A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day – January 13, 2020
For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37)
Is it possible to see Jesus? Is it possible that Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God, the One Who died on the cross and was raised from the dead would personally visit you in your home and talk with you? Is it possible that Jesus could have a discussion with you about your life and give you advice that could change your destiny?
As a young Christian, I heard stories of people who had a visitation from Jesus. I thought people like that were crazy. After all, I had been taught in my church that after Jesus ascended into heaven, He sat down at the right hand of the Father and that’s where He was going to stay until the Father decided to send Him back for the church in the
Rapture.
It’s amazing what determines what a person believes. Once I met a man who would only drive a Ford pickup truck. He had the Ford logo painted on his rear window. He had a Ford jacket and a baseball cap with Ford written on it. This man loved his Ford pickup. When I asked him why he felt Fords were the best, he said, “My dad always drove a Ford, and his dad before him. I will always drive a Ford because they did.”
Sadly, in a recent survey that was the same reason that people said they were Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc. Too many people believe what they believe and attend the church they do solely because it’s the church their parents attended or it’s the closest one to their home. It’s amazing that people will make decisions that determine their eternal destiny and the quality of their life here on earth strictly because of tradition or convenience.
So, when I heard someone say that Jesus had appeared to them, the church I was raised in didn’t believe that could happen, so neither did I. Then one day while reading my Bible, I read in Acts chapter nine that Jesus appeared to Ananias and, according to the Bible, Ananias actually saw Jesus and carried on a conversation with Him (vs. 10-15). (This was after Jesus had ascended into heaven.)
Acts chapter eighteen tells us that one-night Paul saw Jesus and Jesus gave him instructions on what to do in His ministry (vs. 9-10). In Acts chapter twenty-two, Paul tells of a conversation he had with Jesus in Jerusalem. In verse eighteen the Bible says that he saw Jesus and Jesus gave him advise that, if obeyed, would save his life. It was in this conversation with Jesus that Paul learned he would be sent great distances to take the gospel to the Gentiles (vs. 17-21).
Then in chapter twenty-three, Jesus actually stood next to Paul and gave him further instruction for his ministry (vs. 11). This was not a vision nor a dream, but an actual event. The visitations of Jesus were extremely important in Paul’s ministry. It’s also interesting that each time Jesus appeared to a New Testament believer, they were not shocked. It was expected.
These examples show clearly that Jesus appeared to New Testament Christians and carried on conversations that included instruction, warnings, and comfort.
God is not a respecter of persons. If Jesus appeared to and spoke to and gave guidance to New Testament Christians, then why wouldn’t He do the same for you? After all, you are a New Testament Christian too.
As Christians, our theology should be based on the truths given to us in God’s Holy Word, the Bible. The Bible clearly tells us that faith is important (Hebrews 11:6) and that without faith mixed in our hearts the Word does not work in our lives (Hebrews 4:2). Our very salvation exists only for those who believe and have faith in God’s promise of eternal life (Ephesians 2:8). The Bible tells us that we prophecy and receive the Holy Spirit in proportion to our faith (Romans 12:6). If you do not believe that Jesus died for your sins so that you can have everlasting life, you will not have everlasting life. In order to receive it, you must believe it. Every gift from God comes by faith.
So today, I propose this. We as Christians should raise our level of belief to include every good gift that God has for us. If New Testament Christians were healed, you can be healed. If New Testament Christians were delivered from oppression, you can be delivered from oppression. If Jesus appeared to New Testament Christians, Jesus can appear to
you.
Now, don’t take me wrong. I am not suggesting that we spend our time begging Jesus to appear to us. But what I am saying is this. We must not allow the traditions of man to impede the manifestations of God.
Remember, we receive in proportion to our faith.
