THE SAME MARY!?
“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.” (Mar 16:9 KJV)
Considering her past, Mary Magdalene should not receive such honour. More so, she was not the only individual who saw the Empty Grave. All the same, some virtues made her own experience unique. Those virtues are:
1. DEVOTION.
Devotion is an old and much used word. It carries the suggestion of an altar and a gift. Mary was committed to Jesus when He was with them and when He was thought to be in the grave.
2. COURAGE (Mary went with other women).
Although they appeared to miss the point, this was an uncommon demonstration of courage! They came when it was yet dark! They didn’t come to weep. They had prepared spices and came for the purpose of anointing His body. It was a great service to the one they claimed to love.
3. PERSISTENCE
Mary was not the only one who saw the Empty Grave. Apostles John and Peter and the other women also did. But Mary’s persistence made her see more. After the others had departed, Mary tarried. She bent over, looked into the tomb again. Then, she saw two angels and eventually, the Lord Jesus appeared unto her. She was first to see Jesus. The same Mary!?
Your previous story notwithstanding, God desires to reveal Himself to you in an uncommon way. As you consider the Empty Grave, you MUST be devoted. You MUST be courageous. And you MUST be persistent. As you pay attention to these necessary ingredients, I pray for you in the spirit of Easter that God will manifest Himself to you like never before in Jesus’ Name. The blessings attached to the Death and Resurrection of JESUS will find expression in your life in Jesus Name. AMEN.
AN EMPTY GRAVE
Alive/2X My Saviour is alive
Alive for evermore – The sting of death
And now in me I have eternal life
Since Jesus is alive
Sing Hallelujah/2X My Saviour is alive /2X
An Empty Grave for God is Reconciliation
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
An Empty Grave for Jesus is Mission Accomplished.
Revelation 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
An Empty Grave for the human race is the assurance of Peace with God. It gives FULL ACCESS to GOD and ALL that are God’s. It also gives the hope of Eternal Glory. Hallelujah!
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Ultimately, An Empty Grave symbolises that He rose from the dead as He promised, and never to die again.
Col 2:9-10 says, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” Beloved, every child of God is made complete in Him. What a story! There can never be a sweeter one! This calls for a wild celebration because what God had done is fixed and no power can reverse it. So, let us roll out the drums for the EMPTY GRAVE.
MISPLACED ADULATION!
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zech 9:9, KJV)
Before He rode on the donkey into Jerusalem, Jesus had performed incredible and undeniable miracles. According to Mark, the last recorded miracle was that of the blind Bartimaeus who received his sight. The Gospel of John reported the resuscitation of Lazarus.
By and large, people have witnessed countless miracles performed by Jesus. Premised on all those undisputable miracles, they concluded that Jesus must possess some special powers that could rescue them from the Romans' tyrannical rule. Little wonder they were crying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' (Matt 21:9) Hosanna comes from two Greek words: yasha, which means “save or deliver,” and anna, which means “please, I beseech.” People's clamour for salvation was focused on the physical, whereas He came to save them from the curse of sin and death. Sadly, they could not perceive the eternal kindness of God.
Unconsciously though, they positioned themselves to fulfilling the Scripture as recorded in Zechariah 9:9. There was adulation. There were positive actions. The people made themselves part of the historic moment. But their ultimate goal was premised on error. No wonder, five days later, they demanded unanimously: “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:13). The people cheered Him on Sunday but sneered at Him on Friday. They showered Him with praise one moment. The next, they hurled insults on Him.
Beloved, I challenge you on this Palm Sunday. Do you really love God? Are your motives of serving Him right? After congregating with the saints on a Sunday, how do you spend the remaining days of the week? Why do you identify as a child of God? Is it that He may use you, or that you may use Him? Search your heart. Don’t be caught in a Misplaced Adulation.
🌴HAPPY PALM SUNDAY🌴
THE LORD DESERVES MORE
"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.' Psalm 34:1 KJV
This is one of the Psalms of King David. In an attempt to escape the pursuance by Saul, David found himself in the camp of his enemies to seek refuge. As he got to Achish of Gath, the King's servants told the king, “Isn’t this David.... that they sing about when they dance, saying, ‘Saul struck down his thousands, But David his tens of thousands’?” Obviously, no opportunity to hide for David. He was face-to-face with death. Instantly, David acted like a mad man, and God rescued him.
But do you realise that God has rescued you, too, from situations that looked like a dead end? No matter the amount of praise you gave Him as a result, my admonition is, THE LORD DESERVES MORE.
I don't know how often you spread the table of thanks. You may have chosen to praise Him every year, or every month, or every week, or everyday and in the midst of His saints, I am here to challenge you today that THE LORD DESERVES MORE. King David caught that vision and stated that one-off praise would not be enough for the One who rescued him miraculously. He said, "I will bless the LORD at all times."
According to the theme of this program, every true worship is enshrouded in a mystery. The mystery is that the more you praise and worship Him, the more you strengthen His hand of Protection, Provision, and Promotion upon your life and destiny.
So, whatever the circumstance that surrounds you now, the good news is that the God who rescued David from King Achish is still alive. Be resolute in your mind to give Him ceaseless Praise and Worship today. As you do, I see God fight ALL your battles. No matter how close you may be to calamity, I decree your rescue. You will not be at the mercy of your enemies. Your praise and worship of today will open the door of joy and peace that will never be shut again in Jesus' Name. AMEN!
Happy Palm Sunday🌴
Experiencing the TRUE GOD.
