Eye Witness

What’s the most unbelievable thing you know for a fact that you have actually seen? Was it the Marfa Lights or something spooky? Did you have a run in with Big Foot, or maybe your friend’s nephew was born with a full set of teeth?

While I have not seen any of those things, except for the Marfa Lights, like any good Texan, I have seen some doosies. In the past ten years, I have had the privilege of visiting around twenty nations throughout the world; I’ve preached in at least 50 different prisons here in Texas and some of those, many times. My missionary journeys have taken me from the trash dumps of Matamoros, Mexico to the temple mount in Jerusalem, Israel.

God has always called people out of their normal environments to do His work, and our life’s journey is full of incredible scenery. When you get out there, and if you stay out there long enough, you are going to see some things that will blow your mind.

I actually saw the King sitting on his throne in Uganda. I saw two men fight to the death with machetes in Havana, Cuba. I saw a barefooted baby boy take his first steps in a horrible trash dump in Mexico while his mother cried for joy and applauded.

I saw elephants crossing the road in front of me near Rwanda. I saw a piece of a train on my front porch after a tornado came by my house in Johnson County.
I have been inside real castles in Scotland, grass huts in India and cardboard boxes under the I-45 bridge in Dallas. I have seen the top floor of the Hilton in Dallas and the morgue of Harris Hospital.

These are first hand accounts of things I have actually seen with my own two eyes. I could begin to tell you about miracles I have seen and changed lives I have encountered. I even wrote a book that tells of some of those events and what the Lord taught me through them.
If you didn’t believe me, I would mostly be okay with that. I might have my feelings a little bit hurt because you thought my character so low that I would print a lie, but nonetheless, I would get over it.

Now consider this, 2000 years ago a couple of hundred people, including the 11 disciples, said they personally saw Jesus after he had been dead—first hand. Not that a friend had seen Him, but they themselves actually saw Him in the flesh. They didn’t say they saw a fleeting glimpse, but rather they walked with Him, ate with Him, touched Him and talked with Him for more than a month after his resurrection.

All of these men went to their graves standing strong with the same original story. Have you ever considered what kind of grave this story took them to?

James was beheaded by Herod in Jerusalem because of his eye witness account. Peter went to Asia Minor, and tradition says he was crucified, upside down, in Rome. Andrew, Peter’s brother, went to Greece and southern Russia where he was crucified. Philip was stoned, drawn and quartered, and then his remains were hung up in Hierapolis.

Bartholomew went to Armenia and was skinned alive. Thomas went to Persia and to India; he was killed with a spear while telling people he had actually seen Jesus resurrected. Matthew went to Ethiopia and was killed by sword while visiting Egypt. James the Lesser, preached right there in Palestine and later went to Egypt where he was crucified by the Romans.
Mark was dragged by horses through the streets of Alexandria, Egypt. Luke was hanged in Greece. James the Just was thrown off of the pentacle of the temple. Mathias, the apostle that took the place of Judas, was stoned and then beheaded in Jerusalem. Paul was tortured and then beheaded by Nero in Rome.

All of these men died alone, separated from the others in different parts of the world, and yet, not a single one said this was all a hoax or a sham. Every single one of these men went to their deaths praising God and declaring to their murderers, “He’s alive! We saw Him, we ate with Him, He preached to us! Jesus Christ is resurrected from the dead!”

The Brewer believes the eyewitness accounts of those world changing people. As your kids are out looking for colorful eggs from an imaginary rabbit this Easter, make sure you all have a peek at the very real empty tomb in Jerusalem. I have looked in there myself. Jesus is not there. He is risen!

To contact The Brewer, visit us online at www.FreshFromTheBrewer.com