We stop too soon...

We have come to the beautiful gate once again. It didn't take us long to reach here, but we certainly looked tired... The chains and burdens all over our bodies weighed us down. I don't know about the rest, but I wanted to be free of all of that. I must gain that freedom, I must receive that breakthrough.

The invitation was given, and we did not hesitate to enter into His presence. The chains and the burdens were beginning to break off our bodies, and our strength was renewed. I've been to this place before, many times. I wondered about what is suppose to happen next. I had a rough idea, because I've been here before, but somehow I felt the Host had something more in place tonight.

Before I could get on with what I thought we were suppose to do, I found myself in a different place, a deeper place. The scene before me shocked me to the core. I've been here before too, but it was so long ago, and I don't remember feeling this way last time. I was afraid, because it was the ALTAR. I knew what I had to do, but I don't know what's going to happen. Will I feel the pain? Will it go away quickly? Where will I end up next?

My heart was filled with fear, I thought it should not exist in this place. Maybe I was focusing too much on the altar, I think to myself. Maybe I should just get this done and over with. With terror clearing expressed on my face, I laid down my body on the altar. And immediately when my eyes were looking upwards, I saw a man I thought to be Jesus. He looked down at me and smiled. I wanted to ask Him how dying is going to be like, but I think He knew what I wanted to say.

"Friend, if you don't participate in My death, how can you participate in the power of My resurrection?"

Called it a vision, or whatever, but this was the picture I had last night in prayer meeting. Many a times we just enter into the presence of God desiring to be set free, forgetting the purpose of FREEDOM, this SALVATION. Once the chains are off, we lift our hands in worship and thanksgiving. And we think this is the end of it. We stop too soon... We forget that the altar is a place of death - death of the old self, the self-denying. Salvation and freedom is given to us, that we may participate in His death - giving of one self, serving others, doing the right thing, focusing on the needs of others, loving the unlovable, giving grace to the undeserving - and the joy of His resurrection.