It Came As A Stranger
by Murrell Ewing
1997 · The Pentecostals of Alexandria, Alexandria, LA
Kind: conference session
Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/murrell-ewing--it-came-as-a-stranger
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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he loves the Lord he's a tremendous singer but above all of that he's a great preacher and I wish today that you would give him the kind of welcome of this pulpit that he deserves he always goes to everything and listens to everybody Murrell Ewing is a Christian and so is his wife would you welcome him please as it comes to minister I love and cherish my friendship and my relationship to the Mangan's I love opportunity that I have to be a part of this great fellowship and I'm deeply honored to be invited to say something tonight or today I have no agenda I have no ambitions only for God to use me as a mouthpiece to help somebody I I can't tell you how hungry I was but for God to do something to me and I've never been in an in an experience like this leading has been thus far but if I could if I could just share with you an observation all of us are here because we're hungry and while it's been happening from the very first the very first gathering but I have witnessed just simply sitting here and observing and witnessed some who were he wanted so badly and you're reaching for but it's it's almost like you're you run him to the back wall of your fence in your region for the fly ball but it went over your friends I've watched your faces you wanted to be a part and you wanted and finally it's almost as though you resigned to which somebody just loved me one can I get in the game I knew what the Holy Ghost was dealing with me about but brother tell me thank you your message closed with that appeal in my ministry today to you is maybe just a tag on to further the reach that the Holy Ghost is doing I will read my scripture to you first Peter chapter 4 verse 12 Simon Peter says here beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you my subject or my thought it came as a stranger would you lift your hands with me and let's ask God from our hearts to ignored our ears our knowing our lips I know in our soul buggabugga that the LED as available

you're so beautiful you may be seated brother tini referred to it we've all come to our seemingly uncrossable Brooks we've all had our Esau's following hard on our heels we've all we've all all had the de stressful situations and circumstances but I've noticed that some of you perhaps are in the midst even now of one of those settings and instead of you being free as maybe some others are to run and have fun as we are in such a an awesome setting even in this kind of a setting the shade is pulled over your face that spirit of gloom that that little that little look well it's maybe for everybody else but it's not for me maybe maybe another time maybe another place and so many times we write off the possibilities of the moment or just the hopes an anticipation of another time another place but what happens if we're not careful before long we pass a very critical time in our development to where we become locked in the story was told of a city that wanted a lion to grace their presentation of wild animals in their newly developed zoo and they made arrangements for one to be shipped from the wild and they of course chose one the proper age that could be handled and would have a lunch every day of life and its new habitat the zoo was to be a replica of the wild and the habitat was to be very comfortable to the lion upon his maturing and it was going to be the pride literally of a city and of the zoo but something happened when the lion got there that did not the the place was not finished it's it's it's habitat was not completely developed and a situation developed or where they had to find a cage for the lion for a period of time until its quarters could be developed fully fences could be erected and what-have-you just a little out of sync with timing they found the cage that was only maybe three feet wide but it was like 12 feet long and that was the habitation of the lion for that particular period of time just a very insignificant period of time they thought but the story goes that the time

that was required for the habitation to be developed or finished happened to be at a very critical time in the development of the lion and day after day he would walk the 12 feet to the end of the cage make his turn and come back while his muscles were being developed and while his strength was it was in that that crude a critical crucial time while all of this was being developed and he was coming in to his king of the jungle attitude perhaps he crossed a critical point and when the habitat was completed they let him out of the cage to be a part of his newfound simulated jungle they found that whatever had happened in the cage though he was not a prisoner anymore with the bars and the iron of the cage he was a prisoner in his mind and he would only walk 12 feet and turn and come back walk 12 feet and turn and come back not a prisoner in actuality just a prisoner of habit just a prisoner form just a prisoner of that's the way it's supposed to be I'm watching and I please I'm not putting myself up is some judge let me just tell you I've been there I've done man circumstances that happen to us situations that are brought to us challenges that are offered to us circumstances that are sent to try us if we are not very careful to handle it right we can become marked we can become caged we can become victims and prisoners and yay even hostages of circumstances that were not handled correctly coming to a most heavenly atmosphere but because of the times is and I don't know whether everybody will vote with me but I don't remember one yet that has gotten to the dimension and the depth and the power that this one that we have already experienced last night service was phenomenal but even in circumstances and settings like this so glorious we we hear it and we reach for it but it's the errors are beyond struggling for it because somewhere there's an unresolved question there's an unsettled confusion there's an experience that happened that I I couldn't find the purpose for I had it all anticipated that it was going to be this way my dream my vision mine not resolved it's going to be this way but yet when it turned out another we find ourselves the way Simon Peter evidently was when the victorious road that he saw his leader walking toward a

throne took a sudden turn toward a Calvary you found himself somewhere on the side not even closer now to make eye contact not close enough to be the one that received the charge Jesus's mother things can make a sudden turn and if were not very very sensitive and totally knowledgeable of the fact that God still has everything in control if we are not totally convinced nothing ever catches we are not totally convinced that Satan has never come god with his head nor taken a nap whatever if we are not totally resolved there are all things work together for the good them that love the Lord and who are the called according to his promise I wish oh you don't know how I wish that we could live in a realm of faith to where nothing that ever come to us would appear even for a moment to be a stranger how many times do we find circumstances barging into our world how many times do we find circumstances just simply maybe hiding and peeping through windows and as though it were some kind of a thief lurking in the shadows waiting to destroy but Peter addressed at me said concerning the fiery trials that come let me encourage you don't look at it as though some strange thing just I don't know where has invaded your territory don't look at it as something that that that just come to to destroy you and there's not anything you can do about it please don't don't take that kind of an approach to it but just hang in there keep your faith keep your head keep your feet planted and when it all settles out you're going to be a part of the glory that shall be revealed in the circumstances what is trial what is a fiery trial and let me serve you notice now a fiery trial is not a weapon for your destruction a fiery trial is a stage that's been set for something to be proved I've got to say that again somebody didn't get it a fiery trial is not a weapon devised for your destruction but a fiery trial is a stage that's been sent for something to be proved and cc-captain ah I bring to your attention perhaps the first of all trials and if not the first

of all trials I'm talking about if we could just maybe not happen first in a sequence of events but the one that most of us all go back to when we talk about trials it's the mother of all trials and that was the situation about in the life of Job but what causes trials where trials born where do they come from where are they devised who designs them what set of circumstances give birth to such a creature as a trial if you want to know what I feel about it the first maybe we could call it that well I don't know I won't say that I started to say the first lady of trial but that that wouldn't fit that the first thought whatever the first that the Paramount of trials it happened when Satan just simply appeared with the sons of God before God and it all was born with God asking a question now understand God's what it started this God just asked where have you been what you've been up to and Satan just action him like a good never will he said I've been going to and fro seeking whom may devour he is honest about it if you don't think the Devils up to no good ask him he'll tell you the next question was asked of God as well a please remember Satan is not the one that brought up Job God's the one that brought him out he just said have you considered my servant Job his answer was been there done that you've got a hedge I've done check them out don't give up on it I'm telling somebody here today until you get into the midst of something that destroys your courage and your faith Satan's got more confidence in you than you have Satan had already checked it out and come to the conclusion I can't touch you and then the accusation and it's the accusation that brings on a set of circumstances that something then has got to be proved you've got a hedge around it yeah there's not anything I can do with the hedge there but if you would remove that hedge I'll show you some stuff I'll make him curse you to your face oh you will if we

could understand how untouchable we are and how protective we are and how much confidence God has in us when he removes the hedge some of us would get off of our pity party some of us would have a little brainer charge of joy and confident in who we are I wish somebody could I wish somebody here that they could see the scene that was going on evidently in that world where this this fiery trial was born Satan making his his inroads toward that man that God had confidence in and the very fact that he was going through what he was going through was because the devil had accused him and God had faith in him and something had to be proved I'm preaching to somebody here today Satan cannot go on always just an accuser of the Brethren somewhere along the line it's got to be determined are you our agent I preach into somebody here today God says you are hmm he got up the hedge was down Satan made his approach Satan started his trickery Satan started his little game and everything Satan would do please remember I heard by the George glass years ago when I was a little boy don't worry about the devil dodj got him on a leash I'm preaching to somebody here today don't worry about how close the devil can get God has already predetermined what he's allowed to do and how close he can get and he'll not take any more than God allows him Satan trying to convince God well I didn't I didn't get him to curse your face by taking his dispositions his family and all of that huh I'm kind of surprised myself that he's still hanging in there but just give me one more shot at him skin for skin another accusation well it's already in the process now God came back out of the bargain just gonna have to go ahead and hang in there just go ahead and stick with it until you get proof whatever has got to be proved you say well I don't like that kind of business I don't like that kind of living I don't like them kind of games well I Got News for you your master faced it he could have all 10,000 angels to take him off of the cross but he said there's a cause that's greater than deliverance is anybody hearing me today I said there are some things there are some causes and there's some purposes that are more

meaningful and worth more than our deliverance out of them mandiboy Osaka Taha I'm preaching to somebody here today there's things that happen to you and your ministry that's to prove more than just your little image there's things that that's more important than just to protect the image of your church some things have got God's name and reputation at stake I'm telling you I feel like coming unglued I feel like bustin wide open and honey it would splatter all over these wrong but I'm telling you I'm feeling the Holy Ghost in this house I'm feeling the Holy Ghost in this house God wants to get a message across the shop touch your skin but you can't take his life touch his skin but you can't take his life touch his skin but you can't take his life and in that critical moment I can see the devil all anticipating so job fouling that just just laying down and rolling over but much to his surprise on the other side God was saying come on Job come on Job come on Job come on Job I'm accountant only I wouldn't have let you got in the fight if I hadn't had faith in you come on Job come on Job hang in there - hang in there - I'm on your side ah here angels I hear angels I hear the fluttering of angel's wings I feel the breeze God is whispering to somebody I'm on your side I'm far yet don't throw in the towel everything gonna be alright I just gotta prove something and you're the one that's gonna prove it let's see tato yati honda baja ito no mahavakya Taha you know one of the things our concept of God his sovereignty his ability to operate without our assistance in him sometimes we get the wrong concept of God God's independent God can do it well but sometimes we fail to realize that there's some things God learns from us you see before Jesus Christ God never had been a man and because man had a will of his own and free choice God did not know what man would do under certain circumstances you say all come on now preacher God knows everything

you're right but isn't it isn't it as much within the power of God to pull a veil over his own faith so that he cannot see the lives of divinity is Jesus Christ not God but is it not said that no man knoweth the hour of the coming of the Lord does that mean that Jesus could not know no it's just that there are some things that be it chooses to pull a veil over his eyes so that he can simply view in anticipation of what is about to be so some things God learned he learned what man would do under critical circumstances but what Job did and you know what just like he looked at the creative days and said that's good I can't help but believe that God looked at the finished product of that pirate trial when Job came through and when he would have been annihilated he came to his wits end he came to the loss of everything every ray of hope every every friend everything that could turn against him turned against him but yet he says Oh God slay me yet will I trust him Holden Holden he didn't say though my adversary we think we have made some kind of a masterpiece of a consecration when we said though that devil does kill me I'm still going to serve God ah the dimension beyond that was if God kills me I'm still gonna trust that's where it comes in that he didn't charge God foolish though God I think God looked at that when he said though God slay me yet will I trust him I think that's when the idea was confirmed in the mind of God when he said that's good so I'll tell you what I'm gonna do I'm gonna pay the price and one day I'm gonna hang on a hill and my words are gonna be though they slay me yet will I save the highest I feel I really feel like that Abraham when he went to the hill and he offered that boy willingly offered that boy his prize his promise his hope his dream everything but he took the knife ready to jam it into his heart and pick his life and when God saw that that's good and one day one day I'm gonna be in that place and so the prophetic utterance God will provide himself a sacrifice not God will provide for himself God will provide

himself I like that Abraham I think I'm gonna do that myself we forget that there are things to be proved by our fiery trials it slips our mind it becomes a personal thing it becomes personal affronts it becomes personal attacks and when we come to the place where things have happened to us our personal attacks we've lost the sight of the purpose it's not you that Satan is answer it's the reason he's after you is what you represent that that's that we've got to keep that in our in our right perspective that's of utmost importance that we have not lose perspective we get on pity parties we get on on onside kicks we we go to throwing in the towel we we lose faith we lose faith in confidence in in in the people in whom some of these things come we we lose we lose faith and revival we lose faith in the organization we lose faith in in some of our officials the very people that are trying to do the most to help us they become our enemies instead of being our friends because we lose perspective in the midst of the fiery trial but somehow another we've got to get a hold of what Peter said don't look at it as a stranger that has come your way something has got to be proved and you just happen to be chosen as the battleground I've had a few strangers come my way saw them strangers I was in the fourth grade when my dad left the safe-haven living walking distance Grandma and Grandpa Ewing and Grandma and Grandpa Wilkes in on the school bus every day with aunts and cousins moved us to Lake Charles where Pentecost was it was relatively a new thing to a whole lot of people in North Lake Charles and a Pentecostal to them was a Holy Roller fourth grade the fund that was made the slurs that were made the accusations the misunderstandings even from teachers it carried on until when I get in that got in the ninth grade because of our of our feeling and our convictions and our standards we didn't feel that it was it was right my dad taught that it was right for the young people to get out and and dress like everybody else and play like everybody else we had to have we had to have our own and of course the school they they just didn't see it that way so we became a laughingstock we became we became the kids from the other side the tracks my dad finally had to go down and in the hands tell the principal in the and the PE teachers but we're going to stand up for our religious rights regardless of what you say if I have to go to the governor of the state of wherever I have to go we're going to have our rights they wasn't going to give us our grade because we didn't dress out the way they wanted us to dress so you know well when they saw that they weren't going to be able to to cram that then they went to making fun and the old T PE teacher you know she said well kids like this are not of wrote it off you know that same old teacher had to live right there in that same scoop and watch first young lady that came through that group valedictorian of her class her sister the next year valedictorian of her class her brother the next year valedictorian of her class or his class it just went on and on the next year the piano player in that little humble Pentecostal church that nobody liked that's when I'm at the hill of beans yeah the piano player graduated valedictorian of her class the accordion

player the next year graduated valedictorian of her class decision but the thing that happened to me brother Mannion was that this became as a stranger and while the other boys were out playing I was in the dressing room cleaning mud from the football players cleats washing their gym shorts everything else that goes along with it hidden in the darkness making my grade being the janitor you don't know how many times in that old dark room is a ninth grader cry not feeling sorry for myself but something somewhere inside said you may not know who I but I do and one of these days you're gonna see I'll prove to you because I won't be behind this page always I'm coming out and when God gets through with me all of you see I'm preaching to somebody hey it didn't stop there it didn't stop there I was the assistant pastor in this church with this precious man this is my brother he was mine he was my hero my dad was my pastor and I came up under my dad but when I started trying to develop it was this man that took me under his wing I assisted him for five years Joan and I were the music directors for five years and sister Mannion was my prayer partner for five years in the old church there was a there was some there was some sound equipment that we just had we just had a deal for brother man I could reach around the side of his chair he could cut you owner off at will it didn't matter the only thing sometimes he could he couldn't get Saint Lucy Goldman cut off rather Manion was a go-getter you know boy if it wasn't going 90 mile an hour sometimes a Lucy would get up just before he cut oh he didn't get a praise service cut off quick enough any glue she would get up and they paint Lucy was one that couldn't talk and cry at the same time and she couldn't talk without crying so is in trouble she say both Maggie I did once a brother manga to sit there on that chair beside me my god my god let's get something going honey I learned back to those five years if you don't have it you better look like you got it Saldana shout hallelujah I love what I'm a feeling in this house how long have I been preaching I did I didn't even watch them I didn't know but it was during those days brother Meng and when I was here you see I'd want that going to the altar when I was seven years old and that's when I made my start for God and I was a child I didn't know all I didn't know what to do I just you know I just they asked me if I got the Holy Ghost one service was over that night our old home church that was before we went to Lake Charles Sandy Lake they had a prayer revival and and and over a hundred people got the Holy Ghost and I was just a little seven year old boy I went to a piano bench there wasn't a more room in the altar I went through a piano bench and I remember looking at the piano still and my salty tears had literally stained that piano bench and I've done the best I could I thought I'd gotten the Holy Ghost and along the way God had come into my life and I talked in tongues and I'd had myself a good time but it was while I was here Satan came in as an accuser I've told this very few times Satan came as an accuser brother magnet you didn't know anything about it and Satan started making fun of me and Satan said you don't even have the Holy Ghost you as a kid you didn't talk in

tongues you're a fraud and he convinced me brother Kilgore that I was a fraud and it was a matter of time until God was going to yank the cover off of me and everybody was going to know that I was a fake that's what save it convinced me I battled I'd pray with sister Maggie I've come to talk to brother Mangan in the office brother man I want God to use me please lay him some any evangelist Leo up to God I was in the floor please lay hands on me brother Barnes anywhere anywhere I could get let's say please lay hands on me because I couldn't stand what was happening Satan was making inroads and he knew he was making inroads but I want to thank God God knew how much I could take and please hear me God will never allow you to be pushed beyond your tolerance somebody hear what I'm telling you got to the place where I was either gonna throw in the towel I had my precious wife I had my children coming along and God was using us and I felt the anointing of God when I was in that pulpit and I felt the anointing to pray but yet - Satan just about had me convinced and I was waiting to find me a comfortable exiting to where I wouldn't bring a reproach on the church that I loved so much I didn't want to bring a reproach on my bad his name brother Mannion good place confidently God so one night in the middle of the night I was dead asleep but I had come that my rogues in in the middle of the night I was I was I wasn't even dreaming I was just totally out of it in the middle of that dark night there was a voice that thundered so loud that it literally shook the bed that I was sleeping in and God spoke to me and I heard it in an audible voice son I care for you and I walk a shattered straight in the bed a turned and losing cash my feet on the floor to stand up and God did it again he did it the first one I was asleep he did it next when I was awake he said it the second time son I care for you that's all I needed brother today from that time until now Satan has never been able to make inroads Heaney almost had me but God saw how far I could go come on somebody I feel like you're crossing over Reebok it's just about here I feel like somebody is in that place break out of your cave Satan don't ever give up the more recent thing you keep standing if you'd like mr. bathroom Satan came to me and he said I'm gonna I'm gonna make your laughingstock and so my prodigal took a sojourn to Moab save left I'll make you laughing stop thank you at least when you get to that point you don't know whether to just try to please

please think it not strange when very trials come your way as though some strange thing has happened to you I could go home with personal experiences because I know more about what's happened in this old boys'll they're not do anybody else my boss my boss left you will never sing again cancer non-hodgkins lymphoma attack my body how many times is the deficit I'll make a laughingstock preaching to somebody God take you beyond what your endurance he will never try you beyond your ability to pass the test please hear me one more time God will never let the devil carry you beyond your ability to pass the death it came to Paul in a lot of different ways but I guess the thing that was most impressive to me it came to Paul in the form of a young man called John Mark she just call him Markus sister son the Barnabas there were some hurts some misunderstanding some misgivings tension so strong that the first mission her team split up it became to Barnabas and Marcus Paul and Silas but after a few years in jail after a little time to reflect on after a little time to say you know maybe maybe I could have done things a little differently he writes in his letter to a church that he admits I've written to you before and I've told you some things about this but I just want to tell you if Marcus I don't know that he will I don't know if divine providence will allow it to be so but there's a chance I've just heard there's a chance and if Marcus comes I'm asking you to do one thing for me forget whatever I told you before this time when he gets there receive me do it for me do it for me was the forgiveness extended what's the bygones were they left in the path or did the healing take place what was was the bridge built together evidently so evidently so because he wrote a little later to another church and he said or to one of his one of his sons and the gospel he said if you don't mind this time bring my cloak and the parchments and in bring bring the things that I need just keep keep preaching but also if you don't mind bring Marcus to goes at this time he's profitable - I'm preaching to somebody when you get far enough beyond the fiery trial you will turn around and you will understand it was

not a stranger at all it was my friend