I have heard of more than one preacher who has preached from within the baptistry. The man of God, waist deep in water, preaching the gospel in the spirit of John the Baptizer. I have heard the old story of the preacher preaching with umbrella in hand. Exhorting the church: “Brethren, we come to assembly and pray the Lord sends us rain. But we come dressed and prepared for a sunny Sunday afternoon.”I heard the story of two preachers who were arrested by the government. The first was martyred and the second slept the sleep of a saint, awaiting his fate. I have heard the story of some brethren huddled in a house. Fervently praying that a brother be freed from prison. Their prayers were interrupted by a young girl running into the room. She excitedly exclaimed that the brother in question was at the door. I have heard the story about a prayer meeting being interrupted. Where the only justifiable response was to blame the intrusion upon temporary insanity. “You’re out of your mind,” was the acceptable rebuke. But when the person, due to overwhelming excitement, refused to disavow their alleged apparition, they conceded that saying, “It must be his angel,” was the best way to calm them down.I heard the story of a preacher who writes daily devotions who knows his readers are smarter than he is. But he hoped that he could tell them the story of Rhoda in a way that they wouldn’t click till they got to the end.Acts 12:13-15 records the reactions to Peter’s arrival at the family home of John Mark. He tells of Rhoda’s excitement, and the prayer groups response to the prospect that the object of their prayers—the brother on death row—was standing at the door.Jesus’ call for Mountain-moving-faith must become the Christian’s starting point in prayer. He commands, “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk.11:24).
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