​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, June 27, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Philip the Evangelist!”
Acts 8:1-8
 
Jesus returned to heaven and the angels gathered in amazement.  They gazed at His hands and feet and shuddered to recall His suffering.  Finally, Gabriel spoke up, “Master, you have suffered terribly down there.  Do they know and appreciate the extent of your sacrifice?”  “No”, said Jesus, “not yet.  Right now only a handful of people in Palestine know.”  “How will everyone else know?”  “I’ve asked Peter, James, John and a few others to spread the news. They will tell others, who will tell others until the message spreads to the ends of the earth.”  But Gabriel, knowing the nature of human beings asked, “What is plan B?”  “There is no plan B,” replied Jesus.  “I’m counting on them.”  Twenty centuries later and there is still no plan B.  He is counting on you and me.  He is counting on us to share the timeless message of salvation.
 
Once again as we continue to unfold the narrative that Luke provides for us of the spread of the church from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, we get to see in Acts 8 this morning that we cross a threshold.  Up until now the focus in the first seven chapters has entirely been Jerusalem.  But something new and fundamentally new is going to occur in the 8th chapter of Acts.  In Acts 8, we see the beginning of the fulfillment of that mandate that Jesus gave — His final words before He ascended up into the clouds — that they were to be His disciples and His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of
the world. 
 
In our journey in the book of Acts, we get to meet another wonderful follower of Jesus named Philip.  I want you to know that this is not Philip the apostle.  He is not one of the twelve.  This is Philip the evangelist as Luke calls him in Acts 21:8 “Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.”  Philip the evangelist was one of the Seven Deacons mentioned in Acts chapter 6.  Everything we learn about the life of Philip the evangelist, we learn from the book of Acts.  His name is mentioned 16 times in this book.
 
Philip was a dynamic believer; a man full of energy and zeal for the Lord.  As we reflect on Philip’s life today, please allow me to underscore two things:
 
First: Ordinary People Accomplish Extraordinary Mission
It continues to amaze me how God can use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.  Last week we had the chance to look at the life of Stephen and I made the comment that God does His greatest work through ordinary people.  This theme comes up again and again and again in the book of Acts.  It’s not the famous apostles who primarily spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.  It’s the average, everyday Christians; people like Stephen, Philip and many others.  Last week I gave an example of how Stephen’s death was a turning point for Saul of Tarsus, later to be the apostle Paul.  Moreover, Stephen’s life was the catalyst that caused the church to take the Great Commission to the next level.
 
Philip, though not one of the twelve apostles, was one of the great evangelists we get to encounter in the book of Acts.  It seems to me that the chief agents, the primary tools, in the expansion of Christianity in the book of Acts not the professionals, not the apostles, but men and women who carried on their livelihood in some secular manner and spoke their faith to those they met in this natural fashion.  The expansion of the church at this point didn’t depend upon the apostles, but on the grass roots, men and women sharing the gospel as they went.
 
Second: Philip was absolutely at God’s Disposal
Luke tells us in Acts chapter 8 that after the death of Stephen, Philip took the message to Samaria and proclaimed Messiah there.  This is the first time that the message of Christ reaches a non-Jewish territory.  He led a thriving ministry down there.  Yet we see in Acts 8:26-40 that God sent an angel to instruct Philip to go back toward Jerusalem. This would seem like a strange request.  He started out in Jerusalem, persecution broke out, he flees to Samaria and now he was being told to head back that way.  Wasn’t that dangerous?  It didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense but the main thing was Philip obeyed.  Philip travels south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza where he meets an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake, the queen of the Ethiopians, and evangelized the Ethiopian eunuch and baptized him.
 
After his mission was completed with the Ethiopian eunuch, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away.  Acts 8:40 states, “Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”  Philip trusted in God’s direction even if he didn’t understand the purpose behind it.  We need to be like that too.  Sometimes the Holy Spirit will make strange requests of us.  If we are willing to be obedient we, like Philip, can see great things happen.
 
Friends, we, like Philip, have a wonderful opportunity as messengers of God’s divine grace.  We are ministers of reconciliation, Christ’s ambassadors as Paul said in Second Corinthians 5.  We may not be called to share the gospel in the jungles of South America, but we are called to share it in the concrete jungle of Gloucester Township.  It’s worth the risks and personal sacrifices because the gospel is the power of God that saves and changes lives.  May we always remember that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.  May we always be at God’s disposal.  May we always remember that we are God’s sent to the world.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, June 20, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Lessons from the Life of Stephen!”
Acts 6:8-15
 
The book of Acts gives us a historical and detailed account of the birth and expansion of the early Church.  Acts not only speaks of the small and humble beginnings of the movement of Jesus of Nazareth, but it also speaks about the victory of the Christian faith in transforming an entire culture.  According to the book of Acts, the Church began in Jerusalem with a few believers, yet less than thirty years after the resurrection of the Lord, Christianity reached Rome, the most important city in the ancient world, with thousands of people who had already been converted to the Christian faith.
 
When we approach the book of Acts from that particular perspective, we can say that through his narrative in Acts, Luke invites us today to be a people of hope; simply because God can give shape and form to the shapeless and the formless.  God can bring out great things out of nothing.  That’s why I believe that Acts has so much to say to the 21st century American Church and I am glad that we have the chance to scan some of the great lessons this summer.
 
Our journey in Acts this morning takes us to chapter 6.  In Acts 6, we are introduced to the story of a faithful man of God named Stephen.  I think it’s a great story for Father’s Day.  So what I would like to do this morning is to briefly introduce Stephen and them share a couple short lessons from his life.
 
Who Was Stephen?
We don’t know much about the personal life of Stephen—his parents, his siblings, or whether he had a wife or children; however, what is known about him is what is truly important.
 
Acts chapter 6 tells us that Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen to be responsible over the distribution of food to widows in the early church after a dispute arose and the apostles recognized they needed help.  In Acts 6:8, Luke tells us that “Stephen was full of God’s grace and power, and he performed great wonders and signs among the people.” 
 
Opposition arose, but the people who argued with Stephen were no match for the wisdom given him by the Holy Spirit.  So, they decided to falsely accuse Stephen, labeling him a blasphemer and having him arrested in Acts 6:11-14.  Stephen condemned to death in 35 AD and became the first Christian martyr, but right before the angry mob stoned him, Stephen gave a long testimony in Acts 7, which is perhaps the most detailed and concise history of Israel and their relationship to God of any in Scripture. So as we look at Stephen’s life this morning, I want to underscore two important lessons for our lives today.
 
First: God Does His Greatest Work through Ordinary People
The first lesson we get to remember as we reflect on Stephen’s life is that God does His greatest work through ordinary people.  This theme comes up again and again and again in the book of Acts.  It’s not the famous apostles who primarily spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.  It’s the average, everyday Christians.  We’ve got to remember this, because it’s easy to look at Acts and think, “Yes they did some amazing things, but they were apostles!”  Actually, the heroes in Acts are the ordinary people.  It’s because of common guys like Stephen—much more than through the apostles—that the early church grew.  Let me give you one example.  
 
One of the people who watched Stephen being stoned to death was a young man named Saul of Tarsus.  Listen to what the book of Acts says in Acts 7:58, “They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.”  Acts 8:1 also states, “And Saul approved of their killing him.”  I truly believe that the death of Stephen was a turning point for Saul.  It left a mark on Paul’s life.  I also believe that the apostle Paul owes much of his exposure to the gospel of Jesus Christ to the sermon that Stephen preached in Acts 7.  
 
Stephen was an ordinary man with an extremely short ministry.  He doesn’t seem to have had a very long career.  In fact, this is the only sermon that we have recorded that he ever preached, yet, not only he left a mark on Saul’s life, but his life was the catalyst that caused the church to move in the next step of the Great Commission.  Acts 8:2 states, “Those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.”  God does His greatest work through ordinary people.
 
Second: Following Jesus Means Giving our Everything to Him
Stephen becomes the first martyr in the New Testament.  You may be interested to know that the word “martyr” and the word “witness” come from the same Greek root.  In Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses (my “martyrs”) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  When we become true witnesses, we should be ready to be martyrs.
 
Sadly, in our modern culture, we seek an easy religion.  We want some sort of a cheap grace.  We want a faith that costs us nothing.  We don’t mind having Christ in our lives, but we are not willing to let Christ be the captain of our ship.  We don’t mind having Christ in our lives if Christ doesn’t interrupt us.  A lot of people don’t mind a god who demands an hour a week, but are we ready for a God and faith that asks us to surrender all?  Stephen’s life reminds us that following Jesus means giving our everything to God.
 
Friends, Stephen’s life challenges us in such a profound way today.  Stephen’s life—and even more so his death—should be an example of how every believer should strive to live: committed to the Lord even in the face of death; faithful to live and to proclaim the gospel boldly.  Are we ready and willing to be opposed, persecuted, and ostracized by our own community?  May we be such people who even when rejected and even when persecuted rise above it.  And may Christ be seen through us as we give glory to Him in life and in death.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, June 13, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Taking God’s Grace for Granted!”
Acts 5:1-11
 
As we continue our study in the book of Acts, we hit this morning the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5.  The story of Ananias and Sapphira seems out of place at the beginning of Acts.  If you were to read through the first four chapters of Acts, Luke has been telling us about so many great things which the disciples of Jesus were enabled to do after the ascension of the Lord. 
 
So far it has been a narrative which tells us about the power of the Holy Spirit in the apostles’ lives, the strong bond and fellowship among the followers of Jesus, their powerful prayer life, their bold witness, and the phenomenal growth of the early Church.  Acts 4:33 summarizes everything up until our Scripture this morning when it says, “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.”  It’s a picture of a wonderful community of God’s people. 
 
Then we get to the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 and we feel as if we are in a different world.  We were up there on the mountaintop, but now we get to the lowest valley.  The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira do not seem to fit with the narrative just before the text and after it.  Why does Luke interrupt his account with this depressing story?   Before I offer a couple remarks about this sad story, I would like to briefly say something about this couple, Ananias and Sapphira.
 
Who were Ananias and Sapphira?
Who were they?  This is a Greek couple, which means they’re not Jewish.  They are probably new to the Christian faith.  It’s possible they were part of the 120 disciples in Acts 1:15. It’s also possible that they heard the wind when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles during Pentecost and became Christians.  Maybe they saw the man who was crippled get healed.  In any case, they are relatively new Christians.  Ananias is a Greek name that means, “God is merciful.”  Sapphira literally means “the beautiful lady.”
 
Seeing the example of so many good Christians and being captivated by the growth and interest in the Church, Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, wanted a part of the action.  So they sold a parcel of land but decided to handle the money very differently than others did.  Instead of giving one hundred percent of the money to the Church, they kept part of it for themselves. 
 
Probably coveting power and prestige in the Church, they “agreed together”, they conspired, to lead the Apostle Peter and others to believe they donated the entire sum.  We have to know that Ananias and Sapphira owned their property; they were free to do with it as they saw fit (Acts 5:4).  Nobody actually asked them or forced them to sell their property.  It was their decision to do so.  For conspiring to lie as they did, they were struck dead.
 
So the question we need to ask ourselves this morning is: Why does Luke interrupt his account with this depressing and sad story?  Why does Luke bring us from the mountaintop to the deep valley?  I think there is so much we can learn from this story but let me briefly share two lessons today.
 
First: A Warning Against Living Counterfeit Christianity
At the heart of the story of Ananias and Sapphira is a strong warning against living counterfeit Christian lives!  On the outside, Ananias and Sapphira look just like another church member named Barnabas that Luke introduces at the end of Acts chapter 4.  Barnabas had just sold his property and brought the money to the apostles, and to the casual observer, Ananias and Sapphira were doing the same thing.
 
Luke introduces these two stories back-to-back to show us there is the genuine and authentic, but there is also the fake and the counterfeit.  That’s why Acts 5:1 starts this way, “But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property.”  Deep in the heart of Ananias and Sapphira lingered a love of money and a desire for people’s praise and approval, so they conspired together to present a portion of their money while passing it off as the entire amount.  Friends, there is a huge difference between the real and the fake, the authentic and the counterfeit.  The first lesson we get to see here is a warning against living counterfeit Christianity.
 
Second: An Awareness of God’s Holiness
But there is a second lesson that we need to remember here.  The story of Ananias and Sapphira invites us to seriously consider God’s holiness.  It seems that Ananias and Sapphira didn’t take God’s holiness seriously.  We are supposed to approach God and to worship Him with reverence, awe and respect, because He is holy.  Our God is like no other.  That’s the exact opposite of what Ananias and Sapphira did.  In their worship they lie and test God.  They underestimate God’s holiness.  In other words, they took God’s grace for granted.
 
Ananias and Sapphira may have known that truth, the truth of God’s holiness, but they certainly weren’t living it.  Their attitude and deeds testified to that.  Ananias and Sapphira looked good on the outside, but they were rotting on the inside.
 
Friends, the warning against living counterfeit Christianity and our awareness of God’s holiness ought to invite us today to examine our lives and search our hearts.  In Acts 5:5, Luke tells us that “great fear seized all who heard of it.”  In fact, later, in Acts 5:11, we also read that “great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.”  Heart searching is the proper response as we reflect on Ananias and Sapphira’s story.  King David prayed those great words in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  Amen. 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, June 6, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Companions of Jesus!!”
Acts 4:12-22
 
As we continue our summer sermon series in the book of Acts, our journey this morning takes us to Acts chapter 4.  Peter and John have just healed a crippled man at the Temple in Acts 3:1-10.  As a result, a large crowd gathered around them at Solomon’s Colonnade where Peter began to preach.  Peter seized the moment to preach the gospel message in such a powerful and compelling way.
 
While the book of Acts records powerful sermons, amazing miracles, and explosive church growth, it also reminds us that we are in the midst of a spiritual war.  For whenever believers seek to impact their culture, whenever the gospel is preached with power, and people’s lives are changed, the enemy stirs up fierce opposition.  And we’re going to see the situation get pretty nasty for the apostles in Acts chapter 4.
 
In Acts 4 verses 1-4, we find that Peter is interrupted right in the middle of his sermon. Luke tells us that, “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.  They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.  They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.  But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.”
 
Peter and John’s boldness in proclaiming the gospel is something that we cannot miss in Acts chapter 4.  They had Peter and John brought up before the elders, the teachers of the law, the Sadducees, Annas, the High Priest, Caiaphas, and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”  With courage Peter answered, “Know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed … Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” Wow!
 
I was struck by many statements in Acts chapter 4, but one in particular captured my heart.  It’s the words of Luke in Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.”  The Jewish leaders were astonished by the boldness of Peter and John.  They weren’t impressed with their background.  They had no formal religious training.  It wasn’t in their education.  It wasn’t in their credentials.  They had none.  It was in the Spirit-filled boldness that was born out of knowing Jesus.  When the religious leaders considered all the facts, they came to one simple conclusion: Peter and John had been with Jesus.
 
Our companionship with Jesus … walking closely and faithfully with Him ~ That’s what makes the whole difference.  No fact is more important for our consideration today than that one; especially, all around us, we see signs of the diminishing impact of Christianity on our culture.  We wonder why Christians have lost our influence in society.  I think this verse offers us a very clear answer.  The early Christians turned the world upside down because they had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. That single fact explains the boldness of the first generation of believers who took the gospel from Jerusalem across the Roman Empire. I think the story of Peter and John in Acts 4 challenges us today in at least two ways:
 
First: You Can Be around Jesus and Yet not Be with Him
“They were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.”  It was more than just knowledge.  It was more than a few prayers.  It was more than religion as a hobby.  It was something that produced a dynamic power that transformed ordinary people into bold witnesses for Christ.
 
I think our temptation today is that we can be “around” but not “with.”  It is dangerous to be around Jesus and not be with Jesus.  There is a difference between being around Jesus and being with Jesus.  There is a difference between being around Christians and being with Jesus.  There is a difference between being around Christian events and being with Jesus.  There is a difference between being around the church and being with Jesus.  The disciples had been “with” Jesus and knew Him intimately and that changed everything.  Even their enemies could see the difference Christ had made in their lives. 
 
Second: Our Lives Should Carry the Aroma of Heaven
The lives of these disciples carried the aroma of Christ.  “They recognized them as companions of Jesus.”  In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians, “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”  Those who truly follow Christ, will always have the aroma of heaven.
 
Many years ago, I had a parishioner whose life carried that aroma of Christ.  I remember a comment someone made about him as he said, “Whenever he entered the room, I felt a little closer to heaven.”  Over the years, I have known a few people like that in my life; people who carried the aroma of Christ.  Those people draw you closer to the Lord whether they are talking or listening, laughing or crying, standing or sitting, following or leading because they carry the aroma of heaven.
 
Friends, Christians don’t become Christ-like by accident.  We become Christ-like when we become “companions of Jesus.”  We do not become like Christ merely by self-effort.  Without the Holy Spirit, we will stay exactly as we are.  Christian life is a journey, so keep going and keep following.  We are not there yet, but we are on the way.  This is our challenge.  This is our calling. And this is our prayer today.  May Christ be seen in us.  May the Holy Spirit fill us with grace and truth.  May the whole world know by the way we live that we have been with Jesus; we are companions of Jesus.”  Amen.

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, May 30, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Our True Need!”
Isaiah 35:3-6; Acts 3:1-10
 
We all have needs.  Deep down in your heart there is something that you think your life will be much happier if you get hold of it.  Some of us would identify money as our need.  We need a job, or a raise, or help paying off our debt, or mortgage, car payment, or medical bills.  We would identify our need as financial. 
 
Others would identify relationships as their need.  They may be having marriage problems or family issues.  They may have a problem with a parent, a sibling, or a coworker that they don’t know how to fix.  They may need reconciliation or another try or to feel loved and accepted.  In this case, we would identify our need as relational. 
 
Some people would identify time as their need.  We’re just too busy with our schedules, our jobs, our kids’ sports, and many activities.  We don’t have enough time to get things done.  If only we had more time, everything would be easier.  Those people would identify time as their need.  I’m sure we can easily identify so many other needs—medical needs, emotional needs, and social needs.  
 
Today we kick off a new sermon series from the book of Acts.  Acts gives us a glimpse of the early Church’s life.  It also offers a detailed account of the challenges the early followers of Jesus had to face; where they found strength and how they were able to share the good news of Jesus with their friends and neighbors.  Through our summer months, we will be featuring some of the key passages in Acts and highlighting some of the wonderful lessons for our life today.
 
As we open our Scripture lessons this morning, we encounter a God who truly cares for the needs of His people.  Peter and John, two of Christ’s disciples, are going to the temple for a 3:00 pm prayer meeting, and as they’re walking into the temple compound, they encounter a man who has never walked.  He was born lame and has had to depend on the generosity of others his entire life, to be transported to the temple, maybe to get into his bed, eat, and go to the bathroom.  As we reflect on the story of this lame man today, please allow me to underscore two things:
 
First: We Underestimate our Need
The first thing that we see in our story is a person whose need was great.  His need was obvious.  His need was enormous.  Yet, for our surprise, the lame man actually underestimates his need and so do we oftentimes.  The lame man didn’t ask the apostles for healing.  He didn’t have a clear perception of his need.  Instead, he asks them for money.  “If I can just have more money, it will solve all my problems, or at least most of them.”  Have you ever told yourself that?  This man became so locked into a way of thinking he couldn’t imagine what God might do.  You and I also can become so locked in a way of thinking we can’t imagine what God can do. 
 
This lame man thinks he needs silver and gold.  He thought what he needed the most were shelter and food.  But Peter and John looked at him and said man, you don’t know what the Lord got in store for you today!  Listen to these words from Acts 3:6-7, “But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”  And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.”  Our need is bigger than food and shelter.  May we never underestimate our need.  But there is a second truth we see in our story today and it has to do with the source of our true satisfaction.
 
Second: Only God Can Satisfy our True Need
The lame man thought he needed silver and gold, but God knows our true need.  Peter and John knew the lame man needed God Himself.  He needs God to reach down into his life and touch him and that’s what we need.  The apostles knew only God can satisfy our true need.  Neither silver nor gold can satisfy our true need.  God always has greater things for us.
 
The lame man received God’s healing.  I like how Luke describes this man’s response in Acts 3:8, “Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”  A whole new world unfolds before him; from that moment on, this man lived his life with new perspectives. 
 
He jumps up and begins telling everyone how good God is!  He has encountered the life–giving power of God.  When God meets our needs, let’s tell others.  When God keeps providing for you month after month even though the budget is tight, tell others.  When God gives you peace in the midst of loss, tell others.  When God is there for you at your darkest moment, tell others!  We think our need is one thing, money, relationship, time, health, but in reality, our need is so much bigger.  We need God Himself.  
 
Friends, I think the question we should ask now is where do we go from here?  I would suggest, especially as we embark on this new journey together in the book of Acts, I would suggest examining our hearts this week.  What would you identify as your biggest need right now?  What’s taking up your mental energy?  If you were to imagine what God sees as your biggest need, what do you think God would identify? 
 
As you wrestle with these questions, may we always remember that our true need is more of God in our lives not more of the stuff of this world.  May we always remember that only God can satisfy the deep desires of our hearts.  When we do so, the Prophet Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 35:5-6, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.”  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!