Lesson 8.DEALING WITH SOUL TIE

 DEALING WITH SOUL TIES. By Dr I. D. Samuel 

The words which people use to refer to a deep emotional bond formed after intimacy might change…

But the power of a soul tie remains:

A soul tie can let a person influence or manipulate you, even if they are unaware they are doing so. It can also sabotage your future relationships.

If you are going to move on, you will not want to leave them hanging around.

Here is everything you need to know about how to break soul ties:

What is a soul tie?

A soul tie is a phrase that some people use to refer to a spiritual connection between two people.

In many cases, it is said to come into existence after two people have been physically intimate. In others, it is said to form after an intensely close spiritual or emotional relationship.

Common examples of soul ties refer to those formed with partners from previous relationships. That’s because this person had such a strong role in and influence on your life for such a long time that a deep bond or tie was formed.

That bond may not have necessarily ended when the relationship did.

Soul tie – symptoms

Soul tie symptoms are usually the same as those which are often experienced by people after the end of a particularly intense relationship. Although these effects can stay much after the relationship has ended, even years at times.

They might include:

* Obsessing about a person in your thoughts – particularly during the daytime

* Dreaming about a person or waking up thinking about them regularly

* Imagining or hearing a person’s voice in your head

The symptoms of a soul tie may reach a level where they impact your current or future relationships. Even to the extent where the person you are tied to might pop into your thoughts at awkward moments, such as when you are in an intimate moment with your current partner.

This means that breaking a soul tie is an important step to take before you can move on with your life.

How to break a soul tie

Breaking a soul tie has roughly four phases:

1) Acknowledge it is there

Much like anything which might be classified as a kind of addiction, acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step.

2) Decide you’re going to do something about it

Next up is action. This action can take many forms. Some people like to find someone to talk to about their problems. This might be a psychologist or therapist of some kind, or merely meeting up with someone you trust to talk about the situation. But talk therapy or meeting a friend is usually not an effective solution for matters of this kind. 

For particularly deep and troublesome soul ties, meaning those which have already proven difficult to resolve – or which may have been formed with a person who it later turned out was undeserving – further action might be needed.

But, because soul ties – for although they sound like a modern invention – have been around since people were people, many alternative methods have been developed when it comes to severing them:

The traditional healers of Peru, Brazil and many other parts of South America would recognize many aspects of the condition we now call a “soul tie”. It was one of the many things which have an ayahuasca ceremony was recommended because of the spiritual healing potential. The brew is said to help one reassess their life and the connections they’ve formed while living it. This process is also called Spirit Releasement.

Of course, the brew’s psychoactive properties mean that you should think very carefully before trying it. But places like the Spirit Vine Center in Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest are retreats dedicated to this kind of spiritual cleansing which have developed around promoting the positive benefits of ayahuasca. At the Spirit Vine retreat, decentre have a workshop for breaking soul ties. Everyone attending it learns techniques to overcome soul ties in 12 steps. There are also workshops on Spirit Releasement and Soul Retrieval where participants can learn techniques to cleanse the soul of pieces from others and to reclaim lost pieces of their soul.

3) Forgive

This is often the most difficult step to take. In some cases, this might be because you feel that it is the other person in the band who should be asking for your forgiveness. In others, there may be nothing to forgive.

Whatever the case, forgiveness involves identifying any outstanding mental “debts” which may be keeping the soul tie alive and releasing them. This might mean you need to forgive yourself for making past decisions – something which is incredibly hard to do.

4) Break the soul tie

The final step is to remove any physical objects which might link you to a person. This might mean photos you’re keeping “just in case”, gifts which you like and many others. These are symbols of the tie and need to be removed from your life. Even doing visualization exercises where you visualize the connection between yourself and the other person, and then severing it using your will and intention is a powerful way of finally releasing any bond.

Once all of the physical markers, mental debts and spiritual bonds have been dissolved, you should be well on the way to overcoming the symptoms of a soul tie.

10 REASONS WHY GOD WANTS YOU TO BE BAPTIZED

1. Because God wants you to have it! That should be enough for you. Acts 1:5 - For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”Acts 2:38 – 39 - Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off— for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

2. This is one of the things Jesus came to do. John 1:32 –33 - Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’” Also see Matt. 3:11

3. You need a relationship with all three members of the Holy Trinity. Matthew 3:16 – 17 - As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him am well pleased.”

4. You will do the same things as Jesus – and even greater things. Do you actually think you can do this on your own power!John 14:12 - I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

5. It’s part of the normal Christian life. Acts 19:1- 6 - While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

6. You need power to witness for Jesus.Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

7. God wants to give you spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:7 – 11 - Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. Also see Rom. 12:6 – 8

8. You are a Christian and that is how Christians live their life. Galatians 5:16 - So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Galatians 5:24 – 25 - Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

9. We don’t want to be opposing God. Acts 11:15 – 17 - “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”

10. It comes highly recommended. Pope John Paul II – “Thanks to the charismatic movement, many Christians, men and women, youths and adults, have rediscovered Pentecost as a living and present reality in their daily life. I desire that the spirituality of Pentecost be spread in the Church, as a renewed thrust of prayer, holiness, communion and proclamation. May 30, 2004 Many other great Christians have testified to the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

14 Ways To Come Out Of Hard Times

14 Ways To Come Out Of Hard Times

I know of a Clinical psychologist who knows a lot about tough times. Her youngest sister died from cancer at 8 years old. In 2007, another sister and her sister’s husband died within two months of each other. At the time, Hibbert was just several weeks away from giving birth to her fourth child. Almost overnight, she inherited her nephews and became a mom of six.

She said,

“I have been a daughter in grief, a sister in grief, and a mother raising kids in grief. I know it is not easy.”

But when you do the work to overcome your difficult experiences, you can heal. “And, when we choose to do it together, our families really can become even better in the end,” said Hibbert, also the author of the forthcoming memoir

Maybe you’re going through a similar experience or are grieving another kind of loss: a romantic relationship, a friendship, a job, a house. Or maybe there’s a completely different kind of stressor in your life. Whatever you’re struggling with, here are 14 expert tips to help.

1. Acknowledge and feel your feelings.

“Avoiding your negative emotion may feel like an effective stopgap measure, but in fact, it simply postpones, and perhaps escalates and exacerbates, a flood of negative emotion sometime in the future,”

Ignoring your emotions is “like trying to run away from something that’s right on your shoulder. The only way to truly be free is to stop and face your emotions,” said Hibbert, who also specializes in women’s mental health, postpartum issues and parenting

Still, you might worry that your emotions will be too overwhelming. While this can happen, people tend to get stuck because they’re not feeling their emotions, Hibbert said. “Instead, they think about, wallow in, and replay events. But they are not letting themselves feel the pain, loss, sadness, anger, that is lurking within.”

2. Talk about it.

“When people bottle up challenging situations, the problems grow and mutate into horrible worries and anxieties,” said Ryan Howes, PhD, a clinical psychologist and author of the blog “In Therapy.” Talking about your troubles, however, helps you better understand your fears and get valuable feedback from others, “who have probably experienced similar levels of distress and can give you the perspective you need.”

3. Try to see past the hardship.

When you’re in a crisis, it’s hard to see any upside. But, with some distance, you may be able to see the situation in a different light. According to Howes:

Did you lose your job? Well, you’ve lost some in the past, and always landed on your feet. Did you fight with your spouse? Well, historically, you tend to bounce back. Have you had a panic attack? Most of your life hasn’t included panic, so we can assume most of your future won’t as well.

Some lost jobs lead to better jobs, some broken relationships lead to relationships that are a better fit, and some panic leads to finally getting the help you need.

4. Prioritize self-care.

“[Self-care] is necessary to survive tough situations,”[Y]ou won’t be of any help to others if you are incapacitated,” Howes said.

While you might not have time for your usual healthy habits, you can still take good care of yourself. For instance, if you can’t prepare a nutritious meal, keep protein bars in your bag, she said. If you can’t go to the gym for an hour, take a 10- to 15-minute walk around the block to “relieve physical tension and clear the cobwebs in your mind.”

Ten minutes of meditating or a 20-minute power nap also helps, she said. Remember that a stressful situation isn’t a sprint; sometimes “it may be more of a marathon. [You] need to pace [yourself] and take the necessary time to rest to reboot your mind and body.”

5. Consider if you’re experiencing a catastrophe or an inconvenience.

Sometimes we magnify problems, turning a fixable concern into a calamity. Jeffrey Sumber, M.A., a psychotherapist, author and teacher, shared a family lesson about viewing issues more accurately.

My great grandmother gave our family a very important key to coping with difficult situations in life. She suggested that if anything can be fixed with money, it is not a problem. This rule has been very important in my life as a reminder that so often we create catastrophes where there are sometimes inconveniences.

6. Practice acceptance.

“Let go of that which you cannot control,” Marter said. To start, make a list of everything you don’t have control over. These are the things you can stop worrying about.

“During a moment of meditation or prayer, visualize handing those items over to your higher power and letting them go. Then focus on what you can control, like your self-care, your words, your actions and your decisions.”

7. Ask for help.

You might assume that you can and should handle this difficult time on your own. Many people do. But, interestingly, when Duffy talks to his clients, most say they’d never expect others to manage similar situations alone. “We need to relinquish control, ask for help, and receive it with grace.”

When asking for help, you may need to be direct. Let others know what you need, such as “support and compassion,” and what you don’t need, such as “[not] criticiz[ing] my slowness to heal,” said Deborah Serani, Psy.D, a clinical psychologist and author of the book Living with Depression.

Seeking support from your loved ones also strengthens those relationships. According to Hibbert, “[F]amilies and friends who can be there for each other, who can listen, talk about things, and openly feel together, not only help the individuals heal, but protect and strengthen the relationships that, in times of stress, are otherwise too often neglected.”

And remember that there are many kinds of support. “Support may come in the form of family, friends, co-workers, a doctor, therapist, support group or even your higher power,” Marter said.

8. Limit time with toxic people.

Serani suggested spending less time – or no time – with toxic people. These are individuals who are not supportive or reliable and don’t have your best interest at heart. They don’t listen to you, and might even be critical, judgmental or demanding. After being with them, you feel drained and depleted. In other words, they make you feel worse.

9. Stay grounded in the present.

“Practice mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation and yoga, [which] are excellent for the mind and body when going through a crisis,” Marter said.

10. Call an end to the crisis.

“Far too often, we allow a crisis to define our lives and mindsets for way, way too long,” Duffy said. We burn out, become more anxious and depressed and have less energy and focus to find effective solutions, he said.

Calling an end to the crisis helps you shift into a calmer and more solution-focused state of mind.

For instance, Duffy worked with a woman who was grieving the dissolution of her marriage and going through a lengthy divorce process. “One day, we agreed that, though she did not have the power to end the marriage in the immediate run, she did have the choice to end the crisis she was suffering.” She still has to deal with attorney calls and paperwork. “But she is not in crisis.”

11. Observe the situation as an outsider.

“Take a ‘crisis break’ in which you relax and observe the situation as if you were an outsider, hearing about the circumstance from a friend or maybe a co-worker,” Duffy said. Take several deep breaths, and focus on your intuition. “You are very likely to derive some useful thoughts you would not have come upon within the midst of your anxious state.”

12. Just take action.

“If you don’t know what to do, do something,” Howes said. “Make a list, make some phone calls, gather some information.” Avoiding a situation only adds to your anxiety and “what ifs” he said. Taking action is empowering.

13. Remember that you are not your difficult time.

As Marter said, “You are not your problems or your crisis. You are not your divorce, your illness, your trauma or your bank account. Your true self is that deeper entity within that is perfectly whole and well no matter what you are experiencing.”

14. Remember that everyone heals differently.

“I encourage children and adults to remind others that this is their journey and that no one should be clock-watching,” Serani said. “Everyone feels in different ways. And everyone heals in different ways.”

Tough times can feel incredibly overwhelming and exhausting. But there are many things you can do to soften the blow. Plus, if you’re currently not in crisis but have issues to work through, seek professional help.

“It’s best to fix the roof when the sun is shining,” said Howes, quoting the famous saying. “Dealing with our childhood issues, relational issues, or anything else when we’re in periods of relative calm may be the best investment of time and effort we can make.”

And when you’re ready, look for the lesson. As Marter said, “Hardships are opportunities for growth and learning. They deepen our understandings of ourselves, others, and the world around us. There are hidden blessings that come with virtually every hardship, such as strength, wisdom, empathy or openness to a deeper spiritual awareness.”

May God help you out

WELCOME TO JULY

What Is the Biblical Significance of the Number 7?

In Scripture, seven often symbolizes completion or perfection. Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the Earth in six days, and, upon completion, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 1; 2:1-2).

Numbers in Biblical times were often symbolic of a deeper meaning. The number seven is especially prominent in Scripture, appearing over 700 times. From the seven days of Creation to the many “sevens” in Revelation, the number seven connotes such concepts as completion and perfection, exoneration and healing, and the fulfillment of promises and oaths.

While the Bible abounds with examples of the number seven’s use, this article discusses the following three categories in which the number often appears.

1. Completion and Perfection

In Scripture, seven often symbolizes completion or perfection. Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the Earth in six days, and, upon completion, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 1; 2:1-2). Based on this cycle of work and rest, God commands us to also labor for six days and then complete the week by resting on the seventh day, the day God set apart as the holy Sabbath (Exodus 20:9-11). 

The number seven also denotes completion at the Crucifixion, when Jesus spoke seven statements in agony from the Cross at the completion of His earthly duties: 

• “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34);
• “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43);
• “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” (John 19:26-27);
• “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46);
• “I thirst,” (John 19:28);
• “It is finished” (John 19:30); and
• “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46).
  

In the context of perfection, Jesus spoke in a grouping of seven when He was asked how we should pray (Matthew 6:9-13). In response, Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer, surely a perfect way to pray considering that the words came from Christ Himself! Notably, the Lord’s Prayer contains seven petitions:

• Hallowed be thy name;
• Thy Kingdom come; 
• Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven;
• Give us this day our daily bread; 
• Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; 
• Lead us not into temptation; and 
• Deliver us from evil. 
  

Jesus again spoke in a grouping of seven when He used seven metaphors to describe Himself as the path to salvation, the perfect reward for a good and faithful servant. Jesus tells us He is: 

• The bread of life (John 6:35); 
• The light of the world (John 8:12); 
• The gate to salvation (John 10:9); 
• The good shepherd (John 10:11); 
• The resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26); 
• The way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6); and 
• The vine (John 15:5).

In addition, King David referenced the number seven in describing the perfect nature of God’s words when he wrote that the Lord’s words are flawless, “like gold refined seven times” (Psalm 12:6). Likewise, when the prophet Isaiah described the coming Messiah, he listed seven qualities that the Savior would embody (Isaiah 11:1-2). 

2. Exoneration and Healing

The number seven is also linked to exoneration and healing. Deuteronomy tells us that on every seventh year, the Israelites were to cancel all the debts they had made with each other and free their slaves (Deuteronomy 15:1-2, 12). 

We further see seven’s connection with exoneration when Peter asks Jesus how many times we are to forgive each other and Jesus replies, “seventy times seven” times (Matthew 18:21-22). In that instance, Jesus isn’t telling us to literally forgive someone 490 times. Instead, Christ is instructing us to forgive each other wholly, as His Jewish audience would’ve understood the emphasis on the number seven in this teaching to indicate complete forgiveness.  

In the context of healing, the prophet Elisha referenced the number seven when he directed Naaman the leper to bathe in the Jordan River seven times to be healed (2 Kings 5:9-10, 14). Moreover, we see a link between seven and healing in the seven healing miracles that Jesus performed on the Sabbath, or, the seventh day of the week. Specifically, Jesus healed the following seven people on the seventh day:

• A man with a deformed hand (Matthew 12:9-13);
• A man possessed by an unclean spirit (Mark 1:23-26);
• Peter’s mother-in-law with fever (Mark 1:29-31);
• A woman crippled by a spirit (Luke 13:10-13);
• A man with abnormal swelling of the body (Luke 14:1-4);
• A lame man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:5-9); and
• A man born blind (John 9:1-7).
  

3. Fulfillment of Promises and Oaths

The number seven also frequently accompanies the fulfillment of promises or oaths. In fact, the Hebrew word for swearing an oath (shaba) and the Hebrew word for seven (sheba) both derive from the Hebrew word meaning satisfaction or fullness (saba).

In Genesis, God promises not to destroy the Earth again with a flood and memorializes this covenant with the rainbow, which is comprised of seven colors (Genesis 9:8-15). Later in Genesis, we learn that Abraham swore an oath of ownership over a certain well of water (Genesis 21:22-31). Abraham satisfied the oath with a gift of seven lambs and named the site of the oath “Beersheba,” which interchangeably means “well of the oath” or  “well of seven.”

The Book of Joshua gives us another example of seven’s correlation with promises. There, God promised Joshua that He’d bring down the fortified walls of Jericho if Joshua and his army marched around the city once for six days and seven times on the seventh day with seven priests blowing seven trumpets. After Joshua followed the Lord’s commands exactly, the walls of Jericho fell, just as the Lord had promised (Joshua 6:1-20).

Seven is also associated with promises in the Book of Revelation. In particular, we read of seven letters addressed to seven churches (Revelation 2-3). In the letters, Christ assures each church community that if its members repent and live according to Jesus’s instructions, each community will receive its promised reward. 

Further, Revelation often invokes the number seven in its discussion of God’s promise to save those whose names are written in the Book of Life and condemn those whose names aren’t (Revelation 20:15; 21:1, 27). The fulfillment of this divine promise is ushered in by groups of seven: seven seals, seven trumpets sounded by seven angels, and seven bowls of God’s promised wrath carried by seven angels (Revelation 6, 8, 11, 16).  

What Does This Mean?

The Bible’s extensive use of the number seven, in connection with such concepts as completion, exoneration, and the fulfillment of promises, suggests that God ascribes a sacred nature to the number. However, we must balance this conclusion with the fact that not every mention of the number seven in Scripture has a divine implication attached. In that regard, while it’s reasonable to draw inferences in studying Scripture, we must be mindful that just as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are the Lord’s ways higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). 

FINDING HOPE IN DIFFICULT TIMES

OUR Hope is in the Lord

It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (Lamentations 3:22-25).

What encouraging words from God’s Word! When everything around us seems hopeless, we can still have hope in the Lord. His faithfulness is great to His people and we can trust in him.

When you are lonely, you can find peace in the words found in Lamentations 3:22-25 and you can find hope to face each new day in the Lord.

I am very much aware of the Terror, Fear, sleepless Nights, Wanton Killings in town but, Jesus is the name above every other name. He is able, capable and available to deliver his people. Remember, The lockdown of the Covid 19 did not put you down. This Dark season won't put you down.

You're coming out bigger and better. I believe with all my heart as I am speaking to you reading this message that there shall be no loss in your family. You will see the end of this  pandemic of insecurity and the pandemic won't see your end.

By the mercies of God, That devil won't take any member of your family. God is up to something my dear friend. The year 2021 is not a mistake. It is a blessing to you and I, our profiting shall appear to all this year, I know that your heart is overwhelmed but I commend you to the Rock that is higher than you, even Jesus the Christ.

This will end in Praise. Rejoice in the lord always and again I say rejoice

In God’s Word we read that God will “never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). We also read that God “knows the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). Take courage and strength for today in knowing that God keeps His promises to us. God can deliver us from hopelessness in our lives.

Hallelujah!!!

THE GLORY OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS!

What a glorious morning A TIMEOUT MEDIA to focus our attention on the Man called Jesus of Nazareth.

This man was born as no other! He was born of a virgin!

This man lived as no other! His words were profound, life-changing and the revelation of God.

This man did mighty works and miracles like no one ever have. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and multiplied the bread and fish to feed over 5,000 people. Jesus cured the lepers and even controlled the weather. He had power over every demon. Jesus overcame every temptation of Satan himself!

This man died as no other. Jesus died for our sins. Jesus became a sin for us.

“For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’

(2 Corinthians 5:21 in the Holy Bible)

This man Jesus died and was buried!

What a life! What a person! What a man!

What a glorious life. What a sad ending.

Jesus of Nazareth Date 33AD:

“Wait, wait’ comes a cry!

A woman comes rushing up.

“Wait, I saw Jesus! Jesus is Alive!’

“Who are you?

“I am Mary Magdalene. I am from a small town called Magdala beside the Sea of Galilee not far from Capernaum where Jesus spoke and did mighty works for almost three years.

I saw Jesus many times. I saw Him heal the sick and oh, His speaking was like love drops from heaven!

But as for me, I was a sinner. Evil spirits tormented me day and night. I heard Jesus but did not feel worthy to be a follower of Him. Then one day Jesus came directly to me.
Jesus cast out of me seven demons!
I am free! Thank you, Jesus! I became one of His followers along with many men and women.
With other women, I followed Jesus to Jerusalem. I was there when they crucified Jesus. I helped in burying Jesus. I saw the stone set in place to block the entrance to the tomb.

On the first day of the week, I came back with some of the other women. The stone was rolled away and we went into the tomb. The body of Jesus was gone. Inside two men stood in shining clothes. They said to us,
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? “He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rises again.” (Luke 24:5-7)

I stood weeping.
I saw someone standing nearby. I thought it was a gardener. I said ‘If you have carried away the body of Jesus let me know where you have laid Him and I will take Him away.
Then the man turned and spoke to me’¦
He said my name was “Mary’. Oh, the thrill and joy of Jesus saying my name. I had listened to Him talk so many times. I know His voice. I saw Him. It was Jesus! I fell at His feet and held Him but He told me not to cling to Him.

“For I have not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'” (John 20:17 )

Jesus told me to GO! And Tell!
A woman the first witness of the resurrected Christ!

Oh, dear friends, the story of Jesus did not end at the cross! Jesus Arose! Jesus Lives! Jesus is Alive! Glory!

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ Philippians 2:8-11

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Hebrews 12:2)

“People of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know; “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; “Whom God raised, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
Foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. “This Jesus God has raised, of which we are all witnesses. “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:29-36 Acts 2:22-24)

“Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
“This is the ‘stone, which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12 in the Holy Bible)

“That is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.’ (Ephesians 1:19-23 in the Holy Bible)
Yes, Jesus Has all things ‘under His feet. He has the power to save you and to set you free from the bondage of sin. Come worship the living Savior!

I remember a man coming to talk to me one time in Abuja Nigeria. He was a Hindu. I explained to him about the life and mission of Jesus. As I was telling him about Christ dying on the cross He was greatly moved. Then I began to tell about how Jesus rose from the grave on the third day. He interrupted me.
“I understand’, he said “Jesus was reincarnated.’ “No’ I explained, “Jesus came back in the same body!

Jesus later in the day after His resurrection showed Himself to the disciples and said “See My hands and my side’.
Jesus came back in the same body! Glory “Wait, wait! Is that you again ‘Mary’?

“Yes, don’t forget to tell them what happened after the resurrection of Jesus and His appearances for several weeks to the disciples and many hundreds.’ Jesus ‘ascended’ up into heaven!
A small crowd of people was with Jesus just outside of Jerusalem in Bethany. Then Jesus ascended and a cloud received Him out of sight! Everyone stood looking up in the sky. Then two men in ‘white apparel’ stood nearby and said,

“Why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’ (Acts 1 9-11 in the Holy Bible)

I remember carrying the cross in England. As I walked through a market street a lady rushed up to me and said, “Whatever happened to that man?’ I said, “Which man’? “Oh, you know, Jesus. There is Christmas and it’s about His birth. Then there is Easter and He died on the cross and was resurrected. I never heard what happened to Him after that.’
Of course, I gave her the full message of Jesus about how He ascended and will come again.

In Kaduna Nigeria one day a woman was about to commit suicide. She rushed up to me and said ‘I need life’. She found new life in Jesus! So can you. Jesus is living today and ready to come to live in your heart and life.
Just repent and ask Jesus to forgive you and to save you and to come and live in your life.

Just imagine the following story. It is based on the Bible fact that Jesus died on the cross and descended into hell. On the third day, Jesus arose and is alive forevermore. This is just my little drama of the events:
It is the morning of the third day after Jesus was crucified on the cross and had descended into hell.
Satan and the head demons are standing at the gates of hell. They seem confused and stunned. Something has happened. Let’s listen in for a moment. “What’s wrong Satan? Says a demon.
“Well, I have a feeling I’ve lost something. Let’s see’¦(he reaches into his pockets and gets very anxious)
I have lost my Keys! “We must find them!’ Off to every hot hole of hell the demons go. After looking everywhere they return to the Devil and tell him they have found no keys.
Oh, Satan cries out I have had these keys since the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. I must have them.
“What keys did you lose?’Do the demons reply?
“I’ve lost the keys to Death and Hell.’
Standing outside the garden tomb on resurrection morning was Jesus!

Smiling!

Jesus raises His Hand and says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hell and Death. (Revelation 1:8,18)

Oh, glory!
Jesus is alive! Resurrection morning!
The vibrations of the rolling stone on the earth and the footsteps of Jesus whisper to the soil’¦
The stone is rolled away, Jesus is alive!
The soil whispers to the roots of the trees’¦
The stone is rolled away, Jesus is alive!

The sap of the trees take the message to the leaves and the leaves whisper to the wind ‘¦
The stone is rolled away, Jesus is alive!
The wind shouts to the clouds and the clouds shout up to heaven and up in heaven far into space at the portals of glory the angels and the whole hosts of heaven are leaning forward to hear the sound. At last, the message comes!
The stone is rolled away, Jesus is alive!
And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that is in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honour and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
(Revelation 5:9-13 in the Holy Bible)

Today I invite you to worship the living Christ now and forevermore,

Luke 18:1