Marriner’s Moment: From REjection to Resurrection – I

By Pastor Melvin O. Marriner
Grove Church

During the last Sunday in March, we commemorated the resurrection of Christ. While today we honor and celebrate His resurrection, this was not always the case. In Mark 6, there is an account of Jesus visiting His hometown with His followers. On the Sabbath, as He entered a synagogue and began to teach, the Bible tells us that many of those who heard Him were ‘astounded’, and that they were offended. Some asked, “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” Jesus was amazed at the people’s lack of belief in Him, noting, “Prophets are not without honour, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” (Mark 6:4)

Jesus was rejected by His own people; those whom He thought would be accepting and encouraging. Has this ever happened to you – where you were rejected by family, friends, or others close to you? Perhaps you had a dream, set a goal or aspired to achieve something, and individuals some of whom are close to you – reject you and your dream. Instead of supporting you, they discourage you. Instead of encouraging you, they ridicule you. Did you allow them to extinguish your fire or did the rejection fuel your determination to move forward?
This month’s theme – From Rejection to Resurrection – is a battle cry to take dominion over every rejection and negative word spoken over you or to you. It is time for those who believe in Christ to allow His promises to be more powerful than people’s opinion. And, while rising to the occasion, overcoming or getting over disappointments of life may be easier said than done, each of us has the power and the authority to do so. I encourage you to rise from rejection to resurrection.
Peace and power,

© Dr. Melvin O. Marriner,
March 2016

We invite you to join us at Grove Church, 5910 West Norfolk Road, Portsmouth, Virginia, Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays at noon and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.