Jesus has Risen, He is not Here! Easter 2011

Wishing You All A Happy Easter 2011

Jesus Has Risen, He Is Not Here!

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!

Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. (Luke 24:1-12) NIV 2011

Many times some people have dismissed the words of those who have seen Jesus in our days, who have a personal relationship with him as nonsense. When they look at some of the women or men who are telling them, that Jesus is risen, they see no substance in them. Sometimes they don't even drive flashy or fancy cars. Sometimes they don't even own houses. Sometimes they don't even have a regular job, or a prestigious one.  At times they don't follow the fashion of the day. In the days of Jesus, women were not listened to. They were discounted in almost everything. Women were not counted, only the household they lived in as belonging to their fathers or husbands. the women of Jesus' days had no property to their name. That was the culture in which Jesus grew in. That was the culture in which he preached, taught and perfomed miracles and wonders. Jesus had many followers and among them women but his disciples were men according to the culture. Yet God chose to tell the women first. And these women remembered His words.

At the Temple of worship, the women's place was in the Outer Court, where sometimes they could not even hear what was going on in the Inner Court. Perhaps when they went home, their fathers or brothers or husbands reported to or informed them. 

Do not miss out on Jesus's Resurrection by discounting the wonderful and powerful message of the woman or man who brings it to you just because of popular culture, tradition, culture, society, class, education, status, ego, belief, just like the Eleven men apostles then. For you will definitely miss out on your soul and eternal life with God, our Creator when He calls us.

The message is still true today as it was then; He has risen from the dead, He is not here!

Oluyimba:

Omukwano Gwa Yesu

2. Byonna ebitalabika

Kaakano mbirengedde;

Bibikuliddwa gyendi

Ku lw'ekisa kya Yesu;

Era ebinafu by'ensi

Katonda yabironda,

Alyoke akwase ensonyi

Eby'amaanyi mangi nnyo. 

Alyoke akwaase ensonyi

Eby'amaanyi mangi nnyo.

Song:

On the Resurrection morning Jesus rose again, 

Rose again triumphantly appeared again to people, 

Angels standing by the tomb told them not to cry, 

He is risen from the dead, He is not here!

 Chorus: He is risen x3 from the dead.

Rev. Jessica Nakawombe

Sunday, Easter, 24 April, 2011

God Breaks Down Gates of Bronze

"This is what the LORD says to His anointed, 

       to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of 

       to subdue nations before him (Jessica) 

       and to strip kings of their armor, 

       to open doors before him (Jessica)

       so that gates will not be shut:

 I will go before you 

       and will level the mountains; 

       I will break down gates of bronze 

       and cut through bars of iron.

 I will give you the treasures of darkness, 

       riches stored in secret places, 

       so that you may know that I am the LORD, 

       the God of Israel, who summons you by name." 

(Isaiah 45:1-3)

It is amazing! After many years of so much moving, I kept some of my belongings at a Church. They were so kind my property was there for about 2 years or even more. At times  I would be so tired and so weak that my private documents were just left there for all to see! Just on Tuesday, September 13, 2010, the Church had emailed me the previous week that they needed the room in less than two weeks so I had to move my things or else they would be donated to the Salvation Army.I was so tired after working the graveyard - night shift for over a month. I had to act swiftly. I went and looked at some boxes that were open. I was amazed! There were so many folders that contained personal information from 2001 to 2002 in another state I had lived in. It was there for everyone who wanted to see or use it in a malicious way. Partly they had not been destroyed since I was moving so much. Whenever I had planned to take care of them, i would either be packing them again or too tired to look at them. That became a pattern for me for over five years.


Lesson here is that God cares so much about us to the littlest details. There had come a point in my life where I did not care who got hold of those documents. I had been beaten down so much that I had given up. I did not care about tomorrow. I was just living one day at a time. "Amazing love how can it be that Jesus would die for me and care so much for me! As I write this, I am just shedding tears of joy.
Like Israel Houghton, "I am a friend of God and He calls me friend."  "Is it true that You are thinking of me, how You love me, Its amazing!"


Looking through those papers, I have been shredding them in these two days. God know me so much and loves me so much that he knew that I did not want my stuff to just be in the public arena of trash bins. I am amazed that after all these years I have been able to shred them as I wished so.


God reminded me that he was breaking down the prison walls that the our Enemy, the Devil, Satan had kept me in.

 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

My joy had been stolen, my blessings had been stolen, my dreams had been stolen, my career had been stolen. But Jesus is restoring everything by His power. And restoring them in a new way. For God says, 

"Can't you see, I am doing a new thing. Eyes have never seen. Ears have never heard!" (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Song: Amazing love, how can it be, that my Lord would die for me!....


God's restoration power is so amazing and He does it in his own way. Just keep your eyes open and ears.


Rev. Jessica