Resurrection Power is Yours
Most leaders and people I know believe that if we haven’t already entered a place of awakening and revival, we are headed there. I vehemently agree with this assessment.
With all the challenges we are presently facing on a worldwide platform, it would seem that people’s hearts would now be open for God to manifest Himself in unprecedented ways. This is what I believe we are going to see. Just like the occurrence in Mark 2:12 when the four men tore a hole in the roof to get their friend into Jesus’ presence, he rose and walked from his paralytic state. The result was the statement of the people.
Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
The word amazed in this scripture is the Greek word existemi. It means “to put out of wits.” These people were flabbergasted at what they were witnessing. They were utterly astounded by the display of power that was present with Jesus. The statement that came from this place of being awestruck was, “We never saw anything like this.” This is where we are headed as a church and in our culture. There is coming a move of God the likes of which has not been seen. It will grasp the attention of the masses unlike anything before. It will be a demonstration of God’s resurrection power that is birthing this foretold revival.
When we talk of revival, it is impossible to have it without the resurrection power of the Lord. In fact, I would say that revival is God’s resurrection power on display. Of course, resurrection is when something that has been dead is brought back to life again. The very idea carries with it that the grief associated with loss is wonderfully removed. We began to live out Isaiah 61:3.
To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
This is testifying of a place of grief becoming a place of glory. It is a replacing of sorrow and pain with celebration and praise. This is the result of resurrection life and power.
I’ve often thought of what it must have been like when Mary and Martha were consumed with grief over the loss of Lazarus. Their beloved brother was now in the grave and everything had changed. They had a new normal thrust on them. Then, Jesus showed up and the resurrection power of the Lord was manifested. Lazarus was brought out of the tomb and back to life again. The unthinkable occurred. That which seemed to be lost forever was instantly restored through the power of God.
Can you imagine the elation and absolute joy that must have erupted within Mary’s and Martha’s heart? It is unimaginable. Yet this is what the resurrection glory of God can do. I do believe we will see this kind of power again. Jesus was clear and adamant that these kinds of miracles would be present as we walked as His disciples. John 14:12 shows Jesus promising that greater works would be the portion of those who were His.
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
Jesus going to the Father was a reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit with His empowerment. When Jesus went to the Father, He was given the Holy Spirit to pour out on us. This is according to Acts 2:33.
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was the sign that Jesus had now taken His place at the right hand of God. He was now positioned in His exalted posture as Lord of All. The Holy Spirit was now sent to us because everything that needed to be done legally for the Holy Spirit to reside on us, with us, and in us was accomplished. Until this time, the Holy Spirit could not reside in us. The necessary work of cleansing that would allow this had not been done. The Holy Spirit’s power of resurrection living in us as believers required we be vessels cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We can see this is the ceremonial cleansing that was required to proclaim lepers free of leprosy. Leviticus 14:14-17 shows the ritual followed to declare a previous leper free from leprosy. Leprosy is considered a typology of sin. This is why whoever had this dreaded disease had to cry out, “Unclean, unclean!” should someone come near them. This was a statement of defilement and impurity they were forced to confess.
The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand. Then the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord. And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass offering.
Notice that the priest who witnessed to the fact of the cleansing of the leper applied first the blood, then the oil. This is a prophetic picture of how we are cleansed and the empowerment we should receive. The blood that cleanses us is first applied. The blood purchases us and cleanses us. Colossians 1:14 clearly lets us know that the blood is what guarantees our forgiveness.
In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
First Peter 1:18-19 says we are redeemed from everything that would claim ownership of us. Jesus’ blood has reclaimed us as His own.
Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
The blood of the Lamb, Jesus, has legally purchased and cleansed us from all unrighteousness and sin. We no longer belong to the powers of darkness but now are the possession of the Lord. Notice that when the defilements and their legal claims are removed, then the oil was also applied. The priest would place the oil on top of the previously applied blood. This prophetic act was making a spiritual statement. It was proclaiming that the Spirit can only anoint what the blood has cleansed. Whatever the spirit anoints must first be cleansed by the blood. This is why we are told in the New Testament that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 tells us that after we believed, which would be the moment and time when the blood cleansed us, the Holy Spirit then seals us.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
The Holy Spirit of promise, or what the Father guaranteed those who were His, anoints us. The word sealed in the Greek is sphragizo. It means “to stamp for preservation and/or security.” The Holy Spirit is assigned to protect and guard all that the blood has bought. The anointing of His presence comes upon any and all that belong to Him by the purchasing power of Jesus’ blood. We can also see this idea in Exodus 30:30-33, which gives us some insight into the anointing oil that was fashioned at the instructions of God.
And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: “This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.”
There were several mandates associated with the application of the anointing oil. Notice, however, that the anointing oil was forbidden to be placed on an outsider. This meant that no one outside the covenant was allowed to be anointed. This is because the anointing oil was only for those within the covenant who had been bought, purchased, and cleansed by the blood. Anyone who truly belongs to Jesus will have the anointing of God on their life. If there is no anointing, then there should be an investigation to see whether one really belongs to the Lord or not. Whoever is His will be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
The final thing I would mention here is that the blood and the oil were placed on the previous leper’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. The significance of this is that we are cleansed and empowered to hear, work, and walk. The ear speaks of our hearing in the spirit realm. The thumb speaks of our empowerment to work and minister as we ought. The big toe speaks of our walk of purity and holiness before the Lord. The cleansing of the blood and the resulting empowerment of the Holy Spirit enables us to function in this realm of resurrected power. Romans 1:3-4 calls the Holy Spirit the spirit of holiness.
Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Jesus was declared to be the Son of God through the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead. His resurrection testified of who He really is. This resurrection occurred by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling with Him and in Him. We are told in Romans 8:11 that if this Spirit dwells in us, we too can and will experience this resurrection life.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
This Holy Spirit will empower us to experience and move in the power of His resurrection. We will see this occur as we make room for Him. That which the blood has legally cleansed, the Holy Spirit has now come to anoint and empower. We are called and commissioned to be those who function in resurrection power through the Holy Spirit of God. With this anointing of power and resurrection, we can see otherwise unchangeable things brought back to life. We can see what seems to be final and the fate of people overturned and life given back. This is because we serve a God of resurrection. The legal work of Jesus on the cross allows the empowerment of the Spirit of God to bring this resurrection power. Let’s receive it and begin to manifest the glory of who Jesus is!
As I approach the Courts of Heaven, Lord, I ask for Your resurrection power to bring Your reviving work. I would remind this Court that when Jesus died on the cross every legal thing necessary to experience resurrection and revival was accomplished. I ask for the anointing of Your presence to now come to renew, restore, and redeem all things in me to Your purposes. From Your Courts, Lord, would You allow a fresh empowerment of Your Holy Spirit to manifest the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. In Jesus’ Name, amen!
