Christian Author and Pastor Ron Craig
We are still on the subject of equipment, as related to the church. Just hold on as I lay out God’s ingenious redemption plan for providing real solutions to the problems facing the human race. First of all, God is the Creator. He is the miracle-working God, and the creation of the universe was His first miracle we know about. God granting His creatures a free willcertainly made His plan even more complicated, and challenging. Deity would not have created such a vast universe had He not the ability to sustain it. Some of His creatures having used their free will to pollute His creation, God revealed His super-ability to redeem it. Jesus said He came to fulfill all the promises contained in the Law, Prophets and Psalms concerning Him and His mission (Luke 24:44), so He could not come down to earth until all those prophesies had been established on earth through Holy Spirit-led human authors (2 Peter 1:21). Finding those people was not easy, and it took thousands of years to complete. Then, one of the greatest of miracles was God becoming a man (John 1:14). Our Savior lived a miraculous life, and then on the cross miraculously paid the full price for our redemption from sin and all its consequences. One of sin’s consequences was hell. Our Lord’s spirit went to that place of torment (Matthew 12:40, Acts 2:24, 27, 31). But, miracle of miracles, Christ rose from the dead. No one had ever gone to hell and come back. But, our Savior did! Another miracle was Christ’s ascension to heaven. Isaiah 55:11 proclaims that God’s Word will not return to Him without having achieved what He sent it to achieve. Jesus was and is God’s Word (John 1:1), so had He not achieved our full redemption, Jesus Himself would not have been allowed back in heaven. His reception in heaven is divine evidence that all human problems have been solved by His sacrifice. But how do those with problems get in contact with those divine solutions? Next miracle: On the Day of Pentecost God and Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit on waiting, believing Christians. It was through His power and leading that the church was and is to minister solutions to those who believe in divine solutions. Luke 24:49—Wait til you have received power from on high before attempting to do any kind of ministry. Acts 2:4—They were filled with the miracle-working Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38-39—The same anointing is promised to believers throughout the church age. Acts 2:17-21—God’s Holy Spirit will be working right up to the end—when the sun and moon become darkened. The Holy Spirit and the Gospel are the only God-approved equipment made available to the church for its God-commissioned, supernatural ministry.
My point is this: After accomplishing all the miracles that made the outpouring of the Holy Spirit possible, why would Deity later abandon that part of His plan, leaving the church powerless to solve problems that have defied all other supposed solutions? The Holy Spirit is a New Covenant benefit, resident in the shed blood of our Savior; so God won’t, and man can’t, change it!
If you are not a committed member of some other Christian fellowship, you are invited to visit Living Way Fellowship at 2041 County Road 73, in Killen area. From Killen, going north on US 43, turn right on County Road 73 and go 2 and 1/2 miles. We are on the right. You can’t miss the sign out front—Living Way Fellowship. Sunday 10:00 A.M., Wednesday 7:00 P.M. Ron Craig is the pastor, teacher and Christian book author. Contact us at ronwritercraig@gmail.com, or log onto our church website at www.livingwayfellowshiponline.org. While logged on our website, check out my books and audio podcasts. Wouldn’t hurt!)
