I AM RISEN. I AM RISEN INDEED…

In the darkest night of my soul.
In the dim desolation of my Gethsemane.
When all of my disciples still sleep.
When my God is deaf to my cry to remove the cup.
When my final desperate demand to know "why God has forsaken me"
Echoes across an empty universe.
Then the time of my awakening is at hand.

 

I am constructing in my individual passion the drama of resurrection.
Ah! But now with a difference.
This time I'm the central character.
This time at last I play the leading part.
Fulfilling the law as I go,
marking each milestone with my healing grace,
I walk the seven miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem
and am met at the place of the skull.

 

I know the script well for I have rehearsed every character.
I've been the soldier that rolled the dice
and the one with the spear that pierced.
In one scene I've shouted "Hosanna, Hosanna"
and called "Barabbas, save Barabbas" in the next
I've denied with Peter, connived as Judas, and doubted as Thomas.

 

As a blind man I've seen, as a cripple I've walked.
As a leper my sores have been healed.
I've puzzled as Nicodemus, pretended as Pilate
and as Lazarus come forth at His call.

 

And now getting closer -
I've played the dear virgin and pondered
His birth in my heart.
At last am I shorn in one terrible moment
the last vestige of armor from truth.

 

Now call out to God, now call out at last,
the victorious shout of surrender.
Father, into Thy Hands I command my whole self.
It is finished. It is finished forever.

 

Up up I arise from the tomb that is earth,
impregnant with light of fulfillment.

 

Now the veil of my temple is rent and
the dazzling beauty of my sonship is revealed in full array.

And now the most exciting glorious stupendous surprise
there could ever be in all of time:

I'm still me.

 

All that has happened is that I have awakened
from my fearful dream of destruction and death.
The earth is over, gone and never was.
I'm home in the heaven I never left.
And every loving thought I ever had while dreaming
is with me still along with all my other eternal creations.

And after six days I took Peter, James, and John
his brother, and brought them up into an high mountain apart.
And I was transfigured before them and my face did shine as the sun,
and my raiment was white as the light.
And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias beside me.
And behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice came out of the cloud,
which said: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him."

Listen, I, Jesus am instructing you:

I am your Savior and the Savior of this world.
I am the light of the world.
If you follow me you shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,
and I will lead you to your home in Heaven.

I am your resurrection and your light.
As you come now to believe me, you will see that you can never die.
Come and follow me and we will leave this world forever.
Let the dead bury the dead.

Remember, the kingdom of God is in you and with you forever.
You are the light of the world with me.
A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel,
but on a candlestick and it gives light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.

Certainly as a Son of man you know you must be born again or you cannot see
the reality of your Saviorship.
Truly I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests.
But the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.
Remember, that which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Our kingdom is not of this world.
Yet the kingdom of God is with us, and is what we are together.
We are from Heaven and no man has ascended up to Heaven,
but he that came down from Heaven, even the Son of man which is in Heaven.
You are one self with me. We are not separate. We are Eternal Life.

We are One Self together in the eternal being of our Creator.
I am your heavenly counselor. Call on me. Use me.
I will stay with you until your resurrection is complete.

The light of the body is the eye, as your eye becomes single,
your whole body shall be full of light.
But if your eyes see evil, your whole body will be full of darkness.
So if the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness.

No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other,
or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and mammon. You must make up your mind.

God does not judge. He has committed all judgment unto the Son.
For as the Father has life in himself so has he given to the Son to have life in himself.
And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

All power is given unto you on earth and in Heaven. Ask and it shall be given you.
Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
For everyone that asks receives. And he that seeks finds.
And to him that knocks it shall be opened.

I have given you the keys to kingdom.
They are in your mind and in your heart.
There is no death the Son of God is free.

It is best that you judge not that you be not judged.
For with what judgment you judge you shall be judged.
And with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again.

Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven.
And whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.

You have heard that it has been said "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."
But I say unto you "That you resist not evil.
But whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also."

You have heard that it has been said "You should love your neighbor
and hate your enemy." But I say unto you, "Love your enemies
and bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you.
And pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you."

"Blessed are you for being merciful, for you shall obtain mercy."
"Blessed are you who are pure in heart, for you shall see God."

This is the first and great commandment,
"That you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind." And the second is like unto it
"you shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.
You are and will always be as you were created.

Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you.
I have prepared a place for you. I have come again and receive you unto myself.
That where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know,
and the way you know very well.

Truly I say unto you "You have come to believe on me and the works that I do."
And now "Greater works than these shall you do because we go unto our Father."
And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Go ahead and ask anything in my name and I will do it.

If you love me, keep my commandments.
I have prayed the Father and he has given you another Comforter
who abides with you forever.
He is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not,
neither knows him. But you know him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you.

You have ears to hear, hear this It is given unto you to know the mysteries
of the kingdom of Heaven, but to the world it is not given.
You now understand with your hearts, and are converted and I have healed you.

Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see
and have not seen them.
And to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them.

What you fear is nothing. There is nothing to fear.
There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed. And hid that shall not be known.
What I tell you in darkness, that speak you in light.
And what you hear in the ear, that preach you upon the housetops.

Yet a little while and the world will see you no more but I will see you.
Because I live, you shall live also!
Now you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me and I in you.

Since you have loved me and kept my words, my Father will love you.
And we will come unto you and make our abode with you.
Now that you abide in me, my words abide in you.
Ask what you will and it shall be given unto you.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.
Continue you in my love.

You have kept my commandments; you shall abide in my love.
Even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you. That my joy might remain in you.
That your joy might be full.
You have not chosen me but I have chosen you, and ordained you.

This is my commandment, "That you love one another, as I have loved you."
If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love his own.
But I have chosen you because you are not of this world.
Therefore the world hates you.

My way is not hard, but it is different.
Come unto me, if you labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.
For I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

It's time for you to join with me to heal the sick and raise the dead.
We will enter the kingdom of Heaven together.

Here is my prayer:

Father, the hour is come,
glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

As you have given him power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.

I came not to save the world but to claim my own as yours.
I have called and they have answered.

And now I come to you Father and these things I speak in the world,
that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them your word and the world has hated them,
because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that you should take them out of the world,
but that you should keep them from evil.
Certainly they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through your truth. Your word is truth.

As you have sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself,
that they also might be sanctified through the truth and know that we are one.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me
through their word.
That they all may be one, as you Father are in me and I in you,
that they also may be one in us.

That the world may believe that you have sent me.
And the glory which you gave me I have given them.
That they may be one Even as we are one I in them and you in me.
That they may be made perfect in one.
And that the world may know that you have sent me
and have loved them, as you have loved me.

Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am.
That they may behold my glory, which you have given me,
for you loved me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, the world has not known you but I have known you.
And these have known that you have sent me.

And I have declared unto them your name and will declare it.
That the love wherewith you have loved me may be in them
and I in them even unto the end of this world and for all eternity.

Amen

 

The New Testament of Jesus Christ
Matthew: Chapters 5, 6.7, 8, 10, 11,13,22,28

John: Chapters 3, 5, 8,14,15,17