
So what is the very last thing you want to lose? Hopefully you will say. ”The love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
How much do other things matter?
March 9, 2003