"Come and See.  Come and Remain.  Come and Transform.  Come and Die.  Come and Be Raised Up."   I believe this is the complete invitation from Jesus to Christians, rather than just come and see, and come and die.  Because we tend to fear what we don't know, I believe that most Christians have only gone to the"come and see" stage and that is why we are scared of His invitation to come and die.  Unless we take the next step forward to come and remain and then come and be transformed, we will not understand or submit to His leadership.  Regretfully if we do not do this we will never understand the magnificent joy of a life change into courage and peace that follows because we will not die to self-protection.  Honestly, I think this is because we just do not know the heart of the One who invites us, for there is nothing to fear if we will truly trust Him.  In fact, that perfect love of His will cast out all fear in us if we will trust Him and embrace it into our heart.  Look at this scripture:

"Perfect love drives out fear."  Allow that promise to resonate within your heart.  Understand that it is this voice of assurance that stands beside us and tells us to take that step in faith to die to self and be resurrected to a new life in victorious living.  Yes, just as we are invited to a symbolic, metaphoric death that will require a death to self, we are also given the assurance of a symbolic, metaphoric resurrection of a new life in Christ.  This new life is the one we long for deep down in our soul.

I continue to be amazed with the stories I hear from our Influencers brothers who have found this new life in Christ.  They would stand before anyone and testify enthusiastically that what they have found is what they longed for, but did not know how to find.  Then they went through a Journey Group where one of our godly Influencers walked them to a place called The Inner Chamber and showed them the inscription above the door that said, "HE WHO ENTERS HERE MUST DO SO BY PERSONAL ABANDONMENT AND ABSOLUTE TRUST."  After this challenge was clearly seen, we told them that we would help them get there by helping them to get to know Jesus as they have never known Him before.  This would help them have the courage to take that step, for they would know they could trust Him.  Those who have stepped into this place will tell you that their life will never be the same.  We have heard thousands of these testimonies in this Country and other parts of the world that tell us that they were raised up from their death, to a new life that is alive in Christ.

I believe in many ways we live in a world of the walking dead who think they are alive.  I also believe that we live in a world where there are some people who are alive but consider themselves dead.  This is the condition Christ invites us to.  The Apostle Paul said it this way:

Throughout the call of Christ, He has asked His followers to trust Him, to die to our self, and through the process I have presented, to become alive in Him in a new way.  The benefit of this invitation, if accepted, is what our good-hearted Savior does in return.  He never gives us a serpent when we ask for a fish.  He never pushes us down when we reach up to Him for help.  He never invites us to come and not be there waiting for us.  When He told the little girl to "awake" from her death, and Lazarus to "come forth" from his tomb, He was there waiting for them.  He will never ask us to die to self without following it up with, "RISE UP!" That is the Savior King who invites us to a life that this world can never give us.  This world takes our life.  But Jesus gives us life in abundance.  Therefore, if you want the life He can give you, you will have to die to yourself to gain it.  But before you attempt to take that step by will power alone, you need to really get to know this Savior of yours in the best way, which is heart to heart.  When you do this, you will not walk through those doors of Abandonment and Trust.  Rather you will run though them as fast as you can with outstretched arms declaring the victory you have found.  Your death to self will kill the remaining fears that are rooted from it, for you would be raised up by your King to live a new life of courage and purpose.  That is why Jesus asks us to die to our self.  It is so He can make us into the man or woman He has in mind.

As I wrap up this week's devotional series, and especially today's devotional on being "raised up," I would like to end it by providing you a song and video to reflect on.  I know you have probably heard the song.  But perhaps you will now hear it in a new way.  Maybe, you have not heard it while thinking that it is you that Jesus is raising up?  Will you watch and listen to this video?   I am providing the following link for that purpose.  We serve a wonderful Savior King.  Let's give Him our best, for He will give back to us much more.  Let Him raise you up to be His man or woman.  This is why He asks us to come and die.