LET'S GO TO GALILEE
"6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16:6-7.
After the death of the the Lord Jesus, the disciples scattered! Their faith had been shaken, and everything seemed over. All their hopes were dashed! These people had just seen their Lord arrested, publicly humiliated, tortured, and crucified. The disciples were scared for their lives. But now the women brought a message of hope! The message came to them like a ray of light in the midst of chaos, darkness and confusion. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus, were at the tomb where the Lord was buried and found it empty. An angel appeared to them, saying, THE LORD JESUS IS RISEN. The Master is no more in the grave! And He instructed the disciples to meet Him in Galilee. "5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7.
WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GALILEE:
Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and He called the apostles from that area. The present day Galilee lay on the border of what is now Lebanon and Israel. It was the place Jesus and His disciples began their ministerial journey. The first miracle was at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, and His last, on the shore of Galilee. The Jordan River where Jesus was baptized flows through the Sea of Galilee.
Each of us also has our own Galilee!
1. Figuratively, Galilee is a place of divine encounter. A divine encounter is God’s means of introducing Himself to us in a personal way so that we can know Him better. It removes doubts; prepares us for challenges; and allows us to see ourselves as God sees us. So to go to Galilee is to have a fresh encounter with the Lord.
2. Galilee is a place of renewal. To go to Galilee is to experience a spiritual awakening. The experience you have at Galilee will strengthens and energize you for a bigger ministry.
3. Galilee is a place of spiritual refreshment. To be refreshed is to be revived. The word revive means to restore something to its original condition. To go to Galilee is to be brought back from spiritual death to life. Revelation 3:1. To return to Galilee is to be spiritually replenished. To go to Galilee is to be spiritually rejuvenated. It is to energize. To return to Galilee is to recharge your spiritual battery. To go back to Galilee is to be restored to the original plan of God for your life. Galilee is a place of drawing new energy from the sources of our faith. Going to Galilee will reignite your spiritual life.
4. Galilee is a place of new beginnings. It is the place where everything started for Jesus and the disciples. To return to Galilee is to experience a new beginning with God. The Lord is a God of second chances and fresh starts. So regardless of your past and failures, your life can still be rebooted. You can have a fresh start! You can start over. God can give you a clean slate. Today can be the start of a new season. The story of your life is not over! No matter how many times you fall, stumble, or rebel, God’s grace gives a fresh start!
5. Galilee is a place of rediscovery. To go to Galilee is to find and rediscover your place in the body of Christ.
6. Galilee is the place of God's grace and mercy. Mercy is when you don’t receive the punishment you deserve. But grace is when you receive God's love and blessings that you don’t deserve. To return to Galilee is to receive God's mercy everyday. Lamentations 3:22-23. To go to Galilee is to experience God’s gift of forgiveness. By grace alone we are saved. To go to Galilee is to return to that blazing light with which God’s grace touched us.
7. Galilee is the place of divine calling. To go to Galilee is to rediscover and pursue the call of God.
8. Galilee is a place of transition. It was there the lowly fishermen transformed into world famous fishers of men. To go to Galilee is to allow Him to move you from zero to hero.
9. Galilee is a place of surrender. At Galilee, the disciples left everything and followed the Lord. Mark 1:16-20; Matthew 4:18-22. To go to Galilee is to submit our thoughts, goals, and ambitions to God. Romans 12:1-2. The moment we surrender that which is holding us back, God invites us to follow Him.
10. Galilee is a place of remembrance. To go to Galilee is to remember the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 103:2.
11. Galilee is a place of discipleship. It was the place where Jesus called twelve men and asked them to follow Him. So to go to Galilee is to return to the place of discipleship. Discipleship is focused on getting believers grounded in their faith, living a godly life, and equipped for the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19. Are we still making disciples? Everyone is called to be a disciple and make disciples.
12. Galilee is a place of preparation. To go to Galilee is to allow God to refine and reshape us.
13. Galilee is the place where many signs and wonders took place. The disciples were told to go to Galilee in other to see Christ who died and rose again. To go to Galilee is to experience a great move of the Spirit of God. To return to Galilee is to receive fresh fire and anointing for impactful ministry.
14. Galilee is the place of the perfect will of God. The disciples left all in other to be led by God. So to go to Galilee is to surrender to God's perfect plans for us.
15. Galilee is the place of first love. Revelation 2:4. To go back to Galilee is to recommit ourselves to God.
16. Galilee is the place of obedience and faith. The disciples promptly obeyed Jesus and followed Him. To return to Galilee is to go back to the place of trusting God. Our faith in God must be unwavering.
So are you ready to go meet Jesus in Galilee? (Am not referring to pilgrimage to Galilee or Israel. Though if you'll like to go there there's no problem. But the Galilee am talking about here is a return to the Lord).
"And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat." Mark 6:31. Jesus' call for us to rest awhile is still valid today! Are you frustrated or stressed? Anxious, worried, afraid, ashamed and depressed. Are you burnout, tired or empty? Do you at times feel confused, weary or overwhelmed? Is it a feeling of hopelessness? Are you contemplating leaving full time ministry and hoping to go back to your former career or business? Is it discouragement? Do you feel unsettled in the church? Have you lost interests in spiritual things? Are you being haunted by past failures? Then come meet Jesus in Galilee. Let Him help you! Do not be afraid! Let Jesus give you His peace again. Not peace as the world gives, but perfect peace that is calm in the midst of troubles.
JESUS HAS GONE AHEAD:
There are times when it may feel like God has forgotten about us. We may feel so alone and even depressed. But we don’t have to go through life, facing challenges on our own. God guards our footsteps as we trust Him. God walks with us! He is our companion. The whole world may walk out on us. But God will never do that! He is our Shepherd. We need to keep following Him as closely as we can, that we might meet Him in Galilee. He'll give you rest. The rest of God that's calmness in the midst of unfavourable life's circumstances.
"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8. By going before us the Lord becomes our Guide. He goes ahead of us to make crooked places straight and to break in pieces the gates of bronze. It means God's removing all obstacle and hindrances on our way. "Mountains skip at the presence of the LORD." Psalm 114:4. Jesus has gone ahead of us and is waiting for us to join Him on the mountain in Galilee. Do not be afraid!
1. Create time for regular personal retreat.
Spiritual retreat is time set apart to be in quiet, rest, and alone with God. This time remove us from noise and distraction, and into a place of spiritual refreshing and renewal. Retreat is a way of entering into the presence of God, and allowing Him to nourish your soul. Be disciplined. Be purposeful. John 15:5.
2. Prepare your heart to seek God.
It means seeking Him with an undivided heart and mind. Preparing your heart to seek God means not allowing anything else, to distract you from meeting Him. In Exodus 19 verse 10, God tells Moses to consecrate the people, to set them apart, and to purify them, so they will be qualified to meet Him. Be prepared. Be consecrated. James 4:8-10. "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" Psalm 139:23-24.
3. Repentance.
John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Repentance always brings forth times of refreshing, or revival. God always honors a humble and contrite heart. Make things right with God. The first step of repentance is to recognize that you have committed a sin. Confess to God. Ask for forgiveness. Forsake sin. Receive God's forgiveness. Acts 3:19.
4. Feed daily on the Word of God.
In order for you to be spiritually nourished, revived and refreshed you need to feed on the Scriptures daily.
5. Spend quality time in prayer.
Your efforts can never be a substitute for prayer. Seek the Lord’s strength in prayer. 1 Chronicles 16:11.
Add fasting to your prayer.
Fasting helps us to develop spiritual sensitivity and power. Mark 16:17. It grows our faith in Christ. Matthew 17:17-21. Fasting weakens the flesh and crucifies ungodly desires. Matthew 4:1- 10.
Praying and fasting makes us to focus our attention on God. It causes us to be more spiritually sensitive. Prayer and fasting puts us in harmony with God. It positions us to receive guidance, direction, revelation, and answers to prayer. Prayer and fasting provides an atmosphere for the glory of God to manifest.
6. Praise, worship and thanksgiving.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4.
7. Don't be in a hurry.
When you’re rushing in and out of the Lord's presence you will never experience His blessings and peace.
8. Have unconditional faith in God.
Unconditional faith is blind trust in God and His promises. It is unshaking and unwavering faith in the Lord regardless of the difficulties. Unconditional faith is peace in the midst of unfavourable life's circumstances.
9. Don't be afraid!
The journey from Jerusalem to Galilee would have taken the disciples three to four days of rough terrain. So God gives them a word, “don’t’ be afraid.” Fear paralyzes. It falsify reality. Fear prevent us from making the right decision. It forces us to hide rather than move forward. Fear prevents us from entering into the glorious plan God has for us. So trust in the Lord. You can have peace and be at rest.
10. Obey.
Obey the Lord’s commands. Love Him with your heart and love others as well. Decide to live a righteous life.
"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.
Now is the time for a fresh start. It is time to reset and refresh your mind, heart, and soul as you prepare to meet the Lord. Come let's go to Galilee! As you wait upon God, He renews your strength. You shall mount up with wings as eagles. You shall run and not be weary. When you're in God's presence you're revived.
If you want to begin or restore a broken relationship with God, simply say this prayer from your heart: “O God, I come to You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus died on the cross to save me and resurrected on the third day. I repent of my sins and forsake them. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to Him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God.”
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Father, I come to You with all my sins. Wash me in the precious blood of Jesus, in Jesus name.
2. O Lord, my strength and my hopes is in You alone. Help me, in Jesus name.
3. The earth can quake, the seas can roar, the mountains can shake, but I will not fear, in Jesus name.
4. O Lord, revive me again, that I may experience a time of refreshing from above, in Jesus name.
5. Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayers.
