“What if it were true?”
That was the premise that gave birth to the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. But if you think her stories are fantastic, you should read the Bible.
Just a few of the characters are enough for a best-selling series. A know-it-all snake. A talking donkey. And a man who conversed with a burning bush. Another man who built a boat—before it ever rained. A fish that swallowed a runaway. A bird that fed a prophet. And a valley full of brittle bones that assembled themselves into an army.
Those are just a few of the characters in the Old Testament. Then there are the events that even Hollywood can’t duplicate. From Creation to Armageddon, the Bible is filled with the fantastic, the extraordinary, the supernatural.
And some people think God is boring. He has an imagination unrivaled by Steven Spielberg or George Lucas.
What would it be like to meet the God of the Bible? To be there when he parted the Red Sea or raised Lazarus from the dead? To listen to him pray? To eat with him? To feel his gentle grip rescue you from some as-yet-unseen consequence?
What if you could live when Jesus walked this earth? Sail with him on the Sea of Galilee? Sit at his feet with Mary?
What would you say? How would you act differently?
What if instead of you going back in time, God lived in your world today?
We may piously think if Jesus visited any of our homes that we wouldn’t get caught up in preparing a fancy meal. We might imagine that we wouldn’t lose our tempers as Peter did. We wouldn’t believe we’d be capable of doing what we do every day. But such dreams would never come true.
Jesus is Emmanuel—God with us. He is a very present help in time of trouble. He promised he would never leave us; that he would be with us always. True, he’s not here physically, but the Holy Spirit lives in us. So he is wherever we are.
That can be a little disconcerting, but it should also be comforting. It’s a matter of perspective. And maybe we need a change of view. Perhaps we should see ourselves from God’s vantage point. He says we’re forgiven. Healed. Whole, rather than broken.
“What if it were true?”
Want to learn more? Visit http://praisechapelkingman.podblaze.com to hear a sermon by Pastor John Pool or any of our pastors or guest speakers.
