Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: GIANTS (10/22/20)
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TITLE: Redefining Giants | Previous Challenge Entry
By Mariane Holbrook
10/28/20 -
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Our pastor was on a two-week vacation to visit his father in Ohio and had asked another pastor tofill the pulpit for him during his absence.
"You'll love Dr. Poole," our pastor announced to the congregation the Sunday before he left. "He not only has a PhD in theology but was a heart surgeon before God called him to be a pastor. For twenty years he worked on physical hearts but for the last several years, he's worked on spiritual hearts. He's
known as a giant in the ministry and revered by all who have ever heard him preach. I was both surprised and pleased that he agreed to preach here for the next two Sundays while I'm gone."
Remembering our pastor's announcement, I looked at the man walking slowly down the center aisle of the Sanctuary and thought, "Our pastor's definition of 'Giant' is nothing at all like mine."
Dr. Poole was small in stature, and walked with a cane in slow, measured steps. I wondered if he had the strength to reach the platform, let alone to preach behind the massive, ornate pulpit.
We strained to hear his gracious, opening remarks, then he read several verses of Scripture. Closing his well-worn, dog-eared Bible, he reverently laid it down and walked to the side of the pulpit.
"Today I want to talk about heaven. I'm homesick."
Without the benefit of notes, he began with descriptions of heaven found in the Scripture. "Heaven is real, a place of unimaginable beauty; streets of gold so pure that they are transparent; each of the twelve gates are formed from one magnificent pearl and the walls are made of precious jewels.
"Vast multitudes of saints from all nations, dressed in white robes, will stand before the throne
before Jesus, holding branches of palms. Revelation 21 goes on to say that in heaven there will be no more sun or moon. The glory of God and the light of the Lamb will be its illuminaton."
Dr. Poole stopped preaching and slowly walked to the other side of the pulpit. With one frail arm resting on the podium, he began again, this time his voice in a different timbre. He appeared to be infused with a physical and spiritual renewal.
He straightened his shoulders, lifted his head and smiled toward heaven. The sunlight reflecting through the ornate stained-glass windows rested on his face, giving him an unmistakable heavenly glow.
"But with all that," he continued, with a strong voice, "what I want most of all is to see Jesus! I want to fall on my knees to thank Him for dying for me. I want to look in wonder and in awe at the jagged scars on his wrists and palms of his hands and press my lips on them. I want to look at the marks on his brow from the crown of thorns forcefully plunged into his scalp. I want Him to introduce me
to His Father, the creator of the universe, who loved me enough to sacrifice His only Son to pay for my sins, and I want to meet the precious Holy Spirit, my comforter and guide throughout my life.
"Friends, I'm homesick. I'm homesick for heaven. I want to see my Jesus."
He ended his 25-minute sermon with a short prayer of blessing, then using his wooden cane, left the platform and slowly walked back down the center aisle and out the front door.
But no one moved. The congregation was silent, seemingly stricken. It was almost surreal. We had just been given a glimpse of heaven by a spiritual giant, Dr. Poole, and we knew we'd never be the same again.
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