The Resurrection is the Recalibration of Our Reality

The resurrection of Jesus is the most important historical event for mankind, next to the creation of the world. It demonstrated that Jesus is the Son of God with power over sin and death (Romans 1:4). Because He went to the cross, bearing our sin and shame, we can now live life abundantly in Him (John 10:10) escaping the corruption of sin (2 Peter 1:4) and judgment of God upon sin (Romans 5:9).

The resurrection is the great "game-changer" for those who turn to God and believe. Prior to this, mankind was separated from God because of sin and lawless acts (Colossians 2:13). But because of God's love for us, while we were dead in our sins, He sent His son as the ultimate sacrifice to die in our place (Romans 5:8). When Jesus shed His blood for you and me it reconciled and made us right (justified) before God, saving us from the penalty of sin and God's wrath (judgment) against us (Romans 5:8-9). When we turn from sin, considering ourselves dead to it, acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we now experience life by the power of God (2 Timothy 2:11). As a result, we partake of His divine nature, escaping the corruption of sin (2 Peter 1:4). The eyes of our understanding are opened so that we may may know the hope of His calling, as well as the riches of the glory of His inheritance for us - for His children who believe (Ephesians 1:18).

God wants us to understand and experience the incredible greatness of His power for our lives, which is the same power that God utilized when He raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places above every other power and authority, placing everything under His feet (Ephesians 1:19-22).We are no longer to walk in sin, nor are we to walk in defeat and weakness - we have God!

The Apostle Paul understood this and made it His life's passion to love and serve God, without reservation. He purposed to know Christ and the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10) in his life and ministry. We too are called to walk this way. Though we are weak in ourselves, we no longer serve ourselves and can call upon a God who loves us, blesses us and gives us His power to overcome the obstacles and problems in life, as well as minister with His power and love. As we seek God and love Him with all our hearts (Deuteronomy 6:5) obeying and trusting in Him, we come to see His glory and the goodness He had given us with His very great and precious promises that are for us (2 Peter 1:4). Because we belong to Him, He has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

For this reason we bow before God, serving Him with all reverence and love. We are strengthened by His power through the Holy Spirit in our inner self so that Christ dwells in our hearts by the faith He has given us. Being rooted and grounded in His great love, He reveals the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ - a love that goes beyond all knowledge, so we may know all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-20).

This is the true meaning and purpose of life - the life we are meant to live, as destined by God. This is the abundant life God has for us who believe. We are to receive the power of the resurrection from Him. God is so glorious and His love is so wonderful that it recalibrates our reality!

Immanuel-God With Us!

Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:22 - "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel - which means, 'God with us.'"

This was written about 700 years before Christ and was a prophecy given by Isaiah the prophet to Ahaz, the king of Judah. While it is part of a larger prophecy concerning Ahaz, Judah and Assyria, it also served as a Messianic prophecy because it foretold the coming of God Himself to mankind.

The Jewish people had longed for the coming of the Messiah, the King of Righteousness, for centuries. The Messiah was the fulfillment of the hopes and prayers of many people in many generations who sought their Heavenly King to rescue/deliver them in the midst of a very broken world wrought with sin and great oppression. Jeremiah 23: 5-6 states: "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness."

Matthew, the writer of the book of the same name, repeats the prophecy (Isaiah 7:14) in Matthew 1:23 to illustrate that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah that was promised. The name 'Jesus' means "God is salvation" and the name 'Immanuel' means "God with us" which speaks of Jesus being both God and man. He was fully man so he could share in our humanity and that by His death He would destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For this reason He had to be made like us in every way, in order that He would become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He would make atonement for the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:14-15, 17-18). He was also fully God because He was, and is, the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word (Hebrews 1:3).

The Old Testament believers prior to Christ were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised (Hebrews11:39). But for us today, who know Him as our Lord and Savior, we have the fulfillment of what they hoped for, which is the presence of God with us!

Jesus is our Immanuel and we therefore have the riches of God's grace lavished upon us with all wisdom and understanding (Ephesians 1:8). Also,..."because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace [we] have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).

Not only is God with us, He is also in us by the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-14 says:  "Having believed, we were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a guarantee of our inheritance in God" (Ephesians 1:13b-14a). The fact that each of us as believers has the Holy Spirit is a guarantee that we belong to God, that we have every spiritual blessing in Him (Ephesians 1:3), that our future hope of eternity with Him is very real and will be fulfilled because of His faithfulness. What a hope! What a joy! What a life we have in Him!

May God open the eyes of our hearts that they may be enlightened in order that we would know the hope to which He has called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19).

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (the Old Testament believers who hoped and prayed for the coming of Immanuel), let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Jesus is our Immanuel who in ages past was the unrevealed mystery of God, but who has now been made known to us as God in us and amongst us, our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

What To Do When You Are At The End Of Your Rope!

Our current recession in the U.S. is taking a toll on many families and lives. There are so many people who are either out of work or fearful that they will soon be because of the shrinking economy. Many people have lost their homes over the last few years, due to foreclosure, and many more hope and pray that it will never happen to them. In addition, personal finances are getting increasingly tight for many people yet expenses continue to rise. Bills mount, stress builds, and hope of relief seems to grow very distant. Does this sound like you or the life of someone you know? Perhaps your situation is different, yet you still feel like you are at the end of your rope. If you are in a desperate situation, whatever the cause of it, and you need to know how to get out of it then this article is for you!

There is a story in 1 Kings 17:8-24 about a widow who was in a somewhat similar situation to what I just described. She lived in Zeraphath, a Mediterranean town located near Sidon, during a time of severe drought and famine. Her situation was very desperate. Being a widow, she didn't have anyone to support her. She was the sole provider for herself and her son, who needed to be fed. Her situation was so bad that she only had enough food for one more meal. She determined, based upon her situation, that this would be her last meal. She would go home, prepare it, feed herself and her son and then after die. Horrible, isn't it?

But, God had a plan! God told His servant and prophet, Elijah, to go to Zeraphath and meet this widow. God told Elijah, who was also hungry, that He would provide him with food from this woman. Now, remember, this is the woman who had the very meager ingredients for only one meal, and from this meal she had to feed two people, herself and her son, and then after planned to die. It would seem to make more sense if God sent Elijah to the home of a king or a rich person. However, God often does things in ways that we would never conceive and has plans that are infinitely wiser than our own.

When Elijah met the woman in verse 10, she was in the midst of gathering sticks with which to cook her last meal. Elijah asked this woman to give him water and a piece of bread (vs. 11). She told him that she didn't have any bread but only a small amount of flour and olive oil with which she would make one last meal for herself and her son before they died (vs. 12). Elijah then told her not to be afraid but to go home and make the meal she planned, yet first make him a small loaf of bread (vs. 13). The prophet then said: "For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land'" (vs. 14). What a test of faith it must have been for this woman, yet what a wonderful promise. Wow!

What did the widow do? She responded in faith and obedience! She went home and did exactly what Elijah told her to do. Because of this she and her son were blessed. Verses 15-16 state that there was enough food every day for the woman, her son and Elijah, "for the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the Word of the Lord spoken by Elijah." There is more to the story which you can read about in 1 Kings 17.

What a wonderful illustration about how God delivers. It should greatly encourage us because God cares for everyone of His children, just as He did with this woman. He is our deliverer (Psalm 18:2) and our help (Psalm 124:8). The Bible says in Hebrews 4:16 that we can approach God's throne of grace [that means grace for us!] with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace [His help and empowerment] in our time of need. These are very real promises from our very real and very caring God. Psalm 9:18 says, "But God will not forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish." This is the same God who provides for the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields and promises to care even more for us (Matthew 6: 25-34).

So, how will God help you when you are at the end of your rope? First, trust in Him, knowing that He loves and cares for you with all His heart. Stand on His promises and as Proverbs 3:5-6 says: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." Second, get close to God, cling to Him and obey Him. In John 15:7 Jesus said "if you remain in Me and my Words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Third, wait and have hope in God. Don't give up! Isaiah 40:31 states: "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Fourth, the Lord is a deliverer and He will deliver you. "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them..." (Psalm 37:39-40).

Though being at the end of your rope is very threatening God is there with you. When you reach the end of yourself, you reach the beginning of God. Let Him reveal Himself to you in your situation and miraculously provide for you. Give Him thanks and praise in the meantime in anticipation of His deliverance.

God is Eager to Transform Your Life & Situation - Part 2: The Power of Worship

Worship is meant to be transformational. God allows us, even beckons us, to enter into His presence where we connect and become one with Him. In worship we abandon the limitations of our lives and the world around us. We transcend our circumstances and access the throne room of heaven itself. There we meet with the One who loves us and longs for our sincere love, adoration, and praise. As we love Him and worship with all our being (body, soul and spirit) we experience a blessing that is like nothing else in life. He lavishly loves, comforts, and blesses in return.

Our obedience to God makes our praise and worship become an acceptable fragrance and sacrifice before Him. God rewards us for our time, effort and faith in worshipping Him (Hebrews 11:6). Beyond the joy, peace, love we receive from being in His presence we also carry His glory and presence with us after we've spent time with Him. Remember Moses' face which was radiant with the glory of God (Exodus 34:29-35). Worship is indispensable in building a very rich, rewarding and deeply intimate relationship with the Lord.

Because worship causes us to experience God's perfect love, it casts out all fear (1John 4:18). Worship activates and energizes our faith. Because we are in God's presence in worship, He floods our lives with His peace, joy, love, and strength.

Worship frees us from bondages and releases blessing and freedom instead. Worship takes us from the hand of the oppressor and places us in God's protective hands. The devil cannot stand it when we worship God. Satan flees and the dark clouds of oppression leave when we worship. God becomes our rock and high tower. Read Psalm 18.

Our worship touches God's heart and motivates Him to come to our aid. We realize that we are not orphans. Instead, we are sons and daughters of the King with all the rights and privileges. This causes us to walk in victory and strength because we know our God and He knows us - we have His favor and that is better than life itself.

E.M. Bounds once said: "Only God can move mountains, but our faith and prayers move God." Worship releases the Holy Spirit to move on our behalf and causes His anointing to flow into our lives. We can speak a million words to no avail, but one word from God can birth something out of nothing, heal any disease or sorrow, and/or overcome any situation.

When we worship we should boldly and prophetically proclaim God's Word. This will cause mountains to move (Mark 11:23-24), crooked ways to be made straight, strongholds and gates to be torn down (Isaiah 45:1-3), captives to be delivered, healing to flow, and it will literally transform our lives and realities around us.

It may be easy to worship God when we are going well, but it is absolutely necessary to do so when we are going through a dark hour. It seems counter-intuitive to worship in the depths of despair, yet our worship will cause God to break forth the dawn and fortify us with His presence and love until our deliverance comes.

We need to hunger and thirst for worshipping God. Consider David and what he did while in a desert period of his life:

Psalm 63:1-8

 ¹ You, God, are my God,
   earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
   my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
   where there is no water.
 ² I have seen you in the sanctuary
   and beheld your power and your glory.
³ Because your love is better than life,
   my lips will glorify you.
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
   and in your name I will lift up my hands.
⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
   with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
 ⁶ On my bed I remember you;
   I think of you through the watches of the night.
⁷ Because you are my help,
   I sing in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ I cling to you;
   your right hand upholds me.

Worship is one of the greatest ways to become a victorious overcomer in Christ. As we become worshippers, we will know our God with an intimacy reserved only for those who take the time to cultivate it. We will also be transformed by Him, into His likeness, and see Him transform our lives as He unleashes His power and presence in and around us. Let's worship Him with all our hearts and make His courts resound with our praise.

Why The Wilderness??

The 'wilderness' is not a concept that is understood too well in Christendom, despite the fact that it is all the way through the Bible. From the book of Genesis right through Revelation there are clear references to the 'wilderness' as being something God often employs in His dealings with men. The pattern is undeniable.

When we look through the Scriptures we see that the wilderness is often a place of spiritual "crisis" and also preparation. It is the place God sends us before the "real action" begins - before we enter into the full purposes of God in our lives. There must be 'death' before there can be resurrection. There must be a desert place before the "promised land".

The wilderness is a place of trial and testing, of brokenness and full surrender to God. The props and activities that have kept us continually striving to "make things happen" are stripped away.

Our self-reliance is shattered and replaced with a total reliance on God alone. Every "idol" in our lives (often including our own ministry) is brought under the piercing searchlight of God. Our selfish motives and ambitions are shown for what they are. This process may take years. Finally we emerge broken, chastened and purified. The process has matured and cleansed us in so many ways. We are now ready for the fulfillment of all that God originally called us to do. But our heart-motives are vastly different from what they were before.

We see this pattern all the way through Scripture. Many lessons can be learned from what we read there. Abraham, Joseph, Joshua, Moses, David, Elijah, John the Baptist, Paul the apostle - and even Jesus Himself - all had to go through this "wilderness" experience. Very often it lasted for years and years. Why then should we be surprised if it happens to us?

Probably the best-known instance of a 'wilderness experience' in the Old Testament is the story of Moses and the children of Israel. Moses had been raised and trained all his life in the palaces of Egypt. But when he came face-to-face with his heritage as an Israelite, he rose up "in his own strength" and killed an Egyptian slave-driver. He was then forced to flee into the desert, where he was to spend 40 YEARS as a simple shepherd in the wilderness.

What an enormous length of time! Imagine if every Christian leader had to spend that long in the wilderness before God would allow them to lead His people! It is almost impossible to imagine the depths of despair and "death" to all his dreams and hopes that Moses went through during this time. In fact, after 40 years it is hard to imagine anyone being "deader" to the usual ambitions and temptations of leadership than Moses would have been. And what PATIENCE these years of waiting must have produced in him!

We see here the lengths that God will go to in the "preparation" of a leader "after His own heart." (-Though 40 years is unusually long). The isolation, the chafing, the crying out to God for deliverance - all play their part. Such an experience is almost irreplaceable. That is why God uses it so often. The hearts of driven men are so similar in so many ways, that God's "cure" becomes similar also! He will even shut us up in a kind-of 'prison' for a time so we cannot escape the process. It is that important. He does not want 'self'- oriented leaders shepherding his precious sheep.

After his 40 years of preparation, Moses returned to Egypt at God's command to lead His people out of bondage. This was the beginning of the entire nation of Israels' wilderness experience. For when they left Egypt the only way to their "Promised Land" was through the desert. Some commentators say that in a straight line, their journey could have taken just a few weeks or less. But because of their disobedience and fear, the vast majority of those who left Egypt were destined to die in the desert, never reaching the Promised Land. In fact, their wilderness journey ended up taking 40 years!

Now we need to take special note of this fact:- Not everyone who entered the wilderness survived it. In fact, multitudes perished there. The wilderness tried them and found them wanting. They went to the place of testing and failed the test. This is a pretty crucial fact to realize in our day also. Just because we are "called out" and enter a wilderness time, does not mean that we will embrace the dealings of God and respond appropriately. It is entirely possible to lose everything out there. These people lost out completely. Only their children came through to inherit the promises of God.

How clearly we see this pattern over and over again - in both the Old Testament and the New:- That many whom God wants to one day use are sent into a place of aloneness and brokenness before being brought into their true destiny. We have not even mentioned heroes of God such as Noah, Jacob, Job and others who all had similar experiences. Part of this process lies in the "waiting" that takes place. Also, the fact that all the supporting 'props' are taken away. The "waiting" alone can be torture.

The wilderness also deals with any fear of man or 'systemized' way of looking at things. God often uses it to bring a whole fresh perspective, which is very important for leaders who are going to be representing a "new" approach or facing opposition because of the confrontational words that they are bringing. The lonely desert years give them backbone to stand up to the crowd or the powers- that-be, and declare God's truth without compromise. They now truly fear God rather than man. And they think differently from others. The wilderness is vital for anyone who is wanting to bring fresh manna to God's people.

Are you someone who has been going through such a "desert" experience, my friend? Be encouraged! Look up, for your deliverance draws nigh. God only ever sends His children through such experiences when there is a great purpose to it. Don't give up. Don't be cast down. On the other side lies a 'land of promise' if only you can hang on to Jesus. Be active, be praying, be prepared. Don't become "passive" and let the desert swallow you whole. Use this time to draw closer and closer to Jesus. Dig down and plant your feet firmly on the Rock. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up in due time - if only you can cling to Him.

 Andrew Strom

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/