Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area I got to see both the Giants and Niners play from time to time. Because of that I was in the park when Willie Mays stroked homers to right-center field at Candlestick. Nothing gave me greater joy than watching Montana put together a last minute drive and hit Solomon for a TD or to watch the like of Ronnie Lott perform his magic on the field.
Most of us have seen such feats in documentaries and the like. But there is something about “being there” that makes it more real. Those of you who are old enough, do you remember what you were doing November 22, 1963? What about Sunday December 7, 1941? Those were days that will live forever in the minds of Americans who were alive then. And yet, even living through them was not the same as being present and watching that motorcade move through Dallas or being on a ship in Pearl Harbor.
Over this 50-Day Spiritual Adventure we’ve been asking the Lord to open our spiritual eyes so that we might see his real presence among us as we gather in His name. We’ve not wanted to settle for a second-hand experience but we’ve wanted to see Him ourselves; to be captured by His beauty and power; his words and acts of love. When this type of close encounter occurs we are changed. Our worship is changed. The way we relate to others is changed. The way we choose to live our life is changed. The way we read His word and communicate with Him is changed. Nothing remains the same when Jesus enters our life.
In Acts 4 we see what this change does to two disciples who have followed Jesus for three years. They have watched Him be arrested and executed. One had abandoned Him in the garden. Later he stood by the cross and agreed to watch after Jesus’ mother. The other tried to stand up for Jesus but ended up denying he even knew him. Both had seen Jesus resurrected, raised from the dead, alive again. Both had been in a room with some 120 others who experienced a sense of power that had to be from God. Both had been changed wildly by this Jesus who they walked alongside, talked and ate with and who called them to be his followers.
Their sharing what they had seen and experienced was not optional. It was absolutely essential. Yes there was pressure to keep quite. Yeah they might have been tempted to “not rock the boat”. But the wonderful things that Jesus had done had to be told. It was unthinkable to not share the wonderful news that the Messiah, the one whom the Jewish people had been looking forward to every Passover was here and bring salvation to His people. They knew that what they had seen needed to be told to others otherwise they would die.
What they did wasn’t natural but supernatural. You remember what they were like before Easter. Here seven weeks later the one who denies Jesus is preaching in the same streets, probably close to the same place they were hiding that Easter evening. Perhaps you read this and say, “Oh well that’s easy for them.” Or “I wish I could have that type of effect.” But the fact is people don’t convince people to turn to Jesus. Let me set your mind at ease about something. Luis Palau and Billy Graham have never led anyone to Jesus. People have come to believe in Jesus Christ because of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit has seen fit to use people like Dr. Graham and Luis Palau. But the Spirit also chooses to use us when we’re open to Jesus, when we are willing to share what we’ve experienced.
In verses 13-20, we see how sharing Jesus has changed from being a duty to being a delight. For Peter and John it was not something they ought to do or had to do; but a privilege, something they got to do. So it is with us. There’s an older Christian song in which the writer describes himself as a beggar showing other beggars where to find bread. That’s a great example of what it means to share Jesus with others. We’re simply beggars who have found an ample supply of food and we’re sharing with other beggars.
Greg Asimakoupoulos wrote a poem called Merger Mania a few weeks back that is rather telling
First came Turner
then Time-Warner
now it’s AOL.
CNN is more than news.
Besides that,
"You’ve got mail!"
US Air has taken off
to fly the friendly skies,
while TWA is cruising
where American Airlines flies.
Quaker Oats was gobbled up
by Pepsi’s appetite,
while Kellogg’s kidnapped
Keebler’s elves
who didn’t try to fight.
Selling out is common.
It happens everyday.
but what makes sense in business
is not the Christian way.
Maintain your daily witness.
Don’t compromise your walk.
Stand up for what you know is right.
Avoid the trading block.
Maybe you’ve felt that life has changed so much around you you’re not even certain what is real any more. Maybe the world has pushed and pulled you for so long and in so many ways that you’ve given up trying to live for Jesus and you’re just happy going to church. Maybe the pressure and pain of life has dealt you such a blow you’re no longer sure if God is even real let alone that he loves you.
Let me encourage you with a story that has really touched my life during this adventure. Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart, and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.
Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: “Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?” Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office, and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying, “My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?” Beverly said, “Why, yes I do.” Edith said, “Well, what do you believe about Easter?” Beverly said, “Well, it’s all about egg hunts, going to church, and dressing up.” Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Phillips said, “Beverly, don’t call Edith into the office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room. After being called back in the doctor’s office, Edith sat down and when she took a look at the doctor she said, “Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying?”
Dr. Phillips said gently, “Edith, I’m the doctor, and you’re the patient.”
With a heavy heart he said, “Your lab report came back, and it says you have cancer, and Edith, you’re not going to live very long.”
Edith said, “Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I’m going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just told me that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!”
Dr. Phillips thought to himself, “What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns is!”
Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came, and the office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not show up. Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her story to the hospital and said, “Will, I’m very near home, so would you make sure that they put women next to me in my room who need to know about Easter.”
Well, they did just that, and women began to come in and share that room with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they started calling her Edith Easter; that is, everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.
Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a “religious nut.” She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it all and heard it all. She was the original GI Jane. She had been married three times. She was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.
One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick. Edith had the flu, and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot. When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, “Phyllis, God loves you, and I love you, and I have been praying for you.” Phyllis Cross said, “Well, you can quit praying for me, it won’t work. I’m not interested.” Edith said, “Well, I will pray, and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family.” Phyllis Cross said, “Then you will never die because that will never happen,” and curtly walked out of the room.
Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room, and Edith would say, “God loves you, Phyllis, and I love you, and I’m praying for you.” One day Phyllis Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith’s room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the bed, and Edith said, “I’m so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day.”
Phyllis Cross said, “Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, “Do you believe in Easter?” but you have never asked me.” Edith said, “Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now that you have asked. . . .”
Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Edith said, “Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that he wants to live in your heart?” Phyllis Cross said, “Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart, and I do want Jesus in my life.” Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.
Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in, and Edith said, “Do you know what day it is?” Phyllis Cross said, “Why, Edith, it’s Good Friday.” Edith said, “Oh, no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter, Phyllis!”
Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of her duties and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies and wish her a Happy Easter. When she walked into Edith’s room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face.
When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith’s hand, she realized Edith was dead. Her left hand was on John 14:2–3: “In my Father’s house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, said, “Happy Easter, Edith—Happy Easter!”
Phyllis Cross left Edith’s body, walked out of the room, and over to a table where two student nurses were sitting. She said, “My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?”
