When you graduated, when you got married, when your first child came, when you moved into your new home, when you chose a life career, when you retired….for each of these, you could say…”That changed everything”….
Throughout history, there have been significant events in our world that humanity points to and says, "That changed everything."
Go back to the days when fire was discovered. With the advent of fire, everything changed. It gave people a new way to stay warm, a new source of light, and new ways to cook food. No more huddling together for warmth in the cold dark of night and having to eat raw plants and meat.
Likewise, the wheel changed everything. The invention of the wheel, made it possible for people to move heavy loads from one place to another. No more having to keep things in one place or needing a large group to move something heavy. They could go faster, as they found horses to pull this new invention. Many people could travel together along with their possessions. A new era in transportation had come. Go back to the 1400s when Gutenberg invented the printing press. This finally made it possible to print the written word and to distribute it to large groups of people. The printing press changed everything.
In the last century or so we've seen the discovery of electricity, the invention of the light bulb, the first car rolled onto a city street and we had the Wright brothers first flight. It's pretty obvious with these inventions…. "that they changed everything."
In some people’s lifetime, they've seen the rise of computers, internet, cell phones, and wireless communications. As we all know, these things changed our culture, our society, our world and how we do life forever.” There was an article that says “Computers are Like Men” In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are the problem. They have a lot of information but they have no idea what to do with it. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer you could have had a better model. They hear what you say, but very rarely do they hear what you mean. So there’s a lot of misunderstanding whenever you speak to it…
But then…”Computers are also Like Women”...No one but the Creator Himself, understands their internal logic and The language they use to speak with one another is completely incomprehensible to anyone else.
Even your smallest mistakes, are stored in long-term memory for later retrieval. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending your paycheck on all the accessories that it requires. You may have done the same thing the same way, for years, but suddenly it's all wrong.
Well, certainly we could say that the advent of computers, and all these other things we have mentioned, are all monumental events in human history, but none of them are as significant as the life, ministry, and death of Jesus.
Our entire calendar is centered around Jesus. But the one event that makes Him so important, was His resurrection. Nothing else even comes close to so completely changing the world as Jesus' resurrection. More than anything else in all of history, we can accurately say… "That Changed Everything." To all who believe, there is something wholly life-changing about the words: "He is risen!" The resurrection is the defining moment of history.
Philippians 3:10 Paul expresses his new mission… “That I may know him, inthe power of his resurrection”. In a way, we celebrate Easter every daybecause Jesus changed the way we measure time….BC, (Before Christ) and AD, (Year of our Lord) Because of Easter, we now live in the “Year of our Lord” since He is still alive… The New Testament reveals that the early Christians began meeting together on a new day (that we call Sunday) as a weekly commemoration and celebration of new life in Christ, since that first day of the week was when everything changed. Every day becomes a new day of possibility, for the believer because of Easter….
There is a Cartoon of two Roman soldiers standing by the empty tomb. The stone is rolled away and one soldier says,
“We’re in a heap of trouble, He did what He said He’d do!”
But the other one is shrugging and he says,
“Don’t worry about it. A hundred years from now, no one will even remember.”
But after 2000 years people do remember. And millions of God’s people still gather and remember what was done that first Sunday, 2 millennia ago.
They remember that Fear was changed to faith….When you think about the disciples huddled in that locked upper room, the fear was real, it was paralyzing, and very disorienting, and understandably, they couldn’t seem to figure out what to do next.
Jesus must have known that a group of faint hearted disciples who could only see the world through the limited lens of their own fears would never, ever change the world in that condition.
So Jesus shows up. The atmosphere needed to change, resurrection needed to become real for the disciples, so they could embrace the promise of what was ahead— and that promise was a whole world that would be changed by the Gospel message. And when they see him—a switch is flipped somewhere on the inside of their spirit man. It was as if they had received corrective lenses and the disciples could see what they couldn’t see before. FEAR….heart-stopping, life-crippling fear—was miraculously transformed into faith.
When the truth of the resurrection had sunk into their lifestyle, everything changed. The disciples saw the world in a whole new way; their perspectives radically shifted. It was enough to cause them to unlock the door to that dark room that had imprisoned them and compelled them to march out into their city.
It was enough to turn insecure, unsophisticated fishermen into bold proclaimers of Jesus’ Gospel. It was enough that they gave up their very lives for this glorious hope!
Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompence of reward. (36) For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise”.
Sorrow and Despair were Changed into Delirious Joy…As the women left the tomb on Friday, their hearts were heavy and their steps and attitudes as well. Their Despair was manifested as low self esteem, Sorrow, Suspicion, Anxiety, Lack of confidence, Poverty thinking, Mental imprisonment, and Distress of soul and spirit. But when they arrived early Sunday morning at the tomb, the message they heard transformed their spiritual climate. He is Risen! And with that, they joyously ran to share the glad news with the rest of the disciples.
When your sorrow and heaviness turns to joy, you can’t help but share it with everyone! You can’t keep the overflow to yourself, you’ve got to tell somebody! (CAN YOU SAY TO SOMEONE…, “YOU NEED TO TELL SOMEBODY”)
Weakness and Powerlessness were changed into Power and Authority! This newly stirred deep conviction, brought about by the resurrection, was not terrified by bonds, imprisonments, banishments, hunger, fire, attacks by wild beasts, or the refined torments of cruel persecutors. It boldly stood in the face of gladiators, lions, and the dangers presented on the foreign field, in the midst of political, social, and religious hazards and peril, it was content, in knowing that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord.
Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers, from the dungeon of Rome…. There were no requests for an easier path, no requests for relief from persecution and opposition, no pleas for comfort and convenience…. Ephesians 6:19 “And for me, pray that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, v20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: for as long as I am here, that I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak”.
Friend, God will find a way to bless you, and turn things around so they work for good to the people who love and serve Him…. He will make a way.
Two friends were sharing their medical problems with one another. Fred mentioned that he had a case of the flu that seemed to drag on forever. Jim said that he also had the flue recently, but he went to the doctor and was told he would be back on his feet in no time at all. “So, did he get you back on your feet pretty fast”, asked Fred. “Oh yes, he got me back on my feet alright….the bill was so large, I had to sell my car to pay it”.
Easter is God letting us all know that He paid the bill so He could get the blessing to you!!!! He’ll find a way to bring you from fear to faith, from shyness to boldness, from sorrow into joy and from insecurity to confidence!And get you moving forward.
2 Corinthians 3:18 ”But we all, with open face beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”.
We go to a physical mirror in order to behold our physical appearance. We look in a MIRROR and see that we need to accomplish some CHANGES in our lives. We look and see…that spare tire, or that extra chin, or some sagging here or there, the grey hair is a little thinner…we take a long look,and then decide to make a change.
By the same token, we go to a SPIRITUAL MIRROR in order to realize our SPIRITUAL appearance.
But the spiritual offers a vision of the glory, and power and authority, that has been made available to us in the reflection of the resurrected Jesus.What is true of Him is true of us. If you want to know what is the true potential within yourself, look fully into the image of Jesus Christ, who sees us through the power of the resurrection.
Previously, when someone was sick, you may have pitied the person and you encouraged them as best you could. Having looked into the image of Christ, now you lay hands on the sick and command the sickness to go! You now believe that signs and wonders shall follow you and that devils will come out, in Jesus name!!!
*…..There is always more to see in the mirror, as you look into the image of Christ Jesus!!!! When we get impatient, we realize that there are things we have not yet seen, that God wishes to REVEAL and UNVEIL to us, in Christ. So you can mark it down -- you do not yet see all there is for you to see. His mirror, will always reveal the best is yet to come… (tell someone..”You ain’t seen nothing yet”)
3 people, a minister, a college professor, and a politician, walk into a tent at a circus. There is nothing inside the tent but a mirror….
There is a sign next to the mirror, which reads: "This is a magic mirror. Say what you think and if what you say is true, amazing things happen. if you lie, you disappear forever...."They all agree that they will take the chance with the mirror. The minister says "I think I'm the holiest person in the world." Poof, the minister is gone. The Professor walks up and says: “I think I'm the smartest person in the world" poof, he’s gone. The Politician walks up to the mirror and says" I think.............and " poof, the politician is gone!
The bible tells us that A middle-aged man is having a tough time….Hisfather and mother are both dead now and he misses having them with him. He’s got problems with his teenage children. Economic problems and severe shortages, have hit the region where he lives. To make matters worse, it seems as if every time he accomplishes anything, someone else comes along and takes what he’s worked hard for all his life. It’s enough to make anyone want to give up... But FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING IN HIS LIFE.
A young man runs away from home. He knows that one of his own family members is out to kill him. He finds himself all alone and afraid in a place he’s never been before. Where there used to be friends surrounding him, now there are only strangers in a strange land. His future looks grim.FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING.
A sincere and honest employee works hard, he is honest and productive, and yet has to put up with constant sexual harassment from one of his bosses. After refusing these unwanted advances, day after day, this honest, hard-working employee is accused of sexual misconduct by the very person who has been guilty of the harassment. The employee is thrown in jail to serve out an undeserved sentence. And the outlook is bleak. But FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING!
An elderly man is commanded by God to confront the world’s most powerful leader and demand freedom for his people. He doesn’t want to do it. He would much prefer staying in the quite, familiar, solitude of his home. He feels weak and afraid, and completely inadequate. But FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING! There’s another man who just lost his best friend and the mentor who has been there most of his life, and now he is called on to take his place. He is filled with many insecurities, a sense of inaptitude and grief. He knows that his dead friend was the sort of man that he could never replace. How can he possibly handle the responsibility of it all? But FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING!
These words that changed everything, are the words that transfer theamazing transforming power of the resurrection to us today!
They are “I AM WITH YOU” …Those four words changed everything for a middle-aged struggler named Isaac…. They changed the life of a frightened runaway named Jacob… They vindicated a wrongfully imprisoned employee named Joseph… Those four words changed everything for Moses, the timid 80-year-old……They gave strength to Joshua, the man who had to fill the shoes of Moses. And the resurrected Christ, speaks them to us today…
Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: v20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
God has sent you this message today, to say to you….I AM WITH YOU! That power is available everywhere we go and whatever we are dealing with. You see, this resurrection power is not about everything turning out OK, according to our felt needs and perceptions, it is about being OK, no matter how things turn out.
How long has it been since you ran towards your challenge instead of away from it? How long has it been since you understood that Christ in you is the answer that is greater than the problem. Do you truly believe that the answer is in you…
James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is confronted can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is confronted.”
Someone has said “Running away from your problems is a race you’ll never win”…
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
(8) We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (9) Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; (10) Always bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh”.
Jesus arose and sat down at the right hand of God, that each of us could have access to that place of His favor and power. And by God’s favor, He has made it possible for us to rise above everything that would seem to ensnare, entrap and confine us. We are risen together with Him, that He through us, might show the world His resurrection power .
THE ENEMY KNOWS OF YOUR POWER, and he is actually more fearful of you than you could ever be of him….
He knows that God can Amplify our voice, Magnify our work, Glorify our endeavors, Mystify our enemies, and Multiply our labors!!
It’s the difference between a Thermometer and a Thermostat. A Thermometer tells you what the temperature in a room is, a Thermostat can determine the temperature in the room! A Thermometer tells you what has changed, a Thermostat makes things change. “Easter calls us to be thermostats and not just thermometers!
There was an e-mail about a longtime Kansas wheat farmer who had a terrible fight with his wife about getting rid of all their credit cards. He dies and finds himself in the devil’s living room. The devil says, "Pretty hot down here, isn’t it?" The old farmer says, "No, not really." The devil goes over to a thermostat and turns up the heat and says, "What do you think now?" The old farmer replies, "I was a wheat farmer in Kansas for more than 70 years. I know what hot is." This really ticks off the devil, so he goes over to the thermostat and cranks it all the way up. "What do you think now?" he asks with an evil laugh.
The farmer gets out his handkerchief, wipes his brow and replies, "It’s warm, but have you ever sat on a tractor in a Kansas wheat field, in the middle of August? Now that’s hot." Angrily, the devil storms over and turns the temperature all the way down. Suddenly, everything is freezing, with long icicles hanging from the ceiling. "Well what do you think of that!" roars the devil. All the farmer can do is laugh. "What’s so funny?" asks the devil. The farmer can’t answer because he’s on his hands and knees laughing so hard, he can’t speak. " I asked you, what’s so funny!" the devil roars. Finally the farmer gets up, wipes the tears of laughter from his eyes and replies, "My wife said she would cut up all of her credit cards when hell froze over!"
(Cute joke, but terrible theology)…..!!!!
When God told the prophet Jeremiah, to go down to the potter’s house and watch the potter, as he works with the clay, He was comparing each of us to clay in the potters hands.. Even when God is preparing a blessing, there is pressure and squeezing. So, keep a good attitude and stay soft and pliable to Him. Don’t become hard-hearted and allow the lumps of rejection, bumps of hurts, wounds of the past, hardness of injustice and unfairness and the blows of abandonment, settle down inside of you. When you do this, you are allowing them to build a wall between you and the preparations of God which are being done so you can be blessed.
He speaks to us now, on this side of the empty tomb what He spoke to Isaiahon the other side…Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not; for I am with you, be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you, yea, I will help you, yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness”.
Prayer…
" Lord, You are the Potter and I am the clay, and I am the work of Your hands". Thank you for Your resurrection power, which is working on the inside of me. You are causing me to be equal to the changes I am facing, my skills are strong, and growing stronger, each day. As change comes, it is pushing me to learn. My mind is receptive, my spirit is strong, and my future is bright.
Any setbacks I experience are only temporary, and I am growing more confident, with each day. Help me to be willing to see the big picture in all things, so that I may act in harmony with Your best, and highest plan. May I come to understand, that there are blessings everywhere, if I will just look for them.
Lord, You are teaching me, that my attitude will affect the outcome….and the challenges I face, are gifts which come into my life in disguise. May I come to trust, that when I maintain a positive attitude, it makes for greater outcomes and possibilities. May I use the skills and talents I have, to make a positive influence on the lives of many others.
May I always remember, that each relationship in my life has a special value. Let my mind be filled with understanding, my heart with trust, and may my spirit be open and accepting. Bless me with strength, health and vitality, as You open me up to all that you intend for me to be.
Lord, Bless the new choices and changes which I am making, as I press forward into the best things which You have designed for my life. Open my spirit to accept new challenges, new people, new opportunities, and new experiences. Bless each new undertaking with winning vision, careful planning, good timing, clear direction, financial sufficiency, and Your favor. In every thing, I give you Glory, Honor, and all the Credit,
In Jesus Name I pray and confess,
Amen
