Dino Rizzo on “God Is … Here and Anything Can Happen”

Dino Rizzo, pastor of Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, LA, begins by spinning a great tale about preaching his first revival in Homa, LA.  Despite its “failure” in his eyes, God began to move that Sunday morning … he had to step aside and let God.  Something amazing occurs when we realize that God is here and anything can happen.

The lesson this week is from Mark 7:31-37:

³¹ Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. ³² They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³ He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴ Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶ Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. ³⁷ They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Jesus tells us that if we see him, we have seen our Father.  What can we learn about God from this encounter with Jesus.

• Faith Happens:  The crowd gathered with an expectation that something could happen … they brought others to meet Jesus.
• Love Happens: Jesus pulled the man aside, perhaps to help him feel at ease.  Jesus does not want to embarrass us in front of others.
• Spit Happens: Jesus seems to use “sign language” process (he touched his ears, touched his tongue, looked to heaven, sighed, etc.).  Dino observes that “spit” is a cure-all for all kinds of situations.  More importantly, Jesus will meet us where we are and will communicate with us where we are.
• Hope Happens: Jesus says “be opened” and the man hears his own voice.  A miracle was accomplished in power, but more than that, Jesus responded with love and expectations changed.
  

Jesus shows up every day.  Do we believe that God is here and anything can happen?