God will show up – Pastor
“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.” Psalm 103:17-18
IT IS often difficult during hardships to see God’s hand and acknowledge His love for us, but according to Reverend Barrington Daley, when we have come to the limits of our own self-sufficiency and recognise that we are nothing on our own, that is when God shows up and shows out.
The minister of the Bethabara Moravian Church in Newport, Manchester, in his sermon last Sunday, shared the stories of Peter and the miraculous catch of 153 fish after the resurrection of Jesus and the miracle of turning water into wine, both recorded in the book of John, as examples of how Jesus made impossibilities possible.
He said much like those stories where people let go of self and showed a total reliance on God and trusted Him to come through for them, the same should be applied in present day.
“Nets and jars cannot be filled unless they are empty, we have to empty ourselves. The Spirit enables us to empty ourselves so Christ can fill us. We can never be filled with Jesus until we first empty ourselves.”
Daley encouraged introspection and asked persons to assess the things they need to rid themselves of for God to take full control and be patient with the process.
“If Jesus were to show up right now, would he be pleased with how he finds you? We can never be filled with Jesus until we are first emptied of pride, arrogance… The emptiness is not a failure; the miracle begins when the wine is out. Jesus shows up when the nets are empty. Don’t throw the
jars away and don’t abandon your nets because they are the very places Jesus is showing himself to you.”
He said Peter’s miraculous fish catch after many failed attempts is a representation of the salvation that is available to humanity, having recognised that humanity cannot be saved without keeping the commandments, seeking God’s Grace and being guided by the Holy Spirit.
“The dark night of fishing has given way to the dawn of a new day, new hopes, new possibilities and that is what the resurrection does for us. The darkness does not win; the light always prevails. In the light of this new day Jesus shows himself. Whatever darkness has overcome you, whatever darkness you are facing in your life, that darkness is the circumstance in which Jesus will show himself,” the Bethabara minister preached.
He added: “How many of you ever start the week and think of things you have to do and wonder how you will make it when you look in your purse/wallet. It is in the darkness of that reality that Jesus always comes through for you… Jesus is never far away, always within easy reach.”
He said there is never a situation that God can’t fix and never one far from grace.
“What looked like endings have now become beginnings. Jesus showed himself in the empty nets that were filled with large fish, the darkness that gave way to light, nakedness that was clothed, a charcoal fire of denial that became one of welcome and invitation, a last supper that becomes the first breakfast and three deniers that were forgiven with affirmations of love.”
The minister reminded congregants to bear in the mind the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made to give us hope and life.
“Our life has been guaranteed by Christ’s life and He has shown Himself to us… As we continue to reflect upon the love of God through Christ, let us always be conscious of that which he has done for us and let us rest assure that no matter what we might be going through, it is in those details of our lives we best experience the resurrection power of God.”
“What looked like endings have now become beginnings. Jesus showed himself in the empty nets that were filled with large fish, the darkness that gave way to light, nakedness that was clothed, a charcoal fire of denial that became one of welcome and invitation, a last supper that becomes the first breakfast and three deniers that were forgiven with affirmations of love.”