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Recently a man in Poland awoke from a coma of 19 years. All of his children had grown up and he was now a grandfather. The rarity of such an awakening made worldwide news. Imagine what would happen today, if Jesus was walking around on earth awakening the dead. The news would be global!
In the reading from the gospel of Luke, we are told how the people reacted when Jesus raised the only son of a widow from the dead. Luke writes, “Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favorably on his people!’ This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.”
Please notice that the news as amazing as it was did not spread throughout the Roman Empire at that time. This would happen years later, when the disciples left Judea to preach the gospel throughout the known world. Today, the wondrous miracles of Jesus have become global. There is a spiritual revival of global proportions happening in all churches, except those churches that are not preaching the true gospel. Sadly, here in America, the Episcopal Church contrary to other churches within the Anglican Communion is losing members – not gaining them.
Perhaps we here in America need a miracle of Biblical proportions. I believe we need to stop our inward fighting and get back to spreading the gospel of Jesus the Christ according to the scriptures. The churches that are experiencing spiritual renewal are teaching and preaching the scriptures as handed down throughout the ages. They are lifting up Jesus as the Savior for all.
As much as the revisionists want their new religion to catch on, it is failing. Where revisionist theology is preached, the numbers of members goes down not up. People are leaving the Episcopal Church by the thousands.
It has been said, “By their fruits you will know them”. The fruits of the ‘New Thing’ are hard and bitter. Instead of the love of Christ for all, there is animosity and hatred towards those who do not want to follow these new teachings that revise the scriptures to comply with society’s new morality and the acceptance of all religions as ways to salvation. This antagonistic behavior has led our beloved church to the schism that is now facing us as we quickly approach the September 30th deadline by the Primates to comply with the traditions and teachings of the one, true, catholic and apostolic faith.
In our reading today from Galatians we heard about Paul, who had persecuted the Church until he came face to face with the glorified Christ. After Paul’s conversion, his passion that once fueled his desire to stop the spread of the true gospel of Christ now fueled his desire to tell the good news to all peoples. In his own words, Paul became known among the believers as “‘the one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’ Paul goes on to say, “And they glorified God because of me.”
We who are still courageous enough to believe and boldly proclaim that Jesus is the source of life need to pray for those who are persecuting the true believers of the gospel. When Stephen, the first martyr of the Church, was being stoned to death; he prayed these words “Master, don’t blame them for this sin”. Paul, known at that time as Saul, was standing nearby watching the cloaks of Stephen’s murderers. When Stephen died, the scripture reads, “Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.” (from The Message) Yet, it was Stephen’s prayer that eventually brought about Saul’s conversion to Jesus as the Christ.
The Holy Spirit who was in Stephen is the same Holy Spirit who changed Saul’s heart to Christ. That same Holy Spirit is within us who continue to cling to the cross of Jesus as our only hope of salvation. Those of us who continue to uphold Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life, need to start praying for those who have lost their way. Like Stephen, who gave his life for Christ, we need to ask God to forgive them. Only then, will we see a spiritual renewal in the Episcopal Church. It is only through prayer that the power of the Holy Spirit can be released to woo back the hearts of those who have been mislead and those who have mislead the people of God.
Imagine what a testimony to the world if those who have abandoned the true faith would repent and accept Jesus as the Hope for the world. The reverberations would be global. The testimony of those who have persecuted the true believers would become like Paul’s. They would become known as the ones who formerly were persecuting the believers and now are proclaiming the faith they once tried to destroy and God would be glorified.
Impossible you might be thinking. Yes, just as impossible as it is to raise the dead. It is impossible for humans, but not impossible for Jesus the Christ. In the gospel of John, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.”
If we truly want to see the Episcopal Church awaken from her spiritual spiral of death, then we need to get spiritually busy. As your pastor, I am asking each and every one of you to recommit your lives to the one true Christ and to pray every day for the spiritual resurrection of the Episcopal Church. Remember to pray in forgiveness, not anger or bitterness, but with the love of God. The scriptures tell us that God honors such prayers.
In the gospel of Matthew it is written, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” When we forgive our adversaries, then we are loosing them to come under God’s judgment, which allows the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. This is why Jesus tells us in Matthew, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” It is the healing love of God activated through our prayers that can heal our beloved Episcopal Church.
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