4/21/19 Miracle City Global
Judah Goes First
Anna Love. Luke 24. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen.”
Father, I thank you, Lord Jesus, that you have risen. We step in this morning and we honor you, Lord. Jesus, thank you for your body and your blood—your body that was beaten, your blood that was spilled, that was torn for us. Jesus, thank you for raising yourself from the dead on the third day.
Father, I thank you that you put an end to sin, death, hell and the grave. That you overcame it all just for us. For nothing else, but just for us. We just honor you this morning. Lord, we present our members unto you as a living sacrifice. May a sound and a song and a movement arise this morning to honor you like never before. Lord, do something new in us.
As we celebrate your resurrection this morning, Lord, any place that needs to be resurrected in us your people, I pray that it comes alive. Those places that seem dead and those things that seem dead, I speak life over them this morning, hope over them this morning. That the resurrection power of Jesus Christ will fill this place.
I thank you that you are meeting needs from the smallest to the largest because nothing is too big or too small for you, Jesus. Have your way this morning. We say Yes to you in Jesus name.
This is a song that the Lord gave Lane. As we sing these words, I want you to declare these words this morning. Just let is become a part of you. I think it’s very important that we remember what today is. I know we all know, but it’s not only an opportunity to honor Jesus and the sacrifice that he made for us and the fact that he rose, but it’s a time where anything in us that needs to go into the ground can go, and only that which is of God can rise. So it’s a complete work kind of day. I just want you to see yourself being washed and being clean.
?There’s a power in Jesus name. You make me holy and clean. Holy and clean.
Gail Gilbert. I hear the Lord saying, “Do you believe?” He’s saying, Just believe. When you look at the word, Believe, acrostic: Because Emanuel lives, I expect victory every time. Because Emanuels lives, I expect victory every time. Lord, we believe. As it was said, Help thou my unbelief. If there is just a smidgeon of unbelief, help our unbelief, Lord. We believe in the resurrection. We believe in the blood and the power, Lord. We are here to celebrate and yield, in Jesus name.
?What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing but the blood. Nothing but his precious blood. I release the sound of your blood. The blood says clean. The blood says free. The blood says redeemed. Ohoh Clean. Ohoh Free. We are redeemed by the blood. Oh it says clean. It says free. We are redeemed by the blood. Oh precious is the flow… Nothing but the blood of Jesus…
All hail King Jesus. All hail the Lord of heaven and earth. All hail King Jesus. The Savior of the world.
Let every knee bow before the King of Kings. Let every tongue confess that He is Lord. Lift up your shout. Let us join with all of heaven singing Holy. We’re singing Holy. Ohohoh. Celebrate Jesus….It’s a Jesus celebration. I will dance and I will sing for the Holy King. It’s a Jesus celebration. Celebrate Jesus…
Let there be joy in the sanctuary. Bless the Lord. We lift up our hands in the sanctuary. Bless the Lord… We bless you Lord. We declare joy in the Holy Ghost… Oh come on and celebrate.
My God’s not dead. He’s surely alive. He’s living on the inside roaring like a lion. Ohohoh. Oh He’s alive. We’re coming alive. I see new life springing up from the ground that looked dead… Over every situation. Ohoh. New life…
Marion Neill. Anna said Believe. But I kept hearing Receive. And so I just thank God that Lord Jesus came out of the tomb so I could make room in my heart. Ok? So we’ve got to believe but we’ve also got to receive. We’ve got to open our heart and say, Lord, come in. I want you to live in me. I want that resurrection life to bring new life. I want to come alive. I want to live again in You. Hei Hei Hei.
Lane. When we started to sing, I see new life springing up from the ground that looked dead, I remembered when we got this building and I closed my eyes and saw in my mind that sprout coming up in the cracks of this building. I decree and declare over your life, literally now, any place that you felt was dead and dormant, we are speaking life to that place right now. I say, Come alive. I see a sprout. I say, Sprout, green up, come up and grow (5), flourish (4); we’re in the greenhouse (2).
?I see new life springing up… We believe it. We receive it today. Come alive. We receive your life…You’re the life-giving Spirit. You’re the Life-Giver.
Betty. There’s no stopping the Lord. He’s unstoppable. He’s unstoppable.
I heard the Lord say, “The horses are running today. There’s no putting them back in the gate. The gates are open. The gates are open. Our God is unstoppable. You cannot stop the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can’t stop the resurrection, power and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is unstoppable. He is unstoppable. Death couldn’t hold Him. The grave could’t hold Him. You can’t hold back or stop resurrection, power and life. Whoa.
I hear the Lord saying, “Come on and move with me. I’m moving. I’m moving. Come on and move with me. I’ve (put) my life in the inside of you. Come on and move in me. Come on and move in me.
?When I move my body when I move my feet. My I open my mouth. The darkness flees…He’s moving. We’re moving.
Betty. There’s no stopping now. Oh we’re moving, moving into our inheritance. Our promised land. On time. On time. On time.
Anna. Who is like our God? There is no one. He is our Rock. The Rock on which we stand. Ohohohoh.
Betty and Anna. Release your sound, Lord. Release the sound of resurrection in this place. Sounds of heaven. Songs of heaven. Whoa. The sound of the blood of the Lamb, is in our house. Blood of Jesus. Oh, the blood of Jesus. Oh it’s in the blood of the Lamb, the sound. Oh the voice of the blood of Jesus. And the people of God shouting out praises. Praises. All creation. All creation. Glory glory, Hallelujah, He reigns. Yes He reigns. And all God’s children singing, Glory glory, Hallelujah, He reigns. He reigns…
Betty. You reign in us, Jesus. Our great redeemer. Oh our King is in this place. He’s reigning. He’s ruling in righteousness. Ohohoh.
Anna. Our God is reigning. Ooohhh.
Lane. Yahweh, He reigns.
Betty. Yahweh. Adonai Elohim. Jehovah. Oh. 3950 You’ve got the intercession of the Lord. You’ve got the Chariot in the house. Oh the angels are ascending and descending. Oh Breath of God is in this place. Oh take your place. Oh.
?Ohohoh… Yahweh you reign. You reign.
Anna. Praise is rising, eyes are turning to you, this very morning. All fear is gone. You chase me down. You seek me out. How can I be lost when you have called me found? You are my Beloved.
Betty. We’ve come to worship you, to honor you, to give you praise. You are worthy. Worthy is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Worthy is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Anna. We bow down with many crowns. You reign victorious. You are high and lifted up. Jesus, Lamb of God. The darling of heaven crucified. Worthy is the Lamb.
Betty. You’re so worthy, Lord. This morning I went out when it was still dark, hahaha, and to my right the full moon was still in the sky, and to my left the dawn was beginning to break. I saw evening and morning. Even before I stepped outside I could hear all creation.
The birds were singing, hahaha. Everything was alive. Everything was celebrating. The earth was honoring you, Jesus. I stood in that place and just had to worship. Just had to sing to you, Lord.
Anna. As the dawn breaks and clouds clear, to your glory we will rise.
Betty. I just began to weep over the Lord. He told me, “Today’s not a day for weeping. I’ve come to fill you with joy.” You fill up my senses, Lord.
Anna. You fill up my senses like a night in the forest. Like the mountain in springtime. Like a walk in the rain. Like a storm in the desert. Like the sleepy blue ocean. You fill up my senses. Come fill me again.
Come let me love you. Let me give my life to you. Let me drown in your laughter. Let my die in your arms. Let me lay down beside you. Let me always be with you. So let me love you. Come love me again.
Betty. I love you Lord. And I lift my voice to worship you; oh my soul, rejoice. Take joy my King in what you hear. Let it be a sweet sweet sound in your ear.
Betty Love. I know some of you in this room like the early morning time, watch the sun come up. The sky was so blue yesterday and today. So thankful.
When that John Denver song, Annie’s Song, began to resonate in my heart, I remember as a young girl when that song come out, I would listen to it over and over and over again. I’d play it and I’d sing it.
Come fill us again, Lord. He doesn’t leave, but there’s a place of saturation and overflow and He says, Be ye being filled with the Holy Ghost. That’s like the faucet. The fountain is turned on and it doesn’t go off. It continually overflows. It’s not recycling. It’s not recycling like a fountain out in your yard. It is fresh and life-giving and it just keeps flowing and going and it’s Himself.
The Lord has been speaking to me several weeks now. I marinated in some of it last week. But He’s been speaking to me about occupying. There so much about occupying. I want to share one of the definitions of occupy, but I want to start with the Word.
Father, right now, haha, we thank you that you are right here in this place where you have brought us up or you have come down, whichever, I just know that your Fullness is here and heaven is here. Father, this is your house. Father, Son and Holy Ghost, your Fullness. Jesus, all the Fullness of the deity rests upon you in bodily form and we have been given Fullness, Fullness. That Fullness is one form of Occupying. We’ve have been given Fullness in you, Jesus. So we welcome Fullness in here.
Lord, we are your temple. We are your dwelling place. We are your habitation. We are your body. And Lord, you occupy the house. We welcome full occupancy in our house today. Jesus, you said, “If you love me, you’ll obey me. And I and my Father will come and make our home within you.”
So we acknowledge, Father, let the obedience of the Son of God rise up in every believer, in every son of God, so that you and Jesus will come and make your home in our hearts and in our lives. Lord, we don’t want any empty places within. We want full occupancy by Almighty God. Every part, every piece, every nook, every cranny—spirit, soul, body—Come and fill us again and occupy the house; occupy the corporate body; and have your way on earth as it is in heaven.
We acknowledge that we are not our own, that we have been purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. Lord, you paid for the house. You paid for the vessel. You paid for the temple. Now Lord, come and take your place in our hearts and within our lives. So not only will we be occupied by you, we’ll be able to occupy the land that you have given us. We’ll be able to occupy and use the gifts and the talents; and put to work the monies and the provisions you put in our hand. FULL. FULL. FULL.
Luke 19:13. NIV. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.
And it’s money, not minnows in South Mississippi; it’s not fishing bait. But it is. Oh it is, because the Lord fully intended for those ten minas to be put to work. For it to catch something. For it to produce something.
Put this money to work, he said, until I come back.
NLT. Before he left he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, Invest this for me while I am gone.
ESV. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas and said to them, Engage in business until I return.
The Lord wants us to be about His business on earth as it is in heaven. And whatsoever he puts in our hand, he expects us to use it, to occupy it, to invest it, so it’s going to produce for his kingdom glory. We have a principle of sowing and reaping. Not only that, we have the Multiplier that’s living in the house, the very Exponent. His name is Holy Spirit. The very dominion mandate and commission that the Lord set and gave and established in the Garden was that we would be fruitful and multiply.
Anything that the Lord your God has put within you or puts in your hand or my hand, His desire is to bless and establish the labor of our hands.
In Psalm 17 the Lord is so about you producing and multiplying that he says in that passage, the psalmist says, Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (This is an insert.) Because wisdom builds her house. Wisdom is the builder. So, teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom. That’s divine order. With divine order comes divine orders.
So he says, teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Yes, bless and establish the labor of our hands. Then he says it a second time. Bless and establish. Bless and establish. Bless and establish the labor of our hands. That’s about producing.
My mother had a small greenhouse, a couple, and she had a green thumb. She would start seedlings, but when they got a few inches tall she would plant them in a larger planter. I can hear her say, Until they get established. It means until they get a little bit of a root system. Then she would transplant them. And in some places where she would make a new garden area she would say, Now that’s getting established there.
It’s about planting what God has given you so he can establish it, so it will develop a root system. Because depending on the root system, that will determine what it’s going to produce. The Lord is about you producing.
I like that Anna sang the word and decreed the word Launch. That was the word that the Lord gave me for this year. Launch. Has He launched us? Yes! It wasn’t just personal. It’s been a corporate launching. If you are connected with us, you’re launching. It’s just what He’s doing. Yay.
BLB. And having called ten of his servants, he gave to them ten minas and said to them, Do business until that I come back. Jesus Christ is coming back. I’m going to see Him one way or another. I’m going to see him sooner than some in this room. But I’m going to have my full number of days. But there is a day that he is coming back.
NAS. And he called ten of his slaves and gave them ten minas and said to them, Do business until I come back.
KJV. And he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds.
How many of you want the Loomis delivery truck? It’s called the Brinks truck. He delivered to them ten pounds, and said to them, Occupy until I come. Occupy.
4/15/19 I wrote, Occupy. Definitions.
Lord, I thank you that there is an awakening that is already taking place. We are in awakening. We are in your Greenhouse this morning. It’s not just one of us. It is personal. It is corporate. It’s a we-some. And Lord, from the very beginning, from the first note sounded in this house, from the first utterance that was released, you have brought the environment of heaven in this place; and this environment is alive. It is a place to thrive and produce for your glory.
Lord, as the word is going forth, we decree and declare Isaiah 55, that it will not return empty but it’s going to go into every heart and every life, those that are watching. It will go into the heart of men and women and it will produce for the kingdom of God. For no word of God is without power to produce.
I decree and declare Production over your life personally and production over our life corporately as the body of Christ. We are producing: Life. Wholeness. Fullness. Haha. The Multiplier is here and multiplication angels are here. Thank you, Lord.
The word occupy means:
1) to take up or fill up space
2) to engage or employ the mind, energy or attention of
3) to be a resident or tenant of a dwelling place
4) to hold a position or office. There’s the anointing in every son of God in this room of Prophet, Priest and King. We are a chosen generation—King Priests. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. A people belonging to God that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. Every one of us has a position, a function. The hand can’t say to the foot (I don’t need you). This has so much in it. To hold a position. There are five-fold ministers in the body of Christ for the equipping of the saints so you can do that ministry. It’s about the body functioning as one, as Christ. We are the body of Christ. When you take up your place, your position, you’re in the right place at the right time, functioning; the body of Christ is functioning. We’re looking at the body of Christ as many members, and that is so. Because every time I say the body of Christ, I’m seeing Him. I’m seeing Him. That’s why it’s important that you occupy your place, so that He can fill every part and piece of the heavens and the earth. And where is the enemy? Under His feet.
5) to take possession and control of. Jesus said about John the Baptist, Since the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, sufferers violence and the violent take it by force. It’s a military term. There’s a place where you occupy. You go in and you take hold. There is a war that Jesus Christ has won. The kingdom of God sufferers violence, but violent men lay hold of it. In other words, we’re going to take hold of that which is ours and bring it into the earth realm.
His heart is to see his kingdom come and his will be done. This is how you pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed, Holy be your name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In one service, if we just got on earth as it was in heaven—I expect it.
To occupy the land. Everyone of us in here have a territory, a tent and a treasury. I would say first of all, you are God’s tent, you’re his treasury and you’re his territory. And he wants occupancy in your life, inside. It is an inside out work. Not only does he want to dwell and occupy you—treasury, tent, territory—he has given you a tent, a place to live. He has the exact times and places set for us.
He has set the boundary for the nations. Psalm 74. He set the boundaries. He determined; he knows what my address is. He knows where I’m going to live ten years from now, what I’m going to be doing. I really don’t believe it’s hard to find a house or land. All we need to do is say, Ok, what is written in the book? Because he’s already got your territory.
As a house, we were enlarged. We launched and we have been enlarged to a nations house—nation and nations. Your ministry was enlarged—your territory. Now whether that territory was just for a season and an assignment for the 70, or for some of you in this room, the Lord has given you the nation. Some of you in this room have an inheritance, because his inheritance is the nations.
Ask of me and I will give the nations as an inheritance. Paul said he operated in his metron, in his sphere, in his territory. We get in trouble if we operate outside of. Listen, I don’t want anything but what God wants. I don’t want to get big and outside of my measure, outside of my territory. Because you know what is going to happen, the big gun that functions in me, the Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost in the house, if I’m not in obedience and alignment with the assignment, and operating in the territory that He’s given me, you know what’s going to happen? It’s going to be like a cannon ball coming out of a cannon; it just going to roll out of the barrel and drop to the bottom.
But when you’re in your territory, your dwelling place, you’ve got the treasury, now. And He’s got provision for you. Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto me and I will tell you things you know not of, fenced in things. It’s called Divine Providence. That’s why we want to be in alignment. I want to be in alignment here as a house, and I want to be in alignment with the people that the Lord has called me to walk with. Because alignment is going to empower you to fulfill your assignments. Yay God.
So, the territory, the territory. When Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land, God gave them the land. It was their land. But they had to go in and take it and occupy it. We need to understand. We have come out of a great victory in the 70, but there is no way that we are done. This is just getting good. Now it’s time to occupy. Now is the time to not let go until we see the manifestation of the word that He said. This is not the time to drop the sword, or the instrument that you’re working with.
Kevin was sharing that it was like in the days of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall with a tool to rebuild in one hand and a sword in the other. We are in that place as a ministry, as a family, personally, corporately, in the body. Right now in this season we’ve got a working tool and we’ve got a warrior’s sword.
And if you need your hands free to do a little bit of work, just let the high praises of God be in your mouth and a two-edged sword be in your hand to execute vengeance on the enemy and the judgment written. There is a place in the word occupy to take possession and control of it. It’s important that when we gain ground, we maintain it. The Lord showed me this personally. If you do not occupy; if you do not allow the Lord to occupy you as his territory, tent and treasury, then you are really living in poverty. Poverty. He showed me that where we don’t occupy, where we’re not occupying or allowing him to occupy us, it is a poverty mindset.
If we let our field that is sown with seed go to weeds, we’re not occupying. If we don’t prepare the soil, plant the seed, water it, nurture it, watch over it—and that’s just the beginning. Why don’t you come and tell them a little bit about the field. The field deal.
Beau Neill. The ten minas. One mina was about three months worth of sustenance. So he gave ten minas to the servants so they were able to have sustenance, for business operating expenses for two and a half years. So the provision was there. He was going to be gone for a period of time so he gave them the ten minas, the talents or the pounds. It was adequate, so this is not a penny-pinching guy that’s giving his servants something there. He said to occupy.
It all comes in this one parable. And this whole parable is about capitalism. It’s not about socialism. It’s about capitalism. He said he gave them ten talents and he said one of them increased it and made it ten more. The businessman didn’t take the ten. He gave it back to the servant and said, Well done. Enter into my joy. The one who produced five, he did the same.
This is about ability and capability. This is about fear and faith. And the one who had one to work with, he just kept it and did nothing with it. That’s a poverty mindset. He just brought it out—a poverty mindset. He was afraid that he would lose it. He talks about the businessman. The businessman, if you look in this, is one who is occupying. Because the servant that only had one said, You are a hard man and I know that you sow where you don’t reap. That’s business. That’s business.
When you go down the road, you’re looking for places that are unoccupied that you might go in and sow and occupy, and bring it forth and make it productive. When you plant a field, you’ve got a number of things that you do. But it also varies by the crop. Soybeans and corn are shallow root. So you don’t have to go down and break the hardpan. You don’t go to the subsoil. You take that field with out there. After I’ve walked that field and talked to it and prepared it, I can probably produce this first year 40-50 bushels of (produce) right out here in the middle of Hattiesburg.
Betty. You have to tell them about walking and talking to the land.
Beau. Walking and talking is occupation. Occupation is not a work. That may be what you do. But occupation is taking control and possessing. We used that in military for wherever we went. I was naval, but whatever body of water we went into, that was ours. That’s how we looked at it. We had some others that used it, but that was ours. We used that and we were going to make it better. We were not going to leave it in the same shape we found it when we got there. We were going to improve it. That’s occupation. That’s occupying. Occupy—take control and possess.
This whole parable is attitude, capability, and confidence. That’s the three things in there for you to occupy. You’ve got to believe. 1) You’ve got to have the right attitude about the occupation. You’ve got to have the right attitude—I can do this. If you can’t do it, then you don’t need to be there. And that’s what happened to the servant that only had one. He couldn’t do it.
We’ve heard the difference between the poor man and the entrepreneur. The poor man says, How much will this cost me? The entrepreneur says, How much money can I make off this deal? When you’re occupying, you’re actually into entrepreneurship. And your attitude will play a large part in what you do in what you’re occupying.
2) Your capability. I was on a mission trip and I know my capabilities. We were out there late one evening and there was a truck coming down the road. Everybody had gone to dinner and I’m always one of those last in the line, so I was outside keeping watch over the territory. I saw this truck coming down the road and the Lord prompted me. He said, There’s a woman that’s demon possessed in the back of the truck. I want you to cast out that demon. I said, NOOOOO. Not me.
Sure enough, the truck drove in and there was a woman bound by ropes with two guys holding her down in the back of it. I looked in the back of it just a second and said, NOOOOO. Not me. He said, Well, there’s a baby in the front seat. It’s dying. Can you bring healing to her? I said, I can do that.
So know your capabilities. Know you capabilities. Don’t get over in a realm where you can’t operate. Know your territory and your capabilities.
3) Confidence. I had confidence. I knew that the Lord would heal that child. I could do that. Now this working with these demons. I didn’t know if I could work with them. I know I’ve got the power and capacity to do it, but that’s not my area of operation. It’s not my area of operation. What it gets down to is, What can you do? And whose power are you operating in?
This is a tremendous parable the Lord spoke as he was entering Jerusalem. It’s all about: I’m going away for a while. But I’m going to give you some stuff so you can endure until I come back; but I want you to occupy until I come back.
We were in a little town that means the Brown Virgin in the back parts of Nicaragua. I took the baby out of the truck and this was one of the times we actually had a pediatrician on the team. I told my compadre there to go get the pediatrician and meet me back where we had the examining room. This child was a mess on the outside, wet diaper and shirt and damp hair from sweat. She was limp, with no movement in her body.
In the examining room, I went behind the curtain and pulled open the eyelid to see what the function was, and it was rolled up in the back of the head. Both of them were. That’s not good. I leaned down to see if I could hear any breath because I couldn’t feel any. And I couldn’t feel any breath on my face. I said, Lord don’t let this child die. This child came into the world with expectations and such.
I was holding her in my left hand; she was so small. I put my right hand on her head and said, Lord, Lord, bring life back into this child. When I said that, the baby coughed. I said, It’s Working! Hooo! That will increase your faith, if you know what I mean. I said, Lord, it’s coming back. Let this child breathe. Let this child begin to have breath and life. And the child started crying.
You want to pat yourself on the back and say, I did a great job. Then I felt a tug on my shoulder and it was the doctor. He said, I’ll take it now. So I gave it to him, and I’m feeling good about this and went back to eat. About ten minutes later the doctor came in and sat down beside me. He said, I just need to know something about you. I saw something I’ve never seen in my life. I said, What do you mean, Doc?
He said, I didn’t want to interrupt you when you were in there praying for this child, so I stopped outside the curtain and just lifted it up and laid it on my shoulder and watched you. I was looking at the child as you began to pray for it. In my experience, I’ve seen a lot of dead children. That happens a lot. And that child was dead. I was mentally ticking off the things that you look for and then you said, Lord, let this child have life. And I saw life enter into that child.
That child coughed. But that was just the start. As you began to pray and intercede for this child, I saw life enter back into that body and the normal functionings of a child that age began to happen. What was it that you did?
I said, Doc, you’re not going to believe this. I was an utter failure at what I was asked to do. He said, What was that? Well, out there in the back of the truck, there’s a woman that’s demon possessed and I said I wasn’t going to mess with that. But the Lord was good enough to give me a second chance. He said, if you can’t handle that, then pray for a child. So that’s what I did.
Betty. Occupy. To occupy means to take possession or control of. But it also means: 6) to participate. Do you think he was participating with the Lord? The Lord wants you to participate with him. Paul said, It’s not me doing the work, but it’s the grace of God working in me, enabling me, empowering me to do what I can’t do in my own strength. I can’t do it on my best day. But in the Lord and through the Lord, He gives every man a measure of faith. And then there is the gift of faith. I believe He was probably priming the pump (with Beau). I can tell you from experience and what I know. If He asks you to do it, it’s within your ability to do it—whether you believe it or not. And if you don’t respond that time—and there have been times I didn’t respond—He’ll just come again, and again, until you step into that place.
7) to take or hold possession. It’s not just about gaining the ground. It’s about possessing. The Lord wants you to possess your birthright and your destiny. For everyone of these points, I have a scripture on how to occupy. I know the now word that the Lord is speaking: It’s time to occupy. It’s time to produce.
Marion Neill. In the Old Testament there’s a word used that means occupy but it also means surety. When you become surety for someone, then you’re guaranteeing the loan. In occupying, you also become an agent for that person. So you represent them as you occupy. So we are agents. We are change agents for what the Lord has already taken possession of. It’s His. So we’re becoming surety for that and we become His agent.
Betty. Amen. There’s more to come. So Father, right now we thank you for what has been released in this place. And Father, I am saying that I am willing to occupy. Lord, come and take complete occupancy in our lives. We are your territory, tent and treasury. And Lord, cause us to occupy our territory, tent and treasuries in its fullness in Jesus name. Amen and Amen and Amen. Praise God.
Mid-Morning Service.
?There ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down. When I hear that trumpet sound, gonna rise up outta the ground. If You walked out of the grave, I’m walking too. ohoh.
Kimble Love. Death couldn’t hold him. Hell couldn’t hold him. He is risen. Hallelujah. He is Lord. He is King. He is alive forevermore and He’s watching over His word to perform it in our lives. Because He is alive. Amen. Everything that He said, He’s done. Everything He came here for, it is finished. Glory to God. He lives in us.
We’re a work in progress and we’re moving forward and advancing His kingdom day by day. Amen. Because we’re occupying. We’re moving forth. We’re walking in our spiritual authority. We’re releasing the truth, the word, the declarations of God, and we’re going to see every obstacle in our way come tumbling down.
Because we’re going forth with the full authority of heaven, taking back all that the enemy has stolen in Jesus name. Amen. Praise God. We’re here today to worship the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, to celebrate His resurrection. It’s not about the easter bunny, but it’s about Jesus coming out of the tomb. You go eat your chocolate bunnies but that’s not what it’s about. We’re here to worship Jesus, Son of the Living God, who was, who is and who is to come. Glory to God.
We’re not waiting for Jesus to come. He’s already come. We’re waiting for Him to return. But we’re not going to wait around idle. We’re going forth. We’re moving, advancing. We’re preparing the way for the return of our King. Glory to God.
The Word of God, I Peter 1:3-21. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you.
Wow! Say, kept in heaven for me.
Who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
Has anybody suffered any grief? Have you had any trials?
:7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
:10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action. Be self-controlled. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Say with me, I am holy because He is holy. And He has made me holy.
:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as sliver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
:20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Say with me, My faith and my hope are in God. Amen.
Hear the word of the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:13-18. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep or to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we will tell you that we who are still alive, who are left at the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left, will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words.
Jesus is alive. Jesus is coming back. Jesus is for us and not against us. We have been made more than conquerors through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. And His name is Jesus. Hallelujah. And we rejoice today. We rejoice today in His resurrection power. We rejoice in His life that He has freely given to us. We rejoice in the life that he’s deposited in our inmost being. For it’s in him that we live and move and have our being.
So Father, we thank you today for the blood of Jesus. We thank you for the sacrifice. We thank you Lord, that you looked at that sacrifice and you approved it and you said, Well done, my good and faithful servant; enter in. And that day, those very words will be spoken to us when it is our time. But until then, we occupy. We advance his kingdom on the earth as it is in heaven. Amen and Amen.
Shofar.
?Your name, your name is Victory. All praise will rise to Christ our King. Oh let praise arise… In your name I come alive to declare your victory. By your Spirit I will rise. The resurrected King is resurrecting me. He’s resurrecting me.
Death could not hold him. Now and forever our God reigns. Yours is the kingdom. Yours is the glory. Yours is name above all names.
You’re the resurrection and the life, the life. Oh we receive his life, his life, his life.
So we give you praise to glorify, to glorify, the name above all names, that nothing can stand against. Yes, I will give you praise. All my days, yes I will. All our days we’ll give you praise.
We cry out in worship. The victory is yours. You’re riding on the storm. Your name is unfailing. Though kingdoms rise and fall. Your throne withstands it all. Your name is unshaken. You’re all-powerful. Oh (7). Woo (7). You’re name is unshaken. You’re name is unfailing. We pull down heaven with shouts of praise. You’re all-powerful. Oh (7).
Anna. We believe. We receive. Yes we believe. We receive. We believe. We receive.
?You are worthy. it’s in the blood of the one who is worthy… Oh (7). Woo (7)…
Lord, you are worthy… to open the scroll. There is one who is worthy, the very Lamb of God. Oh (7)… You made a way where there was no way and I believe I’ll see you do it again.
Anna. As the Lord walked in. On earth as it is in heaven. We join with the angels singing Holy is the Lord, God how great you are.
Kimble Love. Father, we thank you today for the power of your presence. We thank you that Holy Spirit is here breathing the life-breath of heaven upon us. That the blood of Jesus is coursing through our very bodies as we’ve assembled here today to worship in spirit and in truth.
Lord, right now we honor you as we continue to worship with that which you’ve given us the ability to produce. We come to worship you with our increase, with our first fruits, our tithes and our offerings. With those things you have so richly blessed us with. Father, we have come to invest in your kingdom. To see your kingdom of righteousness come forth once again and sweep across this land. To release your truth, your light and your power.
Father, we declare today as your Word says, that your glory shall cover this earth like the waters cover the sea. So Father, we come today bearing our gifts. And we give them unto you freely, Lord, just as you gave us your Son, Jesus, to come to be the sacrifice for us, to bring us back into relationship and fellowship with you so that we could be the sons and daughters that you created us to be.
Father, I thank you for the blood of the Lamb. I thank you, Lord, for the word of our testimony. And I thank you that you have not given us a spirit of fear, but you have given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. We will not back down, but we’ll stand firm until the end, declaring your praises and displaying your glory.
Lord, today as we come to your table in remembrance of Jesus, we’re reminded of that upper room 2000 years ago in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus met with his disciples to have a final meal before he went to complete his mission. As they were reclining at the table, he took bread and he broke it and he said, “This bread is my body that is broken for you. Whenever you eat of it, do it in remembrance of me.”
Then he took the cup and he said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you. Whenever you drink of this cup, do it in remembrance of me.” So today, Lord, we are here assembled together to worship you; and not just to worship but to be in humble obedience unto the command of your word.
We come to your table to take of the bread which is your body; to drink of the cup which is your blood; to celebrate your life, your death, and your resurrection. To take the very elements of Communion. To commune with you, Lord God, not just in the natural but in the spirit, to receive the fullness of your sacrifice into our bodies. To take on the very nature and the DNA, your DNA Lord, into our bodies, as we remember and agree and receive the full benefits of the New Covenant that you purchased for us, in bringing us back into relationship with our Father.
So Lord, today we thank you for the cup. We thank you for the bread. We receive it and we believe it by faith; and we say, May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, as we go forth and occupy in your name. Amen and Amen.
?So I come to tell you He’s alive; to tell you that he dries every tear that falls. So I come to tell you that He saves; to shout and to proclaim that He’s coming back again. His blood. His blood.
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood. So I come to tell you He’s alive. He’s coming back again.
Want can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Betty Love. Thank you Jesus. Oh we worship you. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of the Living God. He was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.
He entered his earthly ministry at the age of 30. He completed his earthly ministry at the age of 33. With three words he uttered, It is finished. And in three days he was raised from the dead. Praise you, Jesus. Praise you, Lord. We honor you, Lord. Lord, we magnify, glorify you. We welcome your presence in this place.
We welcome your voice upon our waters. We welcome the power of your name. We welcome resurrection, power and life in our lives today. We come to honor you on this Resurrection Day.
Father, as we gather here as one this morning, joining with the body of Christ around the world and in heaven, we celebrate the Lamb of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We thank you, Lord, for the Angel of Your Presence. We thank you for your manifested glory that is here with us today.
As we open the Word of God, as we open the scriptures, and as the witnesses come forth, Lord, may the very eyes of our understanding be enlightened. Lord, pour out your Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you. Lord, this is not about a secondhand account. We’re going to hear a firsthand account from these brothers and sisters that we are forever connected with.
But for every individual in this room, and those that are within the hearing of my voice, you also have a testimony. And you should have an eyewitness account, a knowledge of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you personally.
I say unto you, we have entered into a new era. And the Lord Himself is coming to manifest the glory of his presence and his person in your life and my life like never before.
Your name and your name and your name, etc. He has engraved our names upon the palm of his hand. He was pierced for our transgressions. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. He suffered in the Garden. He went to the whipping post for you and me, and took those 39 stripes, which on authority, all 39 stripes represented the 39 diseases that all sickness can root to.
By his stripes we have been healed. Then he went to the cross. Our Passover Lamb. But I want you to know he didn’t stay there. He didn’t stay in the grave. Death could not hold him for the joy set before him.
I John 1:1-4. In that which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at, that our hands have touched, this we proclaim concerning the word of life. The life appeared, and we have seen it and testified to it. And we proclaim to eternal life which was with the Father, and has appeared to us.
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father, and with the Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. He was seen in a garden, on a road, in an upper room, on a lakeshore, and on a mountain.
My question to you today is, Have you seen him? Do you know him? Do you know where he stays? Do you know when the manifested presence and glory of the Lord walks into a place? Like when I was standing out, as the morning was about to break. The moon was here (to my right) and I could see the sun, dawn, and all creation. I walked out this morning just to talk to him, just to say, I love you, Jesus. And he responded.
I can tell you on good authority, He is alive. And He’s real. And He’s personal. And He knows where we stay. And He loves us. And this morning, I’m going to have a few come and share and give some personal accounts of the Story. There’s one particular part that I’ve shared to the end. Because I think there is something in this passage. I believe that every passage we’ve selected to read this morning is going to have a cause and effect on each one of you.
There are those of you in this room that I have personal relationship with and I know you, and you know me. And I know when I hear your voice that it’s you. You can have an even deeper personal relationship with the Lord because he really knows you. He knows what makes you laugh and what brings you joy. And what breaks your heart, and where you struggle, and where you’ve failed. And where you feel overwhelmed, and like you can’t do life anymore. Or maybe where you’ve messed up and you feel like you are beyond repair. He has every place.
He loves us with an everlasting love, and he’s given us a promise. He’s sealed us with His Spirit. If you said Yes to Jesus Christ, it’s settled. Nothing is able to snatch you out of the Father’s hand. He has saved you. He has saved you. Saved.
See, when Jesus came riding in on Palm Sunday, they were saying, Hosanna—Saved. Saved. Saved. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. But everyone of us in the room that know Jesus can stand up and say, Saved. I’m not asking him to save me. He’s already saved me because I’ve believed in the one whom the Father sent.
For God so loved the world, the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
I don’t know about you, but I can say for me and I can say for you if you are born-again, if you’ve accepted. It has to be personal. Mama can’t do it for you. Daddy can’t do it for you. Your grandparents can’t do it for you. Your pastor can’t do it for you. Your apostle can’t do it for you. You are the only one that can meet Jesus face to face and receive him.
You’re the only one that can say Yes to Jesus that will enable you to be recreated, re-gened and brought into the family of God. And when you do, you’re in the family. No matter where you go, you won’t escape him. This morning Marion is our first reader. As I read the passages I knew Anna had to read the garden passage in Luke, and she opened with it without us communicating. I knew the passage in John was reserved for Marion, because she’s a Mary and that’s who she is. I know her. I’ve been a friend, a sister for long enough to know that if she has the assignment to go to the tomb like Mary, she wouldn’t be leaving until she found him. So come on.
Marion Neill. John 20:1-18 NIV. Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.
Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means ‘Teacher’).
Jesus said, ‘Do not hold onto me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Betty. A worshiper stopped Jesus in his tracks. I don’t know if you understand why he said, Do not hold onto me. He was on a mission. He was ascending into heaven to present his blood, Himself, before the Father and all of heaven. I thought about the encounters of each one of them; because this was on the first day of the week. It was at First Fruits that Jesus was raised again. And I thought about his different conversations and encounters and the joy of knowing he was about to show up. And I thought about Mary, and the power of love. The power of your worship will cause Jesus to turn aside. Praise God for Mary. Praise God for everyone of them that walked with him, and loved him.
Beau Neill. Luke 24:13-53. Now on the same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. When they were talking to each other about these things that had happened, and as they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them. But they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’ They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’ ‘What things?’ He asked.
‘About Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.
And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.’
He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going further. But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.
There they found the eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.
He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’ And when he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Betty. Don’t you think Jesus was so full of joy walking with those men?
Brad Roney. Before I read this, close your eyes. Picture yourself in the words I’m about to read. John 20:19-31 NIVUK.
On that evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that, he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone their sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’
Now Thomas (also know as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’
But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’
Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your fingers here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’
Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But they are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Betty Love. Jesus was born crucified. Whenever he became conscious of who he was, he also became conscious of what he had to do.
On the eve of the cross, Jesus made a decision that he would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you. Now that’s amazing.
God on the cross. The Creator of the universe, sacrificing himself for his creation; how could this be? Who was this Jesus? He was and is a God with tears, a Creator with a heart, blood-stained royalty. A God who became earth’s mockery to save his children. This quote is by Max Lucado.
Hebrews 12:2-3. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and the Perfecter of our faith; who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him, consider Jesus, who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Without a crucifixion there can be no resurrection.
John 11:25-26. Jesus said, I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me will live even though he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?
John 14: 1-6. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would not have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to the place where I am.
And Thomas said, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?’ Jesus said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’
I John 5:11. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life and this life is found in his Son.
:12 He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son of God, does not have life.
The empty tomb is the womb of life. The resurrection was the vindicating event of his sinless life, yay God, and his redemptive death. His death and resurrection unleash the kingdom of God in fullness of power for you and me.
Now, Peter was do or die, sink or swim—I’m diving in. He’s the only disciple that got out of the boat. He was courageous enough to say, ‘Lord, bid me come to you and I’ll come.’ He got out of the boat while the rest of them stayed there; and he walked out. It didn’t matter that he had fear and he sank. He got out of the boat.
He’s the one who said, ‘I’ll die for you.’ And Jesus said, ‘Before the rooster crows you’ll deny me.’ ‘Never, Lord.’ He’s the one who took out the sword when they came to arrest Jesus; and he cut off the servants ear, and Jesus had to put it back on. They should have gotten clued in.
They should have gotten a clue when he said, ‘And who is it you look for?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ ‘I am He,’ and everybody fell down. And Peter.
Mark 16:1-19. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, brought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, (that would be today) just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter.
Betty. Now, Peter probably felt knee-high to an ant. He felt like it was all over and done. He had said he would die for the Lord, but he had denied him three times before the rooster crowed. He had done it. But the Lord! The power of Jesus Christ and his plan for your life and my life is over the top outstanding. Little did the man that betrayed the Lord and didn’t stand in the most crucial hour know. John is the only disciple that went with Jesus’ mother and the women to the cross. And he entrusted his mother to John. But Jesus loved everyone of those men and women. And he loved Peter. I know he loved Peter. I bet Peter made him scratch his head, now.
He saw his destiny. Peter was going to stand up on the Day of Pentecost and he was going to preach the gospel of the kingdom; and 3,000 people were going to get saved at one time. So maybe in this room we have an ‘and Peter;’ or maybe we have an ‘and Peter’ watching. Because I don’t care how bad you’ve failed him. I don’t care who platformed you and you had your moment and you blew it. I don’t care where you’ve been or what you’ve done, the blood of Jesus Christ is enough.
He is here this morning to tell the disciples, and Peter. Tell the disciples, and Betty. Tell the disciples, and Matthew. Tell the disciples, and Kevin, and Kevin.
This is the thing. Jesus knew the end. He knew the destiny and where Peter felt so broken. This is the other thing. They obviously did not remember. They were so distraught with grief. They had put all their eggs in a basket and they had all gotten broken. He was dead! Everything that they believed on hinged on Jesus.
But yet the two on the Road to Emmaus, the light bulb came on. Didn’t he say something about the third day and this is the third day? Hello? We can see it because we’re on this side of it. But they were walking there.
:7 See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”’
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
:9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
Afterwards Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. (We’re talking doubt and unbelief on Resurrection Day, now.) Later Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
:15 He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel, Good News, to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.’
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Betty. Beginning today, we remember first fruits, Jewish tradition. They were bringing their barley harvest before the Lord, and in this harvest season every day they were bringing five pints of barley, or an omer, into the temple of the Lord to present it. They celebrated first fruits and brought their offering to the Lord.
I Corinthians 15:12-57 talks about ‘if there be no resurrection.’ But there is a resurrection and it talks about Jesus as the First Fruits Offering. I want to invite you to do something over the next 50 days. Forty days Jesus was seen in the earth. There is a passage that says he met and talked with James. I would love to lean in and hear the different accounts of people that he walked with.
Forty days from today he ascended into heaven. Then there was a ten day period. At the end of the ten days 120 people were in an upper room waiting on the promise. ‘Go and wait in Jerusalem until the Father pours out from on high the promise.’ It was Pentecost, the birthing of the Church. And it was the government of God that came into the earth.
I thought about the 40 days that he walked and then the 10 period. That is a government. There was a government of God being formed in the earth in a ten-day period. And at the end of those ten days, which made the 50th, they got baptized with Holy Ghost and fire. For the next 50 days traditional Israelites, Jewish people, will be presenting, (since there is no temple) the omer in worship before the Lord. They are waiting on their Messiah. It’s about their harvest and them bringing their harvest before the Lord.
Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. He is the First Fruits. Let us every day count the omer. How are we going to do that? Every day, let’s rise up and present our members unto Him a living sacrifice and give Him our worship. And for the 40 days let’s expect encounter. I’m doing this, because on the 50th day, I want a fresh baptism of Holy Spirit and fire to come upon this house like we’ve never seen before.
What if every member in this house and everyone in alignment: Here I am, Lord. Day 1. Here I am. Day 2. I’ve come to worship you. Day 3. 50 days. 50 days to Pentecost. 50 days.
Psalm 121. I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
He is worthy of this. But I want you to know, when you and I pass from this earth if Jesus has not come again, it’s a celebration if you know Him. This might seem strange to some, but hear what I’m saying. There is no favorite place for me in participating in a funeral than at the grave site. So you’re about to get the graveside.
Psalm 121. I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber in deed. He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your shade and your right hand. The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and your going both now and forevermore.
I Thessalonians 4:13. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep or to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. We believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, and we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep, according to the Lord’s own word. We tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. (Those that have already passed.)
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command; with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet call of God; and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words.
I Corinthians 15:55-57. Where, oh death, is your victory? Where, oh death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God, he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, by the glorious resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, you have destroyed death and brought life. We rejoice that Jesus Christ our Lord, has entered into his glory, having completed his earthly assignment. Heavenly Father, we rejoice in the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ who has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light. We commit our lives into your hands, Lord Jesus, that we may walk in the life that you have given us, living and moving and having our being in you and by your Spirit; that we, individually and corporately, may fulfill our assignments in the earth as it is in heaven until that day.
Lord, we rejoice in that day knowing with confidence, because we have put our faith in you, Jesus Christ, that we will rise to receive our glorified bodies in your eternal kingdom. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of Holy Spirit be with us, be with our families, now and forevermore. For it’s in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray.
Father, I thank you that today there are people around the world that are going to hear the gospel for the first time. Lord, we thank you that the god of this age is bound from those that have been kept from receiving the gospel, the good news of their salvation. We pray in the name of Jesus and come into agreement with those that are appointed to come into the kingdom. Lord, we thank you that you are drawing them with your cords of love.
Father, we call the prodigals to come home. We thank you Lord God that it’s by grace we are saved through faith. It’s a free gift. It’s not of ourselves. You said in Romans, 10:9-10 that if we would confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and we would believe in our hearts that you raised him from the dead, we would be saved.
So Lord, I pray if there is anyone in this room or watching today that does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, we want to give you an opportunity to do that; or if there is anyone here today that says, I would like to rededicate my life to the Lord, and you really mean it. I know most all of you in this room, and know where you are in your walk. But if there is anyone here that does not know the Lord, I want to give you an opportunity. Because He’s worthy. He died for us. Clean hands and a pure heart. Clean hands and a pure heart.
So Father, right now, we are just going to pray the salvation prayer. Lord God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. That all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, according to Romans 3:23. I acknowledge that I need a Savior, and Jesus, you’re it. So today, I confess with my mouth. I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me of my sins.
I acknowledge that you died on the cross to save me. You died for the sins of the whole world. I ask you now to be my personal Lord and Savior. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. I believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead, for it’s with my mouth I confess and it’s with my heart that I believe and am saved. Thank you, Jesus.
Lord, for anyone that has prayed this prayer for the very first time, I ask you now to fill them from the top of their head to the souls of their feet. I thank you for regenerating. I thank you that their spirit man has come alive, and Lord, that they are welcomed into the family. If you have received Jesus and you are watching this, go tell someone.
We ask the Lord to direct you to the right family of believers, that would be a church or a gathering, that you could go in and be fed and confess with your mouth publicly that you have received Jesus. So Lord, we bless those that are watching.
If there are any Peters in this room or watching, I say unto you, be restored in Jesus name. Because Jesus loves you. And who knows? In 50 days you might preach the gospel and 3,000 people might get saved. Yay. So we bless you. And we thank all of you for making this a wonderful day. And for all of you that read and released, and the worship, thank you. It has been a wonderful Passover weekend celebration, and we just love you. Thank you all who served at the Passover event. We could not have done this without all of us. We are a mobilized army. Have a wonderful afternoon and week.