This morning I had a chat with a Christian and as we shared ideas on a few matters in the gospel, I teased him and asked "Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead?". His answer was the expected yes I believe that we shall all be raised on that day. But I still insisted and made my question clear. I am not talking about the resurrection that shall happen on that day but the kind that Lazarus had. The resurrection that can happen now, where someone is dead and you pray and raise him from the dead now. He responded with a resounding "NO". Then I inquired further whether he believes in miracles and he said he did believe in miracles except that of resurrecting the dead.
So I asked him what he thinks of those that raise the dead in this day and age and his answer was still one that is similar to others that I have heard from many Christians that I have asked this question. "Not every one who says lord lord will enter the kingdom of heaven (Mathew 7:21)," he said. This encounter reminded me of another chat I had with a close friend last Sunday a few hours after she had just come from a gospel mission in Jinja.
She shared with me a story of a group of radical Christians they met who had been expelled from a church for being a "cult" because well, they prayed for a dead man in a Muslim family and the guy was brought back to life. Thereafter, the entire family gave their lives to Christ. You too can jump unto the the bandwagon of the accusers of those brethren and think whatever you think about the matter but what matters to me in all this is that there was a dead man and he was raised and as a result a number of Muslims met with the manifest power that there is in the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ.
Such stories remind me of the conversation that Jesus shared with Martha and I shall share it here verbatim. John 11:21-25. "Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" Later Jesus went to Lazarus's tomb and simply called out Lazarus come fourth and yes Lazarus was back to life.
In this conversation Martha was speaking like many Christians today who are blind to the bigger picture in Christ. If Martha had known that she was speaking to the resurrection then she would never have doubted his ability to raise Lazarus. And that is how many Christians relate with Christ today when they speak like Martha. When Christ says I am the resurrection it includes the power to raise men that were dead yesterday, are dead today, tomorrow and ultimately to raise us on the day of his second coming as many of us believe. So, as Christians, let us embrace the full package. Let us stop believing the gospel in part.
Besides as preachers, we should not forget that gospel of our lord Jesus Christ is in power not mere words of men. Paul speaks and he says in I Corinthians 2:4-5 "and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
Somewhere else Paul writes saying for I have determined to know nothing except Christ and him resurrected. Whoever believes in the resurrected Christ should not find it hard to believe in the raising of the other dead people because that Christ is the resurrection. Let us believe lest we fall into the temptation of the teachers of the law who had made the word of God void of its power because of their traditions. The fact that you have never seen somebody raised to life should not be a reason for you to doubt the power of God. The fact that you cannot do it is not a reason for you to brush it off as an impossibility. It is the truth of the gospel. Besides, with God all things are possible.
So I asked him what he thinks of those that raise the dead in this day and age and his answer was still one that is similar to others that I have heard from many Christians that I have asked this question. "Not every one who says lord lord will enter the kingdom of heaven (Mathew 7:21)," he said. This encounter reminded me of another chat I had with a close friend last Sunday a few hours after she had just come from a gospel mission in Jinja.
She shared with me a story of a group of radical Christians they met who had been expelled from a church for being a "cult" because well, they prayed for a dead man in a Muslim family and the guy was brought back to life. Thereafter, the entire family gave their lives to Christ. You too can jump unto the the bandwagon of the accusers of those brethren and think whatever you think about the matter but what matters to me in all this is that there was a dead man and he was raised and as a result a number of Muslims met with the manifest power that there is in the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ.
Such stories remind me of the conversation that Jesus shared with Martha and I shall share it here verbatim. John 11:21-25. "Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" Later Jesus went to Lazarus's tomb and simply called out Lazarus come fourth and yes Lazarus was back to life.
In this conversation Martha was speaking like many Christians today who are blind to the bigger picture in Christ. If Martha had known that she was speaking to the resurrection then she would never have doubted his ability to raise Lazarus. And that is how many Christians relate with Christ today when they speak like Martha. When Christ says I am the resurrection it includes the power to raise men that were dead yesterday, are dead today, tomorrow and ultimately to raise us on the day of his second coming as many of us believe. So, as Christians, let us embrace the full package. Let us stop believing the gospel in part.
Besides as preachers, we should not forget that gospel of our lord Jesus Christ is in power not mere words of men. Paul speaks and he says in I Corinthians 2:4-5 "and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
Somewhere else Paul writes saying for I have determined to know nothing except Christ and him resurrected. Whoever believes in the resurrected Christ should not find it hard to believe in the raising of the other dead people because that Christ is the resurrection. Let us believe lest we fall into the temptation of the teachers of the law who had made the word of God void of its power because of their traditions. The fact that you have never seen somebody raised to life should not be a reason for you to doubt the power of God. The fact that you cannot do it is not a reason for you to brush it off as an impossibility. It is the truth of the gospel. Besides, with God all things are possible.
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