MIND OF CHRIST MINISTRIES, INC.
PASTOR THOMAS E. OGLESBY
P.O. BOX 85
NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY 07110
website: mindofchristministries.net
Phone: 973-818-2750
e-mail: mindofchrist@verizon.net
March 2024
“Christ Has Risen From The Dead?”
Main Scripture for Message-Luke 24:6-7
“He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
Dear Believer(s):
We celebrate Easter by declaring that Jesus has risen from the dead and that He is alive. “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:2-6)
What is Easter really about? It is about the Love that God has for His people. Let’s look at John 3:16. It says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God’s Son died so that we might have all of the eternal blessings that God has for us. We are able to live forever because of the death of Jesus. We can have a holy and righteous relationship with God because of His Son’s death. There is more that God has made possible for us. Because of the death and resurrection of His Son, we can receive Jesus as our personal Savior. We can have God’s Spirit live in us. What does this mean? Because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, God’s Spirit resides in us. The Holy Spirit can be alive in us. In John 14:16-18 Jesus said, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (or another Comforter).” Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. Then He continues, “that he may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans (or, I will not leave you comfortless); I will come (again) to you.” Jesus said, “I am leaving, but I will come again.” However, you see, when He left this earth, it was in His limited, human form; but when He returned it was in His unlimited form as the HOLY SPIRIT.
Jesus is not dead in a tomb. We talk about what His resurrection means, and we sing about it. We have plays where we act out His crucifixion and resurrection. We preach and teach that Christ is risen. But what does Jesus’ Resurrection mean to you as a Christian? Have you been resurrected?
Jesus’ death and resurrection has made it possible for the Spirit of God to live in us. The same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives within us. Paul wrote to the Church at Rome. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11) The very same Holy Spirit that we have received is the Spirit by which the Father raised up His Son from the dead.
When we are born again by the Spirit of God, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us. The most important thing is yielding. We must learn to yield to God’s Spirit living in us. In Luke 11:2, Jesus teaches us to pray, “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” First, let’s look at the divine order of this prayer. We give honor to God, we pray that God’s rule be established in our hearts, and we pray that the will of God be accomplished in us. We must yield to God’s divine purpose for our lives.
We are living in a time when we are faced with unbelievable pressures and stress. Sometimes our minds and bodies are almost totally overcome by the difficult situations of life. Jesus knew that we would face situations and times as these. This is why He sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to us. The Holy Spirit was not only sent to be Our Comforter but He was also sent to give us power.
In Acts 1:8, it says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Once Jesus’ disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they were prepared, ready and able to do the work of God. They witnessed with wonders and signs following them.
I want you to understand that Jesus is not dead but alive. He was resurrected so that we might be resurrected from the dead or a life of sin. Darkness or satan no longer binds us. We live because of God’s love for us. This is why we should celebrate Easter. It should not be some type of ritual or tradition for the sake of men and that it seems like the thing to do. We should celebrate because we are God’s people, and He lives in us. We should celebrate because we are committed to doing His spiritual work, and the work that He has called us to do. We should celebrate because we are members of His family and are entitled to all of His benefits. We should rejoice because we have power to tear down the strongholds of the devil.
Jesus is resurrected, are you? The Bible which is God’s Word verifies the fact that once we become His children, we have the same power not only as Jesus’ disciples but the power as Jesus. Look at what it says in Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Have you been resurrected? Are you doing the work that God has predestined for your life? Are you witnessing to others? Are you telling them about the love of Jesus and that they need to be saved?
We as God’s people need to live a loving and righteous life. We have the Holy Spirit in us. We have been saved and are not bound by sin anymore. We are alive in Jesus, and Jesus is alive in us. Jesus should be alive in the lives of our family members, in our homes, and in our churches.
It is time that we yield to the Holy Spirit in us and use the power of God to tear down the strongholds of the devil.
Easter should not be about a new dress or new suit, going to Church only on Easter Sunday for several hours and then returning to a life of sin. It should not be about giving up some physical activity or not eating a certain type of food or dessert for a period of time. It should be about spiritual commitment to “Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
This entails asking God, “What can I do to please You, Lord? What can I do to bring glory to You? What would You have me to do to build up Your kingdom?” Remove from me permanently all hindrances that keep me from being obedient and honoring You.
Easter should be a time of rejoicing. Rejoicing about the fact that Jesus is alive and living in you and that He has enabled us to live eternally. It should be a time of glorying God because He has given us power over sickness, lack, emotional hurt, and hate. We should be spiritually excited about the fact that God has given us, PEACE, JOY, HOPE and LOVE. We should give Him thanks because He picks us up when we fall. He forgives us when we make mistakes, and He will never forsake us. I get happy and excited when I think about all of these things.
I want to share the Joy of Easter with you. If you have a problem or difficult situation that has you burdened, please write to me and let’s stand together as we ask God not only to solve your problem but also to renew your life in Him. God will not fail you. He will answer your prayer, change you, and give you His love. Easter is one of the times that I spend in special prayer for all of those on our mailing list. If you have a special need, please write and I will lift that need up to God during this special time of prayer.
As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter, let’s demonstrate the power that we have by witnessing to all by living righteous and holy.
I want you to say this affirmation with me. “Lord, I have the same Spirit in me that raised up Jesus from the dead. I am going to use this power to live a righteous life. I am also going to use this power to save souls, so that I am fruitful for You. Thank You, Lord. Amen!”
I want to thank all of the individuals who support this ministry prayerfully and financially each month. It is so gratifying to see how you are helping me to make a difference in people’s lives through the power of God. We must always give God all of the glory. God is blessing those who sow seeds into good ground for the purpose of doing His work. I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your help. The Bible says in, 2Corinthians 9:6-9 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.”
I will be in Special Prayer for several hours on Easter Morning. Please send me your prayer needs on the enclosed prayer request form. Let’s join together petitioning God for our miracle expecting to receive it.
Please join me in a special prayer of Thanks at Easter Time: “Heavenly Father, we thank You for all things. We know that You are a Good God. We feel and see the goodness of Your love each day of our lives. We thank You for family, friends, and enemies. We ask You to use us for Kingdom Building. Let us be mindful to serve You in every area of our lives. We thank You in advance for the prayers we are going to pray which will be answered. Today, Lord we come asking for nothing, but we honor You by thanking You for all situations that we are faced with. Because we know You will bring us though. We rejoice that today we are celebrating not only Jesus’ resurrection, but it is our resurrection also. We love You Jesus. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen!”
Jesus is Alive in You,
ThomasOglesby
Pastor Thomas Oglesby
