A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (May 17, 2017)
Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel (Matthew 15:30-31).
A little Baptist church had invited me to hold meetings. This church was truly seeking God. Even though I was ordained a Southern Baptist minister, most of the churches where I had been asked to speak were non-denominational. Somehow I had found favor with most churches. That’s not always an easy task.
As the morning service was nearing an end, I told the people if they had a need of any kind, that God was greater than that need. About that time, an older woman stood up. Grabbing the arm of a thin old man next to her, she yanked him to his feet. The old man had what looked to be about a half box of tissue wadded up and pressed against his face. The tissue was mostly blood red.
With a loud voice, the woman began to speak. “Last night Herman got a nose bleed. He couldn’t stop it. It bled all night and into the morning. As he was getting ready for church this morning, he bled on his church shirt. He had to change, but we came anyway. His nose has been bleeding during Sunday School and church and it is still bleeding now. Can God stop it?”
The sanctuary was quiet. The old man and woman almost looked comical standing up with the big wad of tissue on his face with his head tilted back. I simply stretched my hand toward him and said, “In the name of Jesus, be healed.” The flow of blood immediately stopped.
I slipped out the side door in order to make another appointment that afternoon. Little did I know that all afternoon, the town was buzzing with the news of Herman’s healing. That night when I returned, the church was packed to capacity. Everyone who was at the morning service had returned that evening, bringing with them everyone they could get to come. A deacon in the church told me that he had never seen that many people in the building as far back as he could remember, even on Christmas.
The point is this. Programs, pulpit pressure, guilt, and condemnation will never fill the church. When people are taught the good news and experience the gentle move of God’s Spirit, then our buildings won’t be large enough to handle the crowds.
And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. (Mark 2:1-2)
