Arise Shine, For The Lord Has Come!

As many of you reflect on the resurrection of Christ, I would like to bring to light an element of resurrection life which is not often part of the focus at this time. First, know that resurrection life is for the here and now, while still on earth. We experience new life as a result of the rebirth of the spirit in us, which takes place once we are reconnected to the vine of life. Life flows through us once again as we are reconnected to GOD through Christ. This new life is invincible, and death cannot prevail against it. As this new life floods our soul, our minds are renewed and we become different people, because we think, see, and respond, to things differently. As our minds are renewed, we have opportunity to change the impact of past events still yoked to our soul. The breaking of these old yokes brings a peace and liberty that gives birth to new found joy.

The love of GOD gives us the strength to correctly bury the past. It is very common to have past experiences which caused embarrassment, hurt, and pain, that are still unresolved in our mind thus still tormenting us. They are like infected wounds still causing us pain.  These infected wounds of the soul are the real triggers behind the anger, frustration, apprehension, fear, and cold-heartedness which surfaces in us from time to time. When situations in life either touch or bring us close to these sensitive areas, our reaction is often centered from the wound instead of the spirit of love. Whenever you feel resentment, anger, strife, or shame, it is a sign that there is something you are still retaining. It is an area where the grace of GOD has not fully saturated. These wounds often need cleansed primarily with forgiveness. We often need to release others, as well as ourselves, from acts of the past. Pray and ask GOD to deliver you from the roots of any bitterness or shame. Be prepared to squeeze GOD’s hand as these wounds are reopened, to be sanitized with forgiveness and grace.

We can’t enter the resurrection life which Christ has prepared for us until we properly bury the pass. There is a saying, “Yesterday is in the tomb, and tomorrow is in the womb, all we have is the present.” If your yesterdays have not been properly put to rest, they can interfere with what GOD is doing in your life today. The Love we have found in Christ has provisions for this. One of the things which the powers of darkness continue to under estimate is the power of Love. Love showers us with undeserved provisions for life through charity and grace. The gift of salvation is an undeserved provision for life. Through this powerful Love we have received, we can provide others with the same undeserved provisions for life. None of us can live without forgiveness because we have all earned condemnation to death. If you disagree with this, then I am sure you also struggle with understanding your total need for Christ and salvation. Until you are able to understand how lies, deceitfulness, selfishness, envy, lust, and cold-heartedness are some of the sinful characteristics which breed death, you will not understand your role in the demise of others and the debts you have created.

For those of you who know you have done harm and confess that you need forgiveness, receive it from the Lamb of GOD, and also forgive those who have wounded you. We have all been hurt and wounded by someone, who also was hurt and wounded by someone else. Forgiveness destroys the perpetuation of death and allows Love the opportunity to bring new life. Your releasing of others actually frees you to walk in newness of life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reads,

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Put the past to rest and free your self to be a new creation in Christ. I have worked in ministry with former drug addicts for many years and one of the conflicts I see in their restoration is they have been taught to confess that they are perpetual addicts. As I witness the salvation of Christ to these men, there is a point where they have to see themselves as new creatures in Christ. If they continue to see themselves as addicts, then the potential to use is always present. If they can embrace that they are new creatures, which no longer need or desire drugs, through the knowledge they really needed and actually craved GOD all along, then they can shut the door forever on being an addict. Unfortunately, I see the same error in the church today among the children of GOD. False religion has fettered the children of GOD to the past by teaching them to see themselves as perpetual sinners. The counsel that those saved by Christ are still sinners, only forgiven, is not from the Spirit of GOD but from Lucifer the great deceiver.  Just like the men recovering from addiction I mentioned earlier, this flawed mindset wedges the door open for continual sin and does not allow the past to be properly buried.

YAHWEH sowed a seed in the earth, that seed was His son Yeshua Hamashiach, also referred to as Jesus Christ. A seed can only reproduce fruit after its own kind. Christ promised,

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)

The church today is called the Body of Christ, how can sin rule in the body of Christ if the seed that produced it was beautiful and righteous. False teaching has contaminated the church and robbed it of its glory. False teaching has robbed the children of GOD of their freedom to live righteous and gloriously.

Here is the truth about resurrection life:

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)

“ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:13-14)

Believe the grace which is in the love of GOD, ministered through the workings of the cross. Let GOD counsel you on burying pains of the past that you might experience life anew. Don’t allow Lucifer, the father of all lies, to still the life Christ has set before you. I am including a link here to my book, “True Heritage: Recovering From Spiritual Identity Theft”, as an aid to you. I present a lot more on this subject to assist you in recovering the abundant life the resurrection of Christ put within your reach.  It is time that the church comes forth in her full glory. This is her time to shine!