In sorting through old files the other day, I came upon the piece below, written in 1985. How my heart was breaking then, and even more so today, when I see God's People living as if they are paupers, living as if the Prodigal Son had come home only to have the Father treat him as a hired servant. Why O why do we live as spiritual dumpster divers - eating scraps from back alleys - refusing to accept the incredible wholeness that we have in Jesus Christ?
Why do we define ourselves by our insufficiency, rather than Jesus Christ's all-sufficiency? (1 Cor. 1:30 - 31).
Jesus rolls the stone away, and we are conditioned to roll it back. Jesus rends the veil in two, giving us access to an intimate relationship with the Trinity, and we insist on sewing the veil back together.
Isn't it time that we stopped this nonsense? What are we afraid of?
Isn’t It Time?
Robert L. Withers, Easter 1985
An empty tomb
A new life
A life free
from fear
from death
in all of
their forms
A life free to live
free to
give
secure in
His love
which
dispels all fear
secure in
His life
which
has destroyed all death
An empty tomb
A new creation
A new rising
of faith
of life
In everything we see
In everything we touch
A new awareness
of whom He
is
of whom we
are in Him
of whom we
are in each other
An empty tomb
He was
there
but now is risen
as are we
in Him
Resurrection!
The final fear has been destroyed
The final limitation has been removed
Before us lies infinite inheritance
That we have in our infinite Father.
Shall we possess it?
The stone has been rolled away
Let us not move it back
Let us not reenter the tomb
by giving
place to fear
by giving place
to death
Let us not undo what He has done
Let us live in His resurrection.
Let us walk each day
as those
who have risen with Him
And let us roll stones away
whenever and
wherever we find them
And let us say to our neighbor
by both
word and deed
that
He is risen
that the tomb is empty
and that we
can leave
fear
and death
never to return to them.
Isn’t it time that we
Stopped feeling guilty
And started feeling whole and complete
In Him?
Isn’t it time that we
Stopped feeding on fear
And started feeding on the liberty
That we have in Him?
Isn’t it time that we
Stopped catering to our insecurities
And began giving to others in the security
That we have in Him?
Isn’t it time that we
Stopped worrying that He will
Roll the stone back
And started experiencing His love?
Started living as resurrected
Sons and daughters
Of the Living God?
I know that it is time!
For the tomb is empty
The stone has been rolled away
There is, my friend, a New Day in Jesus Christ.
“…our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death,
and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” 2 Timothy
1:10.
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