The Story

Worship started with a HIGH PRIASE 🙌 The spirit of thankfulness was in the building. This wasn't just another Sunday morning worship service. But it was ✨RESURRECTION SUNDAY!✨The day we acknowledge, celebrate and remember that (just as John 3:16 says) God gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die so that we could live with Him in eternity. In the giving of His life, Jesus suffered a horrible death. He died an undeserving death knowing that our debt couldn't, wouldn't be paid any other way. IS ANYBODY FEELING GRATEFUL, THANKFUL, BLESSED?!?!?!? ✋I am.

Pastor told us several times before it was time for him to preach, "I CAN'T WAIT TO PREACH!" This was a sure sign that he had GREAT NEWS to share with us on this praise-filled day. When it was time to eat at the table that God had prepared for us to feast upon His word, Pastor hit us with a question. "I'm going to tell you a STORY," said Pastor; "STORY" being the title of HIS story (we don't get titles to often so my spirit moved to the end of my seat ready to dig deep into the word of God). "IF THE DEAD CAN GET UP, WHY CAN'T YOU?" 😳😱 WOOO THIS IS GOING TO BE............... I DON'T KNOW UMMMMMM DEEP!!!! Matthew 27:50-53; John 20:19-27; John 21:15-17 is where the STORY would come from.

Matthew 27:50-53 Jesus cried out with a LOUD voice. Jesus gave up the ghost. Jesus died. The veil of the temple was rent! The veil of the temple was torn from TOP to BOTTOM. I've always pictured this veil to be a shear, yet thick, piece of fabric. NOT SO!!

The veil was made of:

DOPHIN SKIN
a fine twined linen
made of a lasting tapestry
a substantial piece of fabric

that COULD NOT be torn by human hands. 😲😳AND the earth shook. There was a great enough earthquake that rocks were spilt, tombs were opened and those saints that were asleep we're raised! Verse 53 says after the resurrection of Jesus, those saints were WALKING THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM 😳😱😳😱"IF THE DEAD CAN GET UP WHY CAN'T YOU?" "HOW IS IT THAT DEAD FOLKS CAN BE MORE OPERATIVE THAN THOSE THAT ARE LIVING?" asked Pastor??????? Dear God forgive my disobedience.

John 20:19-27 The disciples.......After walking, serving and ministering with Jesus........ Even after

ALL that Jesus told His disciples would happen....happened. After Jesus was murdered, instead of going and doing what Jesus told them to do (what Jesus trained and showed them they were suppose to be doing), the disciples, afraid of what the Jews would do to them went and locked themselves up in a hiding place. Just as we, the "church", do. We come to church to feast on the Word of God only to go and lock the Word up inside of us. "That's an EVANGELISM problem" said Pastor. 😞 Father please forgive me for my lack, laziness and hoarding your word. 😢😔

The disciples were afraid and seemingly lost without Jesus physically there to direct and instruct them. Jesus had to get up from the grave to continue His ministry. Jesus had to show up with the doors still locked and tell them "PEACE BE STILL". Jesus has to WAKE US UP because we're more asleep than the dead. When God wakes us up it's time to GET UP and GET BUSY about our Fathers business. IF THE DEAD CAN GET UP WHY CAN'T WE?!?!? The dead got up because Jesus got up and walked the streets of Jerusalem. Are we excited about Jesus' getting up? We don't want to walk, we don't want to share Jesus for fear of not fitting in or not knowing. Yet, Jesus said I'll never leave you nor forsake you. He promised to supply all of our needs. Jesus will never give us something to do and not provide the tools to do it. All we're required to do is TRUST & BELIEVE. The disciples had Jesus with them before He was crucified they knew everything that was suppose to happen because Jesus TOLD them; yet they were still afraid. If we know the Lord, if we have a REAL, PERSONAL relationship with Him, we too don't have a reason to fear. Jesus spoke again to the disciples saying "PEACE BE STILL" WAKING them up and instructing them AGAIN on what they were to be doing. "as the Father has sent Me, I send you." He also gave them POWER "receive ye the Holy Spirit!" His final instructions for the day was to FORGIVE. "if you forgive the sins of any their sins will be forgiven; if you retain the sins of any they will be retained. If you knew you'd meet Jesus tomorrow who would you have to forgive? 👀

👉SIDE BAR: 👉remember the veil of the temple was rent; so everyone now had direct access to God themselves.

Thomas exposes a reality in the house of God. Some of us don't believe. Some of us need to put our fingers in the holes of Jesus' hands and put our fist in Jesus' side. We believe we can make all of our own decisions and God can't do nothing about it.

*THOMAS: A REVELATION OF THE CHURCH AT LARGE*

We can't allow FEAR & DOUBT to rule our lives. "Blessed are they that did not see and yet believed. Hmmmmmmmmm

John 21:15-17 Three times Jesus asked Peter if He loved Him. Three times Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep. What is Jesus asking you to do? How are you showing your love for Christ?

Jesus is asking us lovest thou these more than me? Hmmmmmmm 👀

Questions I must ask myself about myself, my thems, my thoses and my that's.

CONVICTION IT'S EVERYTHING!👊❤💔👎

Yet, God is a forgiving God. Yet God is a God who will wake me up and remind me "I've called you to _____________________(fill in the blank) No man knows the day nor the hour, soooooo I suggest you start living ON purpose IN PURPOSE NOW!!!!

Pastor told us this year to live and work your ministry as if it were your last year to live. 💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨 I will work that work that God has sent me while it is day; for when night comes no man can work. Take heed to the Word, God doesn't just talk to us to have casual conversation, He's instructing, reminding directing, leading and guiding us.

FOCUS AND PAY ATTENTION TIME IS WINDING UP!!!!

🔊🔊🔊🔊WAKEEEEEEEEEE UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP📣📣📣📣

👀 👀 👀 (God is watching and waiting)

Think on these things ~ Oteka Simone 💜