Take Your Seat, Please…

Happy Resurrection Day! And what an exciting time to be alive. This weekend we get to not only celebrate the fact that Jesus died for us and washed away our sins. But we also get to celebrate the fact that HE ROSE FROM THE GRAVE. And because he rose from the dead, we get access to everything that He has access to. 

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be outside the tomb when the stone was rolled away? Imagine the disciples’ joy and astonishment (even though Jesus had told them repeatedly that he would rise again) when they saw Jesus resurrected. 

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Romans 6:5-12

Baptism is a picture of the death of Christ and His resurrection. When we go under the water, it signifies our dying to the old man. When we rise, we rise in Him, a new creation!

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2: 1-7

But what does it mean for us to be seated with Christ in heavenly places? It means that we have the authority to take captive every thought. We have the authority to command sickness to leave. We have the authority to move mountains!

The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

2 Corinthians 10:4 &5

Our team has been hearing a lot about humility and authority in our prayer times. It is in this time while we are shut in that we are preparing for how we will come out on the other side. One of the things the Lord showed us was Mary breaking open the alabaster box and pouring oil over Jesus. Jesus knew that Palm Sunday was going to happen right after this event took place. The fragrance of brokenness was still wafting through the air. The greatest form of worship was the fragrance that Jesus was wearing someone’s brokenness. The worship of brokenness is what Jesus chose to wear as he was on the donkey hearing the people shouting “Hosanna!”.

We also had a word during the Gifts From His Heart Conference and we thought it would be appropriate to share today. Melissa shared this word that when Jesus had risen, in Matthew 28 the disciples came and met him at the mountain and some fell down and worshipped, but some doubted. These were believers! It was one of the eleven disciples still left after the crucifixion. Seeing the Lord put them into a sort of trepidation, they questioned. They desire that it might be Jesus, became their fear. They were worried that they might have been wrong, and in honor of Him, they doubted. Especially in difficult times of our lives we find it hard to fall down in worship. The word of encouragement is this, that right after this: the other disciples told them they had seen the Lord. Thomas said that unless he saw the nail marks and put his hand into his sides, he would not believe. And a week later, the Lord shows up for Thomas. The Lord will never leave you, even if you’re in a time of trouble or doubting. I love that Thomas wanted the conformation. Man to God. Don’t undermine yourself in your doubt. We’re not talking about doubting who he is. They just didn’t want to miss him, to make sure it was Him. We also felt that there was a contemplation of suicide in this time. But we bind that in Jesus name! God has placed you here in this time, in this place, for a specific purpose.

We are Jesus’ hands and feet on this earth. Now, that’s not just a cute saying. We have to make that a reality in our lives. We are the ones who literally get to display who Jesus is to others. It is in these times of uncertainty, when we are ‘squeezed’ so to speak, that we see what is really inside of people. Let’s make sure it’s Jesus that is coming out of us!

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:16-18

Oh, Lord, let Your love be made perfect in us! Instead of reacting in fear, we need to be acting in love. We need to get up in our seat, see what Father God is doing, and then do it!

God Bless you on this Resurrection Day, 

-The Sanctioned Love Team