Yesterday my wife and I were both too sick to go to church. She was still suffering from the side effects of her chemo treatments and I had a very bad sinus infection. After the service the guest speaker Paul Johnian, a revivalist and master classical violinist who has done extensive concert work with symphony orchestras and solo recitals on five continents came over to our house for a short visit.
After some small talk he pulled out his violin and played one of our favorite hymns. It was so beautiful and touching that tears streamed down Teresa’s face. Then he prayed with us and gave us a book written by his wife whose miraculous divine healing made a believer out of him. Then he rushed away to drive to Brunswick Georgia to preach again before driving to his home in Franklin Tennessee.
Paul was full of enthusiasm and the Spirit of the Lord. He seemed genuinely full of joy and radiated it from the time we shook hands until he dashed out the door. Though he is getting up in age one would never know it because he is full of energy.
In the brief time we spent together he told me that his life and attitude were not always that way. His wife was stricken down with serious medical problems and couldn’t even get out of bed for two full years. A small church prayed over her and the next day he went home at lunch to check on her and she was up vacuuming. She was healed from that day forward. Seeing her miraculous transformation changed his life forever and he immediately became a follower of Jesus.
It reminds me of the way the disciples changed when they saw Jesus after He arose from the grave. After the crucifixion to a person they were cowards in hiding and frightened out of their wits. Jesus visited them and abruptly they became fearless preachers that stayed faithful regardless of ruthless beatings, prison, and martyrdom.
When Paul Johnian’s wife got divinely healed they both were transformed into ardent followers of Christ and have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles playing the violin, preaching, writing books, and praying. Their entire lives are now devoted to Jesus Christ
Jesus told Thomas when he demanded more proof that He was alive and He appeared to him: “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Not everyone is fortunate enough to see Jesus face to face and put our fingers in His wounds, but we are all fortunate enough to see the evidence of His majesty. I watched the sun come up this morning and felt His calm reassuring presence. I walked outside and saw God’s creation come alive as the night melted away into daylight. I saw His blue sky above and beautiful Honey Lake still and as reflective as a mirror. Seeing His creation makes me wonder how anyone can deny His presence.
I’ve never seen Jesus face to face, and yet I have seen the glory of His majesty all around me. I believe in Him and love Him with all my heart. Today I will work on the Jesus Alliance website in His honor and consider myself privileged to do so. How about you? Will you be working towards glorifying the Lord’s name in some fashion today?
1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
July 13, 2015 – Click here to listen