Gospel

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Mark 16:2-4

And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

The Scripture text said the women are going to clean up Jesus’ body. They are going to anoint his body with spices and oils. But there was this great barrier in their way. Not only had a stone been rolled in front of the tomb’s opening, but the Bible tells us in Matthew 27 that the Chief Priests and Pilate ordered that the stone be sealed to the tomb itself. Nothing could get in, and nothing could get out. The Chief Priests and Pilate represent the enemies of your life. Satan is the arch enemy. Satan has issued instructions to put stumbling blocks in people’s lives so that there will be no advancement.
2007 has been prophetically declared as the year of increase in this Church. As you journey into the year to receive your increase, there lies a huge rock, which completely blocks up the road. This rock appears in many areas of people’s lives. Some experience stones blocking the path to a happy and joyous marriage causing many marriages to be endured and not enjoyed. There are stones in the advancement of some people causing some parents to live like barren people even though they have children.

There must have been a little faith on the part of these women that went to the tomb. Knowing that the stone was there, knowing it had been sealed up… they must have believed, or at least hoped in the back of their minds that something had happened. That something had finally gone right. Because they were already on their way when they asked the question, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance?”

Many people are asking the same question today. Who will move the stone? Friend! If this is your question, I have good news for you today! God has a great plan. Whenever God speaks systems are automatically created to serve His will. God has a plan for you. His plan is to remove the barrier. To remove the wall, the stone, the rock and the bars. He is an all powerful God. There is no obstacle that He cannot remove. The resurrection of Christ points to this fact. Be encouraged beloved!!!
God says in Isaiah 45:2 –
“I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron”

You may be in captivity today but I tell you, be encouraged because the barrier of captivity shall be removed. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you have the power to remove the barriers of opposition to your life. Samson did the same.

Judges 16:1-3:

Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

Samson was far from perfect. He was chosen by God to be the judge, the leader of his people. Yet he broke every law he could. He lived in disobedience due to his weakness. But even at that, Samson was anointed by God. His supernatural strength was the by-product of this anointing. He was the deliverer, the savior of God’s people. We find in this passage of scripture that Samson was captured. His enemy who wanted to destroy him surrounded him. Arrangement was concluded to waste him. But God has not finished with him yet. In verse 3 we see that Samson “took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.” His enemies put barriers against him but Samson tore off the barrier, the bars, the posts, the doors, and the gates… he literally tore them off the wall, out of the ground and walked out. Samson, yes he was a sinful man, yet God used him mightily to deliver his people time and again.
Beloved! Rejoice! Christ is risen!!! Those stones shall be rolled away.

Psalm 107:15-16 says,
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

Isaiah takes it a step further. Isaiah 45:1-2 says,

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

Jesus Christ is the Lord! He is the greatest barrier Breaker. He also breaks down the gates, the barriers in our lives that keep us from him. He does all the work. He made the sacrifice so we would not have to. He died so that we could live; he rose from the dead overcoming death, hell and the grave so we could also overcome death, hell and the grave.

The women in Mark 16 wondered who will roll away the stone, but when they got there, they found the stone at the grave rolled away. They must have wondered if it was Jesus or the Angel who rolled away the stone. Either way, it doesn’t matter. The stone wasn’t rolled away so Jesus could escape. It was moved because Jesus couldn’t get out of the tomb any other way. No, Friend, it was moved for the mere fact that it couldn’t stand in His way.
The one who purchased complete freedom for man, could not be locked up any longer by a stone sealed with wax to a cold, dark grave. The barrier is removed. Not only once again, but once and for all.
The stone was placed by the enemies of Jesus Christ and He supernaturally removed it.

There are times when we need to remove some stones we put by ourselves. Such stones separate us from God. In John 11:39, Jesus got to the grave of Lazarus and said: “…Take ye away the stone”
Stones could signify our separation from God. Stones could be sins in our lives.
Isaiah 59: 1-3 says:
Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

Sins are obstacles and Jesus asked that those who placed the stones should remove them. You know your stones. I know mine. Please let us take away the stones. Go to God in prayers of confession through the name of Jesus Christ, confess your sins and the Blood of Jesus Christ washes away your sins. The stones shall be moved!!!

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