September 30 “RESTORATION” Acts 3:19
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
On Monday, January 31, 2022, I lost the use and control of my left leg and experienced the reality of my left arm feeling heavy and difficult to control. There were so many thoughts, at the same time, cascading through my mind, and I thought about the possibilities that I might never “get back” what I had lost. Over the past two years, I stand in gratitude and awe for the amazing power and Grace of my God. In the light of my experience, I thought about salvation and the reality of sanctification, and I understand that sanctification is truly, about “getting back” that which was lost! Sin entered the human experience, when Adam disobeyed God’s command, and, at that moment, we lost the relationship and fellowship with God, the Creator! PRAISE GOD! He loved us enough that He desired to reestablish what we had lost, and He sent Jesus to be the “Refreshing” power necessary to reestablish the Holy Relationship with Him. Friends, Peter, and John, in the Name of Jesus, had just healed the lame man, who was near the gate that is called “Beautiful!” This lame man “got back” that which he had lost, the strength in his legs! On Tuesday morning, February 1, 2022, I “got back” the strength in my left leg and I recognize the miracle in the reality of restoration! The doctors were amazed and glad that I had made, in their words, a miraculous recovery! Hear this please! The healing of the lame man gave opportunity for Peter to preach a sermon, and he did just that! His sermon is reality for us today! He said that we are to REPENT! He declared that we should turn from our sins and, through the shed blood of Jesus, stop our sinning! He went on to instruct the Jews that REDEMPTION was the result of their REPENTANCE through FAITH, and that they would be converted and would turn from their sin and would follow Jesus! His sermon concluded with the fact that, when we REPENT and we are REDEEMED, then RESTORATION occurs!! Hear me right now! My God had the power to heal the lame man’s legs, and He has the power to heal our sinful hearts, and He has the desire for you to be RESTORED, so why not ACCEPT His GIFT OF REDEEMING GRACE through JESUS CHRIST and RESTORE your RELATIONSHIP with GOD! From a personal perspective, I am grateful for my RESTORATION and RELATIONSHIP with my God, and I am excited and humbled by his restoration of the strength and control for my left leg. I pray that I will forever recognize His Power and Provision and that I will constantly be in a state of Praise and Gratitude for “Getting Back” that which I had Lost! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE! (Re-Posting)
** POST SCRIPT: Yesterday afternoon, after the Saunders Memorial Service, I was in a local grocery store and there was a lady in front of me in the checkout line and she dropped her wallet and I reached down to collect her wallet for her, and she exploded on me! “Mind your own business! I don’t need a Trump supported helping me do anything!” I was shocked and a bit irritated that my actions were motivated by my upbringing, and not politics (How did she assume that I supported anyone)! As she turned to me, I saw several political pins on her blouse and before I could speak, she continued to berate me and to “assume,” because of my dress, my skin color and my accent, that I “Must” be one of those, according to her assessment, MAGA idiots! Discretion became the reality, and I quietly and calmly responded, “May God Bless You!” This hate filled example of entitled flesh told me to go @#^* myself! Then she turned her wrath on the young clerk as her EBT card was rejected! She “flipped out!” After what seemed like days, she finally completed her purchases, after demanding to see a manager, accusing him of treating her differently because of her skin color (the manager shared the same skin color) and she left the building, ranting and fuming and using colorful language to describe everyone in the store, vowing that she would never return to this establishment! Wow! I looked at the clerk and she was about to cry! “Sweetheart don’t let that woman cause you any grief or challenges! She has a problem and the ‘chip’ on her shoulder will continue to be an issue and she, apparently, enjoys being a ‘pain’ to all that she encounters!” I completed my purchase, and as I walked to my vehicle, this woman was chastising a young lady, in the parking lot, and she was screaming that the lady had parked too close to her car and that she was going to call the police, if she could find one that wasn’t prejudice! Sadly, this is the attitude and behavior that we are experiencing in our culture and the Satanic influences are causing individuals to act and to behave in an INSANE Manner! I got into my car and sat, staring at this evil woman and I began to pray for this “Possessed” individual. Last night, before bed, I prayed for her again, and again this morning, and I plan to continue to pray for this sad and deeply troubled soul! Pray with me for those that are living in the misery of unrepented sin and the idea that they are offended by life itself! (You can’t make this kind of stupidity up!!) Love your Neighbor… Boy oh Boy, often it is not easy!