The average Christian requires a major "detox" session. It took me three years of studying nothing but the words of Christ to un-do the manmade theology and spiritual "junk food" I'd been devouring for years. Fact is, I'm STILL undergoing a daily "cleansing" process that has me crying, "Cleaner, Lord, cleaner!" This world is a cesspool and the worldly Church is a major contributor to its pollution; no matter how hard we try, we WILL get some on us.

Easter Sunday must certainly be Satan's high un-holy Day. His evil empire fell at the moment of Resurrection. To those who plead with God, "Lord, destroy the work of the devil!" or pray, "Deliver us from evil," here's the truth: Jesus has ALREADY done these things.

We need only begin functioning as though we truly BELIEVE it. Then, we need only step out and begin making ourselves AVAILABLE for the Spirit to use us. Only FEAR will attempt to hold you back.

Don't let it!

Ravenhill said, "The standard of God's power in the New Testament is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The standard of God's power in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the people of Israel through the Red Sea which brought them finally into the land of promise. In the Old Testament the miracle is the raising of a dead nation, because they were in captivity, in Egypt, which is a type of the world. They were under the dominion of Pharaoh, which is a type of the devil, and they were brought as the Word of God says, "God called them with a strong hand. He delivered them with a strong hand and a stretched out arm." All the way from Moses to Malachi there is a constant referring to "Look what God did when He delivered Israel." Now, is anything bigger than that? Have you got a problem bigger than that? Can you imagine anything that demands on God more than that?"

Man, I love ol' Ravenhill.

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

What was so unique about the Resurrection of Jesus? After all, others in Scripture had experienced resurrection. Elijah raised the widow's son (I Kings 17:17-24). Elisha raised the Shunammite's child (II Kings 4:32-37). Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41). Paul raised Eutychus to life (Acts 20:9-12). Jesus Himself is recorded as having raised a few. What is the difference between these resurrections and His own?

First: For those who were resurrected, each resurrection had no power in itself, nor did theirs offer any power to anyone else.

Second

Do you believe that?

Personally, I don't believe we can be reminded of this truth often ENOUGH. I daresay, it's because we are NOT reminded of this that the Church remains so impotent and ineffective. As 2 Timothy 3:5 says, we have a "form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

When Jesus read from Isaiah, (Luke 4:18), "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,to set at liberty those who are oppressed...," what was He saying that applied to you and me?

Well, if the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead dwells within US - the very same Spirit who was upon Jesus, the Anointed King - the Christ - making Jesus the anointed Head of The Church - THAT would mean that we, too, can do everything Jesus did and said we can do.

Right?

Jesus Himself declared that, "... 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,"(Mark 16:16-18).

In John 14:12, He assured us, "...if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."

In Acts 1: 7,8, just before His Ascension, we read where He said to His disciples, “...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..."

We are His disciples, too, and we've been commissioned to reproduce. Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you...," (Matthew 28:18-20).

Where duplication is concerned, the apostle Paul said (Romans 1:5,6) "It is through Him that we have received grace and apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His Name's sake among all the nations, and this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited to belong to Him."

Jesus said, "I came as an example, (Jn 13;15).

Paul wrote, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ, " (1 Cor 11:1).

I find that, although many people want to believe that we really CAN do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Phil 4:13), for many this is nothing more than wishful thinking, a mantra which, perhaps if said often enough, might actually come true.

That's what the enemy would have us believe anyway.

PRACTICING HIS PRESENCE

Have you ever experienced the presence of the Spirit of Christ in these ways? Romans 8: 8-19 tells us, "...those who are in the flesh cannot please God." The verse goes on to remind us - you and me - that we, "are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you."

Yes, He DOES dwell within you! We just need to be reminded that everything we need to live as followers of Christ on this planet is ALREADY resident within us. The verse closes with this, " Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, [and He is, right?] the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."

You are righteous because of Jesus, NOT because of anything you can do to earn God's favor (as if any of us could), for we do not have "a righteousness that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith," (Phil 3:9). It's solely because you've been bought by the blood of Jesus and are now His. Therefore, you are well-equipped to do the works of the ministry.

Yes, I said YOU!

Paul taught that very concept to the Church in Corinth, "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own], " (1 Cor 6;20).

I've observed that most Christians can barely get to Church gatherings or prayer meetings(remember those?) or Bible Study. These days, one would be hard-pressed to find a Christian who could muster the faith to believe for the healing of their own sniffles. Why is that?

The Apostle Paul said, (Philippians 3:10), "That I may know Him, and the power of His Resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death...."

Notice the four statements Paul makes in this verse: 1) "that I may know Him." 2) "and [that I may know] the power of His resurrection." 3) " [that I may know] the fellowship of His suffering." 4) "[that I may be made] conformable unto His death."

Isn't that amazing? Here's Paul, an old man by this time, still zealous for his faith in Christ as he ever was, maintaining that his #1 aspiration in life is this: "that I may know Him."

Regardless of how we do it, "Vene, Vidi, Vici" - I came, I saw, I conquered - is everyone's personal motto, whether we admit it or not. Fact is, we can't conquer anything that satisfies until we conquer our own minds, the devil's battleground. Overall, he's got us convinced of our own inadequacies, that our human tendencies are the best we can do.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the miracle of miracles. By that miracle, Jesus conquered Death, Hell and the Grave, proving that He was God in the flesh. Muhammad never did that. Confucius never did it. Buddha never did. With all due respect to those dead religious leaders, they could NOT do it. Nobody could. Nobody, that is, but King Jesus.

His people have access to all the power they need to be the World Changers He says we are.

Do you believe that?

GOING DEEPER WITH GOD

Because of Christ's Resurrection, WE were Resurrected, too. After all, we were crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20); stands to reason that we were resurrected with Him as well. Jesus called Himself "the first fruits." So He is. Ephesians 2:5 (AMP) says, "Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation)." Notice: it doesn't say that we WILL die. The verse says that we WERE DEAD. That same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has also raised and now empowers you and me.

John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world - you and me - SO MUCH - that He gave His one and only Son, Jesus. The cross represents God's love; the Resurrection represents God's Power.

Imagine being the Apostle Paul for a minute. You've raised the dead and some believe you were raised from death yourself. You've healed people, cast out demons, wrote more world-changing literature than anyone in history ever would...and your greatest ambition is "I want to know Him."

Does that impress anybody besides me?

Is that your goal, too? It certainly is my own. Don't settle for counterfeits, my friends. Religion, ritualism, dogmatism, doctrines of devils and of men...there are many traps that the enemy has set that are intended to appease the religious nature of man and tap into our spiritual nature. They seem spiritual, sound spiritual and make us "feel" spiritual. They are counterfeits that may even raise a few goose bumps. Yet most who settle for these trappings and partake of them regularly are no deeper in their relationship with God than a committed Army soldier is endeared by the military branch of which he is a part. They'll cut you loose in a heartbeat after decades of service. Institutional Christianity is no different; "Churchianity," I call it.

Do you want a deeper revelation of Christ? There is something about the Resurrection that we have yet to grasp. My wife and I recently had a well dug on our property. They had to dig over 500 feet to find it but there was cool, clear water down there that just had to be tapped into. Let's tap into the Resurrection a little bit more. Everything we know about Christianity balances on that one occurrence, the crowning miracle of God. For if there is no resurrection, we are yet in our sins.

LIVE LIKE A BELIEVER

The problem with today's powerless Church? In a nutshell, it's full of unbelievers. Oh, multitudes acknowledge the historical person of Christ. Many more acknowledge His virgin birth, death on a cross, resurrection and ascension. Many more believe that the incredible Bible stories and miracles of Jesus are true. But the demons believe, too, and they shudder with fear (James 2;19).

We'd shudder, too, if we realized the power we've been given. The demons shudder at that thought!

So, why don't we see it manifested? Why are so many miracles taking place in third world and developing nations, but so few here in the West? One quick read of "Megashift" by Jim Rutz and you'll be asking the same question. I contend that our failure to see miracles and spiritual manifestations is due to our failure to adhere to the Doctrine of Christ, choosing instead to embrace the doctrines of demons and man. Traditions and dogmas that can be found nowhere within the pages of Holy Writ are rampant throughout the Body of Christ and they make the Word of God of no effect (Matt 15:6; Mark 7;13, 1 Cor 1:17).

Another major issue: Disunity. God loves it when His kids play well together. Too often, what we show the watching world is a barely standing house divided against itself.

Finally, we don't KNOW Him. We know about Him. We are told to grow in the Knowledge of Christ. For many years, He was little more than an historical figure; no better than George Washington. He wanted to become a REAL person in my life and I had reduced Him to a Holiday figure the likes of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!

The average Christian requires a major "detox" session. It took me three years of studying nothing but the words of Christ to un-do the manmade theology and spiritual "junk food" I'd been devouring for years. Fact is, I'm STILL undergoing a daily "cleansing" process that has me crying, "Cleaner, Lord, cleaner!" This world is a cesspool and the worldly Church is a major contributor to its pollution; no matter how hard we try, we WILL get some on us.

Easter Sunday must certainly be Satan's high un-holy Day. His evil empire fell at the moment of Resurrection. To those who plead with God, "Lord, destroy the work of the devil!" or pray, "Deliver us from evil," here's the truth: Jesus has ALREADY done these things.

We need only begin functioning as though we truly BELIEVE it. Then, we need only step out and begin making ourselves AVAILABLE for the Spirit to use us. Only FEAR will attempt to hold you back.

Don't let it!

Ravenhill said, "The standard of God's power in the New Testament is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The standard of God's power in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the people of Israel through the Red Sea which brought them finally into the land of promise. In the Old Testament the miracle is the raising of a dead nation, because they were in captivity, in Egypt, which is a type of the world. They were under the dominion of Pharaoh, which is a type of the devil, and they were brought as the Word of God says, "God called them with a strong hand. He delivered them with a strong hand and a stretched out arm." All the way from Moses to Malachi there is a constant referring to "Look what God did when He delivered Israel." Now, is anything bigger than that? Have you got a problem bigger than that? Can you imagine anything that demands on God more than that?"

Man, I love ol' Ravenhill.

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

What was so unique about the Resurrection of Jesus? After all, others in Scripture had experienced resurrection. Elijah raised the widow's son (I Kings 17:17-24). Elisha raised the Shunammite's child (II Kings 4:32-37). Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41). Paul raised Eutychus to life (Acts 20:9-12). Jesus Himself is recorded as having raised a few. What is the difference between these resurrections and His own?

First: For those who were resurrected, each resurrection had no power in itself, nor did theirs offer any power to anyone else.

Second:

Paul wrote, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ, " (1 Cor 11:1).

I find that, although many people want to believe that we really CAN do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Phil 4:13), for many this is nothing more than wishful thinking, a mantra which, perhaps if said often enough, might actually come true.

That's what the enemy would have us believe anyway.

PRACTICING HIS PRESENCE

Have you ever experienced the presence of the Spirit of Christ in these ways? Romans 8: 8-19 tells us, "...those who are in the flesh cannot please God." The verse goes on to remind us - you and me - that we, "are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you."

Yes, He DOES dwell within you! We just need to be reminded that everything we need to live as followers of Christ on this planet is ALREADY resident within us. The verse closes with this, " Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, [and He is, right?] the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."

You are righteous because of Jesus, NOT because of anything you can do to earn God's favor (as if any of us could), for we do not have "a righteousness that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith," (Phil 3:9). It's solely because you've been bought by the blood of Jesus and are now His. Therefore, you are well-equipped to do the works of the ministry.

Yes, I said YOU!

Paul taught that very concept to the Church in Corinth, "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own], " (1 Cor 6;20).

I've observed that most Christians can barely get to Church gatherings or prayer meetings(remember those?) or Bible Study. These days, one would be hard-pressed to find a Christian who could muster the faith to believe for the healing of their own sniffles. Why is that?

The Apostle Paul said, (Philippians 3:10), "That I may know Him, and the power of His Resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death...."

Notice the four statements Paul makes in this verse: 1) "that I may know Him." 2) "and [that I may know] the power of His resurrection." 3) " [that I may know] the fellowship of His suffering." 4) "[that I may be made] conformable unto His death."

Isn't that amazing? Here's Paul, an old man by this time, still zealous for his faith in Christ as he ever was, maintaining that his #1 aspiration in life is this: "that I may know Him."

Regardless of how we do it, "Vene, Vidi, Vici" - I came, I saw, I conquered - is everyone's personal motto, whether we admit it or not. Fact is, we can't conquer anything that satisfies until we conquer our own minds, the devil's battleground. Overall, he's got us convinced of our own inadequacies, that our human tendencies are the best we can do.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the miracle of miracles. By that miracle, Jesus conquered Death, Hell and the Grave, proving that He was God in the flesh. Muhammad never did that. Confucius never did it. Buddha never did. With all due respect to those dead religious leaders, they could NOT do it. Nobody could. Nobody, that is, but King Jesus.

His people have access to all the power they need to be the World Changers He says we are.

Do you believe that?

GOING DEEPER WITH GOD

Because of Christ's Resurrection, WE were Resurrected, too. After all, we were crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20); stands to reason that we were resurrected with Him as well. Jesus called Himself "the first fruits." So He is. Ephesians 2:5 (AMP) says, "Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation)." Notice: it doesn't say that we WILL die. The verse says that we WERE DEAD. That same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has also raised and now empowers you and me.

John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world - you and me - SO MUCH - that He gave His one and only Son, Jesus. The cross represents God's love; the Resurrection represents God's Power.

Imagine being the Apostle Paul for a minute. You've raised the dead and some believe you were raised from death yourself. You've healed people, cast out demons, wrote more world-changing literature than anyone in history ever would...and your greatest ambition is "I want to know Him."

Does that impress anybody besides me?

Is that your goal, too? It certainly is my own. Don't settle for counterfeits, my friends. Religion, ritualism, dogmatism, doctrines of devils and of men...there are many traps that the enemy has set that are intended to appease the religious nature of man and tap into our spiritual nature. They seem spiritual, sound spiritual and make us "feel" spiritual. They are counterfeits that may even raise a few goose bumps. Yet most who settle for these trappings and partake of them regularly are no deeper in their relationship with God than a committed Army soldier is endeared by the military branch of which he is a part. They'll cut you loose in a heartbeat after decades of service. Institutional Christianity is no different; "Churchianity," I call it.

Do you want a deeper revelation of Christ? There is something about the Resurrection that we have yet to grasp. My wife and I recently had a well dug on our property. They had to dig over 500 feet to find it but there was cool, clear water down there that just had to be tapped into. Let's tap into the Resurrection a little bit more. Everything we know about Christianity balances on that one occurrence, the crowning miracle of God. For if there is no resurrection, we are yet in our sins.

LIVE LIKE A BELIEVER

The problem with today's powerless Church? In a nutshell, it's full of unbelievers. Oh, multitudes acknowledge the historical person of Christ. Many more acknowledge His virgin birth, death on a cross, resurrection and ascension. Many more believe that the incredible Bible stories and miracles of Jesus are true. But the demons believe, too, and they shudder with fear (James 2;19).

We'd shudder, too, if we realized the power we've been given. The demons shudder at that thought!

So, why don't we see it manifested? Why are so many miracles taking place in third world and developing nations, but so few here in the West? One quick read of "Megashift" by Jim Rutz and you'll be asking the same question. I contend that our failure to see miracles and spiritual manifestations is due to our failure to adhere to the Doctrine of Christ, choosing instead to embrace the doctrines of demons and man. Traditions and dogmas that can be found nowhere within the pages of Holy Writ are rampant throughout the Body of Christ and they make the Word of God of no effect (Matt 15:6; Mark 7;13, 1 Cor 1:17).

Another major issue: Disunity. God loves it when His kids play well together. Too often, what we show the watching world is a barely standing house divided against itself.

Finally, we don't KNOW Him. We know about Him. We are told to grow in the Knowledge of Christ. For many years, He was little more than an historical figure; no better than George Washington. He wanted to become a REAL person in my life and I had reduced Him to a Holiday figure the likes of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!

The average Christian requires a major "detox" session. It took me three years of studying nothing but the words of Christ to un-do the manmade theology and spiritual "junk food" I'd been devouring for years. Fact is, I'm STILL undergoing a daily "cleansing" process that has me crying, "Cleaner, Lord, cleaner!" This world is a cesspool and the worldly Church is a major contributor to its pollution; no matter how hard we try, we WILL get some on us.

Easter Sunday must certainly be Satan's high un-holy Day. His evil empire fell at the moment of Resurrection. To those who plead with God, "Lord, destroy the work of the devil!" or pray, "Deliver us from evil," here's the truth: Jesus has ALREADY done these things.

We need only begin functioning as though we truly BELIEVE it. Then, we need only step out and begin making ourselves AVAILABLE for the Spirit to use us. Only FEAR will attempt to hold you back.

Don't let it!

Ravenhill said, "The standard of God's power in the New Testament is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The standard of God's power in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the people of Israel through the Red Sea which brought them finally into the land of promise. In the Old Testament the miracle is the raising of a dead nation, because they were in captivity, in Egypt, which is a type of the world. They were under the dominion of Pharaoh, which is a type of the devil, and they were brought as the Word of God says, "God called them with a strong hand. He delivered them with a strong hand and a stretched out arm." All the way from Moses to Malachi there is a constant referring to "Look what God did when He delivered Israel." Now, is anything bigger than that? Have you got a problem bigger than that? Can you imagine anything that demands on God more than that?"

Man, I love ol' Ravenhill.

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

What was so unique about the Resurrection of Jesus? After all, others in Scripture had experienced resurrection. Elijah raised the widow's son (I Kings 17:17-24). Elisha raised the Shunammite's child (II Kings 4:32-37). Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41). Paul raised Eutychus to life (Acts 20:9-12). Jesus Himself is recorded as having raised a few. What is the difference between these resurrections and His own?

First: For those who were resurrected, each resurrection had no power in itself, nor did theirs offer any power to anyone else.

Second

Isn't that amazing? Here's Paul, an old man by this time, still zealous for his faith in Christ as he ever was, maintaining that his #1 aspiration in life is this: "that I may know Him."

Regardless of how we do it, "Vene, Vidi, Vici" - I came, I saw, I conquered - is everyone's personal motto, whether we admit it or not. Fact is, we can't conquer anything that satisfies until we conquer our own minds, the devil's battleground. Overall, he's got us convinced of our own inadequacies, that our human tendencies are the best we can do.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the miracle of miracles. By that miracle, Jesus conquered Death, Hell and the Grave, proving that He was God in the flesh. Muhammad never did that. Confucius never did it. Buddha never did. With all due respect to those dead religious leaders, they could NOT do it. Nobody could. Nobody, that is, but King Jesus.

His people have access to all the power they need to be the World Changers He says we are.

Do you believe that?

GOING DEEPER WITH GOD

Because of Christ's Resurrection, WE were Resurrected, too. After all, we were crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20); stands to reason that we were resurrected with Him as well. Jesus called Himself "the first fruits." So He is. Ephesians 2:5 (AMP) says, "Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation)." Notice: it doesn't say that we WILL die. The verse says that we WERE DEAD. That same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has also raised and now empowers you and me.

John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world - you and me - SO MUCH - that He gave His one and only Son, Jesus. The cross represents God's love; the Resurrection represents God's Power.

Imagine being the Apostle Paul for a minute. You've raised the dead and some believe you were raised from death yourself. You've healed people, cast out demons, wrote more world-changing literature than anyone in history ever would...and your greatest ambition is "I want to know Him."

Does that impress anybody besides me?

Is that your goal, too? It certainly is my own. Don't settle for counterfeits, my friends. Religion, ritualism, dogmatism, doctrines of devils and of men...there are many traps that the enemy has set that are intended to appease the religious nature of man and tap into our spiritual nature. They seem spiritual, sound spiritual and make us "feel" spiritual. They are counterfeits that may even raise a few goose bumps. Yet most who settle for these trappings and partake of them regularly are no deeper in their relationship with God than a committed Army soldier is endeared by the military branch of which he is a part. They'll cut you loose in a heartbeat after decades of service. Institutional Christianity is no different; "Churchianity," I call it.

Do you want a deeper revelation of Christ? There is something about the Resurrection that we have yet to grasp. My wife and I recently had a well dug on our property. They had to dig over 500 feet to find it but there was cool, clear water down there that just had to be tapped into. Let's tap into the Resurrection a little bit more. Everything we know about Christianity balances on that one occurrence, the crowning miracle of God. For if there is no resurrection, we are yet in our sins.

LIVE LIKE A BELIEVER

The problem with today's powerless Church? In a nutshell, it's full of unbelievers. Oh, multitudes acknowledge the historical person of Christ. Many more acknowledge His virgin birth, death on a cross, resurrection and ascension. Many more believe that the incredible Bible stories and miracles of Jesus are true. But the demons believe, too, and they shudder with fear (James 2;19).

We'd shudder, too, if we realized the power we've been given. The demons shudder at that thought!

So, why don't we see it manifested? Why are so many miracles taking place in third world and developing nations, but so few here in the West? One quick read of "Megashift" by Jim Rutz and you'll be asking the same question. I contend that our failure to see miracles and spiritual manifestations is due to our failure to adhere to the Doctrine of Christ, choosing instead to embrace the doctrines of demons and man. Traditions and dogmas that can be found nowhere within the pages of Holy Writ are rampant throughout the Body of Christ and they make the Word of God of no effect (Matt 15:6; Mark 7;13, 1 Cor 1:17).

Another major issue: Disunity. God loves it when His kids play well together. Too often, what we show the watching world is a barely standing house divided against itself.

Finally, we don't KNOW Him. We know about Him. We are told to grow in the Knowledge of Christ. For many years, He was little more than an historical figure; no better than George Washington. He wanted to become a REAL person in my life and I had reduced Him to a Holiday figure the likes of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!

The average Christian requires a major "detox" session. It took me three years of studying nothing but the words of Christ to un-do the manmade theology and spiritual "junk food" I'd been devouring for years. Fact is, I'm STILL undergoing a daily "cleansing" process that has me crying, "Cleaner, Lord, cleaner!" This world is a cesspool and the worldly Church is a major contributor to its pollution; no matter how hard we try, we WILL get some on us.

Easter Sunday must certainly be Satan's high un-holy Day. His evil empire fell at the moment of Resurrection. To those who plead with God, "Lord, destroy the work of the devil!" or pray, "Deliver us from evil," here's the truth: Jesus has ALREADY done these things.

We need only begin functioning as though we truly BELIEVE it. Then, we need only step out and begin making ourselves AVAILABLE for the Spirit to use us. Only FEAR will attempt to hold you back.

Don't let it!

Ravenhill said, "The standard of God's power in the New Testament is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The standard of God's power in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the people of Israel through the Red Sea which brought them finally into the land of promise. In the Old Testament the miracle is the raising of a dead nation, because they were in captivity, in Egypt, which is a type of the world. They were under the dominion of Pharaoh, which is a type of the devil, and they were brought as the Word of God says, "God called them with a strong hand. He delivered them with a strong hand and a stretched out arm." All the way from Moses to Malachi there is a constant referring to "Look what God did when He delivered Israel." Now, is anything bigger than that? Have you got a problem bigger than that? Can you imagine anything that demands on God more than that?"

Man, I love ol' Ravenhill.

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

What was so unique about the Resurrection of Jesus? After all, others in Scripture had experienced resurrection. Elijah raised the widow's son (I Kings 17:17-24). Elisha raised the Shunammite's child (II Kings 4:32-37). Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41). Paul raised Eutychus to life (Acts 20:9-12). Jesus Himself is recorded as having raised a few. What is the difference between these resurrections and His own?

First: For those who were resurrected, each resurrection had no power in itself, nor did theirs offer any power to anyone else.

Second

Do you want a deeper revelation of Christ? There is something about the Resurrection that we have yet to grasp. My wife and I recently had a well dug on our property. They had to dig over 500 feet to find it but there was cool, clear water down there that just had to be tapped into. Let's tap into the Resurrection a little bit more. Everything we know about Christianity balances on that one occurrence, the crowning miracle of God. For if there is no resurrection, we are yet in our sins.

LIVE LIKE A BELIEVER

The problem with today's powerless Church? In a nutshell, it's full of unbelievers. Oh, multitudes acknowledge the historical person of Christ. Many more acknowledge His virgin birth, death on a cross, resurrection and ascension. Many more believe that the incredible Bible stories and miracles of Jesus are true. But the demons believe, too, and they shudder with fear (James 2;19).

We'd shudder, too, if we realized the power we've been given. The demons shudder at that thought!

So, why don't we see it manifested? Why are so many miracles taking place in third world and developing nations, but so few here in the West? One quick read of "Megashift" by Jim Rutz and you'll be asking the same question. I contend that our failure to see miracles and spiritual manifestations is due to our failure to adhere to the Doctrine of Christ, choosing instead to embrace the doctrines of demons and man. Traditions and dogmas that can be found nowhere within the pages of Holy Writ are rampant throughout the Body of Christ and they make the Word of God of no effect (Matt 15:6; Mark 7;13, 1 Cor 1:17).

Another major issue: Disunity. God loves it when His kids play well together. Too often, what we show the watching world is a barely standing house divided against itself.

Finally, we don't KNOW Him. We know about Him. We are told to grow in the Knowledge of Christ. For many years, He was little more than an historical figure; no better than George Washington. He wanted to become a REAL person in my life and I had reduced Him to a Holiday figure the likes of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!

The average Christian requires a major "detox" session. It took me three years of studying nothing but the words of Christ to un-do the manmade theology and spiritual "junk food" I'd been devouring for years. Fact is, I'm STILL undergoing a daily "cleansing" process that has me crying, "Cleaner, Lord, cleaner!" This world is a cesspool and the worldly Church is a major contributor to its pollution; no matter how hard we try, we WILL get some on us.

Easter Sunday must certainly be Satan's high un-holy Day. His evil empire fell at the moment of Resurrection. To those who plead with God, "Lord, destroy the work of the devil!" or pray, "Deliver us from evil," here's the truth: Jesus has ALREADY done these things.

We need only begin functioning as though we truly BELIEVE it. Then, we need only step out and begin making ourselves AVAILABLE for the Spirit to use us. Only FEAR will attempt to hold you back.

Don't let it!

Ravenhill said, "The standard of God's power in the New Testament is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The standard of God's power in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the people of Israel through the Red Sea which brought them finally into the land of promise. In the Old Testament the miracle is the raising of a dead nation, because they were in captivity, in Egypt, which is a type of the world. They were under the dominion of Pharaoh, which is a type of the devil, and they were brought as the Word of God says, "God called them with a strong hand. He delivered them with a strong hand and a stretched out arm." All the way from Moses to Malachi there is a constant referring to "Look what God did when He delivered Israel." Now, is anything bigger than that? Have you got a problem bigger than that? Can you imagine anything that demands on God more than that?"

Man, I love ol' Ravenhill.

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

What was so unique about the Resurrection of Jesus? After all, others in Scripture had experienced resurrection. Elijah raised the widow's son (I Kings 17:17-24). Elisha raised the Shunammite's child (II Kings 4:32-37). Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41). Paul raised Eutychus to life (Acts 20:9-12). Jesus Himself is recorded as having raised a few. What is the difference between these resurrections and His own?

First: For those who were resurrected, each resurrection had no power in itself, nor did theirs offer any power to anyone else.

Second

The average Christian requires a major "detox" session. It took me three years of studying nothing but the words of Christ to un-do the manmade theology and spiritual "junk food" I'd been devouring for years. Fact is, I'm STILL undergoing a daily "cleansing" process that has me crying, "Cleaner, Lord, cleaner!" This world is a cesspool and the worldly Church is a major contributor to its pollution; no matter how hard we try, we WILL get some on us.

Easter Sunday must certainly be Satan's high un-holy Day. His evil empire fell at the moment of Resurrection. To those who plead with God, "Lord, destroy the work of the devil!" or pray, "Deliver us from evil," here's the truth: Jesus has ALREADY done these things.

We need only begin functioning as though we truly BELIEVE it. Then, we need only step out and begin making ourselves AVAILABLE for the Spirit to use us. Only FEAR will attempt to hold you back.

Don't let it!

Ravenhill said, "The standard of God's power in the New Testament is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The standard of God's power in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the people of Israel through the Red Sea which brought them finally into the land of promise. In the Old Testament the miracle is the raising of a dead nation, because they were in captivity, in Egypt, which is a type of the world. They were under the dominion of Pharaoh, which is a type of the devil, and they were brought as the Word of God says, "God called them with a strong hand. He delivered them with a strong hand and a stretched out arm." All the way from Moses to Malachi there is a constant referring to "Look what God did when He delivered Israel." Now, is anything bigger than that? Have you got a problem bigger than that? Can you imagine anything that demands on God more than that?"

Man, I love ol' Ravenhill.

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

What was so unique about the Resurrection of Jesus? After all, others in Scripture had experienced resurrection. Elijah raised the widow's son (I Kings 17:17-24). Elisha raised the Shunammite's child (II Kings 4:32-37). Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41). Paul raised Eutychus to life (Acts 20:9-12). Jesus Himself is recorded as having raised a few. What is the difference between these resurrections and His own?

First: For those who were resurrected, each resurrection had no power in itself, nor did theirs offer any power to anyone else.

Second: they were all called forth from the dead by the Power of the Spirit. Jesus, at His resurrection, wasn't called forth by anybody. He had the power to lay His life down and take it up again.

Third: when they were resurrected, some were wearing burial cloths. Jesus walked out and left those rags in the tomb like a caterpillar slips out of a cocoon.

The biggest difference between His Resurrection and anybody else's was this: Eventually, they all died again.

Years ago, while I was praying and asking God for a friend's healing, He reminded me that everyone Jesus healed eventually died. What was the purpose for those who come back - cheated Death - as we say? To bring glory to His name, I imagine. To share the experience with others that they might repent and receive Him, I guess. God has a plan, that's all I know.

Everyone who was resurrected died twice. You've already been resurrected once yourself, according to Scripture (Eph 2:5, for example, as we've seen).

Matthew 27:50-53 is telling us something strange happened after Jesus "gave up the ghost." It says: "And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice ["Tetelestai!" a Greek word meaning "It is finished" or, literally, "Paid in Full!"], he gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' Resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people."

Only after Jesus' Resurrection did these resurrected Saints enter Jerusalem, confirming once and for all that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Can you imagine living there and seeing all these resurrected people walking around town? The Scriptures are silent as to whether these saints testified about Jesus; it only points out that they walked the streets of Jerusalem. Their presence alone was proof enough that Jesus was no ordinary man.

We could only speculate about what happened to these people. One thing is certain: They were the evidence of what happens when Jesus took authority over Death, Hell and the Grave. No doubt, their function as witnesses was certainly fulfilled.

Here's some really Good News! To paraphrase something from Paul...you, too, have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer you who lives, but it's Christ who lives in you! Truth is, the life you live now you actually live by your faith in Jesus, who loved you and died for you. (Gal 2:20)

The Book of Acts is STILL being written...and you're part of it!

MEET MR. RESURRECTION

Jesus declared, "I AM the resurrection."

Get that? The Resurrection isn't mere Christianity at all; the resurrection IS A PERSON! When you celebrate this Resurrection Sunday (Ok...Easter), resist the urge to celebrate a holiday with jelly beans, painted eggs and (Mmmmm!) those delicious marshmallow chicks. Instead, celebrate Jesus!

In Acts 24, Paul asserts that because Jesus rose, EVERYBODY will rise. Like Jesus, God expects us ALL to have the world, our flesh and the devil under our feet because His resurrected Son dwells within us. In Him we live, and move and have our being, after all.

The best part of Christ's Resurrection, and I say this selfishly, I admit, is that He raised ME from the dead! That's right, God perpetuated that particular miracle in ME...and in YOU. I was a zombie, walking about in pursuit of life, stinking the high heavens. I was smelly, and others experienced the rotten stench of my existence. At the end of the Book of the Revelation, Jesus says: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." I take comfort that I won't die one minute sooner than God wants me to. He knows when my work is completed. Nobody will destroy me before the appointed time. Besides, I could be the most healthy physical specimen of a man and I could get run over by a beer truck while jogging or drive off a cliff while racing to a loved one's death bed. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints," (Psalm 116:15).

Romans 6:8 (AMP) says: "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him."

The Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead is the Spirit that makes us alive, because man is dead in trespasses and in sin without Christ. That's why some people seem to reject the Gospel. They're not REALLY rejecting it. Truth is, they never actually HEARD it. It's like Jesus speaking with parables. "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying." Sure, their human ears may have heard it, but dead people - zombies - are pretty unresponsive as a group. A kernel of corn looks lifeless and dead, too, until it is watered and begins to decay. Then, life springs forth and produces many more kernels.

Get the analogy? So, we keep watering. The harvest comes when it's TIME to come.

WANTED: MORE LABORERS

As Jesus told Nicodemus, John 3:8 of the Contemporary English Bible, "Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going." We see the evidence of wind - blowing leaves, toppled garbage cans, messy hair - but we don't know where it comes from or what its effects will be.

A transformed life is the evidence that God has been there. But no man comes to the Father, unless the Father draws him (John 6:44).

Romans 6:5,6 states: "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His Resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."

Paul wrote, to the Christian people living in a hedonistic place called Corinth (2 Corinthians 5:17), "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation."

That's Good News! He makes a brand new YOU, regardless of your past or your reputation before today. As a follower of Christ you are called a "Christian," literally meaning "a little Christ." Imagine how frightened Satan must be of millions of Little Christ's walking about doing the work of the original!

Imagine how hard he must be working to make sure that we don't believe that we CAN.

So, have a Happy Resurrection Day!

Correction...have a Happily EMPOWERED Resurrected LIFE!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

A servant of God

www.YourTown4Jesus.org