He Is Not Here

I got up early Thursday morning, about 5:00am, to worship and pray, and while I was spending time with God, I asked Him what I should write about in the blog. What Holy Spirit dropped into my spirit was these words from the book of Matthew:

Matthew 28:6 (NKJV) - He is not here, for He is risen, as He (Jesus) said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

What Holy Spirit proceeded to share with me is that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the last place that Jesus was at, which was the tomb, where they lay Jesus battered body. They went to the grave, where there should have been death in the air, where the reminders of Jesus betrayal, rejection, and death should have been found, but the angel told Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, "He is not here; for He is risen."

It was so beautiful when Holy Spirit shared this with me, full understanding burst forth in my spirit. The same way that the people who knew Jesus during His time here on earth, in the flesh, came looking for Him where they last saw Him, this is the same way that people who knew you or me prior to receiving Christ, or prior to becoming a more mature christian comes looking for us, in old dead places that we used to occupy. Oh, how I laughed with Holy Spirit because this is such a truth. Sometimes people who knew us years ago, will attempt to keep us trapped in our past.

Maybe someone knew you when your temper was out of control; maybe they remember when you would go to church and later that night show up at the club; maybe you were a thief, liar, adulterer, fornicator, abused, molested, sick, incarcerated, etc...and some continue to try and deal with you based on your past. Well God's response about you to those who try to keep you trapped in your past mistakes, circumstances, or shortcomings, is the same response that the angel gave about Jesus, when they came looking for Him amongst dead things, "he is not here," "she is not here." She is no longer at the club, she is now a disciple of Christ, she is risen from dead things. He is no longer an adulterer, he is in love with Jesus, he is risen from among the dead, why do you look for them among the dead?

My friend, you do not need permission to be a better person! Every person born into this earth has the God given right to evolve into someone better than they were yesterday. Does that mean there will be no repercussions due to past bad behavior, no sometimes there will be repercussions, but by no means does that disqualify you from becoming a better man or woman. It does not matter how old or how young you are, God has given every man the right to choose to be better, the freedom of choice, the freedom to change!

I celebrate my freedom in Christ everyday! God gave me life, and with that life, He gave me the authority to make choices for my life. God instructed us, "today I put before you Life and Death, choose Life." In your past, you did not choose Life, (the things of Christ); but you chose the things that produce Death, yet you don't have to stay there. At any moment you can choose Life in our Lord, Christ Jesus.

Leave your past in the past, don't live amongst dead things, and when someone tries to drag you back down that dark rabbit hole, pull away and remind yourself, "I don't live there anymore." Remember that those who are looking for you in places that you no longer occupy, do so as a result of human nature, so don't hold a grudge against them, don't attack, and please don't become depressed or discouraged.

Simply remember that you belong to Jesus and He loves you beyond all imagination, you are unique, precious and beloved in God's eyes! If Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came looking for Jesus in a dead place, we are not greater than Jesus, so don't be shocked when your old acquaintances come looking for you in dead places that you no longer occupy.

As for the future, satan will constantly try to drag you back to your old lifestyle and bad behaviors, but you have a choice! I shared this analogy with my family one day, "satan has written a play, and he has assigned each of us a part to play in it, but he needs your permission, in order for you to play the part that he has assigned to you. Your part may be to lie, kill, fornicate, gossip, slander others, deceive others, hate, etc...the question is will you recognize the role that you are about to play, and will you recognize the stage when it has been presented to you? Always remember that you can choose to walk away and not play the part of a lair, adulterer, thief, prostitute, etc...you can choose to live! God does not require you to be perfect with no faults, just that you have a desire to change and receive His love for you!

By Alva Williams

01/15/2021