Gathering at the mirage

Good morning, everyone from Pastor Todd Boxley. Welcome to “Try Jesus!” If this is your first time joining us, it’s great to have you with us. I would like to thank all the new members for joining “Try Jesus.” Also welcome those in California, Illinois, Texas, Washington, and Colorado.

What a tremendous two weeks we had discovering the light of God, the bread of life, and the living water. All three we need to survive in this dead lifeless place until we are reunited with our Savior in our real home.

In the natural, while we are here (true born-again believers), we still need sun, food, water, clothing, sleep, and shelter, the bare necessities for survival. God supplies all this to us. What a mighty God we serve!

Let’s welcome the presence of God this morning. “He is our all in all!” Amen? “Heavenly Father, you are Yahweh, Abba, Shammah, Jehovah Jireh, And Jehovah Rapha. You always delight in taking care of your children.

Jesus, Messiah, you have called your redeemed children friends. You have given us today your Holy Spirit. He is your gift from above and constant companion. Lord, we are alive today because you defeated death.

You know when we are lost, Lord. You found us, heaped in our own motivations and confused by worldly principles. You rescued us, defeating death on the cross and rising to sit at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

As we celebrate your life, and focus on you today, we know you are still interceding for us to the Father daily. In your perfect way, you hold the world in balance and our souls in your heart.

You hear every voice, every prayer, every cry, and every shout of praise. Open our hearts and minds to receive your word of life. God, please lead us in Your purpose for our lives.

Let your glory, light, and living water flow from our lives. Feed us your spiritual nourishment. May all who know us feel the love you have for everyone. Lord, save the lost. In your powerful name we pray, Amen.”

Today’s message is to encourage everyone to resuscitate their lives. How so? Well, I would like to start by asking this question, “What’s the oldest thing you have in your home?” “Why do you continue to keep it?”

How many of you know what hoarding is? Well, in its simplest form, hoarding is having a desire to collect items and an inability to discard things that may seem useless, to such a point that the collections cause you stress.

Severe hoarding can impact a person’s health, employment, friendships, and family relationships. People who suffer with this will tell you they are curating and recycling. In their minds eye, these objects are still beautiful and useful.

But are they? I knew one lady who suffered so badly with hoarding, she allowed the hoarding to move her to one room in her house. The other objects had taken over. She had nowhere to put anything else.

When her family came to visit, they realized she needed rescued. But they needed her to see what they were seeing. This later was stuck in the desert, seeing all the mirages she tried to grasp, but were taking her life away.

Did you know, most people think nothing lives in the desert. But there is life. Sometimes you have to look really close to see those things that have adapted to the elements. Some of the tough plants store water in their root stems.

Some animals have salt glands, that allows the secretion of salt without the loss of water. So, this helps them to survive and thrive in the environment where they live. Notice, they rely on what is given to them.

They are not overcrowded by things afforded to them. They are not seeing things that are not there. They are not overcome by the harsh desert. Rattlesnakes, jackrabbits, and many other mammals and reptiles are most active at dawn and dusk.

These animals and reptiles sleep away the hottest hours of the day. They have kept their surroundings free from the adverse conditions of the dangerous desert. Their environment is no difference than ours.

Today, we live on a planet that is full of darkness and has all kinds of spiritual hazards that cause us to become dead looking. Looking at a desert from a distance in the hot sun might cause you to think, “there is absolutely no life here.”

This is how we come into this world. We are grasping after imaginary images that will destroy us. The only way we can survive this entry into this death desert is to do as the animals and reptiles do, cling to what gives us life.

If you are following along in your Bible, let’s begin at the origin of life. We see in the book of Genesis that God is the creator of all life. He is the Creator of all that is (Isaiah 40:28).

For all those unbelievers or skeptics who are tuned in to “TRY JESUS” today because its Easter Sunday, I’m saying that no one created him and that God alone is the creator.

Satan cannot create; he can only pervert what God creates (John 10:10). People cannot truly create because we must start with something that has already been created. 

God is also the creator of the first life (breathed into) that ever to walk on this earth. Genesis (1:26-28; 2:7-9). All three persons of the Godhead were involved in the creation of the universe and man. (Genesis 1:2; Acts 17:24; Hebrews 1:2).

Of course, after Adam and Eve’s transgression, it brought death to everything (Genesis 2:16-17). The world and humanity were now doomed to death, “What’s a Holy God going to do?”

Could you picture God pulling his hair out, wringing his hands, biting his nails, walking around confused in heaven? Of course, God is a spirit. But since his Son has a body, do you think he was acting the same way?

Absolutely not! God is full of peace. He doesn’t live in fear or worry. He is always in control. His brilliant plan of redemption was never interrupted after Adam and Eve spread sin throughout creation. God never panicked.

Jesus already had his earthly bags packed. He had his flight destination already to go. God did all that he did for one reason, “Love, genuine love!” Jesus came to take back what the enemy had taken.
 

I remember some lyrics from a song entitled, 🎵 “I’m going to go into the enemies camp, and take back what he took from me. Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord. 🎵 Some things never get old.

Here’s the song lyrics that fit today’s whole message. 🎵 God sent his Son, they called him Jesus, He came to love, heal and forgive; He lived and died, to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, because he lives, all fear is gone; because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives. 🎵

“Can you sing this song with total trust in your heart that Jesus has your whole life in his hands?” If you believe his life on the throne gives you new life, then you are soon to be with him in glory. But first, let’s look at how we were rescued.

Currently, those who do not have a relationship with Jesus are just like those who walk in the desert without the necessities to survive. They are seeing the tempting mirages of life thinking this will help them.

In the natural, if you were in the desert, you would need these typical things to survive. You would need sufficient food rations and water. You would dress appropriately in light-colored, loose-fitting clothes.

You would probably wear layers of clothing for the cooler temperatures. You would need some kind of headgear. Of course, you would need some kind of shelter. Not to mention sunscreen, and a first aid kit.

Experts would probably give a more detailed explanation of what to take in the desert. But without these help initiatives, you would be a walking dead person. Before long, your bones would lye in the desert.

There are millions and millions of people today who are walking around dead in the desert throughout this nation and the world. This includes the religious. Why the religious? We can get the answers from Jesus himself.

But first let’s look at the book of Ezekiel.  Here in lies the visual picture that I believe God showed me how dead we are without Jesus. Ezekiel was one of God’s great prophets. In (Ezekiel 37:1-28), God showed Ezekiel a vision of dry bones.

Please read these verses aloud to yourself or to your Bible study group. 3} “And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

4} Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5} Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6} And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

7} So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8} And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.” (Ezekiel 37:3-8 KJV). The dry bones represented the people’s spiritually dead condition.

These bodies had all they needed to be considered alive and human. They were created by the potter. Jeremiah 18:1-6; Isaiah 64:8). But the dry bones lacked one thing. They still need the Spirit’s breath.

This also reminds me of the rich young ruler that Jesus spoke to. He had all his proverbial life’s ducks in a row, but Jesus told him this;

21} …”One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 23} And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:21-23 KJV).

You see my friends, holding on to his worldly wealth over God’s commandments left him a dead-man walking. “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” (Luke 17:33 KJV).

You see my friends the human life needs more than just fleshly life; it needs the spiritual life it was originally intended for. People die in their sins when they reject Jesus. They are rejecting the only way to be saved.

When Jesus told the Pharisees and Sadducees they would die in their sins, it was because they rejected the only living source to give them life (John 8:21-24). The vision seen by Ezekiel is about the Jewish nation in captivity.

They were spread out and spiritually dead. Just as God brought life to the dead bones, he would bring life again to his spiritually dead people. Our nation is in the same dilemma in 2024. There are dead people walking around without life.

Jesus is the only source of gaining new life. When people say, “I’m turning over a new leaf in life,” the leaf is still going to die. Jesus told us, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul (Mark 8:36).

When Jesus confronted the demise of death towards his close friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, he knew he had power over death. When Lazarus was sick and died, Jesus allowed this to happen purposely to raise him up.

Please read these next few verses aloud to yourself. Allow faith to rise in your spirit that nothing is impossible with God. 23} “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24} Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25} Jesus said unto her,I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26} And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?27} She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (John 11:23-27 KJV).

Jesus’ powerful words to Martha would later come to reality. Jesus delayed his coming to show the power he had over death. The love of Jesus is powerfully illustrated in that he showed the same emotions towards those he loved, just as we do.

God is not some far away distance God who does not sympathize with our own feelings (Hebrews 4:15,16). Notice how Jesus words were short and heartfelt when talking to Mary. Please read these loving words aloud.
 

33} “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34} And said,Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35} Jesus wept. 36} Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! (John 11:33-36 KJV).38} “Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

39} Jesus said,Take ye away the stone.Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

40} Jesus saith unto her,Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:38-40 KJV). Please read (John 11:43-46) aloud to see and realize the power Jesus has over death.

Jesus also raised others to life. Jairus’s daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:42-43; Luke 8:40-56). And a widow’s son (Luke 7:11-15). It’s important to know that Jesus told his enemies that if they destroyed this temple, he would raise it up. (John 2:19-21).

[Jesus was not talking about the Temple made of stones but about his body. His listeners didn’t realize it. His words would take on meaning for his disciples after his resurrection. Jesus so perfectly fulfilled this prediction became strong proof for his claim to be God.]

For the body of Christ (Authentic born-again believers), the celebration of Easter goes beyond the commercialization of Peter Cottontail, chocolate rabbits, and colored eggs. I understand the holiday.

I realize there are some things that are basic traditions like, cooking lamb or ham and certain breads for Easter. In of themselves there is nothing wrong with adding them to your celebration.

However, there are many people who celebrate Easter, (I prefer to call it Resurrection Day!) that do not associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is vital to the whole Christian life.

How so? Well, if the resurrection is a fake and never happen, then Christians should just abandon the rest of scripture. The resurrection is the key to believers spending eternity with Jesus in heaven.

39} “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40} And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40 KJV).

Simply put, my friends, if the resurrection story of Jesus is a made-up lie, then we might as well live like the world. Paul said it best. 12} “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13} But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14} And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:12-14 KJV).

And yet, Paul had more to say. 16} “For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17} And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18} Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19} If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:16-19 KJV).

The word miserable (eleeinos) in the Greek text means to be pitiable. This has the same connotation as someone who is deplorable, woeful, pathetic, mean, vile, despicable. Have you ever pitied someone before?

[If Jesus had not been resurrected from the dead, Christians would not be forgiven for their sins or have any hope of eternal life. If what Christians believe were not true, we would be pitiful because we would be suffering for no purpose.]

I remember the actor “Mr. T” would always use the words, “I pity the fool!” And that’s how those would look at us if Jesus did not rise from the dead. But praise God! We born-again believers do know that Jesus did rise and sits on the right hand of the Father.

Did you know there are some churches and so-called believers who don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead? Some denominations still teach and see Jesus as just a good man, our Savior, but not God, and a prophet.

But Jesus was all that and more. (Colossians 1:14-20; John 1:1-5, 10-14). Even having the power over his death. 17} “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18} No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:17-18 KJV).

There are too many witnesses to deny the truth about the resurrection. His power over death was displayed just like Ezekiel prophesied over the dead dry bones (Matthew 27:50-53). Notice verse 52 more closely.

It says the bodies of the saints arose. It doesn’t say the unbelievers arose, the atheist arose, the ungodly arose, it doesn’t even say the religious arose. It says the saints (hagios) arose. That is, the sacred, the blameless, the consecrated, those made holy.

Those that deny the resurrection of Jesus in 2024 are false believers and heretics. It’s impossible to be a follower of Jesus and deny the resurrection. When true believers receive Christ, we die to our old life and we are given a new life in Christ.

Please read aloud (Ephesians 2:1-10, and Romans 6:1-11). Do you see the power difference between those who are walking dead and those who are already raised spiritually (Ephesians 2:6), born-again?

Listen “TRY JESUS” members, before you believed, you were the walking dead. Again, the Bible verse is (John 5:27-29). Read it aloud. Yes everyone shall be raised, but not everyone’s final destination shall be the same.

You can easily see this in (Revelation 20:10-15; 21:7-8). Again, so that individuals who are guest for the first time, the evidence is overwhelming that Jesus rose from the dead.

After rising from the dead, he then appeared to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, and Joanna. He appeared to Peter, two disciples on the Emmaus Road. He appeared to the disciples, minus Thomas.

Then to all of them. He appeared to the disciples at the sea of Galilee. He appeared to them on a mountain in Galilee. Appeared to over five hundred people. He appeared to his half-brother.

I purposely left out the scriptures where all this took place. Your reading assignment is to find these powerful scriptures. Then you can lock them away in your heart.

Before we close our special Easter message (I prefer to say “Happy Resurrection Day!), it’s important to know that there will be an uptick in church visitation today. Is that good? Yes! But why are they coming?

Some might say, “It doesn’t matter why they walk in, as long as they come.” I would agree. I pray that those whose motives were to attend a resurrection service because it’s just like every other holiday, would come in one way, and be changed before the service is ended.

Again, some come because it’s a time to put on your best Easter clothes and play Easter games, with Peter Cottontail and all the egg and chocolate trimmings. I get it. But God had a more serious game he was playing. It involved our lives.

You see my friends, without Christ, you are simply dead. The desert life with the worlds mirages cannot help you. You are not unconscious, unmoving, or resistant to his love, but lifeless. Flatlined. Satan is the culprit behind your spiritual blindness. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

You just are unable to respond. Some of you consider yourselves pretty vibrant before hearing the gospel about having new life in Christ. You may have appeared confident, successful, or favored, but looks can deceive.

Dead is dead. We all know what dead looks like. Especially God. Just read it. (Revelation 3:17). This is what all believers were before they repented and turned to Jesus. Before grace quickened our hearts.

We once believed that we were independent, autonomous agents of self-rule and that what turns out to be bondage was life. But it wasn’t life at all. Again, read it. (Ephesians 2:1-3).

In the time Jesus lived in, everyone thought the religious leaders had the keys of the Kingdom. They thought being children of Abraham and living under the law got them a first-class seat to heaven.

But Jesus exposed their phony religious tactics, didn’t he? Yes, they were the ones with authority, the ones who opened and shut doors, but mostly shut them from everyone else (Matthew 23:15). Their authority offered no life.


🗣📢 Last words: Sadly, today, many churches are still living like the religious leaders and teaching a false gospel to the spiritually unlearned. Easter is a time that true Christians focus on the Resurrection Day!

The Commercialization of Easter is fun for Satan. It is another mirage in the desert of life to keep hearts away from knowing Jesus through his resurrection. Satan is the master of slight of hand tricks.

Satan tried this on Jesus. (Matthew 4:1-11). Notice all his mirage tricks? He still uses them on us today. Some Easter followers are so taken up with the values of this world that they are blind to the priceless gift Jesus offers.

The Resurrection, the greatest event in history, is the foundation of our hope. Jesus promised that he would rise from the dead, and because he did, we can be assured that every other promise God makes us will also come true.

Some of the 2024 skeptics still being used by Satan will still ask these questions or make statements about the resurrection. Here are just a few of their erroneous comments.

A) Jesus was just a mythical figure.

B) Jesus was just a man.
C) Jesus followers made it all up.
D) The witnesses were all unreliable.
E) The resurrection of Jesus was not that important to the early church.
 

F) The New Testament is not reliable.
G) The resurrection is not important.
H) The eyewitnesses hallucinated.
I) Jesus did not die on the cross.
J) Jesus’ body was stolen. Some are still holding to this lie in 2024.
K) Everyone went to the wrong tomb. Wow! They didn’t need GPS to find him.

If you want the answers to these outrageous statements, I’ll have them for you, Lord willing, next week. Or you can find them today with the Holy Spirit’s help. But the biblical evidence is overwhelming that Jesus has risen!

The power of God that brought Jesus back from the dead will also bring us back to life. Jesus’ death was not the end. His resurrection is the beginning of eternal life for all who believe in him. Do you believe?

 

🛐 Here’s a prayer you can pray to live alive. “Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this special day where we celebrate your life. Lord, on this Easter Sunday, we give thanks for the sacrificial love you showed.

We praise and thank you today for bringing people out of the spiritual desert of death and the redemption they find in your resurrection. As the sun rises today, may the light of your victory over death shine in our hearts.

Lord, as we celebrate the real reason for Easter, renew our faith and refresh our spirits. May your resurrection inspire us to live with conviction, share your love with others, and walk in newness of life.

Thank you for the gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life. May our hearts overflow with gratitude and praise. This Easter, help us to reflect your glory in all we do. We has this in your living name, Amen.”

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY EVERYONE!

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🙏 Please remember to pray for the people in Israel. They are God’s people because of his covenant promises to them. (Genesis 12:1-3; Numbers 6:22-27; 24:8-9). ✝️📲 Prayer Line- Text line- 1-412-616-3572

Pastor Todd Boxley

Worship Center Ministry