Easter

The Church was born on Easter Sunday a little over 2,000 years ago. The disciples, confused about the death of their friend and anointed Messiah, Jesus, ran to the tomb on the report of the ladies who had gone to check on His body:


John 20:1-10 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.


Over the course of the next 40 days, Jesus, the Son of God who demonstrated He was more powerful than death, that He could lay down and take back up His life, met with the brand new Church, and told them all they would need to know to spread out and start Jesus' takeover of the earth...preaching the coming restoration of God's kingdom to all the earth. In the first hours, the Church was Mary Magdalene, who took the message to the other disciples:


John 20:14-22 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, 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 to My God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.


The Church was born. As the disciples gathered those loyal to Jesus, quickly there were 120 gathered in the city, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come in a noticeably powerful way. They were praying in one accord, spending most of their time together, for 7 weeks in the upper room in Jerusalem, obeying Jesus' last verbal command before He ascended to His throne in the New Jerusalem:


Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;


8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”


This small group of believers was Jesus' Body on earth now. In the beginning, the Church was operating in one accord...no denominations, no divisions, no egos, no personal agendas...for a few short months, the Church, under heavy persecution, operated as one body. After the 7 weeks of praying....BAM...the Holy Spirit showed up in an undeniable way on EVERYONE in the Church!!


Acts 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.


The unity of the Church, and obedience to Jesus, invited the manifestation of the Holy Spirit resulting in every single person in the Church being touched with the living flame of God's power on earth. It wasn't one or two anointed ones leading the way...no...it was everyone who was filled with power from on high. It was so disruptive to the normal goings-on in the city, that the believers had to start explaining themselves. Peter said "this is the Joel 2 outpouring of the Holy Spirit promised in the Old Testament." 3,000 people got saved that day! The Church operating in one accord, praying and worshiping as if it was their only job, and the power comes increasing the size of the Church nearly 3,000% in one day. This is the model Church. This was the down payment on what is soon to come.


Peter said Joel 2:28 had come. He wasn't lying, but there is a concept throughout the Bible of the double-fulfillment of prophecy. God almost always gives a taste of the final fulfillment , with the full measure that comes in the last days. Joel 2 is one of those promises, and even says so:


Joel 2:28-31 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord .


Oooh, is this quite a promise!! When the moon turns red and the sun turns black, this will come in full. There is only one time in world history when the moon will turn red and the moon black: the opening of the 6th seal:


Revelation 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.


In a time of global tribulation, just like the beginning Church experienced on a local level in the book of Acts, the global Bride will be praying and worshiping in one accord, in the spirit of David's tabernacle. When we get in this kind of agreement...BAM...the Holy Spirit is going to pour Himself out globally, like He did in the upper room 2,013 years ago. The great harvest will follow shortly after we start explaining why everyone is getting healed, and food is supernaturally multiplying, and Joe is walking on water, and Sue knows everything about the unbelieving neighbor's dream before He even tells it! When the Spirit comes on the unified Bride, we are going to have some glorious explaining to do. Millions upon millions will get saved.


What started with an open tomb a little more than 2,000 years ago is going to end up with an open heaven over Jesus' unified Body before it is all said and done. Just like trouble produced complete unity among the believers in the book of Acts, trouble is going to produce pure and spotless unity in this generation.


The Body was so united and of one accord in the first few months of it's existence, that lying to the believers was equated with lying directly to God (Acts 5). Like any good Father, God takes the unity of His family seriously. He doesn't force anyone into unity, but when we choose it, look out! He marks unity with power! When the church comes together in one accord, Jesus IS there.


Jesus is alive! He is risen! He is coming back soon for a Bride who has made herself ready in a time of trouble!!


This last story was a down payment...a demonstration...of the power in unity of the early Church. It is a story of the overwhelming power and victory Jesus' Body will have against every unclean thing in the last days:


Acts 5:1-11 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

Happy Easter, friends! We ain't seen nothin' yet!