By Gary Keller
Rev. 1:18 In this verse, God was speaking to John, on the island of Patmos, saying, “I am He that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive forever more”:
John has been left on that island to die, exiled and alone. History tells us they had boiled him in oil. He watched the ship disappear across the horizon. All humanity had left him, and he said “I know why I am here. I am here for the word of God, and for the testimony Jesus Christ.” John recognized that there was a work of God to be done.
The very first words that Jesus spoke to John were”fear not”. If you are ever going to have a concept of
the beautiful resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you have got to lay aside the fear first. Fear and faith are in two different worlds; fear will cause and individuals heart to turn away from God; but, faith will cause an individual’s heart to turn to God.
“Fear not, I am the first and the last, I am He that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore.” This statement is the cornerstone of the Pentecostal movement and the truth that we preach.
The Lord’s resurrection is not established upon fiction, fantasy, pipe dreams, half lies, or somebody’s imaginary world of make-believe. The beautiful resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is a reality,
just as He lived, died, and was buried, and rose again. Laying down the beautiful pattern of salvation, we must die out through repentance, be buried in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and rise to walk in the newness of life.
If Christ did not rise again, we are the biggest fools in the world. But, He lives, He lives, you ask me how I know He lives. He lives within my heart. And we believe in a God that is alive.
It was Jesus that said, “I am the resurrection, not I was, not I am going to be, but, I am the resurrection.
This carried over into the 2Oth century.” He is the resurrection. I am the resurrection and the life, He that believeth in me, though he was dead, yet shall he live.
David said, “I am living in the land of the living, I don’t merely exist, but I live because I know who my Jehovah is.” We know who that Jehovah is and His name starts with a -J- and ends in an -s-. It’s the name that we proclaim with confidence, the name of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ.
I Cor. 15:17. II Peter 1:16
What do you do with something that is dead? You bury it” But, that’s not what you do around Pentecost. We give you “spiritual C.P.R.” and an energizing touch of God.
The world says, “bury them. There is not hope!” The world is predicated on fear. But, you can walk in the church of God consumed in sin and walk out in the light of Jesus Christ.
Three times Jesus raised someone from the dead; the son of the widow woman, the brother of Mary and Martha, and the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.
Jairus was not necessarily a follower of Jesus. But, he had a problem in his life. The doctors had told him
that his daughter was nigh unto death and that she would die unless a miracle took place.
As Jairus made his way around the streets to find Jesus, a crowd followed to catch a glimpse of why and where He was going.
Jesus was coming from the direction with another crowd of people following the miracles and wondrous things he was doing.
When Jesus and Jairus came face to face he asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his daughter for she was nigh unto death. “If you will come, I know she can be made whole,” stated Jairus. So they started that way.
In the crowd, or press as the Bible calls it, there was woman with an issue of blood. When she heard that Jesus the Healer, was there, she said to herself, “If I can but touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole.” She was going to touch Him whether He knew it or not. Her confidence in God was so great that she believed by just touching His ragged hem she would be made whole. Jesus stopped everything. He asked, “who touched me?” The disciples said, “Lord, the crowd is to great. Everyone is
touching, and bumping, and rubbing against you. We are sorry they touched you.” Jesus replied, “It was not a casual touch. I felt virtue leave my body.” As Jesus stopped, the woman said, “It was I, Lord.”
Jesus said, “Fear not. Thy faith hath made you whole.
Now Jairus had a problem. His servant had just come from his masters house to say, “Trouble not the Master any longer. Your daughter is dead.” That’s what fear will tell you about your problems. God can
not do it for you, so don’t bother Him. But, Jesus said, “Fear not, believe and she shall be made whole.” Now in biblical times, they buried people fast. So, by the time Jesus, the disciples, Jairus, and the crowd got there, the undertaker, doctor, and the mourners were all there. The mourners were crying, not because they were sad, but because they were paid to cry. When Jesus said, “She is not dead, she sleeps”, the Bible says that they laughed Him to scorn. They laughed until it was a shame to be laughing in front of a corpse. Jesus got all the unbelievers out of the house. He had the disciples, the crowd, the mourners, the doctor, and the undertaker leave the house. All the believers, John, Peter, James, Jairus, his wife, the dead girl, and He stayed in their house. Jesus said two words, “Maid, arise.” She sat up, swung her feet over the side, smiled at everyone, and said, “I’m hungry.” Jesus said, “Get her some meat.” When God saves you, He takes you from death to life from darkness to light, sinner to being a saint, and fills you with the Holy Ghost.
We have to have faith in God, and to believe in Him for things we have never seen Him do. Jesus said, “Fear not, for I am with you. I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore.”
Every fear, doubt and unbelief needs to go!!!
God can do it!!!
The answer will come!!
