July 8, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Diamonds in
the Dark. But first, here's the message the Journey of
Life Part two.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Now, we have a story in Luke chapter twenty four
that begins with two disappointed and disillusioned disciples. And so
these two men won by the name of Kleopus and
the other unnamed, are on their way to a little town,
(00:42):
a little village called Amaeus. They did this, no doubt,
to just get away and think, perhaps to talk along
the road, to remove themselves as far as possible from
the sorrow and the sadness of the events of the
last few days. But then something very wonderful happened, beginning
(01:02):
at verse thirteen of Luke's Gospel, chapter twenty four, that
very day, two of them were going to a village
named Emaeis, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were
talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew
(01:24):
near and went with them, but their eyes were kept
from recognizing him, And he said to them, what is
this conversation that you're holding with each other as you walk?
And they stood still, looking sad. And then one of
them named Cleopus, answered and said, are you the only
visitor in Jerusalem who does not know these things that
(01:46):
have happened in these days? And he said what things?
And they said to him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a
man who was a prophet mighty indeed and word before
God and all the people, And how our chief priests
and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death
and crucified him. Now note these words in verse twenty one.
(02:06):
But we had hoped past tense. We had a hope
that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and
besides all this, it's now the third day. Since all
of these things have happened. These men are now lost
and confused on life's journey. They're afraid because their dreams
(02:30):
have been destroyed. What they had expected turned out to
be unknown. Maybe you're struggling in life today. Maybe you've
decided life isn't worth living, just to chunk it all.
Others on the other extreme, decide that says life seemingly
(02:52):
has no purpose and all hope is gone, that they'll
just live for pleasure or live for profit and success.
Or maybe your life hasn't turned out as you expected
in that you're facing illness or sickness, or relationships that
are broken, or you're dealing with guilt or or fear
or financial loss. I don't know, but you find yourself disappointed,
(03:18):
You find yourself in life's journey struggling. But their disappointment
and yours can turn into an appointment, a divine appointment.
And that is exactly what is happening here. The divine
stranger took them down a path that restored their passion,
and he resurrected their hopes. And on this seven mile
(03:41):
journey we also just these steps with these men, we
can also discover how our hopes can be renewed, how
our faith can be rekindled. And though we are disappointed
at times, and doubting at times and empty at times,
we can learn how to live life on life's journeys
when we begin to focus on God's promises. Again, that's
(04:04):
what happened in verses twenty five through twenty seven. Look
at the verses there, and he said to them, old
foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all
that the prophets that have spoken, Was it not necessary
that the Christ should suffer these things that enter into
his glory? And watch this verse twenty seven, and beginning
with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted them in
(04:29):
all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. What a walk
this turned out to be, because Jesus now tanks these
men down route sixty six, the sixty six books of
the Bible, starting in the Old Testament, and he points
out in all the scriptures there the things concerning himself.
(04:56):
And what an experience these men had. As Jesus took
the scriptures, maybe he started in Genesis three and verse fifteen,
when God promised the Savior and that the Son of
God would bruise the head of the serpent. No doubt
he took them over to Genesis chapter twenty two, when
(05:19):
Abraham took his son, his only son, Isaac, as commanded
by God, and was willing to sacrifice him there, and
the lamb was caught in the thicket and became a
substitute for the son. And it was a reminder, it
was a refresher course that God had promised a Messiah,
and the sacrifice was so very vital. Maybe he took
(05:42):
these men over to Exodus chapter twelve and spoke of
the passover and the Israelites who put the blood on
the doorpost of the house, and the judgment of God's
hand was stayed upon those who believe. And when he
saw the blood, he passed over, and Jesus spoke to
them of his passover. Maybe he took them over to
Psalm chapter twenty two, verse one, when the Son of
(06:05):
God cried out, my God, my God, why have you
forsaken me? And he pointed out to these men when
he spoke on the cross, it was in fulfillment of
that very passage. No question, he would have taken them
to Isaiah chapter fifty three, when the prince of the
prophets Isaiah said, he was wounded for our transgressions. He
(06:27):
was bruised for our iniquity, and the chastisement of our
peace was laid upon him. All we like sheep, had
gone astray. But the Lord laid upon him all our iniquity.
Jesus pointed all these things out, and so much more.
It was a walk in the word. If you don't
(06:48):
find Christ, and every passage of scripture you read either
in type or in prophecy or in prediction, then you're
missing the point of the Bible, because all of the
Bible is about Jesus, and so in these moments, Jesus
is teaching them and teaching us who he is. The
(07:12):
problem these men had, the problem that many of us have,
is we have forgotten who Christ is, his identity, and
we lose hope when we fail to remember who Jesus is.
They forgot that Jesus promised the resurrection. So they're walking
away in the wrong direction. And I can tell you
(07:34):
that every step away from Christ is a step in
the wrong direction. So if you're disappointed in life, even
in Jesus himself, now's the time to renew your faith,
to draw near to the one who's drawing near to you.
(07:55):
You can live knowing the reality of the risen Christ,
listening to him, walking with him, and I'm talking with him.
We read here that Jesus drew near to them, but
they didn't recognize him, and that happens to many today.
They don't recognize Christ for who he is. They're living
(08:15):
on the wrong side of the resurrection. These men knew
Jesus as a prophet. They knew that he had done
many wonderful and mighty works. They believed that somehow he
was supernatural, that he had been crucified. But they were
living on the wrong side of the resurrection. They did
not know him in the power and the presence of
(08:38):
his living love. So Jesus drew near as he draws
near to us when we're paying attention, can I remind
you today that He is nearer, much nearer, this risen
Christ than you think. Sometimes, when we walk through life's journey,
(09:01):
we feel alone that God is far away, And we
especially feel this in times of tears and times of
trials and tests. We wonder where is God? When our
expectations are not met, When we prayed and our prayers
were not answered, when we had hoped against all hopes
(09:23):
that things would change and they didn't change, we wonder
where are you? God? Where is this promise of your presence?
Let me remind you that Jesus there is, and Savior
is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. What
(09:44):
do you suppose is the most common repeated promise in
all of the Bible. The most repeated promise of awe
is the promise I am with you, I will never
leave you or forsake you. I am always present, and
(10:12):
the risen Christ is always available if we will seek Him,
invite him, and discover his living presence. That's why it
is so very important that we take a walk in
the Word with Christ each day. The Bible is never
(10:34):
a boring book to the believer because we meet Him
in unexpected turns and places in our lives when we
open the Word of God. So when we walk in
the Word, we're walking in the steps of our Lord,
and his presence fills our lives.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
The Journey of Life Part two. If you're walking through
a tough season, Diamonds in the Dark is a message
you need to hear. In this honest and hope filled book,
doctor Graham shows you how God uses grief, loss and
hardship to reveal spiritual treasures you'd never discover otherwise. We
(11:11):
want to send you Diamonds in the Dark as a
thanks for your gift of ten dollars or more. Call
now to request your copy. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven, or text the
word diamond to five nine seven eight nine. Don't let
stress rob you of peace. It is possible to break
(11:33):
the destructive grip of stress on your life and enjoy
the peace and abundance God desires for you. That's what
doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet Breaking Free
from Stress. We'll send you a digital download of Breaking
Free from Stress when you sign up for email updates
from PowerPoint Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot org slash
stress and sign up today. Now let's get back to
(11:54):
today's message, The Journey of Life Part two.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Well, it didn't take long for these men to realize
something supernatural was happening, because by now their hearts are
burning and their faith is being restored. And as they're
walking with Christ, they reached their destination and Jesus tells
them that he's going to go on look down at
(12:20):
verse twenty eight. So they drew near to the village
in which they were going, and he acted as if
he was going farther. But then verse twenty nine, they
urged him strongly, saying stay with us, for it is
toward evening and the day is now far spent, so
he went in to stay with them. And when he
(12:42):
was at the table with them, he took the bread
and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them.
What's going on here? Their hearts are burning, pounding in
the presence of this incredible per personality. They don't yet
(13:02):
know exactly who he is. Their mind is in a fog,
is a mental fog, a mental fatigue. But when Jesus
suggests that he's going away, they said, no, please, please
stay with us. Did you know that Jesus always waits
for our welcome. He only comes where he is invited.
(13:26):
And he's still waiting on your invitation to say, Lord,
stay with me. Revelation three point twenty says, behold, I
stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my
voice and opens the door, I will come in and
sup with him, and him with me. So he joins
them for a meal is supper time. He joins them
(13:50):
for just a common, ordinary thing, something that people do two, three,
four times a day, sometimes more, eating a meal, and
they're enjoying friendship together. And then the guest turns into
the host and he takes bread and he blesses it
(14:16):
with a prayer, and then he breaks it and he
begins to serve them, and immediately they recognized him. What
was it that opened their eyes and opened their hearts
to him? Was it it's something that he said? Was
it in the way that he broke the bread, when
(14:40):
he broke open the bread and gave them to eat,
that they saw the nail prints in his hands? You see,
the only man made thing in the resurrection body of
Christ in heaven itself will be the nail prince in
his hands. Well, we don't know, but what we do
(15:03):
know that now it is obvious to them, and their
doubt is turned to faith. They see Jesus. He's alive.
He's alive, and at that moment he disappeared, he vanished. Now,
some liberals scholars, and I don't think they're too much
of a scholar, But many liberals would say, well, you
(15:23):
know it, really, it really doesn't matter whether it's Jesus
came alive in his body, and it certainly doesn't matter
if he could move from place to place. These stories
are ambiguous, they say. Perhaps their metaphors and perhaps this
whole story of Jesus vanishing before their very eyes, Maybe
they just imagine the whole thing. Let me remind you
(15:43):
that if you believe in a risen savior, if you
believe in a supernatural savior, that Jesus is who he
claimed to be, then you have no problem at all
in believing that Jesus, in his resurrected body, could be
anywhere he wanted to be, any time, any day. And
at that moment he disappeared, but the fire of his
(16:09):
presence remained. He was invisible now to them, but his
presence was even more real now they get it. From
death comes resurrection. After Good Friday, comes Easter Morning. After
(16:29):
the suffering, comes the glory, after the cross, comes the crown,
after the pain, there is the gain. Now they know
that Jesus has defeated death and hell, and they realize
personally that he is with them forever and listen up,
(16:49):
so can we. That's what this is all about, this
Christian life, this journey of life. Knowing that He is
at our side, that his presence, his passion, burns in
our hearts. They said, did not our hearts burn within us?
(17:16):
When we walk with him? That's what it means, walking
down the street, riding in the car, working in the office,
it means that he is alive, because now Jesus is
not limited by time or space, but his presence living
is in us always, and we see Him in everything,
(17:41):
and we see him everywhere. Don't miss his presence. Don't
miss this miracle that you can see Christ in every
place and in every person, in every sunrise and every sunset,
in every dark hour and every sunlit day. That the
presence of Christ is real, and the living Spirit of
(18:04):
God is in us by Christ. And oh what confidence
this gives us. Uncertainty and conviction and yes, compassion. The
Bible tells us here that these two men ran back
into Jerusalem, and they begin to tell their friends this
good news that Jesus is alive. If your heart has
(18:24):
been touched by the fire of Christ, sou will you
live in certainty and conviction, And no matter what twist
and turns in life's journey you may find you will
discover there is power, the power of the resurrection, and
the promise of a new life. Back during the days
of the American Revolution, thinking about it, reflecting upon it,
(18:45):
one of those young revolutionaries of early America said, as
young men, our hearts were touched with fire that brought
about revolution in the world in America, but a greater
revolution took place some young men and women years ago,
when Christ came out of that grave, said that our
hearts have been touched with fire. Now we never walk alone.
(19:12):
He has conquered death and gives us life. And when
our dreams are laying in the dust, and when our
hopes are shattered, he helps us to pick up the
pieces and go on and go forward, and never give
up the promises. Someday we're going to be like Jesus.
(19:35):
We will awaken in his likeness. I mean, look at
the person next to you. That person next to you
one day is going to look like Jesus. I know
it's a stretch right now, but we're being made in
his image, and the risen Christ will return and then
(19:56):
the journey will last forever. So if your heart is
cold or maybe just casual lukewarm, I'm here to say
that the living Christ is right here right now. If
you will recognize him and receive him and welcome him,
(20:19):
he will come into your heart and change your life.
He can change things, change things forever. Maybe we look
around at our world and we think, where's the promise
of his coming? Where are all these promises of his kingdom.
That's what these doubting disciples were thinking. We thought, we hope,
(20:42):
we hope it's not happening. Sometimes we think the same thing,
But over and over again in the scriptures, we're told
to watch him, to pray, to keep on believing, to
look for his appearing, to be ready and live a
godly life. Some of you are thinking, well, I've got
to figure all of this out. There's so many things
about this Christianity that I don't understand. Well, of course
(21:05):
there are. Any God that is small enough to fit
in your brain is not big enough to meet your niece.
If you wait till you get all of this figured
out before you believe, you're going to miss the journey
of life. Welcome Christ into your life today. Nineteen thirty two,
(21:32):
a California pastor by the name of Alfred Ackley was
standing on Easter morning shaving at his mirror, getting ready
to go preach services at his church. And as he
was standing there shaving, there was a minister on the radio,
and as he was listening, Pastor Aclee was listening. This
(21:54):
minister said, well, good morning, it's Eastern and he went
on to say that it didn't matter whether or not
Christ really came out of the grave or not, whether
his body was still in the grave or not. What
mattered was the metaphor. What mattered was the inspiration. This
minister went on to say, and the entire message created
(22:16):
doubt his suspicion regarding the resurrection. In upset pastor Aclee
so much that he shouted, shouted so loud that his
wife could hear him down the hall. He said, that
is a lie. He was so fired up. He went
to his church and he preached furiously and passionately as
(22:36):
never before in the Resurrection of Christ. Came back on
Sunday night and did it again. But he was still
so agitated, still so upset about what he had heard,
that his wife thought, I need to help him out
a little bit, and she suggested that he write a
song that would express his faith. So that evening that
(22:59):
Easter Evil Alfred Ackley sat down and he wrote the
words and composed the tune to this song. I serve
a risen savior. He's in the world today. I know
that he is living, no matter what men may say.
(23:19):
I see his hand of mercy, I hear his voice
of cheer, and just the time I need him, He's
always near. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today,
and he walks with me, and he talks with me
a long life's narrow way. He lives, He lives. Salvation
(23:43):
to impart you ask me how I know he lives,
He lives in.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message the Journey of life part to life doesn't always
unfold the way we hope. There are setbacks, losses, and
seasons that leave us asking where is God in all
of this. In his honest and encouraging book Diamonds in
the Dark, Doctor Graham shares how God is not absent
(24:15):
in our pain. He is present and He is at work.
This powerful resource walks you through some of life's hardest
places to reveal spiritual treasures God plants along the way.
If you or someone you love is facing grief, fear,
or uncertainty, this message will help you find strength, clarity,
and hope right where you are. And when you give
(24:37):
a gift of ten dollars or more, we'll send you
a copy of Diamonds in the Dark as our thanks.
Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven,
or just text diamond to five nine seven eight nine,
And don't forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where
(24:58):
you can shop our east door, give a gift online,
or sign up for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional.
Our website again is Jack Graham dot org pastor what
is your PowerPoint for today?
Speaker 2 (25:12):
We live in a world that is filled with instant
access to every kind of communication device known to man.
We have email and text messaging, and we're connected to
people twenty four to seven. Yet the fact remains that
many people struggle with feelings of alienation and loneliness. You know,
whenever I face times of sadness or disappointment or discouragement,
(25:34):
it's always so comforting to know that a family member
or a friend is there. They may be present, they
may be a phone call away, an email away, or
just a car ride away. But your friends are so
very important to you and your family when you struggle.
And I believe this is the reason why God assures
us so many times in the scriptures that when we
(25:54):
need him the most, count on the fact that He
is there. In fact, the most often mentioned in the
Bible is this, I am with you. I am with you.
I am with you. We read that over and over
again in the Bible. So when you follow Jesus, trusting
him as your savior and Lord, an incredible thing happens.
(26:15):
The spirit of Christ begins to live within you. He
doesn't leave you alone. His very presence is in you.
And because of this, you can count on the fact
that you are never ever alone. He said, I am
with you, even to the end of the age. So
you can be driving, working, eating, recreating, or doing pretty
much anything and he will always be there for you.
(26:38):
In your darkest moments, you can trust him, you can
run to him for comfort, and in the greatest of days,
the most joyous of moments, you can praise him for
he is with you. I want to encourage you today
that as a follower of Jesus, you are never ever alone.
Take full advantage of that. Think about that today, that
you have a friend that sticks closer than a brother,
(27:00):
and he wants to hear from you today. He wants
to hear your thoughts, your concerns, your fears, your anxieties,
your prayers, your insecurities, your deepest secrets. He wants to
know you and walk with you, and he will guide
you every step of the way.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Diamonds in the Dark as our thanks.
Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word diamond to five nine
(27:38):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about why the good news
of Jesus Christ never gets old. That's next time on
PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored
by PowerPoint Ministry.
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Diamonds in
the Dark. But first, here's the message the Journey of
Life Part two.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Now, we have a story in Luke chapter twenty four
that begins with two disappointed and disillusioned disciples. And so
these two men won by the name of Kleopus and
the other unnamed, are on their way to a little town,
(00:42):
a little village called Amaeus. They did this, no doubt,
to just get away and think, perhaps to talk along
the road, to remove themselves as far as possible from
the sorrow and the sadness of the events of the
last few days. But then something very wonderful happened, beginning
(01:02):
at verse thirteen of Luke's Gospel, chapter twenty four, that
very day, two of them were going to a village
named Emaeis, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were
talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew
(01:24):
near and went with them, but their eyes were kept
from recognizing him, And he said to them, what is
this conversation that you're holding with each other as you walk?
And they stood still, looking sad. And then one of
them named Cleopus, answered and said, are you the only
visitor in Jerusalem who does not know these things that
(01:46):
have happened in these days? And he said what things?
And they said to him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a
man who was a prophet mighty indeed and word before
God and all the people, And how our chief priests
and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death
and crucified him. Now note these words in verse twenty one.
(02:06):
But we had hoped past tense. We had a hope
that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and
besides all this, it's now the third day. Since all
of these things have happened. These men are now lost
and confused on life's journey. They're afraid because their dreams
(02:30):
have been destroyed. What they had expected turned out to
be unknown. Maybe you're struggling in life today. Maybe you've
decided life isn't worth living, just to chunk it all.
Others on the other extreme, decide that says life seemingly
(02:52):
has no purpose and all hope is gone, that they'll
just live for pleasure or live for profit and success.
Or maybe your life hasn't turned out as you expected
in that you're facing illness or sickness, or relationships that
are broken, or you're dealing with guilt or or fear
or financial loss. I don't know, but you find yourself disappointed,
(03:18):
You find yourself in life's journey struggling. But their disappointment
and yours can turn into an appointment, a divine appointment.
And that is exactly what is happening here. The divine
stranger took them down a path that restored their passion,
and he resurrected their hopes. And on this seven mile
(03:41):
journey we also just these steps with these men, we
can also discover how our hopes can be renewed, how
our faith can be rekindled. And though we are disappointed
at times, and doubting at times and empty at times,
we can learn how to live life on life's journeys
when we begin to focus on God's promises. Again, that's
(04:04):
what happened in verses twenty five through twenty seven. Look
at the verses there, and he said to them, old
foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all
that the prophets that have spoken, Was it not necessary
that the Christ should suffer these things that enter into
his glory? And watch this verse twenty seven, and beginning
with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted them in
(04:29):
all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. What a walk
this turned out to be, because Jesus now tanks these
men down route sixty six, the sixty six books of
the Bible, starting in the Old Testament, and he points
out in all the scriptures there the things concerning himself.
(04:56):
And what an experience these men had. As Jesus took
the scriptures, maybe he started in Genesis three and verse fifteen,
when God promised the Savior and that the Son of
God would bruise the head of the serpent. No doubt
he took them over to Genesis chapter twenty two, when
(05:19):
Abraham took his son, his only son, Isaac, as commanded
by God, and was willing to sacrifice him there, and
the lamb was caught in the thicket and became a
substitute for the son. And it was a reminder, it
was a refresher course that God had promised a Messiah,
and the sacrifice was so very vital. Maybe he took
(05:42):
these men over to Exodus chapter twelve and spoke of
the passover and the Israelites who put the blood on
the doorpost of the house, and the judgment of God's
hand was stayed upon those who believe. And when he
saw the blood, he passed over, and Jesus spoke to
them of his passover. Maybe he took them over to
Psalm chapter twenty two, verse one, when the Son of
(06:05):
God cried out, my God, my God, why have you
forsaken me? And he pointed out to these men when
he spoke on the cross, it was in fulfillment of
that very passage. No question, he would have taken them
to Isaiah chapter fifty three, when the prince of the
prophets Isaiah said, he was wounded for our transgressions. He
(06:27):
was bruised for our iniquity, and the chastisement of our
peace was laid upon him. All we like sheep, had
gone astray. But the Lord laid upon him all our iniquity.
Jesus pointed all these things out, and so much more.
It was a walk in the word. If you don't
(06:48):
find Christ, and every passage of scripture you read either
in type or in prophecy or in prediction, then you're
missing the point of the Bible, because all of the
Bible is about Jesus, and so in these moments, Jesus
is teaching them and teaching us who he is. The
(07:12):
problem these men had, the problem that many of us have,
is we have forgotten who Christ is, his identity, and
we lose hope when we fail to remember who Jesus is.
They forgot that Jesus promised the resurrection. So they're walking
away in the wrong direction. And I can tell you
(07:34):
that every step away from Christ is a step in
the wrong direction. So if you're disappointed in life, even
in Jesus himself, now's the time to renew your faith,
to draw near to the one who's drawing near to you.
(07:55):
You can live knowing the reality of the risen Christ,
listening to him, walking with him, and I'm talking with him.
We read here that Jesus drew near to them, but
they didn't recognize him, and that happens to many today.
They don't recognize Christ for who he is. They're living
(08:15):
on the wrong side of the resurrection. These men knew
Jesus as a prophet. They knew that he had done
many wonderful and mighty works. They believed that somehow he
was supernatural, that he had been crucified. But they were
living on the wrong side of the resurrection. They did
not know him in the power and the presence of
(08:38):
his living love. So Jesus drew near as he draws
near to us when we're paying attention, can I remind
you today that He is nearer, much nearer, this risen
Christ than you think. Sometimes, when we walk through life's journey,
(09:01):
we feel alone that God is far away, And we
especially feel this in times of tears and times of
trials and tests. We wonder where is God? When our
expectations are not met, When we prayed and our prayers
were not answered, when we had hoped against all hopes
(09:23):
that things would change and they didn't change, we wonder
where are you? God? Where is this promise of your presence?
Let me remind you that Jesus there is, and Savior
is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. What
(09:44):
do you suppose is the most common repeated promise in
all of the Bible. The most repeated promise of awe
is the promise I am with you, I will never
leave you or forsake you. I am always present, and
(10:12):
the risen Christ is always available if we will seek Him,
invite him, and discover his living presence. That's why it
is so very important that we take a walk in
the Word with Christ each day. The Bible is never
(10:34):
a boring book to the believer because we meet Him
in unexpected turns and places in our lives when we
open the Word of God. So when we walk in
the Word, we're walking in the steps of our Lord,
and his presence fills our lives.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
The Journey of Life Part two. If you're walking through
a tough season, Diamonds in the Dark is a message
you need to hear. In this honest and hope filled book,
doctor Graham shows you how God uses grief, loss and
hardship to reveal spiritual treasures you'd never discover otherwise. We
(11:11):
want to send you Diamonds in the Dark as a
thanks for your gift of ten dollars or more. Call
now to request your copy. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven, or text the
word diamond to five nine seven eight nine. Don't let
stress rob you of peace. It is possible to break
(11:33):
the destructive grip of stress on your life and enjoy
the peace and abundance God desires for you. That's what
doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet Breaking Free
from Stress. We'll send you a digital download of Breaking
Free from Stress when you sign up for email updates
from PowerPoint Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot org slash
stress and sign up today. Now let's get back to
(11:54):
today's message, The Journey of Life Part two.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Well, it didn't take long for these men to realize
something supernatural was happening, because by now their hearts are
burning and their faith is being restored. And as they're
walking with Christ, they reached their destination and Jesus tells
them that he's going to go on look down at
(12:20):
verse twenty eight. So they drew near to the village
in which they were going, and he acted as if
he was going farther. But then verse twenty nine, they
urged him strongly, saying stay with us, for it is
toward evening and the day is now far spent, so
he went in to stay with them. And when he
(12:42):
was at the table with them, he took the bread
and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them.
What's going on here? Their hearts are burning, pounding in
the presence of this incredible per personality. They don't yet
(13:02):
know exactly who he is. Their mind is in a fog,
is a mental fog, a mental fatigue. But when Jesus
suggests that he's going away, they said, no, please, please
stay with us. Did you know that Jesus always waits
for our welcome. He only comes where he is invited.
(13:26):
And he's still waiting on your invitation to say, Lord,
stay with me. Revelation three point twenty says, behold, I
stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my
voice and opens the door, I will come in and
sup with him, and him with me. So he joins
them for a meal is supper time. He joins them
(13:50):
for just a common, ordinary thing, something that people do two, three,
four times a day, sometimes more, eating a meal, and
they're enjoying friendship together. And then the guest turns into
the host and he takes bread and he blesses it
(14:16):
with a prayer, and then he breaks it and he
begins to serve them, and immediately they recognized him. What
was it that opened their eyes and opened their hearts
to him? Was it it's something that he said? Was
it in the way that he broke the bread, when
(14:40):
he broke open the bread and gave them to eat,
that they saw the nail prints in his hands? You see,
the only man made thing in the resurrection body of
Christ in heaven itself will be the nail prince in
his hands. Well, we don't know, but what we do
(15:03):
know that now it is obvious to them, and their
doubt is turned to faith. They see Jesus. He's alive.
He's alive, and at that moment he disappeared, he vanished. Now,
some liberals scholars, and I don't think they're too much
of a scholar, But many liberals would say, well, you
(15:23):
know it, really, it really doesn't matter whether it's Jesus
came alive in his body, and it certainly doesn't matter
if he could move from place to place. These stories
are ambiguous, they say. Perhaps their metaphors and perhaps this
whole story of Jesus vanishing before their very eyes, Maybe
they just imagine the whole thing. Let me remind you
(15:43):
that if you believe in a risen savior, if you
believe in a supernatural savior, that Jesus is who he
claimed to be, then you have no problem at all
in believing that Jesus, in his resurrected body, could be
anywhere he wanted to be, any time, any day. And
at that moment he disappeared, but the fire of his
(16:09):
presence remained. He was invisible now to them, but his
presence was even more real now they get it. From
death comes resurrection. After Good Friday, comes Easter Morning. After
(16:29):
the suffering, comes the glory, after the cross, comes the crown,
after the pain, there is the gain. Now they know
that Jesus has defeated death and hell, and they realize
personally that he is with them forever and listen up,
(16:49):
so can we. That's what this is all about, this
Christian life, this journey of life. Knowing that He is
at our side, that his presence, his passion, burns in
our hearts. They said, did not our hearts burn within us?
(17:16):
When we walk with him? That's what it means, walking
down the street, riding in the car, working in the office,
it means that he is alive, because now Jesus is
not limited by time or space, but his presence living
is in us always, and we see Him in everything,
(17:41):
and we see him everywhere. Don't miss his presence. Don't
miss this miracle that you can see Christ in every
place and in every person, in every sunrise and every sunset,
in every dark hour and every sunlit day. That the
presence of Christ is real, and the living Spirit of
(18:04):
God is in us by Christ. And oh what confidence
this gives us. Uncertainty and conviction and yes, compassion. The
Bible tells us here that these two men ran back
into Jerusalem, and they begin to tell their friends this
good news that Jesus is alive. If your heart has
(18:24):
been touched by the fire of Christ, sou will you
live in certainty and conviction, And no matter what twist
and turns in life's journey you may find you will
discover there is power, the power of the resurrection, and
the promise of a new life. Back during the days
of the American Revolution, thinking about it, reflecting upon it,
(18:45):
one of those young revolutionaries of early America said, as
young men, our hearts were touched with fire that brought
about revolution in the world in America, but a greater
revolution took place some young men and women years ago,
when Christ came out of that grave, said that our
hearts have been touched with fire. Now we never walk alone.
(19:12):
He has conquered death and gives us life. And when
our dreams are laying in the dust, and when our
hopes are shattered, he helps us to pick up the
pieces and go on and go forward, and never give
up the promises. Someday we're going to be like Jesus.
(19:35):
We will awaken in his likeness. I mean, look at
the person next to you. That person next to you
one day is going to look like Jesus. I know
it's a stretch right now, but we're being made in
his image, and the risen Christ will return and then
(19:56):
the journey will last forever. So if your heart is
cold or maybe just casual lukewarm, I'm here to say
that the living Christ is right here right now. If
you will recognize him and receive him and welcome him,
(20:19):
he will come into your heart and change your life.
He can change things, change things forever. Maybe we look
around at our world and we think, where's the promise
of his coming? Where are all these promises of his kingdom.
That's what these doubting disciples were thinking. We thought, we hope,
(20:42):
we hope it's not happening. Sometimes we think the same thing,
But over and over again in the scriptures, we're told
to watch him, to pray, to keep on believing, to
look for his appearing, to be ready and live a
godly life. Some of you are thinking, well, I've got
to figure all of this out. There's so many things
about this Christianity that I don't understand. Well, of course
(21:05):
there are. Any God that is small enough to fit
in your brain is not big enough to meet your niece.
If you wait till you get all of this figured
out before you believe, you're going to miss the journey
of life. Welcome Christ into your life today. Nineteen thirty two,
(21:32):
a California pastor by the name of Alfred Ackley was
standing on Easter morning shaving at his mirror, getting ready
to go preach services at his church. And as he
was standing there shaving, there was a minister on the radio,
and as he was listening, Pastor Aclee was listening. This
(21:54):
minister said, well, good morning, it's Eastern and he went
on to say that it didn't matter whether or not
Christ really came out of the grave or not, whether
his body was still in the grave or not. What
mattered was the metaphor. What mattered was the inspiration. This
minister went on to say, and the entire message created
(22:16):
doubt his suspicion regarding the resurrection. In upset pastor Aclee
so much that he shouted, shouted so loud that his
wife could hear him down the hall. He said, that
is a lie. He was so fired up. He went
to his church and he preached furiously and passionately as
(22:36):
never before in the Resurrection of Christ. Came back on
Sunday night and did it again. But he was still
so agitated, still so upset about what he had heard,
that his wife thought, I need to help him out
a little bit, and she suggested that he write a
song that would express his faith. So that evening that
(22:59):
Easter Evil Alfred Ackley sat down and he wrote the
words and composed the tune to this song. I serve
a risen savior. He's in the world today. I know
that he is living, no matter what men may say.
(23:19):
I see his hand of mercy, I hear his voice
of cheer, and just the time I need him, He's
always near. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today,
and he walks with me, and he talks with me
a long life's narrow way. He lives, He lives. Salvation
(23:43):
to impart you ask me how I know he lives,
He lives in.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message the Journey of life part to life doesn't always
unfold the way we hope. There are setbacks, losses, and
seasons that leave us asking where is God in all
of this. In his honest and encouraging book Diamonds in
the Dark, Doctor Graham shares how God is not absent
(24:15):
in our pain. He is present and He is at work.
This powerful resource walks you through some of life's hardest
places to reveal spiritual treasures God plants along the way.
If you or someone you love is facing grief, fear,
or uncertainty, this message will help you find strength, clarity,
and hope right where you are. And when you give
(24:37):
a gift of ten dollars or more, we'll send you
a copy of Diamonds in the Dark as our thanks.
Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven,
or just text diamond to five nine seven eight nine,
And don't forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where
(24:58):
you can shop our east door, give a gift online,
or sign up for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional.
Our website again is Jack Graham dot org pastor what
is your PowerPoint for today?
Speaker 2 (25:12):
We live in a world that is filled with instant
access to every kind of communication device known to man.
We have email and text messaging, and we're connected to
people twenty four to seven. Yet the fact remains that
many people struggle with feelings of alienation and loneliness. You know,
whenever I face times of sadness or disappointment or discouragement,
(25:34):
it's always so comforting to know that a family member
or a friend is there. They may be present, they
may be a phone call away, an email away, or
just a car ride away. But your friends are so
very important to you and your family when you struggle.
And I believe this is the reason why God assures
us so many times in the scriptures that when we
(25:54):
need him the most, count on the fact that He
is there. In fact, the most often mentioned in the
Bible is this, I am with you. I am with you.
I am with you. We read that over and over
again in the Bible. So when you follow Jesus, trusting
him as your savior and Lord, an incredible thing happens.
(26:15):
The spirit of Christ begins to live within you. He
doesn't leave you alone. His very presence is in you.
And because of this, you can count on the fact
that you are never ever alone. He said, I am
with you, even to the end of the age. So
you can be driving, working, eating, recreating, or doing pretty
much anything and he will always be there for you.
(26:38):
In your darkest moments, you can trust him, you can
run to him for comfort, and in the greatest of days,
the most joyous of moments, you can praise him for
he is with you. I want to encourage you today
that as a follower of Jesus, you are never ever alone.
Take full advantage of that. Think about that today, that
you have a friend that sticks closer than a brother,
(27:00):
and he wants to hear from you today. He wants
to hear your thoughts, your concerns, your fears, your anxieties,
your prayers, your insecurities, your deepest secrets. He wants to
know you and walk with you, and he will guide
you every step of the way.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Diamonds in the Dark as our thanks.
Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word diamond to five nine
(27:38):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about why the good news
of Jesus Christ never gets old. That's next time on
PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored
by PowerPoint Ministry.
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