Sermon Central
-
On Monday, September 15, 2008, A Very Interesting ...
Contributed by Mark Hiehle on Sep 25, 2008 (message contributor)
On Monday, September 15, 2008, a very interesting panel of men was assembled and interviewed as a PBS special. The program aired on Friday night, September 19th. The gathering was of past and current White House Chief of Staff. One of the questions that was posed to the men was, “In your opinion, what did you witness and believe was an historic moment for the President whom you served?” Kenneth M. Duberstein, President Ronald Reagan’s White House Chief of Staff replied with two amazing stories. He said that the first had to have been the speech President Reagan gave in which he called for Russian General Secretary Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall.” Mr. Duberstein recounted that after the speech was written, there was great concern over the paragraph that contained that statement. The State Department did not want President Reagan to include that paragraph because it could be too inflammatory. President Reagan decided that it must be said and history now sites that call as an historic moment.
The second story literally blew me away as I heard Mr. Duberstein tell of a later meeting President Reagan had with Mikhail Gorbachev. Mr. Gorbachev and seven members of his cabinet met with President Reagan and seven of his cabinet members. Gorbachev was asking for advice from Reagan on how he could be successful with his attempts to reform the Soviet Union. His programs of Perestroika and Glasnost were faltering. The opposition by the Communist Party leadership was stifling the entire reform progress. President Reagan told Gorbachev that, “… he needed to win the people’s hearts. Spend less on the military and more on meeting the people’s needs…on better housing, food and clothing. If you win the people, you will defeat the bureaucrats.” Gorbachev replied, “That makes perfect sense, it sounds like just what Jesus Christ would have said.” Duberstein then said that when it was reported to the CIA what Gorbachev said, and using the name of Jesus, the CIA said that the reference to Jesus was just a figure of speech. Reagan disagreed. Duberstein then said that a week later Reagan was proven right when Gorbachev went to a Russian church and confessed Jesus as Lord.
When I heard that, I was both amazed and thrilled. Gorbachev was a Christian! What was happening in Russia with the end of the cold war and the dissolving of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Gorbachev was spiritual and led by God. Jesus had touched Gorbachev’s heart and that led to the tearing down of an oppressive stronghold and the introduction of freedom.
It is touted that politics and religion should not mix. The truth is that when they do, miracles happen and people are literally set free. God is at work all around our world. He is working behind the scenes, in people’s lives and setting the stage for amazing things to happen, even in the most unlikely places. If you are feeling anxious about the future, remember that God is on the throne and He still does miracles.
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
The Practice Of The Presence Of God By Brother ... PRO
Contributed by Mark Green on Jul 5, 2005
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. Revised and rewritten by Harold Chadwick. “We should not grow weary of doing little things for the love of God, who considers not the ...read more
-
Dr. Peter Stoner, Professor Emeritus Of Science ... PRO
Contributed by Timothy Smith on Dec 25, 2004
Dr. Peter Stoner, Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, wrote a book entitled Science Speaks, (Moody Press, 1969, P.109) in which he wrote about the law of "compound probability" in reference to just 8 of these prophecies about Jesus coming true. He said that the odds of one man ...read more
-
Robert Zemeckis, Not Only Directed The Polar ... PRO
Contributed by Timothy Smith on Dec 25, 2004
Robert Zemeckis, not only directed The Polar Express but helped write the screenplay. He said, “This is a story everyone can relate to. So many of us, as children or adults, have questioned our belief in something or gone through the process of having our faith tested and restored. Kids can take ...read more
-
Back In 1905, There Was Baseball Game At Salt ...
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 14, 2007
Back in 1905, there was baseball game at Salt Lake City, Utah. The Rhyolites were playing the Beattys and the Beattys were up to bat. The pitcher threw the ball, the batter swung - and the ball rocketed toward 1st base. The 1st baseman was a man named William Giffiths, and as he saw the ball ...read more
-
Mark Noll, Noted Theologian And Author Once ...
Contributed by Greg Buchner on Mar 21, 2005
Mark Noll, noted theologian and author once wrote… “Over the long course of Christian history, the most depressing thing—because it is repeated so often—has been how tragically far short of Christian ideals we ordinary Christians so regularly fall. Over the long course of Christian history, ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Pandemic And Political Paranoia - The Torment Of Fear Versus The Peace Of God's Love
Contributed by Dr. Craig Nelson on Mar 17, 2020
The recent international pandemic and the persistant unprecedented overreach and intimidation by governmental authorities has caused anxiety and fear to run rampant across the world, affecting everyone, the likes of which I have never seen before in my lifetime.
-
The De-Voted Christian Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 6, 2016
Can you be both a Christian AND a Republican or a Democrat? The answer is no. That doesn't mean you can't register with or work for a party... it's just you can't serve two masters. Do you know why?
-
Do You Know Who You Are? Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 14, 2020
Who are you? Whose name do you bear? And what difference does that make to your life?
-
Praying For Politicians
Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Sep 18, 2016
Sometimes we may be frustrated with our political system, with what our leaders do while in office, with our government as a whole. Yet, God calls us to obey the law, pray for our leaders, and above all, follow God.
-
When A Deadly Disease Strikes Us: Six Important Lessons That Covid-19 Teaches Us
Contributed by Joel Tejedo on Mar 31, 2020
2 Samuel 24: 1-25 is about a situation when a disease struck a nation because the leader became proud of his military might and strong fortresses.
