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The Lord Jesus never said goodbye to His disciples when He was ascending to heaven. The reason was that He would be with them until the end of the world (Matthew 28:20).
True to His words, Christ Jesus has been with His people, appearing to them, after His death, burial and resurrection, thereby proving that He is truly alive!
After His resurrection, the Lord appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to His 12 apostles. Then, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time. Then He appeared to James…” (1 Corinthians 15:5-7).
Jesus Christ arguably manifests Himself to people in two unique ways. In this part, we wish to discuss one of them which is the Lord’s appearance to people through dreams, visions or trances.
When Stephen was about to be stoned to death after testifying about Jesus to the Jews, he also saw Jesus obviously in a trance “…behold, I see the heavens opened, and the son of man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56).
Similarly, the Lord revealed Himself to Ananias in a vision, saying, “Ananias.” and he said, here I am, Lord. and the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight” (Acts 9: 10- 12).
Jesus also appeared to Paul in visions on several occasions after his dramatic calling and salvation (Acts 9:3-6).
“And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you… (Acts 18:9-10).
He manifested Himself to Paul again: “The following night the Lord stood by him (Paul) and said, “Take courage…” (Acts 23: 11).
Again, the Son of God, who is God, appeared to the apostle John on the Island called Patmos (Revelation 1:9-10).
Interestingly, Jesus Christ continues to appear to people in our generation to confirm His reality, commitment to salvation and the building of His Church.
The late Prophet Kenneth E. Hagin, in his book, “I believe in Visions” recounted how the Lord Jesus appeared to Him in visions and taught him many things concerning ministry.
In Ghana, I have heard Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, explain how Jesus appeared to Him in visions. Several other Christians, today, have also seen the Lord in visions and trances.
You may be wondering if He has also appeared to me. Yes, He has; that was when He healed me of a medically incurable disease between 2016 and 2019.
Jesus Christ lives! And you may also experience His divine visitation one day. Someone’s unbelief does not and cannot change this truth.
These encounters, therefore, should strongly inform all of us that Christ is still alive with a greater concern for the building of His church. The church is His. It is His body.
So, Jesus is still committed to His declaration that HE WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH. He is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it (Numbers 23: 19).
Men can attack and oppress the Christian Church, but no one can collapse it. Even governments with their militaries could not destroy the Church, in the past, and they cannot do it, today.
By James Quansah
