RESURRECTION DAY

I prefer to call this holiday Resurrection Day instead of Easter because of the pagan holiday it is named after.

"Hope for the Hopeless - Believe Again!"

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."—John 11:25

Easter/Resurrection Day is that one time of the year which not only reminds us of the love that God has for humanity, but reminds us that He is the God of impossibilities. Although many things are collapsing around us, there is one thing that we can hold onto for security—and that is the promises of God. Jesus promised His disciples that He would return, and after three days in the grave, He arose. His resurrection should assure you that God is able to:

· Reverse the seemingly irreversible.
· Change the seemingly unchangeable.
· Overcome the seemingly insurmountable.
· Heal the seemingly terminally ill.
· Solve the seemingly unsolvable.
· Restore that which seemingly cannot be restored.

Christ's death and resurrection has many implications for those of us who have been delivered from the power of sin. Firstly, when He died, He died for all mankind. According to Galatians 2:20, we were crucified with Christ, and through the shedding of His Blood we were redeemed.

Galatians 3:13-14 states, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree': that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

By this Spirit, we are able to have faith and hope which transcends any circumstance or the doom and gloom reports that bombard us on a daily basis:

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God."—1 Peter 1:18-21

God of the "Second-Go-Around"
Easter/Resurrection Day speaks to me of the God-of-the-second-go-around. It is interesting because when the Lord spoke to me that this year would be a year of the second-go-around, initially I thought He was referring to a second chance. Then God spoke to me about the difference between the resurrection of Christ versus the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus brought his grave clothes out of the grave because he would need them again. He was given a second chance at life. But Christ left His grave clothes in the grave because He would never need them again. He had a second-go-around at life eternal.

The old grave clothes are representative of what we will never need again. Where God is taking you, you will not need the "grave clothes" or old ways of operating. You will now function in a new realm in God. Lazarus operates in the realm of the earth. Jesus operates in the realm of the heavenlies.

In this season, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, let me remind you that there are some things, attitudes, habits and people that you will leave behind; because after God processes you during your times of trials, tribulations, testing and even crucifixion, you will evolve into a new person—and you will no longer rely on those old people and things for your happiness, joy, peace and prosperity. You will find them in Christ. Indeed, you will have a second go at life, love and ministry.

Second Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead Changes Everything

The other powerful thing that God showed me about Christ's resurrection was that He was resurrected to a realm of dominion and intercession. When God does a work in you, He should also be able to do a work through you. In this season, God is raising up intercessors: those who have committed themselves to a life of "boiler-room" prayers so that they can have throne-room power. He was resurrected and ascended into the throne-room, according to Romans 8:34: "...who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

Since you are crucified with Christ, you must also assume your place of dominion through prayer and intercession. As a result of our salvation, Ephesians 2:5-7 states that God "hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved ;) (by...: or, by whose grace) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

I encourage you to hope again. The same power that resurrected Jesus from the grave is the same power that we have at work within each of us. I believe there are many of you who just need to hope again. Has your faith died? Has your joy been crucified? Have you buried your dreams? You must trust again, believe again and have faith again, "for with God," according to Matthew 19:26, "all things are possible." You must remember, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in you.

Do not give up. Even if you have been beaten down by circumstances, you will rise again. Your relationships will rise again. Your finances will be restored. Do not let your faith die, because according to Romans 8:11, the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you.

During this Easter / Resurrection Day season, may you be reminded that the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead changes everything. Easter puts human history in perspective. It brings a confident hope for the future and shows the incomparable power of God and the brightness of His glory.

Three of the Greatest Words in the Bible
With the Easter message we declare that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Lord of life. He died a voluntary death and suffered crucifixion as the Savior of the world. He bore our sins in His body on the Cross, but He died as a victorious Savior. He died as our Savior, but He now lives as our Lord. To reiterate the words of Matthew, "He is Risen." Three of the greatest words in the Bible. This is what makes our Christian faith different from all other religions of the world. We serve a Living Savior, who was, is, and is to come.

Mark 16:1-6 states: "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, 'Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?' "And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, 'Be not affrighted: ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him.'"
Several women were bringing spices early in the morning and Luke says two angelic beings showed up in the empty tomb. The two suddenly appeared to the women and said to them, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee..." (Luke 24:5-6).

These words—"He is risen"—are words of foundation; Christianity rises and falls on the resurrection of Christ. A dead Savior cannot save. Thus, if our message is what it claims to be, then it is a foundational truth that the Lord Jesus arose bodily from the grave. It was impossible for death, hell and the grave to hold Him down. I declare that the same power that raised Christ from the grave makes it impossible for satan, the spirits of depression, oppression, sickness, affliction and poverty to hold you down or hold you back.

He is risen... three simple words of revelation, declaration, and observation that give hope to every Believer. Those who spoke these words knew the resurrection was not a myth, superstition or wishful thinking as some atheists and theologians assert on the part of man. The disciples knew it had actually happened; they knew it was a reality. This resurrection power is still available to us today.
He Did Exactly as He Promised
The angels had seen Christ come forth. The disciples had seen the undisturbed grave clothes and later saw Him in the upper room after His resurrection. These words were declared by angels and subsequently the disciples of Christ. The word "declare" comes from the Greek word "ginosko" which means "to know." In the New Testament, it is the intimate knowledge that expresses "experience," not just a mental assent or intellectual awareness, but a personal revelation. It is a knowledge grounded and based on a personal experience. It is my prayer that you may know Christ, not just through intellectual awareness but by personal intimate revelation and relationship.

I am glad there were many eyewitnesses to the fact that these words—"He is risen"—are true. These are words that brought comfort, encouragement and hope to the disciples; and they can bring comfort, encouragement and hope to you because He that promised that after three days He would return did exactly that. Christ's credibility is eternally secured.

Therefore you can trust Him in all things.
"For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."—2 Corinthians 1:20

We can surmise that the real treasure is the resurrection life of Jesus Christ within us. Your life may be under tremendous pressure, hopeless, afflicted; filled with external pressures, perplexities, and confusion. You may have been abandoned, struck down, stigmatized, distraught, marginalized, attacked, ostracized, but I want to encourage you today that you are not forsaken by God. Even though you may have been knocked down, the power of God within you can put you back on your feet, and give you vitality and hope.

The Good News of Easter/ Resurrection Day is Where We Feel Death is Irreversible, Jesus Destroyed its Power

The Good News of Easter/Resurrection Day is that where we feel death is irreversible, Jesus destroyed its power as He declared in 1 Corinthians 15:55-58, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave (grave: or, hell), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

Easter/Resurrection Day should remind us that where we feel happiness is unattainable, we see that Jesus delivers happiness. Because of Easter, Jesus can give you a purpose to live for, power to live on, principles to live by and a hope for the future. Just as Jesus came out of the tomb, I decree and declare that you will come out. According to Psalm 118:17 you must declare over you own life: "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD." You are coming out of everything that threatens to destroy your peace, your health and your happiness.


May this Easter (Resurrection Day) be a time of rejoicing for you, your family and loved ones as you remember that He is alive, and because He lives, we can face tomorrow.