Resurection Power

May 21, 2023

“The Boundless Greatness of His Power…’

19 and what is the [w]boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might – Ephesians 1:19 NASB

Incredible Power

It is impossible for the human mind to grasp the power that is available to each of us through Jesus Christ our Lord. The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power that assures us of our hope of eternal life. If our hearts were totally in sync with God’s heart that we might see through His eyes and hear through His ears, the difference we could make in this age would be immeasurable. This is the truth that Jesus wanted us to get hold of when He said:

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.–John 14:12 -14 NIV

We can grasp a part of the truth of this statement when we realize that it is still God doing the works and miracles today. . When our only motive becomes to glorify God and His Son, Jesus and we believe that the dunamis power of God, His Holy Spirit, resides in us, then I believe that we will begin to see those miracles occurring today, just as they did when Jesus and the disciples walked the earth.

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

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October 9, 2019

“And God Will Raise Us”

14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.— 1 Cor. 6:14 NLT

1 Cor. 6:14-20 NLT

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was physically raised from the grave. Because of that, we can know that one day, He will raise all those who have trusted in Him.  We are members of the body of Christ and have been instructed to keep the Temple holy. Nothing sinful will be allowed to pollute the body of Christ. God the Holy Spirit abides in us now and one day we will be completely one in Spirit with Jesus Christ. We have been purchased and washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. If we want to honor Jesus, we must keep ourselves from the very appearance of sin. Our love for Him should cause us to want to keep our bodies pure, without spot or blemish.

Eph. 5:15-20 NLT

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous

Post 10-09-2019

May 2, 2019

“Christ Has Been Raised From the Dead”

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. — 1 Cor. 15:20 NLT


1 Cor. 15:12 -20 NLT


In this passage of Scripture, we find the reason that Christianity is different from all religions and philosophies of life.  Every religion had a leader that lived and died.  Most have books of the good works and good lives they lived here on earth.  Some of the leaders claim to have had great visions and were given new scriptures to write.  Some believe in life beyond the grave, some don’t.  But Christianity is the only one that claims to have a risen Savior who is still alive today.  That claim is the difference maker setting Christianity alone as the only one where we can have a daily relationship with our leader, our God, our Lord and our risen Savior. Christianity is the only belief system that allows you to be able to talk with the Author any time you want to.  Though Jesus Himself never physically wrote any of the books of the Bible, He is the Spirit that breathed every word into existence.  We must be kind and show love to those of other faiths and belief systems.  But when it comes to the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we stand alone and we must stand firm at all times in all situations. 

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

Post 05-02-2019

November 22, 2018

“He Is Risen Indeed”

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37 They were startled and terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost​.​ – Luke 24:37 ISV

Luke 24:36-40 ISV

All day Sunday and Sunday night, Jesus appeared to different people.  As He revealed to each who He was, they were frightened.  The truth of all the things that Jesus had told them had still not become a reality to them.  Though for the better part of three years, Jesus had taught them in an effort to prepare them for His death and resurrection, it was still hard to accept the truth–Jesus is alive!   Could this really be Jesus resurrected from the tomb?  Yes, it must be so!
Looking back from this side of the cross, it would be very easy for us to criticize the disciples for their slowness to accept the truth.  It would be very easy for us to say, “how could they not believe?”  Yet, today when Jesus reveals Himself to us through the Holy Spirit, aren’t we just as slow to accept the Gospel as the truth?  Aren’t we just as doubtful?  Could this story really be true?  Does such love exist?  We have an abundance of information, both Biblical and historical, that these events occurred just as they are recorded in the Gospels. We have three witnesses, one of which the disciples didn’t have at this time and would not have until after Jesus ascended.  Our mission is to spread the Good News knowing that the Holy Spirit will confirm it as the Truth.

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

Post 11-22-2018

August 27, 2018

A Never-Ending Gift

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2  The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, ​- Isaiah 11:2a ISV​
This passage from Isaiah is one of the many prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament.  It gives us several of the characteristics of Jesus; wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  Notice that not only did He have the “fear of the Lord”, but He delighted in that fear.  Though, He was God, He came to us as all man.  As a man, His access to divine knowledge was limited.  He did this voluntarily so that He might live as all man so that He might be an example to us.  

 

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.– Phil 2:6, 7 ESV

​We, as humans, have access to that same Spirit.  In fact, that Spirit lives inside each of us.  He gave us this Spirit as a gift.  So, our lives should exhibit those same characteristics, at least to some degree.  To what degree depends completely on our commitment to spend time in His presence praying, meditating on His Word, and listening to His voice.  The reason we need to do this is that there is so much more Jesus wants to give us but He will not force it upon us, we have to ask Him for it and delight in receiving it.  How can we know that He will give us more?
 

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? — Romans 8:32 NIV

4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. — Psalm 37:4 NIV

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

 

Post 08-27-2018

March 28, 2018

Incredible Power!

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19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. – Ephesians 1:19 NLT
 
Incredible Power
It is impossible for the human mind to grasp the power that is available to each of us through Jesus Christ our Lord. The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power that assures us of our hope of eternal life. If our hearts were totally in sync with God’s heart that we might see through His eyes and hear through His ears, the difference we could make in this age would be immeasurable. This is the truth that Jesus wanted us to get hold of when He said:

 

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.–John 14:12 -14 NIV

We can grasp a part of the truth of this statement when we realize that it is still God doing the works and miracles today. . When our only motive becomes to glorify God and His Son, Jesus and we believe that the dunamis power of God, His Holy Spirit, resides in us, then I believe that we will begin to see those miracles occurring today, just as they did when Jesus and the disciples walked the earth.


“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

Post 03-28-2018

November 16, 2017

Mysteries Revealed by the Holy Spirit

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13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. – John 16:13 NLT
 
John 16:12-15 NLT

Jesus has many more things to tell us as well and like the disciples we are not spiritually ready to hear some of them. God opened up the “mystery” of the Gospel in the first century, Paul uses the word mystery seventeen times in his writings. (In the KJV)
6 However, I speak a wisdom to those who are mature. But this wisdom is not from this world or from the rulers of this world, who are losing their power. 7 I speak God’s secret wi​sdom, which he has kept hidden. Before the world began, God planned this wisdom for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood it. If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.–1 Cor.2:6-8 (NCV)

The eighth verse gives us a clue as to why God has mysteries. If the world had known the great plan, they would never have crucified Jesus or killed Him in any other way for that matter. But the Holy Spirit has so much more that He wants to tell us. So much more that He wants to accomplish through us
20 With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen–Eph. 3:20,21 (NCV)
If we walked in the Spirit, without doubt, God could accomplish so much more through each of us. He is able! It is worth repeating!
20 With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen–Eph. 3: 20,21 (NCV)
He is able!


“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous

Post 11-17-2017

October 18, 2017

Dying is Better

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10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too,
– John 12:10 NLT
John 12:9-11 NLT
Sin always takes us further than we want to go. The leaders had planned to kill Jesus and now they would have to kill Lazarus as well. How many others would have to die before the movement was stopped? We don’t know because Christians are still being killed today for their faithfulness to Jesus. The persecuted church of today will tell you that it is much harder to live for Jesus than it is to die for Him. Would we suffer and die for Jesus? Jesus said that we must be willing to do that.
34 Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his followers. He said, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me. 35 Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who give up their lives for me and for the Good News will have true life.–Mark 8:34-35 (NCV)
Have we made that commitment? Can we say along with Paul:
10 I want to know Christ and the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death.11 Then I have hope that I myself will be raised from the dead.–Philippians 3:10, 11 (NCV)
The great thing is that for us, it is a win-win situation. Paul put it this way:
21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.–Philippians 1: 21 (NLT)

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous

Post 10-18-2017

November 2, 2016

Flooded With Light!

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18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.   — Ephesians 1:18

Eph. 1:15-20 NLT


We have access to all wisdom and revelation.  Having access to something does not mean that you already have it.  Access means we have the right to enter into a particular building or room. In the computing world, it can mean that we have the right to obtain and examine a file. I think this definition fits the passage here.  So, having that right, we need to enter into studying and examining God’s Word.  As we do that, God gives us more wisdom and revelation. As we receive that, the eyes of our hearts are enlightened.  In other words, we have a deeper understanding of the blessed hope that God has called us to receive.  We have access to that same resurrection power that was exhibited when God raised Jesus from the dead.  It is freely given to us, because God loved His Son and made Him the head of the church.  We, as Christians are all a part of the body of Christ.  So this wisdom, revelation, and power flows from the head to the body.  Jesus gives it to each of us in proportion to the call He has placed on us. It is a free gift, it is not something you can work to earn. We must walk humbly before our God.

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous
Post 11-2-2016
October 3, 2016

Resurrection Power!

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10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death — Phil 3:10 NLT

Can you imagine the power that was manifested when Jesus was resurrected from the grave? There must have been tremendous spiritual warfare occurring around that location and that time in history.  We have that same power available to us to use for God’s glory today. Our mortal bodies are rotting away, but our Spirits should be getting stronger each day as we allow God to renew them. Paul says the problems we have today are trivial and temporary compared to the glory they will produce. When we endure small problems here, they produce a greater glory that will last an eternity. So, each day we should be focusing on Jesus and looking forward to the things that we cannot see now, but God says when they are manifested in the future, they will last forever. So, when troubles seem many and satan is trying to defeat you at every turn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”  We need to learn to walk in that glory and grace and experience that power.

Post 10-03-2016