Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: At the Pulpit (11/15/07)
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TITLE: Reflections at Dawn | Previous Challenge Entry
By Peter Stone
11/18/07 -
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I watched the sunlight refract through the transparent, plastic pulpit to paint a stunning light show upon the stage wall, and wondered what move of God would be unveiled in this morning’s service.
As I moved over to stand behind the pulpit, I recalled Pastor Mark’s message from last Sunday.
“My brethren, how is it that the Messiah’s own people failed to recognise Him, after eagerly awaiting His arrival for so long? Why did the manner of His arrival confuse them so? Those who have studied the New Testament suffer no such confusion, but the Jews of Jesus’ time had no such luxury. How were they to know that the passages which referred to the Messiah’s suffering, and those which referred to His coming to reign in power and glory, were to be at least two thousand years apart?”
Oh, if I could but trade places with Pastor Mark for just one Sunday morning! To speak out the living Word of God, to see it impact living human souls, and my favourite part, to receive revelation of the Word’s secret mysteries directly from the Spirit of Christ Himself!
I recalled the Pastor illustrating his opening remark. ”Micah 5:2 tells us ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose goings out are from of old, from days of eternity.’ Desiring to be delivered from their Roman overlords and oppressors, the Jews delighted in such scriptures, as they anxiously sought this triumphant Messiah to set them free and rule Israel in person!”
I had watched, enraptured, as the bread of life cleansed the minds and nourished the spirits of the church’s members.
How Pastor Mark applied the next scriptures sent chills of delight coursing through me as I saw for the first time how they fitted into the Great Scheme. “Scriptures that revealed the Messiah’s sufferings were not understood, or even desired. Let’s look at Daniel 9:25-26 ‘Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.’ After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.’ This is incredible! Not only does it predict how many years would pass from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah’s birth, but it shows without any doubt that the Messiah was going to die…”
A faint disturbance in the spiritual realm interrupted my preoccupation with precious memories. I sighed as I spied a spirit of dissension amongst the bucket seats, laying the foundations of a stronghold. Realising that it had been detected, it increased its frenetic pace.
Needing a weapon with which to combat this intrusion, I quickly sought out the church’s prayer warriors. Ah! Even at this early hour, there was faithful Mrs White, on her knees before the Lord.
I took the words of her prayer and cast them upon the unclean spirit. The stronghold’s foundations were shorn away by Mrs White’s words of binding, and then as she loosed away any attack from the church, I used this to expel the spirit from the building altogether.
Although I could never trade places with Pastor Mark and preach God’s Word while standing at the pulpit, I still had a part to play.
Looking into the heavenlies, I saw my Lord upon the throne. As always, He was watching me through those loving eyes. He nodded in recognition of the part I had played to keep that spirit of dissension away from His flock. Encouraged, I gave Him my deepest affections. Being an angel had its benefits too.
Yet, I can still dream, can’t I?
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1 Peter 1:10- 12 Concerning this salvation, the prophets…searched intently.., trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow… Even angels long to look into these things.
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Incredible writing!